When We Were Young

Eleven:

Eleven

Sprawled out on Genyas bed, trying his best to ignore the pain shooting through him, he watched in delight as Alina blushed furiously. To his surprise she got up off the bed and pulled him off, dragging him to the door. "Okay, and this is the point where you leave," she said, disgruntled, "how do you go from being completely nice to---"

"Oh, come on Starkov. I'm not even being a jerk."

"You're asking me things that are completely and totally inappropriate."

"How's it inappropriate?" Aleksander said. "You want to sleep with me. You've admitted it. This is going to happen, it's just a matter of when."

Alina snorted. "A girl can change her mind. A girl has changed her mind."

"Because I said the word masturbation?" Aleksander said. "Please don't tell me you're secretly a Saintist, good girl and that you really believe that The Apparat is going to appear and condemn you for your sins."

"No. I just...look, I thought I was ready for something. I'm not ready for something. It's fine."

"Really? Because you were practically willing to bed Lantsov this Friday."

"It was just a date. That's it. That's all I want. I want it to go nice, and slow and I'm not even serious about the sex thing anyway."

Aleksander smirked. "Ten bucks says you google masturbation tonight and try it. Another ten and I'll have money to take you on the date you're going to so badly want after you do it."

"Extortion isn't the romantic gesture you think it is, Morozova."

"Oh please. This isn't extortion, Starkov. This is gambling. You're a junior in college. You should know the difference."

"Good girls don't gamble."

"Is there anything you actually do?" he challenged.

She huffed. "I'm safe."

"You're sheltered, and you know what I think the real reason that you don't want to sleep with me is that you are scared."

She scoffed. "I'm not scared."

"Really," he said, "what's the worst thing that would happen if you slept with me?"

"I'd get pregnant," she said, "or an std. Or----"

He rolled his eyes. "First of all, I'm clean as a whistle like I said---"

"That was second." Alina frowned. "How did you get into college?"

"Slept with the recruitment officer. And bribed them."

"Seriously, I hate you."

He smirked. "You don't though. If you hated me, you would have stopped talking to me."

Alina shoved him out the door. "Alina?" Aleksander froze when he heard the voice calling his name. He glanced over, and saw Fedyor, Ivan's boyfriend. "Are you okay?"

Alina's face somehow managed to turn redder than it already was. "Hi, Fedyor." She smiled and waved awkwardly. "I'm totally and completely fine."

"Really?" Fedyor said. "Why is Aleks coming out of your room? I was under the impression that you hated him. Er...maybe you still do. Aleks, what in the Saints happened to your face?"

He coughed. "Fell."

"Well, shit. Coach isn't going to like that you know."

Aleksander shrugged. "I'm a football player. My body is bruised all of the time."

"Yeah, but not your face, man." Fedyor glanced back to Alina. "You sure that everything is okay with you?"

Alina smiled. "It's fine. Aleksander—er---Morozova was just coming by to wait for Genya, and he was being annoying, so I kicked him out of the room. That's all. Nothing entertaining."

Fedyor crossed his arms over his chest. "Huh. Because I heard from Ivan and Mal that he was bugging you about sleeping with him. You wouldn't be harassing a girl now, would you, Morozova?"

Aleksander glared. "Come on, Fedyor, you know me!"

"I do. That's why I'm asking."

Alina coughed. "Everything is fine. No one is sleeping with anyone, ever. I mean, it's a college campus. Somewhere on this campus they are sleeping with people. I'm.... I'm not. I'm not sleeping with anyone. I'm er, I am going out with Vasily on Friday but there will be no sleeping. Just dinner. And a movie maybe. And popcorn. Um. Probably gonna get a soda, too...."

Fedyor raised an eyebrow. "Mal knows about Vasily and he is okay with it?"

"HONESTLY , I AM A GROWN WOMAN AND NO ONE GETS TO MAKE THE CHOICE OF WHO I SLEEP WITH BUT ME."

Fedyor and Aleksander both looked at her as if she had grown a second head. Alina covered her face with her hands, and then she slipped back into her room slamming the door behind her. "UGH, BOYS!"

Aleksander sighed. "She needs to get laid."

Fedyor shook his head. "You need church. Or a therapist."

Aleksander snorted. "Maybe."

"Can't you just leave Alina alone, Aleks?" Fedyor said. "Alina's a nice girl. She deserves someone nice."

"She deserves someone who will treat her right and cares about her. You think that Vasily Lantsov is going to treat her right and care about her?"

Fedyor grimaced. "Probably not."

"He'd break her, Fedyor. You know that he would."

"Okay, but does it have to be you that she dates?" Fedyor asked. "Why don't you set her up with someone on the football team?"

"I am going to set her up with someone from the football team."

"Great. Who?"

"Me," he replied, "she doesn't know what is going to hit her, and Alina Starkov is going to be mine. I don't care what Oretsev says, and I don't care what Vasily is doing. Alina's top shelf, I want her, and I'm going to have her. That's how it works in my world. I see something---I want it----and I get it."

"YOU'RE STILL STANDING BY MY BEDROOM DOOR MOROZOVA." Alina opened the door again and glared at him. "Let me be perfectly clear. There is one thing in this world your privileged little rich boy ass is not going to get and that is going to be me."

"Want to bet on it?"

Alina coughed. "Bet on what?"

"On if I can make you mine before the summer. I bet we sleep together at the end of the semester."

"Why on earth would you make that bet with me? What's in it for me?"

He shrugged. "If you win, I'll give you whatever you want. Leave you alone for good even."

"Seriously?"

Fedyor coughed. "You two are children. This is going to end badly."

"There's only one way this ends," said Aleksander, "and I know how."

"Fine----one year from today. November 7th. If you win, you get me. If I win you leave me alone----and I get your car."

Aleksander coughed. "My what?"

"Your car."