RPOV: Rose!
I sat on the couch in the dark watching the front door. I know what you're thinking, is she crazy. Well if you must know, I'm waiting for my kids to get home, three hours after curfew. I mean I can live with anything up to an hour, but once I need to use "hours" in the sentence "You are _ hour(s) late!" is when I start to worry.
For those of you who don't know, I'm Rosemarie Hathaway Ozera, call me Rose, or you will be sorry. I graduated, top of my class, from St. Vladimir's Academy seventeen years ago, married the King-to-be, gained the status of queen, as well as having and raising three children, Apollo, Artemis and Ashlyn.
Apollo and Artemis are twins. They are both 17-years-old, but Apollo just stopped the whole "I'm older by two minutes" thing a year ago. They were special, and I'm not just saying that because they are my children. They really were special. First off, Apollo was a moroi. That shouldn't be possible since I'm a dhampir, but regardless Apollo was born a healthy moroi, so I'm not going to complain. Artemis is a dhampir, like she should be, however, she is able to use magic, which only morois are supposed to be able to do. And to add onto all that weirdness, they are both able to control all of the elements (air, water, earth, air and spirit), well not anymore, since they used all of their spirit power to bring their little sister, Ashlyn, back to life, long story.
Ashlyn was born a moroi, like her brother, but unlike she was supposed to, and since I got a healthy baby girl, I didn't complain. She is now 15-years-old. She had specialized in air five years ago. Honestly, Ashlyn was my easiest child, she specialized like she was supposed to, she did her homework, cleaned her room, pretty much a parent's dream child, which is what had me worried. I had learned from experience that the innocent ones are never innocent. And Ashlyn was as innocent as 15-year-olds get.
The lights turning on and a shrill scream pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Rose! What the hell are you doing sitting in the dark at one in the morning?" My sister-in-law, Saffron, yelled at me.
I had known Saffron since she was eleven, when her parents, sort-of, left her on her brother's doorstep. We had become best friends (saving someone from a giant shark tends to bring you two pretty close). Now she was twenty-eight and getting married in less than a week. She was wearing a spaghetti strap pink shirt with a white heart in the bottom-right corner and a pair of pink-poka-dotted white short shorts. Her black hair was pulled into a sloppy bun. And her hand was currently on her hip and her foot was tapping. SHIT! I'm in it deep!
"Waiting for Artemis, Apollo and Ashlyn to come home." I said, not moving my eyes from the door.
"Oh didn't I tell you? They asked me if they could stay out late." Saffron said.
"So wait. I've been sitting her for two hours waiting for my kids to come home, and you told them they could stay out late." I said in a deadly quiet voice.
"Yeah. Art and Ash went to Dan's with Riss and Jade, and Pollo and Andria went to the movies." She said walking into the kitchen, only to reappear seconds later with a water bottle.
"So I just missed two hours of sleep." I asked in the same tone as before.
"Yeah…. Oh CRAP! Rose, Jane and Liz are sleeping! You know its not good to wake a four or two year old!" She whisper-shouted as she back towards the stairs.
"Then just don't scream." I said as I stood up, my black dress falling around my mid-thighs. I stepped forward a step quick and she took off up the spiral staircase. I made noises so it sounded like I was chasing her until I heard a door slam shut and lock. Then I stopped and walked upstairs to my room, where I fell into bed.
"Rose? Where have you been?" A voice said from beside me.
I turned to face my husband. Christian was beautiful. He had a perfect face, especially his eyes. He had those bright blue eyes that marked an Ozera, a trait that had been passed on to Apollo and Ashlyn.
"I've been waiting for the kids to get home." I said. His eyes widened in panic as he started to get up. "Chris. Your sister let them stay out late." He calmed down.
"Fine." He said and he lay back down. I scooted over to be next to him and he wrapped his arms around me. I fell asleep almost as soon as he secured his hold on me.
ApPOV:
We were standing outside of our house now. Something felt off.
"Mom isn't waiting for us in the dark again." Artemis said.
