L.O.L.

"Hey!" 7 year old Jace had been walking home from his last day of school, practically skipping when he decided to test the waters and walk around the back of the house. In his 'rebellious' action, he discovered a red headed girl of no more than he was, maybe 6, sitting under the tree that border lined one side of the neighborhood's backyards to the other.

The girl looked up. Jace sucked in his breath. Her eyes were so green, they looked so magical. Jace dropped his backpack next to his outdoor play set and walked up to the girl. "I'm sorry. Is this your tree?" the girl looked back at the tree.

Jace didn't really know who's tree it was as it was the center point of four backyards, two on each side. "Kinda. Where'd you come from?"

"I-I'm not sure," the girl looked honestly confused so Jace just left it alone and came to stand next to her. He realized she had been drawing. For a 6 year old, her drawing looked pretty good, recognizable.

"What's that?" Jace snatched the sketchbook from her hands and moved a little ways away so that she was not able to grab the book even if she stretched with all her might within the limits of her tiny little arms. He knew exactly what it was but with the joy of summer ahead, he wanted to have a little 'fun'.

"Nothing! Give it baack!" she wailed. She stood up, dusting off the dirt on her tan-colored shorts and started running towards Jace, who had also started running-in the same direction but away from her. Sort of like in a game of tag.

"But I haven't seen everything in here." He ran behind the side of a white fence and kneeled down long enough for him to glimpse a second or two on the second page before it was snatched right back out of his hands.

Holding the sketchbook firmly in her left arm, she placed her free hand on her hip, "And what do you think you're doing mister?" She cowered over him-that is until he stood up. Even at 7 going on 8, Jace was still taller than her by no less than half a foot. He thought this was hilarious. This red head randomly showed up in technically his backyard technically sitting under his tree and was giving him the 'I-am-to-be-respected' tone his mom used on him; give or take the sketchbook incident.

"What's your name?" He folded his arms across his chest.

"Why do you wanna know?" She folded her arms across her chest, still clutching the sketchbook close, mimicking him.

"My name is Jace. Now you have to tell me yours," he pointed at her, "its only fair."

"You were being mean. So you're not fair." She swatted his hand away from her face.

In the blink of an eye, he grabbed her sketchbook-again-and turned his back towards her. He flipped to the front: CLARISSA was written in big, colorful crayon letters

"Your name is too long." He scrunched his nose in disapproval.

"Well I can't change it!" she let a frustrated sigh out and decided to tickle him in his armpits which unfortunately for her was not one of his tender spots.

"Why aren't you laughing? When my dad tickles me there, I laugh like a…a cow!" She searched for a word that met her expectations.

Jace snorted, "Nu-uh. Cows don't laugh. They moo. My kindergarten teacher told me." He stood straighter, making his chest puff out, trying to show how smart he was.

"You're in kindergarten?" she asked with her eyes widening.

"No! I passed kindergarten. I'm a seco-third grader now." He smirked remembering he had passed second grade and was now entering the summer of his second grade year. (A/N:Yes, even 7 year old Jace smirked.)

"That's not fair. I'm in 1st grade. Well, actually, when I left my school, they told me I can go into the second grade rooms when I come back from my summer. Isn't that cool? I bet second grade is fun…" she looked almost sad to have left her school.

"It's not that great," he felt obliged to cheer this strange girl up, "We didn't color as much as we used to. And I didn't even get to use the sandbox last week."

"Your school has a sandbox? Awesome!" She jumped up and down thinking of all the possibilities. Her and Jace walked over to the tree and sat down as Jace tried to explain to her what exactly one should expect.

This was the start of something.