Disclaimer: I'm not JKR.
James:
I am a façade. I am not the truth. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve as much as people think I do; I'm not that shallow. I'm not deep, though. If Hogwarts wasn't so close-knit and if word didn't travel so fast, then I wouldn't have the reputation that I have. And it's definitely safe to say that my reputation does, and always will, precede me.
I mean I guess my life is picture perfect. You could say that, definitely. I have four best friends that I would give anything for and we are as tight as hell. I have a loving, well-off, well-known family. I'm intelligent. I do ok with the ladies. Or whatever.
If you wanted a more profound description, everyone overshadows me. I mean my best friend, Sirius, is much more clever, witty, and intelligent than I am. I'm confident with my sexuality enough to say that Sirius is an extremely attractive guy. I can say that. He's also always the center of attention; everyone is constantly talking about him, guys and girls, especially girls. Even if people despise them, it's undeniable that if he were to disappear, everyone would miss him. Even the Slytherins. Just a little. Maybe.
But that's more than you could say for most people, except other Slytherins.
And Remus, definitely them most sufferable in our pranking posse. The girls that despise us, The Marauders, somehow still love him. And he's smart, but modest, and girls love that, apparently. And I would give so much to be that smart. I mean, my parents are seriously more proud of him and his academic endeavors than they are of me and mine, and I'm their son.
Peter is the only one that I can level with I guess, and when I say I can level with I'm being a little mean. I honestly get annoyed with him a lot. I mean I trust him but he's so unreliable. He's a pretty smart guy but he has a bit of an inferiority complex. When he's feeling comfortable with himself, he gets cocky over things that he shouldn't get cocky about, and this makes other people dislike him. At other times he's extremely self-deprecating, which is also annoying. I mean I wouldn't be friends with him if he was that terrible, he's a good friend. He's just not ultra-perfect, like Remus and Sirius are, so he's more like me.
And me. I'm mediocre in every way possible. But I guess that would be some sort of a feat. So I pass that. I'm perfectly level, I'm so perfectly leveled that I'm quite boring. I'm smart, smart enough to be at the top of some subjects and I'm always in the top 10 percent or so. I'm pretty clever but sometimes it's forced and it doesn't always work. I admit I like being in the center of attention and sometimes I'm in it, but most of the time I'm not. And I can enjoy that too. I'm bad at some stuff too. I'm pretty good at quidditch but any other sport? Kill me now. I'm not buff at all and never will be, but rather am the scrawniest guy in our group of friends. Which suchs majorly because Peter is known for being scrawny. It's notorious.
And you know what they say about acting confident, how if you act confident, you'll gain confidence? That's shit reasoning. Case in point: me.
Lily:
"You give most people a chance," my best friend Heather tells me knowingly. "You give most people a chance, you really do. You give people a chance, Lily."
"What's you're point?" I almost yell that.
"Can't you just give everybody a chance? There' one person in the world you're unjustifiably rude to!"
"Why do you care? It's not you."
"I'm just looking out for you're well-being. I mean, I can't tell other people 'I know for a fact that Lily Evans is totally non-judgmental and gives everyone a chance" if I know for a fact that the statement is completely untrue!"
"You actually could do that."
Heather gives me an annoyed look; she is frustrated be my nonchalance.
"James loves you."
"Untrue, and you know it. Look, I'd believe it more if he was so goddamn cocky about it. I mean what do you do when you really like a guy. Really, really like him. You stay away from him like a vile substance." Heather shakes her head. "Heather, you know it's true. You know it's true. And furthermore, how many boys who have liked you pestered you like that. None at all. Because if they really liked you, they'd care about what you thought of them and wouldn't annoy you. They'd be hurt if you told them something bad. They'd try to change for your sake. Et cetera."
"Wow, you've really thought about this, Lily."
"Not really."
Heather raises her eyebrows suggestively and I roll my eyes back.
Heather is my best friend. She is tall and lanky; several guys had nicknamed her "legs" because hers were so long. Her hair is light brown, her skin is tan and her eyes are blue. Despite the fact she's a huge tomboy, she rarely wears jeans and prefers to wear dresses. Due to her relatively outgoing nature, she's pretty much friends with everyone.
