Alright here is chapter four. Thanks to everyone who is favouriting or choosing to follow the story. I was starting to feel scared that maybe really no one was interested in this side of it at all, but either way I told myself I was still going to write it because I really wanted to know this story aha. The funny this is I do go back a reread all the chapters and groan and get frustrated when I realized I've done things that really don't make sense at all. For example why in the last chapter was Sophia wearing a uniform and Landon was dressed casually? I don't know, All I know is that, yes my grammer sucks and sometimes I get screwed up and go into present tense when it should be past tense, but to credit myself more than half the time I am writing these chapters at like 12 or 1 in the morning. Anyways please enjoy this chapter!
I woke up and instantly groaned, not only was it extremely early, I had to go and start my training with that egotistical jerk. I got up and threw on some workout clothes and brushed my hair up into a ponytail. How could the academy think I was going to learn any better this way? I walked out of my room and down the stairs to the main exit. As I walked across the grounds to the gymnasium I couldn't help my thoughts from wandering. Arabella had said that Landon was very serious about his career as a guardian. I had yet to see him in action, but if it were true I guessed even though I didn't like the guy, I could have ended up with someone worse. Before I open the door to the gym I quickly send Arabella a text telling her I'd meet her at lunch so we could hang out and talk more about the current events. As I entered the gym I closed the door and turned, immediately I stopped in my tracks. There was Landon, standing in the centre of the gym, topless, wearing nothing but sweats. He was sweating and flushed, as if he had been working for a while. His eyes were closed and behind him was a dummy. It was silent and I couldn't bring myself to move to disturb him. Suddenly he quickly turned and threw a stake right into the dummy's chest. Landon turned and opened his eyes, smirking as he realized he hit the target. I gasped not realizing I was holding my breath. Landon turned and noticed me and quickly walked over to the bleachers. He pulled a shirt over his head and dabbed his face with a towel.
"You're late." He said as he walked towards me. I rolled my eyes up wondering why everyone always noticed I was late.
"Good thing or I would have disturbed what I thought was supposed to be my training session." I snarled looking back towards him.
"I have to train sometime if I'm supposed to spend all my time looking after you." He replied as he crossed his arms across his chest. I scoffed as our eyes met and quickly looked down to avoid his gaze. Fuck why did he have to have such nice eyes. A few silent moments passed between us and then I broke.
"What time did you get up anyways? It must have been a while ago, looks like you've been training in here some time." I said as I walked past him to place my bag and hoodie on the bleachers. He put his hands in his pocket and smirked.
"I don't mind, I don't sleep much and I like training early, no one is around, it's peaceful, and I can concentrate. Plus with classes, homework, and now having to focus on training you, there is really no other option." He pauses briefly, and then speaks again. "Now shall we begin?" He asked. I nodded and moved so I was in front of him in the middle of the gym.
"Are you going to teach me to use a stake?" I asked hopefully, praying that I'd finally learn something new. Landon took his hands out of his pockets and stretched his arms out behind his back.
"Eventually yes, but not yet, you're not ready for that yet." He replied. Instantly I was infuriated and felt the blood rush to my face.
"What do you mean I'm not ready for it yet? What could you possibly teach me that I don't already know? You've seen me; you even said I was good. I can run, I can lift, I can punch, and I can kick, probably your ass for that fact. You're a novice, if you can do it why can't I? What else do I have to learn?" I finished shouting at him. He had stared at me silently as I yelled at him, the anger slowly building up in his eyes. Suddenly before I knew it, he had my arm twisted behind my back and forcefully turned me so my back was flushed against his chest with force. I struggled to free myself, but couldn't seem to escape his grip. I stopped struggling as I felt his breath against my ear.
"You think you're ready, but you're not. You think you've learned everything, but you haven't. You've just proved to me what you have yet to learn. Patience, control, maturity, decision making, self-discipline. Do you even know how hard it is to stake a strigoi? It isn't just stab in the heart you're dead. It's not easy and I know you think it is because I once thought that too. Now you can either trust that I know what I'm doing and stop being difficult and learn or you can continue in being difficult and we will both get nowhere." Landon whispered into my ear harshly. I stood against him in silence, feeling my heart beat in my chest. It was in that moment I realized that Landon wasn't exactly who I had thought he was. Arabella was right, he did take all this seriously and even I had to respect that. Maybe I was a lot like my mother in the aspect that I didn't think much before I acted. Don't get me wrong, I still didn't like the guy, he definitely knew how to get on my nerves, but I had to admit, he seemed to know what he was doing. I sighed and as my body relaxed in his grip, Landon let me loose feeling my defeat. I turned to face him and nodded.
"So where do we begin?" I asked crossing my arms across my chest. Landon looked at me for a second then smirked.
