Summary: This is the story of what happened with Allie and Noah during the summer they met. It’s not based off the movie. I’m not sure about their real ages (it’s been a while since I read the book) so I made Noah seventeen, and Allie’s sixteen (but still born two years later). And I know a lot of the facts in this story aren’t the same as the book, so don’t bug me about it.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any characters or themes from The Notebook, or the story. This is just a fan fiction.

Chapter One: Beginnings

It was five o’clock when he got the call.

“Hey, Noah, you up for a party tonight?” His best friend, Fin, sounded happy on the other end of the line.

“There’s a party, and I didn’t get invited?” Fin laughed on the other end of the line.

“No, silly. Me and Sarah wanted to go to the carnival. Its only in town for two more days, so we figure better now than never.”

Noah groaned. Carnivals weren’t his thing. He was into much more macho things than riding Ferris wheels and eating cotton candy. “Come on, Fin. You know carnivals are lame. We’re finishing school next year, and I’m helping my dad around the house. Besides, there are other times.”

“Come on Noah! It’s the last year. Man, remember when we used to go to these things when we were younger?” He was right. Fin, Sarah, and Noah had been best friends forever. Up until they were thirteen, they would go to the New Bern Annual Festival every summer. Noah and Fin always made a routine plan to go on every scary ride, but they would always chicken out, or Fin would barf at the end. Those were fond memories.

“Fin, I’ve got better stuff to do.”

“Like cleaning out the yard? Just ask your Dad. Please? For old times sake. We haven’t gone for four years. And if you’re really going off to college at the end of the school year, who knows when we’ll get another chance? It might be closed by the time you finish college.” Noah sighed. Fin could be many things (above all complicated and stubborn), but the one thing Noah hated was when Fin was right, and won an argument. The seventeen year-old ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair, and thought about it. His dad had been pressuring him to have some fun for his last summer in New Bern. The least he could do was ask.

“Alright, fine Fin. I’ll ask my dad, but he might say no.” Who am I kidding, of course he’s gonna say yes.

Fin let out a whoop on the other end. “Woo hoo! See ya tonight, buddy!”

And just like that, he hung up the phone. Although Noah couldn’t possibly know it now, this would change his life forever. It would be good and bad, happy and sad, wonderful and tragic. It would be special, horrible, fun, heartwarming, hurtful, but most of all, it would shape the rest of his days. Of course, he didn’t know anything, because at that moment, all he was thinking was, this couldn’t possibly be so bad, right?

- - -

Sixteen year-old Allie Nelson was sitting on her bed, reading the latest New Bern Times article about increasing prices of fresh wood, when her mother knocked on the door.

“Allie? Honey, we need to talk.” A fear rose in Allie’s throat. She knew what this was going to be about. Her future husband. Ever since Aunt Eliza suggested she get married like all the rest of the daughters in rich families, her mother was nonstop talking about it. Who she would marry, how wealthy he had to be, which church they would get married in, what her dress would look like, how expensive the cake would be, what she should do about her maiden name, how many children she should have, and the list would go on forever. Allie was much less enthusiastic. Off all the candidates she met, none appealed to her. They were all either old, bald, boring, or a mixture of the three.

Allie put down her newspaper and listened. Maybe her foolish mother had finally seen a different light that made her decide Allie was too young, too immature, any reason to make her not marry.

“Allie, we have a new candidate for you.” Crap. “He’ll be coming over for dinner tomorrow night. Perhaps you’ll see him at the carnival tonight.” Double crap. Allie turned her head away, and tried to blink away tears. She didn’t want to marry anyone. Ever. At least, not yet. Her mother saw her unhappiness. “Allie, honey, it’s for the best.”

She sat down on the bed and put her hand on Allie’s face. “Honey, I hear he’s quite a handsome man. And he’s very nice. He also has a good paycheck.”

Allie choked back tears. “Wh-what’s his name?”

“Robert Donningan. The third.” To Allie, he sounded like a snob. Of course, she couldn’t say that to her mother. Her mother tried so hard to make her happy. It was just that Allie never could be happy. She was stuck in a world she hated, forced to make decisions she hated.

“He sounds nice,” Allie lied.

Her mother smiled. “I knew you’d think so.” Allie couldn’t stand it. Her own mother didn’t know her well enough to tell she was lying. She wished her father were here. He understood, he knew Allie. It would have been better if she and her father had come first, while her mother was on a business trip, rather than the other way around.

Anne looked at her with concern. Gazing out the window, Allie saw the hotel sign. She suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia and longing as she was reminded of her house in the city. “Allie, we’re on vacation. Please try to enjoy it. Remember, you don’t have to make a choice yet. We’ll let you finish school, maybe go to college. You have time.”

As soon as her mother left, and the door was safely shut, Allie let the tears pour.

- - -

Three hours later, Allie was sitting at her dresser table, applying her make-up. She had washed her hair, and it was a perfect color of blonde. She applied purple eye shadow to her emerald eyes, painted her nails a wonderful shade of light pink, put on red lipstick, and added a touch of matching mascara and blush to finalize it. Then she clipped her hair up in a bun, put on two gold earrings and a matching necklace, and picked out a pale green summer dress. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t believe it. All puffiness was gone from her eyes, and the dress shaped her in a way no other ever had. It made her curve in the right places, and accentuated her bodily features. She was ready.

They got in the car and drove to the carnival.