Coming To America
Summary: The Belikovs move to Miami, Florida to start a new life for themselves. Viktoria meets a girl in school, Rose. They become friends instantly, so when Viktoria needs a tutor Rose offers to help. Rose starts spending a lot of time at the Belikov household where she meets the deviously handsome, and evasive Dimitri Belikov. With Dimitri's cold exterior, is there any chance for him, and Rose to end up together?
Disclaimer; I don't own any of the characters
Chapter 3
V POV
I walked into the building, and went into the main office. Behind the desk there was a woman with tan skin, brown eyes, and black hair.
"May I help you?" She asked in a friendly tone.
"Yes I'm Viktoria Belikova, I'm new here." I explained timidly
"Okay, give me just a minute." She said as she looked through her computer. I waited for a couple of moments, until she finally found what she was looking for. "Ah Viktoria Belikova, I have you right here. Here is your locker number, and combination, and here's your schedule, and the first room you need to go to is room 307, for French. That is the foreign language you choose, right?"
"Yes, thank you." I said politely walking out of the office. A few minutes later I found my locker, and put in the combination. I put all the materials I didn't need in my locker, and slammed it shut. I slung my bag over my shoulder, and wandered around the hallways, until I found the room I was looking for. 307. This was it. Taking a deep breath I opened the door, and found the room was full. The teacher wasn't there yet, so I assumed I wasn't late. I took the first available seat I saw, and looked at everything around me. The students were loud, and restless. They sat on desks instead of in the chairs, and some wandered aimlessly around the room. This was all so different from the schools in Russia. There was so much structure, and discipline. The teachers and administrations were strict and stoic, but here it seemed people did what they wanted, when they wanted.
I decided it would be best to keep to myself, until I became more accustomed to my new surroundings. I looked down at my schedule.
French. 8:24-9:08.
Karp, Sonya. Room 307.
Trigonometry. 9:12-9:56.
James, Celeste. Room 211.
Physical education. 10:00-10:45
Alto, Stan. Gymnasium.
Biology. 10:48-11:33.
Nagy, William. Room 104
Studio in Art. 11:36-12:21
Entin, Galina. Room 206.
Lunch. 12:24-12:54.
Cafeteria.
Global studies. 12:57-142.
Tanner, Mikhail. Room 112
English. 1:45-2:30
Mastrano, Emily. Room 314.
I looked up from my schedule when the teacher walked in and started taking attendance. She called a few names, before she said my own.
"Viktoria Belikova?" She called looking up from her papers.
"Present." I said raising my hand slightly.
She continued calling names again when I heard a feminine voice beside me ask "Hey, you're the new girl from Russia, right?"
"Yes, this is my first day here. Viktoria Belikova." I said sticking my hand out to shake hers.
"Rose Hathaway." She said shaking my hand.
"So you're the new girl, Viktoria right?" Said a girl on the opposite side of Rose. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a bubbly exterior and seemed easily excitable. Before I could answer her question she kept talking.
"Russia huh? I couldn't imagine living in Russia it seems so cold and dreary, or at least from what I've heard. I also heard it's freezing, but the people there have built up a tolerance for it. In fact, how can you be here in Miami, and not melt? I couldn't live in the cold, What if I got hypothermia, and died?" She babbled on and on.
"This is Mia Rinaldi. She can get a little hyper sometimes." Rose explained facing toward me. "Don't listen to a word she says, she doesn't know what she's saying half the time"
"Hey" Mia said defensively. "That's not true, I resent the accusation."
"So Viktoria, tell us about your life in that arctic wasteland." Mia said putting her chin in her palm.
"Well actually, it's not that cold in Russia. That's a common stereotype like all Americans are fat." I explained hoping I didn't offend them with the fat comment. Looking at these two that obviously wasn't true. They both had slim figures. "I lived in Siberia, a small town called Baia. Although my house was in Baia, I went to a boarding school called St. Basils academy."
"Boarding school, do your parents hate you, or something?" Asked Mia abruptly.
"Mia, what is wrong with you?" Rose asked exasperatedly.
"No, my mama loves us more than anything, she sent us to boarding school to receive the best education we could get." I replied a small smile playing at my lips.
"Us, who's us?" Rose questioned.
"My sisters and my brother went to school there. They graduated, so Paul, and I were the only ones still there."
"Who's Paul?" Mia asked me.
"Paul is my nephew, Karolinas son." I explained. I realized I probably left them more confused than before, so I explained further. "Karolina is one of my sisters."
