Charlotte

Chapter 8

You're exempt from practice today. Go to classes.

Dimitri had very nice, easy to read handwriting. I held the note in my hand, reading it over and over again as if the words would change. My mind was racing. He'd left me there on the couch last night without an explanation and had stayed in his room til who knew how long. He was already gone this morning, so I still didn't see him when I woke up. The note had been waiting for me, tacked to the front door. I wasn't sure if I was more disappointed by being avoided, or by practice being cancelled. 

You're exempt...exempt, not 'practice is cancelled'. I was definitely more upset about being avoided. Sighing, I throw my book bag over my shoulder and head out of the building to go catch some breakfast. I wedged myself in between Natalie and Rose, who were playing some kind of game with their breakfast. 

"Morning," I grumbled. 

"Good morning," Natalie piped, full peppy mode unlocked. It was too early for this. 

"You missed the best practice ever," Rose gushed. "Dude, Dimitri isn't messing around. He finally agreed to teach us how to fight! He still kicked my ass, but I'm just so happy he agreed!" 

"He agreed to teach you," I correct, stabbing a potato with my fork. 

"Wow, you're both in a pretty crummy mood today," Rose commented. "What happened?" 

I shrug, opting to stuff my face instead. "What happened with Jesse?" I ask instead. 

"Dimitri caught us. I was half naked, and it was really embarrassing. He was pissed. Might have been a little jealous." 

The question was a mistake. As I put two and two together, I felt like I was going to hurl, and the fork fell out of my grip. No... he wouldn't do that to me...

But he did. 

He did.

Dimitri POV....

I couldn't stop the guilt with my thoughts, so I took it out on the punching bag after Rose left for breakfast. I attacked it with everything I had, grunts and low screams coming out of my mouth. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? 

Seeing Rose with her shirt off and grinding into Jesse Zeklos has caused something to catch fire within me. I had gone in there because someone tipped me off that a couple students were in there fooling around. I had no idea it would have been Rose Hathaway. God, I wished it had been anybody else. Anger, resentment, and jealousy had carried me home. I wasn't thinking straight...wasn't thinking about the possibility of Charlie being home. 

I'd walked in and stopped short, seeing her laying on the couch, becoming alert from my entrance. Her eyes were wide, and so pretty. She was a pretty girl...beautiful, even. And already eight-teen. Unlike Rose. 

She was the polar opposite of Rose. Pale skin, raven hair, bright, blue eyes...and she didn't talk back. It wouldn't be so bad to be with her, I thought. Human and Dhampir relationships were frowned upon, but it wasn't as impossible as two Dhampirs. And we already had an attraction to each other, a bond had already been formed from the first time I caught her in my arms. 

That's what had went through my head and I snapped. She tasted so good, and the feeling of her hands on me wiped everything away. Until I realized that I was doing this for the wrong reasons. I hate myself. 

Coward, I thought to myself when I wrote her the note, dismissing her from practice. I thought it multiple times over during practice, and I might have even taken my bad mood out on Rose, which was irregular for me. 

My fist missed the punching bag and hit the wall. I shouted, the stone wall tearing my skin and my knuckles were either dislocated or shattered. I cradled my fist to my abdomen, relishing in the physical pain. I stiffened when the doors behind me opened and brisk, angry footsteps approached and stopped right behind me. I didn't dare turn around. I couldn't face her. 

Coward. 

"Get out!" Charlie yelled, and the few students who were in the gym all hurried to leave us alone. I waited with bated breath as she collected herself. "What is wrong with you?" She demanded. "What you did...that was low. And hurtful," her voice cracked, and I felt a piece die inside me. 

"To use me like that...I'm her friend, and you want her, so you came to me...that's wrong. I thought you were better than that." 

I know... 

"Face me, you dick!" 

I obeyed, slowly turning around and sliding my guardian face on as my bleeding hand dropped to my side. She waited for me to look at her. "Oh no," she says with a bit of disbelief. A hysteric laugh bubbles out from between her plump lips. "You don't get to do that. Not to me! Drop the mask, Comrade," she said Rose's nick name for me in a high-pitched condescending tone. 

"Say something!" She swung clumsily at me, and I let her open palm land on my cheek. My head snapped to the side with the force of it and pain erupted in my eye and cheek. Her face, still bruised and battered from the day prior, was even more splotchy from crying. Her eyes were puffy, and her lip had ripped open again and a drop of blood was forming on the bottom lip. 

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice low. I meant it...I really meant it. Her face contorted. It wasn't what she wanted to hear. She swung again, this time with a closed fist to my stomach. I doubled over, closing my eyes and grunting. 

"Fight me," she begs. "Hit me back!" 

"No, Charlie."

"Fight me!" She screams and punches me in the face again. I let her wail on me until every inch of my body is sore. "Fight me," she says, over and over again. 

"I'm sorry," this time, my voice cracked. The fire seemed to simmer and fade after a moment, and I was finally able to look at her in the eyes as she stepped away from me. My vision was blurry, but I could still see how badly I had hurt her. "I know it doesn't mean anything to you, but I do care..."

She scoffed in order to cut me off. "I hope you and Rose live happily ever after," she spits, turning around and marching off. I managed to wait until the doors clicked behind her before falling over sideways onto the floor. 

I closed my eyes and fell into darkness.