invisible string

year 9

She couldn't believe Derek was doing this. How could he? He was leaving her. Not like her dad left her, but he wouldn't be in school with her anymore. He was going to stupid high school. She wasn't stupid, she knew that once you finish eighth grade, you go to high school. But she never thought that Derek would do it. What would happen if he needed her? What if another kid was being mean to him and Mark wasn't there to help him? Derek was really small and kinda nerdy. He was super nice but when he got angry he sometimes said mean things that made people want to hit him. Most of the time it was really funny, like when he did it to his sisters, but when he did it to the mean kid at school, it usually ended with him bleeding on the ground.

But now he was leaving. And they wouldn't be in school together for another three whole years. This was outrageous and unacceptable. The other kids at school didn't really like her either but ever since the second grade when Derek and Mark scared them, they hadn't been mean to her. She could defend herself now but she liked it better when Derek was there to help her.

"Hey Mer." Derek said. It was the last day of summer and school was starting tomorrow, and this guy had the audacity to 'Hey Mer' her, as if he wasn't about to abandon her.

"Hmmf." Meredith grunted as she turned away from him.

"Mer?" He asked, as if he didn't know exactly what he was doing. She looked up at him with her best glare. She was not good at being angry at Derek. She didn't think she had done it before. She had been angry at her mom and Chuck but never Derek. But she could do this. Derek had to know that this sort of behavior is not acceptable.

"Meredith." He frowned looking at her. He was an actual idiot. How could he be this dumb? He is supposed to be smart. He gets the best grades in his class but he is not getting this. Idiot. "What's wrong?" The stupid idiot asked.

"You're an idiot." She finally responded as she crossed her arms and continues to glare at him.

"What?!" He gasped. "Why am I an idiot?"

"One, you don't know why I am mad at you, two, you are going to high school." She answered.

"You're mad at me?" He said as worry flooded his face.

"Of course I am mad at you." She huffed.

"Why are you mad at me?" He asked with wide eyes.

"You are going to high school." She said firmly. "And you're an idiot."

"Why are you mad at me for going to high school." He asked.

"Because you are a stupid idiot who likes to piss people off. And when you piss people off people hit you. And when Mark isn't around to help you, I help you. But now you are going to high school and I won't be around to help you. So you going to high school is a really stupid decision, and you shouldn't do it." She stated.

He smiled down at her. "Oh Mer, I'll miss you too."

"What?" Meredith gasped. "I didn't say anything about missing you."

"Oh sorry, that must have been my idiotic interpretation of what you said." He laughed.

Meredith smiled at him. Crap. She was supposed to be angry at him. She was really bad at being angry at Derek. "Hmmf." She tried to frown. "Well don't come crying to me when you break your nose again." She huffed.

"Meredith, I have to go to high school. I passed the eighth grade, there isn't anywhere else for me to go." He said.

"Couldn't you have failed a couple of classes so you could stay?" She asked.

"You know I am too smart to fail classes." He smirked. Idiot.

"No, I don't know that." She stuck her nose up.

"Yes you do." He laughed. "Here's the deal. How about I try to not piss people off so that people won't hit me. But if they do end up hitting me anyways, in a couple of years when you go to high school, I can point out anyone who hit me and you can beat them up for me."

"Hmmm." She said. This seemed fair. "I'm not coming for three years." She sighed.

"I know. It's a long time. But we will still see each other all the time. I promise." He said.

"Fine." She said.

"And Mer," He said.

"What?" She looked up at him.

"I'll miss you." He gave a small smile.

"Oh. I'll miss you too." She smiled back at him.