*Ed's POV*

I knocked on Carter's front door, with my fist. While I waited, I watched the lake as it sparkled in the sunlight - quite pretty if you ask me. But hey, no one ever listens to dorky, tall, geeky, filmer, me.

Ever since we got back from Costa Luna, Chelsea and her new friends Stacey and Jasmine have been ruining Carter's life; they posted all kinds of embarassing stuff on everyone's lockers yesterday about her, they told some of the boys at school fakes things, and they shoved Carter around today at school. Brooke has become a lot nicer since homecoming, its just she doesn't know where to go now - back to mean and popular, or to the bottom with us dorks.

Carter's Dad opened the door, and smiled lightly. "She's upstairs, Ed." a small smirk across his face, as he stepped back to let me in.

As I passed him, I nodded. "Thanks ."

He also nodded. "No problem, Ed." and with so, he had left me to go upstairs.

By the time I was at her door, I heard her crying. To be honest, I've never seen her cry before - Carter always is so tough, and all to where her crying is almost unbelievable.

Again, I knocked on the door. Behind the door, I heard scrambling. "Uh, um, uh...come in."

Slowly I opened the door. That was when I saw my princess, in tears. "Carter."

She tried to wipe her eyes and pretend she wasn't crying, but, I knew she was. "Uh...hi, Ed." she stuttered.

The both of us sat down on her bed, and she avoided eye contact with me. "What's wrong?" I asked. It sounded like a stupid question because, I knew exactly what was wrong, it just sounded more polite to ask her.

"Everything. Chelsea and her new clan are being horrible. They are embarassing me in every way possible, and I-I...I just don't know why. Can't they just leave me alone? What did I ever do to th-"

I cut her off. "Carter," she looked up at me, "they are just mean girls with no life. All they care about is shoes, boys, and makeup. You however are better than them and you know that. Carter Mason works her butt off everyday in that bait shop, Carter Mason gets straight B's in every subject, and Carter Mason doesn't need makeup to be pretty because she is perfect without it. Carter, it's okay."

A slight blush came to her cheeks. "Ed, why do you even care about me?" she blurted.

"What do you mean?"

She let out a breath. "There are plenty more fish in the sea. I'm at the bottom of the school popularity chain, you are somewhere in the middle. Why don't you just get one of those underdog girls who are really pretty, rather than wanting me?"

I shrugged. "Because, you have always been my underdog princess, that's why," she just let that one pass over. "Anyways, how about you and I go organize some worms, eh?"

Carter started laughing like usual, as she threw herself back on her bed, holding her stomach as she laugh. She had some purple Converse on, denim shorts and a blue and purple shirt on, while her hair was pulled back in a pony tail.

After Carter calmed down, he nodded. "Sounds good."

So, we walked out to the shack across the way and started sorting worms. "Gah, man, I dropped another!" I complained, bending down to pick it up, only to see her smirking at me.

"Sometimes, you make me wonder, Ed..."

I looked over at her, while putting another worm into a bucket. "About what?"

"How I ever got a best friend like you?" she said.

"I wonder the same thing everyday."

Carter just smiled, and picked up a worm and held it in front of my face. Of course, I yelped and started to back up and before we knew it, she was chasing me around the premises with worms in her hands. While I ran past the house, in the corner of my eye, I saw watching us as he smiled.

"What are you scared?" Carter spat, jokingly.

"Yes! Yes, I am, Carter!" I laughed.

The day had carried on, and after we finished sorting worms...and cleaning of our shoes, invited me to stay for dinner - which happened to be pizza. After the fact, Carter asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with her, and of course I said yes. At like eleven, we both got tired so I went home.

"Well," Carter yawned as we stood on her front porch, "thanks Ed." she wrapped her arms around me in a hug, and eventually I did the same.

Breaking away from the hug, I smiled. "No problem. Well, see you tomorrow at school, I guess. Um, if you want, I can drive you there - rather than you taking the bus, because I finally got a car."

"That'd be great." she smiled, as I started to walk down the front steps, taking one more glance at her before leaving. Carter stayed on the porch until I was out of her sight, like she always does.

On the way home, I just thought about her. Ever since fifth grade, she has been my everything - my best friend, and the one who would just come to the bowling alley to keep me from boredom behind that desk handing people bowling shoes. But, through and through, she still likes Donny...even after homecoming and Rosie being here; not me.

I'm the only one who knows Donny is the wrong guy, and I must make her see that. If anything, I'm the one for her. Yes, I may not look like Donny and yes I may not be as cool as Donny...but, I'm the better guy for Carter. Whether I'm or not. Carter needs to see than - I have to show her.

A/N: okay, so, yeah. Um, that was chapter one, and it was a little short but, the more into this fanfic I get, the better the chapters will be and all. So, hope you liked it and hope you come back to read it again! :3

-Sammie/Samantha