9/7/02, Sydney, Australia

The sky is falling, she thought. It's going down, and it's going to bring me down with it. Then again, maybe that's what she wanted.

The girl was rather annoyed that day, and for not much of a reason. She was dissatisfied with how puffy her high side ponytail was, and how the hibiscus flower clip didn't quite sit right. She was annoyed at the knobbiness of her knees and her long legs, which contradicted the rest of her rather small body. She was so completely done with this heat, making her bangs stick to her face and the light pink smock she wore damp under her arms. If one didn't know better, they'd say she was annoyed at everything, but that wasn't quite the case. Suddenly, another thought of the sky shattering into a million glassy pieces was interrupted.

"Pinterry! Come out! We've been yelling for ten minutes!"

Pinterry didn't bother to respond to the Italian in her backyard, but rather picked up a paintbrush. Yes, this is what she loved. Peace and quiet. Nothering but her and a clear white wall, which would soon be covered in pink flowers. However, the wall was not clear at all. All over it , lillies were drooping and blossoming, such a beautiful contradiction to the little girl. She shook her head and dipped the thick brush into a container of white paint. No more lillies. Romeo was being annoying, so why keep his favorite flower on her walls?

The brush had just barely touched the wall when a sharp cry broke through the silence.

"You're painting over them?!" Great. Apparently she had left the door open.

"Yes, I am. The paint was starting to peel anyway."

"Liar!"

"Liar yourself!"

"What did I lie about?!"

"I don't know! Go away!" Please, she prayed silently. This silent plea, however, was ignored by a hand removing the paintbrush from her own. Another hand, smaller and warmer this time, replaced the one that had taken the paintbrush and rested on the girl's shoulder. She turned to be met with another friend's grin, a wide and innocent grin under shining blue eyes and muddy blonde hair. Peter too? So they're both here?

This was everything but wonderful. It seemed that the idea of a wonderful morning of peace was now obsolete.

"What do you two want?" The child glared at both the Italian and the Sealander, feeling rather digruntled.

"You promised to come out today!" Did she?

"Peter's right, picolla ragazza!"

"Picollo? What?"

A teasing sigh escaped Romeo. "Little girl. Picolla. Ragazza."

Pinterry rolled her eyes, once again exasperated by the constant nicknames. "Yeah yeah, get on with it. Do I really have to go out today?"

"Yes! You promised!"

"Since when?!"

"Last week, Pinty! Remember?"

"Nope."

"After we got gelato with Romeo and Feliciano, you promised! You said..." Peter stopped for a moment, placing a hand on his hip and sticking his nose in the air, frowning and

pointing a finger at Pinterry before going on to mimick her high pitched voice with \what could only be described as a terrible English/ Australian accent. "Foyne, oy'll go with you, but only if we go to an aht stoh." His voice returned to it's normal quality as he looked up expectantly. "And then we made you promise. Remember?"

"No, I don't. And I don't sound anything like that at all!" She shot a glance at Romeo, almost begging him to agree. This was met with his olive green eyes shooting away, his face red.

"I... definitely never gave the bambino that idea! Not at all! Never!"

"Either way, you're soming with us today!"

Pinterry sighed. This day didn't seem to be going much of anywhere anyway.

"Fine. I'll go." With that, the two boys grabbed her arms with glee and the trio tromped down the attic stairs and down to the door, making their way outside for a day of adventure.

~END OF CHAPTER ONE~