Chapter 1: Lately You Make Me Weaker in the Knees

Meredith groaned as her mother woke her for the fifth time that morning. She hated the first day of school, just like every other student (except the full-on geeks who spent their lunch times programming computers and sipping tea with the teachers) that attended Seattle Grace High School. She was a junior now, so she only had two years to go, and then she would be out of the hell hole faster than you could say 'scalpel'.

Meredith had a huge interest in becoming a surgeon, just like her world-famous mother, and as soon as she left the place she was going straight to college with her best friend Christina. Christina and Meredith were friends because they both didn't like the yucky moments people shared when someone says something, then the other person says something and then somebody cries. Another reason Meredith loved Christina was because of her level of sarcasm that she used daily, and her straightforward crap that she pulled on Izzie and George. She loved to watch them squirm, even though they were all good friends.

Oh, another reason she hated going to school – the senior footy captain – Derek shepherd. Katherine, another of Meredith's good friends, was Derek's sister. Derek liked to make Meredith squirm, but she really didn't understand why. She hated him, and she was sure he hated her too, but he just loved to annoy her until she got angry. She had known Derek and Katherine since she was about 5 years old. Meredith would spend days and days at their house because her mother and her, now, step-father, Richard used to fight a lot when she was young. She didn't like to see her mum crying, so she would go to Katherine's house – just down the road. Derek would open the door to let her in, and as she walked past he would tickle her or hug her – giving her cooties.
Although he was the hottest guy in school, and the most popular, Meredith seriously could not stand him. He would always be in her face, antagonising, annoying or embarrassing her in front of, not only her friends, but his entire group – including his best friend, who was a true hottie – and man-whore – Mark Sloan.

When Ellis, Meredith's mum, pulled up outside the big brick burden of her teenage years in her black Mercedes 4-wheel drive, Meredith jumped out and waved her mum goodbye.

"I'll pick you up after school today okay?" her mum asked with a smile.

"Sure, just, please try to be on time" Meredith started, "I don't appreciate being harassed by Derek." She said half serious. Her mum laughed at her before pulling away from the kerb, leaving Meredith stranded on the sidewalk. She had been dropped off early, because her mother had an early surgery, but had also promised to take her to school today, so she had to go earlier than normal. She slowly trudged her way up the steps out the front, off in a world of her own, with her music turned up loud on her iPod.

A few seconds later she squealed and came face to face with the one and only, "jerk-tacular Derek! Good to see you again." She commented, impressing herself with her wits.

"Ha ha. Now that's where you're wrong," he paused, "because, well, you don't know me well enough, and I am someone you have to get to know to love." he told her with a smirk.

"Is that so?" she replied automatically turning on her heel, but pausing mid-stride and pointing a finger toward him. "And I DO know you." she said emphasizing her point. "And I seriously DO NOT love you." she said swatting his chest and turning away from him again, but as she did he wrapped his arms around her stomach, and breathed on her neck, making hairs unexpectedly stand up on her arms and the back of her neck.

"I beg to differ." He whispered, burning her ear with his hot breath. Why was she feeling this way? She hated him. He was a complete jerk. She whipped around in his arms, but he still refused to let go. When she looked up, he was right there, looking straight into her deep green eyes.

"Is Kathy coming today?" She managed to squeak out, not moving her eyes away from his intense blue-eyed gaze.

"Later." He whispered to her face.

Meredith finally regained most of her self control and tried to remove herself from the chemical reaction, not very successfully. She cleared her throat, giving her another moment to think of something to say in the form of words, not just grunts and gasps.

"arr." Was all she managed. Meredith couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. This sick, twisted and wrong connection was not cool. "You can let go of me now." she stated, signalling toward his hands that were still planted firmly and protectively on her petite waist.

"What if I don't want to?" he breathed, millimetres away from her mouth.

