I didn't remember this infirmary bed to be so uncomfortable. The nurse was very disappointed with me, but not enough to say that she hated me. I mean, everyone was a little uncomfortable with me being back and all, seeing as for about three weeks I was America's most wanted.
I was hungry, thirsty and uncomfortable, so when lunch time came along, I was so thrilled to hear that food was on its way.
"Oh, and also?" the nurse said as she started to walk out the door. "Dimitri came to check in on how you were doing."
I brightened. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yep."
I waited for her to say something else, and when she didn't, I stated what I wanted. "So send him in."
She looked at me like she was decided whether she should be disgusted, disappointed, or hateful. I had completely forgotten about Victor exposing us, so whether she was one of those emotions because Dimitri was seven years older than me, or that because we were both Dhampirs, I didn't know.
"After your soup." She said.
I sighed in a grumble, but didn't push.
She walked out of the room.
I reached for the remote that would sit me up in the bed. I didn't care what people thought about me and Dimitri. Well, I cared what me friends thought. But her? Pfft.
Well, at least that's what I tried to convince myself. The truth was that I would like everyone to be okay with it, but I guess some people were just too…childish.
That sounded funny coming from me, even though no one would ever hear it.
She returned with a bowl of Pumpkin Soup.
Great.
She passed me a spoon and fixed up the blanket that covered my legs. I took a sip.
And sprayed it all over her face.
If she didn't hate me before, she did now.
She looked at me, Pumpkin Soup dripping from her face. I smiled at her in a sheepish grin while she glared at me and stormed away.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly as she exited the door. I doubted she heard me.
I sat the soup next to me, hoping I would find an opportunity to ditch it somewhere. It was disgustingly bland and tasted like raw potatoes and onions.
Yuk.
"I know you don't like it in here but you don't have to chuck on the nurse. It's not her fault your stuck here."
I looked over to the door to see Lissa grinning.
I rolled my eyes. "It was Pumpkin Soup. You want some?"
She walked over to the bedside table and peered into the bowl. "It's like…brown."
I smiled. "I have nothing against the nurse."
She played with the liquid with the spoon in distaste.
"How's everyone going?" I asked her. "I mean, I'm sorry for that. I didn't know I'd die a second time."
She looked at me. "You knew you'd die the first time?"
I sighed. "It was Abe's idea. We needed me out of the equation so the court could focus on the true culprit. That way, they wouldn't be so…obsessed with the idea that I did it."
She looked at me. "And you didn't even think to tell me?"
"Well I didn't really have any time! He told me, like, five minutes before I jumped off the cliff."
She breathed in a little too deep. I guessed she hadn't gotten over the fact that I had jumped off the cliff.
She sat down on my bed, avoiding sitting on my feet.
"You've got to tell me everything, Rose. I know it was you. I know you put that arrow in him. How?"
I smiled. "You know me too well."
She smiled too. "I know." She said. "But I mean it. How did you do it? If you didn't know it well enough to tell me, how did you get it so perfect?"
I sighed and reached for the remote that would sit me up farther so I could talk to her properly.
"Liss…" I whined slightly. "look I know you want to know, but until I can tell everyone at the same time…I can't do it. I need to let everyone know what happened, exactly what happened, so stupid rumours don't spread and I don't get myself into even more trouble."
"You know I won't tell anyone." She pleaded.
"I know." I told her. "I trust you. But I don't exactly want to have to repeat myself; it's a very long story."
She sighed, giving in.
"How are you, Lissa?" I asked suddenly.
She looked at me with somewhat of a shock. "I thought you'd know that better than me."
I smiled slightly. "I only know as much about you as you do yourself."
She smiled too.
"But," I continued. "Lately, I just can't…get the energy. I don't know, I'm not tired. I just…can't."
She frowned. "Are you concerned about it? Should we?"
I shrugged as best I could, despite my stomach's protest.
"Why are you asking me? You have your own opinions, Lissa."
Her body relaxed, her arms flopping down. "Sorry."
"Why are you sorry? You've done nothing wrong."
She didn't reply.
"Where's Dimitri?" I asked her, changing the subject, though I was a little worried I was being rude. A first for me, I think.
She grinned, so I guessed I was in the clear. "He's outside. He sent me in and asked me to tell you he'll see you later. I guess he needed to go somewhere, huh?"
"How would I know?"
This time, she shrugged. "I just thought…with you loving him and all…"
"I don't know where he needs to go," I admitted. "It's okay though."
"I can bring him back-"
"No, no. Go enjoy your life, Liss. Don't even think about me being cramped up in here."
She looked at me meaningfully. "Why does it seem like your saying goodbye?"
"Because I don't want you to have to suffer in here with me." I told her.
She shook her head. "No. I don't mean that."
"Then what?"
"Every time you talk to me lately…it's like your saying goodbye…for good. Then I almost lost you….twice! Come on, Rose."
This was news to me.
"I'm not saying goodbye, Liss. I'd never say goodbye, not if it was the most important thing to me in the world."
A tear fell from her eye. "You haven't just left me, Rose. You've lost me."
She got up from the bed and started to walk out the door.
"LISSA!" I shouted. She turned around, more tears dripping down her face. "Please." I pleaded.
She shook her head. "What happened to us, Rose?" she cried. "You used to be there for me. Always."
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, not even scrunching in pain as I got up and walked over to her in a run.
"I always have, Liss. I always will. Why don't you believe me?"
