I Never Told You I Love You - Complete

Chapter 103 - Surprises

As Alto raced into the gym, the Seniors started pegging his clothing at him along with pieces of paper with photocopied pictures of him in a dress on them. Eddie, Christian, and Vika had left a uniform and undergarments half way down the Guardian dorm hallway, so sadly he wasn't still in his navy frock, but they'd locked the majority of his clothes along with his curtains, bed linens and towels in Dimitri's old Guardian dorm room, so he had no idea where his stuff was.

While half the students were watching Alto furiously picking up his T-shirts, singlets, pants and uniform shirts, the other half was watching Dimitri look up with a woebegone expression at his duster.

"I bought it with my first pay," he muttered to himself. "It's the only special thing I've ever bought myself." He looked heartbroken, and in truth he was. Not as much about the duster, although he was very upset about that too. But he was devastated that his Roza, the woman who had promised to love him and be his comfort, had destroyed something that meant so much to him just for a joke. A joke at his expense.

He didn't mind the photos. Sure they were embarrassing, but it was kind of funny. But going out of her way to ruin something so intimately connected with him? Well, that hurt. A lot.

All he wanted to do was turn around and walk out of the gym, but he knew everyone was waiting for a reaction from him, and he didn't want to show anyone how very deeply Rose had wounded him. So plastering a fake smile on his face, he was about to take off up the rope hanging beside hers. By the time he'd made his decision, though, Rose was halfway back down the rope having collected the duster. He couldn't even bring himself to look at it, drenched as it was in hot pink paint.

She landed back onto the varnished timber floor and smiled at him. He looked at her in confusion as she put the duster on.

"What do you think, Comrade? I thought we could match?" Rose said in a saucy tone, doing a twirl, although he could tell from her eyes she was worried about his reaction.

The duster wasn't his! Looking carefully now Dimitri could see that. It was a lady's long leatherette coat, considerably smaller than his own.

"I thought you'd spray painted my duster," he whispered.

"Oh babe, I'd never do that. I know how much it means to you," Rose whispered back seeing the uncertain hurt look on her husband's face. She was about to step forward and embrace him when Alto came over with a murderous expression on his face.

"Where's the rest of it?" he demanded.

"The rest of what, Stan?" Rose asked innocently, noticing the way Dimitri adjusted his stance slightly, turning to face Stan in a defensive position.

"My clothing. Where's my underwear?" Stan hissed murderously.

"Hmm – I heard a rumor the rest of your things might be safely locked in an unallocated Guardian dorm room," Rose laughed. From the corner of her eye, she could see Alberta approaching ready to diffuse what looked like it might quickly become an explosive situation. For a gym filled with several hundred people, it was awfully quiet. Everyone was looking at the scene playing out before them.

"Alright – everyone's had their fun. Stan, we'll find the rest of your belongings. I hope this means prank day is officially over?" Alberta asked, sagging a little in relief when Rose nodded. "Guardian Belikov? I think your wife has caused enough mayhem for one day – do you think you could take her back to your rooms and contain her for the rest of the evening? Just keep her out of mischief!" she begged, rolling her eyes.

"Is that an order?" Dimitri teased.

"Yes," Alberta laughed.

"Consider it done," he said, surprising Rose by hoisting her up into a fireman's hold over his shoulder and giving her a sharp tap on the bottom.