Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Joyner Lucas “Frozen†Review Professor Ramos Blog
Joyner Lucas â€Å"Frozen†Review Melody Palma English 010 27 November 2018 Joyner Lucas presents us an important topic about driving safely in his video entitled ‘Frozen’. He brings up the most underrated and big issues that we have in our society today. Joyner Lucas is becoming one of the most well known artist’ because of the subjects he raps about in his songs. Throughout this video ‘Frozen’ he introduces us to a series of events that are highly common when driving unsafe. He gives us a different perspective on this type of situation by showing us in the guise of people in the video who have experienced it. Lucas does an amazing job introducing this situation with such a groundbreaking video, he has opened people eyes on the importance of driving safe, especially the younger generation of people who haven’t even begun to drive yet have already been impacted by severe issues of unsafe driving. Lucas begins this video ‘Frozen’ by saying, â€Å"Damn this is not alright, how the f*ck I end up on the other side of life†in the guise of a little girl While it shows the little girl dead on the street, who had been hit by a car because of someone texted and driving. While she is still laying on the floor she begins listing all the things she won’t get to experience in life saying â€Å"no more sleepovers ,or no more camping , no more kisses from my dad, cause I left and died, all because a stupid bitch wanted to text and drive†. When Joyner mentioned this in the little girls point of view it definitely dropped my jaw, it stops and makes and think to yourself, â€Å"Things like this happen everyday, and nobody is aware of how serious this is†.   In an article about being distracting while driving, mentions that, â€Å"it takes only 3 seconds after a drivers attention has been diverted from the road for a crash to occur†(King), with that being said it is very clear how significant it is to keep in mind that driving and texting is extremely dangerous. With such an explicit visual of the reality of dangerous driving, Joyner shows us how fatal driving unsafe can affect us. The second event that occurred in this video was of a woman who was involved in a collision with another car, in the beginning of this scene you see an empty bottle which looks as if it was an alcohol beverage. During this scene the woman makes a remark saying â€Å"No more baby in my belly, sad to say we died. All because you choose to drink and drive. Why?†, after she says this you can see that she was a pregnant innocent women who just happened to be in the car with a irresponsible intoxicated person. She talks about all of the things she will reminisce on, like spending holidays with her family and plans she had that she won’t be able to do anymore. This scene tiess into another of a man who is speed racing, this scene end s with his car crushed on top of him, he explains that although he loved the thrill of speed racing, he regrets not listening to his mom who always told him that it would get him killed. A recent report in early September of 2018 was made when 4 teenagers died, one whom was an expectant mother (8 months pregnant) and her fiancà © (the driver) who was speed racing with his 3 friends on the freeway in Moreno Valley (Bravo) .  Just to point out to you that All of these things that Joyner is speaking about happens on a daily basis, these people never expected that their lives would end so soon, this couple thought they were going to continue to live their lives and have a family together, but it all ended so soon for them with something that could’ve been prevented if they were aware of how unsafe they were being. With that being said, Joyner introduces us to a new perspective on this situation which can spread the word on the awareness of driving safely. The very last scene of this video is of the man, women, and the little girl who were all involved in the car accidents and the man seemed as if he had just woke up from a bad dream and as he looks side to side he sees that him and his family are all safe together. This scene makes you so surprised to think that these people are a family and it makes you think what if any of those things to happen to your family, it would be devastating really open your mindset on how big of a problem this actually is if it was one of our own family members. The emotion Joyner Lucas evokes within the video is so intense, the fact that many people can relate to this type of situation is surreal. From the graphic visuals to the heart breaking lyrics in which he uses the guise of the people who got into a car accident. From the very beginning of the video Joyner does not hesitate to start addressing the issue. All scenes are so distressing, it really gets to you because he gives us an explicit visual with lyrics describing all these things that these people won’t be able to do in life or experience anymore. It’s really stops and makes you think how realistic all of these things are, life is too short to put yourself at risk of ending it before you even know it. Nobody ever expects to get into a car accident, it’s happens when you least expect it. Furthermore, this is what