Ok, I think my timeline is getting a liiiitle sloppy but bare with me cause it should make more sense soon. I don't own VA.
Thirteen
Chapter 5
DPOV
I went back to my dorm at the end of the day, smiling to myself. I was still upset that I couldn't be with my family for my birthday, but Roza made it bearable. I had tucked the new western novel in my bag, promising myself to cherish it forever. Since the first day I sat next to her in Headmistress Kirova's office, I felt drawn to her, though I couldn't place why. Perhaps it was just her bold and fearless personality, but it also could have been her ethereal beauty. I had started noticing girls looks fairly recently, and Rose was by far the most beautiful one I'd ever seen. I couldn't tell her that though. We were friends and I didn't dare risk jeopardizing that. The cell phone my momma gave me when she managed to get me into St. Vladimir's rang in my pocket, startling me. I answered quickly.
"Momma," I answered warmly, in my native tongue. A chorus of female voices rang out over each other and I smiled widely. They'd put me on speaker to shower me with love, speaking rapidly in Russian.
"Happy birthday," was exclaimed in the various voices of my family. Even my five-year-old nephew was rambling on about missing me. It warmed my heart and made it ache at the same time. After everyone was satisfied they'd showered me with enough love, they took the call off of speaker so I could catch up with my mother.
"Dimka!" she said, excitedly. "Tell me more about your new school! How's that new friend of yours, Roza?"
"School's going really well, momma," I told her earnestly. "Roza is doing well. She managed to get some cupcakes and a new book delivered for my birthday. We hung out for a while and got to know each other even better."
"That's wonderful, Dimka," I could hear the smile in her voice. "Your babushka started knitting a blanket for her. She insists that she had a premonition involving her but won't enlighten the rest of us."
"I'm sure she'll tell us all when she's ready," I laughed, fondly remembering all the times my grandmother told us of visions that would inexplicably come true.
"Of course," momma replied, laughing along with me. We caught up some more before wishing one another goodnight and hanging up. We were on opposite sides of the world, with it being the vampiric night on my end and the human night on theirs. They lived amongst humans, except for Vika, when she was at school. St. Basil's breaks were at slightly different times than St Vladimir's. Viktoria and I would only overlap at home for a couple of days at a time now that we were at different schools. I shook my head wistfully, not regretting protecting my family but being disappointed by how it'd turned out. Except for meeting Rose. Being around her made me feel like I'd been missing something up until now. I wish I could figure out why. I sighed and got ready for bed. I fell asleep quickly and dreamt of deep brown eyes and musical laughter.
~.~.~.~.~.~
RPOV
I was still floating on cloud nine after celebrating Dimitri's birthday up on the roof. We fell into a routine, along with my other friends and Lissa's brother, Andre. And things went really well and incredibly smoothly for just over two years. I wish I'd known back then to cherish what I had, because it turns out that good things truly couldn't last forever.
Two Years and Two Months Later
"Roza!" Dimitri called, practically sprinting over to me. We'd been friends for over two years now. If only he knew, I wanted so much more. He was almost sixteen now and I was fifteen; we had started our sophomore year of school a few months ago. When he came back from Russia after summer break, I took one look at him and my entire body filled with lust. I couldn't tell him. It could ruin our friendship.
"Hey, comrade," I beamed at him, looking his muscular body up and down discretely. "What's up?"
"My mom asked if you'd like to come to Russia with me for winter break this year," he shot me his beautiful smile and I melted right there. Then I grimaced.
"I'd love to," I told him, sincerely. "But my winter break is spoken for."
"I figured," he sighed, but his smile didn't fall completely. "I was hoping since it was still a month away, you and Lissa didn't have plans yet."
"If the offer stays open, can I come for spring break?" I asked, falling into step beside him. His face lit up.
"I'll ask momma," he said excitedly. "I'm sure she'll be fine with it. My whole family wants to meet you in person so badly. Especially Vika."
"I'd love to meet them for real too," I nodded in confirmation. "Just talking to them, I feel so loved. I can only imagine what it's like to be physically around them." Dimitri squeezed my shoulder gently, knowing that I was a little envious of him having a relationship with his family. My mother dropped me at the academy when I was four and I could count on one hand how many times I'd seen her since then.
