Chapter 9

"For the umpteenth time Lissa, I'm okay." I said as we walked to the cafeteria for lunch. The whole morning, I didn't talk to anyone save for Lissa and I hadn't prepped for my early morning lessons with Dimitri.

Mia fell into step with us and we ended up sitting at our usual table.

"Guess what guys! Miss. Karp is quitting her job!"

Miss Karp was one weird teacher of English but she was pretty cool.

"Wait. I have English after this. Who's going to teach my class? Plus it's a double. I hope he or she or it won't bore my ass to sleep."

"You have a fine ass Rose." Mason said and I smacked him. We all laughed and I cracked a smile. I ate half my cheese burger and all of Lissa's fries. We continued gossiping until the bell rang. Grudgingly, we made our way to our respective classes. (I had English together with Lissa, Mase and mia had art, Eddie had computer and Camille had trig. (I keep tabs on the little devil.))

We sat at the very front, mainly because it was a discursive lesson and we wanted to get a close-up of the new teacher.

I started dozing when, ten minutes into the lesson, the teacher hadn't arrived.

Our class of twelve was either asleep or gossiping and since I did the latter over lunch, I opted to doze off.

"It seems like one of you seems to find this lesson so dreamy. Am I dreamy?"

I sat up so fast and pushed my hair out of my face.

"I'm sorry. I'm having a bad day."

"Since it's your first offence, you're forgiven."

I sighed and Mr. Forgiveness walked up to the board and scribbled his name on the board. 'Mr. Ivashkov'

"Class, my name's Mr. Ivashkov, I'll be your new teacher of English. I hope that I'm not too dreamy that you'll find yourself asleep and I look forward to our time together."

Mr. Ivashkov wasn't hard on the eyes. I guessed him to be around twenty two but he was gorgeous. With dark hair and matching eyes, soft full lips and an amazing jawline. He didn't beat Dimitri but I would give him a nine point nine over ten any day. I wasn't the only one who noted this because suddenly, all girls were attentive and guys shot him threatening death glares.

We were reading pride and prejudice and Mr. Ivashkov told us that in the second lesson (which was like in ten minutes) we would discuss character traits in the book.

So, isn't he a looker. Liss said in a quickly scribble.

Ppppfftt. Please. I reply causing Lissa to laugh which made Mr. Ivashkov look in our direction.

The first lesson ended and all through the next, we talked about Mr. Darcy's attitude towards Elizabeth and how he put on a façade.

"But he loved her!" I said gesturing wildly. "He was scared to face his feelings but still showed his love with his tiny gestures. Plus you could tell she was in love with him. Remember, when he came over for dinner and didn't make conversation with her, she was so heart broken." I said.

Mr. Ivashkov smiled. When the lesson ended, I almost ran out.

"Miss Hathaway? A minute please."

I saw that coming.

"Your take on pride and prejudice is exemplary. You seem to have an uncanny ability to discern character traits is exemplary."

"It's nothing really. We did the book in my former school." I said subconsciously tossing my hair back.

"You wouldn't mind if I would like to see your notes?"

"No, not really. After class today?" I suggested

"I will see you in the library then."

I walked to class with a small smile. But it quickly turned into a grimace when I remembered I had biology and I was ten minutes late. I slowly opened the door and tried to sneak in.

"Ok. So as I mentioned, some long term effects of abortion are …"

"Hi Rose." Camille chose to blurt out, killing my sneak in and interrupting Dimitri's lesson.

He barely spared me a glance and just handed me a detention slip.

"No can do." I said, handing him my note from Mr. Ivashkov.

I know. There was no point in sneaking in. I just didn't want to talk to him. Or see him again.

With a curt nod at my late slip, I sat opposite Lissa and doodled the whole lesson. Even when posed with a question I knew the answer to because I had gone through that topic with Dimitri.

"I don't know." I said, my eyes facing the tip of the pencil that I used to doodle.

With a sigh, Dimitri walked to the front of the class and picked Camille who was more than happy to answer all the questions and feeling rather smug about it.

"Rose?"

"I swear on Lissa if you ask me if I'm fine I will kill you." I said replying to her sticky note.

"I wasn't going to ask that. I was going to point out that, you see two rows behind me, dark hair beautiful eyes? He's staring at us."

Aha. Christian Ozera.

"More like staring at you." I said and we giggled.

"Seriously. Talk to him." I encouraged.

Lissa frowned. "I don't know… you know people don't hang out with him."

"Why?" I asked incuriously putting down my pen.

"His parents were mafia serial killers, before they were caught and given the death sentence."

"Those are his parents Lissa. Not him. And since when did you get as shallow as judging people based on their backgrounds?"

Lissa sighed. I smiled knowing that I had won. The lesson ended and I rushed out fast. I ran to the dorms and took a shower. I changed into a black pair of skinnies and a cropped hoodie. I held my hair up and ran to the library.

"Am I late?" I breathed

"I think I'm early." Mr. Ivashkov said I smiled and sat beside him. For two hours we sat and discussed literature for most of it.

I also got some personal things about him and he got some out of me.

"So you own clubs? Why would you be teaching English then?"

"Teaching is a calling. It's most definitely something I didn't think I would be doing."

I closed my note book and stood.

"I hope my notes have helped."

"Thank you little flower." He said smiling softly.

I shook my head and found my way to the dorm, where Lissa was waiting for me excitedly.

"Look at you all goofy."

"English is suddenly my favorite subject," I giggled as we got ready for supper.

