CHAPTER 3

The bell rings signaling lunch. I jump up from my seat, followed by Universe. We walk over to my locker where I see Henry and Snow talking.

"Hey guys!" I say. They turn around.

"Hey Vlad!" Snow says. I walk over to my locker and drop off my stuff and grab my lunch. I was about to walk back to Universe, when arms wrap around my waist in a backwards hug. I look up at Universe to find her staring at the person behind me. I could tell from the slight glare that it was Meredith. I turn around in her arms.

"Hey."

"Hey." She says while smiling. I sigh inside my head. I don't get to sit next to Universe to get to know her better today. "Let's go to lunch I say to Meredith and the rest of my friends. They all nod and follow me and Meredith to the Cafeteria.

I sit down at my normal table. Universe surprises me by sitting on my right while Meredith sits on my left. Meredith and Snow immediately engage in conversation. I turn to Universe, a question already forming in my head. I open my mouth to speak but she beats me to it.

"I'm fifteen years old. I'm a black belt in three different kinds of martial arts. I love to read. I DON'T have a boyfriend, but I do like someone. I've traveled all over the world when I was younger. My parents are rich, and I live in a house next to Henry's." She finishes.

"When did you move here?" I ask her.

"About two days ago."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Silver… duh!" She says while rolling my eyes. I couldn't help but smile. She looked so cute when she did that.

"Why are you smiling?" She asks me.

"Nothing." I could never tell her why since I was sitting next to Meredith. For the rest of lunch I asked her as many questions I could. She answered them all. But there was one particular question she didn't answer. "Why is your hair silver and Snow's hair white?" She just smiled and shook her head and never said a word about it. I was confused but I asked her another question anyway.

When the bell rings, I'm almost ready to make my decision.

"Universe?" I ask as I lead her to our social studies classroom.

"You're thinking you have come to your final decision?" I blush.

"Yeah…" She grabs my shoulder and spins me around to face her. "Don't make your decision until the end of the week. Be open-minded, because something could change and make you change your mind. Understand?" She asks. I nod. "Then let's get to class Vlad, before the bell rings." So I continue to lead the way to our classroom, never forgetting that the most beautiful girl in the world wants to be mine.

Social studies and Drama was fun, even though we didn't really do much. When the bell rings I walk Universe to her locker then head off to mine. I shove all my books into my bag.

"Vlad. Vlad! VLAD!" I turn around to find Meredith yelling my name.

"Hey!" I say and smile at her, but she doesn't smile back.

"What's going on between you and… and…that freak?" I swear the whole student body goes silent. Meredith never calls anybody a freak, and well she is dating one. Universe calmly shuts her locker and walks right up to Meredith.

"I'm not a freak Meredith."

"Then why do you have silver hair?"

"I was born that way. Some weird genetic thing happened, but that doesn't mean I'm a freak just because I have silver hair. Do I look like a freak to you? Do I act soooo different from everybody else, that it labels me as a freak? I think not. I'm not a freak, and I'm pretty sure most of the student body would agree with my statement. Am I right?" She says a little louder. All the boys start to shout out "YES!" and "YOU BETCHA HOT STUFF!" I feel my stomach start to churn with anger. Meredith, just called Universe a freak. My Universe. Wait I just said "my" didn't I? I just screwed up big time. I already had a girlfriend, and I just called another girl that I had just met "mine" I think I'm going crazy.

"See they don't think I'm a freak. I'm just different that's all." I sigh in relief when Meredith just pouts.

"Then what's going on between you and Vlad. I heard him asking you questions all throughout lunch. What was up with that? I am his girlfriend remember. He's mine!" I have never heard Meredith yell at someone before, or be so possessive of someone.

"Meredith calm down. I just wanted to get to know her, since she is Henry's cousin." I look down at her. She crosses her arms over her chest.

"He's right Meredith. He was just asking me questions just to get to know me better. Is there anything wrong with that?" She looks at Meredith and raises an eyebrow. Meredith sighs in defeat.

"No, no there isn't anything wrong with that." Snow comes up behind her sister to stand next to her.

"If you're calling my sister a freak, then you're calling me one too Meredith. I don't like to be called a freak and neither does my sister. And I especially don't like to hang out with people that call my sister a freak because they're mad, and say it just so they're boyfriend will side with them, when my sister didn't even do anything wrong." I look at Meredith to find tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm.. I'm so sorry Universe and I'm so sorry Snow! Please forgive me!" Snow looks at Meredith then smiles and walks over to give her a hug. Universe just sticks to the spot she was standing at and looks at me. I meet her eyes and she smiles.

"I forgive you Meredith." I hear her mumble something like "And I hope you can forgive me too." I look at her again but she looks away. Meredith sniffles.

"Let's all go home." She takes my hand and drags me to the front doors, followed by the rest of my friends.

"I hope you can forgive me to Meredith… for what I'm going to do to you." I say under my breath as we walk home.

Universe, Snow, and Henry continue walking when I stop at Meredith's house to drop her off. She stands on her tip toes and kisses my lips softly before pulling away and running up her porch steps calling "Bye Vlad!" before she closes the door.

"Bye." I say before turning around and walking fast to catch up to my friends. And to the new girl of my dreams.