Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire academy.
RPOV
Life at the academy usually meant not getting to do what most teenagers did: Like go to the movies and drink milkshakes – or was that just something they did in the movies? Anyway: Usually the academy sucked, big time, however, there was a few times a year where it didn't suck - at least not quite as majorly as it usually did.
Halloween was one of those times. It was after the autumn break, so everyone was here and not tired of living yet. Also, Halloween was like: 'Our' holiday. As a chance to dress up and eat a lot of candy, I personally loved it. The moroi used it as an opportunity to embrace their true nature, and so, blood and open feedings were a thing. That of course, was disgusting, but aside from their open grossness, Halloween was pretty awesome. This year, I had gone out on it: Face painted a half 'perfect make-up' and half 'melted to the skull'-look, put my hair half up to look like little horns and put on a long black dress: I looked awesome.
Oh and the best part? We didn't have to wait for it to be dark, as it always was. So yeah, Halloween was freaking awesome! This year, however, was the best one yet, because I had the chance to prank Dimitri. Now it was impossible to sneak up on him, I knew that, but it wasn't impossible to surprise him. Meeting him for our training in the gym at seven, I attempted to attack him from behind. It didn't work of course, and he caught me by the waist and landed me on the mat. When he saw my face, though, he gasped and jumped back. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. His face! Dimitri did not find it funny tho - he gave me five extra laps as punishment, which I cheated on, but I suspected he knew that.
At breakfast, I had the chance to sneak up on Mason and enjoy him making the same face. "Holy shit, Rose, I couldn't even see it was you!" He exclaimed when he recovered from the shock. He had a slight greenish color that told me he had 'tried' to be a zombie, but probably regretted his poor choice in costume, and tried, but failed, to remove it before showing up here.
I laughed and sat down beside Lissa, who rolled her eyes at my behavior. "I think it actually got worse after training with Dimitri. My make-up is trashed, makes it look like my face melted or something," I joked and stuffed a piece of donut in my mouth.
"Only you would say it as if it was a good thing," Christian noted, and I stuck out my tongue at him.
"Just because you guys don't have humor! Nice cape btw. Real classic," I commented at his cliché Dracula cape.
"You know," started Eddie, who was wearing an adorable sweater with a pumpkin on it, "I think I saw Jesse Zeklos wearing the same one this morning-"
Christian ripped off his cape faster than a girl who thought a spider found its way on her clothes. We all laughed at his sour expression. If there was something Christian didn't want, it was to have anything in common with Jesse Zeklos. Couldn't blame him.
"Hey Liss, where is your costume?" I asked her noticing her lack there off.
"Lissa decided costumes weren't very eco-friendly," Christian chimed in beside her, forgetting his own defeat in the costume area.
"That isn't what I said!" Lissa denied. "I just said, I didn't see the point in getting a costume and using earth's resources on it when I have fangs already!" She explained.
I laughed, "sure Liss, whatever you say. Now excuse me - I have teachers to scare!" I announced and strolled off. I planned for my next victim to be Stan. I knew detention was sure to follow, but it would be worth it. I contemplated hiding in the bushes outside the classroom, and come in through the window, but for some reason, I decided against it. It was creepy outside the classrooms. There wasn't anyone else here, yet I had the feeling of being watched. Deciding it was the awareness of the date that was setting me off, I went into class the normal way and spared myself the detention. Still, I had to work harder than I should have had to, to convince Stan it was me under the make-up and the costume. It was at lunch that I was served an unexpected chance to frighten Dimitri, again. He had stopped right inside the cafeteria, no doubt looking for me. I took the chance to slip up behind him and put my face in the worst grimace I could muster, before jumping his back. Now, of course, I didn't get on his back, because he had me pinned to the wall in seconds, but he seemed equally frightened by my make-up this time around, and I burst into a fit of laughter again.
"Seriously Hathaway? You think this is funny?" He asked me in disbelief.
I shrugged. "You only have the fun you make yourself, Comrade. See you at training," I grinned and caught a glimpse of the sympatric glances he got from his colleges. They must think he is a saint for putting up with me.
I got in line for food and ignored the weird looks the lunch ladies gave me when someone tried to cut in line.
"Dude seriously?!" I exclaimed without thinking right before I regretted it. I recognized the cape but also the blonde hair. Truth be told, I thought Eddie was joking when he said he had seen Jesse wearing a cape, but as he turned to look at me with his cocky expression, I realized it was true. His smirk turned into a horrified expression tho, and he squealed like a girl and almost climbed over the counter to get further away from me.
I laughed as the people around us started chuckling at his girly reaction. "What is wrong Zeklos, seen a ghost?" I joked as he climbed back down.
"Hathaway? What the fuck? You look terrifying!" He exclaimed.
I smirked at him, reaching in front of him to grab a spoonful of potato mash. "Not as terrifying as that scream! Ever considered auditioning for scream queens? You'd make an excellent teen-horror-virgin," I joked. He was too stunned to answer, so I took my win and went to eat. Ignoring the moroi passing around a poor feeder girl, I sat with my friends and picked at the contents of my plate.