Joyner Lucas expresses throughout this video, the significance of life and how this issue can easily be taken care of and prevented if we are more awa re of safe driving. It is truly heartbreaking to even think that things like this happen more often than we think, this video has helped spread the word on how serious this has gotten throughout so many years. Joyner does an amazing job with addressing this issue by using such blunt vocabulary, he doesn’t try to sugar coat anything, he says it how it really is, and that is honestly one of the beat characteristics of the video. The fact that Joyner could be straight up about how a this issue in society has gotten is jaw dropping, since things like this does happen everyday many people try to find excuses as to why these things happen. For example, the little girl in the beginning of the video who had got hit by a women texting and driving, would say â€Å"the women driving didn’t see the little girl†, well of course she didn’t because her eyes were off the road. People put themselves in these extremely life risking situations and don’t even know how risky it is until it happens to them. Throughout the entire video it’s as if you can feel the pain that these people are going through, Joyner Lucas speaks with an intense voice, to give us that feel of their perspective. Overall Joyner Lucas’s video ‘Frozen’ is honestly a 5 star video, given that it shows us the audience the importance of driving safely. Joyner Lucas brings up a topic that people don’t really think is that serious. Everyday people drink, text, speed drive and think it’s is normal because they are used to it seeing others do it or they probably even do it themselves. Many  start to get comfortable doing these things thinking that nothing will happen to them because they do it all the time, In this video Joyner let’s us know to stay woke at all times, it is always dangerous even if you think just because you do these things all the time doesn’t make it ok. All the scenes within the video that Joyner Lucas gives us are a perfect presentation on how negative and life changing it can be for a person to even put themselves and others in danger for doing something that can be stopped. Joyner’s intentions are successful within this vi deo, he introduces us to an issue which isn’t given the right amount attention and used social media in order to spread the word and make people more aware.                                                                                                                                                          Bravo. Kristina. Pregnant 20-Year-Old Among 4 People Killed In Moreno Valley Crash, Family Says. KTL, 2018. https://www.google.com/amp/s/ktla.com/2018/09/01/pregnant-20-year-old-among-4-people-killed-in-moreno-valley-crash-family-says/amp/ King, Elizabeth. Top 15 Causes Of Car Accidents And How You Can Prevent Them. Huff Post Company, 2016. Web. 26 November  2018. https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/11722196/amp Lucas, Joyner. 01 April 2018. Frozen. Acc. 24 November 2018. https://youtu.be/2_Jvmt0vU4s McDonald.Young Driver Research Program: A review of information on young driver performance characteristics and capacities. Mar 2014   www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/atsb129.pdf.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Allan Pinkerton and His Detective Agency
Allan Pinkerton and His Detective Agency Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884) never intended to be a spy. So how did he become the founder of one of the most respected detective agencies in America? Immigrating to America Born in Scotland, August 25, 1819, Allan Pinkerton was a cooper, or barrel-maker.. He immigrated to the United States in 1842 and settled near Chicago, Illinois. He was an industrious man and quickly realized that working for himself would be a much better proposition for himself and family. After some searching, he moved to a town called Dundee that was in need of a cooper and quickly gained control of the market because of his superior quality barrels and low prices. His desire to continually improve his business actually led him down the path to being a detective. Catching Counterfeiters Allan Pinkerton realized that good quality raw materials for his barrels were easily obtained on a small deserted island close to town. He decided that instead of paying others to provide him with the materials, he would travel to the island and get it himself. However, once he got to the island, he saw signs of habitation. Knowing that there were some counterfeiters in the area, he surmised this could be the hideout that had long eluded officials. He teamed up with the local sheriff to stake out the camp. His detective work led to the arrest of the band. The local townspeople then turned to him for help in arresting the ringleader of the band. His natural abilities eventually allowed him to track down the culprit and bring the counterfeiters to justice. Founding His Own Detective Agency In 1850, Allan Pinkerton founded his detective agency based on his own incorruptible principles. His values became the cornerstone of a respected agency that still exists today. His reputation preceded him during the