Richelle Mead owns these characters.
Chapter 7: One of These Days You'll Break Me of Many Things.
'So where's you're uh friend at tonight?' Mason sneers the word friend like it's some kind of deathly virus. As if he did acknowledge that Dimitri is my friend he would explode from the inside out. I shrug and keep my eyes to the book in front of me. We were on our last break from work and for the first time in almost two weeks, Dimitri hadn't showed up tonight. 'I'm sure he has things to do. He's got his own life to live.' Mason rolls his eyes and continues to shovel the lasagna his mother brought him into his mouth savagely. This was Mason's way of interrogating me about Dimitri and the fact that since he had dinner at my house, he's been here every single night. At first I wasn't surprised to see him walking in the store, I had figured he most likely was shopping, but when he made a B line for me; the feeling of surprise overwhelmed me.
He walked from the beginning isle to the very back where I was stacking toilet paper on a shelf. I remember very vividly what he wore and how strands of his hair flowed in the wind created when he walked. His long legs took big open steps and his eyes never faltered from me. He had on his jeans, black t-shirt and topped it off with his blue sweater moving like there was a constant breeze following him. He looked good, real good. It took a moment for me to focus back on what I was doing, but as his deep voice sounded I snapped myself out of the daze. 'I thought you were canned food?' I blink and focus on his smirking lips as I smile and try to hold in the blush screaming to come out. 'I am.' He smiled sideways and gave away a care free expression, but there was amusement too. 'So why you stacking butt wipe?' I shake my head and try to push away the shock of him being here with a smile. 'It's in the job description.'
I remembered that whole first night he came here. How carefree and funny he was. Yeah, Dimitri Belikov making jokes and most at my expense. He was really great to hang out with and even helped me work a little bit. He had this happy demeanor about him that I couldn't figure out exactly. Since meeting him he was always so glum and brooding, but that first night he was here there was something I couldn't quite figure out and still can't. I didn't want to ask him about it though, just in case I pushed that happiness out of him. I didn't want to risk it. 'Rose Hathaway attends St. Vladimir's high school, works at a grocery store. Special skills include: making bad spaghetti, helping hopeless delinquents and stacking chalky shit paper.' We both laughed at his good natured humor. He leaned on the ladder to the side of me and watched as I kept working. 'Are you making fun of me?' He smiled wide at my questioning expression and shook his head looking away. 'Never, Rose, I would never make fun of you. I'm just listing your qualities, stating the facts. Your college applications should look great.' We both laughed out loud and were given a glare from Mason as he passed by for the first of many times that night.
Those nights after were the first time that I actually looked forward to going to work. Since dinner with Abe, Dimitri and I have established a pretty solid friendship. He came to see me every night and even had finally gone back to school. He still kept his distance a little, but I felt I was slowly making dents in his guard. He always kept it up. Sometimes he would let little bits of information out and I wanted to ask more about it, but something in me told me not to. 'Earth to Rose!' I blink and snap my eyes to Mason. He's got tomato sauce on his chin and is giving me a confused glare. 'Did you hear anything I've said?' I shake my head and return my eyes back to the book we had to read for English. 'I said next week you don't have any late shifts.' My head snapped up at his words and I glare in confusion. 'What! Why?' Mason shrugs and focuses back to his nearly empty plate, purposely avoiding my eyes. 'My dad said you could come in early instead.'
'That doesn't make sense, Mase, I asked for the late shifts. If I go in early that makes things harder at home and school..' He shrugs again and keeps his eyes away from mine and centered on his plate. 'I don't know, my dad just said that's the schedule for next week. Don't argue about it.' Something about his words didn't sit well with me. I requested those hours and Mason's father knew why I had; in fact he even gave me a raise to help out with the whole Abe situation. So how the sudden change happen and me not having any idea of it struck me as odd. 'Mase?' He kept his gaze elsewhere and was becoming fidgety. This usually meant that he was holding something back. Like when I had caught him staring at me for long amounts of time when I first started working here and he denied and denied it. He wouldn't look at me and that's when I knew he wasn't telling the truth. 'Mase, did you request to move the schedule around?' A long silent pause took place and slowly but surely, Mason nodded. 'Why?' He shrugged again. I knew what this was about. The way Mase would act or the certain things he did whenever Dimitri was around were a dead giveaway.
