Five Takes

"Sonny Munroe"

-Sub-Take: Take Five-

"You like to play with me, Chad, don't you?"

"It's the only thing that keeps me going, Sonshine." I grinned at the girl in front of me, wanting to believe with all of my heart that she really was the one.

My mother was going to mail me her scrapbook of my earlier summers. She claimed that she had a picture of me and that Sonny from Wisconsin (that my aunt at taken while we were unaware). I just wanted to believe that this Sonny was her. And in the meantime, I flirted with her. She flirted back. It was perfect.

"Yeah, well, I suppose you're kind of a jerk in that way," Sonny rolled her eyes at me, and my heart gave a little jerk. She was my 'enemy'. She was the latest one to join So Random!. But I adored her. I needed her. After five months of her being out in Cali, she was the only girl who didn't use me. She never threw herself at me, or manipulated me. She was just Sonny, and that made me happy (in the grayest of skies).

"Only because you're my Sonshine." It was a lame pickup line, and she knew it. She just chuckled, reached for my hand, and pulled me along behind her.

-

It was nationally known (well, "nationally" meaning Sonny and I only knew), that my Saturdays were my days with Sonny. The second that she landed on the set, I was sure to make friends with her quickly; and I think that she was pleased with that.

Every Saturday we'd sneak away from our cast mates and go grab lunch at some fifty's diner, or at Dairy Queen. Then we'd go sit on the beach and watch the sunset. As much as I didn't want to admit it, Sonny was becoming my best friend. I needed her like I needed oxygen; and I was slowly becoming okay with that fact. Kind of like she was slowly becoming okay with the fact that I needed her to betray all of her costars in order to spend more time with me.

"We do this far too often," Sonny whispered. I just gazed at her in awe (checking every once in a while to make sure that drool wasn't escaping my mouth). Her feet were plastered into the sand, as were her hands. Her chin was tilted upwards, (making her hair cascade down even longer), because she was staring at the sky. With the sounds of the ocean and the sunset, and being lost in the moment…I longed to kiss her, but I refrained.

"It's fun," I whispered instead.

"They should know, though. They're my friends," She added stubbornly. Then she proceeded to blow her brown bangs out of her face and turn and face me. She was a beautiful girl.

"They're my enemies." It hurt to say it, but it was true. Sonny nodded; because, of course, Sonny knew. She knew about what had happened between Tawni and me. In fact, she knew about Portlyn and Jennie, and Taylor.

She knew everything. And maybe, just maybe…

"Do you like Capri Sun, Chad?" Her question startled me, and sent shivers down my spine. She looked and acted completely nonchalant as she asked it, but still.

"Yes," I whispered hoarsely.

"What's your favorite flavor?" For a split second, I wondered if she remembered it too. Then again, I didn't want to go out on a whim and ask her if she was, indeed, my first kiss (and love).

"Strawberry." At that, she giggled.

"Mine too."

-

The day that my mom's scrapbook showed up in my dressing room was quite possibly the greatest day of my life.

Sitting down in a comfortable chair, I quickly rummaged through the pages until I found the picture that I wanted. Sure enough, that little girl that I had dreamed about constantly was straddling a picnic table's bench, slurping a Capri Sun, while I was standing near her in awe, watching her.

Smiling to myself, I noticed how Sonny hadn't changed much over the years. She was curvier now, but in the best of ways. Her hair was much curlier in the picture; but the strands of freckles still decorated her cheeks.

There was no way that Sonny could deny that the little girl in the picture was her, though.

Yet before I gave into my urge to run across to her set and show her the picture, I flipped the page.

My aunt had taken the picture. My mom had put it in the scrapbook.

My first kiss.

My first kiss with little Sonny; now, Sonny Munroe.

The only girl that had known how to keep my heart whole.

Grinning widely, I shot up and out of the chair, and practically skipped all of the way over to Sonny's dressing room. She was sitting at one of her girl-table-thingies, holding a thing of makeup in her hands. I didn't care, I yanked the makeup away from her and shoved the scrapbook at her, and then I pointed at the picture with a grin on my face.

Sonny looked.

Sonny bit her lip.

Sonny smiled (and I mentally rejoiced).

"Where did you-"

"My mom had it. It was you, Sonny."

"I can't believe that Capri Sun Chad was you! My first kiss." The smile was still on her face, and I felt this huge…bubble of joy well up inside me.

"I'm so glad that it was you, Sonny." I wondered what was going to happen next. Would she just let the book and memories be, and want us to just be friends; or would she want something more?

When she stood up and wrapped me in a hug; I immediately knew the answer.

-

In a way, it was kind of like a comedic ending to my LLBS's (love life before Sonny) story. When I stood next to the pastor (a little impatiently), waiting for my Sonny to walk down the aisle, I scanned the crowd for their faces.

Jennie McGee was wearing yellow. Portlyn was wearing lilac, and Taylor was wearing blue. Then there was Tawni, walking down the aisle, in a bubblegum pink dress. As much as I didn't want Sonny to choose Tawni for her maid of honor (definitely not 'made' of honor), she did. That was okay, though. Sonny would be mine, for forever.

After I showed Sonny the scrapbook, we took to dating. Two years later, I proposed (she said 'yes', and made me the happiest man alive - end of story.).

And though I probably shouldn't have invited my exes to our wedding, I did. I wanted them to see that I found 'The One'. That there was a girl out there who didn't use me, and who was the pure definition of utter perfection. It was almost funny thinking back on how heartbroken those girls made me; and how they made me feel like such an idiot. It was funny to think that I cared.

Yet when the doors opened, Sonny's eyes met mine, and as she began to walk down the aisle, I lost my train of thought. She, Sonny Munroe (future Cooper), had taken my breath away.

Maybe I had made a mistake dating/falling for those four girls. Yet they paved the way, and prepared my heart for the Sonny. Maybe God wanted me to realize that there was some bad in this world; because with cootie-free Sonny, there was just utter perfection.

The Beginning.

A/N: Guys, it's over! And I am going to miss this story so much. Believe me, I would have updated three days ago, had the site not been down. I spent good minutes reading over, smiling over, and enjoying all of your reviews. Normally, I reply, but I wanted to get this up ASAP because you guys waited long enough! So, THANK YOU all for every single one of your reviews!

Seriously, I can't believe you enjoyed the torture that I put Chaddywhack through; but you're awesome for it!

As for my next project – look for my series of one-shots "Crash Course" that are going to be popping up for SWAC. They're little AU versions of how Sonny and Chad finally meet…and…well…get together. For instance, the first one is called "Heart Attack" – and it's from Chad's POV. =)

Anyway, thoughts for this? Glad he finally found Sonny? I know that you're really going to miss my long-as-can-be notes at the bottom, aren't you? =P