A/N: Sorry for taking so long! I've been really busy lately. . . okay, this is a flashback of when Mark and Jo first meet as 5 year olds. Jo is Josie here. . . and I don't know how 5 year olds talk so please bear with me. . . Enjoy!

FLASHBACK!!

Little Josie May was 5 years old. It was her second week in kindergarten and she was adapting well to her new environment. She played well with the other children and always tried her best. It was recess time and little Josie was happily skipping around the school yard, watching other children play various games such as tag, jump rope, and hop-scotch. While she skipped around, she thought of various things that would interest most 5 year olds.

Josie was passing by her classroom when something, or rather some one, caught her attention and she stopped. Sitting on the ground in front of the classroom was a small boy with light blonde hair. He was watching everything before him with winter-blue eyes behind too-big square black rimmed glasses. Normally, any child would simply pass by this boy without a second thought; but not Josie.

The boy looked up to Josie, quickly meeting her seal-grey eyes before looking down again. Curious, Josie walked over to the boy and sat down across from him.

"Hi," Josie said brightly, "I'm Josie. What's yo'r name?" The boy looked at Josie nervously before quietly answering.

"Mark,"

Josie gave a big smile, "Hi Mark, it's very nice to meet you." Josie's eyes flashed with curiosity, "Why you sittin' all by yo'self?"

Mark shrugged: "'Cuz," he answered simply, studying Josie's unique eyes.

"Don't'cha get lonely?"

Mark shrugged. Josie watched Mark carefully. He was puzzling to her; his light hair, his quiet demeanor, his curiously bright blue eyes . . . everything simply intrigued her.

"Well I know I would be lonely." Josie said, "Do you want to play wit' me?" Mark looked down again.

"Why would you want to play wit' me?" He asked lamely, "I'd pro'ly be an embear'smint . . ." Josie cocked her head, confused.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled by Mark's words.

"'Cuz, no one likes me 'cuz I'm an embear'smint." Mark replied, waiting for Josie to agree with him and leave him to his misery. But, to Mark's surprise, she didn't do that.

"You ain't an embear'smint. You's just diff'rent, and I like that 'bout you." Josie said encouragingly. Mark looked up to Josie, meeting her seal-grey eyes to his winter-blue ones.

"Really?" he asked hopefully, "You don' mind that I'm . . . diff'rent?" Josie smiled widely.

"No, 'course not."

The recess bell rang and all the children dropped what they were doing and ran to class. Josie stood up and held her hand out to Mark.

"C'mon Mark. We don' want to be late." She said, still smiling at the pale figure in front of her. Mark carefully took Josie's hand and was pulled up into a standing position. Josie was about the same size as Mark, if not a little smaller. Both were thin, lanky children but Mark was thinner. Not that Josie noticed, since she was much more interested in Mark's facial characteristics. The pair walked to class together, Mark actually smiling a bit. When they reached the classroom door, they waited in line for their teacher with the other children.

"I like you. You're nice," Mark said quietly. Josie turned to Mark, happiness visibly flashing in her eyes.

"I like you too." She said happily.

After a few moments Mark spotted a bigger boy walking towards them. Mark shrank back in fear as the boy came closer. Noticing this, Josie faced the direction of Mark's fear and came face to face with the kindergarten bully: Terry. Unknown to Josie, Terry fancied her a bit. Her long raven hair pulled back into a braid was the darkest shade he had ever seen. Not to mention she was one of the prettier girls in the class. Terry, on the other hand, was the biggest kid in kindergarten and was forceful if he didn't get his way. He often picked on the smaller kids in class simply because he could. And his favorite kid to pick on was Mark.

"Hi Terry," Josie greeted, trying to be friendly.

"Hi Josie," Terry said in a very masculine voice for a five-year-old. "What're ya doin' hangin' out wiff four-eyes over there?" he asked, pointing at a visibly afraid Mark.

Josie cocked her head, a trait she would always use when she was confused, "Mark doesn't have four eyes." She stated matter-of-factly, carefully taking off Mark's glasses to prove her point. "See?" she asked, pointing to Mark's winter-blue eyes, "Two." Josie gave Mark his glasses back and turned to Terry.

"Whatever, bu' why're you hangin' out wiff' him?" Terry asked smugly.