When he would walk around the store and linger in the isle or whatever part I was working in and Dimitri would be talking to me. The way he made it obvious that he was checking up on me when I would take my breaks and Dimitri and I would sit outside. How conveniently he needed to give me my schedule in front of Dimitri, like I didn't know it already, and interrupt our conversations. How he made sure to glare as Dimitri walked around the store in search for me or his failed -yet hilarious- attempts of trying to intimidate him. I couldn't tell if it was jealousy or he thought he was really looking out for me. Either way, I knew he didn't like the fact that I considered Dimitri my friend. Or the fact that I considered him at all. 'I don't get it, Mase, you hate him that much?' Mason looked up to me and shrugged, his eyes showed sadness and confusion. 'I just don't get why you waste your time with someone like him.' Someone like him. 'What is that supposed to mean? He's my friend, Mase. I don't tell you who you can and can't hang out with.' He sighed and leaned over the table we were sitting on. He came close to my face as he lowly and slowly said his next words. Determination and frustration clear in his eyes.
'Yeah, well, none of my friends killed their mother or get into all that trouble.' The way he said them and the way his eyes showed how serious he was made something snap inside of me. He took my questioning of his grudge against Dimitri to a whole new level. I got angry and it happen very quickly. I glared at Mason as he sat back down in his seat and finished his food like nothing ever happened. 'You know it's one thing to be jealous, but to say something like that isn't very nice.. Or wise.' Mason watched as I closed my book and gathered my school things angrily placing them back inside my backpack. 'I never said I was jealous and I'm not the only one who thinks that about him, Rose. The whole goddam school knows what happen, there's no use trying to convince me any different.' Slamming my bag down on the table and shooting Mason a deadly glare, I yelled at him. 'No one knows anything about what happen! You sit here and act like you know him and everything about him. Just like everyone else, Mason. You don't know him!' 'And you do? That guy barely says a word to anyone, but he comes over here and it's like you two are bff's or something! Fuck, Rose! And I may not like him very much, but at least I'm not deluding myself!' Mason and I were face to face and standing over the table top of the wooden bench out back. I was angry and I found myself defending Dimitri like if it was me at question here. 'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' He shrugs and begins cleaning the place where his food was avoiding my question.
'Mason!' He throws away his food and then stands just in from of me a good few feet away. 'I know you like him. It's pretty obvious; you've been searching the door the whole night like some lost little puppy. It's like you want him to come, so you could stare and drool at him all night.' I took his words in very carefully. Mason did have some jealousy in his eyes, but his other words were true. This whole shift I have been looking at the doors waiting for that tall brooding sweet guy that made my nights bearable. 'You think it's easy watching you lust after some psycho who could be playing you. He's trouble, Rose, but if you want to waste your time don't let me stop you.' Mason begins walking to the door of the store and before he could make his way in, I had to get the last word. 'I won't. And by the way, you have sauce on your chin! Do you need a bib or something!' Mason shakes his head as he walks in the store and slams the door shut. He was jealous, yes, but he was also just like all the other people who didn't see Dimitri the way I did. Misunderstood.
...
'Why did she leave your father?' I took a moment to swallow the question. The night was clear and a little cold, but it felt good to breathe some fresh air and get out of the stuffy store for a while. 'She said because she didn't love him anymore. That she didn't want to make everyone miserable and stay somewhere she didn't want to be.' He watched as I released a short laugh as I shook my head disbelieving. 'She made it seem like she was doing us a favor, can you believe that? Abe gets sick and she runs away, leaves me to pick up the pieces. Typical Janine.' I was on break and we were sitting out back on the old wooden bench where I usually ate lunch every day. Dimitri had asked about my mother and Abe. He smoothly avoided my question about his life and ended up turning it on me. 'Do you- do you miss her?' He sat on the bench part straddling the seat and faced me as I was on the table. My feet dangling off the bench part and my hands nervously taking the invisible lint off my sweater sleeves. I sighed at the heavy question. I had never thought about missing Janine, in my mind we were better off without her. However, his question made me take a minute to think and I couldn't come up with an answer. 'I don't really know..'
