"Jamie, hi…"

"Whatta ya want, Carter? I've known you for years, and you've never been the first one to come up and say hello."

"I…I need help with my lines…"

Jamie stared at him in amazement. "Landon Carter is asking me for help?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay, I'll pray for you."

She obviously didn't get it. "No, Jamie, you don't understand…I really need help…"

Jamie laughed. "You've obviously never asked anybody for help before, right? A request like yours requires flattery and groveling… It can't be all about you. It has to be for the common good of everybody."

Landon figured he'd tell her what she wanted to hear. "It is for the common good, okay? Eddie Zimmerhoff deserves the best." 'Even if his play is a piece of shit…' Landon added in his head. 'Time to put on the charm, Landon…' "Please?"

Jamie finally succumbed to his request. "Okay, one condition, though, Carter."

'Piece of cake…' "What's that?"

"You have to promise you won't fall in love with me."

Was she serious? Landon had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. Him? Fall in love with Jamie Sullivan? Now that was funny. "That's not a problem."

"Okay, I'll see you this afternoon after school." She walked away, leaving Landon standing there all alone.

"Okay…" he called out to nobody. He couldn't believe what he'd just done.

When Landon had asked Jamie for help, he was certain he'd have no problem keeping his promise to her. But here it was, opening night of the play, and Landon could honestly say he missed her. After the incident in the hallway, they hadn't talked, even though he had made numerous attempts to do so. Landon just kept telling himself that he would do it for anybody…that he would do it for anyone as nice as Jamie. But there was always that little voice in the back of his head that told him he might have a bit of a thing for her. He didn't want to listen to it, though, so he tried to block it out as best he could.

"Pour me a drink, Joey." Landon tipped his hat to the bartender.

Sally, who was playing Caroline, turned to look at Landon's character, obviously annoyed. "You promised me, Tommy. No more of your no-good-niche schemes. You promised me we'd go to Paris!"

"Listen, I'm not gonna sit on my keister and watch all the fat cats in this town get rich! Trust me, this is a sure thing."

"That's it! We are through! Go ahead and run your booze, ya big dope, and I hope you drown in it!" Sally exclaimed as she turned and walked off the stage. Jamie's character, Alicia, made her first appearance. Sally almost ran into her. "So, you must be the new girl he's hired. The singer? You want some free advice about this one? Stay far away. He's nothin' but trouble and cheap spats!"

The play was going great, or at least as great as could be expected, with the script and all. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't going to be the next Broadway hit or anything. It had come time for Jamie and Landon's scene, and neither could have been more nervous.

"Look, I ain't blamin' ya. I ain't askin' for forgiveness, either. I just did what I had to…" 'God, this sucks. At least Jamie's finally taking off that rug they call a cape. And maybe…whoa.'

She looked amazing. Her soft, chestnut locks were curled loosely and were hanging around her face, framing it and capturing her truest essence. A small amount of blush covered her cheeks and gloss coated her full, round lips. Her dress hugged her in all the right places, giving her just the right amount of curviness and showing off her slim figure.

'Oh, God! What's my line? I can't remember…' Landon stuttered, "…When you walked outta the rain and into my club, that wasn't just a coincidence, was it?"

"Nothing's coincidence."

"Your face, you looked so familiar. Like this dame I knew once, only it was real, it was a dream…"

"Tell me about this dream girl."

"Well, I don't…rememeber… All I know, is you're beautiful." He meant it with everything he was, and Landon knew it was the first time he'd ever nailed that line. But now he needed the rest of his lines, and he couldn't remember them for the life of him. Landon desperately looked off stage. Jamie was so…distracting, and Landon couldn't seem to find the words. Ms. Garber mouthed his line to him.

'Oh, yeah…' "The dream. Help me to remember. Will you sing for me?"

That was Jamie's cue. The music started and she stood up.

"There's a song that's inside of my soul.
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again
I'm awake in the infinite cold.
But you sing to me over and over and over again.

So, I lay my head back down.
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope.

Sing to me the song of the stars.
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again.
When it feels like my dreams are so far
Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again."

As Jamie sang, Landon watched her, his head flooding with emotions. He didn't know what to think. One part of him was telling him to go for it – that he really did like her and should show her. The other, more cynical part, was telling him that she was just the preacher's daughter and probably wouldn't give him the time of day. He'd already treated her like she didn't matter, so why should he matter to her? What reason did she have for forgiving him?

"So I lay my head back down.
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours
I know now, you're my only hope.

I give you my destiny.
I'm giving you all of me.
I want your symphony, singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs, I'm giving it back.

So I lay my head back down.
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours
I pray, to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope."

As Jamie hummed the last few bars of the song, Landon had come to a realization. He'd decided that he wanted her, and that he would do anything it took to get her. 'God, I can't believe it. I'm actually falling for her…hell, fallen would be a better way to say it. The girl I've said maybe ten complete sentences to in eighteen years. The girl I've sat and made fun of with my friends. The girl whose father hates me with every fiber of his being. The girl who drives me crazy with her ever-positive attitude. Yep, I've definitely fallen for Jamie Sullivan…and I can't take it anymore.' The last note was barely out of her mouth when Landon leaned over the small table that separated them and kissed her…