Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 97 - Make It A Good One

'Be a badass bitch' I was mentally telling myself. I walked up on to that stage as if I owned it. I knew in four-inch heels, a fitted dress that showed off my tiny waist and pushed my tits up like this one did, my diamond bracelet conspicuously sparking on one wrist and my four molnija I was already quite the spectacle. Assuming my best Rose Hathaway attitude, I walked to the tattoo chair with a confidence I didn't necessarily feel. Seating myself demurely Lionel chuckled quietly.

"Back again Hathaway? You're becoming something of a frequent flyer!"

"You know me Lionel," I said quietly "always in the wrong place at the right time."

Determined that, unlike some of the other Novices, I wouldn't flinch Lionel was sweet enough to whisper "Three, two, one" to ready me for the bite of the needle. My hands clasped in front of me, I rubbed my promise ring where it sat on my middle finger, thinking of my Russian God. Other than that, I was still as stone. As the first molnija was added, I heard Alberta.

"Novice Hathaway is today being awarded six molnija in recognition of kills she made in a recent Strigoi attack just outside Academy grounds. She fought bravely alongside seasoned Guardians against an estimated fifty Strigoi. Her final kill was made aiding a Guardian who would certainly have died without her timely intervention. Today's molnija brings Novice Hathaway's total count to ten, two molnija having been previously awarded after an attack in Yosemite several months ago and another two awarded in recognition of her service at an incident in Spokane last year."

I could hear shocked gasps and mutters from the audience. If a single molnija was rare on a Novice, ten was truly shocking.

"You're all done," Lionel said quietly. "Stand up and present and then I'll do your Promise mark."

"Novice Hathaway, please stand" Alberta intoned. Dutifully I stood, turning to face the audience with a deadpan gaze. I met Dimitri's beautiful eyes, then Mom's, Kirk's, Pavel's, Baba's, Lissa's, Christian's, Adrian's and finally Eddie's before I turned my back to the audience to display my newly added molnija.

I then returned to the tattoo chair. "Make it a good one Lionel? Nice and girly?"

"I'll give you the prettiest Promise mark ever" he promised with a small laugh. I took him at his word because he seemed to take twice the time on my Promise mark that he had on anyone else's.

"My finest work," he said with satisfaction, taping the cotton and plastic membrane over the tatoos. The membrane was larger than everyone else's, but I suppose I'd had more work done.

Standing and walking to Alberta she had a huge grin, and I could spot her eyes were suspiciously moist.

"Novice Rosemarie Hathaway. A perfect training score of 100."

You could have heard a pin drop. And then the room exploded. There were cheers, I distinctly heard Baba shouting "That's my girl!" I heard a wolf-whistle from the front row that I immediately identified as Eddie's, and my classmates were going nuts.

'Holy hell!' Lissa screamed through the bond. 'You DID it Rose!'

"Way to go Rosie!" Christian shouted.

"Hot shit little Dhampir" Adrian also called out.

I snuck a look to where Dimitri and Mom were sitting. Mom had given up any pretense of a Guardian façade and was now openly bawling, accepting a hanky from Kirk as she mopped at her eyes. Dimitri was looking at me with such an open look of love, joy, and adoration that I almost melted.

Returning my eyes to Alberta, she was looking as proud as punch waiting for the audience reaction to die down. It took quite a few moments, but eventually, the anticipation of my allocation was enough to make them shut up.