"'Cuz he's my friend." Josie replied with confidence. Mark stopped staring at Terry and looked to Josie when he heard this. Did she really mean that he was her friend? Did that mean she was his friend? Mark liked Josie enough; she was nice to him, she didn't call him names or make fun of him. Did that make them friends?

"Why would'ja want to be friends wiff' a wimp?" Terry's temper was rising. His young mind was reeling with questions as to why 'perfect' Josie would want to be friends with a 'nobody' like Mark. Little did he know, Josie's temper was rising faster. Unexpectedly, it boiled over.

"'Cuz I like him and he d'serves a good friend!" Josie exploded, fire in her usually kind eyes, "Jus' 'cuz you don' like 'im doesn't mean I can't like him! If you wou'd jus' stop makin' fun o' 'im, maybe you'd tink so too!"

"Josephine May, what on earth are you yelling about?!" asked an authoritative voice from behind Mark and Josie. Instantly, the small girl spun around to face her teacher, Miss Lizzie. Mark, who had also turned to face his teacher, shivered involuntarily and gave a sideways glance over to Josie who had turned beet red.

Miss Lizzie put her hands on her hips, "Well?" she asked impatiently. After a few seconds, Josie jumped into a fast-talking explanation.

"Well Miss Lizzie, wha' happened was that Terry was callin' Mark 'four-eyes'. So I tol' 'im that Mark had two eyes, not four. 'Den he started askin' me why I was hangin' out wiff' Mark an' I said to him 'cuz he's my friend and Terry ask'd why I'd want to be his friend an' he called Mark a wimp. An' 'den I started to yell at 'im an' I tol' 'im tha' I like Mark an' he d'serves a friend an' that if he woul' just be nice to 'im 'den he'd tink so too. 'Den you came an' ask'd me why I was yellin' an' . . ."

"Alright Josie, I know what happens next." Miss Lizzie said, silencing the five-year-old. She then turned to Mark, who had been watching Josie, and addressed the pale child, "Mark, is that what happened?" Mark looked up to Miss Lizzie, eyes wide. Silently and cautiously, he nodded in agreement. "Okay then," Miss Lizzie said more to herself than to one of the children. She turned her attention to the rest of the class who had been watching the scene unfold before them. "Class, I want you all to go inside and get ready for story time." The class cheered in agreement and ran into the kindergarten classroom. Miss Lizzie then turned to Mark, Terry and Josie. "Josie, I want you to apologize to Terry for yelling at him. Terry, I want you to apologize to Mark for calling him names."

Josie turned to Terry and apologized, her eyes dull. Terry reluctantly turned to Mark and mumbled his apology.

"Okay now," Miss Lizzie said to the trio in front of her. "Mark, you may go inside now." Mark looked over to Josie who smiled reassuringly. Quietly, he went to the classroom. Miss Lizzie watched Mark leave then addressed Terry. "Terry, I don't ever want to hear of you name-calling again. Do you understand?" Terry nodded, "Okay, you may go to class now." The plump boy left hurriedly. Now it was just Josie and Miss Lizzie. "Josie, I know you don't usually yell, so this is a warning: I need you to control your temper at school, alright?"

"'Kay," Josie replied.

"And Josie," Miss Lizzie said, "I'm glad you've chosen to be Mark's friend. He needs someone to play with." Josie nodded, eyes sparkling with pride. "Okay, go join your classmates."

Josie smiled and skipped into the classroom. Loud chatter and laughter filled her ears as she saw her classmates sitting on the special story time rug. Mark sat alone, watching everyone. Josie immediately spotted him and plopped down next to him.

"Hi." She said cheerfully.

"Hi . . ." Mark replied nervously. "Di-did I get you in trouble?"

Josie shook her head. "She jus' tol' me not to yell at school anymo'," she said, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "So I won't."

This didn't make Mark feel better so he asked the question that was really bothering him. "Are you mad at me?" His head was down, afraid of what Josie would say.

Josie cocked her head, "Why would I be mad at you? You din't do nothin'. 'Sides, you're too nice to be mad at."

Mark looked up into Josie's seal-grey eyes and saw all honesty in them. He smiled, she smiled right back.

As they turned to listen to the story Miss Lizzie was reading, the pair couldn't help but think that this was the beginning of a beautiful, long, friendship.

A/N2: PLZ REVIEW!! I love feedback!