Civil War. He headed the organization responsible for spying on the confederacy. At wars end, he went back to running the Pinkerton Detective Agency until his death on July 1, 1884. At his death the agency continued to operate and would soon become a major force against the young labor movement developing in the United States of America. In fact, this effort against labor tarnished the image of the Pinkertons for years. They always maintained the high moral standards established by their founder, but many people began to view them as an arm of big business. They were involved in numerous activities against labor and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pullman Strike (1894)The Wild Bunch Gang (1896)Ludlow Massacre (1914) Many labor sympathizers accused the Pinkertons of inciting riots as a means of keeping employment or for other nefarious purposes. Their reputation was harmed by their protection of scabs and business property of the major industrialists including Andrew Carnegie. However, they managed to last through all of the controversy and still thrive today as SECURITAS.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
The impact of online selling on small businesses Essay
The impact of online selling on small businesses - Essay Example This essay outlines the benefits and the costs from online retailing for small businesses that use online retailing and for those that do not use online retailing. It also outlines how online retailing would affect the financial management of an existing small business that chooses to move into online retailing. The benefits and costs from online retailing for small businesses that use online retailing Online retailing presents various benefits to small businesses that use it to offer their products and services. In online retailing, the cost of business operations is lower as compared to operating through physical stores. Dale (2010) explains that in online retailing, all only one retail facility is required for sales, shipment and customer services. This reduces the cost of running many retail stores. This mode of business operation involves inbound shipping of products to one location and this makes the cost of shipping lower compared to making shipments to many retail locations. In online retailing, it is easy to control the costs of staff. An example of this is that phone and e-mail support specialists handle all requests from customers. This eliminates the need for sales persons to be stationed at individual retail locations of a business. Online retailing leads to a reduction of time costs because all decision-making personnel are located in one place leading to a quick dissemination of new directives. Lesonsky (2009) states that online retailing leads to improved sales. This is because all the products of a company are housed in one place hence customers benefit from enhanced employee knowledge and stock selection. Improved sales also result from owning an open store that operates all days and all hours of the week. Unlike physical stores who need to attract customers through appealing merchandise displays and securing a prime location, online retailers just require the website. Nissanoff (2006) explains that this is their only interaction point with th eir customers and this helps to eliminate high rent rates charged at prime locations. Owning a physical retail entity is expensive compared to owning an online storefront that is backed by a warehouse that is well-organised for inventory purposes. This is also to say that online retailing presents lower capital requirements for start-ups. It is the desire of every business to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors and online retailing offers this chance. According to Kumar et al (2004), online retailing allows small businesses to capitalize on the differences between them and brick-and-mortar stores by developing efficient business operations that support online storefronts that are user-friendly. This creates a unique opportunity for success to e-retailers. Online retailing also makes it easy to achieve repeated business with customers because online business requires customers to fill in their names, contacts and address in order to purchase products. This creates chanc es for customer follow-ups and timely notification on new products, discounts, offers and promotions. In addition to the above, online retailing creates a chance for expanding the operations of small businesses into the global market. Despite the above benefits, there are some costs from online retailing for small businesses that use it. Unlike retailers with physical stores,
