richellemead-vampireacademy01-vampireacademy-110824015328-phpapp02

Lissa rubbed her eyes when I finished, smudging a little of her makeup. She gave me a weak
smile. "I don't know what's crazier: what you're actually telling me or the fact that you actually
read something to find all this out.”
I grinned, relieved that she'd actually mustered a joke. "Hey, I know how to read too.”
"I know you do. I also know it took you a year to read The Da Vinci Code." She laughed.
"That wasn't my fault! And don't try to change the subject.”
"I'm not." She smiled, then sighed. "I just don't know what to think about all this.”
"There's nothing to think about. Just don't do stuff that'll upset you. Remember coasting through
the middle? Go back to that. It's a lot easier on you.”
She shook her head. "I can't do that. Not yet.”
"Why not? I already told you—" I stopped, wondering why I hadn't caught on before. "It's not
just Mia. You're doing all this because you feel like you're supposed to. You're still trying to be
Andre.”
"My parents would have wanted me to—”
"Your parents would have wanted you to be happy.”
"It's not that easy, Rose. I can't ignore these people forever. I'm royal too.”
"Most of them suck.”
"And a lot of them are going to help rule the Moroi. Andre knew that. He wasn't like the others,
but he did what he had to do because he knew how important they were.”
I leaned back against the bench. "Well, maybe that's the problem. We're deciding who's
'important' based on family alone, so we end up with these screwed-up people making
decisions. That's why Moroi numbers are dropping and bitches like Tatiana are queen. Maybe
there needs to be a new royal system.”