Rosaline Wood (A Violet Eden Follow-on Reboot)

Chapter Twenty-One: Brawls and Misunderstandings

My apologies for such a prolonged absence. I was unable to access the internet very often over the Christmas break and that has continued nearly two months into the new year. SORRY! I should have regular internet access again and so hopefully you can look forward to more updates. I have a tendency to muck you around a bit, don't I? Again, sorry. Please accept this next chapter.

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Dean POV

After we were dismissed from the Assembly Chamber I headed to my classes. The Specialist Sparing class was scheduled in five minutes and I wasn't going to take this trip as a holiday from training. Managing to arrive on time, I was able to spar with eight Grigori during the dedicated hour and a half. The routine of classes helped take my mind of Rose and, more importantly, my little moment on the roof. It was so easy to slip again into the classroom mentality of sharing my pointers for fighting and learning a few myself. And it felt so good to be able to spend time with other Grigori. Once training had finished I headed up to the roof for some air.

I took a deep breath as I looked out over the bustling city in an attempt to relax and clear my mind. The back of my neck heated as I felt the ghost of Rose's soft lips on mine, her thin, athletic body in my arms and her heart racing as we kissed. She was amazing. My memory flashed back to the night of her birthday; Rose dancing with me so freely, the happiest I'd seen her in a long time, wearing my dress. She kept reminding everybody of how I'd been the one to give it to her. Even catching a few of the mildly unhappy but amused glances of her father didn't put a dint in how wonderful I'd felt, if a little embarrassed. Was there a hint of knowing in his eyes too? And then there was Cameron.

I groaned, rolling my head to the sky. All the time I'd known Rose I'd loved her and then, only a month and a bit ago, in walked her excitable, artistic, boyish, grinning and logical best friend I'd never heard about with her bouncy red curls, freckly tanned skin and laughing soft brown eyes. When I'd met her at the party, my eyes had passed over her with barely a moment's hesitation but apparently my mind had not. After that night my feelings towards Rose had changed. It wasn't all that obvious at first but now I could recognise a magnetic feeling drawing me away from Rosaline. Was it her best friend? But Cam wasn't interested in me. I was better off chasing a butterfly. Or sticking with my original flame. Cameron D'Arcy wasn't for me. I was Rose's and Rose was mine. The kiss has me convinced. I took another deep breath of the dropping evening air as I promised myself silently to her. I closed my eyes but a presence by the door to my left made me turn, alert and ready for danger. It was a guy, maybe a little younger than me, with sandy blonde hair striped with gold and chocolate brown eyes. I'd never seen him before. Taking him for a fellow Grigori, I dropped my guard.

    "Hey," I greeted, "Watcha doing up here?" The youth shrugged.

    "Nothing much," he replied, his voice ringing vaguely with a foreign accent, "What about you?" I smiled and gestured out over the city with its vast array of roads and street lights.

    "It's got a good view," I explained, "Good for thinking." The blonde guy nodded silently agreeing with me as he came up beside me on my right.

    "So," I continued, "What's your name? I don't think we've ever met before. I'm Dean Nisson." Once again the guy nodded. That was it! Spanish! I swear the guy's accent was Spanish!

    "I know who you are," he stated, "I am Alec." I was more than a little confused by his answer.

    "What do you mean," I asked, "that you know who I am?" He smirked a little as if savouring his upper hand. An uncomfortable tingle ran up my spine.