A/N: Hello, dearies. Been a while, yes? I'm ever so sorry. It seems as if I've gone round the bend. I'm mad, out of my mind. But here's a secret. The best people are. -maniacal laughter is heard- Whoops. There goes the Flutterwig. Enjoy this.

Chapter 1

Belle Morte

I knew what he was from the moment I saw him in third grade. I watched him grow up with me, which had baffled me almost to the point of insanity. In the fifth grade, he took me to a field where two dead rabbits were. I hadn't freaked out. I hadn't run away. I'd calmly looked at him. Just looked at him, not with any expression. He had done the same to me until I had hugged him. Hard. He had stood rigidly for a moment then hugged me back. That was the day I knew absolutely, for sure. We had been the best of friends since.

Today is his fourteenth birthday. I find it odd that he was born exactly one month and one year before me. His cake is huge and filled with ice cream and only for us two and his family, or his mother and father.

His hair, which I always loved running my hands through, is down and waving like a black curtain. His eyes are like melted emeralds when he opens my gift (new black Converse high-tops) and looks at me with happiness. His face has made such a perfectly angelic expression that I just have to look away. "Thank you so much, Alissa," he whispers in his wonderfully beautiful voice.

Something quivers in me and I smile at him, not looking into those wonderful eyes. "It's the least I could do, Allie," I respond, using the nickname I had assigned to him in sixth grade.

He grimaces playfully. "Its Alex, Liz. Not Allie." He shakes his head in mock reproach. "And I thought we were making progress." He sighs and runs a finger along the top of his new shoes.

I sigh as well and pick up a napkin from the table next to me. I examine it then glance up. He's still admiring his shoes. I quickly fling the napkin at him and giggle when it lands on his head, making him look like a nun. "Nope. Still as childish as ever."

He looks up at me, his face turning into something serious. Or as close as he can get to serious. "You know, I thought girls mature faster than boys. I guess those scientists never met someone like you." He stands, the napkin falling off his head, forgotten, to the ground.

I stand and start to back away from him, trying to look as serious as I can. "They aren't very good, then. Because I knew this one girl, who-"

At that moment, he lunges at me. I giggle, turn, and run from him. I climb up a ladder to stand in a large platform with walls and a tarp as a ceiling. We had made this in sixth grade, with the help of his father, of course.

I plop down with my back to a corner and stare around, still giggling slightly. "Allie! Where are you? Aren't you coming to get me?" I edge toward the ladder and poke my head over the side. I don't see him anywhere in the back yard. I frown and try to remember if there's another way into the little house. There is. The wall is only covering half of the space on the opposite side of the ladder. I spin around and see him leaning casually against one wall.

"Allie!" I exclaim, edging slowly to back up against a wall.

"Alissa. I'm not a nun, no matter what you throw on my head." Alex stalks toward me. I inch away. "My name's not Allie, no matter how many times you call me that. I know you don't like it when I call you Liz or Lisa." He's one foot from me. He takes another step. He's about six inches from my face. I can smell the scent of his aftershave. He puts up his hands on either side of my face and leans another two inches closer. I can see the flecks of silver in his endless green eyes. I can feel his body heat. I can feel the rough texture of the wood at my back.

A song by Cage the Elephant runs through my head. I laugh out loud. He gives me a calculating look.

"I don't know whether to kiss you or ask what you're laughing at," he mutters, his cool breath fanning over my face.

I stop laughing and stare at him with wide eyes. "K-k-kiss me?" I stutter out, scared out of my mind. My heart skips a beat as that sentence sinks in. Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God!

"As one final present? Please, Alissa?" His eyes are pleading me as well. I swear that I can see them shine some.

I gulp. Then I close my eyes, open my mouth, and let out a long breath. I take in another, tilt my head up, and press my lips to his cheek. I pull my face away and he just stares at me. Oh God. Please don't tell me he'll kiss me! My heart speeds a little and I look away. He slips toward me, pressing his whole body against mine. I gasp and look up into his eyes. He stares down levelly at me.

