Brief Summary: At Erica's going away party everyone's there...except for the one person that might miss her the most. She goes to find him and the two talk and clear the air on a lot of things.

Takes place at the theoretical end of the fifth grade year, since in Hack-O-Ween Erica is still at Jerome Horwitz. My sister thinks (and I kind of agree) that Elitinati is likely a sort of private middle / secondary school, so Erica will likely be going there 6 - 8 grade. Makes enough sense to me! At least as much as anything is expected to make sense in the CU series.

So far Erica's going-away party had been going pretty much liked you'd expect. The fourth graders of Jerome Horwitz (and a few other grades as well) had said their goodbyes. George gave her a first-edition copy of the Plungerina comic they'd worked on together and Harold gave her a goodbye card as going-away presents. Gooch, crying heavily, had given her a hug which she gladly returned, reminding him that she was going to another school, not dying. Everyone had said their piece and/or given their gifts. Well nearly everyone. She couldn't help but notice that someone from their grade wasn't here. She had thought Melvin would want to see her this last time, maybe the most, since he had that not-so-secret secret crush on her.

But she asked around and no one else had seen him, either.

Out of curiosity, and her innate nature to put others first, she went looking for him, even though she didn't particularly want to see Melvin. Even at his best, he was difficult to deal with, but she knew he probably would want to at least say goodbye.

Predictably enough, she found him sitting in the back row of the science lab. Somewhat less predictably (though far from surprising), he was crying when she found him. As soon as he heard someone enter the room though, he straightened up and wiped off his face. He didn't stop crying for long though, because as soon as he saw the person was Erica he couldn't help but be sad again.

"Hey" she greeted in a gentle tone, "Don't you want to say goodbye to me?"

He didn't know what to say to that. Of course he did, but he also didn't want her to leave in the first place. In the end, he didn't answer, and looked away after trying and failing to decide how to reply.

Erica went to sit next to him, and he tensed, nervous. Erica sighed, and decided that they had better deal with the elephant in the room.

"Look, Melvin, I know you have this crush on me.."

"It wasn't exactly being kept a secret" he muttered to the lab table, looking embarrassed.

"I know. Aaannd, I know that I haven't handled it the best. I haven't said anything before because you haven't exactly handled hurt feelings well in the past"

Melvin coughed guiltily into his fist at the reminder of his poorer decisions the previous school years. He interjected, trying to salvage Erica's apparently low opinion of him, "I'm attempting to be better about that now, I promise".

She smiled at that. She thought she had noticed improvement from his attitude and she was glad to learn that it was a conscious choice. "I know. I'm glad to hear it. But, Melvin, you do realize we're in elementary school, right? And even if we weren't and even if you are less of a jerk now, I don't think I'd reciprocate".

Melvin deflated sadly at the statement, slouching in his seat as he immediately assumed this to mean it was something that he had done to make her feel this way. Erica hated him, why did he think it would be any other way?

Erica was worried by Melvin's silence, and she could tell by the look on his face that he was likely spiraling in self-doubt. She quickly intervened before anything worse could happen (with Melvin you could really never know. If you had asked her earlier she would have said with no hesitation that this was sure to turn angry and unpleasant quickly. Now, with what Melvin had told her about trying to be better she was less sure. All the same, better to be safe than sorry.)

"It's not because of anything you did. (At least, not recently)" she clarified, trying to sound reassuring, "It's not you. Calm down, Melvin"

As if her word was law, Melvin did, in fact, straighten up and get out of his own head, focusing on her, instead, with a cautiously hopeful look.

