Chapter 1 - Him and Her

Lily Marie Evans was an average height, skinny, red hair, and green eyed, sporty, energetic girl of ten years old soon to be eleven. In fact, her birthday was little more than a week away.
Lily got out of bed and threw on an old t-shirt and some jogging shorts, pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, and strapped on her sports watch. She looked around her room, reminding herself to clean it later, and dug her sneakers out from under a pile of clean clothes she had yet to put away. She pulled on her sneakers and started down the stairs headed for the kitchen.
Once there, she got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and took a couple of sips. She walked to the back door that led into the yard from the kitchen. When she opened the door she felt a cool breeze and decided to put on her favorite running jacket. It was a hooded, cotton, baby blue jacket with a white mesh stripe on both elbow-length sleeves.
She walked out into the yard, zipping up her jacket as she walked, moving around to the side of the house where she always stretched before her morning jog. She unrolled her yoga mat and began stretching her muscles so that she wouldn't end up pulling one while she was jogging.
After stretching she rolled her mat back up and carried it over to lean against the white picket fence again. As she looked up from the mat she had just put down she came face to face with the boy who lived in the house next to hers.
The boy had bright hazel eyes and jet black hair that was always messy. He leaned against the fence and smiled at Lily. Only the smile was more of a smirk.
"James Potter. Long time, no see; what do you want?" Lily asked irritated.
"Good morning to you too Lils; going on your daily morning jog?" James asked ignoring her question and smiling wider as she became more irritated. "You know, I was in a really good mood before you decided to 'grace me' with your presence. Now what do you want?" Lily replied curtly putting a sarcastic emphasis on 'grace me'.
"Actually, I was going to go for a jog myself as well and decided to wait for you seeing as you probably know the best route." 'That's a load of bull hockey' thought Lily.
It was only then, however, that Lily realized that he was wearing basketball shorts, a long sleeve t-shirt and sneakers. She immediately turned on her heels and walked along the fence, through the gate, and onto the sidewalk.
Just as she was about to start jogging James stepped in front of her and said "Trying to leave without me?"
"Sod off Potter! I'm not taking you with me." Lily replied.
"Okay then, I'll just have to follow you." James smirked.
"Urg! Potter, do you know how annoying you are?" Lily growled at James. James only continued to smirk in response. "You're very self assured aren't you Potter?"

"Yes, yes I am." 'He is so infuriating!'

"Okay, fine. If you insist upon coming then at least try to keep up. Don't expect me to slow down and wait for you." Lily gave in a plan forming in her mind. She dodged around James and began jogging at what most would call a fast pace. James caught up with her and decided to start a conversation.
"So how far are we jogging today, or should I say running. You could slow down the pace a bit you know."
"What? Can't keep up Potter?"
"No, I can keep up; I'm just not sure if you can."
"Excuse me, but I have been jogging this route every morning since I was nine, James Potter, and I have always gone this pace."
"So, anyway, exactly how long did you say this is?"
"I didn't say, but since you asked its five kilometers."
"At this pace?!" James asked incredulously "You'll keel over before you finish four!"
"Like I said before, I know my limitations." Lily then smirked a little "but do you know yours?" Then she picked up the pace a little.
At the end of four kilometers they had reached a small park in their neighborhood. Lily stopped and began walking towards a water fountain that was situated by a small bench.
"Ah ha! I knew…you couldn't... hold out the... entire... five kilometers." James said, clutching his side and gasping for breath. He stumbled to the bench and collapsed on it.
Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "What's makes you think I'm stopping for a break? Or that I'm even tired?" then she passed by the bench and took a sip from the water fountain. "Come on, then. Off we go again."
Lily started off again on her jog. James hopped back up, quickly took a sip from the fountain, and started after her. When he finally caught up she asked "What took you so long?"
"I was thirsty too, you know."
"Actually, I didn't think you would, or could, actually keep going the way you collapsed on that bench."
"Collapsed! I didn't collapse! I just-" as he said this, Lily threw him a 'yeah, right' look from the corner of her eye "Okay, maybe I did collapse, but why wouldn't I continue?"
"I didn't think you would have the stamina to keep going. Why did you anyways?"
They turned the corner and were at the opposite end of their street, their houses in sight.
"Why did I what?"
"Why did you keep going?"
"Well for two reasons actually. One: I'm not a quitter."
"And the other?"
By now they were back in front of their houses where they had started. They stopped jogging and caught their breath by walking in little circles, their hands on their heads for any stomach cramps. Lily moved to her mat and unrolled it to stretch on again.
"Would you like to use a mat to stretch on?"
"Err... sure I suppose. What's with all of the stretching anyways?" James asked as Lily disappeared behind the door of her shed and reappeared carrying a mat for him.
"Well, if you don't stretch you'll end up pulling a muscle or a ligament or something, and, as much as I don't like you, that would be a tragedy."
"And why is that?"
"Because if you get hurt and end up in some sort of sling or a caste I might start to pity you and that could lead to friendship."
"And what may I ask, is so bad about being friends?"
"Well, who would want to be friends with a conceited prat?"
There was a pause in conversation as James sat down to stretch.
"So what was the other reason for you to keep going?" Lily questioned again.
"Well, believe it or not, you." James answered.
Lily looked up from her figure-four stretch and stared at James. James sensing her eyes on him looked up and straight into them. How long exactly they sat like that Lily wasn't sure.
They were jarred from their 'moment' by the click of the screen door as it opened and Mrs. Evans came out into the backyard.
"Lily breakfast is ready. Oh, hello James. How are you doing dear?" Angela Evans asked.
"I'm doing fine Mrs. Evans, and you?"
"I'm well. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"Mu-um…." Lily began to complain, but James, who surprisingly turned down the offer, saved her the necessity.
"That's alright Mrs. Evans. My, er, mum is making breakfast already probably. However, I would like to invite Lily here to my birthday party tomorrow." 'Why that sneaky little… that's what he wanted! Oooh!' thought Lily.
"Ha! Like I'd ever go to—" Lily was cut off by her mother.
"Lily would be delighted to come to your birthday party tomorrow James. What time is it at?"
"It's tomorrow at my house at one in the afternoon. You can come too, if you like."
"Thank you James, but Richard and I have a garden party that we are supposed to attend for his business."
"Okay, well, I better get going before my mum can't find me in the house and starts going ballistic." James got up and went to the fence, then turned to face Lily again "Oh, and bring a swimsuit and a towel, we might go swimming or something."
Lily nodded her head at James calling a reluctant "Goodbye" to him mumbling under her breath "and good riddance too, if you ask me." Then she followed her mother inside the house to eat breakfast, complaining about having to go to James Potter's birthday party all the way.