If you're wondering why FF said I updated and an error popped up, it's because I deleted the prologue and combined it with chapter two, which is now chapter one. *The last update is now chapter two.* So the URL changed and the link was invalid.

Did that sound as nerdy as I thought it did?

Anyway, I realized that I should've combined chapters and then updated; sorry for the screw-up!

This chapter is a little short. Sorry.

The next day, I woke up in pain. I felt like I'd just been run over by a train.

To add to my misery, I was exhausted and still had to drag myself out of bed. One of these days, I was going to get back at Dimitri for making my life so hard.

But I managed to make it to the gym without collapsing. I sent Dimitri my infamous death glare and began stretching, trying not to wince as I did so. I don't think I fooled him into thinking I was fine, but it was worth a shot.

And so the torture began. For the next week, I woke up every morning, sore as could be, and dragged myself to the gym, where Dimitri would be reading and playing his crap music. I'd stretch, and then, invariably, he'd make me run, and time me. Then, we'd head back to the gym to do my wall sets and my footwork, and then we'd condition. After classes, I'd change and go back to the gym to stretch, run, wall set, and practice my footwork some more. Then we'd condition and I'd practice diving.

I thought my hips would stay purple and bruised forever, and that I'd always be sore, but it got slightly better as the week wore on. Much to my dismay, he tried his hardest to stay stoic throughout practices, although I did catch him muttering to himself after I would try to weasel out of running or conditioning.

During class one day, one of my guy friends, Mason, came up to me. Mason had had a massive crush on me since last year, but I'd never been able to return his feelings. Still, we were close. He was on the boy's volleyball team, along with a few more of our friends.

"Hey, Rose, can you come to our study group after classes?" he asked.

I sighed. "Who's in it?"

"Lissa, Mia, Eddie, Adrian, Jill, and the new girl, Sydney. You in?"

I smiled wryly. "I would, but I'm stuck with my Russian jailer."

To my surprise, Mason didn't ask why I'd bother to ask. Instead, his eyes grew wide.

"You're training with Belikov?"

"So?"

"So the man is a god. He would've made the Olympic team, except that he decided to teach instead."

I raised both eyebrows, since I couldn't raise only one. "He gave it up? Just like that?"

Mason looked sheepish. "He also broke a few ribs in a car crash."

"I expect a full explanation from you next time, Ashford," I said, pretending to be angry.

He grinned. "Good luck with him. You're gonna need it."

That afternoon, when I walked in, I wasn't greeted with the sight of Dimitri reading. Instead, he was practicing his jump serve. And holy crap, he was good. I didn't think it was possible for someone to hit a ball that hard. Also, the tight T-shirt he was wearing showed off his muscles quite nicely.

Stop it, Rose.

"You are a god," I said, awestruck.

He stopped. "What?"

Immediately, I blushed. "Nothing."

He gave me one last confused look before saying, "Stretch."

After running, he told me that my time was now 7:05.

"Why do you care so much? It's not like I'm going to run a mile in a game," I said.

He gave me a look. "Say the ball isn't close to you. What do you do?"

"Um...I pass it up to the hitters?" Was this a trick question?

"It's too far away for that accuracy."

"I dive?"

He facepalmed. "How do you get there?"

"What kind of question is that?"

He glared at me. "You run, Rose."

I wasn't about to give up. "So why aren't we doing sprints instead?"

"Because you'd still need to warm up before sprints."

"Yeah, but not a mile!"

"You're getting faster, regardless, and this saves time." His tone indicated that he was done arguing.

I stomped off to the gym, disappointed that I still had to run.

"Can I just play?" I asked, trying not to whine.

"Later," he said. I'd been asking him all week, to no avail.

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

I got the feeling that he was starting to get exasperated.

"Twenty more crunches," he said, effectively changing the subject.

I got the message and shut up.

During dinner, I was interrupted in my complaints to Lissa by a hand falling on my shoulder. I glanced up to see Jesse Zeklos, popular guy and flirting extraordinaire, standing right beside me. Once upon a time, I'd had the biggest crush on him, but I'd gotten over it. Still, I could appreciate the merchandise without really wanting it.

"Hey, Rose," he said. "Are you free tonight?"

I was, actually. I'd managed to finish all of my homework after showering.

"Maybe," I said, trying to sound bored. "Why?"

"Can you help me with my homework? We can meet in my dorm."

Now, Jesse might have really needed help with his homework, considering that he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Still, I knew that he didn't want my help. At least, not badly enough to actually work with me. You didn't go to Jesse Zeklos's dorm to do homework.

You went there in hopes of getting in bed with him.

I didn't actually want to sleep with him, but I figured that one night of fooling around, minus the sex, couldn't hurt. And it might get my mind off of Dimitri.

"Sure," I said. "On one condition."

His face fell ever so slightly, but he considered it. "What's the condition?"

"No sex."

He grimaced, but didn't protest. "Fine. Be there at eight." And with that, he left.

Lissa stared at me in shock. "Rose, what have you just gotten yourself into?"

"I don't know," I replied, and I really didn't.

At eight, I showed up at Jesse's room. Girls weren't allowed in boys' dorms, and vice versa, so I was taking a risk by being there. Still, I couldn't back down now. The last girl to do so ended up being engulfed in rumors, and I couldn't suffer the same fate.

I knocked three times and waited.

A few seconds later, the door opened. Jesse grinned wolfishly.

"Come in," he said.

I came in, and shut the door. "No sex," I reminded him.

His smile didn't waver this time. "No sex doesn't mean no fun," he replied.

Lissa's words echoed in my head. Rose, what have you just gotten yourself into?

I didn't know. All I had to go on was the sinking feeling in my gut that told me that something was going to happen, and that it wouldn't be good.

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