Title: All the Ways I Love You
Fandom: Cory in the House
Genre: pre-series, post-series (as of season two), AU-ish
Rating: T/PG-13
Summary: "We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first." -Anonymous
Disclaimer: I do not own Cory in the House.
Author's Notes: This is in the same continuality as True Friendship. Also, I haven't seen any new episodes since Monster's Ball, so don't expect anything from them (though I have read the synopses and darn you Disney for Lip Service!)

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"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." -Michael Leunig
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Prologue
2003
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Newton Livingston III sat fidgeting in his seat. The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, frowning slightly, but refrained from saying anything.

Newt frowned back, crossing his arms. When the driver returned focus to the road, Newt stuck out his tongue and fidgeted again. He normally wasn't such a (as his father would have termed) obnoxious child, but he was in an uncharacteristically bad mood. His mother had promised to drive him to school for the first day, but was unable because she was the Chief Justice. Newt rolled his eyes at the thought.

The car pulled up to the curb, in front of Washington Preparatory Academy. Newt huffed and grabbed his bookbag. "See ya later, William," he called to the driver as he climbed out.

He was slowly walking towards the school's front gates when he heard a strange language that he had never heard before. Stopping, Newt noticed a girl his age listening to her nanny. He tried to place the language, but could not. Definitely not a Romance one though.

Newt watched as the nanny left and the girl spoke to herself in that odd language. It was then that she looked over and noticed Newt staring at her. Both blushed and the girl ran into the school. Newt bit his lip, then followed. He should apologize, staring was impolite, his mother always said so.

The girl had gone into the school office and was talking with Miss Vosburg. He stood fidgeting in the hallway, wondering if she should just wait until she was done. Listening, Newt realized that she was new. Well, what better way to apologize than to show her around the campus?

Newt grinned and quickly went into the office, "Miss V!" he greeted enthusiastically, walking up to her desk.

"Newton," Miss Vosburg smiled while the new girl just looked at him nervously.

"Aw, Miss V!" he cried out dramatically and covered his heart with a hand, "Call me Newt!"

"I am not calling you by an amphibian's title, Newton," Miss Vosburg smiled; she always enjoyed this part of their banter. The changing the subject: "Miss Paroom is new here; why don't you show her the school? I'll even give the two of you late passes."

Newt tried to stifle a grin because his plan worked, "Awesome!"He turned to the new girl, "I'm Newt."

Miss Vosburg cleared her throat meaningfully.

Newt smiled sheepishly and introduced himself properly, "Newton Livingston the third."

"The third?" the girl asked in soft accented English.

"My parents," he shrugged, "you know."

She looked confused, but continued on with the introductions, "I'm Meena Paroom."

Newt committed the name to memory. "C'mon, Meena, lemme show you this place!" He grabbed the passes and Meena's hand and quickly pulled her out of the office, ready to start the tour.

Grinning, he pointed out random rooms as they passed by. "I'm gonna show you the best part of this place - the cafeteria! The lunch ladies are always there and if I play it just right, they might give us some of the dessert from lunch."

Meena was smiling at him and blushing lightly, listening to every word he said.

Making sure he didn't talk too fast for her, Newt couldn't help but grin even wider.

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"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." -Anais Nin
--

Author's Notes: Most of this scene is from True Friendship (it's in Meena's POV there), but you don't have to read that, since it's pretty similar. Also, this story is pretty much already written (just gotta finish editing the last few chapters), so I'm going to try to post one new chapter a day. Here's hoping.
Word Count: 578
Date Written: 2.17-18, 21; 3.1.2008