Being the only American in the all German/Dutch boys and girls boarding school, Kristen was a continuous outcast. She didn't mind it though. She had always been different. It was nothing new. Although teased a lot, she probably had the most respect from all the students. She occasionally got a bloody nose when someone was in a bad mood. Among her many enemies, Zander had to be one of the worst. He was a big guy, at least a head taller then Kristen, very capable of taking her on, but he had never laid a finger on her. Patricia was also someone Kristen could live without. She taunted and teased Kristen as if it were a sport. She would follow her around and make every ill comment she could think of. Kristen would walk through the halls with Patricia following her, keeping quiet, followed also by admiring eyes. She once made eye contact with Zander. Zander saw the real truth in h eyes and was ashamed. Kristen had always come across as someone who never let pain get to her. No insults were enough to make her show her feelings or her pain, but that was all that Zander saw. Of course he couldn't stop though, but it came less often. Silently and secretly, Kristen gained respect and admiration.

Though Kristen had gone through pretty bad things, nothing would prepare her for what would be known as WWII. The war had gone on for about a year now. Kristen turned on the radio one day.

"Pearl Harbor has been bombed by Japanese forces! Several thousand marines killed!" Kristen dropped the books she was holding. She heard Patricia snickering behind her.

"Alright, this just got personal!" Kristen muttered to herself. The next day was mass. Kristen walked in late dressed in a military uniform.

"Kristen Rielles, what are you doing? What are you trying to pull?" the headmaster asked.

"Nothing, sir. I'm headed off to war in about an hour," Kristen replied. No one said anything.

"By the way, Patricia, I will personally track down your family in Germany, skin them alive and hang them by their eyelashes," Kristen said. Patricia went pale as Kristen walked out with a huge grin on her face. PK took her hand.

"Now be good. When I come back, I'll hear if you've made any trouble," Kristen said. PK nodded.

As the war raged went on, the students would wait by the radio to hear any news about their fellow classmate, but no news arrived. Finally the war ended and most believed that Kristen was dead. PK was all grown up and in college and still didn't believe that Kristen was dead. One day, he stepped out of his English class and saw Kristen standing at the end of the hall. He ran towards her and gave her a big bear hug.

"Careful, careful," she chuckled.

"Everyone believed you were dead, but I never lost hope," PK said. Kristen smiled as he kissed her on both cheeks.

"What happened?" PK asked.

"All in good time, my friend, all in good time. My story will unravel when it wants to," Kristen said.

"I've missed you so much. So much has happened since you left." "Well, I'm not surprised. It's been many years."