2-D

Here is Stuart Pot. He was just 10 years old. Cute, tall for his age, skinny, pretty dark hazel colored eyes, and messy brown hair. He got good grades, mostly B's, and always had a large group of friends around. He heard screams and laughter and looked outside his bedroom window. He saw all of his neighborhood friends outside playing kickball. He ran all the way down the stairs to the kitchen to find his mother Rachel.

"Mummy, can I go outside?"

"Yes Stuart, you can. But don't get into too much trou-"

He didn't even hear his mother's warning. He ran upstairs to put on a change of shoes. He was almost at his bedroom door when he ran straight into his father. His father caught him before he could fall.

"Why are yew off ta' yewr room so fast, Stu?" his father questioned with a raised eye brow. "Yew could've seriously 'urt yourself."

"Surry dad," said the young boy, panting. "Mum said I could go outside an' I was in a rush to change mah shews" he said. "Am surry fo' runnin' inta' yew"

"It's okay kiddo," his father chuckled. He ruffled Stu's hair and added "have fun"

He continued to his room and changed his shoes. He ran back down stairs, this time skipping steps. He ran out the door saying see you later to his mom.

He was greeted outside by his friends and the pretty little Mariah King. She was the girl Stuart had a crush on since she moved into the neighborhood 2 years ago. They were good friends, and he respected her more than the rest of the girls who would throw themselves at him and try to impress him more than the next. Mariah was his best friend. He told her everything, except for the fact that he had a large crush on her. He was surprisingly attracted to the shorter girl. How could he not be? She was gorgeous, with eyes that were light indigo, long, dark brown hair, peach colored skin, a friendly, pretty smile, and a tomboyish but girly attitude. She had her hair in two pigtails with a bang, and she had on pink overalls with a white short sleeved shirt on under it. She walked up to him and greeted him with her friendly smile.

"Hi, Stuart," she said blushing.

"Hey, Mariah," he said, returning the smile and also blushing. He loved the fact that she was one of his only friends that called him by his real name and not Stu-Pot. Not that he didn't like the nick name, it's just that he didn't like it when a girl he liked or who liked him called him by a name his guy friends call him. It was obvious that they liked each other a lot. It's just that neither of them had the guts to tell the other. Today is gonna be the day I make her mine, he thought. He wasn't going to be a punk any longer. He was going to get her alone and ask her out.

"Hey Stu-Pot! Let's get a new game goin," yelled one of his friends. Stu snapped out of his thoughts and ran in front of the pitcher to receive the ball flying towards him to kick.

Hours have passed and the group decided to play hide-and-go-seek. The sun was setting. Mariah took Stuart to the spot she usually hides at.

"So this is where yew usually 'ide," Stu said. He added "maybe I'll tell everyone else yew're hiding spot an force yew ta' find anotha'" he smirked.

"Okay, and I'LL tell everyone about how you peed on yourself because you knew you were gonna get it for get suspended for two days at school," said Mariah, her usually friendly smile devilish.

"On second thought, never mind," said Stu. Mariah giggled. Her laugh is so cute… he thought. Now's the perfect time he thought. He turned to Mariah and grabbed her hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. He both started to blush uncontrollably.

"Mariah, can I tell yew a secret I 'ave been hiding from yew fo a while now?"

"Yes Stuart. Go on"

"I 've liked yew, I mean, A LOT. An' fo' a while now," he stammered. He could feel his cheeks burning.

"….I-I've liked you a lot fo a while now tew, Stuart," Mariah said nervously but lovingly. Wow, I don't know why I was so nervous before. The girl likes me back! He thought. She saw the expression on his face and they both started to laugh.

"Well, I guess we should go out…" Stu said, his cheeks burning again.

"Yeah, we do know," Mariah said. They started into each other's eyes.

"…I-I guess tha' means we shoul' kiss, huh?" Stu said, shocked he would even say that. He added, "Unless yew're too chicken to do it"

"I am NOT a chicken," Mariah said raising her voice. "Pucker up, lover boy!"

They closed their eyes, puckered their lips and moved closer towards each other. Stu bent down lower to kiss his new girlfriend. Their lips pressed softly against each other. They stayed like this for a few seconds, then they finally parted. They opened their eyes. They were both beet red. They were silent for a few seconds, then Stu broke the silence.

"Well, I guess we're officially a couple," he said shyly.

"Yeah," Mariah said. Then she grabbed his hand and they walked off to go find the others.

"Oh no!" yelled Mariah, "My cat Lucky ran up that tree!"

Stuart looked up and saw the black fur ball meowing and shivering. Mariah turned to Stuart. "Please help…"

He saw the desperation and tears in her eyes and couldn't turn her down. He climbed up onto the branch the cat was on. As he grabbed for the cat, the branch cracked and went tumbling down. The boy fell onto his head. The last thing he remembered was hearing Mariah scream a blood-curdling scream as big, hot tears ran down her face. She ran up to him and tried to keep him awake as his eyes rolled in the back of his head while one of his friends ran to Stu's house to get help.

Stu woke up in the hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his head. The first face he saw was his mother and father's. His mother looked worried sick.

"Stuart!" she squealed, "You've been asleep fo 2 days" she stated. Im so glad you're awake."

"Son. I have to break something to ya," Stu's father started, "apparently you fell in a patch of dirt with some bacteria that makes your hair fall out…"

"So, yew mean ta tell me tha' am bald?" Stu said in disbelief.

"Yes," his father answered.

Stu began to cry. "Oh, no. I'm a bald headed weirdo," He then began to get images of his happier self with hair. How will Mariah see me? Will she still want to be my girlfriend? She will probably laugh at me… he thought to himself.

The doctor gave Stu some medicine to promote his hair growth. The side effect? His hair will grow back blue and will sometimes appear purple. That day he was released from the hospital. He was told to take it easy and just stay in bed for the next two weeks. During those two weeks Stu's friends, including Mariah, would come home from school and bring him his homework and whatnot. They would even keep him company when he was lonely. "I will always be by your side Stuart," Mariah said one day, putting her soft hand on Stu's face and kissing him on the lips when no one was around.