Two nine year olds sat at the bottom of the stairwell of the Mountain View apartments as they had been for the last 10 minutes

"I'm bored Vlad" said Caroline from her spot on Vlad's lap

"Well what do you want to do we already played tag AND hide and seek AND rocket ship there's no more games to play" he breathed a bit annoyed

'Ooooh I know let's play princess" she practically yelled in his ear

"nooooooo way I am not a princes my sis always tries to put makeup on me and dresses and klipklops (that's what he called high heels) i get enough of that at home I don't want that from my best friend to line" he was the only boys in a family of 5 girls his mom Malaya, his 15 year old sister Katalina, 12 year old twin sisters jasmine and Jezebel and his 10 year old sister

She gave Vlad a one of her famous glares and said "one you know I hate it when you call me line, Russian, it sounds funny, two you know I HATE dresses when I say princess I mean ill put a G.I Joe (since she didn't own and Barbie's) up in my tree house and we can take turns being the villain after her and the night saving her"

Vlad's frown turned into one of his dazzling full toothy smiles. he only ever smiled like this around her

"I love that game and don't call me Russian" he said with a chuckle

"But I just made it up "she replied as she hopped of his lap and ran to her tree house in the woods the one her mother made for her

"Oh…. Well… I know I'm going to love it" he added with a nervous laugh he didn't have the heart to tell her he would play any game as long as it was her he was playing with he has had a BIG crush on Caroline since that day they met 3 years ago

(Flashback)

6 year old Vladimir sat on the swing alone at the park of course no one wanted to play with the weird new kid who doesn't speak English.

"blam blam boom ha-ha I win" he looked up to see a little girl about his age playing alone with a monster truck toy he let out a chuckle

"То есть мальчики игрушки"
 (That is a boys toy) he was thinking to himself how glad he was that she did not speak Russian until…..

"Так что я не люблю Барби это гораздо круче" (So I don't like Barbie's these are WAY cooler) she replied cheerfully

"Так что я не люблю Барби это гораздо круче" (You speak Russian?) vlad said with wide eyes

"Да моя мама научила меня кучу языков я знаю, испанском и русском это два" (Yes my mama taught me a bunch of languages I know Spanish and Russian that's two) she made a dramatic show of holding up two fingers

"Ну UM жаль, что я сказал, что это мальчики игрушки" (Oh well um sorry I said that was a boys toy) he said as he got off the swing and strode over to her (AN rest of this conversation is in Russian)

"It's ok I get that a lot"

"Oh…" Vlad tried to think of words to say but nothing came out all he could think of was how pretty she was she had big ash grey eyes and waist length raven black hair that was tied back with a red ribbon. She was wearing black basketball shorts and a crimson red tee shirt with black and red converse. She also had a black ribbon tied to her ankle.

Hmm that's odd but I like it Vlad thought he was glad she wore dark colors like him he was dressed in a black tee shirt with dark jeans and black converse. His brown hair was neatly cut and his bangs swept across his forehead.

"Hey why don't you have any friends with you?" she said standing from her spot on the grass. Ha was taken aback by her statement. Is she always this blunt?

"I uh don't speak English. I never learn how I and my mama just moved here from my home "he had a bit of a sad tone as he spoke. He didn't really want to leave his sisters back in Russia He knew they were coming to live with them in America in a year or so. But without them here he had no one to play with.

"oh well you can play with me if you want and I can teach you English. It's real easy my brother and sisters speak Russian also we can be like a class it will be fun" she took his hand in hers and walked towards a table full of people. He liked holding her hand it made him feel al funny inside. The feeling made him think that maybe one day he could trust her with his secret.

"hellooooo we have playing to do Russian" Caroline called from atop the tree house. She was madly waving a GI Joe in her right hand. She was growing impatient she really wanted to play.

"Oh sorry coming" Vlad said snapping out of his memories.

~X~

It was about two hours later when the pair had decided that they had enough of this game.

"Line I'm tired can we go inside now I want to watch TV." Vlad said looking up at Caroline from below the tree house. She stood there trying to decide if she was done playing or not. After about a minute she nodded her head and began to climb down the rickety rope ladder. About halfway down she slipped and fell down landing strait on her hands and knees in an effort to catch her fall. Vlad was at her side in a heartbeat. But once he got to her, he could smell it. The one thing he knew would happen eventually that he had feared for the past year. Caroline had cut herself, badly and was now bleeding. With what seemed like impossible restraint Vlad kneeled forward to help Caroline up. When she stood you could see a small cut just below her left eye. She had tears streaming down her face. This was very unusually of her. So that meant she must have been really hurt. She reached up to inspect her fresh wound only to flinch at the touch. She then began to cry harder.

"It-i-it hurts Vlad" Caroline managed to get out in between sobs. She looked over to him in hopes for some kind of relief. But Vlad was too distracted by the mesmerizing thick red liquid running down her Rosie cheeks. He studied her face up and down until he caught a glimpse of her eye. The beautiful crystal grey orbs of wonder where tear soaked and her eye lids where puffy from crying. This sight broke him out of his trance like state of mind. That's all it ever took. He walked closer to her and opened his arms. She didn't hesitate to run the short distance between the two and embrace Vlad. She stuffed her face into his chest and cried her pain away. Vlad was glad that he was able to control himself like his sisters taught him to do. He was glad that he wasn't thinking about hurting Caroline anymore. But most of all he was glad that he was holding a now calmer Caroline in his arms.