Moving Objects

Chapter 9

"So. I have a question for you," Eddie started off, toying with the bottle in his hands.

I snorted a laugh, "No. I'm not letting you win next time. You gotta earn it fair and square."

"No. It's not about sparring. It's about prom."

I capped my bottle and bent down to stretch, working harder on my left leg because it started to cramp up. "Ok, shoot."

Eddie followed suit and started to stretch out and I could practically hear him thinking over his questions. I let him take him time, but I had an inkling as to what he wanted to ask.

"I know that you don't have a date and I don't either," Eddie said as he stretched his calves. I snickered and sat down, stretching my legs out in front of me, reaching my arms out and folding myself to lay my stomach on my legs.

"And?"

Eddie glared at me slightly before I started to crack up. "Eddie? Are you asking me to be your date?"

"Yes, obviously."

I laughed and shook my head. "Why would you ask me?"

"Because. Don't let this go to your head but you are the prettiest girl in our year and I can guarantee that if you don't go with someone you'll never hear the end of it. Plus, if you go with me, I'm not expecting anything at the end of the night. You're also my best friend, and I'd rather go with you than anyone else."

I thought it over and he was right. If I showed up alone it would be like a beacon for all the lousy Moroi. Eddie wouldn't be a perv with me and I would have a good time with him there.

"Ok."

Eddie snapped his head up from where he was stretching. "Yeah?"

I tossed my towel at him and laughed. "Yeah, I'll go with you. It'll be fun to go with my best friend."

Eddie smirked and stood up as he continued to stretch. "Awesome. I already asked Belikov if he was cool with it."

My laughter shocked both of us as I climbed to my feet. He seriously asked Dimitri if he could take me to prom? I voiced the question to him and he nodded with a smirk.

"I wanted to make sure he was cool with it. I know that if he were able to, he'd go with you to make you happy, and he said he didn't mind if it was me that you went with. I just had to promise I'd let him have a few dances at some point."

I shrugged and packed my stuff back into my back. "We have a few more weeks until we have to worry about that anyway. I'll see you at dinner. I need a shower, badly," I said lifting my bag up.

"Yes, you do," Eddie laughed and ducked out of the way in time for my water bottle to sail past where his head would have been.

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I massaged my scalp under the hot stream and breathed deeply, letting the hot water open my airways and fill my senses with the smell of my shampoo. I needed a mental minute. Between training with Dimitri, my extra time with Eddie, and practice with Dad, I was starting to feel burnt out again, and I'll be damned if I let it get the best of me again. Lissa had been using more Spirit lately and I was starting to feel antsy from that. It was like no matter where I turned there was something that needed my attention. Plus, the last time I had be able to steal a kiss from Dimitri was before the shopping trip and that was three weeks ago. That was too long in my books.

I rubbed myself down with the towel and dressed in jeans and a sweater, ditching the light jacket I brought and made my way to the edge of campus, towards one of the small cabins that littered the back of campus. Dimitri was going to be on shift for a few more hours and I just needed some time alone to process my thoughts and let my head get back to where it needed to be.