I Took Rose Hathaway's Place

School, Surprises, and More

I woke up early the next day. 

Careful not to disturb Dimitri, I got into the shower.

I let the hot water relax my muscles. 

After the shower, I put on my bra and panties, and sauntered out to the room. 

Dimitri was sitting in bed. "Morning sexy." He said. 

I kissed him softly. "Hey..."

"Where are you going?"

I paused. "Oh, uhm, just running some errands!"

"I'll come with."

I scrambled for an excuse. "NO! I mean, no. You don't need to."

He studied my face. "Alice. You're lying to me." There was no question in his tone.

I shrugged. "Yeah. But I won't tell you where I'm going." I quickly kissed him on the cheek, threw on my black shirt, jeans, and my black hoodie. I pulled my hair into a cheerleader ponytail, and slipped on some black vans.

I left Dimitri speechless. Or so I thought.

But when I was on the highway, I looked in my rear view, and saw him.

I cursed in Russian. 

My phone rang. Dimitri.

"Stop following me!"

I saw him shake his head in the mirror. "No. Alice. Don't hide stuff from me!"

"Fine. You wanna know?! I'm going to see my father in prison. And I didn't want to worry you, or for you to see me like this. But, whatever. This is real life, not the books! Dimitri, just... fine. Come with." I hung up.

The rest of the ride consisted of me continually looking in he mirror, and Dimitri flashing me apologetic looks. 

We arrived. The prison was huge.

I got out of the car, and Dimitri walked swiftly up to me. 

"You don't have to go."

"Yes I do."

We entered, and were met by a guard. "State your names, and business."

"Alice Hathaway, Dimitri Belikov; I received a phone call, asking to have me come here to meet my father."

The guard nodded. "Right this way."

In a room, was my father.

He sat there, looking down, but when we entered, he looked up.

"Alice...?" His voice was deep, and exactly the way I remembered it from my birthday.