The sun shone through a pair of huge bay windows to reveal a 7 year old girl with waist-length blonde hair with her hands and face pressed against the glass "I wonder what it's like out there…." she murmured, gazing in wonder at the open field and dark forest beyond; her thoughts were interrupted by her mum calling her name "Tia sweetheart, it's time for lunch!!" Tia rolled her eyes "ok mum I'm coming!!" she stood up, taking one last longing look at the world outside before turning and walking in the direction of the dining room.

While her parents chatted, Tia merely sat and fiddled with her food; only halfway through the meal did she pluck up the courage to speak "Mum?" She asked, her mum turned to her "yes?"

"Can I go out and play after lunch?" her mum gave her a confused look "of course, you've always been allowed to play in the garden!" Tia shook her head "no, not in the garden, in the fields" Her mum's eyes widened and was about to protest when her father cut in "I don't see anything wrong with that, after all it's only across the road, and I'm sure she'll behave herself, won't you Tia?" Tia nodded enthusiastically "yes, yes! Of course dad!" She turned back to her mum "pleeaase??" Her mum sighed "ok fine, you can go" Tia beamed "but only if you eat all of your vegetables!" Tia's smile faded "Aww! Do I have to???"

Finally, after what seemed hours, dinner was finished; Tia sprinted off down the garden path and across the road "remember!" Her mum called "you have to be back in exactly one hour!"

"Don't worry I will!" Tia shouted back, and then she scrambled over the gate and landed in the knee-length grass beyond.

Tia ran around for a while, skipping and tumbling in the long grass, then she noticed a small path winding its way down a slope; she wandered along this path daydreaming, until she walked into something solid "oof!" She exclaimed, taking a step back to realise that she had walked into a tree, she looked around and saw that she had reached the edge of the forest. Tia stood there for a second before glancing back towards her house, the front door was shut and nobody was in sight "well, there's no harm in just having a little look" she muttered "and as long I'm back in time, no one will know..." And with that, she sidled around the tree and into the forest beyond.

As she walked, Tia stared in awe at the wonderfully green world surrounding her; every turn was greeted with new sights and smells "it's beautiful" She whispered, almost scared to break the hushed silence. Then she froze and listened hard, there it was again! A splashing sound was coming from somewhere ahead! Slowly she crept forward, eventually finding herself at the edge of a lake.

It was quite a small lake, hills rose up on every side and rocks stuck out at intervals along the bank; and, sitting on one of these rocks, skimming pebbles across the lakes surface, was a young boy. He looked about the same age as Tia, but he had dark skin and shortish brown hair that stuck up at every angle; Tia grinned "finally, someone to play with!" she thought, then she stood up and shouted across "hi there!" The boy sat bolt upright, staring at her like a deer caught in the headlamps, then he leapt up and ran off up the hill behind him "hey, come back! I only wanted to play!" but the boy ignored her and carried on running, so she decided to pursue him; she skidded and slid along the ground and carefully made her way up the hillside, just in time to see the boy vanish into the mouth of a small cave. "I didn't mean to scare you! I only wanted to make friends!"

"I don't like making friends!" muttered the boy from inside the cave "why not?"

"Why should I tell you?" Tia hesitated "no reason, it's just a little strange that you don't like making friends…"

"Oh, and I suppose that you have loads of friends don't you?" the boy replied irritably, Tia lowered her eyes and shook her head sadly "no I don't, I live alone with just my mum and dad…" A tear slid down her cheek "I never have the chance to make friends"

"You're lucky; at least you still have parents!" Tia's eyes widened in shock "you mean you don't have parents? But everyone has parents!!"

"Well I don't!!" The boy shouted angrily "now stop pestering me and go away!!!"

"But-"

"I said, GO AWAY!!!" Tia was taken aback, but didn't make any attempt to leave; instead she took a step towards the cave entrance. The boy heard her footsteps and poked his head out of the door, only to come face to face with Tia; he jumped back in shock "h-hey, didn't you hear me? I said go away!!"

"And I said I only wanted to make friends!!" The boy glared at her for a second before asking "can I ask why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to make friends with me?" Tia shrugged "I don't know...you just seemed, different"

"Different? What do you mean, different?"

"I don't really know, I just saw you and thought that there was something about you that made you stand out..." The boy stared at her, and then spoke "Really?"

"Really" He blinked in apparent shock, Tia saw this and laughed "what's the matter? Don't tell me you don't like being complemented too??" He shook his head "no, no it's just...."

"Just what?"

"It's just that I've never been told something like that before" Tia gave him a funny look "are you serious?" he nodded "since I was born I've always been treated like a nobody..." He looked at his feet and sniffed, then he glanced up sharply to find Tia had grasped his hand, he was about to pull his hand away when something in her eyes made him stop "don't worry" she said "you won't be a nobody any more" When he heard this, the boy's mouth stretched into a small smile "thanks" he murmured.

Tia grinned, and then spoke once more "you know, I don't believe we know each other's names, I'm Tia" The boy returned the grin "I'm Rocket"

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Rocket!" Tia replied happily, "likewise" said Rocket.

Little did either of them know that in years to come would change their lives, forever....