Now that his attention was fixed on her, Erica suddenly found herself shockingly unsure of what she wanted to say. She exasperatedly ran a hand down her face, trying to think about how to express herself. It was hard, because she didn't really know what she thought. Although she had known about his crush on her for a while, she never really put any thought into how she felt about it (besides annoyed at the implication that since she was a girl she was only of use if she was a love interest. But that was more annoyed at the universe than at him.) The answer in previous years easily would have been a strong "no". Melvin was mean, petty, and selfish-traits Erica absolutely despised. But just sitting here and talking - and when she thought about it throughout the school year this year- he wasn't being any of those things, and she wasn't as sure anymore. She still thought that he wouldn't be her type, but she was also smart enough to know that she was too young to really know what her "type" even was. She decided to say at least this much to him. They were the more impersonal, logical reasons to turn away his affections, which made this easier for him and for her.

"You just aren't my type, that's all. At least I think. We're really both way too young for relationship stuff, realistically"

"Oh" he replied, seemingly accepting her logic but still looking crest-fallen. She was honestly a little surprised. He had taken that way better than she had thought- usually he was awful with not getting what he wanted. She felt a small surge of affection at that. He really was getting better. And she was leaving right when he was becoming someone she might actually want to know.

She suddenly got an idea, one she usually would never consider, but what the heck, she was going to leave soon.

"Oh, here, I'll give you this. Consider it a going-away present to remember me by." Before Melvin could ask for clarification or explain that that wasn't how going-away presents usually worked, she leaned over and gave him a light peck on the cheek.

As she pulled away, he immediately dropped anything he was about to say and brought a hand up to his cheek, completely starstruck. Then the kiss, (even though it could barely even be considered that), gave him the courage to do the truly terrifying, and actually admit his feelings. "I'll really miss you, Erica. I wish you could just stay here". He did not say he wished he could go, too. Elitinati was still a somewhat complicated matter, and he didn't know how he felt or should feel about it.

She smiled sadly in response, "Melvin, you know probably better than anyone that I have to go there".

While uncomfortable at the reminder of the events at the end of last school year, he replied dejectedly, "I know".

Erica moved to leave, and Melvin suddenly remembered something important, and turned to stop her, "I have a going-away present for you as well, actually". Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a simple metal chain with a single round charm on it, handing it out to her hesitantly.

"A...necklace" she responded, looking at the gift in his hand, disappointed and confused. "Yeah, it's very sweet but I'm not a jewelry kind of girl".

Melvin quickly acted to correct her growing misconception that he was a sexist who assumed that all girls liked jewelry, "No, no! It's not a necklace" he protested, adding sheepishly, "Well, not just a necklace." At her still-unconvinced look, he continued, displaying the necklace more clearly, "It's an invention of mine"

"I know that you hate wearing uniforms, and Elitinati's aren't the most comfortable. So this device," he explained, pointing towards the singular round charm, "places a hologram over your clothing. That way you can wear whatever you want while attending Elitinati but avoid getting in trouble". He gave the chain to her shyly, hoping he had given the right gift.

Erica had to admit, she was impressed. Both at the invention and the fact Melvin actually remembered and cared that she said she didn't like uniforms. Of course, it wasn't that she didn't like wearing them but that she hated the conformity of them (which this device theoretically couldn't fix), but it was the thought that counted. And he had clearly put thought into this gift.

She put the necklace on, and thanked him with a smile. He gave her another one of those uncertain smiles in return, and she was a little sad that she was only just now seeing them when she was about to leave the city and probably not see him again. Which gave her another idea.

"Hey" she said bluntly, "Gimme your phone".

"O-okay?" startled, he handed her his phone and she went to give herself a contact. She couldn't help but notice, as she saved the information, that her number was one of only four-sitting next to Home, Mother, and Future Me. Seeing the contact there was a little disturbing, and she couldn't help but ask about it as she handed the phone back. "Why do you still have that contact?"

"Oh. That." He toyed with his phone, taking a moment to try and find the words to best explain himself while Erica waited patiently.