"One of? How many sisters do you have?" Mia asked.
"I have two older sisters. Karolina, and Sonya, and one older brother Dimitri."
"How many people live in your house?" Rose questioned a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Well I live with my mama Olena, my sisters Karo, and Sonya who has a baby on the way, my brother Dimitri, my nephew Paul, my niece Zoya, and my babushka Yeva." I said a fond smile spreading across my face at the thought of my family.
"Bab-a-what-a?" Rose asked me a dumbfounded look on her face.
"Babushka. It's grandmother in Russian." By the time I finished that statement, attendance was over, and the lesson was starting.
Honestly I didn't want to be in this class. I was still learning English, and now they expected me to learn French. Throughout the lesson I was silent, not raising my hand to answer any questions, or make any statements. By the time the lesson was over I'd learned how to say the word generous in French, which I knew wasn't enough knowledge to pass the upcoming test.
On my way to the door I was stopped by the teacher. Oh gosh I couldn't remember her name. I hope she doesn't bring it up. My train of thought was cut off when she spoke.
"Viktoria, is it?" She asked me in a light voice.
"Yes Mrs..." I hesitated; embarrassed at the fact I'd forgotten her name.
"Karp" she said a friendly smile on her face.
"Look Viktoria, I know you're new here, and you're still learning English, so if there's anything I can do for you to make this course easier let me know." She said giving my arm a friendly squeeze.
"Thank-you Mrs. Karp. If I need help I'll let you know." I responded politely before walking away.
Before we left the class room, Rose said "Let me see your schedule." I pulled out the piece of paper, and handed it to her.
"We have French, P.E., Studio in Art, lunch, and English together. I'll see you third period, okay?" She said a friendly smile on her face.
"Yea I'll see you there." I responded with a smile on my face. I think I just made my first friend. Once Rose left I walked to my second class, trigonometry. I wandered around the halls for a few moments before I found room 211.
I walked in, and saw a woman with black hair, green eyes, and tan skin. Just like in my last class the students were restless, and loud. I walked up to the desk at the front of the room, and decided to introduce myself. I looked at my schedule, so I'd know her name, before I spoke.
"Excuse me Mrs. James," I hesitated, waiting for her attention.
"Yes, how may I help you?" She asked with a small smile on her face.
"I'm new here. My name's Viktoria, I arrived from Russia last week."
"Oh, you're Viktoria. Okay well I'm not going to lie you do have a lot to catch up on, and the first semester is almost over. But if you're willing to put in the time, and work, you'll be fine." She explained her smile staying in place. "I made this syllabus to show you what you need to catch up on. You can look it over later, but class is about to start so please take a seat." Nodding my head I walked to the back of the classroom and took an available seat in the corner.
Trigonometry went by rather fast, and uneventful. That's what I liked about math. It was the same everywhere you went, all you had to do was learn how to write the numbers in a different language and you were golden.
Walking out of class I looked at my schedule and realized I had gym. I thought for a moment then realized I didn't bring a changer of cloths. Would I be penalized, would I play in what I was wearing, would I have to sit out?
Pushing these thoughts to the back of my head I walked to the first floor, and down a long corridor. I saw two sets of double doors, one on each end of the corridor. I guessed this was the gymnasium.
I walked up to the doors, and peeked inside, yup this was it. The gym was huge. It had light hardwood floors, extremely high ceilings and two sets of large blue bleachers one on each side of the gym, six basketball hoops built into the walls and a score board on the wall with the words HOME and GUEST on it.
There was no one in the gym except a middle aged looking man. He had salt and pepper hair, tan skin, and cold brown eyes that were looking directly at me. I heard the squeak of his sneakers as he walked briskly toward me, his face hard as stone. When he reached me he stopped, and studied me closely.
"And who might you be?" He asked harshly. I felt like curling into myself. He wasn't as kind as my last two instructors.
"I'm Viktoria Belikova, I'm new here." I explained timidly.
"So your the new student, where are your gym clothes?" He asked in a clipped tone.
"I didn't bring any Mr. Alto, I didn't know I would be having gym class-" he cut me off quite rudely I thought, but I wouldn't dare say that to a teacher.
"Not only are you late, your also unprepared. This type of behavior will not be tolerated, Miss Belikova, do I make myself clear?" He asked sharply.
"Yes Mr. Alto." I replied my eyes stuck on my boots.