"Hey, guys!" Lissa waved across the courtyard. We waved back, breaking into a jog to meet up with her for breakfast. We decided to sit with Mason and Eddie instead of the royals for a change, chatting about our upcoming vacations. Mason's mom was taking him and Eddie skiing. Dimitri was of course going to see his family in Siberia and I was accompanying Lissa and her family to a fancy resort complete with spas and ice skating rinks. I was already in vacation mode, a mindset I'd regret before I knew it. Because this was the vacation that was truly going to change everything.
~.~.~.~.~.~
One Month Later
DPOV
"Momma!" I called into the quiet house, running down the steps two at a time. I'd arrived home last night and went straight to bed. Now I was starving. I stopped in my tracks when I made it to the kitchen, seeing my mother's tear-streaked face. "What's wrong?" I felt panic seize me. My mom rarely showed such emotion to my sisters and me. It was just her and me in the kitchen.
"I think you should sit down," she told me gently. I complied after taking her hand in a silent gesture for her to join me.
"What is it?" I probed, hating seeing her like this.
"There was an accident back in America, Dimka," she said gravely, grief on her face. "The Dragomir family hit a patch of black ice on their way to their vacation. There were only two survivors out of the five in the car." My heart dropped and I was no longer hungry. Instead my stomach twisted violently. Roza was in that car. I loved her with everything I had and if she wasn't one of the survivors, I was certain I'd die too.
"I need to go back," I whispered, voice hoarse with the threat of tears stinging my eyes. "I need to see her. Is she…" My voice broke and I couldn't finish my question.
"They haven't released who the survivors were yet," she answered solemnly. The tears fell. It was possible that she'd lived. It was possible. She had to be. Someone like her couldn't die. Not like that. Momma enveloped me in her arms.
"We'll find out more as soon as we can," she assured me. "I know how much you love her." I shook my head and smiled ruefully.
"You probably knew before I did," I laughed without humor. "Didn't you?" She placed a gentle hand on my cheek, brushing at the tears and nodded, embracing me again as I sobbed.
"I wish I'd asked her to come here sooner," I murmured. "Then she wouldn't have been in that car at all." Momma rubbed my back and whispered soothing words in my ear, mostly that we don't know who survived yet. Just that there were two. Hoping for Roza's life went against all guardian training, since she was in a car full of Moroi, but I couldn't help it. I needed her to be okay.
~.~.~.~.~
LPOV
I sat at Rose's bedside, gripping her hand with all my strength. I felt completely numb. My entire family was dead. Gone. My whole bloodline wiped out. Except me. Thank God Rose survived. She was bruised and bloody and fragile looking, tubes sticking out of her arm, hand and nose, regulating her vital organs and breathing. I couldn't even cry anymore. All I could do was stare at Rose's face, willing her to wake up. She had to wake up. She was all I had now. Her eyelids fluttered and I practically lunged forward. Slowly, her brown eyes opened, wincing at the bright light in the academy's infirmary. I gently hugged her, surprising myself when more tears broke through. Pulling back quickly, I studied her face. Her eyes glazed over for a second before she blinked hard and focused in on my face.
"Wha-what happened?" she croaked, making my tears fall more steadily. I licked my lips and took a deep breath.
"We were in an accident," I whispered, trying to steady my voice. "Oh, God, Rose. They…they're all dead. My parents and Andre…they didn't make it." I whimpered and she sat up abruptly, wincing in pain but crushing me to her chest as we sobbed together.
"I'm so sorry, Liss," she smoothed my hair, holding me to her. "I'm so glad you're alive." I chuckled darkly.
"I'm not," I deadpanned. "They're all gone. I might as well be too." Her face twisted in a look I'd never seen on her and couldn't place through my own despair. She shook it off and just held me, assuring me that we'd get through this together. Like always.
"I'll always take care of you," she promised, staring deep into my eyes. I mustered a small smile. I trusted her completely and knew she meant it.
Sorry for the sloppy timeline but I needed to make them older to really start to get where I want to go with this story. It's Rose and Dimitri so I think we all knew it couldn't just be all butterflies and rainbows and young puppy love. Let me know what ya think!