Dimitri's POV in Vampire Academy (Fanfic)

Chapter 12

The aftermath of Jesse and Ralf's lies were about as horrible as you can imagine. It was vile and infuriating having to listen to the same senseless, slandering talk going on at the school. Rose had always been a very visible girl. She was popular, and more attractive than any girl had a right to be, but she was also confident and chatty. And the way she carried herself...let's just say, she knew how to get attention. But now...all that had changed. I barely saw her outside of practice. I didn't see her chatting with the other novices, or Lissa's royal group, or with any of her many admirers. She kept to herself, out of sight. She was like a robot, mechanically going through the motions.

As much as I hated to see her that way, a tiny, selfish part of me was relieved. Without her charm lingering around the school, the ringing of her laughter, the snapping of her joking remarks, the scent of her hair...I felt I could finally relax the control I had to maintain. Finally, I could act like a mentor should be acting.

Still, Rose would show up to practice with bags under her eyes, eyes that seemed devoid of her usual life lust. It was obvious that she wasn't sleeping well. The verbal abuse was far from over. And as Rose became more and more invisible...so did I. I had no excuse to be watching her in class anymore. I had no desire to be in class at all, because I was sick and tired of listening to people talk that way about her. I retreated to my room, to my books, to my music. I even called my family in Siberia, who were all delighted to hear my voice, even though we couldn't talk for long. I hated those phone calls as much as I loved them. Hearing about my family, my mother, grandmother, sisters...it made me want to protect them. To return to that secluded life. I always felt that pull, though I knew I could never follow up on it. The Academy needed me here. Lissa needed me. More importantly, there was Rose. I was sure I could never leave—not now. Mentoring Rose wasn't just about helping someone out...not anymore. It wasn't about keeping myself preoccupied. It was about her. I couldn't even imagine a life without her in it. And that scared me.

All the time...these thoughts of her would pop up. These...startling revelations. And every time, I'd beat them down again. I wrapped my control around me like a shield, channelling my days of mentoring, of mastering myself and my urges.

Of course, it was easier said than done. No matter how subdued Rose was lately, she still had a remarkable presence in our practice sessions. She still hummed with energy, with a determined need to prove herself. In a way, I could tell that these sessions offered her some escape from the drama. With me, she could relax. Hell, she had gone from dreading these sessions to looking forward to them. I could tell from the way her expression lightened when she entered the gym, as she did now.

'Hey,' she said, dumping her gym bag on the floor. Without a word, she headed toward the door leading out to the arena. No complaints, sarcastic remarks, or sounds of protestations.

'I'm joining you,' I called, getting up from the floor.

She looked over at me, surprised. 'You are?'

I shrugged, approaching her. I didn't have anything else to do. Besides, I needed the conditioning. I also just enjoyed her company, though I immediately dismissed that last thought.

'No more Westerns to read?' she joked, pushing open the door. She winced as a cold wind blew past. I had to stop myself from shielding her with my body.

'Haven't gotten the chance to get a new one,' I said, launching into a jog. Rose followed.

We dropped the conversation then, focusing on keeping our breathing even. I only spoke when I gave an instruction, keeping my voice gentle. I wanted these moments to be a source of peace for her, a way to escape all the stress of the school day. Neither of us mentioned the rumours going around about her, though I could tell they were often on her mind.