richellemead-vampireacademy01-vampireacademy-110824015328-phpapp02

I recalled Mia accosting me the other day. I didn't think she was entirely helpless yet but didn't
say so.
"They'll start telling people on Monday" he continued. "They promised. Everyone'll know by
lunch.”
"Why not now?" I asked sulkily. "They slept with a girl. Hurts her more than them.”
"Yeah. True. They didn't want to deal with it tonight. You could start telling people if you
wanted to. We could make a banner.”
With as many times as Mia had called me a slut and a whore? Not a bad idea. "You got any
markers and paper?…”
My words trailed off as I stared across the gym to where Lissa stood surrounded by admirers,
Aaron's arm around her waist. She wore a sleek pink cotton sheath in a shade I never could
have pulled off. Her blond hair had been pulled up in a bun that she'd used little crystal hairpins
on. It almost looked like she wore a crown. Princess Vasilisa.
The same feelings as earlier hummed through to me, anxiety and excitement. She just couldn't
quite enjoy herself tonight.
Watching her from the other side of the room, lurking in the darkness, was Christian. He
practically blended into the shadows.
"Stop it," Mason chided me, seeing my stare. "Don't worry about her tonight.”
"Hard not to.”
"It makes you look all depressed. And you're too hot in that dress to look depressed. Come on,
there's Eddie.”
He dragged me away, but not before I cast one last glance at Lissa over my shoulder. Our eyes
met briefly. Regret flashed through the bond.
But I pushed her out of my head—figuratively speaking— and managed to put on a good face
when we joined a group of other novices. We earned a lot of mileage by telling them about the