AN: PLEASE READ?

Hey everyone! :) I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the reviews people have written. Someone reviewed asking what got Dimitri into military school. Well, I don't know a lot about the military or the army so I guess Dimitri is just there because his parents enrolled him. They travel a lot so he had to have some place to stay while still being educated properly. I hope than makes sense. And also, in this story Rose isn't really the badass girl we all know she is, she's a lot more toned down and sweet I guess, I've read a lot of stories about rose being the rebel and I guess I just wanted to see her with a different personality. Anyways, thank you again and I hope you like this chapter :)

She glanced around. The park wasn't crowded, by any means, but there was the occasional bike rider flying down the path and a group of about six kids were kicking around a soccer ball on the other side of the meadow.

Or maybe he really did have a sudden uncontrollable desire for soft-serve. Rose could relate. She was sometimes that way when it came to Nutella sandwiches.

Dimitri grasped Rose's hand to help her up and held on to it all the way to the park's entrance. His hand felt a little clammier than hers, but strong, and Rose decided to forget about what the whole hand-holding thing might mean and to just enjoy it.

With ice-cream in hand, they sat on a low wall slurping on their cones and enjoying the early evening sun.

"This park is pretty nice," Dimitri commented, and Rose had to agree.

"I never really think of coming here," she admitted. "Usually my friends and I just hang out in Richfield."

"It's a great place for people watching," Dimitri added, which was also true. From where they were sitting they could see across the Pelican Island Bridge and watch a light crowd of passersby in every shape and size.

Rose guessed that the strollers by the pier were tourists, while the more hurried people were clearly on their way home from work. a girl with blonde ringlets of hair seemed to be in a super rush, weaving in and out of the crowd, then marching purposefully across the bridge.

Rose groaned when she realized that the girl was Mia, and that she was almost right on top of them. She hid her face behind Dimitri's shoulder until Mia had passed. "All clear?" she asked.

"Hiding from someone?" Dimitri asked. "Who was that?"

"Just some girl," Rose started, but then thought that if things went well with Dimitri the story would probably have to come out sometime. "We used to be friends, that is, until I got a scholarship to Richfield Academy for Girls. Now she, like, totally hates me for some unknown reason."

"You got a scholarship to the Academy?" Dimitri asked, amazed. "Wow, you must be a superbrain," he said.

Rose wasn't sure if he was impressed or turned off by her smarts. "It's no big deal," she said, wanting to change the subject.

"Yes, its is," Dimitri went on. He leaned in and gave her a nudge. "I'm impressed."

Cool! "Thanks," Rose said. "So how come you know so much about the Academy?" she asked, curious.

"I guess i know a few people who go there," Dimitri said with a shrug.

"Really?" Rose said. She was just about to ask who when the theme song to Rocky jingled in her backpack.

"Let me guess," Dimitri said with a laugh. "Your dad?"

"The one and only." Rose reached into her bag and felt around for her phone. She found it underneath her skates and pulled in out just before the music stopped. "Hey dad," she said, answering it.

"Rosie, your mama wanted me to remind you. Come by the store in ten minutes. Give us a hand with closing. Okay?" Dad asked.

"No problem dad," Rose said. "See you in a few." She flipped the phone shut.

" I guess that means you have to go," Dimitri said.

Rose nodded. "But we can pick up where we left off tomorrow, if you want." She took one final lick of her ice-cream cone, then dumped the rest in a nearby bin.

"Can't," Dimitri admitted. "I've got stuff to do, but how about Saturday? We can do something a little different, you know?"

"Oh?" Rose raised her eyebrows.

Dimitri held up his hands in defense. "No rolling on a bunch of tiny wheels though, i swear."

"Good." Rose stood there for a moment, waiting for his cue on the goodbye. She didn't know if she should casually lean in and kiss him on the cheek or give him a friendly hug or handshake or another wave...

Still no cue...

"Well, um, I guess I'll go now," she said, hoping he'd get the hint.

"Right," Dimitri shoved the rest of the cone in his mouth and stood. "I should probably go home too," he mumbled through a mouth full. "See you Saturday." He gave her a friendly little punch on the arm, then turned to cross the bridge. "I'll call you."

"Later." Rose turned the opposite direction and headed to the store, a bit confused by Dimitri's gesture. A punch? As far as taps on the arms were concerned, Rose had no idea if Dimitri was meant to say: "Sorry, just a friend," or :I really like you but I'm trying to be cool about it." Well, at least it was some sort of body contact, she thought. That's got to be good, right?

When she arrived at the Scallion, Rose found her father humming along to an ancient Frank Sinatra tune on the radio as he scrubbed down a stainless steel counter.

"You're in a cheery mood dad." Rose picked up a sponge and some Windex and started spraying down the outside of a refrigerated deli case. "What's up?"

"Oh, we found someone to work in the store, and we didn't put no ad in the paper." He turned and did a little cha-cha toward her in time with the music. "I'm so happy there's not gonna be a stranger in here." He grabbed her hands and swung her around. Despite his girth dad was an amazing dancer. So was mom.

Rose ran through all the nearby relatives in her mind as she accidentally crushed her father's toes. "Is it Aunt Josie?"

"No."

"Uncle Nico?"

"Nope."

"Cousins John, Thomas or Robby?"

"Eh, are you kidding me?" Dad asked with his palms together and shaking them at her, as if this was the most insane concept she'd ever come up with.

Rose was really curious now. "Then who?"

Just as she asked, a flicker of movement caught in her peripheral vision. Rose turned to find her mom in the kitchen doorway, resting her hands on the shoulders of a girl with familiar curly blonde locks.

"Look who's going to be working with us this summer," mom said happily. "It's your friend Mia! Isn't that great?"