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Self reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Self reflection paper - Essay Example Similar to this is the devil effect, whereby a person evaluates another as low on many traits because of a belief that the individual is low on one trait which is assumed to be critical. This paper will give a self reflection of my life as a home nurse well as how my life has been changed as a result of different view of ethics. One of the major experiences to an understanding of my life in the nursing profession is the impact of nature and nurture in our future judgment and interpretation of issues. Having worked for some time as a nurse, I have also freely interacted with old people, children and the sick. In this way, I have come to admire how the living condition during the early years of a child can determine his or her social life. For example, a child who is born in a loving, caring and protective family will always be respectful to others, hardworking and above all co-exist well with the environment. Whereas a child who is born in a violent family will become intolerative and harsh to divergent views, he or she will always want his word to be taken serious thus becoming a demigod (Fagothey, 2000). These children will never respect other people’s opinion thus they believe that violence is the solution. In my own personal life I have learnt that I have a good listening ability. This is attribut ed to the fact that I provide an ample opportunity to my patients so that they can inform me regarding their physical and mental situation. In this way, I have general information that I need to undertake my duties. One of the major ways that my experience will affect my work in the helping profession is that I will have the ability to intermingle with various people regardless of their cultural or economic background. Additionally, I will have ability to freely intermingle with other people thus by working as a team work I will be able to acquire skills possessed by other members of the team. One of the major aspects I learnt from my own life
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Economics IA Commentary Coversheet Essay Example for Free
Economics IA Commentary Coversheet Essay November 11 2009 The unemployment rate stands at 7.8% up 0.1% over the quarter and 2.0% on last year. Nearly 29 million people were in work in the period July to September according to the labour force survey (LFS). The number of people employed was up by 6,000 this quarter but down by 490,000 on the last year. The working age employment rate is 72.5% down 0.1% on the last quarter and down 1.9% on the last year. ILO-defined unemployment in July to September was 2.46 million (7.9%) up by 30,000 unemployed on April-June and 629,000 from this time last year. The claimant count for key out-of-work benefits was 1.6395 million in October up by 22,900 on last month, and up 632,700 on last year. Earnings growth over the year to August (including bonuses) was 1.6%, down 0.2% from the previous month. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper said: The figures show more people in work and a lot more young people taking up our offer of full time education and training, which is welcome news. The fact that unemployment is significantly lower than everyone forecast at the beginning of the year shows the support for the economy is making a real difference. But we know things are still tough for a lot of families, and unemployment is expected to increase further next year. Thats why were determined to do more with an extra 35,000 youth jobs, more apprenticeships and education places so we can guarantee no young person gets stuck in long term unemployment. The figures out today also reinforce the fact that the UK labour market is performing better than most major economies. They show UK unemployment at 7.8%, compared to an EU average of 9.2% and lower than 14 other EU countries including France (10.0%), Ireland (13.0%) and Spain (19.3%), as well as the US (10.2%) and Canada (8.6%). Commenting on the latest statistics, John Philpott, Chief Economist and Director of Public Policy at the CIPD, said: UK unemployment is continuing to rise but at a much slower pace than earlier in the year. While this is not unexpected the fact that the unemployment total remained below 2.5 million in the quarter ending in September is encouraging. However, the relative improvement should not be interpreted as evidence that the labour market is returning to health, with male unemployment and long-term unemployment continuing to rise and youth unemployment now at a record rate despite a surge in the number of young people staying on in education to avoid the dole. Unemployment remained below 2.5 million in the three months to September primarily because there was a rise in part-time employment, temporary employment and contract working, the latter boosting self-employment. This more than offset a continued marked deterioration in full-time jobs for employees. Such a pattern is common in a labour market where overall demand for staff is weak and as the Bank of England reiterated today in its latest quarterly Inflation Report the economic outlook uncertain, with the road to recovery likely to be slow. At such times employers who need to recruit remain wary of hiring full-time staff and it is significant that today’s ONS figures do not show an improvement in the level of job vacancies. This pattern is also normally accompanied by a high rate of involuntary part-time working there are now almost 1 million people working part-time because they can’t find a full-time job. Women continue to be the main beneficiaries of a labour market where opportunities for part-time employment are increasing, while men lose out as full-time jobs are being lost. As a result the CIPD