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Fifteen minutes later, we cut across the quad back over to the commons, laughing as we<br />
recounted how a particularly clumsy classmate of ours had given himself a black eye in practice<br />
this week. Moving quickly over the frozen ground wasn't easy in heels, and he kept grabbing<br />
my arm to keep me from falling over, half-dragging me along. It made us laugh that much<br />
more. A happy feeling started to well up in me—I wasn't entirely rid of the ache for Lissa, but<br />
this was a start.<br />
Maybe I didn't have her and her friends, but I had my own friends. It was also very likely that I<br />
was going to get head-over-heels drunk tonight, which, while not a great way to solve my<br />
problems, would at least be really fun. Yeah. My life could be worse.<br />
Then we ran into Dimitri and Alberta.<br />
They were on their way somewhere else, talking guardian business. Alberta smiled when she<br />
saw us, giving us the kind of indulgent look older people always give to younger people who<br />
appear to be having fun and acting silly. Like she thought we were cute. The nerve. We<br />
stumbled to a halt, and Mason put a hand on my arm to steady me.<br />
"Mr. Ashford, Miss Hathaway. I'm surprised you aren't already in the commons.”<br />
Mason gave her an angelic, teacher's-pet smile. "Got delayed, Guardian Petrov. You know how<br />
it is with girls. Always got to look perfect. You especially must know all about that.”<br />
Normally I would have elbowed him for saying something so stupid, but I was staring at<br />
Dimitri and incapable of speech. Perhaps more importantly, he was staring at me too.<br />
I had on the black dress, and it was everything I'd hoped it could be. In fact, it was a wonder<br />
Alberta didn't call me on the dress code right there and then. The fabric clung everywhere, and<br />
no Moroi girl's chest could have held this dress up. Victor's rose hung around my neck, and I'd<br />
done a hasty blow-dry of my hair, leaving it down the way I knew Dimitri liked it. I hadn't<br />
worn tights because no one wore tights with dresses like this anymore, so my feet were freezing<br />
in the heels. All for the sake of looking good.<br />
And I was pretty sure I looked damn good, but Dimitri's face wasn't giving anything away. He<br />
just looked at me—and looked and looked. Maybe that said something about my appearance in
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