I revised it! :) I apologize to those who have read it before. I'm not yet done with the second chapter changes, but it's nearly there. To those people who haven't read this story yet, I am begging you to please get to at least the third or fourth chapter and then tell me how it's going. :D I mean, you don't have to like it or anything, I just want you to read it.

Thanks!

07/24/1940

"Tag you're it!" He yelled. I laughed and chased him until neither of us could run anymore. Out of breath, we collapsed on the grassy land that the huge manor we were staying in overlooked.

"Ed?" I asked. I wasn't sure what he would answer to me, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know but it was too late to go back.

"Yeah Smitz?"

"When we grow up, do you think that we'll still be friends?"

"Of course Smitz," he answered "Why wouldn't we be?"

Alright, that wasn't phrased quite as nicely as it should have been.

"It's just – you know what Ed? Never mind. It doesn't matter," I said.

"Course it does," he said laughing and rolling over and over in sweat drenched clothes.

"EEWW!" I cried, when he rolled just a little too close and I got covered in his sweat too.

"Girly-girl," he muttered and though he said it teasingly I knew he wasn't happy about it.

"Hey come on. Don't be like that," I said. I was stung by his expression, which was a mixture of sadness and bitterness. "Come on, I'll race you back to the house!"

"You're on!" Edmund said.

He always was so incredibly competitive.

We raced, I lost and everything went back to normal. Well, as normal as anything can be in my life.

My name's Ashlynn Elaine Colbert, Smitz to Edmund and Aee to everyone else. The Pevensie's have been my best friends since I was around six, it wasn't too long ago but to an eleven year old, it was practically a lifetime. There's Lucy, she's a year younger than me and good fun. There's Peter, the eldest. He's bossy and can be kind of mean, but he is a big brother, and that's what they have to do. Then there's the bookish, smart, Susan. She's also the beauty of the family, which, is really just not fair is it? Then there's my best friend. His name is Edmund and he's the middle child like Susan, only he's not the handsome one and he doesn't show people how smart he can be, so he's not quite as noticed as Susan is. It hurts him, but he never shows it. It's World War II and we've all just been sent to live in the house of Professor Digory Kirke. It's pretty fun here and Ed thinks so too even if he won't admit it. None of us were all too happy having to leave Finchley and move here, but as sad as I was and as mad I was at my father, I was definitely not the most bitter. Peter, Susan and Lucy weren't the most bitter either.

"Can we play hide and seek? Please, Peter!" Lucy pleaded, giving her big brother the puppy dog eyes he can't resist.

Edmund rolled his eyes, already knowing that we were going to play. He nudged me and smirked, already planning where we were going to hide. We did everything together you see. We hid together, played together, just plain did everything together. We were inseparable, Ed and I.

"1, 2, 3," Peter started counting, grinning as he turned around.

Then we all dashed off to find suitable hiding places.

Edmund caught my hand and dragged me off to where he thought we could hide. Ed is the one who has a good visual eye, no one knows it, but he can draw. I'm the one who likes to write. Edmund always said that one day we would write a book together and show it to every single publisher until one of them accepts it. We were dreamers, you see.

Edmund darted in front of Lucy grabbing the curtain and yelling "I got it first! Smitz and I are hiding here."

Lucy shot him a dirty look, at least, as dirty as her little nine year old face can get.

"Sorry Lucy!" I called after her. Edmund was the short-tempered one in our duo, so it was my job to apologize. I didn't mind.

I got behind the other curtain and waited for Peter to find us. Edmund may think he was brilliant, but this isn't exactly the best hiding place.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds passed, and I heard Peter's footsteps coming up. Edmund and I both held our breath. Holding your breath against someone looking for you during a game of hide-and-seek isn't going to make you any less conspicuous, but it was instinct.

I heard his footsteps coming nearer, and mentally shook my head at Edmund's poor hiding places. But after all, it was only a game. He was just about to whip open the curtain and find us when Lucy burst into the room, screaming.

"I'm alright! I'm alright! It's okay! I'm fine! I know I've been gone for hours and I'm dreadfully sorry but I just got so caught up!"

What a sight we must've been for her, Edmund and I peeking our heads out of the curtains, my hair slightly dishevelled and being pulled out of its braid. I snuck a side look at Edmund, and he looked very mad, because even when he didn't like the game, he still played along. Then there was Peter, looking bewildered because why wouldn't he be? We were playing hide-and-seek after all. Then Susan came in.

"Does this mean I've won?" She asked, oblivious to the situation.