"That's right. I am." I almost jumped out of my skin when my aunt appeared from the bushes. Besides our mom, she was the best guardian I knew. She could hide anywhere and protect anyone from anything. "You owe me big for covering your butts. Now get upstairs and go to sleep. We have the picnic tomorrow." She said.
"Thank you so much Auntie Saff." Ashlyn said hugging our aunt.
"Yeah. Yeah." Saffron said with a smile as she hugged back and kissed the top of Ash's head.
Ash ran upstairs to her room to follow our aunt's rules. Artemis followed her sister after giving our aunt a quick hug. I started to follow her but Auntie Saffs put her hand on my chest stopping me.
"Pollo, how was your date?" She asked.
"It wasn't a date." I said shortly.
"Are you bringing her as your date to the wedding?"
"She is coming with me if that's what you mean." I said. She walked up the stairs and put her hand on the knob.
She sighed, "Why can't you two admit you love each other and live happily ever after?" She went inside.
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to have heard that or not so I answered anyway, "It just isn't that easy." I walked up the steps and sat down on the top one. I met a pair of eyes. "How much did you hear?" I asked
"Everything after the girls went inside."
AnPOV: Andria!
"Honey? Where did you get that jacket?" My mom asked when I walked into the kitchen.
I looked at the jacket I was wearing. It was a grey zip-up from Abercrombie and Fitch. Crap. "It's Apollo's, I forgot to give it back, he gave it to me when we were walking into the theater. Can I go run it over to him?" I asked.
"Fine, but make it quick." Mom replied.
I walked back outside into the warm July night. I crossed the street and walked over to the next street (A.N. The streets are parallel so she just walked through the people across from her yard). I saw Saffron hug both the girls and them disappear. I walked closer until I could hear what they were saying.
I watched as Apollo started to follow her but Saffron put her hand on his chest stopping him.
"Pollo, how was your date?" She asked.
"It wasn't a date." He said shortly.
"Are you bringing her as your date to the wedding?"
"She is coming with me if that's what you mean." He said. She walked up the stairs and put her hand on the knob.
She sighed, "Why can't you two admit you love each other and live happily ever after?" She went inside.
"It just isn't that easy." He said in a quiet voice.
He walked up the steps and sat down on the top one. I met his bright blue eyes. "How much did you hear?" He asked
"Everything after the girls went inside." I answered.
He patted the wood next to him. I walked over to sit next to him.
"I brought your jacket back." I said after an awkward silence.
"You're kidding me!" He laughed, "You brought my jacket back at one in the morning even though you were going to see me tomorrow?" I nodded, keeping my head down and blushing. Why am I so stupid! I shouldn't have done that! Now I look like an obsessed chick! That's why I ran away after he asked if it was a date! I didn't want him to see me as an obsessed teenaged girl!
He chuckled and I felt him wrap an arm around me. He put his fingers under my chin and tilted it back so he could look at me. "Thank you." He said, "Now it's late, so how about you call your mom and ask if you can sleep over tonight, you can borrow Ash's or Art's cloths." I nodded. I quickly called my mom and asked her about the plan, and she said it was fine.
We got up and walked into the Ozera house.
"Meet me in my room in five?" Apollo asked when we were in front of his and Ashlyn's rooms (A.N. The two rooms are across from one another).
"Sure." I said.
He went into his room and I went into Ash's.
"Hey As" I started, but she cut me off from the bathroom, "On the bed." I picked them up and changed real quick. I walked across the hall after saying good night.
I walked right into Apollo's room. I came face to face with an Apollo-in-only-boxers and let me tell you, I think his mom knew what she was talking about when she named him after a god, cause he sure did look like one.
"Hey Ivashkov. You done checking me out?" He asked smirking the same smirk his father gave people.
I held up my finger, "Now I'm done." I said and grinned at him. That's what Saff said to Jeremy and now they are getting married.
"So am I hot enough for the last Dragomir and the previous queen's favorite nephew's daughter?" he asked, stepping closer.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
He was now really close. Like I-can-smell-his-cologne close, and Apollo hardly wore any cologne. I realized he was getting closer, and he wasn't the only one moving. He reached up and brushed a chunk of hair out of my face. "Ivashkov, you know I'm going to kiss you now right." I nodded, "Tell me if you want me to stop." He said. His face was getting closer and closer.
