Spring

I was on spring break and decided to come home for a few days. I was stressed and under a lot of pressure. All those exams and presentations were kicking my ass so I came here to try to relax and clear my mind. That's the official reason I told everyone. Truth was that I came here hoping I'd meet the girl who I fell in love with again.

I still remember that day vividly. I remember going back to Central Park the day after. And the day after. And the day after. I also remember not seeing her.

I'd been going to Central Park again this time. Everyday I'd go there trying to find her again, see her and talk to her yet everyday she wouldn't be there. Her words downright haunted me. I asked myself over and over again; How did she know my secret nickname? Nobody knows about it. I don't even remember anymore how I got this nickname. I must've been 10 years old if not younger. It seems stupid now. Flying 2408 miles across the country to New York City using my family as an excuse just to see the mysterious girl again. "Forget that chick. I mean, she's hot but nothing special. Just get over it, dude.", Mark had said that day when I couldn't stop rambling about her. But she wasn't. She wasn't just some chick. She wasn't something 'non-special' or just any other ordinary girl. I felt it. I was in love with her. There was something more. She was special to me. Extraordinary.

I suddenly noticed that I was standing in the middle of Central Station. Stressed people walking around, trying to catch a train, greeting their friends. It was a rather warm April afternoon. A lot of people were already walking around in T-Shirts, including myself. I found myself staring at the huge display, reading the time table. Trains from different direction arrived and departed here, including the airport. Then it struck me.

She wasn't from here. She didn't live here. She probably was on Christmas break too, just like me visiting the relatives, hanging in Central Park and then back to college. She could've been anywhere. Anywhere but here. She could've been in Alaska right now for all I know. From one second to the other I panicked. I would never see her again. It was crazy. I didn't even know her and yet I feared that I would never see her again. How could someone hold such a great power over me? A stranger to me, nonetheless. It made me realise once again just how stupid this whole action was. I was holding on to her for the last three months and never did it cross my mind that… she didn't even have to be from the U.S! Great. My chances finding her here just crushed. Defeated, I realised that I wasn't going to find her anytime soon, unless fate brought us together. Not that I actually believe in fate or some kind of love-at-first-sight-thing like my sisters do. I let my head down in defeat and turned around to go home when I caught the glimpse of a red…skirt, it seemed, just a millisecond before I crashed roughly into someone, sending the person knocking down the floor.

"Sorry!", I mumbled my apology and looked up to help the person I'd knocked over.

I felt as I my heart literally stopped beating, like I was moving in slow motion.

"I must say, that's some way to hit on me, McDreamy.", her musical voice resounded in my ears. I couldn't help but stare at her as I offered my hand.

She was here. Standing in front of me, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. The girl I've been looking for, the girl I flew 2408 miles for. The girl I was in love with. She was here holding my hand. Our first touch. Our first physical connection I noticed randomly.

I watched her slowly standing up on her white strappy sandals, pulling on her red skirt which ended just above her knees and her white blouse. She patted on her skirt and reached behind her, pulling a small red trolley next to her. I felt my hopes crashing. She was going somewhere, home probably. Or maybe she just arrived. I looked up from her blazing red trolley and looked at her, her beautiful green eyes, her little nose, her luscious lips, and her soft skin. What was I going to say to her? Where was she going? What was her name? I opened my mouth a couple of times, trying to speak. She smiled.

"I'd hurry up, McDreamy. I have a train and plane to catch."

I was right. She was going, not coming. But where was she going?

"Where are you going?", I finally managed to ask her. My question seemed off guard to her looking at her thoughtful expression. Didn't she know where she was going to? I waited patiently for her response until she spoke again.

"Where McSmoothies and McCreamies are sweeter, Derek.", she told me after while and smiled her happy smile again, waiting for my response. As if she knew her words reacted in my mind, my mind did race.

