1.

The first time I met Christian Grey, I was five years old.

It was my first day at kindergarten and I was in a purple dress with ridiculously non-matching green and pink neon knee high socks. My shoes were covered in sparkles and lit up with each step. (I was an eccentric dresser okay?).

Carla and Ray (mom and dad) had just dropped me off and my teacher, sensing my nerves, took me by the hand and led me into the class. I had been excited up until this point but seeing a sea full of loud kids running around with foam swords and paint splattered brushes sent a wave of nausea down my little belly and I stood still, completely scared straight. I wasn't a loud energetic child. I was the quiet kid who liked books and colouring and exploring in the woods with my dad. These kids were nightmares. To her credit, my teacher, Miss Rose, was patient and lovely. She showed me where to hang my coat and bag and directed me over to a quieter colouring table where there was only kid. A boy. He had messy unruly blond-brown hair and pretty eyes. "I remember thinking he was the only one who looked even remotely normal. He sat, colouring in his dragon with a quiet determination. I picked up the same picture as him to colour in. When I started to colour it in purple, he scrunched up his nose and told me I was wrong. I frowned.

"It's supposed to be green not purple," he said, as though it was completely obvious. He held up his own picture as if to prove his point.

"I like purple," I told him with a quiet defiance I didn't quite know I had in me just then.

He thought for a moment as though considering. "It's got to be green," he finally settled on, firm in his decision.

He picked up another shade of green and coloured in the tail.

I carried on with the purple.

After playtime, we were read a story by Miss Rose. The boy, to my surprise, sat right next to me on the bean bags. He shared my bean bag.

"What's your name?" He asked me quietly. We weren't supposed to be talking.

"Anastasia Steele but mom and dad call me Ana," I whispered back. "What's yours?"

"Christian Grey but mom and dad call me Christian."

I smiled and he smiled back.

The teacher started the story and we were both quiet, absorbed by the tale of the lost princess.

At lunch, Christian Grey but just Christian sat next to me again. We both got excited when we realised we had the same PB&J sandwiches.

Another girl came over to our table and sat right next to Christian. She had golden hair and I thought she looked like a princess. I remember I didn't want her to sit next to him. He was my new friend, not hers. I may or may not have scowled at her.

"My name is Katherine Kavanagh and I am five and a half," she said, holding up all five fingers. She sipped from a juice box and her fingernails were painted pink like my moms were sometimes.

"Hi," Christian smiled at her.

I may or may not have scowled at her again.

But then she said she liked my bracelet dad had got me for my birthday and I couldn't help but smile at her.

We all played outside together after lunch. Katherine suggested tag and I kept wanting

"Christian to tag me.

He did.

After that, we played hide and seek and Christian and I cheated by hiding together. We sat behind a tree, whispering and giggling that Katherine couldn't find us. I remember thinking he smelled really nice. Like soap and clean clothes. His polo shirt was khaki green, and he had shorts on. His cheeks were red after all the running, and I had butterflies in my belly.

At the end of the day when we were putting on our coats and reuniting with our parents, Christian ran over to me before we left.

"Ana," he said.

I looked at him.

He screwed his face hard in concentration, like he was thinking about something very serious. After a few seconds of this, he nodded.

"Ana, I do think Dragons can be purple," he finally said before running off.

I didn't stop smiling all the way home."

Fall fell into winter quite quickly during my first term at kindergarten. When the leaves fell off the trees, Christian and I picked them together and made a huge poster in the classroom later that afternoon. We got gold star stickers. When snow fell for the first time that year, we made a snowman called Mr Snow-girl (which totally defeated the purpose) because I didn't see how all snowmen could actually be men. It was one of our disagreements but just like the dragons, Christian eventually came around.

Before I knew it, Christmas was fast approaching and whilst I was ecstatic for the holidays, I knew it would be a long time before I saw my friends again. Especially Christian. In addition to Kate, we'd also made another friend called Jose. He had brown skin and black hair and he always wanted to sit next to me. Christian didn't like that very much, but he could be shy sometimes. So whenever Jose would take Christian's seat, I'd move mine next to him. He liked that a lot.