A few moments later Katherine walked up behind them on the front stairs. Meredith pulled back making a sudden movement and Derek let her go straight away. She cleared her throat for what seemed like the fiftieth time in 5 minutes and pretended to be hugging Derek before pulling away.

"It's so good to see you again Derek." Meredith stated as she looked toward Kathy out of the corner of her eye to see if she had seen anything. Luckily, it didn't look like she had noticed the chemical reaction between her older brother and her friend.

"You too." He replied, his cheeks turning a light pink colour, to match hers.

"You were yelling your heads off at each other yesterday afternoon." Katherine stated sceptically.

"Well…uhh…we are trying to be nice for…uhh…you." Derek said as he pretended to see one of his mates and ran toward the imaginary figure. 'Arse' Meredith thought before turning back to her friend.

"Hi." Meredith said smiling guiltily at her.

"Hi." Kathy replied, a little confused, but Meredith couldn't tell why exactly.

"First day of school…gotta love it." Meredith said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes trying desperately to change the subject.

"Totally." Kathy said with the same amount of sarcasm. "is anyone else here yet…I mean apart from my loser brother who seems to have a thing for touching you…maybe he likes you." at this Meredith turned a dark crimson colour. Kathy looked up at her friend who was desperately trying to hide her face, but Kathy knew her too well. "Oh My God! Meredith! You like him too don't you?" she asked with a tone Meredith couldn't quite work out.

"No! Eww. He's your brother…AND he's an ass." Meredith said, not entirely sure whether it was true or not. Well…she knew the ass part was true, but not the part about her liking him. Ugh! Great! Now she was confusing herself in her own train of thoughts.

"Whatever!" Kathy sighed as they walked into the building, deciding to drop the uncomfortable topic of her brother and her friend…together. At lunch that day Meredith and Christina walked around the school together aimlessly, talking about random things at a time. They could share secrets so easily and not have to worry about anyone finding out. They never started a conversation with things like "can you keep a secret?" or "if I tell you this, will you promise not to tell anyone?" because they didn't need to. They knew what to keep quiet and what to not share. So that day was no different.

"You know Derek?" Meredith asked Christina.

"No, who's that?" Christina said sarcastically.

"Christina! I'm being serious." Meredith said calmly.

"What about him?" she asked digging straight into the drama that she could sense in her friend's voice.

"Well…" Meredith paused, trying to find how she would put this confusing statement. "This morning I got dropped off early because mum had an early surgery, and she promised to take me to school today…" Meredith said, stepping around the edges of the topic with light steps.

"You're rambling!" Christina said in an annoyed voice.

"Right. Sorry." Meredith continued. "Well Derek got to school just after me and I was walking up the steps when he came up behind me and put his hands around my stomach and he wouldn't let go." Christina looked at Meredith in a confused and shocked way. Meredith suddenly realised where she probably thought Meredith was taking this.

"No! No, no, no, no!" Meredith said quickly, reassuring her friend. "He was holding me from behind and holding me in a tight and gentle protective grasp…and when he did…I got goose bumps and his breath against my neck made me shudder and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it or him all day. What's wrong with me?" Meredith finished quickly looking at her friends face for any reaction she might have had, but her face was blank.

"well." Christina started, standing in a pretend thinking pose. "I seems to me that you like this boy." She finished in her best psychologist ways possible. Meredith laughed and gave her a shove.

"Shut up." She said as she threw a skittle at her. "Seriously…what am I going to do…me and Derek…we hate each other." Meredith said seriously.

"It seems to me that this Derek boy might not hate you after all…in fact, quite the opposite." Christina said with a giggle.

"Argh!" Meredith complained. "Psych is crap!" she exclaimed.

"I will agree with you on that." Christina said as they continued to walk. "But I think you need to go and see him after school."

A/N: well...that's the first chapter...i hope you liked it...and remember...more reviews more story...so dont be shy...let me know what you like and what you dont...i dont bite...and i will work on any requests or ideas...ok...byes...
Keet