expects the rate of male unemployment to rise well above 10% in 2010, with the proportion of men in work set to fall to a record low. The current pattern of demand for labour is also doing nothing to ease the plight of young people. The latest quarter saw a further large fall in the number of under-25s in work, with the unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds now at a record high. There is little consolation in the fact that the number of unemployed young people remained below 1 million. This is explained by a quarterly surge in the number of young people classed as ‘economically inactive’, which the ONS figures indicate is mainly due to more young people staying on at school or college, almost certainly as an alternative to the dole. This article deals with unemployment in the UK. A person can be considered unemployed when he is involuntarily out of work, however is willing to work at current wage rates. One of the government’s main goals is to achieve full employment, where all people who are able and willing, are working. This is extremely beneficial for the economy because it can be considered working at maximum efficiency, which causes growth and development. A good way to illustrate a countries economy taking into account unemployment would be to use a PPF. The production possibility frontier is the orange line where the economy is working at full efficiency (full employment), using all of its resources. Point X is when the economy is not using all of its resources, and has people unemployed. http://i.investopedia.com/inv/dictionary/terms/ppf.gif Structural unemployment is a possible reason for the large decrease of workers. This specific type of unemployment focuses mainly on the loss of jobs under the condition that the demand for a certain product falls, or there is a shift of production abroad. In the category of disequilibrium unemployment, Demand deficient (Cyclical) Unemployment is most likely the number one cause for the UKs labour force being downsized. Due to the global recession, consumers can afford less goods and services, therefore the aggregate demand decreases significantly (hence the name – demand deficient). If the demand for production has substantially fallen, then naturally the demand for labour will also fall. Demand deficient unemployment can be illustrated using a diagram. Due to the fall in the D of goods and services, demand for labour shifts inwards from D1 to D2. With this, disequilibrium unemployment occurs with the number of workers shifting from Q1 to Q2. When demand for labour is strong, companies don’t hesitate to rise wages, although when demand for labour falls, and wages need to be cut, workers will resist wage cuts, therefore it is very hard for the company to cut wages for a large amount of workers without causing some kind disturbance or complications within the firm. If the company does chose to do this, the labour force will become angry and will want to retaliate somehow, perhaps going on strike. Due to a situation like this, parts of the company will not be producing/working, resulting in inefficiency. Aside from that, it will be very hectic, attracting negative attention from consumers and media, which is of course the company’s last need. In conclusion, the company will not be in control, when this is in fact their main priority, to sustain the stability and optimal working functionality. That is why the company prefers to downsize workers, and keep themselves running as best and as efficiently as possible. In order to deal with demand deficient unemployment the government should impose fiscalor monetary policies to raise aggregate demand and thus raise the demand for jobs. In the short run, when the AD shifts to the right (from AD1 to AD2) this causes and increase in real GDP (shift from Q1 to Q2 and P1 to P2). If AD would continue to grow in the short run, the country would reach a maximum supply. This constant struggle for the country to meet AD by increasing output would cause inflation instead of growth. However if the pressure is relatively small in the SR (short run) then it would be much easier to deal with AD in the LR. Supply side policies are government policies designed to increase output, and should also be imposed in order to cope with unemployment. Using a LRAS (long run aggregate supply) diagram is a good way to show the effects of supply side policies. If the Government were to impose supply side policies, the LRAS curve would shift right from LRAS1 – LRAS2. The price would then fall from P1 to P2 and the quantity (output + jobs) would increase from Q1 to Q2. Conclusivley the Government should investigate the best strategy to decrease unemployment. By imposing appropriate regulations and policies.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Sex and the City :: Television Media TV
