YURI

I was talking with Brodic about my birthday plans. It would be my first birthday without my mom throwing me a big party or my dad having his manager call me up asking what I would like and it'll be three days before I get it. "I'm turning seventeen, I should have stopped having parties when I was twelve."

"Didn't ya have a sweet sixteen?" he asked.

I shrugged, "Okay that was good but I feel happy not having my birthday be act as if it's a big deal. Everyone always expects be to throw a big party."

"You are weird, man." he said. "If my parents were as rich as you I'll be throwing parties every weekend."

"All my life I've been to many different parties. I want normal weekends you understand what I mean?  Hang out with friends, go to a movie--"

"Cuddle on the couch with a girlfriend." Brodric smirked and I grinned as we sat down on a bench since we had time to waste before class.

"I had girlfriends." I said.

"But how many were like Jocelyn Bowmen?" he asked. "It's been three months, you two are clearly in love."

"Don't be stupid, she is my friend." I said. "Jocelyn is nice but she would not understand. We both had completely different lives. I don't want to hurt her one day."

"Last week she put you in a headlock for making fun of her hairstyle choice. I doubt you'll be the to hurt her." he said and looked passed me. "Here she comes, pretty quickly."

I turned my head to my left to see Jocelyn racing down the hallway with a big smile on her face. I got up when she got close but she ran right into me. I chuckled as she stumbled back and blushed.

"Sorry," she said. She reached into her pea coat and held out a small square box wrapped in blue wrapping paper towards me, "Happy birthday Yuri, I know it's not something fabulous like your use to getting but I still needed to get you something."

I took the gift, "You did not have to get me anything, Jocelyn."

"Oh please, yes I did. You keep buying me stuff I had to get you something. I know you already have one but I don't really know what to get a guy so--you know what? Just open it." she nervously chuckled.

I shrugged and ripped at the paper. A black box was under it and I opened the lid to see a gold watch. My eyes widen a little, "Oh wow, thanks Jocelyn. You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to." she said. "I know it's pretty plan and not fancy like the one you have but getting you cologne seemed so cheap."

"It is perfect." I said, hugging her. I took off the watch my father given me when I was fifteen and turned to Brodric, "Here." I said as I tossed it to him. 

"Whoa, thanks man." he said as I turned back to Jocelyn. "But um, I don't understand Russian time."

"Learn." I said as I took the watch out and hooked it to my wrist. "So how'd you get this?"

She chuckled,"Why does it matter? It's a gift, I know it's not exaggerated as you as you usually get but I got it."

"I wanna know though, so when your birthday comes I can get you something amazing." I said.

"Well let's just say I saved a little money from my parents and sold my stack of books." she said and I paused as I was looking down at the time so I could fix it. "You'll be amazed what people would spend for an early edition of Little Women."

I dropped my arm and looked at her,"You are serious?" I asked and she nodded, smiling. "You are dumb then."

"Huh?" she asked, cleary shocked at my reponse.

"Why would you sell your books? You said that edition was your grandmother." I said.

"I didn't quite enjoy the book though." I said and I knew she was lying. She talked about how much she loved her grandmother for giving it to her. "Yuri it's fine, I wanted to get you something nice."

I grabbed her hand as I turned up to walk down the hallway, "Come on."

"What?  Where?" she asked and stopped us when we turned the corner.

"To whoever you sold the book to. Was it a pawn shop? A book store?  We're getting it back." I said as I reached for her hand but she pulled away.

"No. I sold it for a reason Yuri." she said. She frowned, "This is not what I expected when I give you your present. You probably don't even like it." she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Of course I like it, Jocelyn, but you shouldn't have to pay so much for me.' I said.

"Well now you know how I feel when you buy me stuff." she said. "Look Yuri, I'm fine. Be happy, don't ruin it. Please, accept the gift and be happy."

"Jocelyn--"

"No." she said stubbornly.  "Either take it or. . .keep it you big hard headed Russian!" she said as she stubbornly looked at the ground with a glare.

I chuckled at her because of how cute she was. So maybe today I won't get that book back for her, but I will. I put my arms around her waist and hugged her,"Thank you, Jocelyn."

I woke up from the memory when I heard the door to the cafe open and my father came in. He joined me at the table and a waitress came over. He ordered a coffee before smiling at me, "Suprise you are here before me."

"Jocelyn made me." I said. I had found that book she sold for me to get that watch. It took me awhile, I had visited every book store in Rome until I found it. It cost me a good amount but I had gotten it back. Of course Jocelyn got mad at me and hit me with the book but she finally accepted it back. 

"Oh. Well you are here. I'm so happy we can talk face to face alone." he said and the waitress came back with his drink. Once she was gone he spoke, "So how is school here?"

"Are you interested?" I asked.

"Of course. This is your last year, I wanna know." he said. "Any thoughts about the college in Saint Petersburg?"

"No I haven't yet." I said. "School is fine, it's pretty great to go to a school where no one knows who your family is. Sure I had to deny family follower request on Twitter to keep my secret but it's worth it."

"Well you won't have to worry after the second quater over." he said as he took a sip of his coffee and I sighed.

"Father--"

"No," he cut me off right there and set his cup down. He cleared his throat, "You know what we agreed on. Only two quarters and you'll return to Saint Petersburg to finish your school at Volkov Academy."

