1 Chapter 1: Union Academy

I've always known I was different. That wasn't the issue. Being different that I could handle. In fact I had handled it since I was a kid.

I was born to a well-to-do, upper class family. My father was an up-and-coming politician from the Briggs family in Dallas, Texas, and my mother had been a Manhattan socialite. (Yes, I used the past tense. I will get to that in a moment.) When they had me, it was their greatest achievement, even when they realized I was different. I was their pride and joy and that's all that mattered to them.

In appearance I look somewhat like my mother. I have my mother's long, dark, silky hair. It's easy to manage and sometimes curls. My mother used to French braid it at night after I'd get out of the bath so it would be wavy in the morning. I have always been tall, a trait I get from my father who is over six feet tall. He used to say I was all legs. He never said it in a mocking tone though. It was all in fun.

So why am I so different?

My father's eyes are green and my mother's eyes were blue. When I was born, I got that mixture. My left eye is blue and my right eye is green. When I was little, kids used to make fun of me because of my "mixed-matched" eyes. It wasn't my fault but they never listened to me and would make fun of me even more when I brought it up. So I quit trying to tell them the truth and let it fly. My parents were my solid foundation during that time. They always told me that my eyes were a gift that should be cherished.

You've heard me use the past tense of my mother and I'm sure you're wondering why. Most girls my age were able to say their mom was annoying, or their mom wouldn't let them go out with whichever boyfriend she was seeing at the time. I wished I could do that. I wished I had a mom I could still talk to.

My mother died of pneumonia when I was six. It left me with a hole in my heart but I survived. I had my friends and my grandparents who I am very close to, but most of all I had the one person who would do whatever I needed.

I grew up with just my dad, and it was great. We took plenty of trips for just the two of us. He was always Mr. Mom, taking time off to come to parent/teacher conferences, plays, concerts, dance recitals, and whatever I had going on. He was the greatest thing and my hero. I know my mother would have been proud of the care he gave me in her absence. She probably would have told him not to spoil me, but I like to imagine she would have smiled fondly while shaking her head. Dad always said she couldn't say no to me.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. When she passed, Dad became everything a child would need while keeping a very high paying job.

When I was fifteen, he started dating Miss Thang of Dallas. (That's not her real name, obviously, but that's what I call her even to this day.) Her name was Catherine Jones, heiress galore. My father was absolutely enamored with her. I saw through it all the day she tried to hug me with her fake boobs. She tried too hard to like me, and for my father's sake I went along with it.

I really shouldn't have done that because within six months they were married. After that, things changed between Catherine and me. She didn't want to see me much and I gladly obliged. I wasn't totally surprised when she started lying about me to my father. Dad didn't believe her but to make peace he decided that sending me to a boarding school would be easier on me.

I wholly agreed. It got me away from the she-witch, and I knew Dad would feel better about not having to referee fights. No matter how hard he tried, he was always coerced into picking her side because she always threw in his face how his business wouldn't have survived without her money. I understood, but sometimes that same old fight hurt. I wasn't a bad kid, but having a bad stepmom was very taxing.

So now you're caught up with the prelude to this story. Let's start with everything else.

When I looked up the website for Union Academy, I was looking for a co-ed school. I don't know about you but I'd prefer going to a school with boys. Girls are just too catty for my tastes. So with that in mind, I found Union. As I read, I found out that A.) It was cheap, B.) The dorms were divided by class, C.) It was in Broken Bow, Oklahoma,

meaning away from my crazy stepmother.

Dad had driven me, chatting amicably about how much fun he was going to have when he came to visit. I talked to him about what we'd do and where we'd go for fun and to eat. He made sure I got my classes in order when I got there and then helped me move in by carrying the big boxes. I honestly didn't know what he was going to do when I went to an Ivy League school. I was happy he was there though.

As I said, like all good things this too came to an end. He had to go back to Dallas for work. I hugged him and told him to be safe. He kissed me on my forehead (actually it was a raspberry) and walked out the door. That was when I started to unpack. Don't get me wrong. I love my dad. He just sucks at unpacking. He usually waited a week to unpack from a business trip, and then he just dumped all his dirty clothes in with the clean ones. It drove our housekeeper nuts.

Have you ever been aware of a person before they walked into a room? Like you know the person is there before you even see them? My first night in the dorm was filled with interesting people, and I knew some were there before I even met them.

The first person I met was my roommate Beca Starland. I'm telling you right now that girl can talk. She came in spouting words so fast I didn't catch half of it. I'm still convinced I sat there watching her mouth move before I even knew she was talking to me.

"Oh, my God! I'm so glad you're my roommate. I'm telling you! My last roommate was a complete airhead and didn't understand anything. You look smart so we should be complete and good friends," she had said as she moved about the room putting my stuff in drawers. She didn't even ask where I wanted things to go.

