Chapter 7:

Song: Don't Trust Me by 3oh!3

Did I say something about a rainbow? Here comes the hurricane.

She's an Actress

Everybody hated me today, unconditionally and unreasonably. Except Dimitri, who had been half awake when I left him this morning. It wasn't bothering me at first, I was busy plotting against Cameron – before he had the chance to plot against me. There isn't anything better for a reputation than a good dose of mommy. As the day dragged me along I started to realise that Adrian was being less... caring. I worried about him briefly. Then I remembered how I had to talk to Christian today and started worrying about myself. Needless to say I didn't notice him holding his head in his hands for most of lunch until I zoned into Lissa's thoughts in last period.

Today her kindness was grating on my nerves. Mainly because it wasn't directed at saving me from her boyfriend – understandable considering she didn't know that: a) he hated me and b) I had to talk to him.

Adrian was sitting at the lunch table, ignoring the conversations around him with his head in his hands. He didn't look up until he noticed the time and hurried off to the feeders. Rose was sitting there staring at Ralf's table while she had an energetic conversation with Eddie. Something about a tribute to Mason's beautiful work and laughing. Christian was sitting beside me being even more brooding than usual. I had thought he was past this. I sighed and tried to talk to him, but he wasn't interested. Everyone was so involved in their own realities today...

Woah, was not expecting Lissa to pull me into her head to relive lunch. It was a newsflash considering I hadn't noticed any of this happening earlier. Oh well... I guess it just plays into my plan even better. You're going to regret this... a little voice at the back of my head whispered on repeat – a voice that didn't sound like Dimitri or Lissa but sounded entirely like me. Whatever, I thought back at it, smiling.

I may have been disjointed and dejected recently, but I was a damned good actress.

In the afternoon I went to find Christian and came up behind him and Adrian talking,

"I don't care, she obviously doesn't. How many times do I have to be the one to worry about her mental health? You can check her into therapy if you're so worried." Adrian said bitterly, like after he'd had a few drinks.

"She's an actress," Christian replied, exactly what I was thinking, "You seriously trust her decisions? Save her before it's too late."

"What are you talking about?" Adrian questioned.

"I've just heard some of the guys talking about her and what a certain person was planning on doing to her. In simple terms: Cameron is seducing Rose, to prove a point. I don't see her resisting." Christian said back sarcastically.

I spun around, I didn't need to talk to that, it would be like getting lectured by God. Could his morals be higher for someone whose parents turned strigoi willingly? Dimitri would be concerned if I didn't talk to Christian but after last night, I was over being broken.

"Damn perfection, because it looks a lot like you, Rose Hathaway." Cameron told me when I finally found him in the commons, after I'd gotten changed.

"That's what you say now..." I whispered in his ear, "Meet me in the courtyard in ten minutes?"

Then I walked off, waving the sticky note in my hand at him over my shoulder... if only he could read it. Eddie wrapped an arm around my waist when I ran into him, looking at the sticky note.

"Thank you for this..." I said, nodding at it again.

"No problem, but are you sure about this? I don't think you need to go this far to destroy him. Imagine what it's going to do to Adrian. You seem to be forgetting him and Lissa." And Dimitri.

"Then fix it later, I love you Eddie but you don't need to worry. My reputation is hardly on the line, but his is." I said smiling and waving my hand nonchalantly.

He seemed concerned even more so now. "You don't need to prove your point here Rose. We already have enough on him to destroy him. You could report him for abuse as it is. Do you really think sleeping with him is going to do any good? It would destroy a few of the rumours we could start, it's not worth it." He said, sighing.

"Whatever, Eddie, I'm doing this." I raised my eye brows and left him there.

I already had the plan. If I ran crying to Cameron about how Adrian was mad at me it would accomplish total destruction. Of my life.

My phone was ringing over and over again as I tried to get my thoughts straight and off what Eddie had said. Finally, I caved, but that didn't mean I was happy.

"What?" I snapped.

"Rose, can you come meet me? There's something urgent I want to discuss with you." Adrian said on the other end, scarily serious.

"I'm kind of in the middle of something, maybe we can talk at dinner?" I said impatiently.

"That's what I feared..." He muttered before clearing his throat, "No, I really need to see you right now. I'll come to you." He said sounding slightly panicked.

"Just make it quick, I'm busy." I sighed, knowing he was already on his way and hanging up.

Why couldn't he just give up? I'd given him a black dress and then had a conversation with all our friends, in front of him, about Dimitri and that same dress.

"Rose, I just talked to Eddie." Adrian said behind me, with Eddie standing a few metres back, smiling apologetically before he turned and left. Damn, he was probably going to get to Cameron before I did.

"Yes?" I said to Adrian, crossing my arms.

"He told me what you're planning on doing." Adrian replied, raising his eyebrows.

"And you're here to stop me." I muttered.

"Yes. What are you thinking? God, Rose. You have a boyfriend! I'm your boyfriend... Don't you care about that at all? Just because you take every chance you can get to try to hurt me doesn't mean that I don't count. This is going too far, you'll be hurting yourself more than anyone else. Stop this now." She shook his head, disappointed.

"But... I have to stop Cameron. This isn't to hurt you. I... I have to do this." I said, scrunching up my eyebrows.

"No you don't, you have to stop. Stop hurting everyone around you and pushing them away. Figure out some other way to cope. Everyone's waiting for you at dinner. Come on." He took my hand and tugged me into the cafeteria.

A/N: Do you hate what I'm doing to this story? It was supposed to be more fun, unlike aftermath. To me it seems like more of the same. Don't worry, I'm fixing it. If you have any ideas for the story or anything you want to see happen, tell me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, Cameron isn't a main character and I was accidently making him one, so, I changed how I'd planned this chapter. I would appreciate reviews for this chapter, i'm slightly insecure about it. :)

xx G.