"Alex? Could you step back please?" I whimper. My heart fells like its in my throat. My stomach churns uneasily. My knees are starting to wobble. My vision blurs. Why am I so scared? I ask myself. I take a deep breath, trying to calm down.

When he speaks, his lips brush mine. "Why? Are you uncomfortable? I'm not. I feel as comfortable as possible while standing." He smiles. It's a slow, seductive smile that makes me almost melt.

I gulp again. Then I hear the most beautiful sound in the world; his mother shouting.

"Alexander! Alissa! Dinner's done! Are you hungry?" she yells from the back door.

Alex sighs slowly and turns slightly so he's not yelling in my face. "Yes, mom! We'll be in in a few." He turns back to me. "I am certainly hungry."

I shiver and follow when he jumps to the ground.

Predictably, dinner is quiet. I calmly eat my cheesy mashed potatoes while his mother and father converse about some trivial thing.

"Alissa? You seem distant," his mom says to me.

I jump and look up. "Sorry, Ms. Strovano. I have a lot to think about."

After cutting a quick glance at her son, she smiles kindly at me. "I see. And didn't I tell you to call me by my first name?" Her tone has turned to something like a private joke.

"Sorry, Gabriella. Actually, can I just call you mom?"

She thinks it over a moment. "You're already here a lot. I don't see why not. Anyway, I was wondering if you're staying here tonight. I need to know whether or not to pick up more Coca-Cola for our floats."

I look at Alex. He ever-so-slightly nods. I look back at Gabriella. "Sure. If its okay with you guys." I smile a not-so-convincing smile. It probably looks like someone is grinding my toe into the floor.

She gives me an odd look then sighs and looks at Mr. Strovano. "I don't understand teenagers. Do you have any ideas?"

He chuckles. It's a deep sound that echos. "My dear, I have no idea whatsoever! Its been so long since I was that young."

"And I," she sighs out. Her face takes on a dreamy look. "Those times were wonderful. So carefree."

Gabriella is taller with pale skin, green eyes, and deep red hair that is so wavy its like a blood red ocean that frames a heart-shaped face. She loves to outline her eyes in wild colors of green or red or pink. Her skin is so flawless that even if she steps into direct sunlight, which would throw ever blemish into a spotlight, its smooth. Her tall form has curves that make me a little envious. Right now, she's wearing a black V-neck shirt and a pair of form-fitting blue skinny jeans with a pair of black wedge heels.

Alex's father, Dezriel, is tall as well, just a few inches taller than Gabriella, with the same flowing black hair of his son and blue eyes set into an oval face, deep enough in that his brow bone throws shadows over them. He's thin with muscles all over. He's wearing a tight black t-shirt and loose blue jeans with black combat boots. He has five o'clock shadow.

I shift in my seat and take a long gulp of sweet tea. I notice Alex watching my every move, like he usually does. It makes me kind of uncomfortable, like always. The normality of it hits me hard and I almost fall out of my seat. I hold still, all except for a slight flinch. Of course, because he's watching like a hawk, Alex notices.

"Alissa? Are you finished?" he asks quietly.

I gulp and nod. "Yeah. Um, come with me to wash our dishes?" I stand as the rest of his family does.

Gabriella smiles and walks into the living room as Dezriel goes to the garage to work on his old Jeep. I take that as a way to tell us to wash all the dishes and pile them up with Alex silently.

I hear him sigh now and again then I take a large pile into the kitchen. I had left barely any dishes on the table. I know he can get them. I put the hatch of the dishwasher down and pull out the bottom drawer. I set in the bowls and plates, slide it back in, and pull out the top before Alex says anything.

"Sorry," he mutters as he sticks forks and spoons into the bottom drawer while I get out the detergent.

I turn back to him and raise an eyebrow, a silent invitation for him to continue.