The face I had known since I was born, the face I grew up with. The face of my best friend. Did I want to risk our relationship for a kiss. Plus, God only knows how may girls he's kissed. I'm probably just another challenge, one for the records. The child of Lissa Dragomir and Adrian Ivashkov. He probably didn't even love me.
I pulled back sharply as his lips were about to touch mine. I felt tears spring to my eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't." I said, then ran out of the room and across the hall into Ash's room.
"Back so soo…what happened?" Ash asked, starting with a playful voice then a worried voice. She got up off her bed and hugged me. "And? What happened?" She asked after it had been quiet except for my sobs for a while.
"Ash, I almost kissed your brother." I said, and I told her the entire story.
ApPOV:
What was I going to do? I was going to be sleeping in the same bed as the girl I loved tonight. Sure I would admit I loved her to myself, but to anyone else, she was just my best friend. I had known her since she was born and we had been best friends ever since. Now I was 17 and she was 16. I had loved her for the past four years, but never once had I admitted to anyone that I loved her.
Ha! You just admitted it to me! Don't worry I won't tell! Came Art's mind-voice.
I laughed. She was joking I had told her when I first noticed; Art and I were close like that. I was pulled out of my thoughts when the door swung open and Andria ran in. Thank god you just put your boxers on! Art thought again.
Andria stood there for a minute, just staring at me, so I decided to use one of my favorite pick up line, which I learned from my favorite uncle-to-be.
"Hey Ivashkov. You done checking me out?" I asked smirking my signature smirk.
She held up her finger and waited a moment more, "Now I'm done." She said and grinned at me.
"So am I hot enough for the last Dragomir and the previous queen's favorite nephew's daughter?" I asked, stepping closer. I hope she said yes. Pollo, I'm your sister and even I admit you're hot. Art came again.
Art! Leave!
Whatever Romeo. Tell Juliet I said goodnight.
She nodded. My heart swelled, it felt like it was about to bust out of my chest.
I was slowly closing the distance between us. I reached up and brushed a chunk of hair out of her face. She had the prettiest blonde hair and the most beautiful green eyes.
"Ivashkov, you know I'm going to kiss you now right." Where did that come from? I shouldn't have said that! She is going to reject me and think I'm some loser stalker. I was so scared of her reaction, that I almost cried with joy when she nodded, "Tell me if you want me to stop." I said, I figured it was her first kiss, I wanted her to have the option. Her face was getting closer and closer.
The face I had known since it had come home from the hospital, the face I grew up with. The face of my best friend. The face of the girl I knew I couldn't live without since pre-school. Only now did I realize that I wanted her as a girlfriend. As a wife. As the mother of my children. I was completely sure of what I was doing when she pulled back sharply just as our lips were about to touch. I saw tears form in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't." She said, then ran out of the room and across the hall into Ash's room.
I collapsed onto my bed that was behind me. I was such an idiot! Why would she want to kiss me? I mean, being friends was one thing, but kissing was another thing. Plus, she probably thought she was just another trophy for my collection of girls I've kissed, since I was kind of a player (A.N. Just like Rose!). But she was so much more than that. Every other girl was just a quick kiss, a few dates and then I'm gone. She was so much more. I wanted to spend every day of my life with her. I had known that since we were playing rescue heroes save the Barbie princess back when we were little kids, so it wasn't like it was some spur of the moment action like the others. I had been dreaming of this since I had become a teenager. I loved Andria. And I had just blew any friendship I had with her.
A.N. Okay. First off I want reviews! I want to know what you think! Second of all, I posted a poll! I want votes let me know if you can't find it, but warning, it has a bit of a spoiler to it for later chapters, but it isn't to big, at least I don't think it is. And third of all, I just finished seventh grade! So now we are on summer vacation and now I'll have move time to update and they will be longer! So let's recap: Review, Vote and Vacation!