Warning Abusive\Gory Themes from Dimitri's past*
Ch.2.1: Finding Roza
DPOV
I was packing my clothes for the trip to Los Angeles, California. I had been ACCEPTED into USC, probably because of my grades and my basketball extracurricular. I vividly remember when I told my Mama, I got accepted.
"Dimitri Belikov, where have you been all this time?!" Mama exclaimed.
"Just getting groceries, Mama" I replied.
"You should have let me know, I was so worried," Mama scolded. "I'm sorry, Mama," I apologized.
She dismissed me, and I retreated to my room. This would be the moment to find out if I had been accepted into USC.
I sat down at my desk and gently lifted the lid of my laptop, my heart pounding with anticipation.
As the familiar chime signaled the opening of my mail application, I felt a surge of excitement. I scanned through the messages until I found the one from USC.
With trembling fingers, I clicked on it. The screen filled with bold letters announcing that I had been ACCEPTED! A rush of euphoria washed over me, and I could hardly contain my joy.
Just then, my mom burst into my room, her eyes wide with concern. I blurted out the news, and she joined in my elation, leaping with unrestrained glee.
I quickly dialed my sisters' numbers and relayed the incredible news. Their cheers and words of congratulations filled my ears, and I could picture their smiles from miles away.
As I prepared for my trip, memories of Mama's hints about wanting grandchildren and the unwanted attention from women weighed on my mind.
I carefully packed my Western novels into my suitcase, feeling confident that they would come in handy later during my travels.
I added some black and white tank tops, not wanting to overpack but knowing I could always pick up anything I needed once I reached America.
Folding some jeans into the mix, I hesitated before deciding to pack my cowboy hat as well. Glancing at the clock, I registered the time was 8:57 pm.
Despite the late hour, I knew I had to sleep soon to be up by 6:00 am for my 9:10 flight.
As I prepared for my trip, memories of Mama's hints about wanting grandchildren and the unwanted attention from women weighed on my mind.
I carefully packed my Western novels into my suitcase, feeling confident that they would come in handy later during my travels.
I added some black and white tank tops, not wanting to overpack but knowing I could always pick up anything I needed once I reached America.
Folding some jeans into the mix, I hesitated before deciding to pack my cowboy hat as well.
Glancing at the clock, I registered the time was 8:57 pm. Despite the late hour, I knew I had to sleep soon to be up by 6:00 am for my 9:10 flight.
I approached my computer and powered it on. As the screen flickered to life, I eagerly typed "USC" into the search bar, my curiosity piqued.
The search results flooded the screen with information, and I quickly found myself drawn to a familiar name – Janine Hathaway, the Dean.
Her last name resonated with a sense of déjà vu, but I couldn't quite place where I had heard it before.
My eyes widened as I scrolled through the list of championships won by USC. The number was staggering – 135 championships!
The sheer magnitude of that achievement left me in awe. However, as I realized the time and the impending journey to Yakutsk Airport (YKS), I knew it was time to retire for the night, eager to embark on my upcoming adventure.
~Nine Hours Later~
A jolt of panic surged through me as I awoke, fearing I had overslept.
Thankfully, I was right on schedule.
Hastily, I navigated to the bathroom and indulged in a brisk shower, taking care to shampoo and condition my hair meticulously.
Stepping out minutes later enveloped in just a towel, an inexplicable sense of unease crept over me as if a pair of eyes were fixated on my every move.
Though unsettled, I brushed off these feelings as mere nerves, determined to focus on the journey ahead.
I got to the airport by 7:30 am. As I walked to my counter in LA, the airport ticket lady glanced in my direction. It took all my willpower to not scowl when the ticket lady unbuttoned 3 of her buttons.
I walked over to her, considering this was the airport brand I was taking.
She leaned over and showed off a bit too much cleavage. "Hello sir, how is your day today?"
"Okay, I guess."
"Bad day, I can make it better." She stuck out her tongue and winked. " All you have to do is ask."
I scowled," You do realize I'm 18, right?" I said coldly.
"And? I love young men, I'm only 25". I stared at her with disgust visible in my eyes.
"Your loss, don't worry. I'm always here." I almost wanted to sock her in the face, but memories of my dad came up.
I came back home from school, I passed my science quiz. "Mama, look-".
I heard crying and whimpering. I ran into the kitchen only to see my mother bloodied and bruised. My father was hanging over holding a bottle of beer and a knife.
Before, I even knew what happened, I socked my father in the nose. My mother wasn't crying anymore, but I didn't stop. I punched everywhere, anything I could see. He cried out in pain, but I didn't stop until he begged me to.
"Out NOW!'' I bellowed. He quickly scampered out of the door, out of my life."
I looked towards my mother, who was as confused and scared as me. I gave my mother a bear hug, I cried all the tears out.
I assisted her to her feet and carefully tended to her wounds.
Suddenly, I was jolted back to reality and emotionlessly uttered, "Please hurry, I have somewhere to be."
Once she completed her task, I headed to a cozy café named Ла кофе (La Cafe).
I stood in line to order a coffee, trying to ignore the persistent advances from the person behind me.