He sighs again and hugs me with one arm. I stand stick-straight as he does so, afraid to move. "I'm sorry for making you so uncomfortable. Hormones make people do crazy things. I think I had a sudden burst of them in that little house. Can you forgive me?" He gives me puppy eyes, making his eyes gleam and sparkle in the kitchen lights.

I smile at him and slip out of his arm to put detergent in. I close the dishwasher then turn to find him leaning against a counter across from me. I hadn't heard him move. I rarely do anymore. I grin and throw a dish towel at him.

He catches it easily, sets it down next to him, crosses over to me, and picks me up in a spinning hug. "You didn't answer me," he mutters when he sets me down. He's still got his arms around me and he's speaking right in my ear.

"I don't know." I pull back from him and turn away. "Its difficult to decide . . . should I forgive you? Or should I not?" I grin at the empty space in front of me. "Sounds so Shakespearian. Kind of a 'to be or not to be' thing." I spin around to find him just staring at me. "Don't you think?"

"I'm not answering you until you answer me," he responds, face blank.

I giggle and hug him, loving the feel of his arms around me. "That's probably the only time you'll ever hear me giggle, best friend," I say into his chest. "I love the puppy eyes, you should try that on Gabriella and Dezriel. Oh, and you're forgiven."

He sighs in relief and hugs me tighter. "I'm so glad about that, best friend. You should giggle more, though. I have tried those eyes. Its like they have a shield against it or something. Ridiculous." He chuckles, sending vibrations through his chest, when I mumble an agreement.

I sigh. "I love these times when we can just hug and talk like this," I say, taking deep gulps of his scent; wintergreen, passion flowers, and air before the rain (the charged kind when there's about to be a thunder storm). I look up and he smiles down at me.

"You're not the only one. I like to hug you. You smell really good, you know. Like peaches and jasmine and cherry blossoms, with a slight tinge of chamomile. Your hair smells like strawberries. Its delicious just to be around you." He gives me a tiny squeeze and puts his face into my hair.

I laugh and slip my fingers through his hair. "Your hair is softer than silk. I absolutely love it. You're my favorite person to be around. My best friend."

"The same goes to you, Lisa." He lifts his face and exhales heavily. "I guess we should go do our homework. Or you could copy mine, since I'm done, while I put away my gifts." He grins a breath-taking grin, full of perfect white teeth, takes my hand, and sweeps me up to his room.

"I don't understand this problem!" I groan, hitting my forehead on my math textbook. My head hurts like someone has blasted Opera into my ears, hit me with a baseball bat, and slammed my face into a sidewalk. I stand up, stretch, and watch as Alex sets down a new book and comes see how I'm doing.

"Its all simple, really. Just write what comes to you, you know? Did you even pay attention to see what the formula is?" He frowns at me, looking so much like a teacher that I laugh a little. His frown gets more pronounced and he raises an eyebrow.

I smile a little and give a sheepish look. "Yes?"

"Alissa! You have to take this more seriously! Don't you want a good job? Don't you want to be able to go to the best collages? Actually, let me rephrase that. Don't you want to get lots of money and be a smart celebrity?" His last question is sarcastic.

I groan again and turn away from him. "You suck. You, your math book, and your knowing almost everything about me!" I pick up my cell phone and dial my mom. On the third ring, she picks up.

"Hey, Lisa. Staying at Gabriella's?" my mom asks before I can utter a syllable.

"Yeah, if its okay." I don't usually just chat with my mom on the phone. She kind of paranoid and slightly insane. She says there's government conspiracies and that they listen to phone calls, which I find impossible.

"Sure, no plans tonight. Just remember that school ends in two days. Do your best, even if you don't like it. I'll see you when I see you. Bye, honey."

"Bye, mom. Love you."

"Love you too." She hangs up.

I flip my phone closed, turn around, and go back to the confusing math.

A/N: Love it? Hate it? Should I tell you what Alexander is? I guess you can probably guess now. Just tell me what you think he is in a review and I'll mention who's right in my next chapter.

Review and I'll love you forever! ;)