10 Years Old

Alex and her parents made their way over to the Cooper Cottage, it was now a tradition that whoever got there first had to make dinner. They knocked on the back door, and before long Jimmy Cooper called for them to come in. They said all their hello's and Alex kept looking around.

"Where's Julie?" Patricia Kelly asked.

Jimmy turned around and handed Josh Kelly a beer, and a glass of wine to Patricia. "At home, with Marissa. She got the chicken pox, she's just getting over them they should be up in no time at all."

"Is she okay?" Alex asked a little worried about her friend.

Jimmy smiled. "She's fine, just itchy and she doesn't really want to come out of her room because of the little red bumps, you know how she is." Alex nodded and let out a little laugh.

One week later

Alex was sitting down on the dock staring out at the water wondering when she was going to see Marissa. It had been a whole year since she had seen her and she felt like she was going to burst if she didn't see her friend soon.

"What are you looking at?"

Alex smiled. "The water."

"Just the water, isn't that like totally boring?" Marissa sat down next to Alex.

Looking over at her friend she smiled. "Nope, it's calm."

"Miss me?"

"Yep."

The next day the girls father took them out on the boat fishing. "Alex can you please sit still. You're not going to catch anything if you take the line out of the water every ten seconds."

Alex bounced her leg up and down. "Sorry dad it's just mad boring."

"Mad boring?" Marissa raised an eyebrow at her.

"Heard it on MTV, what are you gonna do about it?"

"Push you in the water." The brunette threatened.

Alex laughed and left her fishing rod in its stand on the edge of the boat and got up. She walked over to the edge of the boat and turned around to look at Marissa, their fathers not paying attention but enjoying their beers.

"Come on doo it, chicken head." Marissa folded her arms in front of her chest. "Oh you're such a chicken, I should feed you to the evil rabbits."

Just as Marissa was walking towards Alex, Jimmy told her not to even think about it, and Alex started laughing.

"Alex I think you might have caught a fish you should check it." Her father told her as he seen her line start to move.

At that moment Marissa's line started to move in it's place. "Daddy help I can't pull it." Marissa was struggling to reel the fish in. Even though Alex was having no problems and was proud of herself for finally catching a fish she dropped her line and ran over to help Marissa. "What about yours?"

"It's okay we can share."

"Okay." With that said Alex put her hands on top of Marissa and the two girls tugged the pole towards themselves

With one more tug the girls were able to pull it into the boat where it flip flopped around.

Marissa screamed. "Eww, oh my gawdd somebody kill it, Alex it's going to attack me." The two fathers, along with Alex laughed at the girl who was almost in tears who was using Alex as a shield.

Alex went to step on the fish before her father grabbed her and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder and Jimmy took care of the flapping fish.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Protecting scardy Coop." Marissa shot her a devilish look.

Josh Kelly laughed. "Well that's nice you but you don't step on the fish okay?"

"Me and the fish are tight though, he's cool with it." Alex said as her father began to put her down.

"Tight? No more MTV for you."

A half hour later the girls and their fathers docked the boat and were greeted by their mothers who were sitting on the lawn chairs relaxing, sipping wine and sharing gossip.

"Mommy me and Alex caught a fish."

"A big fish." The two girls smiled as Alex held up the fish, making sure to keep it away from Marissa not wanting her to start scream again.

The mothers looked at each other. "Congrats girls, to celebrate how about we get this camp fire going and make some smores. But first why don't you two…" Before Julie could finish the girls starting running towards the Cooper cottage. "...clean up."

Next Night

The phone rang at the Cooper cottage and Julie was the closest to it. "Hello."

"Hi Jules, is Alex over there by any chance?"

"I'm not sure, let me check." At that moment Marissa walked into the kitchen. "Ris, is Alex with you?" Marissa shook her head, the last she heard Alex had gone home to change. "No she's not here Patty. Everything okay?"

"We got into an argument and Alex, Josh is out looking for her but I figured the first place she'd go."

Julie sighed. "I'll ask Marissa, she's right here. Ris?"

