My Sister's Keeper

11

On the first day of kindergarten, after your mom has left you and you're awkwardly sitting in your seat, you look around the room. So many faces, so many hairstyles, so many different colored t-shirts. Another tiny human comes and takes the seat next to you. You smile shyly, as they hopefully feel as out of place as you do. They smile back. Later, they offer you a piece of their cookie during snack time while you're both sitting criss-cross applesauce on the colorful rug. And suddenly, you're best friends. Fast forward eight years and you're walking down the aisle at your middle school graduation arm in arm. You've done everything together. You went to your first dance, on your first date...  

You're inseparable. You know what the other is thinking. That's what it's like to have a person.

Cassie was, according to every test she had ever taken, a genius. She got a 36 on her ACT, was taking every AP class in the book that she could fit into her schedule and was trying to make the most of living on an island on a military base where her opportunities were extremely limited and she had to scrounge to find new things to read.

Going to a public school in Seattle was certainly a change of scenery. She was smart, but she had been unable to complete all of the classes necessary for graduation where she was. So, she was filling her schedule with every AP class (chem, bio, econ, psych... not physics though. She hated physics) that she could.

Her and Meredith had gone on a tour of the local high school, mainly so Meredith could tell the administration that her niece was a genius that did not need any hand holding or easy work. She needed to be challenged.

And yes, Cassie knew that going to a public high school was not the greatest thing for her. She could have started college early or done something more cure-to-cancer-esque. The truth was, she wanted to take it slow for a while. She wanted to settle into her family before she picked up and started a college education.

Maggie was completely understanding in this whole situation, for she too had gone to college at a high school age. She had told Cassie stories of how outcast she was because of how young and smart she was. She understood, though, Cassie's wishes.

Another thing that Cassie had soon realized was that even if she didn't have amazing grades (which she did) she had a million connections. Meredith Grey was the daughter of Ellis Grey. Almost all medical doctors knew of her. Amelia Shepherd was the brother of Doctor Derek Shepherd. She could go to any college she wanted because she knew people. She could also go because she was damn well smart enough to.

She was a genius. But, being a genius did not help her get rid of the pit in her stomach she felt about attending her first day of school the following day.

Amelia had attempted to crack as many jokes about her high school experience as she could to ease Cassie's butterflies. Alex had told her that he wrestled his way through, and Maggie had been an adolescent at the time, so she reminded her niece that she was going to have it very easy and that it would be fine so long as she made friends.

How on Earth was she supposed to do that?

Zola had been squealing about her first day of first grade- and Cassie couldn't help but feel like the little girl was expecting more attention. Meredith had taken her to tour the school and meet the teacher, but Zola clearly felt as though something was missing. So, Cassie did the best thing she could.

"Mer." She started when her aunt walked into the attic. Cassie cleared her throat, putting the summer reading book (Huck Finn) down on the bed. She had read it when she was in elementary school but needed a little refreshing before the class debated it in the first few days of school.

Apparently, her tone had been colder than intended because Meredith sarcastically stepped back. "I just came in to say good night. Stop reading; it's bad for you." She joked. "What's on your mind, kid?"