As I glanced at the departure boards, I realized that I had only 30 minutes until my flight.
Hurriedly, I made my way over to gate 12 for flight 1BCE3. As I settled into a seat, I absentmindedly pulled out my phone and opened Instagram.
A post from my sister, Viktoria, caught my attention – she had shared a video of me sleeping.
I felt a mix of frustration and amusement as I scrolled through the comments.
Most of them were harmless, with people remarking on my appearance or expressing disbelief that my sister would share such a video.
\
As I waited to board the plane, I scrolled through the usual comments on my social media feed.
However, one comment stood out from the rest, sending chills down my spine: "I saw your brother today, watch out~".
Feeling unsettled, I turned off my phone and boarded the plane.
Inside, I seemed to be clumsier than usual, unintentionally bumping my head on objects in the cabin, and letting out the occasional frustrated expletive.
Once seated, I glanced at my ticket and prepared for takeoff. A stewardess approached me, inquiring about my drink preference. "Cola," I replied.
She acknowledged my choice and proceeded to walk away, her movements catching my attention.
As she returned with my drink, she made a suggestive comment and added extra sugar to my cola, which left me feeling uncomfortable.
I fixed my gaze on her. "Why? Tell me why. I don't eat sugar. I watch my weight," I said, narrowing my eyes.
"I'm sorry, you just looked like the type who eats sugar," she responded.
"Are you sure you didn't want to get in my pants?" I asked, trying to hide my amusement.
She blushed and walked away.
As I drifted off to sleep, I found myself dreaming about a young girl with curves and long, beautiful hair that I could just twirl in my hands.
Suddenly, I jolted awake and realized there were only 5 minutes left until we landed.
I let out a deep sigh.
I waited anxiously until finally, the pilot announced that we could begin to disembark.
Stepping foot in LA for the first time, I looked around and noticed multiple people staring at me, some visibly drooling.
The sweltering heat hit me suddenly, but no one else seemed to be affected by it. It was as if they were accustomed to such conditions.
This journey was bound to be a long one. Having a summer semester meant I would have extra time for seeing my family during summer and winter breaks.
As the Dean had promised, black SUVs arrived to pick me up. I spotted a black SUV with a sign displaying "WELCOME TO LA, DIMITRA."
However, much to my annoyance, they had misspelled my name. I couldn't help but glare at the sign, and that's when I heard someone chuckling.
When I turned to look, a person with a nametag that read "Alberta" motioned for me to enter the car.
As I got in, I couldn't help but notice her pixie cut and the tattoos on her arms. She appeared to be in her fifties.
We arrived at USC, and I was taken aback by the sheer size of the school.
"Hey Dimitra, do you like the school?" Alberta asked with a mischievous grin.
I shot her a glare, but she just laughed in response. As we walked around, I noticed a few female students staring at me.
I flashed them a smile, and to my surprise, some of them fainted while others seemed completely shocked.
Alberta guided me to the GYM, where I encountered some interesting people.
One of them was Christian Ozera, a tall, thin guy with messy black hair and piercing pale icy blue eyes. His appearance gave off a grunge and emo vibe, but little did I know that his parents were murderers.
While taking a sip of water, I spotted her—the girl from my dream. My eyes widened in disbelief.
As if on cue, Coach Alberta instructed the cheerleaders to pick a guy, and the mysterious girl looked around before confidently walking over to me.
My chest felt tight, but I tried to maintain my composure.
She inquired about my name.
"Dimitri, Dimitri Belikov," I responded.
"The name's Rose, Rose Hathaway," she introduced herself.
"That's a lovely name for a lovely girl," I blurted out, immediately noticing her blush.
I chuckled, and Rose looked at me with affection. Bingo!
"Hey, so where are you from?" I inquired, genuinely curious.
"I'm half Turkish, half Scottish," she replied with a warm smile as if she had anticipated my question.
"Wow, that's interesting. Do you have any siblings?" I asked to keep the conversation going.
She chuckled softly before answering, "I'm an only child."
As we chatted, I noticed the coach motioning for us to wrap it up.
"Looks like Coach wants us to clear out," I pointed out. "Bye, Roza," I said, bidding her farewell as we dispersed.
Rose was curious and asked, "Roza, what's a Roza?"
"It's your name in Russian," I replied.
After our conversation, she headed to the cafeteria, and I decided to follow her.
Her beauty was undeniable, especially when she became upset with Adrian's flirtatious behavior.
As she raised her hand ready to slap him, I reached out and grabbed her arm. "Leave me alone," Roza said firmly.
"No, you'll hurt him. He deserves it but... wait by the door."
She follows my orders.
I then walk up to Adrian and whisper "If I see you around Rose, ever again. I will break your kneecaps, smash your head, and tell your little secret." His face visibly paled.
I walked up to Roza "Now, that the problem is taken care of, I'm wondering if you want to hang out?"
Author's Note
Hey guys! I have been hearing good reviews and plenty of views. Keep um comin' people! So my schedule is to probably post try, see my key word try to update 2x a week. I re-uploaded the chapters because of plot holes. I will update next on September 19-ish.
