A/N: In case of any confusion, Vlad's locker is in the Hermes section in chapter 2, because in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, they take all travelers when they don't know whom they belong to. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

Vlad was just about ready to get out of sixth period Morphing class. This class was mainly for the monsters, but since he didn't know who, or what, he was, this was one of the classes the determination center gave him.

Today the class was practicing in the GP room, focusing on using anger to control their morphing, trying to see how long it takes them, trying to make it instant in case it is necessary. Vlad was just in a corner feeling stupid, because nothing was happening to him. Yeah, he had a lot to be angry about, but nothing seemed to be working for him. Guess he could cross morphing monster off his list, but he didn't seem to be the only one who thought this class would never end.

Veronica Mason was standing next to Vlad in the corner with both their backs against the wall and a bored expression, both of them onlooking everyone else morph into their individual creatures. Veronica was a beautiful girl; she had silky, dark brown hair that went down to the small of her back, big, brown eyes with thick eyelashes, a straight nose, and full lips. She wasn't unaware of her beauty, but Veronica's personality was more on the shy side. She and Vlad had only conversed a few times, but every time they did, Vlad had a little trouble breathing. It just so happened that Vlad had had a crush on Veronica since he met her last year in Advantage Defense class. So right now, having Veronica standing in such close proximity to Vlad made him want to hyperventilate just looking at her. He obviously needed something to keep him distracted, so Vlad grew a pair and started up a conversation.

"Hey, Veronica." Stupid, stupid, stupid! She's been standing there since the beginning of class and I choose now to say hi?

Veronica didn't seem to mind Vlad's sudden greeting when she gave him a small smile and responded with a, "Hi, Vlad."

Vlad chastised himself internally and tried again with the conversation. "If you don't mind my asking, why aren't you morphing?"

Vlad could easily see Veronica stiffen and he fought the urge to facepalm himself. He knew that was a stupid question, he knew Veronica wasn't very open about who she was. Vlad remembered last year, when all the monsters were scrambling and practically trampling each of their friends to find out what they were, how Veronica had just sat there in the circle of her friends trying to dodge questions. He didn't understand it, but he did know that whenever he overheard someone ask her what she is, she would always respond with, "Leave me the fuck alone." And whenever they practiced in the GP room, she would always just stand by, or at least pretend to try.

Before he gave her the chance to tell him off, Vlad tried to stammer an apology. "I-I'm so sorry. I-I know how you don't—I shouldn't have—I don't know why I—"

Veronica shook her head. "No, it's okay, Vlad. Really, it's okay." She paused before continuing. "You know, you're the only one who hasn't asked me what I am." She turned to face him fully. "Why is that?"

Vlad couldn't have been more confused. First she didn't tell him off, and now she wanted to know why he hasn't asked her what seemed to be a personal question? Girls! Vlad tried to scramble a coherent response. "I don't know. I, uh, I guess I just understand that you want people to stop bugging you about what you are."

Veronica seemed to mull over what he was implying about himself before giving him a small smile. Just then, the bell rang to announce school dismissal. While people were shifting back to their normal form, Ms. Kellz said, "Make sure to grab your packets on your way out. There are two pages, front and back, and you will need to use your textbooks. It's due tomorrow. Have a good day."

As both Vlad and Veronica grabbed their worksheets and headed out the door, Veronica asked, "Hey, Vlad, do you want to come over to my house and we can work on these worksheets?" She seemed to have a mischievous grin, but Vlad could hardly notice with the pounding of his blood in his ears. Veronica Mason just asked me to go over to her house. Veronica Mason just asked me to go over to her house. Veronica freaking Mason just asked me to go over to her house.

Vlad hadn't realized he was staring at Veronica with his mouth agape and not breathing until he saw her concerned expression. "Unless you don't want—, "Veronica started, but there was no way Vlad could pass up an offer like that. Before she even finished her sentence Vlad said, "No! I-I mean, yes—that would be—yeah, cool, I'll totally come over." She smiled, amused at his response. "I'll, uh, meet you at your locker." Veronica nodded and stalked off.

Vlad practically sprinted for the Hermes section to find his locker. He hastily gathered his stuff and ran over to the Minor Lockers to find Henry. Vlad couldn't hold in his excitement or he'd explode, and Henry was the perfect person to tell.

Henry was slightly startled when he saw Vlad panting towards him. "Bro, what's wrong?"

"Veronica Manson—her house—homework," Vlad gasped.