"What's up, guys?"
"You ask us?" Eddie smirked, "we heard Jesse from across here. In fact - I think everyone on campus heard Jesse. What did you do?" He asked in wonder.
"I did nothing, except correct his rudeness!" I insisted.
"It is the face paint!" Mason exclaimed. "It is getting worse, I swear it!" He insisted as he stared at my face like he was afraid, I might bite him.
I laughed at his naiveness. "It is not, you are just getting eyes. Speaking off: What is up with Merediths creepy extra eye costume?" I asked and glanced at her. She had a very realistic extra eye glued on her forehead – it was disgusting.
"You are one to talk," Christian replied, and I gave up on them.
"Whatever, see you guys later," I called and left my tray there. Better not deal with their negativity.
Classes after lunch were pretty much me having to explain to every teacher it was just a costume. At the end of the school day, I decided to take it off before my meet with Dimitri - I was getting tired of people staring. They used to love Halloween as much as I did, what happened to them? Most of the make-up went off with a little make-up remover, but the last had to be worn off. It was only a bit of white tho, so I was good. Dimitri seemed surprised to see me without the costume. I counted that as the third time today, I surprised him.
"What happened to the paint?" He asked me.
"I don't want to talk about it," I grumbled and went to change. He didn't punish me for this lesson, instead, he went running with me.
"You like Halloween," he guessed.
"It is the one time a year you either get a treat or get to do a trick - what is not to like?" I asked him.
"Did you ever go trick or treating?" He asked me with a little headshake, clearly thinking I was being childish.
"No," I admitted, "but I did eat so much candy my tummy hurt, and I also did my fair share of toilet-paper-wrapping - so it counts. Still, it is my favorite time of the year," I insisted.
He seemed to find that weird. Tilting his head to the side, he regarded me with some amount of mystery. "How is that?"
I shrugged. "It is the one holiday that doesn't require a family," I admitted. "A little low on that," I pointed out to him, and his face fell.
"That is a sad reason for a favorite," he commented.
"What is yours?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"Easter," he answered without pause.
"Easter?" I asked him skeptically. I expected it to be Christmas, traditionalist as he was.
"It is the longest break," he explained, causing me to laugh. Such rationalism.
"Fair, Comrade, fair."
We stopped running, although it wasn't the end of my laps.
"I think we can stop now. It is a holiday," he excused us.
"It is," I agreed, but I sensed that he wanted something else. My suspicions were confirmed later when we walked back inside the gym. He pulled me aside into the equipment room and kissed me tenderly. I started up at him in surprise.
"What was that for?" I asked him. He had gone out of his way lately to not get intimate, so what had caused this sudden change?
"Happy Halloween," he offered with a shrug and leaned down to kiss me again. I returned it this time and enjoyed a five-minute full make-out session before Dimitri regained his usual dismissive demeanor and told me to go shower. I took my time, enjoying the warm water while remembering the feeling of his lips against mine. It was the first real kiss we had. The first not-compelled one. Was this the beginning of something new for us? I hoped so.
Turning off the water I went to go get dressed but noticed I had steemed up most of the changing room, which was weird because even tho it was cold, and I had been in there for a while, it took a lot to steam up the entire room. I tried to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, but instead, I stopped dead in my tracks. There on the mirror, written in steam read: I see you.
What did it mean? See what? Dimitri and I? It sent chills through me to think someone might have witnessed that. Then I remembered the date: It was probably just someone pulling a prank on me. To think it almost worked, I laughed to myself. Good one.
Dimitri was already gone when I got out, so I just went back to my dorm. It was cold there, as usual, and I just climbed into bed without doing homework or eating dinner. I must have dozed off, cause I woke to something tapping on my window. Must be a branch, I thought still half-asleep until I remembered; there weren't any trees outside my window - otherwise, I would have used it to sneak out. I was about to go check on it when I heard knocking on my door too. Deciding to check that first, I opened but found the hallway to be empty. I was about to close the door again when a note caught my eye. I picked it up and opened it. It read: Do you think I am funny?
This time, a chill ran through me. Someone had been there with me in the locker room. What else had they seen? Were they the ones outside my window? I turned around to check, but there wasn't anything there. Feeling creeped out, I refused to stay there any longer and fleed the room. It was probably past curfew, but what did I care? Running downstairs to the dorm matron's desk, I slammed my hand on the top to get his attention. He looked bored, and quite frankly annoyed, but gave me his attention. "Yes?"
"There was someone outside my room!" I exclaimed and handed him the note. He read it then looked back up at me.
"And?" Sure, it didn't seem like a big deal to him. He hadn't been there. To him, it was just a note in a hall.
I shook my head trying not to lose it. "Could you just- Call guardian Belikov, please?" I asked him as nicely as I could.
"Guardian Belikov is probably getting some much-needed rest. He doesn't have time to deal with stuff like this," he held up the note.
