If I hold your hand...

by LukeTheMercenary

Rating: teen
Tags: Diamond Dogs, Gore, Dark, Sad, Romance, Original Character, Equestria Girls, Tragedy, Derpy Hooves
Length: 2539

Derpy used to be the target of many bullies in school, but that all changes when a random boy steps up for her one day...

Derpy Hooves has always had it rough. With her crossed-eyes, clumsiness, and overall demeanor...she was a big target for those who were heartless enough to harass and bully such a girl. One day, while coming home from school...everything changed. A boy approaches her, and shows her kindness. After making her bullies leave, he asks a question that forever changed her life.

"If I hold your hand, will you feel better?"

This is the story of how kindness can change someone's life.

Published 2017-08-03 15:10:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-08-03 15:10:06 UTC

If I hold your hand...

School was intended for people to learn. To have the chance of becoming something great in life. Other people see it as more like a place for many kids to become victims of bullies. It didn't matter who you are, how you looked, or what you were like. Every school had bullies. High school, middle school, elementary, even kindergarten. This was no exception for Derpy Hooves.

When Derpy was told she was going to kindergarten, she was super excited. She had always wanted to go to school, and she wanted to make many friends. With a happy attitude and a desire for friendship, who wouldn't want to be friends with her? She walked into her new school, said hi to everyone, sat in her desk...

...and felt a ball of paper hit her head.

She turned around in the direction of where the ball came from, but couldn't see who did it. She turned back around and waited for the lesson to start, and felt another ball hit her head. Then another, and another.

"Please stop throwing stuff at me." She said to the other students behind her.

"Hey, what's wrong with your eyes?" One student asked.

"Yeah! They look funny!" Another said.

The whole classroom erupted with laughter. Derpy didn't understand. What was wrong with her eyes? Her mom never said there was anything wrong with her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with my eyes," She said to the students, "Mommy says they're perfect."

"Look at me and say that." One student said.

She tried. She visibly struggled as she attempted to make her eyes look straight. However, she just couldn't do it. She slumped in her seat as the classroom again exploded with laughter from just about every student in the room.

It was like this every school day. It was a painful routine: Run away from bullies while trying to get to school, getting hit by spitballs and paper airplanes during class, having her muffins taken by students at lunch, and finally...get teased and tormented on her way home. It was awful. The worst part? Nobody wanted to be friends with her. She was by herself in school. Not even the teachers helped her. They always thought she was just overreacting.

One day, while walking home from school...a boy that was about her age approached her. She stopped and flinched. While only most of the girls in her class picked on her, ALL the boys seemed to have something mean to say. She waited for the typical insults, but was astonished when she heard a single word.

"Hi," the boy said.

"H-huh?" Derpy asked.

"Hi, I'm James. What's your name?"

"U-um...Derpy. Derpy Hooves."

Derpy was confused. Someone outside of home was being nice to her?!

"Aren't you going to be mean about my eyes?" she asked.

"No." James responded.

"Do you think they're crazy?"

"No...I think they're pretty."

"You think so?"

"Yeah!"

Derpy couldn't hold back a blush. However, her face quickly turned pale when she saw two of her typical bullies run in their direction.

"Oh no..." Derpy said, attempting to run.

James placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hold on. Let me talk to them." He said, before turning to face the two students.

"Hey!" James said to the two boys.

"James!" One said, stepping foreword, "You finally came to join us. We came up with new names to call Crazy Eyes!"

Derpy teared up and got ready for the insults.

"No," James said, "I won't do it. I won't let you mess with her."

"Why not?" the other boy asked.

"It's not nice."

"I don't care!" he replied.

"What're YOU going to do?" the other asked.

"If you don't go home," James started, "I'm gonna tell your mommies on you! Then you can get in trouble!"

The two boy bullies ran away quicker than they arrived, leaving Derpy and James behind. Derpy was speechless. She really didn't know what to say.

"Sorry. My friends are kind of mean." James said.

"Thank you...w-why did you do that?" Derpy asked, sniffling.

"I see you in class getting picked on. I always wondered, 'Why are they so mean to her?' So I had to walk to you all by myself."

"Thank you...I...I wanna go home."

"Okay. Well, see you tomorrow!"

James turned around to leave, but was stopped by Derpy.

"Wait! I...I'm scared. I don't wanna go home alone." Derpy said.

James turned around to Derpy. He thought for a moment, before suddenly coming up with an idea.

"If I hold your hand, will you feel better?" James asked.

"O...okay..." Derpy said.

James stood by her side, and grabbed her hand. her face turned a deep crimson as James escorted her safely home.

All throughout the rest of Kindergarten...James would sit next to Derpy during class, eat lunch with her, play with her at recess, and walk her home every day.