We laughed and ran to the cafeteria. We were almost last in line but mia waved us over.

"So rose, where'd you get your fat reduction?"

"The same place you got your breasts done." I told Camille brushing past her. I sat down at our usual and was about to start eating when I received a text from Dimitri.

"Our sessions are back on. My office. Now."

I sighed and wrapped my burger. I jogged to Dimitri's office and after a slight knock, he let me in.

I didn't talk to him and he didn't talk to me so we worked silently. I did my extra work, he marked it silently.

"I saw you with Adrian today."

"So?"

"He's a bad influence."

"He's my teacher." I murmured.

"A teacher who wants to do more than teach you."

"Look Mr. Belikov, whatever I do in my spare time is none of your business

"It is my business because everything you do reflects on me."

"So am I hurting your big bad reputation?"

"I set my reputation a long time ago Roza. It's up to you to set yours."

I sighed and summarized my work. I packed my books and slung my bag over my shoulder.

Hey, sis. Mom and dad are coming to visit today.

I woke up to Eddie's text. The previous day, I locked myself in my room with Lissa and actually slept. I didn't overthink things, I didn't tell Lissa anything.

Uhhhh, can I not be there?

I sent back the text turning in my bed. When I saw Lissa's side of the room, I sat up quickly. There was literally no one. Her bed was made and her bag gone. I checked the time Eddie sent the text. 7:49 a.m. that would be in the middle of breakfast. I checked my phone time. 10:20 a.m.

I was so dead.

I took a quick shower, wore my uniform and for a change, I held my hair up.

Checking my class schedule, I saw that I had homeroom, applied chemistry, math, biology and lastly, English.

I ran and sneaked in the middle of math and sat down.

"I thought you were dead. How do you feel?"

"Amazing." I said, meaning it. Rest helped. With the mental exhaustion physical exhaustion and the pain I felt after being so indifferent to Dimitri.

Mr. Alto gave an exercise on the chalk board. We were to do it and pass it to the people around us and mark.

I did it, struggling. I would have asked Lissa, but she was busy explaining to mia the concept of cosines and tangents. I looked around and spotted beautiful eyes and dark hair.

"Hey Ozera, um, I'd like a bit of help please."

Throughout the lesson he helped me with my exercise. When the bell rang I asked his next class.

"I have bio, with mason and Eddie."

"I have biology too, but with Lissa and mia." I replied. His eyes noticeably lit up after the mention of Lissa.

"Um is Lissa seeing anyone right now?"

"Nope. Not really. Why? Interested?" I joked as I walked to biology. Lissa was ahead of us laughing with mia.

"I just might."

He moved to his set, I entered Dimitri's class.

He talked about abortions, reasons people have them, some methods, which by the way left some of us shuddering.

A hand shot up.

"Mr. Belikov?"

"Yes Camille." He sounded exasperated.

"Please tell us some safe ways of getting rid of pregnancies? I heard that Rose needs some."

I sighed and shut my book. The only reason I didn't bite off her head, was that Lissa mia beat me at it.

Soon the whole class was caught up in some argument, half siding with me, and the other half siding with Camille. Most people didn't care about our little beef but just wanted to shout.

Until Dimitri had enough.

"Thank god the lesson's almost over. You know what. Get out. Go get ready for your next class."

I remained behind. "Roza. Are you okay?"

"Stop it. You don't have to act like you care. Besides I'm okay –" I started, but he did the most surprising thing. And kissed me.

I've been kissed before. This however was like more than everything combined. Every nerve of my body was on fire. The kiss was pure passion and heat but there was something else there. I couldn't describe it.

Dimitri lifted me and placed me on my desk.

"I'm sorry Roza. For hurting you. The night that Vasilissa told me to meet you up at the church attic, I remembered about our conversation earlier. You asked me to decide if I wanted you or not. I didn't know what I wanted. But now, I think it's pretty clear."

I gave him a small kiss before I realized I had to go to my English class.

…

"Rose Hathaway, please report to the principal's office."

I went to Kirova's office and found Eddie, my mother, my father surprisingly Dimitri and Kirova.

"Papa? What are you guys doing here?" I asked giving him a tight hug. I refused to acknowledge my mother's presence at all. She gave Eddie a hug and both my parents shook hands with Dimitri and Kirova.

"We are here to monitor Edward and Rosemarie's progress." My mother said.

We had been called out of our last period; I had English, Eddie had physics.

Kirova spent ten minutes complimenting Eddie and I which was a shock considering that she hated my guts and I hated hers. I was so surprised when Dimitri handed papa some papers.

"I'm proud of you sweetheart. You've been doing well." Papa said smiling at me. My mother rolled her eyes and Eddie smirked.

They summarized their meeting with Kirova and left. But papa passed Mr. Dashkov, who looked like he was going into Kirova's office and his face darkened.

"Are you okay?" I asked when we reached the open field where daddy's helicopter was. (Of course they flew here)

"Yes sweetheart just thought I saw someone familiar."

VICTOR POV

My my my. Ibrahim Mazur. Vasilissa was right. Rosemarie was the daughter of the Ibrahim Mazur turkeysh mobster. The man who stole everything from me. I doubt that he remembers me but I remember him. I can never forget him.

The time will come when he has to pay for what he did to me. I will take what he treasures most. His daughter. I planned on harming Eddie but Vasilissa told me that the one who had his heart was Rosemarie. The fool left his daughter in my clutches, and would pay dearlyfor it.