I cursed in my first language as Jocelyn dragged me over to some photo booth, “No, I can't take pictures right now.” I said and she pouted up as her head tilt back to look up at me.

“You look fine, promise.” she said as she leaned up and kissed my cheek where a faded bruise was. It was such an ugly color, almost yellow looking and the same goes for my eye. “You said to make every memory for us right now so I want tons of pictures. And don't look so grouchy.”

“I was beaten up a week ago and Buck still has not gotten in trouble, it is pissing me off.” I said and she frowned. “If you think I'm grouchy, you should see everyone back home. They always look serious.”

“Fine.” she said, her bottom lip pouting as she lowered her head. She turned and took a few steps before I groaned, grabbing her hand and pulled her into the photo booth. When it was finally over, we waited for the picture and she grabbed collage strip. She scoffed and put her hand on my face, pushing me back into the photo booth, “Smile, I like your smile better than your mean face.” She forced me down onto the bench and put her fingers on each side of my mouth, forcing my mouth into a smile, “You could see it also if you weren't growing a beard.”

“I thought you like my beard.” I said.

“I do, but I like it trimmed. It looks bushy.” she chuckled. “Now you better smile because I'm paying this time, so if that smile falls I'm punching you.”

“Are you sure you aren't Russian, you pretty aggressive? You sometimes remind of a teenager babushka.” I said and she hit me, making me chuckling. “Mine was pretty aggressive, I think she would like you—ouch!” I said, chuckling when she hit my arm again.

“Well someone gotta keep your head off cloud nine but still held high.” she said as she began to sit down next to me after putting three dollars in the machine. I grabbed her though and put her on my lap.

When it was over, she waited for the collage strip and when it came, she smiled as she took it from the slot, “Better.” She pointed at the second one because she had tilt herself to the left and I opened my mouth, baring my teeth like a vampire about to bit into her teeth, “That one was adorable.”

She was happily going on about each picture. My back stiffen when I felt like there was a pair of eyes on the back of my head. I turned my head a little and looked out in the corner of my eyes. I didn’t see anyone watching me though, only a few people looking at the rows of mall carts. I looked back at Jocelyn and put my arm around her waist, “Let go buy some pizza.” I said.

I felt the feeling again as we walked down the mall and I turned my head around, but I didn’t see anyone that looked suspicious.

After grabbing something to eat, Jocelyn wanted to go inside the book store. I was getting bored in the historic session though so I told her I was going to go check out the comic and manga books. I grabbed one that looked interesting by the cover and looked at the pictures.

My back stiffen when I felt that weird feeling again. I looked to my right and I finally saw him. He wasn’t watching me though, he was pretending as if he was reading from a book but the book was a young adult book. It was probably the first thing he grabbed. He was bald headed with tattoos down his large arms. Black long sleeve shirts with black pants. I didn’t know this man, but he was there every time I felt the gaze on me.

I pursed my lips as I looked back down at the comic book for a moment. I stayed like that for a few moments to pretend as if I still hadn’t noticed him before I set the book down and walked past the man. I went down a row of bookshelves and I hide around the corner until the man came around.

He chuckled, “Mr. Ambramov.” he said in Russian. “I was hoping to talk to you alone.”

“Alright, I’m alone.” I said as I crossed my arms across my chest. “Who are you?”

“My names Radomir Kozar, I’m here to guard you.” he said as he put his hands behind his back and kept his shoulders straight.

“Guard me?” I questioned.

He nodded, “Da, Yuri. I’m a body guard but I was also assigned to figure out what happen to your host parent, Karen Shaw, car.”

I scoffed and ran my hand down my mouth, looking away for a second before I looked back at Radomir “My father sent you here, didn’t he?”

He nodded, “Da, he did.”

“Well go back.” I said.

“I don’t get paid by you, Yuri, you’re father does so I listen to him.” he said.

I scoffed, “You can’t be here! You know how embarrassing that is? You have to go back, I don’t want you here.”

“That is too bad, because I am staying.” he said and I groaned.

“No! Go back to Saint Petersburg’s, I will call my father. I apologize you had to fly all the way out here but I don’t need a babysitter.” I coldly said.

“I’m not a babysitter, I’m a bodyguard.” he said. He shrugged, “You father has ones.”

“When he goes to events, not at every moment!” I whispered coldly. “I can’t have you following me around! You know how humiliating that is?”

“Have you looked in a mirror, Yuri? You don’t seem much like the strong type, what if those boys tried messing with you again?” he asked.