"Since you're not prepared, you'll have to sit out." He said pointing to a pile of mats in the far corner.
I walked over, and sat on the mats just as girls, and boys started pouring out of two separate doors on the opposite side of the gym. People started moving into separate groups, and speaking, laughing, and joking around. I looked down at my book, and started reading
"How can you read that it's all gibberish?" Said a familiar voice. I looked up and saw Rose climbing onto the pile of mats. Once she was settled in beside be with her legs crossed she spoke again. "Seriously those aren't even words."
"It's Russian Rose. The Russian alphabet is very different from yours." I explained a smile on my face at the sight of my new friend.
"Really, let me see." I handed the book to her, and watched her forehead crinkle in confusion.
"Well that looks like a backwards three, of it could be a cursive E. The next letter looks like an uppercase b, and then there's a lowercase E, and then there's a-" her analyzing the title of my book was cut off by Mr. Altos voice bellowing throughout the gym.
"Hathaway get over here." He commanded. Rose rolled her eyes irritably before unfolding her legs, and hopping off of the stack of mats.
"I'll see you in a few minutes. He'll kick me out of class eventually." She said while she was walking away. I giggled before I became consumed in my book again. I was pulled away from my book once again when a piece of crumpled paper hit the side of my head. I opened the wrinkled piece of paper to see rather sloppy handwriting.
"Meet me in the hallway- Rose."
I looked up from the note to see Rose peeking into the gym gesturing with her head towards the hallway. I nodded my head, and gave her the one minute signal. She nodded back and disappeared from the gym.
"Mr. Alto, may I go to the restroom?" I asked politely.
He gestured with this thumb to the hallway. On my way out of the door I heard him bark "Make it quick." I scurried out of the gym closing the door behind me.
"Why did you want to meet me out here?" I asked Rose when I saw her casually leaning against the wall.
"Just wanted to hang out, I told you he'd kick me out of class." She said as if getting put out of class was no big deal.
"What did you do to get kicked out of class?" I asked her curiously.
"You were so caught up in your book you didn't see me spike Camille with the volley ball...twice." She said stifling a giggle. I on the other hand laughed rather loudly. "Stan told me to go to the principals office, but that's not happening anytime soon."
"You call him Stan behind his back?" I questioned aloud.
"I call him Stan to his face. It's so funny when I get to see his face get as red as a fire truck. So tell me more about your life Viktoria." She said sliding down the wall onto the floor.
"Well there isn't any more to tell, I've covered just about everything, besides I've talked so much about myself tell me about you."
"What do you want to know about?" She asked looking bored.
"I want to know about your family, and about your life." I replied sitting down next to her.
"Okay...well I'm actually not American. My mother is Scottish, and my father is Turkish." She said a thoughtful look on her face.
"Really?" I questioned curiously.
"Yea my mother was born in Scotland, and raised there, she came here for high school, and collage. She met my father while he was here on a business trip. They fell in love, she got pregnant with me, and they went back to Turkey. So I was born in Istanbul." She explained a smile on her face.
"Really-Turkey. You don't have an accent." I noted.
"It comes out when I'm really angry, or worked up; ask Mia she's heard it." She said a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Anyway, I moved here when I was a little girl. My father is in some shady business, and there were death threats sent to my mother and me so we moved to the U.S." she explained tiredly.
"Do you miss your old life in Turkey?" I questioned. She nodded her head slowly. I knew just how she felt, I'd only left Russia a week ago, and I'd kill to be back there.
"I can't tell you how much I miss Turkey, but I wouldn't give up the friends I made here for anything." She said firmly.
"So what about your family? Is your father still in that 'shady business' as you put it." I asked curiously.
"Yea, he's a huge mobster, so he's usually on business trips." She said a sad look on her face.
"So you live with your mom?" I asked trying to cheer her up.
"No, her job keeps her away from home a lot too?" She replied looking even more upset.
"Divorced?" I asked.
"No they love each other very much, in fact they see each other, more than they see me, their daughter, their only child, who their supposed to love, and cherish. But no they just try to buy me off with gifts, jewelry, and cloths, and cars." She sounded hysterical, and her eyes started to get a glassy look.
Oh no, what did I do? I shouldn't have pushed her for information. I'll probably loose the only friend I'd made. I couldn't let that happen, but what do I say. I grew up in a loving household. I didn't ever experience anything like this.
"Anyway." She said seeming to have gotten a control over her emotions. "Yea it's really just Alberta, and me." She said calming down some more.
