Jily Oneshots (pt2)

Up to Speed

by Amelia Bedelia

"Bring it on," James said, bending low to the ground in a running stance.

"You got it," Lily muttered, from across the street.

James nodded, focusing intently. "Three… Two… Go!"

The two twelve year olds began running down their street on the sidewalks – James on the left, and Lily on the right. They reached the curb at the end of their lane and touched it quickly with one foot, turning rapidly to run back the direction they came. They were neck and neck…

"I win!" James yelled, screeching to a halt at the end of the street.

"Oh, no you didn't," Lily shouted, crossing the street with her hands on her hips as she breathed in heavily. "You're off your rocker – your overly large nose might have won, but I crossed the finish line first. Plus," she added, smirking, "you were on a hill."

"You were too!" he pointed out, getting in her face.

"But yours was steeper," she said, poking a finger in his chest.

"Aw, give it up, Evans," he said, laughing, "I beat the neighborhood sprinter – I'm the new champion."

Lily laughed, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Alright, rematch – the person who wins is the 'champion,'" Lily said, grinning.

"But I pick the track."

"Of course," she said, smirking.

James surveyed the street, looking for the best possible place for them to race. He glanced at his house on the corner, speculating a possible place to run. He continued down the streets, passing two, identical houses and a quaint house on the opposite corner, belonging to Lily's family.

James tapped Lily on her shoulder and nodded his head toward the other side of the street. She nodded and followed him.

Once he had reached their backyard, James looked at the small woodland down through the yards of the four houses. He touched a large cottonwood tree and looked up at the branches, spiraling out of the trunk. He grinned and looked back at Lily. "We start here and run through The Forest," he said, referring to the nickname that had given the large cluster of trees and bushes when they were younger. "First one to the very last tree in your yard wins."

Lily squinted into the distance and frowned. "James, this wouldn't be testing our speed."

"No it would not be, would it?"

"Then why are we running this – I thought we wanted to see who the fastest runner was."

"No," he said slyly, "we wanted a champion. The champion would be agile and flexible, correct? Using all of their wits to get through the challenge, not just what's required of them."

Lily shrugged, resting her hand onto the tree and bent low, determined to beat him. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, looking up at James. "You probably want to get this over with, don't you? I doubt you seriously think you can beat me."

James narrowed his eyes playfully. "All right, then, Evans. On my count. Ready… Set… Go!"

Wind hit Lily's rosy cheeks and she grinned to no one in particular. Just running was a joy of hers. She loved feeling the wind running through her hair, adrenaline pumping through her veins. It gave her the reason to think she were a bird, soaring over the clouds, looking down on others. No care in the world.

She leaped over a bush and dodged a tree. Halfway there, she thought, passing one of the blue houses. Quickly, Lily darted her eyes slightly to the left, seeing James almost struggling to keep up with her.