Sex and the City Sex and the City an outrageously funny comedy/drama, created and written by Darren Star, is about nothing else but sex in the big city of Manhattan. As a newspaper columnist, Carrie Bradshaw writes about love and sex in the big apple, through the experiences of all of her single best friends, including her own single love life. They encounter everyday dilemmas and exchange useful advice amongst their busy lives of self-evaluation. Sex and the City portrays women as power beings through their sexuality. Glamorous and sexy Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, writes a column, â€Å"Sex and the City†for a newspaper and loves expensive footwear. Her column highlights nightlife in the big city that never sleeps but always sleeps around. As she and her single friends are struggling to get through life and enjoy it to it’s fullest, she gets caught in a love battle with charismatic Mr. Big. One of Carrie’s best friends, confident and sexy Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall, enjoys great sex. As a Public Relations consultant, she only expects the best that life has to offer her, from gorgeous studs to yoga classes with sexual appeal. The type of woman that makes a lasting impression, Samantha is beautiful, a great friend, and never misses a beat. As a feminine romantic, Charlotte York, played by Kristin Davis, prides in being perfectly poised and polished. Another one of Carrie’s best friends, Charlotte is looking for a relationship that would lead her towards her ultimate happiness. She encounters many relationships and experiences guys who take Prozac and want threesomes. Charlotte is definitely a beautiful woman interested in art, with a lot of sex appeal, but she is always hunting for the perfect guy to be included in her perfect lifestyle and dreams. Attorney Miranda Hobbes, played by Cynthia Nixon is ambitious about her work and relationships, as well as wild and sexy. Another one of Carrie’s best friends, Miranda might be blunt, but prides in her success. She encounters relationships and sex with men, as well as a time when she appeared to be a lesbian. Through all of her insecurities, Miranda is able to endure it all, and be the strong woman in everything she attempts.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Vampire Academy Chapter 20
TWENTY MY MOUTH DROPPED OPEN. â€Å"Uh†¦wait†¦you mean sex?†My astonishment prevented me from thinking of a better response. Mason thought it was hysterical. Jesse looked like he wanted to die. â€Å"Of course I mean sex. She said she'd do it if we said that we'd†¦you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I made a face. â€Å"You guys didn't both, uh, do it at the same time, did you?†â€Å"No,†said Jesse in disgust. Ralf kind of looked like he wouldn't have minded. â€Å"God,†I muttered, pushing hair out of my face. â€Å"I can't believe she hates us that much.†â€Å"Hey,†exclaimed Jesse, reading into my insinuation. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? We're not that bad. And you and me – we were pretty close to – â€Å" â€Å"No. We weren't even close to that.†Mason laughed again, and something struck me. â€Å"If this†¦if this happened back then, though†¦she must have still been dating Aaron.†All three guys nodded. â€Å"Oh. Whoa.†Mia really hated us. She'd just moved beyond poor-girl-wronged-by-girl's-brother and well into sociopath territory. She'd slept with these two and cheated on a boyfriend whom she seemed to adore. Jesse and Ralf looked incredibly relieved when we walked away. Mason slung a lazy arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Well? What do you think? I rule, right? You can tell me. I won't mind.†I laughed. â€Å"How'd you finally find that out?†â€Å"I called in a lot of favors. Used some threats. The fact that Mia can't retaliate helped too.†I recalled Mia accosting me the other day. I didn't think she was entirely helpless yet but didn't say so. â€Å"They'll start telling people on Monday.†he continued. â€Å"They promised. Everyone'll know by lunch.†â€Å"Why not now?†I asked sulkily. â€Å"They slept with a girl. Hurts her more than them.†â€Å"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. â€Å"You got any markers and paper?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 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. â€Å"Stop it,†Mason chided me, seeing my stare. â€Å"Don't worry about her tonight.†â€Å"Hard not to.†â€Å"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 Mia scandal and, petty or not, seeing my name cleared and getting revenge on her felt amazingly good. And as those in our group wandered off and mingled with others, I could see the news spreading and spreading. So much for waiting until Monday. Whatever. I didn't care. I was actually having a good time. I fell into my old role, happy to see I hadn't grown too dusty in making funny and flirty remarks. Yet, as time passed and Eddie's party grew closer, I started to feel Lissa's anxiety pick up in intensity. Frowning, I stopped talking and turned around, scanning the room for her. There. She was still with a group of people, still the sun in her little solar system. But Aaron was leaning very close to her, saying something in her ear. A smile I recognized as fake was plastered across her face, and the annoyance and anxiety from her increased further. Then it spiked. Mia had walked up to them. Whatever she'd come to say, she didn't waste any time in saying it. With the eyes of Lissa's admirers on her, little Mia in her red dress gestured wildly, mouth working animatedly. I couldn't hear the words from across the room, but the feelings grew darker and darker through the bond. â€Å"I've got to go,†I told Mason. I half walked, half ran over to Lissa's side, catching only the tail end of Mia's tirade. She was yelling at Lissa full force now and leaning into her face. From what I could tell, word must have reached her about Jesse and Ralf selling her out. †– you and your slutty friend! I'm going to tell everyone what a psycho you are and how they had to lock you in the clinic because you're so crazy. They're putting you on medication. That's why you and Rose left before anyone else could find out you cut – â€Å" Whoa, not good. Just like at our first meeting in the cafeteria, I grabbed her and jerked her away. â€Å"Hey,†I said. â€Å"Slutty friend here. Remember what I said about standing too close to her?