'What about your mom, don't you miss her?' He shook his head no, but it wasn't the answer to the question. It was his way of letting me know that he didn't want to talk about it. I looked away and back up to the sky. It was dark and only some stars were visible. I avoided his lingering and powerful gaze. Usually when I'd ask something personal about him, he would avoid the topic or answer vaguely; it was frustrating because every question he threw at me, I had answered. He wasn't being very fair. 'My father is kind of like your mother. They're both selfish in their own way.' I nod and wait for him to continue. 'He just wants me to suffer all of the time.' I looked to him in confusion, wondering what kind of father would want to do that to their own child. Different questions came at me all at once and I tried so hard to hold them back afraid of being rejected another answer. However, that was hard to do when all I wanted to do was figure him out even more. 'How could your own father hate you so much?' The eerie silence was long and anxious. He looked to the ground and a sad expression covered his face. 'I'm pretty sure you've heard why..' 'I hear a lot of things, some of which weren't exactly true, but maybe it will help if I hear it from you.' He shrugged and looked away towards the empty parking lot. I kept my eyes on him, wondering and waiting what it was that he hid so deeply and that his father treated him like shit for. With a final and long sigh, Dimitri looked towards me and swallowed. 'It's my fault my mother's dead and he feels I should be punished for it.' He shrugs and then walks a few steps toward the empty parking lot, leaving me to take all this in.
I couldn't help but look to the door every few minutes and my shift was almost over. He wasn't coming, okay, but that didn't help the fact that I really wanted him to. Since he started showing up, I couldn't help but wonder about him throughout the day. Even in school, which we decided to be discreet about since he didn't like my friends too much and they didn't like him or were afraid. My mind still wondered. I'd watch him in class and catch myself confused at the reason why he kept himself hidden from everyone else. I had heard the story about his mother, how it was an accident and how his father was released from jail even after the discovery of him abusing her. Dimitri held a huge chip on his shoulders. The guilt of whatever did happen that night had taken over his life and he just accepted it without a fight. 'I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow, jerk.' Mason just rolls his eyes as I pass him on my way to the back room. I timed out and gathered my stuff then headed to my car. Usually –if he were here- Dimitri would walk me to my car and say goodnight. I had missed him, something I was afraid to admit. It bothered me how badly I wanted to see him tonight and how much I liked spending time with him. It was no mistake I liked him and even more after that awesome kiss yesterday. Somehow, I think it will be a lot harder for him if I made those feelings known and I didn't want to push him away. That already happen, twice, and I wasn't about to lose the progress made.
'So you are going to school tomorrow, right?' He smiles small and nods his head. 'Yeah, but I don't think we should, you know, hang out. I don't want to ruin your reputation or anything.' I laugh as we walk side by side to the middle of the parking lot towards my car. 'Definitely don't want to ruin that, it is my life after all, avoiding scum trouble like you.' He smiles again and nudges me with his shoulder. 'You're the one who talked to me first. I even tried to get away from you, but can't get rid of you no matter what.' 'Yeah, because I did force you to come here every late shift I have for the past what, week?.' He laughs out loud, a sound I found endearing and wouldn't have minded hearing again. 'What can I say you're hard to avoid and you get to eat all the free Cheetos you want.' 'So you're using me for my benefits. You really are trouble.' He shrugs and smiles widely as we approached my car. 'That and I get the pleasure to hang out with you..' I blush a little but avoid his eyes and play it off, opening the door to my car. 'What a line that was, does it work often?' He smiles once more, showing those perfect lips of his across his face. 'I was hoping it would get you naked again and want to have sex with me in your back seat. It looks pretty comfy.' I could hold back the deep blush that appeared on my face as I watched his eyes spark with amusement. So in order to wash away the very detailed images of what we could get away with in my back seat, I played off his comment with my usual sarcasm. 'If you don't run away this time.' His smile had dropped and his gaze went everywhere except to me. The childish look made me laugh at him and he snapped his eyes back to me. 'It was a joke, chill.' He shook his head and rolled his eyes as I got in my car and started the engine. Then it happen, as i pulled on my seat belt he had leaned his head into the car and surprisingly pecked my cheek softly. To make him more uncomfortable and see how far I could push him and get away with. That and to hide my giddiness of him kissing me. I hired my window a little and yelled out to his retreating figure. 'Besides, the backseat is kind of small. I'm flexible, but not that flexible.' I smiled as he shook his head and kept walking toward his bike and then I drove off.
Sorry for the long wait, the holidays had taken over my life and I kind of struggled with the way i wanted this chapter to come out. Im kind of not happy with the way it did, but i tried my best.
The next chapter is a Dimitri pov and will explain some things. It will most likely be posted after New Years, ill try to before, but if not, sorry.
The italics are moments that Rose remembers from the times with Dimitri and soon the story will get to where we all want it to go. Im excited. But drama will follow too, so dont get too eager. Anyway thanks for reading! Alerts, Favs and Reviews are welcome (;