I took a deep breath, knowing I achieved nothing by yelling. "He does. Please, just call him and tell him," I begged. He grumbled but did as I asked. Exchanging a two-minute conversation with Dimitri, he turned to me with a victory grin.
"Guardian Belikov says: "Go to bed, you have training at six," he informed me. I was speechless. Seriously? He wouldn't come? I angrily grabbed the note back from the matron and went upstairs. Maybe I was being childish, but I was scared. Someone was watching me, and they didn't care that I knew. Crawling back into bed, I was determined not to get up for anyone or anything, yet it wasn't even ten minutes later when it tapped on my window again. I ignored it and pulled the covers up further, but then I heard the window start to slide open. I jumped up in time to see it slam shut and starred at it terrified. Perfect timing, it knocked on the door just then. I grabbed a heavy-looking book, ready to defend myself and went to open. I slammed it towards the person outside before I even had a chance to see who it was, yet it stooped midair when someone grabbed it and pried it from my hands.
"Jesus christ Roza, what are you doing?" Dimitri cursed.
I stared at him in disbelief. He was here! Throwing myself at him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him for dear life. "Someone tried to break in!" I cried.
He pulled back and stared at me. "What? When?" He asked and pushed past me into the room.
"Just now, through the window. They must have thought I was asleep," I explained, and he examined the window and tried to look outside it. "Please be careful!" I asked him.
"I am," he muttered, "what happened?"
I told him everything, about feeling watched, about the changing room and the note. "I didn't think you would come," I exclaimed, "the dorm matron said-"
"I know," he interrupted me. "I told him that, so he wouldn't notice how long I was here. Oh, Roza, I promise I won't let anything happen to you," he promised and wrapped his arms around me.
"I don't want to stay here," I whimpered.
"I know, come on: We'll sleep in my room."
"Can we do that?" I asked him anxiously. I didn't want him to get caught.
"As long as you don't tell anyone - then yes," he confirmed.
It wasn't hard for him to sneak me into the guardians' dorm complex – most students avoided that place like the plague, so they weren't really that concerned about someone getting in, and it was almost deserted at this time of the night. As I climbed into bed and was wrapped in my mentor's arms, I felt completely safe, and so my walls went down, and Lissa slipped in. Or I slipped into Lissa. I was never sure which one it was.
"Thank you for helping us Camille," Lissa smiled to the other royal blonde. Christian had his arm wrapped around her as they sat in the moroi common room. Normally that was forbidden at this hour, but apparently, the moroi had a Halloween party the rest of us wasn't invited to. It was just as well: I could see two guys sharing a feeder on one of the couches, so it wasn't a party I wanted to be at.
"No problem, it was a pleasure taking a little revenge for all the tricks she has played over the years. Did she freak out?" She asked excitedly – Who were they talking about?
Lissa nodded eagerly. "Big time!" she promised, and they both giggled, then Camille left. Lissa leaned back into Christian and sighed happily. "Gosh, I am so glad it worked!" She exclaimed.
Christian hummed in agreement. "Are you going to tell her?" He asked while teasing her earflap with his teeth.
"Maybe…" she pretended to consider it. "Although, I see opportunities… Do you think they'll buy it a second time?"
"Easy there miss Hyde: Don't want to scare Juliet for real - do we?" He teased, using the literare alter egos they had made up, while also making up one just for her.
"Well, if it gets her into Romeo's bed, I think she'll forgive us," she answered mischievously while thinking of how easy it had been to pull this off: She had been keeping an eye on me for a while to make sure I was okay and didn't let the rumors get to me. That was when she started to notice I was falling for Dimitri, big time. She had never seen me in love before, but she knew it when she saw it. So she arranged for this special Halloween surprise, knowing it was my favorite holiday. She knew she couldn't do it: I would notice for sure. So, she asked Christian to slip me a few notes telling him it was a prank, but he didn't buy it, so she had to tell him the truth, then he had agreed to help – after complaining for forty minutes about the 'images' she had put in his head about Dimitri and I. They asked Camille to help with a little earth magic to tap my window and open it from the ground, explaining to her it was a prank. Camille was eager to get back at me from all the Halloween pranks I had pulled during the years, so she didn't ask any questions when she agreed.
"That sneaky bitch," I whispered to myself as I slipped into my own head.
"What?" Dimitri mumbled sleepily beside me.
"Nothing," I told him quickly and turned to face him. "Nothing at all. Oh, but I was wondering: Would you mind coming to my dorm room tomorrow? Just to make sure no one is there?" I asked innocently.
"I'll do you one better," he murmured and pulled me closer. "I'll install a lock on the window." I smiled at the mental image of Dimitri in my dorm, installing a lock to keep me safe. Lissa was right: If it got me closer to Dimitri, she would scare me dead any day of the week.
I also realized another thing that I was less happy about: Lissa just won Halloween. Her costume was that she wasn't dressed up, she had just pulled a perfect Jekyll and Hyde.