Chapter 1

The night was calm and peaceful, an ironic contrast to the thunderstorm of nerves and trepidations washing around in the pit of his stomach. He stood outside her balcony. His betrothed. Although he supposed that that long ago promise wouldn't be considered binding by any sane person. But Nick wasn't any sane person.

He remembered back when he was twelve and she was eight. They had played out by the ocean, and then laid on the beach, soaking up the sun.

"Nicky, do you think I'm pretty?" she suddenly asked.

"You're fine."

"Do you think I'm prettier than Shelly Hopewither?"

"She's got bigger breasts."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Huh, I thought it did." Allison rolled over and got up with a distinct "humph", and started to walk away. Nick scrambled after her.

"What's with you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied nonchalantly, but she quickened her pace.

"Come on, don't be a baby, you know I was just teasing."

"I'm not a baby."

"Then stop acting like one."

"Stop being mean to me. You're just like Howard and Zachary, why don't you just go be their friend and leave me alone," Allison said this with a distinct sob in her voice and took off in a run. Nick stared after her for a moment then took off in a run after her, catching her easily, and pulling her to him.

He held her by her upper arms and looked down into her tear stained little face. "What did Howard and Zachary say to you?" He would find them later and make them pay for whatever they said that hurt her feelings so badly.

"They said that I was ugly and a brat and they didn't know why you let me hang around you, and--that's it," during her speech she started to cry harder and harder.

"What else did they say?"

She blushed and looked away. "They said that I must have more under my dress than they could see, for you to put up with me all the time." Ally didn't comprehend fully what they meant by that last comment, but she understood it was bad. Now she couldn't keep herself from bawling.

Nick looked ready to murder, "I'm going to kill them," he muttered under his breath, to her he said, "Ally, don't listen to them, you're fun, intelligent, and I love you hanging around me all the time."

"I" ... sniffle ... sniffle... "don't believe" ... sob... "you."

"You are also the prettiest girl I have ever seen."

"You're just trying to make me feel better. You don't think I'm pretty," she said between sobs.

"Yes I do."

Nick really meant it to. She looked like a little wood sprite with her big green eyes, and little button nose. Her wavy blonde hair was so smooth and soft, that he would find himself stroking it absently sometimes.He had loved her from the first moment he had seen her, though he was too young to really understand his feelings, or what to do about them. Instead of telling her he loved her and would do anything for her, which he would, he teased her and poked her and pushed her.