I snorted and ran my hand threw my hair, “I can fight my own battles.”

“Well you father feels like you can’t.” he said. “Look Yuri, my job is to keep my distance but still be around you just in case for the next month and half.”

“No!” I stubbornly said. “I don’t want you here, so go back home. I don’t care what my father wants, I don’t want you here. And what about school? How are you going to watch me there? I might as well just go back home now because having you around would be completely embarra—“

“Yuri?” I heard Jocelyn said, cutting me off.

I turned to see her walking over with a book in her hand. She looked at Radomir confused, “Hello.” she said friendly.

He nodded, “Hello.” he said English to her.

“Do you two know each other?” she asked as she looked at me. “Yuri?”

“Uh,” I said as I brought my hand up behind my ear and scratched. “Radomir a cousin of mine who wanted to come and see me.”

“Oh!” she said as her eyes widen excitedly. She looked back at Radomir, “Nice to meet someone from Yuri family. How long are you staying for?”

“Only for a few days—“

“Until Yuri leave for Saint Petersburg.” Radomir said and I gave him a hard look. “Then I will go home with him.”

“Oh, well it’s nice that you’re here.” she said as she looked at me. “Even though Yuri didn’t tell me, he’s always surprising me somehow though. We were going go see a movie, would you like to join us Radomir?”

Radomir opened his mouth but I spoke before he could answer, “He can’t, and he’s pretty tired. Saint Petersburg is about nine hours ahead so I’m sure he would like to go back to his hotel to get some rest, isn’t that right Radomir?”

Radomir chuckled, “Da, he’s right.” He took Jocelyn hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing the top of her hand, “Enjoy your movie.”

*

Radomir didn’t leave me alone last night though. He was in the movie theaters way far in the back and it pissed me off. A bodyguard? A bodyguard! I get into one fight and my parents—turns out it was actually my mom, she talked my dad into the idea—blow it out of portion!

I spent most of my day avoiding Radomir at school. People were curious to know who he was, it was a small school after all but he stayed quiet for most of the day and stayed the hell away from me but I did see him a few times throughout the school day—flirting with the art teacher Ms. Bloom who’s in her thirties and single.

It went like that for the whole week of school and when school was over, I would see him outside the Shaw’s house and Bowmen house. He was good at his job though, Jocelyn barley paid attention. I think she wasn’t trying to find an excuse to start an argument with me.

When the weekend came, everyone was going to the skating rink in the city and I wanted to go. Everyone ice skated back home, of course it was us young kids since it was a way for us all to meet us and hang out.

“No!” Jocelyn hissed coldly as I pulled her out of the car. “I can’t skate, Yuri!”

“They have roller skates.” I said. “Look, all of your friends are here. You said you wanted to make memories so I’ll teach you how to skate.”

“I can skate.” she said. “But—but it’s cold and I just ate.”

“This is skating, not swimming.” I said as I closed the door behind her and she frowned.

“I’m going to fall on my butt.” she said. “Gives Lauren another reason to laugh at me with the whole class.”

“No you won’t.” I said as I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her towards ice skating stadium. We went inside and grabbed our skates, mine blades and her rollers. People from school was around and came up to us. Jocelyn was frowning since she didn’t want to do this and everyone was pulling me away.

“Yuri, come on the ice!” a girl excitedly said.

“Okay, give me one moment.” I said and they nodded before going out into the ice. I turned and fixed the tan slouchy beanie on her head she had knitted. “Don’t look so upset, you’ll be fine.”

“I’m going to end up with a dozen bruises by the end.” she said.

“I thought you told me you could skate.” I said and she pursed her lips, looking down at the ground. I sighed heavily, “Come on, it’s not too bad. Gives me another reason to have my arms around you.” I said, grinning.

“Gives me another reason to squeeze you hand until you lose feeling in it.” she said and I chuckled, even though I know she could do it.

*

“Ah! Ah! You holding on to tightly!” I said quickly when Jocelyn hand squeezed mine as I tried letting her go. “It’s ice, not a fire.”

“It’s falling on my butt and freaking my leg.” she said. I was trying to get her to stand up on her own but her legs were separating since she was holding herself up. She wrapped her arms around my waist, “Why don’t we just stay like this the whole time? I don’t mind.”

“Because it’s awkward having you cling to me.” I said and she huffed heavily.  I put my hands on her waist, trying to pull her off and she held on tight, “Jocelyn, let go so—ah, no!” I yelled when we both fell since I was losing my balance from her holding onto me and I was struggling. She landed on top of me and pain burned my side, making me curse in Russian so many different things I’m sure wouldn’t have made her happy to know what they mean.