Heather's parents are aurors and part of the magical elite. I've been to many of Heather's parents parties and unfortunately for Lily, James has been at all of them. In fact, James and Heather grew up together as their parents were good friends.
In all technicalities I hate James. He is rude and annoying, cocky and crass. His personality attributes are all incredibly shallow; in fact, I cannot think of something profound about him. He's most definitely a superficial person. No one should ever fancy him at all. Ever!
My hormones feel otherwise. I have to admit he's pretty attractive, cute in an intelligent kind of way – meaning he's scrawny and has glasses but is still tall and has nice facial features and whatnot. He has an air of "I-don't-care-how-I-look-at-all-and-I-still-look-pretty-good" to him. Which is the air a guy should have. I think.
Unlike some girls that exist for everyone (namely the school slut) I'm smarter than my body. James only flirts with me to provoke me, and it's rather annoying. So of course I'm waiting for another guy, Mr. Right, and let me tell you, he is very, very late to see me.
If he ever comes, that is. Maybe I'm overestimating my looks, but I think I'm passable.
Some guy should like me. Like me, like me, like me like that.
I will find the perfect guy.
Won't I?
Lily:
"Hey! Lily," Heather moans, prolonging the Y in my name. "I'm bored."
"Remember when we would play 'Who Would You Do?' or 'Rate" when we were younger?"
"Merlin! Who Would You Do was the most fun game ever. It was like the beginning of the end for the girls. Namely, because it was the beginning of when we became interested in boys." Heather laughed.
"Ew, boys." That is exactly how I feel about boys.
"Lily come on, you can't really feel that way about them. There's someone waiting, out there," Heather motion across the common room. "Or there's someone in the world that's perfect for you."
"Great!" I deadpan. "I now am assured I will meet the one. Because the world is so small and I know every one in it."
"It doesn't help that you are celibate."
I must cede her this. I definitely does not help that I am celibate. Wait, no I'm not.
"Heather, shut the fuck up."
"Don't say I didn't warn you," heather says, laughing. "But seriously, you need action."
"I'm not exactly dying for some."
"It wouldn't kill you."
"I hold me own." Did I say that convincingly?
"Lily I don't believe that one bit. Like hell you hold your own."
"I get action, Heather, Don't worry."
I do get action. Mason, my lovely Ravenclaw friend, with benefits, keeps me satisfied. I've never had sex with him but god knows he wants to. But I mean, I'm just not lusting for physical contact because I get enough from him. But Mason doesn't like me like that either. He just likes our relationship; it's safe and he knows how we both feel about it. No strings attached. There truly are none.
Mason is a good friend. A really good friend, in fact, too. He treats me well and I could go to him for anything and he wouldn't judge. I need him in my life, even if we didn't have frequent physical contact. So it's an interesting relationship.
James:
"Hey Ayla."
She closes her eyes slightly and pulls her lips into a pout. I walk in closer to her and she backs up and leans into the wall as I brush her hair out of her face.
She looks down and then up again and leans into kiss me, and she pushes me into the wall. Aggressive.
Surprised, I open my eyes. To see Lily. Awkward situation ahead.
And to make matters worse, she notices, smirks and narrows her eyes. I raise my eyebrows, giving her the typical you-like-what-you-see? look. Why'd I do that? That was an idiotic move, James, idiotic. She thinks you are an idiot. She thinks you are an idiot, definitely.
I'm the school slut, and really, I don't want to be that person. I didn't even think I could be that person. By nature I'm pretty nice, at least I like to think so. I have a conscience.
So how exactly did I get like this? I like to ask myself. Tenacity, boys and girls.
Lily:
James is positively infuriating. Yet attractive.
Just like when I'm at home my sister Petunia always has posters on her wall of guys smoking cigarettes. I can't stand them and find smoking incredibly unattractive in reality (it smells disgusting!) but in theory, and in advertisements, it's extremely hot.
James is like that too. I'm positive and sticking to this theory. Bad boy James is nice in theory, terrible in person. He probably smells disgusting too.
Nonetheless, he is still attractive.
Lily come on, be sensible. Look what he did to poor, sweet Ayla. She thinks she has him wrapped around her finger, little does she know he's a complete and total jerk.
A complete and total jerk.
A complete and total jerk.
A complete and total jerk.
A complete and total jerk.
Got that Lily?
I am a master at intrapersonal communication.