"Who's Alberta?" I asked timidly, not wanting to upset her again.
"She's my nanny, I know some people say I'm too old for a nanny, and their probably right, but Alberta's been more of a mom to me than my own mother. I love her." She said with a fond smile on her face.
We sat quietly for a few minutes, in a comfortable silence just studying one another.
"How are you in French?" I asked breaking the silence.
"Good it's probably my best subject." She replied nonchalantly.
Maybe Rose could help me catch up in French class. She seemed like she knew a lot about the language. I didn't raise my hand once, but she answered question after question earlier. I don't want to seem too needy though. If I don't pass the test that we're going to have I'll ask for help.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when a shrill bell started ringing. We'd been out here for almost forty-five minutes. I stood up and stretched my arms and legs.
"Ugh, I left my things in the gym, he told me to be quick, and if I go back in there I'll get in trouble." I thought aloud. I bit my lip wondering if I should just leave my things behind.
"I got it covered; we just gotta wait a few minutes." Rose said a smirk on her face. A few minutes later a short girl with tan skin, blue eyes, and curly red hair walked out of the gym holding my bag, and book. She also held a bag and a change of clothes for Rose.
"Thanks Meredith, I owe you one." Rose said taking her things from the girl.
"No problem, don't let Stan see either of you." She said while walking away.
"How did she know to bring our things out here?" I asked curiously.
"Meredith and I ditch class together all the time." Rose said casually. "I gotta change my clothes, and get to class, I'll catch up with you later Viktoria." She said walking away.
As I walked to biology I thought about what Rose said about ditching class all of the time, and guilt started to wash over me. It was my first day here, and I already skipped a period. My mama would be so disappointed. I needed to pull my act together. I pushed these thoughts away, and walked up to the door. Room 104 this was it.
I walked into the room, and saw almost every seat was taken. I walked over to one of the few available seats, and sat down. Next to me sat a slim girl with platinum blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. She looked as if she wanted to say something to me when I sat down, but decided against it.
A few moments later the teacher stood, and started the lesson. What was his name; I pulled out my schedule and looked for my fourth period. Nagy, William. Mr. Nagy I repeated in my head. A few minutes later I heard the door open, and then slam shut I looked up to see a tall lanky boy with pale skin, jet black hair, and icy blue eyes that were staring right at me.
"Mr. Ozera you're late." Mr. Nagy said in an agitated tone. The boy's eyes left mine for a few seconds as he handed the teacher a note. The boy then started walking in my direction, and stopped a few feet in front of where I sat. He looked at the girl who sat next to me and gestured to me with his thumb. She than made a dismissive motion with her hand and mouthed something to the boy. He rolled his eyes, and turned his calculating gaze back on me for a moment before sitting in the chair in front of the blonde girl next to me.
A few minutes later I caught a movement in the corner of my eye. I looked over and saw the boy with black hair passing a note to the girl with blonde hair. She giggled, scribbled something down, and passed the note forward to the boy. Just as he was about to pass the note back to the girl it was ripped from his grasp by Mr. Nagy.
"Mr. Ozera this sort of behavior from you doesn't surprise me, but Miss Dragomir I expect more from you." Mr. Nagy said in a disapproving tone. "Now what topic was so interesting you felt the need to disrupt my class?" He questioned holding up the note.
"Mr. Ozera writes; who's that chick sitting in my seat?" Mr. Nagy read aloud.
"Miss Dragomir responds; I haven't seen her around here before. I think she's the new girl, the one from Russia."
"Mr. Ozera replies; why would they even allow a communist into this country."
"Miss Dragomir then writes; Christian that's not funny, it's racist."
"And finally Mr. Ozera writes; you laughed didn't you?" Mr. Nagy finished in a deadly calm voice. He ripped the note into tiny pieces and threw them away.
"Mr. Ozara this type of behavior will not be not be tolerated. Get your things and leave my class now." He said in a serene voice.
The boy picked up his bag, and walked toward the door, looked back at the girl next to me, and then slammed the door shut.
Communist. That's what people thought of me. They thought I was a communist. I knew this was a mistake. Mama said I didn't have to start school here yet, but no I pushed, I said I was ready, and I thought I could handle this, but I can't.
I didn't speak at all throughout the rest of class. I kept my eyes glued to my hands that rested on my lap. Once class was over I grabbed my things, quickly stood up, and hastily left the room, praying the day would end soon.