"Bec, leave her alone," someone had said from the doorway. "She just moved in with her and now you're yakking her ear off."

That was when I first met him.

Darren Starland was Beca's older brother and a senior. Did I forget to mention he was the lacrosse team's captain? He and Beca looked alike; both were blond with blue eyes (cliché, right?). They were both very into sports. As I said, Darren was captain of the lacrosse team and Beca was a cheerleader, although in my book cheerleading isn't a sport. They were very close, which sometimes bothered me because I was an only child.

After that initial meeting, we started hanging out. I was automatically thrown into the popular crowd. It was somewhat refreshing yet unnerving. I had been popular at my old school and had hated every minute of it. People always tried to outdo each other with lies and more lies. It was disgusting.

These people weren't like that. They argued with each other and told each other what to do even though they were different ages. Beca didn't mind telling her brother he was being a douchebag, and I'm pretty sure she called him a doody head one time. They seemed to be truly honest with each other.

"Hey, Bianca!" Beca called across the cafeteria at the girl walking towards us. "Sit with us!"

Bianca Simmons smiled happily and made her way over. On the short side, Bianca didn't reach over five feet. Thin and with dark brown hair, she was a flyer for the cheerleading squad and it's co-captain.

She sat down with a slight oomph! and smiled at us. "So how have the two of you finished Pierce's English assignment?"

Mrs. Pierce was a woman (obviously) in her late forties. She taught ancient literature for juniors, which encompassed Celtic literature up to Greek literature. At the moment, we were struggling through Beowulf, which I had read at my old school. I liked Tolkien's version but that didn't mean I truly enjoyed the ancient epic. Sometimes I wished I could strike it from the school English requirements.

Beca groaned. We were supposed to write an essay comparing Beowulf to a contemporary work of literature. I decided to use the Rohirrim from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Don't mock me because I'm a dork.)

"I haven't started." Beca whined.

"It's due in two days." Bianca scolded. If anyone could be the mother of us, it was Bianca. She just had that spirit, and she wasn't afraid to use it.

"I know!" Beca would have face planted but her food was right in front of her and she wouldn't want to mess up her makeup or uniform. Or waste her food. She was vain on her looks, but she liked her food and was considerate of others. It made no sense.

"I finished mine last night." I replied.

Both girls looked at me. "How?" they asked together.

"Because I don't wait until the last minute to do my homework. I had a lot of research to do anyway."

"Maddie, you know The Lord of the Rings backwards and forwards. You had no research to do." Bianca laughed.

She was right. I had an unhealthy obsession with Orlando Bloom during his fantasy movies, but what girl isn't when he's a blond headed, blue-eyed elf or a swashbuckling pirate? I'm telling you it was worth the day and a half I watched all nine movies he was in, and then added the extras and deleted scenes on top. And don't get me started on Troy.

I pointed my fork at her. "Don't mock the movies I choose to watch."

Bianca and Beca laughed. They had never understood my movie choices but I didn't care. I loved everything I watched and no one could bring me down. So instead of answering I stabbed a piece of chicken with my fork and stuffed it in my mouth. They laughed harder.

"Hey, babe."

Beca's eyes lit up at the masculine voice behind her. She whirled around so fast she knocked over her juice. "Drew!"

He laughed as he caught her. "So glad to see me, eh?"

"Duh! You've been gone for three weeks." She touched his scar closed eye. "Are you okay?"

His hand landed on hers. "Yeah, babe. I'm fine. Don't worry so much."

Drew should have known the look in Beca's eyes when he came over. She wasn't going to leave it alone. Not after what had happened to him.

Andrew Smith, Drew to all his friends, was a star lacrosse player and baseball player as well as Beca's boyfriend and her brother's best friend. Almost a month ago, over Christmas break Drew was the victim of a brutal robbery. He had been home alone when some guys broke in. He tried to fight them but one slashed his eye with a knife, blinding him in that eye. Unfortunately, the school pulled him off player status on both teams and made him a manager instead.

Some girls who were dating star players would have dumped him immediately. Not Beca. She had refused to leave his side while he was in the hospital and only did that when Darren forced her to leave. She truly adored Drew and that showed immensely. They were an inspiration to other couples.

"Drew, you're going to get slapped if you keep telling her not to worry so much."

Drew lifted his head and looked at his best friend as he strode up. "Your sister is so motherly, Darren."

Darren dropped his tray and plopped down beside Bianca. "Yeah, I know. Last time I was sick, she wouldn't leave my dorm. Bruce got totally pissed." Bruce Larson was the basketball team's point guard and a total jerk.

