Once Upon A Lie

Two: A few years later

Two

A few years later

One more year.

One more year left of freedom, and then.... then who was she? Alina Morozova? Even the thought of that made her stomach churn. She hadn't even truly lived. For three years, Alina had kept mostly to herself. She lived mostly in the art room.

Not a soul knew that she was engaged to Aleksander Morozova. She had stayed clear of partying, and drugs, and drinking. In fact, she didn't really even have friends. There were people she said hi to in the halls or talked to in class but there was no one she hung out with. Which was why it was a surprise when the new girl sat across from her at lunch.

Genya Safin had red hair, and amber eyes. She had come to Ravka Academy with her half-brother, Malyen Oretsev. They had the same mother, but different fathers and were born only a year apart. When Genya sat down at the lunch table across from her, Alina looked up in surprise.

"Do you think if I petition the school the principal will let me design new uniforms?" the bubbly girl asked. "Because this whole plaid thing is god awful and does nothing for my complexion."

Alina smiled shyly at her, unused to people actually paying her attention. "Doubtful. Headmaster Botkin is kind of a stick in the mud when it comes to being traditional, and uniforms are traditional."

Genya sighed. "Shame." She threw her a smile. "I'm Genya Safin. I just moved here from Ketterdam."

"Nice to meet you. I've seen you around. I'm Alina Starkov."

"Nice to meet you, Alina. You know I've seen you around too and I've noticed you don't really hang out with anyone. Why is that?"

Alina coughed, and took a sip of her soda. "Oh, you know. I'm not really someone that socializes much."

Genya blinked. "Why not? You seem sweet. Definitely cute as a button. I also heard tell you're an heiress to boot. I would think that would make you the Queen Bee of this place."

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Right, well, we're going to be best friends."

"And why is that?" Alina asked.

"Because you might seem all quiet and meek, but I am willing to bet there is a party girl in there somewhere, Alina Starkov. And I'm going to find her. Because I need a new bestie, like stat, and the rest of the girls around here refuse to speak to me. Bitches."

Alina laughed. "Well, I guess I could always----"

"Gen!" a deep, male voice called. She looked up and saw a guy with a buzzcut, broad shoulders, and blue eyes coming towards them. "Did you take notes for history?"

Genya sighed. "You are in the same class as me. How did you not take notes?"

The guy laughed. "Because I've got my lovely sister to do it for me. Can I borrow them? Because you are the best sister in the world?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "I'm your only sister." She rummaged through her backpack, and pulled out a pink notebook that she handed to her brother. "Honestly Mal, without me what would you do?"

"Flounder helplessly," the boy, who was apparently named Mal, replied. He then glanced over at Alina and grinned. "Hi."

Alina blushed fiercely. "Hi."

Genya smirked, as if she knew something the both of them didn't. "Alina Starkov, this is my obnoxious brother Malyen Oretsev. He goes by Mal. Mal, this is my new bestie Alina Starkov."

Mal's eyes got dreamy all of a sudden as he looked at her in a way that made Alina's stomach flip flop dangerously. "Alina Starkov." He let out a whistle. "Pretty name for a pretty girl."

Alina giggled, something she didn't think she had ever done before. "Um. Thanks. Nice to meet you, Mal."

"Nice to meet you, too." He sat there staring at her for a moment, until Genya coughed.

"Don't you have studying to do or someone else you can pester? Alina and I are trying to bond here over pivotal coming of age stuff."

Mal sighed, and ran a hand over his hair. "Yeah. Yeah. See you later, sis." He winked at her, then at Alina, before leaving with the notebook in hand.

Genya looked from Mal's retreating form back to Alina. "Gag me."

"What?" Alina said.

"That was so sweet, it made my teeth hurt. I just saw the beginning of a love story. Oooh, if you two get married we can be sisters!"

Alina sighed. "Trust me, that wasn't the beginning of a love story. I don't get one of those."

"What do you mean?" Genya asked.

Alina bit her lip. "It's a little too complicated to explain. Cute as your brother is though, you might want to tell him to stay away from me. And you might want to stay away from me too."

"What? I thought we were doing a bonding thing."

"I'm sorry Genya, I...you seem great, but you shouldn't try getting to know me."

"Why not?"

"Because...if you do, he'll probably take you away from me."

"Who?"

She shook her head. "No one important." Alina picked up her lunch tray, and her things, and left the table. As she headed out of the cafeteria, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She looked over to see Aleksander sitting with his friends glaring at her.

He had seen her little interaction with Mal. She knew it. And she'd pay for it later, certainly. The only question was how?