A few days after Christmas, I was playing with my new barbie when the door knocked. Billy, my beloved dog, as usual beat me to it. We were in competition you see. Who could get to the door the fastest got a treat. Usually it was Billy. Mom joined us a few seconds later (I wasn't allowed to open the door and Billy, for obvious reasons, couldn't either). On the other side was Christian standing next to a tall blonde lady.

"Hi Ana," he said, a little nervously.

I ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"Christian what are you doing at my house?" I asked, shocked and surprised. And equally parts thrilled.

"Come in, come in," my mom ushered them inside, and the blonde lady looked down at me with a lovely smile.

"You must be Ana. Christian's told me all about you." She had a soft voice and she smelled like flowers.

I was the one to grow shy then.

"Ana, myself and your mom thought you and Christian could have a play date today," she said.

"Can I show him my room?" I asked Carla, eager to show Christian all the cool things I had.

"Of course," she said. "I'll make us a cup of tea Grace."

On the way upstairs I told Christian that his mom was really nice.

"She is," he agreed.

He wasn't surprised when most things in my room were purple. Like my bedding and my curtains. And my dresser and carpet. It was my favourite colour after all. I showed him the things I knew he'd be interested in, like my roller skates.

"I haven't got these," he said, taking his shoes off and putting them on.

When he stood up and tried to move, he fell over and I giggled, helping him up.

"It's all about balance my mom said," I told him, like the professional five-year-old skater I was. "Like this."

I demonstrated best as I could and after a few more failed attempts, he got the hang of it. He told me he'd tell his mom and dad to get him some and then we could go roller-skating together. I thought that was the best idea ever.

Afterwards, I showed him my toy story collection and then we played dress up for ages. He was a pirate and I was a princess. My bed was the ship and he pretended to throw me overboard.

"I'd never really throw you overboard though Ana," he told me afterwards.

"I know," I smiled. "I'd never really throw you overboard either."

Mom made us cookies and milk later on and when it was time for Christian to go, I didn't want him to. Logically, I knew he had to eventually but I wanted us to have a sleepover. I'd have a sleepover at Kate's house a few weeks ago and it was great. We made friendship bracelets and played with all her mom's makeup. We slept together in Kate's pink bed. She had a double like my parents.

When I asked, my mom and Grace exchanged funny looks before Grace answered me.

"I don't think that would be for the best right now honey," she said kindly. "Play-dates are just as much fun."

"But I stayed at Kate's," I said, (well, whined if we're going to be completely honest) looking up at my mom.

"That was different sweetheart," she told me.

I looked over at Christian to see him staring at his shoes. He didn't say anything. It then dawned on me that maybe he didn't want to stay. Maybe he didn't want a sleepover with me. I didn't ask him because I wasn't quite sure I wanted the answer. Instead I pouted and turned away crossing my arms.

"Ana, honey, don't be rude," my mom warned me. "Say goodbye to Christian and Grace."

I reluctantly turned around, saying goodbye quietly.

"We'll see you soon Ana," Grace smiled.

Christian was still quiet. I remember him not saying goodbye, not properly anyway. He gave me a small wave.

Later that night, mom explained that Christian wasn't quite ready for sleepovers yet. She told me he was scared. I was confused as to why he was scared of me.

"But I'm his bestest friend," I said sadly.

"You are," she nodded. "But "she nodded. "But Christian…he's had a bit of a tough time. He's not quite ready to stay out yet, away from his mom. He will be one day though okay?"

I nodded.

After I was in bed and whilst lying in the dark, I had a funny feeling in my tummy. Guilt was the name for it, but back then, I didn't know that word. I felt bad that Christian was scared. I got out of bed and went over to my roller-skates where they were lying after Christian had taken them off. I opened up my desk drawer and pulled out all my markers. I selected green and began colouring in my skates. I'd give them to Christian at our next play-date. I wanted him to have them.

Maybe if he had my skates, he wouldn't be as scared anymore.