"Mhmm."

"Do you know where Alex is?"

Marissa shook her head. "Why?"

"She got into an argument with her parents, do you know where she could be then?"

She thought for a minute, going over all the places in her head that Alex might go. "I think I know where she is."

"Patty, she thinks she knows where she is." When Julie looked back at Marissa she was on her way out the back door. "Wait where are you going?"

"Boat. That's probably where she is so just come down and check for us." With that said Marissa headed down to the dock, and Julie finished her conversation with Patty.
Dock

Marissa was careful to watch where she was going as she walked down the steps of the hill on her way to the dock. Once she reached the boat she was sure to be quiet so that Alex wouldn't realise she had been found. She wasn't on the back of the boat near the seats so Marissa looked over the captains seat and found her laying on her back. Smiling she carefully made her way over the blonde girl.

"What are you looking at?"

Alex wasn't startled at the voice, she knew that if anyone was to find her that it was going to be Marissa. "The stars." Alex moved over, allowing Marissa to lay down next to her. "I can't really see them from L.A." Marissa didn't say anything. "Aren't you going to ask if that's all I'm looking at?"

"Nope, I love looking up at the stars." The girls smiled at each other and went back to looking up at the clear sky.

Their mothers stood at the top of the hill. They had been keeping a close eye on Marissa and when she didn't come off the boat they figured she had found Alex.

"Should we just leave them?"

"Let Alex cool down, they should be alright, not like anyone else is around."

An hour later the mothers came back to get the two girls to come in for the night. When they got to the boat they found their daughters fast asleep, huddled together. Smiling the women gently picked up their daughters and carried them to the tent they shared just outside the Kelly cottage.

Couple Weeks Later

Marrissa ran up the steps of the Kelly's deck and tapped lightly on the glass doors. "Hi, Marissa, come on in, she's up stairs in her room, just follow the music." Josh Kelly told her.

When she finally got to Alex's room she knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the loud music coming from inside the room. Deciding to now care what Alex was doing, she pushed the door open and tried her hardest not to laugh at she watched the other girl.

Alex stood with a stuffed pig in in her hand, eyeing the dolls on the other side of the room. She danced a little before stopping, lining up her shot and throwing the pig, she knocked down all the dolls. She did a happy dance, as the song changed to Shake ya tail feather.
Marissa couldn't take it anymore and busted out laughing causing Alex to turn around.

"What you be laughing at?" Marissa started to laugh even harder and was almost on the phone in tears, because she was laughing so hard. "I'm kidding, what's up? I thought you guys already left?"

The brunette tried to catch her breath but every time she looked at the blonde she started laughing again. Finally five minutes later she was able to speak.

"Were you having fun?" She snickered.

Alex shot her a look. "I was actually. Now what's going on?"

"I wanted to give you this." Marissa took the ring off her finger and handed it to Alex.

Alex looked at the ring in her hand. "You're mood ring, you love this thing though."

Marissa shrugged. "It's just I don't get to see you all year so I want you to remember me somehow, you don't have to wear it if you don't want."

Walking over to the other side of the room Alex picked up the pig she was using as a bowling ball. Looking at the pig then back at Marissa she handed it to her.

"No I can't." Alex went to take off the mood ring. "Okay fine, but are you sure. It's Mr. Oinky."

"I'm sure he can protect you from all the crazy people you tell me about that live in Newport, when I can't."

Marissa hugged the stuffed pig before hugging Alex. "I better get going before mom has a hissy fit."

"Okay dawg."

"What are you Randy Jackson." The two girls laughed before hugging again.

Marissa headed for the door before turning around. "I'll see you next summer… Alexandra." With that said she took off back to her cottage.

"You're so going to get it the next time I see you." Alex screamed after her down the hall. Walking back inside her room, she sat on her bed and played with the ring on her thumb, already waiting for next summer to start.

A/N: the scene where Alex is bowling with the pig i got that from the mary kate and ashley movie it takes two. i was watching it and could totally see little alex do that so it was a last minute add on, hope you liked it.