Jocelyn quickly got off me, “I’m so sorry Yuri! I didn’t mean to hurt you, honestly, I’m sorry.”

I saw some people come over and they were laughing, one of them being Lauren, “We thought you knew by now Jocelyn was a klutz, Yuri.”

I propped myself up on my elbow and looked at Jocelyn whose face was turning red. She lowered her head and tugged her beanie further down her face. The more time I spend in Genesis the more I realized why Jocelyn had left to Italy.

“Oh guys, stop it.” Lauren said. “It was an accident, at least it wasn’t her ass that fell on him.”

“At least she has an ass.” I said up to Lauren.

She made a face, “Eh, not a very good one. I think the cakes are a little lopsided.”

Jocelyn took her shakes off, “Suka.” she muttered as she got up from the ice floor and Lauren eyebrows furrowed together confused, not understand Jocelyn called her a bitch in Russian.

“Jocelyn, wait, hold up—“ I cut myself off when I was having a hard time getting up on my blades but by the time I got up she made it off the ice and out of the building.

JOCELYN

I wiped across my cheek as tears went down my face. I knew something would happen, Lauren has always hated me. Her life goal for high school is to make my life and others life miserable. She was a bully, popularly surly got to her head. I remember she was a stuttering glasses wearing girl. Her mother made her join cheerleading and she changed everything about herself.

And my butt is not lopsided!

It’s just not a perky as hers—maybe!

I brought my hands up to my mouth and breathed hot air out into them. I saw someone in the corner of my eyes and I turned my head to see Buck walking over to me. I scoffed when he stopped in front of me and I down my hand.

“Lauren a bitch, you shouldn’t let her bring you down.” he said.

“Go away, Buck.” I said as I breathed hot air into my hands.

“Oh come on, Jocelyn. You think I really did that to Mrs. Shaw’s car?” he asked. “You know me better than that.”

“No, I thought I did.” I said. “And what about Yuri? Why’d friends have to help you?”

“I didn’t tell them, they just did It.” he said. “I’m not the type of guy to gang up another guy with my friends. It’s always one on one, but they’re my friends. It’s what they do.” He held out some black gloves towards me and my eyebrows furrowed together, “Put them on before ya catch frostbit. It seems like it’s going to be a cold winter.”

“I don’t need them.” I said.

He took my right hand and slipped on the glove, “Don’t be stubborn, Jocelyn. I may not like Yuri but I still care about you and you shouldn’t get sick.”

“Hey you.” I heard Yuri’s voice and we turned our heads to see him walking over. He pushed Buck when he got to us and Buck didn’t do anything but lift his chin up, giving Yuri a hard look. “Get out of here.” Yuri told him.

“Yuri, you don’t need—“

“Jocelyn, hush.” he said to me and my eyes widen, surprised. He turned his hard glare back to Buck, “I want you to stay away from her, do you understand me?”

“Actually no, not if you’re going to talk so quickly.” Buck said.

He stepped towards Buck, “Jocelyn is my girlfriend now!” I went in front of him when I saw him step real close to Buck and I didn’t want him to punch him. “If I see you touching her again, I will kill you.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it, you are Russian after all!” Buck said, which angered Yuri more.

Yuri tried to step around me, but I pulled him back, “Stop it you two! I’m serious now. Don’t start fighting in the middle of a skating rink parking lot like idiots. Yuri!”

“Let me handle this, Jocelyn.” he coldly said to me, making my back stiffen. “I’m not going to sit back anymore, so let me handle it.” He put his hand on my arm and pushed me out the way, readying to start fighting with Buck if someone hadn’t grabbed his jacket. “Huh?” he questioned as we looked at Radomir was the one holding him back.

*

Radomir pulled me away from Buck and Jocelyn. He pressed my back against a store building, giving me a hard look, “You are now looking for trouble?”

“So what.” I said. “He is testing my limits!”

“I’m going to stay this once Yuri and don’t let it break your heart, but you aren’t as strong as you think are you.” he said and I scoffed. “You aren’t, you’re not your father. You got his looks, but now his strength. You’re just a spoiled brat who thinks he can fight.”

“And you’re someone who just stay in my shadows.” I said to him as I walked around and went across the street. Jocelyn was leaning against my rental car, her arms crossed her chest, and when she looked at me her face got hard.

She walked over to me and pushed me at my chest, “You aren’t who I use to know.” she said.