†Mia snarled, baring her fangs. As I'd noted before, I couldn't feel too sorry for her anymore. She was dangerous. She had stooped low to get back at me. Now, somehow, she knew about Lissa and the cutting. Really knew, too; she wasn't just guessing. The information she had now sounded both like what the guardians on the scene had reported, as well as what I'd told them about Lissa's history. Maybe some confidential doctor's stuff too. Mia'd snagged the records somehow. Lissa realized it too, and the look on her face – scared and fragile, no more princess – made my decision for me. It didn't matter that Kirova had spoken the other day about giving me my freedom, that I'd been having a good time, and that I could have let my worries go and partied tonight. I was going to ruin everything, right here and right now. I'm really not good with impulse control. I punched Mia as hard as I could – harder, I think, than I'd even hit Jesse. I heard a crunch as my fist impacted her nose, and blood spurted out. Someone screamed. Mia shrieked and flew backwards into some squealing girls who didn't want to get blood on their dresses. I swooped in after her, getting in one more good punch before somebody peeled me off her. I didn't fight restraint as I had when they'd taken me from Mr. Nagy's classroom. I'd expected this as soon as I'd swung at her. Stopping all signs of resistance, I let two guardians lead me out of the dance while Ms. Kirova tried to bring some semblance of order. I didn't care what they did to me. Not anymore. Punish or expel. Whatever. I could handle – Ahead of us, through the ebbing and flowing waves of students passing through the double doors, I saw a figure in pink dart out. Lissa. My own out-of-control emotions had overridden hers, but there they were, flooding back into me. Devastation. Despair. Everyone knew her secret now. She'd face more than just idle speculation. Pieces would fall together. She couldn't handle that. Knowing I wasn't going anywhere, I frantically searched for some way to help her. A dark figure caught my eye. â€Å"Christian!†I yelled. He'd been staring at Lissa's retreating figure but glanced up at the sound of his name. One of my escorts shushed me and took my arm. â€Å"Be quiet.†I ignored her. â€Å"Go after her,†I called to Christian. â€Å"Hurry.†He just sat there, and I suppressed a groan. â€Å"Go, you idiot!†My guardians snapped at me to be quiet again, but something inside of Christian woke up. Springing up from his lounging position, he tore off in the direction Lissa had traveled. No one wanted to deal with me that night. There'd be hell to pay tomorrow – I heard talk of suspension or possibly even expulsion – but Kirova had her hands full with a bleeding Mia and a hysterical student body. The guardians escorted me to my room under the watchful eye of the dorm matron who informed me she'd check on me every hour to make sure I stayed in my room. A couple guardians would also hang out around the dorm's entrances. Apparently I was now a high-security risk. I'd probably just ruined Eddie's party; he'd never sneak a group up to his room now. Heedless of my dress, I flounced onto the floor of my room, crossing my legs underneath me. I reached out to Lissa. She was calmer now. The events from the dance still hurt her terribly, but Christian was soothing her somehow, although whether it was through simple words or physical mojo, I couldn't say. I didn't care. So long as she felt better and wouldn't do anything stupid. I returned to myself. Yes, things were going to get messy now. Mia and Jesse's respective accusations were going to set the school on fire. I probably would get thrown out and have to go live with a bunch of skanky dhampir women. At least Lissa might realize Aaron was boring and that she wanted to be with Christian. But even if that was the right thing, it still meant – Christian. Christian. Christian was hurt. I snapped back into Lissa's body, suddenly sucked in by the terror pounding through her. She was surrounded, surrounded by men and women who had come out of nowhere, bursting up into the attic of the chapel where she and Christian had gone to talk. Christian leapt up, fire flaring from his fingers. One of the invaders hit him on the head with something hard, making his body slump to the ground. I desperately hoped he was okay, but I couldn't waste any more energy worrying about him. All my fear was for Lissa now. I couldn't let the same thing happen to her. I couldn't let them hurt