I Took Rose Hathaway's Place

New Room

Dimitri and I went to Kirova's again. The secretary stopped us. "She is having an important conversation with Guardian Hathaway."

I looked at her. "Which one?" I asked.

"Pardon?" She was confused. 

"Janine or Julia?" I clarified.

"Julia." The secretary told me.

I nodded, and Dimitri spoke. "We need to get her a room to stay in."

"Ah," the secretary nodded, then held up a key. "Room 126, Dhampir dorm."

I nodded thanks, grabbed the key, and turned to Dimitri. "Where to now, comrade?"

"To your room. Actually, do you want to grab your bags before you go up?" 

"Good idea. Let's go. I think I left it unlocked."

There was a long awkward silence as we walked to the car. Dimitri broke it. "How was your first day?"

"Boring. Still school, although having a class on fighting, is pretty cool. No one talked to me, and I didn't talk to anybody, except Mason Ashford, when I ran into him." Dimitri nodded, and I continued. "Having extra practices is pretty cool, too. Am I good?" I asked.

Dimitri looked at me. "Really good. Far beyond other novices."

"As good as Rose Hathaway will be?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

That got me a confused look. "What?"

I struggled to lie. "Um, never mind that. I didn't mean anything."

"Alice. You can't lie to me. One, you're a bad liar, and-" I cut him off.

"No I'm not! I've told lots of good lies in my life, and people believed them!" I protested.

He continued as if I hadn't spoken. "And two, I just know. Now tell me."

I shook my head. "No."

We stood outside my car, having a stare-off. 

I turned before I could fall for Dimitri even more, and grabbed my bags.

Dimitri, being the gentleman he is, grabbed my bags.

"Thanks, comrade."

I followed him up to my new room, and unlocked the door, revealing a large bed, queen sized, a desk with a laptop and printer on it, a dresser, tv, a small closet.

Stepping inside, Dimitri followed, and set down my bags. "Need any help unpacking?" he asked. Out earlier argument was over.

"Nah, but you can sit down. Keep me company."

So he sat in my desk chair. I began puling out my clothes and throwing them in the dresser. 

"You know, it kinda sucks being new." I said aloud to the silent room.

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. Where did you move from?" he asked.

"Far from here. Phoenix, Arizona. Until today, I thought I was human. My whole life was a lie. Secrets surrounded me. I don't understand why I was never told." I looked out the window.

"Moving from Baia was hard for me. To a whole new country. Although I grew up learning English with my Russian, it was still hard."

"Because you're towering above almost everyone?" I teased.

"Or you're all really short." Dimitri shot back. 

We laughed, a beautiful harmony of deep rich laughter mixed with a higher pitch.

I pulled out a photo album. Dimitri looked curious. Only in his eyes though. His face held the perfect guardian expression.

"Do you want to look?" I asked. "I'll tell you about my past."

"Oh, it's okay." He said, but I sat down next to Dimitri, and patted a spot on the floor next to me.

Following my instructions, he sat, and I opened the book.