Author's note: This fic isn't going to be all sweet and sappy, sure it'll have romance, but this is going to be a fic about real life- where truth is stranger than fiction. Some of you may not like this type of story, and others will love it. I have to give Kudos to CarrieElizabeth, because her awesome fics inspired this one. This will mostly be Rated R for language.



Chapter 1

Somewhere in Europe


Nicholas Crane sat at the edge on the bed and held his head in his hands. He reached for the scotch resting on the bedside table, and downed it in one swallow. He was in one of the best suites in Europe and could care less. It was just another hotel room to him. He eyed the letter that was sitting on the dresser across the room. He tried not to think about it right now. He got up from the bed not caring to cover himself and not caring if he woke the occupant in it. He strode to the bathroom and slammed the door.


Nicholas stared at himself in the mirror. He was a tall man, nearly 6' 3". He had piercing blue eyes, and sexily rumpled dark hair. He had a long, lean athletic build honed by years of tennis and soccer. Nicholas smirked at himself in the mirror and then pursed his lips. Sighing, he turned away from the mirror and entered the shower. He stayed in a long time, hoping to return to himself.


When he emerged from the bathroom in a towel, the girl he had left in the bed was awake. She eyed his barely clad form lustfully. Nick ignored her, he remembered her name, but couldn't remember where she had come from. The girl began to pout when he ignored her. "Fox? Don't you want to come back to bed?"

Nick looked over his shoulder at the naked blonde in his bed. "No thanks. I've had enough. You can shower if you want before you leave."

Tears welled up in the girls eyes. She had thought she had landed a Crane for sure. She whipped the covers off and slid back into her dress. She grabbed her purse off the dresser and yelled, "Asshole!" before slamming the door.


Nick poured himself another scotch. He would definitely need it to read this letter. He took a healthy swallow and tore open the letter.


Dearest Nicky,

How are you darling? Your father and I miss you terribly. What could you possibly be doing in Europe, that you can't do here? I know much as changed here in Harmony, but that's why I need you, baby boy. You must return some sanity to this place by coming home. Just say the word and you'll have a first class ticket waiting for you.

I love you darling.

Your mother, Ivy.


Nick sighed, put the letter down and finished the scotch off. He sat in one of the hotel chairs. Coming home, isn't that what poets and playwrights all wrote about? If it wasn't for the heartache that Nick felt in his mother's letter, there would be no way he was coming home. Nicholas Crane picked up the phone and called the front desk. "Connect me to the airport."

*******

Harmony, Maine


Kay shifted her shopping bags to her other hand. She headed into Lowell's to look at the dresses. She wanted to get a head start on a dress for the winter formal, even if it was months away.

Kay set her bags aside and began sifting through the dresses. This one was too dark, too light, too ugly, too beaded, not enough material. Finally Kay sighed in frustration and left. She ran into Charity outside the shop.

"Kay? Oh my god! What are you doing down here?" Charity squealed.

Kay tried not to grimace, "Hey, Charity. I was just looking for a dress for winter formal."

"Already, but that's not till December and it's barely September now."

Kay sighed, "Yeah I know I just wanted to see what's out there."

"Well come on, let's get a soda." Charity grabbed Kay's arm and drug her off. Kay realized that her cousin wasn't so bad once you got past the perky blonde part of her. This year, their senior year, Charity had really come out of her shell. She joined the cheerleading team, was a part of the drama crowd with Kay and Simone, and helped tutor after-school. She was slowly, but surely becoming normal.

*******


Miguel pulled his helmet off and tossed a cup of water over his head. Coach Gibbons had made them have two practices today. One before school and another after. He was dragging ass.

"Hey, Lopez! Get your ass back over here! It ain't quitting time."

Miguel gave Josh, another senior, the finger and then wiped his face. "Shut the hell up. I'm coming."

Josh, not to be outdone, yelled, "Yeah, that's what your girlfriend told me last night."

Miguel playfully tackled him and then joined the rest of the team.


Reese Durkee sat on the bleachers waiting for the practice to be over. Once it was, he and Miguel could go eat.

Reese was starving. He felt like he hadn't eaten in two days. He couldn't remember if he ate breakfast this morning, and knew he didn't eat lunch. Reese had just been too busy working on a paper.

Watching the guys joke around on the field made Reese wish that he was on the team. But Reese knew he couldn't play football, it was just something he had never mastered. Now baseball? That was another thing.