her. I needed to save her, to get her out of there. But I didn't know how. She was too far away, and I couldn't even escape her head at the moment, let alone run over there or get help. The attackers approached her, calling her Princess and telling her not to worry, and that they were guardians. And they did seem like guardians. Definitely dhampirs. Moving in precise, efficient ways. But I didn't recognize them as any of the guardians from school. Neither did Lissa. Guardians wouldn't have attacked Christian. And guardians certainly wouldn't be binding and gagging her – Something forced me out of her head, and I frowned, staring around my room. I needed to go back to her and find out what had happened. Usually the connection just faded or I closed it off, but this – this was like something had actually removed me and pulled me. Pulled me back here. But that made no sense. What could pull me back from†¦wait. My mind blanked. I couldn't remember what I'd just been thinking about. It was gone. Like static in my brain. Where had I been? With Lissa? What about Lissa? Standing up, I wrapped my arms around myself, confused, trying to figure out what was going on. Lissa. Something with Lissa. Dimitri, a voice inside my head suddenly said. Go to Dimitri. Yes. Dimitri. My body and spirit burned for him all of a sudden, and I wanted to be with him more than I ever had before. I couldn't stay away from him. He'd know what to do. And he'd told me before I should come to him if something was wrong with Lissa. Too bad I couldn't remember what that was. Still. I knew he'd take care of everything. Getting up to the staff wing of the dorm wasn't hard, since they wanted to keep me inside tonight. I didn't know where his room was, but it didn't matter. Something was pulling me to him, urging me closer. An instinct pushed me toward one of the doors, and I beat the living daylights out of it. After a few moments, he opened it, brown eyes widening when he saw me. â€Å"Rose?†â€Å"Let me in. It's Lissa.†He immediately stepped aside for me. I'd apparently caught him in bed, because the covers were peeled back on one side and only a small tableside lamp shone in the darkness. Plus, he wore only cotton pajama bottoms; his chest – which I'd never seen before, and wow, did it look great – was bare. The ends of his dark hair curled near his chin and appeared damp, like he'd taken a shower not so long ago. â€Å"What's wrong?†The sound of his voice thrilled me, and I couldn't answer. I couldn't stop staring at him. The force that had pulled me up here pulled me to him. I wanted him to touch me so badly, so badly I could barely stand it. He was so amazing. So unbelievably gorgeous. I knew somewhere something was wrong, but it didn't seem important. Not when I was with him. With almost a foot separating us, there was no way I could easily kiss his lips without his help. So instead, I aimed for his chest, wanting to taste that warm, smooth skin. â€Å"Rose!†he exclaimed, stepping back. â€Å"What are you doing?†â€Å"What do you think?†I moved toward him again, needing to touch him and kiss him and do so many other things. â€Å"Are you drunk?†he asked, holding his hand out in a warding gesture. â€Å"Don't I wish.†I tried to dodge around him, then paused, momentarily uncertain. â€Å"I thought you wanted to – don't you think I'm pretty?†In all the time we'd known each other, in all the time this attraction had built, he'd never told me I was pretty. He'd hinted at it, but that wasn't the same. And despite all the assurances I had from other guys that I was hotness incarnate, I needed to hear it from the one guy I actually wanted. â€Å"Rose, I don't know what's going on, but you need to go back to your room.†When I moved toward him again, he reached out and gripped my wrists. With that touch, an electric current shot through both of us, and I saw him forget whatever he'd just been worrying about. Something seized him too, something that made him suddenly want me as much I wanted him. Releasing my wrists, he moved his hands up my arms, sliding slowly along my skin. Holding me in his dark, hungry gaze, he pulled me to him, pressing me right up to his body. One of his hands moved up the back of my neck, twining his fingers in my hair and tipping my face up to his. He brought his lips down, barely brushing them against mine. Swallowing, I asked again, â€Å"Do you think I'm pretty?†He regarded me with utter seriousness, like he always did. â€Å"I think you're beautiful.†â€Å"Beautiful?†â€Å"You are so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes.†His lips moved to mine, gentle at first, and then hard and hungry. His kiss consumed me. His hands on my arms slid down, down my hips, down to the edge of my dress. He gathered up the fabric in his hands and began pushing it up my legs. I melted into that touch, into his kiss and the way it burned against my mouth. His hands kept sliding up and up, until he'd pulled the dress over my head and tossed it on the floor. â€Å"You†¦you got rid of that dress fast,†I pointed out between heavy breaths. â€Å"I thought you liked it.†â€Å"I do like it,†he said. His breathing was as heavy as mine. â€Å"I love it.†And then he took me to the bed.
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