A noise, one sounding almost like a cough escaped my lips as my cheeks flooded with embarrassment. I felt the slightest bit of heat rush towards my cheeks, a sensation that was so unfamiliar to me.I rolled off of Dimitri and avoided eye contact with my classmates as I stood up.

Looking at Dimitri, he didn't look the slightest bit embarrassed but looked pensive and almost confused. I didn't have time to ponder the thought before Mikhail began speaking.

"Alright you lot! Back to the gym!" Mikhail's voice rang out, full of authority. Whispers broke out amongst the class as they all turned and walked back to the gym. Inwardly, I groaned. I knew that Dimitri and I would soon be the hottest gossip around campus.

With that I spun quickly, trying to escape back to the gym with my class.

"Not so fast Rose." He said softly.

Guiltily, I slowly turned around, an impish smile on my face. As I looked into Mik's eyes they sparkled with what looked to be confusion, amusement and possibly anger, but I couldn't be sure.

"What's going on with you both?" He asked. I raised my eyebrows and shrugged the comment off.

"What do you mean what's going on?" I replied, trying to act as if Dimitri doesn't get my pulse running with everything he does, like he doesn't make me blush when he smiles or want to cry when he looks upset. I knew all of this but it scared me. I don't fall for guys, especially this fast. When people meet and are together almost instantaneously, it makes me want to gag. I don't believe in 'love at first sight' and have always thought that if you get with a guy that quick, you are either desperate or looking to 'get some'.

Naturally, I did what I do best. I covered up my feelings with my attitude.

"Look, I need to get back to class and so do you Mr. Tanner." I could see the hurt on his face as I used his formal title and threw it in his face that he was neglecting his teaching duties today. I couldn't help it though; I wasn't ready for this type of conversation on a topic that I wasn't even completely sure of myself.

I walked back to the gym by myself and I realized a devastating fact.

I was falling for Dimitri Belikov.

Part of me wanted to kick myself for turning into such a lovesick teenager but the other part of me just couldn't find it in herself to care. I was happy around him and that was what mattered.

When I walked into the gym the whole class was staring at me. I knew that I would be the center of another rumor, this one pertaining to a Russian soldier. Scanning the crowd's faces some had glares, some smirks and even some looks of disgust. I knew that the rumors had already started. I held my head high and ignored them all.

Lissa broke away from the crowd, with Mason and Eddie trailing behind her. I headed towards them; ignoring the whispers I could hear. Lissa looked happy, Eddie looked confused and Mason looked shattered.

"So have you kissed him yet?" Lissa eagerly whispered as I reached her. I felt my face drop and out of the corner of my eye, saw Mason's turn red.

"What? No! It's not like that." I answered, my gaze flicking over to Mason who looked slightly relieved. Lissa's excitement never dwindled though.

"Of course it's not" she replied seriously. She looked at Eddie and Mason to make sure they weren't paying attention to her and then she winked. The sides of my lips curled up and Lissa knew she was right. She threw me a look that said, "We'll talk later" to which I nodded. There was no use keeping anything from my best friend. She could read me like a book and I was relieved that I could get some help in sorting out my emotions.

I walked over to the water fountain alone, after reassuring Lissa that I would be back in a second. I was almost there when a figure stepped in my way.

"So Rose, you couldn't handle us American boys could you?" Jesse Zeklos said. A smirk was plastered on his face and my fist was itching to knock it off. Making one of the hardest decisions in my life, I took a deep breath and walked away.

"Get out of my way Jesse." I breathed out, pushing my way past him. I had taken a few steps before I heard him call out a response that made me clench my fists and grit my teeth.

"So you decided to turn to cheap foreign labor?" He yelled out. I stopped moving and you could hear a pin drop in the gym. Everyone knew who he was talking about and everyone knew how short my temper was. They were all itching for a fight.

In an instant I had spun around and thrown Jesse into the wall, my hands gripping his shirt. It took everything I had in me to not beat him into a pulp and I knew my face conveyed just as much.

Jesse looked terrified. For a second I thought he was going to pee his pants. His face had turned whiter than the pale colour of the gym walls. I could see Jesse battling with his fear of being hit and his ego if he shut up and let me win. The latter won out and he feared for his reputation more than the pain I was going to inflict.

"Oh that's right, I forgot you like it rough" He managed to get out.

"What did you say?" I growled, pushing him harder against the wall. I faintly could hear some of the girls in my class shriek whilst the boys were whooping and trying to egg both Jesse and I on.

He looked behind my shoulder and a grin spread across his face.

"Hey Belikov, you might want to invest in a whip. Rose likes it rough."

Just like that I snapped.

My fist swung out and connected with his nose, a sickening crunch echoing in the gym. People rushed forward to help while I took a few steps back, watching the scene unfold. Jesse's girlish wails filled the air and a few tears escaped his eyes.

I felt someone come up behind me and my arms lashed out. The person quickly grabbed hold of my arms and attempted to calm me.

"Roza, it's just me." Dimitri's said in my ear. I felt my body calm but as I turned around to face him I felt suddenly overwhelmed with the need to cry. Tears welled up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I felt so humiliated by what Jesse had said to him. Obviously it wasn't true and Dimitri would know that but the urge I had to make him proud of me and to be someone that he wanted was too much.

"Dimitri, take her back to her dorm." Mikhail shouted above the chaos. I felt Dimitri's hand curl around my waist and lead me out. I just prayed that he wouldn't think anything less of me.