Across the Pond (Prince Harry #2)

Chapter Three

Stepping outside the dormitory again, paparazzi pounced. Placing on her sunglasses, Meredith started to move. Her next class was across campus; though it wasn't a large campus, she hated herself right now. Cameras got closer and closer to her face, and Meredith did her best to look at lease. That was until a camera knocked into her head, and Meredith was thrown off balance.

Meredith stopped walking, swinging around to the group of paparazzi. One of them did it, but she didn't know who. Pursing her lips, she measured them. The paparazzi all seemed to pause, waiting for something to happen. They waited for her to break, to scream, to see how much they can annoy her.

Stay silent, she said to herself. Meredith knew if she kept silent, it would be better. However, she wasn't good at holding her tongue. Looking at the paparazzi, she wanted to challenge them. She wanted them to know that she wasn't scared of them. It didn't appear the paparazzi cared, but Meredith needed to prove it.

"I have a question," Meredith said.

The paparazzi now all stopped.

"For all of you," she clarified.

One paparazzi took a picture of her, and all the paparazzi stared at him. A few whispers went around the circle.

"All of you are taking the same picture of me while walking, but at different angles. Why does it matter?" she asked.

Paparazzi stared at her.

One swallowed and came forward. "We work for different organizations."

"Aren't most of you freelance?"

He shrugged. "Yes."

"So, basically you're working for the same organization but you're trying to beat the competition." Meredith paused. "And there are so many of you here because?"

"Because you're dating Prince Harry," the paparazzi answered.

"Wrong."

"You're not dating Prince Harry?"

Meredith stared at him and smiled. "I asked why you are here? What brings you to northern Wisconsin? Did you want to see the pretty colors on the trees or feel the chill in the air?" Chill wasn't the right word. Cold, way below freezing, was correct.

"You," answered the paparazzi.

"Why?" she asked.

"You're dating Prince Harry."

"But I'm in a large city like New York City or LA; I'm not in London. I'm in northern Wisconsin. The largest city near by is Duluth, on the other side of the bridges, and even then, I don't think you'll find paparazzi. Why have you come all this way?" Meredith looked around the circle. "I'm genuinely curious."

"You're dating Prince Harry," he repeated slowly, and all the paparazzi nodded along.

For a moment, she looked at the paparazzi. That was it? She may or may not have been dating Prince Harry to these people, and they were willing to follow her all the way into northern Wisconsin. Rolling her eyes, she continued to walk to class.

Thankfully the paparazzi didn't step into the buildings. Walking into music, news had definitely gotten out around campus. Through various means of communication, it looked like all of campus knew. Meredith stepped down the steps, heading for her seat in the front row. All eyes burned into the back of her head as she sat. The class had grown silent, with only a few whispers for Meredith to remember that there was someone there.

When four freshmen girls walked in, they stopped and stared. With eyes wide, the girls whispered among themselves. Meredith, who had been minding her own business, looked up at the freshmen girls and gave them a pointed a look. It took a few seconds before the brimming danger came into Meredith's eyes, but eventually the girls shrunk back and quickly took their seats.