Patrick Jane sat staring at the blank paper in front of him, trying to think of something better to do. He was supposed to be writing a book report. He hadn't even decided on a book to write about. He wanted to write about Lord of the Rings, but his teacher, the evil Mrs. Lamprey, had Expressly Forbidden him to do so. He scanned his bookshelf for inspiration. Teresa Lisbon had once said that books were his one true love, which was a lie because it was not possible for him to be in love with an inanimate object such as a book, and because Teresa Lisbon was his one true love, obviously. He told he so four and a half years ago, on the first day of kindergarten when they met.

He walked up to her during morning playtime without a hint of shyness and said, "I love you. Will you marry me?"

She kicked him very hard in the shin and stalked off to the other side of the classroom.

He, of course, followed her, because what kind of future husband would he be if he didn't? She unfortunately failed to see the situation in the same way as he did, and promptly told the teacher he was bothering her, but not before smacking him soundly upside the head while the teacher wasn't looking. He didn't even mind being put in time-out (or the subsequent time-outs and notes home to his parents) because he was completely smitten with her.

The next several years consisted almost completely of him following her around without pause, despite her many protests. It helped significantly when the Lisbon family moved in across the street from the Jane family, and that Mrs. Jane and Mrs. Lisbon became fast friends.

He took to running out to play with Teresa and her younger brothers anytime he saw them outside. He tried knocking on the door to come play only once. Teresa opened the door and screamed at him to leave her alone for the love of God. He only gave her his most charming smile and told her she was both beautiful and scary when she got angry, before she made a very high-pitched noise of frustration and slammed the door in his face. He sighed happily as he made his way home again. He loved her.

It also helped that her brothers, two, five, and six years younger than them, found him fantastic.

Now, in fourth grade, Patrick Jane still hadn't written his book report. He had decided on a book at least. He would, eventually, somehow, write this one page report on The Little Prince. He wondered what book Teresa was writing about, and frowned. She had probably written this report weeks ago. He was sitting at his desk, the night before it was due, trying to make himself write. He decided that she would be decidedly unimpressed if he tried calling her to find out. She was less mean to him now, not that he minded the meanness, but that didn't stop her from growling in response to any of his many declarations of love to her. He called her anyway.

Teresa found every opportunity in the universe to tell Patrick Jane, in no uncertain terms, that she really, truly did not love him back. She usually liked to show him, physically, that he annoyed her. She pulled his hair, poked him, tripped him, stepped on his toes, and "accidentally" pushed him into a large puddle on the playground. More than once. And despite all of this, he never backed off. She would walk behind his desk and pull his hair, only to have him turn around, smirk at her and say, "Love you too, dear." It drove her crazy. Her mother called it puppy love and told her that someday it would go away, but she didn't see that happening anytime in the near future.

What she never told anyone, not even her mom, was that she maybe a little tiny bit and for no apparent reason, she actually liked Patrick Jane a little bit. She didn't love him, she was fairly certain of that. But slowly, she was beginning to find that when he wasn't going around quoting love sonnets (both ones he'd written himself and ones he'd memorized from a book) that she actually, sort of, didn't mind spending time with him. He was funny and easygoing and kind.

It occurred to her that his version of him only appeared when they were alone or with her brothers. He only chose to compare her to a summer's day in front of an audience, which she found irritating. She wanted him to be the Patrick she knew at home, rather than the show-offy one she knew at school. It was for that reason that she continued to pinch him and flick his ears in school. She also had a reputation to uphold. What would the other kids think if she suddenly stopped reacting to Patrick's antics and acted civilly to him in school? She wasn't sure. The only thing she was sure of, was that Patrick needed to stop acting one way at school and one way at home. Especially considering that a small part of her liked him liked him, but only at home. And no one could ever know that.

She was in the living room watching TV with her family when the phone rang. There was the usual scramble amongst her brothers to be the one to answer it, before their father snatched it up and answered.

"Hello? Hello to you too, Patrick." She froze. "I'm very well, and yourself? Of course, she's right here. Phone for you, honey."

She grabbed the phone and retreated to the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Teresa, hi! So, I was just wondering...have you done the book report yet?"

"I did it right after it was assigned, didn't you?"

"Psh, of course I did. What book did you write about?"

"I wrote about Nancy Drew. What did you write about? Not Lord of the Rings, I hope." She giggled.

"Unfortunately, no. I'm writ- I wrote about The Little Prince."

"You haven't written it." It wasn't a question.

"No. Well, I'm working on it. Planning it. I want it to be really good, since I couldn't write about what I wanted to."

"You mean you procrastinated the six weeks it's been assigned, leaving it until tonight."

"You read me like a book. A book! Get it? Since it's a book report."

"Clever. You know, Patrick, you would get your book report done much faster if you didn't waste time on the phone."

"Yes, well, maybe you're right."

"I am right. Get to work."

"All right, all right. You sound like my mother, nagging me like that."

"Good bye, Patrick."

"Bye, Teresa."

She wasn't mad! He was thrilled, actually. Maybe even a little bit more motivated to write his paper. And she'd giggled. The most beautiful sound in the world, as far as he was concerned. Patrick Jane felt on top of the world.

Sighing, he slowly began his paper. At least he knew the book well, not as well as he knew Lord of the Rings, but well enough anyway. One painstakingly long hour later, he finished, said good night to his parents, and went to bed. He closed his eyes and remembered the sound of Teresa Lisbon's giggle and wondered if maybe she was starting to come around. He would have to really impress her tomorrow to make her do it again.