"No, I didn't agree to that.  I said if I enjoy my time you and mom will agree to let me stay and graduate here." I said. 

"And did your mother agree?" he asked. 

"I was going to talk to her after you." I said. "But father--"

"No, you agreed to come live with me. You need to graduate from Volkov, a Russian school. Not an American one."

I scoffed,"This isn't about where my education end as long as I get one." I said.

"No this is about you wanting to stay for a girl." he said and I rolled my eyes as I looked out the window. "I like Jocelyn, I do, but you have a family back home. I would very much like you to return back there with me."

"Why?" I asked as I looked at him. "You won't even really be there. Like always."

"I'm taking a break." he said and my eyes widen. "To be there for you. For Arina and the kids."

I started laughing but I found none of it funny, "A break? So you won't want to make the twins want to leave you two? Try to do it so over again?"

"Yuri, that's enough." my dad said coldly. "I wasn't the father I should have been for you, but I want to be now. Give me a second chance, I will support you with whatever you want but if your home."

"So you can just send me of to college after?" I asked. "You so badly want me to go. I want to stay here, be with my girlfriend. . ."

"Girlfriend?" he asked, scoffing. "I thought she wasn't anything but a friend."

"Things just changed recently." I said.

"Like after she found out the truth?" I asked and I glared at him. 

"You know nothing about me and Jocelyn.  I want her out of this conversation now." I said.

"But she is evolved since she's the only reason you want to stay. Look, you only need to spend two quarters at Volkov and you graduate. Wanna have her come live in Saint Petersburg when you go to college there you can but you will come back? Fine.  You really have no say."

"Father!"

"Yuri!" he yelled back and we caught the attention of some of the other customers in the cafe. My father apologized before looking at me, "A couple of months away from each other is not going to to kill you both."

"Yes it will." I said and he sighed heavily. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You know how easy it is to leave."

"Yuri stop making me feel bad." he said. "This is why I want you to come back after the second quarter."

"Arina and I don't even get along and you want us in the same house?" I asked. "That's just like drama right in the room."

"Try to get along." he said.

"I would rather go back to Moscow to mother." I said and he rolled his eyes. "There she's home."

"I'll be home to. I want to go on vacation when summer comes with my kids. I'll even let Jocelyn come along, I'll pay everything for her." he said. "Fighting about this is pointless because you are coming back with me. Does she even know about this?" When I didn't answer he knew what it was and he sighed,"Why not?"

"I thought by then you both would have signed the papers to let me stay. So please father--"

"No." he said.

I glared at him for a moment and I almost got up to leave but than I thought about something. "Fine but there's one thing."

"Oh boy." he sarcastically said.

"Jocelyn leaves tomorrow with us to New York for the premiere of your movie. She will be my date." I said and he started laughing. "I won't fight with you anymore about this if you just agree."

"What makes she'll agree to this? Or her parents? It's a school night." he said.

"Her parents very much like me, I can talk them into it. And Jocelyn well go, she'll be excited."I said.

+

JOCELYN

"I'm sorry Buck." I said to Buck after I told him the truth why I had been avoided him. 

"Are you sure he's what you want?" be asked. "I mean, he lives so far away so after graduation--"

"Yuri might stay probably." I said and he got up from the table. "Buck, please sit down."

"For what?" he asked. "Eat ice cream as if I'm okay with this?"

"I already told you I liked Yuri. . ."

"You said he didn't feel the same way back leading me to believe there wouldn't be a chance so all I had to do was wait for you to get over him." he said and I looked down at the table.

The door to the Frozen Yogurts shop open and Yuri came in.  Buck walked over to him and I didn't know what was going to happen. They both just glared at each other until Buck walked passed him, hitting his shoulder into Yuri as he left.

"I see it didn't go well." Yuri said as he walked over to me. He sat in the chair next to me and I shook my head. "Don't look so sad. He should have known there was no competition."

"Yuri, come on. I just hurt his feelings and I didn't want to do that. I lead him on to believe there was a chance but your dumb self took to long." I said.

"You could have said something before." he said.

"And get rejected? No thanks." I said. "Even I only really agreed to that date was because you told me after that first kiss meant nothing. I thought that was my waiting answer."

"We are together now." he said and kissed my cheek. He took my hand, "He'll get over it. I wanna ask you something."

"Okay." I said.

"Go to my father premiere with me." he said and I burst into laughter.

"You're funny, Yuri." I said. I playfully hit his arm,"Now what's your question?"

"That was my question." he said and I stopped laughing as my eyes widen at him.

"No." I said.

"No?" he questioned.

"N O spells no. Nyet." I said in Russian to further answer his question.

"Why not?" he asked. "Be my date."

"Just for people to further think we're together back in your homeland?" I asked and he rolled his eyes. "Even there well be so many people and cameras. You know I hate my picture taken."

"Come on, you have to. I don't care what people think, I want you there with me. It's only the New York premiere, we don't need to be at the one in LA." he said. "Please, please, please." he begged as he took my arm and brought my closer to him. "I need you there, Jocelyn."

"No you don't and it's not like my parents--my dad will let me." I said since I know my dad will be less excited than my mom.

"I will talk to them. Let's throw all of this in Russia face." he said as he grinned and pecked me. "They wanna see a couple? We'll give them a couple."