Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, but alas, I have been inspired finally, plus SHA comes out today and I finally got my college acceptance letter, so yeah, it's been a good day and I'm rewarding my readers in my happiness, that is if any of you ARE still reading... oh, and btw, I should probably tell you so you aren't left wondering, this part is fast forward a few years, so the gang is all about thirteen or fourteen...

"Melanie, hold still," Pearl Smooter exclaimed, exasperated.

"But Momma, it hurts, why do I need all them anyhow?" Mel questioned.

"Because, my little girl is gonna be picked as the prettiest one it the whole state of Alabama, and your hair can't be falling down while that's going down," Pearl told her.

Melanie crossed her arms in a huff and sat back in the swivel chair, sighing loudly.

Her mother took this opportunity to tilt her head towards the floor and pin the last few tendrils in place.

Meanwhile Mel began to pick at the sequins and beads on the deep emerald gown she wore, the one that her grandmother had made special for this Montgomery event.

"Melanie, stop fidgeting, we're through," Pearl said, giving up, half in frustration. She knew better than to go all out, her hard work might not even hold up for the next half hour as it were.

Just then the coordinator entered the room, "Ladies, please take your positions, we're starting," the stiff, balding man proclaimed loudly.

"Go get 'em, Melanie," Pearl Smooter said, giving Mel a quick peck on the cheek and heading out to sit with her husband in the auditorium.

Melanie spun her place card nervously, blurring the bold black type bearing her number, the thirty seven nearly smudged completely away by the perspiration coming off her hands.

When the time finally came, Melanie stepped out onto the stage and began the practiced walk and routine, perhaps slightly too quickly out of sheer anxiety.

While completing her final turn, she noticed a pair of wildly waving arms from the corner of her eye. On second glance she noticed that they belonged to her best friend, Bobby Ray, who sat in the center of the first row along with Eldon, Wade, and Jake. She hid a smile and snuck a sideways glance at Jake's face before scampering off to the dressing room to prepare for the next round.

Jake sat awkwardly in the audience, pulling nervously at the collared shirt his momma had insisted he done for the event. Not that he minded of course, because he really wanted to see Mel win, even if he knew she didn't really want it for herself and only did it to please her momma. Jake's leg began to bounce up and down, more out of boredom than anything and he decided that he'd take a water break before the next round.

On his way back from the water fountain, Jake re-entered the auditorium doors only to discover that the lights were now dimmed and the event was already in progress. He continued slowly down the aisle trying to figure out how to sneak subtly back to his seat, staring at his feet the whole way, until he heard the announcer call out Melanie's name, at which point he abruptly looked up. Big mistake.

He had neglected to pay enough attention to take in the information in the program and over the loudspeaker that the next event was the bathing suit competition. He was sure that he wasn't the only guy in the audience to notice that Mel had begun to, uh, develop into a woman, and the little blue tankini with daises she was sporting left little to a teenage boy's imagination, or really any for that matter. Yet, Jake couldn't bring himself to drool, he simply sunk into his seat and caught her attention long enough to add an encouraging smile to counteract her obvious nervousness. Now if only he could find a way to resist the urge to steal her away and throw his jacket over her as if it would cover enough. 'Anything would be a start over the current attire,' Jake thought, grinning.

As the round ended and the commentator announced that there would be a brief intercession while the judges made their decisions, Jake once again began to get nervous. 'What if Mel didn't win, or worse what if she did?' After all, this could only be the beginning of a long haul if Pearl Smooter got her way, which for Melanie was any one that meant leaving Alabama and moving on into the real world.

After ten agonizing minutes the seven judges began to announce the scores as the forty girls crammed onto the stage and prepared for the worst. Jake couldn't believe his ears when the end came and Melanie was crowned Little Miss Alabama, though he didn't know if his shock was anything compared to the barrage of emotions flickering across Melanie's face.

After all the hype had calmed and the family and townsfolk gathered to congratulate Melanie, Jake's mother came up behind him from her place with the adults and nudged him in the shoulder.

"Well, aren't you at least gonna go and tell her she done good, Jake?" Stella Perry urged her son.

"Yeah, later, momma," Jake mumbled.

"Oh, come on, scaredy cat, I'm right behind you," Stella said, dragging him over and throwing her arms around the surprisingly momentarily abandoned Melanie, careful not to crush her flowers.

"Congratulations, sugar, you totally deserve it," Stella cooed to Melanie.

"Yeah, Mel, you were really pretty up there," Jake said nervously, coming to stand a few inches from her.

"Thanks, Jake, I really appreciate you guys coming all the way from home to see me," Mel told him.

"Yeah, well..." Jake stuttered.

"What he means to say is anytime, and anything for you, sweetheart," Stella offered.

"Yeah," Jake echoed.

Melanie trailed off to meet and accept others' comments, leaving the two alone.

"You know you ain't foolin' anyone, Jake, least of all your momma," Stella told him.

"I just don't know what you're talkin' about," Jake said, not daring to look her in the eye.

"Sure you do, you got the biggest crush on little Melanie and the whole world can see it, even though you can't seem to admit it yourself," Stella told him, laughing and walking off to leave the obviously flustered boy to his thoughts.

Jake sighed and walked outside the side door to get some fresh air and clear his head. He was shocked to find Mel seated on a green bench in the festive courtyard.

"Whatcha doin' out here, Mel," Jake said, sitting beside her. So much for an escape.

"I didn't want to be in there no more," Mel answered, "that's momma's dream, not mine, and these shoes hurt my feet," Mel said, trying not to complain as she held up the aforementioned and since discarded heels.

Jake stole a glance down at her feet which were slightly red and puffy before squatting down to rub them as a favor to a friend.

"You don't have to do that Jake, I mean, my feet will be ok and all," Mel said, not sure how to accept his generosity.

"No problem," Jake countered, and continued rubbing Mel's sore feet through her tights.

They sat they way silently, Mel looking down on Jake in concentration and admiration, and Jake trying hard to focus on anything but the task at hand and attempting to ignore the subtle flickering feelings her was bombarded with.

As Jake rose and set Mel's feet back on the pavement, he also scooted in with newfound bravery, and, after a few moments hesitation, planted an awkward kiss near Melanie's mouth.

The two jumped apart almost as quickly as they came together, the moment diminishing rapidly. Now they could only wait in quiet anxiety until the adults found them.

Hoping to ease the tension, Jake grabbed Melanie's hand and began to rub the back of it with his thumb, not wanting to say anything stupid to harm the new 'them' any further.