The First Steps (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 1 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter One

❝friend (pronounced frɛnd or frend), noun
a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, even if they are the strangest of combinations.❞

He saw her for the first time in preschool.

It was Hunter's first day; he wasn't entirely sure who to talk to, or where to play. There were so many options, but none of them interested him. He wanted to find somebody who he could talk to. Somebody who might be able to relate to him, a five year old musician. He looked over at the toy xylophone in the toy corner.

Nope, he thought to himself. Too boring.

He was just about to go outside, when he heard a voice.

"Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh,

Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou,

My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh,

Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou,

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo,

'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio..."

Hunter stared at the little girl with red hair and pigtails. She was colouring in a cat, and was wearing a dress. Her shoes were small, and looked like they were brand new. Compared to Hunter's ratty sneakers and the jeans with the holes in the knees, she was very prim and proper. This song was the last thing he expected someone like her to sing. He went closer and noticed her eyes, like thunderclouds. They were grey, and captivated him like nothing else. 

He walked right over and stood next to her. She looked up, looking somewhat surprised, then looked back down at her orange and green cat.

"Hi," said Hunter.

She looked up at him, then back down. He tried again.

"Do you like that song?"

"Maybe," says the girl, still not looking at him. He decided to take matters into his own hands and sat down, ignoring the glare she gave him.

"I'm Hunter," he said, trying to get this girl's attention. "What's your name?"

Finally, the girl looked up, and even this tiny boy could tell there was something incredible about those eyes of hers. "My mom says that I shouldn't talk to strangers because they might try and take me away from my parents."

Hunter blinked. "I'm no stranger."

"Yes, you are."

Hunter wasn't sure whether or not he liked this girl very much at the moment, but something about her made him keep trying. "Do you like dresses?"

"No."

"Then why're you wearing one?"

"'Cause my mom said so."

"Did you want to wear one?"

"You ask too many questions," said the girl, still not looking at him.

"Why's that a bad thing?"

The girl looked up again, looking mildly interested. "You're weird. I like you."

"Thanks," said Hunter proudly, noticing how different their accents were. Hers was British, and very adult-like, whereas his was Cajun. He wasn't sure why she spoke like that. 

"I'm Lilly," said the girl, who finally had a name. "But my mom calls me Lilliana. I don't like that name."

"I think it's pretty," said Hunter.