"Bruce gets pissed over every little thing." Drew slid in beside me, nudging me with his shoulder. "Finished with Pierce's English assignment?"

Bianca and Beca howled with laughter before I could get a word in edgewise. I held in the juice I was tempted to sputter all over the table and swallowed it. Then I gave my friends a dirty look. They reined in their laughter but still snickered.

"I finished mine." I replied happily, making sure Beca knew that I was happy that I didn't have to suffer anymore with it.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

Drew looked between us. "Beca, have you finished yours?"

Her face contorted in pain as she shook her head. "No."

Darren swallowed and pointed his fork at his sister. "You know better than to procrastinate."

"I know but the new Law & Order was on last night."

"What about the other nights?" She didn't answer him. "You have to keep your grades up or you can't cheer anymore."

"I know. I'll ask Pierce for help today. She won't be happy but she'll help."

"Good." If anyone said Darren didn't care for his sister, they'd be lying. Darren was crazy about Beca and did what he could for her, hence the reason he was so hard. She in turn groused over him as well. Then it always ended in an argument which made everyone else laugh.

"Oh, look. It's Union's version of the Geek Squad."

We all instantly stiffened. The voice belonged to none other than Casey MacDowell, cheerleader, senior class president, and president of the club Roses of Union. She was a snob but Bianca called her something else completely. She was just plain mean. I guessed it was because she was popular. Go figure.

We turned around. Parker Cassidy, who was Drew's roommate, was the new boy toy of Casey only because he had more money than she did. We were waiting for someone to give him a head's up or her to dump him flat. Whichever one, he'd be crushed. He was a really good guy who was in the wrong crowd. He always smiled and waved at people when he was away from Mrs. Perfect.

"What do you want, Casey?" Darren asked. He and Drew were seniors as well and hated her. I didn't know why. Must have been something she did or said.

Casey shook her highlighted hair out. Someone should tell her that her curls were going to fall out if she kept doing that. "I was just passing through and saw all of you sitting here like the geeks you are. It's so sad really. Four socialites and a nerd. How funny."

She was talking about me. I wasn't into sports. I spent much of my time reading, writing, doing random research, and crap like that. I wasn't fat but I wasn't too trim either. The only exercise I got was the running I did before dinner at night, and I wasn't interested in anything extracurricular in this school.

"Leave Maddie alone, you horrible sea cow." Beca scolded.

"You have got to get better insults, Beca," Casey turned her gaze to Darren. "See you in class, love."

Darren jerked his head away from her gaze. I usually don't get mad but Darren was cute and naturally I liked him. He was nice to me and that meant a lot, especially since I had only been here a month. I don't recommend transferring in January, especially not to a place where everyone already knows each other or where it snows five inches in one night.

"Don't listen to her, Dare. She's just jealous she doesn't have awesome friends," Bianca replied. She and Beca shared a triumphant look.

Darren looked at her and smiled, patting her hand. "Thanks, Bia. You are an awesome friend. Now I have to book it before Stark kills me for being late."

"I told you not to take French," Drew stated as he rose with his friend, a half smile tugging on his scarred face.

"And German's so much better?"

I frowned. "I'm taking German."

Beca laughed as Darren looked down at me, something hidden in blue eyes. "Don't upset her, Dare. You know she's got some innate sense for languages." I wasn't sure if she was making fun of me or not but I stood up. "Where are you going, Maddie?"

I didn't look at her. "I've got Forbes' trig class in fifteen minutes so I gotta go to my dorm."

"You upset her," Bianca whispered. Beca made a pained noise so my guess was Bianca had elbowed her.

"Sorry, Maddie," Beca said sadly. She hated upsetting anyone, especially her friends.

"It's okay, Beca," I said as I shrugged into my jacket. She smiled at me warmly, happy that I wasn't mad at her and I really wasn't. There wasn't to be mad about. She was just naturally loose lipped, and she made fun of her brother without thinking of what she's saying.

"It's snowing again," Drew said. He was looking out the window as he shrugged on his coat as well, wrinkling his blazer.

I looked over my shoulder. He was right. It was snowing and I was going to walk through it to my dorm then to class. Obviously the look on my face told them what I was thinking.

"Don't worry. I'll walk you to your dorm and to class. Your class is in Humanities right?" Darren said. I nodded. "Good, then it's settled. See ya, girls."

"Bye!" Bianca and Beca called as we walked away. One of them called, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!!"

Darren cringed as Drew laughed. That meant it had been Beca calling to us. Drew was a gentleman so he wouldn't do anything with Beca but picking on Darren was his life since he was dating his sister.

"I'll see you at practice," he said as we walked out into the cold and snow.

"All right, see you." After Drew walked away, Darren turned to me. "Shall we?"

I nodded and led the way to my dorm, mad at how cold my feet were.