"It's just… proof that all of that actually happened, I suppose. Erasing him from existence means that there's not much around to prove that those events actually transpired. Although" he added thoughtfully, face screwed up in concentration as he mentally traversed his way through the weeds of theory, "technically speaking they didn't? Because if I don't become him I don't go back in time, so it didn't happen after all? Of course it all depends on which theory of time you're working from. Perhaps he's simply gone from this particular timeline. There's a possibility that in a different dimension in a different time he does in fact still exist…" He rambled on about theories and dimensions for a while longer, postponing any discussion on an actual answer. In truth, he was uncertain if he wanted to talk about this at all. He hadn't talked to anyone about it, not his parents, not any other students, not even Karaoke Kitty. But, he realized, Erica was possibly the only other person who could understand the pressure of knowing your future. If he were to talk to anyone she would probably be the best.

Cutting off mid-thought from his musing over the Butterfly Effect, he took a deep breath and admitted, "I keep that there as a reminder" he glanced over at Erica to see her reaction, and she looked at him attentively as she gestured for him to go on. "I made the choice to not be like him. But it's hardly been easy. Classes here are still insultingly simplistic and boring, George and Harold are still obnoxiously dense, and it can all be so frustrating. So, if I'm mad, and I want to take it out on the school or our classmates, sometimes I can look at that and remember what I don't want to become".

Erica mulled over all of this, and she had to say she felt for the guy. She knew the pressure of knowing what the future held, but at least she knew she had a good one. She hadn't really considered how it might be for Melvin, but now that she was she could see what he was worried about. The only version of his future that he knew for sure had been awful.

"I get it" she finally decided to say, "But, I don't think you have to worry so much. The future isn't a set thing, otherwise I wouldn't have to work so hard. Sure, my current future self may be the President of Earth, but if I were to change something, to drop out of school or to stay here, then the future would change. You have changed and so has your future. So keep doing what you're doing. Even if it means keeping creepy ghost contacts of someone who no longer exists. I guess if it helps, it helps".

Melvin went back to toying with his phone, reflecting on what Erica said. It was a relief, honestly, to talk to someone about all of this, and even more of a relief to have someone tell him he was doing ok. (He had tried to assure himself that enough times, but there was always a doubt in his mind that even if in the future he didn't go back in time who's to say what his life was like? It meant so much more to hear the assurances come from someone else.)

But he still felt emotionally exposed, and he didn't like it, even if it was a way to talk with Erica, so he tried to turn the conversation away from himself, "With a speech like that it's no wonder you'll become president. Elitinati should consider themselves lucky to have you" After a brief pause, he added, more quietly, "Thanks, Erica".

He winced as she slapped him on the back, "No prob. Now come on, let's get to the party. Bo even made cupcakes"

Nodding, he slid off the stool and followed behind her to the door. Before they left the room, though, Erica turned to him and said one more thing, "And you have my number now. So if you want to talk about the future, or science, or my school, or whatever, you can just text me"

It wasn't the bunsen burner lit, romantic scientific date he had envisioned himself having with Erica if he ever actually got far enough to interact with her, but in a way the idea of simply conversing with her sounded even better. He was glad that, even if she was leaving the school he would still be able to have a conversation with someone intelligent. (He was hating his classmates less and less, but it would still be nice to have someone to talk to who would actually understand all of what he said.)

"I will" he promised sincerely.

Erica returned the sentiment with one of her characteristic grins, and playfully gave him a shove into the hall, the two of them leaving the empty science lab behind them.

Man this was tricky to write. I wanted to write something with Melvin and Erica because I think they should interact more, and his crush on her is pretty cute. Although, I don't really know what Erica's opinion on Melvin's crush really is. She uses it to her advantage a couple of times, but doesn't exactly acknowledge it. I don't see Melvin as being particularly her type, even after he cleans up his act S3 and onward, but as they're both children who really knows. I've tried to leave their relationship ambiguous and platonic at best, so you can just see what you want.

I also find it interesting that they share this thing where they've seen their futures, so I wanted to do something with that too.

Hope you guys liked. Comment, leave kudos, all that good stuff.