I crossed the courtyard as the last class before lunch had let out. I yawned then frowned, mom was right school was still school even away from home and I still had homework even though I didn't live at home anymore. I checked my phone as I walked to meet with Arabella and smiled. "Hope your first few days of school are going well and you're settling in ok, don't be discouraged if something doesn't go as you planned. Love you baby. –Dad." I hadn't realized how much I missed my parents until now, but my dad's words were encouraging. I spotted Arabella sitting around a table outside, but she wasn't alone. Sitting beside her in deep conversation was a boy. He was a boy I had seen before, a moroi who was fairly popular with the student body and who I believed was a senior. He had dark brown hair and I noticed dark brown eyes that almost looked black as he watched me walk towards them. He wasn't short, but he wasn't super tall either. As I had slid into the seat beside Arabella, she turned and smiled at me.
"Oh good, you're here, I was getting hungry, I was thinking we could stop at the feeders on the way to the dining hall. Oh! Goodness where are my manners, Sophia, this is Jake Dashkov, Jake, this is Sophia Belikov." Arabella blabbered out. She seemed nervous and on edge and it didn't take a genius to realize she liked this guy. I raised an eyebrow at her as she tried to avoid my eyes, then turned to smile at Jake and extended my hand.
"It's nice to meet you Jake." I said as he returned the smile and shook my hand. We all stood up and began walking to the feeders.
"Nice to meet you too, I heard lots about you, but not to worry; Arie has straightened me out, all good things I assure you." He replied. I smiled at his charm and noticed Arabella blush at her nickname. I smirked to myself as we walked into the feeder's room and joined the line. I excused myself from them and walked to the front where everyone was checking in. Mrs. Cavell, she was in charge of checking everyone in, looked up at me and smiled.
"Sophia! I figured you would be in soon, I just warmed it up for you, there's a cup for you in the microwave." Mrs. Cavell said cheerfully. I thanked her quickly and moved out of the way as people were starting to glare as I held up the line. I grabbed the cup from out of the microwave and placed a lip on top with a straw. I walked back over towards Arabella and Jake and she told me it wouldn't be that long until she could see a feeder. Jake raised his eyebrow as he stared at my cup as I sucked the blood up through the straw.
"I don't have fangs, it's just easier if I drink it this way, and maybe because I'm a dhampir, less revolting too." I replied answering his unspoken question. "I won't lie, it does taste good though." I finished off and silently smirked to myself as I realized I was making him uncomfortable. If I had to explain the blood drinking to everyone I met I realized I had to have a little fun with it. After Arabella and Jake were done with the feeders, we walked into the dining hall and grabbed some real lunch. As we sat down I dove into my chicken sandwich, after finally calling a truce with Landon for the time being, we actually managed to get lots of activity in making me feel super hungry. I watched as Arabella and Jake talked intently, their eyes so focused on one another. I rolled my eyes to myself knowing where this was going. I cleared my throat and watched as both of their eyes turned towards me as I broke up whatever conversation they were having.
"So how do you two know each other?" I asked finishing off my sandwich and taking a sip of my drink.
"Well Jake specializes in water magic and he's really good at controlling it, so he's helping out the junior class for extra credit." Arabella replied timidly. I smirked again noticing how she couldn't get that blush off her face. She perked up immediately and became super excited. "He also believes in using your magic for defense just like me and has been practicing on his own, so he's going to help me learn how to use mine! Isn't that exciting? Oh Soph, you should join us, maybe you can teach us some physical moves to so we have some extra protection." She said practically jumping out of her seat. Jake looked panicked and glanced around to make sure no one was listening.
"Arie, as awesome as that would be, I'm sure Sophia has lots to do herself and probably doesn't want to watch us sitting around learning how to use our magic." Jake said quietly. I smiled at him and shook my head.
"Don't worry Jake, I agree that you should be able to protect yourselves, I'm not going to tell anyone. I don't mind giving you guys some pointers and it'll be cool. I've always been fascinated by magic." I replied. Jake smiled as he gathered his belongings and stood up.
"Okay cool, well I have to get going, I have a few things to do before classes start again, but I'll let you know when we can get together. Bye Arie, I'll talk to you later." Jake said and smiled warmly at Arabella before he took off. I watched her gaze after him and then turn back to me with a dreamy look on her face. I raised my eyebrow up at her and she looked at me questioningly.
"What?" She asked starting to pack up her stuff. I smirked and followed her as we had to head back to our classes.
"Don't what me, I know that look, you liiike him, don't you Arie?" I teased her loving the fact that blood had still not left her face.
"I-I do not! That's absurd, we're just friends, besides he's a royal, he could never like me, we just have common interests that's all." Arabella said quickly protesting and walked ahead of me fast, escaping to her next class. I stopped in my tracks and grinned at her disappearing figure.
"Mmhmm, right, that's it." I said to myself and turned in the other direction sighing as I headed towards more homework.
Well that's it for chapter 4, What did you think? Starting to see some character development I believe? Please Review, honestly it helps.