Henry's eyes bugged out of his head. "Veronica freaking Manson!? You've got to be joking!" Vlad shook his head with a wide grin, steadily catching his breath. "Oh my gosh, this is big, man. Okay, you need some pointers," he ticked them off his fingers. "Don't seem too eager or she'll freak out; don't keep eye contact, play it off like you don't care; talk about yourself—make her think you're cool. Girls like Veronica love bad boys. If you can manage that, she'll be your girlfriend by tomorrow."

Vlad was trying to engrain Henry's pointers in his mind. He didn't want to mess this up, so he took all the help he could get. Just then, Meredith came up to the two of them in front of Henry's locker with her backpack straps on her shoulders. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Our little guy has got a study date." Henry wiped a fake tear. "They grow up so fast."

"Ooh," Meredith crooned. "With who?"

"Veronica Mason," Vlad and Henry harmonized.

Like Henry's reaction, Meredith's eyes nearly came out of their sockets. "Veronica Mason? Are you kidding me? What the—how did you even—"

"Sorry, gotta go," Vlad interrupted, "I said I'd meet her at her locker to go to her house." He wagged his eyebrows. "Later!" Vlad ran over to the Monster Locker's hallway leaving a smiling Henry and a dumbfounded Meredith. He stopped just before the double doors so that Veronica wouldn't see him running. Don't seem too eager.

Veronica smiled and closed her locker as she saw Vlad approaching her. "Hey, Vlad, you ready to go?"

Vlad shrugged and looked at the floor. Don't look her in the eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

Veronica looked confused, but didn't say anything as they left to go to her house.

"This is my lovely abode," Veronica joked as they approached her house. It was two stories and really huge.

Vlad looked at the face of it, thinking it was massive, but said, "Yeah, it's cool." Play it off like you don't care.

"Okay, then," Veronica said. She went up the three-garage driveway and used her key to open the front door. "My parents aren't home so we'll have a little privacy." She looked back at him with a smile that seemed to have a double meaning. Vlad swallowed loudly. "Cool," he managed. Veronica kept walking up the stairs and Vlad followed, contemplating all the possibilities of what they'd be doing that would require so much privacy.

As Veronica approached a door right in front of the stairs, she opened it and walked in. She walked across the room and set her backpack down with her back facing Vlad.

Vlad froze at the door. No way. This can't be her room. With her back still to him, Veronica asked, "Is there something wrong, Vlad?" He couldn't tell, but he thought there was something about weird about the way she was talking and how she didn't turn around.

"Um," Vlad started, "is this your room?" He knew that was a stupid question, but he just didn't want to believe it. It was the room, or more one of them. The walls—they were the color of a pale orange peel. The floor—made of a shaggy, off-white material. The furniture—dark mahogany desk and chairs to the left, dark mahogany coffee table in front of a hippie-flowered couch across from a flat-screen television on the right. Even the light was on from the thin, black standing lamp in the furthest right corner next to the open window, and not a piece of clothing or notebook was out of place. And there was a door right across from the one they just entered. This is the room from my nightmare.

But the accessories weren't all that was off about the room. Instead of the girly feeling Vlad got from the room in his dream, the air felt sinister—like it was waiting for something to happen. Just as he thought that, both of the doors on either side of him shut. Oh, gods.

"Doesss thisss room sseem familiar, Vladimir?" Veronica hissed. Hissed? Just then, right before his eyes, Veronica morphed. Vlad just stood there and stared as he saw what was once Veronica turn into a monster with two snake trunks as her leg replacements that led up to a snake body covered in armor, her skin—her scales —and armor a blend of green and bronze. It was only after she finished transforming that she turned around to let Vlad see her yellow eyes with black slits for pupils and a forked tongue rapidly going in and out between her protruding fangs.

It was when he saw her full on that Vlad reacted. "Holy Rhea! What are you!?"

Veronica didn't say anything—or hiss anything —until she slithered closer to Vlad, making him press against the wall. "I, dear Vladimir, am what is known as a dracaena. I was sent to give you a message: do not decipher your dream, or there will be dire consequences."

"What? What consequences? And how did you know about my dream? Who sent you?"

Veronica smiled. "Oh, and if you tell anyone about what I am, I will kill you." That was when she gave a hard blow to Vlad's head and his vision turned black.

Vlad gained consciousness to find himself in his room. There is no way that was a dream. Vlad lost no time. He took his phone out of his pocket and made a three-way phone call to Henry and Meredith.

"Hello?" Meredith said when Henry said, "'Sup, Vlad?"

"Guys, grab your Entrance and magic textbooks and get over to my house, quick. We have to figure out my dream now."

A/N: I don't know if you got it, but when Vlad said "Holy Rhea" it was supposed to be like the saying "Holy mother of God," but in this case, it would be, "Holy mother of the gods," and the mother of the Olympian gods is Rhea. Heh heh, I'm so clever. Please review!