McSmoothies and McCreamies? How the hell did she know my favourite McDonald's deserts? And how does she know that I think they're not sweet enough?! It was then when a flashback hit me like a wall of bricks…

"Yuck! My McCreamy's not sweet enough eagain!"

"Eeew! My McSmoothie too! Lucky I stole some sugar out of mum's kitchen."

"Yunno, my aunt says in not-America the McSmoothies and McCreamies are sweeter!"

"Derek, your aunt is a big fat liar…"

"Hey! She's not fat! And she's not a liar!"

"She is! I bet you 10 McSmoothies that it's not sweeter in Asia!"

"Deal! And it's not Asia."

"You said not-America! It can be anywhere!"

"Whatever, Miss know-it-all! She meant Europe!"

"Hey! Why don't we give each other McNames? It could be our… super secret silent sunset McNames!"

"What kind of McNames?"

"Well,… you like McCreamies. You could be McCreamy!"

"Yuck. I'm not McCreamy."

"Hmph. Well, what about McDreamy? Because 'apparently' you always remember your dreams…"

"I do remember! McDreamy is good. What about you? McSmoothie?"

"Naaw. I'm McSweetie. Cuz I'm everybody's sweetie!"

"Puh-leeze! You're not that sweet!"

"Yes I am! I'm McSweetie!"

"Whatever, I'm so much cooler cuz I'm McDreamy. "

McSweetie?

"M…McSweetie?!" Her eyes sparkled as she nodded brightly. I cannot believe it. She was the only best girl friend I ever had. My best friend of one year when I was nine or ten years old is the girl I'd been looking for. I've known her all along! How could I not recognise her? How did she recognise me?

"I have to go. The train's leaving soon and I really have to get on that plane.", she interrupted my mental rambling.

Suddenly all my questions just flowed all over the place. "But…when will you come back? Where do you live? Where can I find you? How did you find me? Don't you have another five minutes? Please, I…"

All of sudden she grabbed my face and crashed her full lips forcefully onto mine. I instantly felt the rush of warmth running through my veins, just like the day in Central park. But before I found my senses again and could've responded to her kiss she pulled away, leaving it a short, hard peck on the lips.

"I'm sorry I really have to go. Bye Derek!", she said as she started walking off with her trolley into the crowd. I instantly reacted.

"Wait! I'm not finished kissing you!", I told her and caught her wrist. I wanted to kiss her, my first intentions were to kiss her. But I realised that there was something I needed her to know. She turned around smiling but didn't come closer as if she knew there was something unsaid.

"I… I'm in love with you.", I whispered loud enough for her to hear. When did I became so open, honest? "Please don't go. Just a few minutes."

"I'm sorry, Derek, but you'll have to wait.", she told me sadly, still holding my hand. I loved the feeling of the electric spasms on my palm where her hand touched mine. A simple touch of hers and I could forget anything else.

"Wait?", I asked dumbfounded.

"Six months. Wait for me for six months. If you really are in love with me, you'll wait. If not, I'll understand.", she gave me the options although I saw that she preferred I took the first option.

"But how will you find me after six months?"

"Don't worry, Derek. I'll find you. Bye! I'll write you!", and she disappeared in the crowd. I suddenly couldn't resist the urge calling after her into the crowd.

"I'm in love with you, Meredith Grey! I will wait!", I yelled. I didn't care that people were staring at me. I didn't care that I had just confessed my love to a girl in front of hundreds of total strangers. All I wanted was her to know how sure I felt.

"Six months, Derek Shepherd!", she yelled back and I l saw her red trolley disappearing.

A half year. Six months. 26 weeks. 202 days. I didn't feel lost this time like I did the day at Central Park. I didn't feel all too sad. I trusted her. I had faith in her that she would find me, even though she didn't know where I lived. We had a date. We had a date in six months. I knew that I was going to see her again, even if it was far away. I could look forward to the day I saw her again. Because I knew for sure that I would see her again. I knew that she'd be worth the wait.

After all she was my McSweetie.