She looked me deep in the eyes. She saw something there, and then leaned into my shoulder. I hugged her tightly, resting my face in her hair.
"Lissa," I said. "You mean the world to me. You and Dimitri are my world. I wouldn't give you up for anything, and I'll never ever say good bye for real. If I die tomorrow, Liss, I'll still be here," I poked at her chest which was covering her heart. "In your heart."
"And if you run away? What then? You just leave me here?"
I rubbed her shoulder. "Then I'll be with you whatever chance I get."
She pulled away. "You let me come with you before. Please, let me come again. You being in my head isn't the same as having you here."
I looked at her. "What's got you so worried all of a sudden?"
She swallowed. "You've died three times in my mind. I saw them all. What happens if next time you 'go' somewhere, and you don't come back?"
"I'm not going anywhere." I assured her. "We'll stay here. We'll go to your college. That's what you want, right?"
She rubbed her shoulders, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Of course, but…I want to take a year off. Go to college when I'm ready."
"You've always been ready, Liss." I told her. "You can do it."
"I want to stay where it's safe. Where you're safe. For once in my life, I don't want to have to think of Strigoi or my guardians, or what's around the next corner. I want to stay safe, with you, and just…hang out. For once! Just like old times.
"I want everything to go back to the way it was."
I grabbed her shoulders like Dimitri had done with me so she would look me in the eyes.
"Lissa. This is our life. It's never going to change." I said softly in a half whisper. "I have a job to do, and you have a life to live. It's not what we thought back then. Its not just you and me hanging out all the time and me just doing all the work. The old times were lying to us."
Another tear fell. I pulled her in for a hug so she could cry into my chest.
I felt a tingle on my wound, all my pain vanished.
I jumped back from her and looked at my wound, peeling off the patch to expose fresh skin.
I looked at her disapprovingly. "Liss…"
"You were hurting. It's better now."
"You can't just-"
"Roza?"
I looked over to the doorway, seeing Dimitri looking at with my shirt half pulled up. I shoved my shirt down, taking off the bandages completely from under my shirt and shoving them on the bed.
"Don't do it again." I told Lissa.
She grinned. "Only if you don't get hurt again." She smiled.
I rolled my eyes, but was pleased that this conversation was over.
"I guess you don't need to stay in here then?" Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me. I was getting better at it, but it wasn't really the type of this you could really teach someone. Maybe I'd ask him for some tips.
I brightened. "No more soup!"
He laughed. "The nurse isn't very happy with you."
"I guess I have to send another muffin basket?" I asked him lightly.
He smirked playfully and brang my hips into him.
"I'm so glad you found Rose, Guardian Belikov," Lissa muttered audibly.
Dimitri smiled at her. "Thank you, Princess."
"Call me Lissa."
He held his hand out to her, like he was meeting her for the first time. "Please, call me Dimitri."
She smiled and took his hand.
"Oh! Rose! Sorry, I forgot about this. Christian's bailing on me for that…dinner thing tonight. Very A-list. Very formal. He hates it and dobbed you in."
I groaned, but agreed to go. She looked to Dimitri. "And you'll be there?"
He nodded. "Of course."
She squealed in excitement. "Excellent." Then she looked at me. "But you might want to get your story straight. They'll want your epic tale of survival."
I laughed. "I'll prepare."
She grinned and hugged me before walking out the door.
Dimitri looked at me. "Soup?"
I laughed. "Don't ask."
He took my hand. "Fair enough. C'mon."
I paused. "You're being awfully chalant about all this." I held up our hands.
He sighed. "What's done has been done. Might as well make the best of it." He said, and then hesitated. "Chalant? Is that even a word?"
"It's the opposite of nonchalant, duh."
He looked like he wanted to correct me, but then thought better.
Someone walked by, and I slipped my hand out of Dimitri's.
"Sorry," I told him. "I keep seeing my mom everywhere."
He laughed. "She must be close then."
I rolled my eyes and nudged him playfully, but it didn't faze him at all.
Now I needed to know what I was going to say to everyone at the dinner tonight.
Haha. The story is exactly 2000 words :)
The next chapter will explain everything I promise, and I have a lot more drama coming.
Oh…the dinner. This is going to explain so much, just wait and see.
Sorry for any mistakes but I am still getting used to this new keyboard. Everything is squished in together, is kind of hard to know what I'm pressing.
The Mermaiden is going well. Now I have my laptop I can write even more without getting a sore back, which I am absolutely thrilled about. (I get a sore back cause the back of my computer chair has come off) I haven't got much on it, but I've got the Prologue which is about three thousand words which sort of begins the whole book and introduces…four characters? Yeah. I think its going to be quite good.
Hopefully I can finish it and get it published :)
Oh, on that note, I am looking for a high school to put into the book. Could you send some suggestions that you want to see in it? Also please send a description of the school and the surroundings (Eg. In a small town (name of town please) like any other with mountains surrounding it. The valley is lovely and green, but the town is quite a bad place to live. Many of the high school students drink and smoke and have lost their virginity. It is a small school with about 400 to 500 students in it called (name) high school. It's about 30 minutes away from its closest 'city' called Hobart in Tasmania Australia.)
Please make it quite descriptive, but you don't have to go overboard. I'll pick one where I think is the best for the story, and if I pick yours, I'll email you and ask more questions about it.
Prize? You get a shout out :) haha!
Thanks!
Lauren
