Chapter One

"Come on! Give it back!" nine-year-old Allyson screamed at Carson and Johnny, two boys in her class who had insisted on picking on her since she had moved here a little over a year ago. 

Her parents had told her the move would make everything better. They said she'd make more friends, new friends. They said she'd finally fit in and have a bigger room overlooking the ocean. 

Allyson thought it sounded fine then. Now she didn't care either way. All she wanted was to go back to the comfort of what she still considered home: Flagstaff, Arizona. Not where the ocean could be seen but where she could hide and play within all the green that surrounded her lovely forest home. But no, daddy got a better job. And she and mommy had to go with him.

Her whole life, even up until now, Allyson had always trusted her daddy. Daddy never lied to her. Daddy said everything would be better here. Better for his little butterfly to roam and play. 

But all Allyson wanted to do was leave and go back to the greenery and view of the San Francisco Peaks that she had yet to experience here in California. Los Angeles was sunny and didn't get a white winter like Flagstaff did.

Allyson had tried to make friends, she tried to fit in. But no one seemed to like her very much.

And for that very reason, Carson McCain and Johnny Lidsdale, chose to pick on her every day at lunch, because of course she would be alone. 

That's what they were doing now; picking on her and playing keep away with the lunch mommy had packed for her today. 

"I said to give it back, dipwads!" Allyson screeched again, trying hard not to let her screaming turn into crying and trying to keep her tears from somehow spilling over like the last time. 

If she wanted them to stop she had to be strong.

"Give it here!" she yelled as she charged for Carson who just continued laughing along with Johnny.

"Leave her alone, you idiots!" 

All three of them turned in the direction of where the new voice had come from.

Carson smirked. "And what are you going to do if we don't, Frank?" 

Frank Anderson was another boy in Allyson's class but he was quiet and usually kept to himself. There were some instances where he got into trouble and had to be taken to the office or put on time-out away from everyone else. But he never really did anything wrong. He just had an expressive vocabulary. 

Ally never talked to him, even though he appeared to be friendless just like her, because she didn't have the nerve.

But now here he was, standing up for her and trying to help her. After a year of getting picked on no one else had ever interfered with whatever Caron and Johnny wanted to do. No one else stood up to them or got in their way. Not until now.

"I'm going to beat the s**t out of you," Frank replied in answer to Carson's question and Ally refrained from putting her hands over her mouth at the word s**t. Her mother had told her it was bad.

"Go ahead and try," Carson taunted as he tossed Ally's lunchbox in the air over and over in his hands. She thought he'd drop it and break it and somehow allow its contents to spill out.

Johnny moved to stand next to Carson and both smirked at Frank, who Ally knew couldn't fight them and win because he was outnumbered and because she knew nothing of fighting herself.

Frank began taking a few steps toward Caron and Johnny, but not before turning briefly to wink at Ally who gave him a questioning gaze as he strode up to the two bullies and stopped with a smile on his face.

"I just got a black belt in karate," Frank informed them as he took an offensive pose that Ally thought looked like the kid from the movie Karate Kid she had watched with her dad.

Before she could even blink Frank swung both his fists out and landed each in Carson and Johnny's face and then he swiped and kicked their legs out from under them.

Ally found herself smiling a real smile as Johnny scrambled away saying, "Ow! Mommy!" and "You bruised my bones!" When Carson got mad and tried to call him back Johnny cried, "No! You're on your own!"

Carson turned back to Frank who smiled and took another karate pose, this time putting one foot back and other forward and doing the same with his hands. Except with the forward hand he made a 'come on' gesture.

Frank looked confident. Ally could see it and so could Carson, but he still put up his fists and tried to act as tough as Frank looked, even without his best friend to back him up. 

Ally was shocked to see the next few moments of the fight. Carson charged forward quickly and in the flash of a second Frank kicked up his leg and knocked Carson back onto the ground.

When Carson stood up he was crying and had a bloody nose.

"I'm telling!" he cried.

Ally was surprised to see him look so weak. 

"Like hell you are!" Frank yelled. "You pick on everyone! If you tell on me, I'll tell on you and so will the rest of the kids in our class."

"You're a freak, Anderson! Everyone thinks so!"

"And you're a bully and a baby," Frank replied. "If you ever mess with Allyson again I'll beat you up even harder." 

Carson stood up and began walking away, but not before saying, "You freaks belong together."

When Carson had finally gone, Frank shook his head, picked up Ally's lunchbox, walked over to her, and held it out to her with a small smile on his face.

Ally was still in shock over what had happened. She stood frozen. Yes, she was relieved and wanted to smile, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it. Even as she gazed at Frankie. 

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, in a tone that assured her he was a 'good guy' and wouldn't hurt her like he hurt Carson and Johnny. 

"Yes," she responded and accepted her lunchbox from Frank. 

Ally's hand touched Frankie's as he handed her the lunchbox and she jumped from the contact.

"Hey, it's okay," he said. "They're gone now. They won't hurt you anymore. I promise." 

He gave her another smile and Ally looked away from him.

"It's not that. I just, I don't really have friends or people that talk to me a-and those guys have been picking on me since I got here." She shrugged. "I just, why did you help me? Why now?" 

"I'm sorry I didn't help you sooner. I just  couldn't stand up to them before. And I couldn't just let them keep bugging you. Especially since I used to be the one they picked on." 

Ally felt bad for Frankie. He used to be in her position until he did something about it. He learned to stand up to them. But, was it because of her? 

"So do you really have a black belt?" she asked Frank curiously. 

He smiled widely and said, "No. I wish. I just watch a lot of ninja movies on TV." 

"Oh." Ally felt embarrassed and looked away from him again. 

When she looked back at Frank she noticed he was now looking away and down at his feet like he was nervous or antsy. And then she thought he must want to go back to whatever he was doing before he helped her out and she felt bad.

"Well, thanks for helping me," Ally replied. "Guess I'll go now." 

"Wait!" Frank called out to her just as she had turned her back on him.

"Yeah?" she asked curiously.

Frank bit his lip and looked even more nervous. "I was thinking that, um, that maybe we can be friends or something?"

At Frank's words Ally felt warmth spread throughout her entire body and was smiling widely at him. 

"I've never had a real friend before," she admitted shyly. 

Frank took two steps toward her so he was standing right in front of her. 

"Well, you have one now," he said as he put his hand out to her. 

Ally smiled at his hand and gladly accepted it in a shaking gesture she had seen so many adults do before. As she grasped Frank's hand she finally felt like she belonged here. Like she had a reason to want to stay in California and not go back to Arizona. 

She finally had a friend now.