"Mr. Littrell, is it true that you and Miss Bessie have secretly been dating?" One journalist asked. "We've seen pictures of you two kissing, hugging and holding hands."

"Sir, I believe you've heard wrong," Brian stated, reaching over to squeeze Lenore's hand lightly. "We've never dated one another in our lives, and are just bestest-best friends."

They'd all been shocked when management had requested that Brian and Lenore hold a press conference. They'd wanted them to to clear up the whole dating rumours and let people know what they were all about. The two of them were also to tell people about how they met all those years ago.

"Miss Bessie, do you remember the day you met Mr. Littrell?" A reporter questioned. "Or do you two not have a past together at all?"

"We've a past," Lenore snapped somewhat, as she was sick of being harrassed by the media. "I remember the day we met as though it were only yesterday."

"Probably was only yesterday too," someone whispered loudly.

Brian shot that person a Look, and the reporters and journalists calmed some.

"It was the first day of kidnergarten, and I was all nervous. My family had just moved to Canada from Kentucky, so I'd no friends yet," Lenore began. "When I entered the room, I tripped over my own two feet, hence my nickname, Queen Klutz. The teacher introduced me, then told me to tell everyone a bit about myself. I looked at the class, and suddenly felt sick to my stomach; the next thing I knew, I'd thrown up all over the floor. Before anyone could stop me, I dashed out of the room, and began to run for the doors leading to the playground. Once out on the playground, I heard someone call my name. I stopped abruptly, collapsing to the ground in tears, as I'd heard the names they'd called me before I fled the room. Needless to say, despite the fact it was only kindergarten, the other kids had said some pretty nasty stuff about me."

"I heard the voice call my name again, nd turned around, only to find a blond-headed boy standing there looking kind of worried," she continued. "He came over to me, and asked if I was okay. I sook my head no, and went on crying, as I knew I'd ruined any chance I had whatsoever of making new friends. Then he surprised mw, by pulling me into a hug, and telling me that everything was going to be okay."

"He stayed there with me until I was calm enough to go back inside. While we were out there, he introduced himself, and it was then I'd noticed he had an accent. I was curious, so I asked him where he was from. You can imagine my surprise when he told me that he too was from Kentucky and that he'd only moved to Canada the year before."

"When we re-entered the classroom, the other kids called me names, and shouted for Brian to come play with them. I expected him to go play with his friends, as I was just the new kid who threw up everywhere. Much to his friends dismay and my great joy, he refused their offers to play, and stuck by my side for the rest of the day. We became fast friends, and soon discovered that our fathers worked for the same company and had known each other since they were schoolboys."

"Needless to say, we've been bestest-best friends and totally inseparable ever since," Lenore finished. "The teachers used to call us bookends, as you nevre saw one without the other, unless one was sick. Although, it one was sick, rest-assured the other would be by their side by the time lunch hour rolled around. Never once did either of us get into trouble for that either, which shocked every kid we knew - ourselves especially."

"As y'all see, we've known each other quite a long time," Brian added. "I was six and she was five when we first met, as I'd been held back a year 'cause of my Hospital stay the year before."

"Do you love her, Mr. Littrell?" Someone shouted.

"I love her like a sister," Brian responded.

"Miss Bessie, do you love him?"

"I have for quite a while," Lenore blushed.

"Do you remember exactly when you fell in love with him?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Lenore sighed dreamily, staring off into space.

"You are so dating him!" Kelsey accused. "Don't deny it, as we saw you kiss him!"

"So what?" Lenore cried. "We've been kissing each other since we were in kidnergarten!"

"Liar!" Allison hsouted. "You only started kissing him this year 'cause you want him to remain your singing partner, when you know he deserves to be with one of us!"

Lenore couldn't hide her tears any longer, as these girls had been bugging her for the past two weeks about her relationship with Brian.

"Aw, look, we made the wench cry!" Jocelynn laughed. "Serves her right for being conceited, greedy, and stuck-up!"

Brian suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pulled his best friend into a hug.

"What's wrong, Hun?"

"Nothing," she mumbled as she cried into his shoulder. "Just the usual."

"These ladies bugging you again?" He queried, turning to glare at the girls.

Lenore nodded silently, praying the girls wouldn't deny it or attack her for telling him.

"Why, Brian, we wouldn't even dream of doing such a thing," Kelsey flirted. "We know just how much she means to you."

"Huh?" Allison said confused, receiving an elbow in her side from Jocelynn. "Oh, yeah, we do."

"Besides, we know if you had to choose, you'd choose one of us, as we're way better and more talented that she'll ever be."

Brian was mad then. "Listen up, and listen good you three! Don't you ever insult her again, and make her feel like a piece of crap! As far as I'm concerned, she's way better than you'll ever be! Also, if all the other girls in the playground were like you three, I'd pick Lenore over all of them any day!"

"What? Why?" They gasped.

"She's nicer, kinder, friendlier, more caring, has a big heart, more funny, prettier and is way more beautiful than all the girls in the school put together just 'cause she's her!" Brian retorted angrily. "If y'all don't like the factshe's my bestest-best friend and that we kiss occassionally, then y'all can get the heck outta my face and life and stay out for all eternity!"

He turned his back on then then, gently leading Lenore far awat from them.

"Fine!" They shouted. "Make the biggest mistake of your life!"

He turned on his heel. "Know what? Y'all can go screw a frigin' tree and hope it's willing to marry you, as I don't know of anyone else who ever will!"

He about-faced once more, walking faster than he'd originally intended too, but he wanted to put a big distance between them and the three girls. He led Lenore to the other side of the school, and around the cornero f the building, so they'd be off school property.

"Hun, don't listen to 'em," he stated pulling her into a hug. "They're just jealius 'cause you're better than they are and they know it."

"Why do they always gotta pick on me?" Lenore cried. "I ain't ever done nothing to them."

"Sweetcakes, I just told you why," Brian said softly. "They're also jealous of the fact that you mean way more to me than they ever will."

"It just hurts so to be called all those names," she sniffled.

"I know it does, but don't let 'em have the satisfaction of knowing that," he told her. "Don't let them know they can hurt you enough to make you cry."

"I'll try," she mumbled. "I will try."

"There's my girl," he smiled kissing the top of her head.

"You're too good to me, you know that?"

"Well, I do try."

They were silent for a few moments, before he spoke again.

"I love you Bunny," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you Bri-Bear," she whispered back.

"Whoa," was the only word heard throughout the whole room.

"I'd enver seen him that mad before in my life," Lenore said, as she brushed a few tears from her eyes. "I've loved him ever since then."

Brian reached over then, and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"Don't cry Hun, 'cause then you'll make me cry."

"I don't mean to," she replied. "It's just, what you said that day meant so much to me."

"I know that and you know that, but I don't think the whole world wants to know that," he said softly as she leaned her head against his shoulder and he squeezed her hand. "Think of how half the fans are going to react."

"What? And they're not going to react to the fact we're pretty much cuddling on live T.V.?" She returned. "Hmm?"

"Okay, point well made," he sighed.

The conference ended then and the two of them walked out, the way they'd walked in - holding hands.