That didn't change when they reached elementary school. By the time first grade hit, they were the best of friends. It was during elementary school when they discovered their special talents. James loved to play sports, while Derpy found a love for baking. Whenever James had a baseball game, Derpy would be watching in the audience. Cheering. Whenever Derpy baked her own muffins (with help from her mother, of course), James would be more than willing to try out her creations. No matter how bad or good they tasted.

Her bully problems still stuck with her during these times, though. The names didn't stop, the paper didn't stop getting thrown at her, but she knew that James would make it stop when he could...and he did. When James would see her getting picked on, he stepped right up to defend her. James was a popular baseball player at his school, so he was respected by pretty much everyone. Whenever he told them to stop, they stopped.

James was a good student. He got some of the best grades in class, and turned in all of his assignments with everything done correctly and almost perfectly. However, Derpy's grades were less than good. She often struggled with most of her assignments, and needed help with them. After school, James would tutor her on her assignments. Sure enough, her grades went up. They weren't perfect, but they let her pass to middle school.

Middle school was an especially difficult time for Derpy. Multiple classes, many teachers, bullies running around like blood through the human body. It was during this time when Derpy and James had classes that were separated from one-another. Of course they had math, language arts, and history together, but they had their other classes separate. It was during those separated times when Derpy was vulnerable to the harassment.

On one occasion, a certain boy thought it would be funny if he spilled a random chemical on Derpy's hand. When he did, she shrieked in pain. It must have been corrosive, because it burned her hand. When she told the teacher, the teacher just told her to wash her hands and get back to work. She reluctantly did, but with caution. When lunchtime approached, she told James what happened. James was FURIOUS.

James got up from his seat and found where the boy and his friends were sitting. James recognized those boys. They were part of the "Diamond Dawg" gang. The members consisted of three brothers. Spot Dog was the short one, Fido Dog was the big and muscular one, and Rover Dog was the leader of them.

"That's him." Derpy said, pointing to Fido.

James marched over to the table and grabbed Fido by the ear.

"So, you like to pour chemicals on people. Is that what I'm hearing?" James asked.

"Let go of ear." Fido said.

James didn't listen. Instead, he pulled harder. This grabbed the attention of the students surrounding them.

"I don't want to hear about you messing with my friend again...because if I do...I swear, I will beat you into a coma." James said before letting go of Fido.

Fido got up from his chair, and looked at James. James had to look up just to make eye contact with his towering enemy.

"Why don't I just do that to you?" Fido asked, cracking his knuckles.

"You can try...but you'll regret it." James said.

"Ooh...scary. Everyone watch! I'm going to beat him to a pulp."

A fight followed between James and Fido. Fido may have been the biggest and the strongest, but James was the quickest. James suffered some nasty hits to the face, chest, and gut...but Fido got knocked out when James got behind him and put him in a chokehold. In the end, both were suspended for a while because for the fight.

When James escorted Derpy safely to her home, she looked at him.

"Wait!" she said.

He turned around, "Yes?"

"James...I...have to tell you something..."

"Sure. What's up?"

"I...I..."

"Go ahead. I won't tell anyone, if it's a secret."

Derpy ran to James and threw her arms around him, "James...I...like you. I...I think I...love you." she managed to say.

A silence followed. Suddenly, she felt James wrapping her in a hug.

"I love you too, Derpy. I always wanted to say that." James responded.

They released their hug.

"Well, I must head home. I'll see you some other time." James said.

"Okay...' Derpy opened the door to her house and stepped inside, "I love you, James."

"Love you too, Derpy."

James turned around and went to his house. Derpy closed the door and sat on the couch, a feeling of happiness in her mind. He loves me. She thought to herself.

When James returned to school, word quickly spread that he and Derpy became a couple. Because of that, James lost a lot of his good reputation and was seen as a nobody. However, he could care less. All that he wanted was to be with Derpy.

High school. It's almost no different than middle school. It's like a little more of an extreme version of middle school. When James and Derpy reached high school, things were great. James started football and got his good reputation back, Derpy took cooking classes, and both were getting good grades in school.

However, not everything was great. The "Diamond Dawg" gang grew over time, and was a large percentage of Canterlot High. While Derpy was worried about the gang, she felt safe with her boyfriend James. Especially when his fellow friends in the football team were there.

Aside from the gang, everything was great. Derpy could bake some amazing muffins. She often brought them to James and his friends after every football game. Because Derpy was the girlfriend of the most popular football player in CHS, she made friends on her own. Life was great!

Until one day in their senior year. By this time, James and Derpy were eighteen and had plans for the future. James had a job at a store, and had been saving up money so they could move in together after graduation. Derpy had been doing the same, working at a local bakery to save up money for their future home.

It was the night before the day of graduation, and James had planned to take her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Derpy wanted him to pick her up when her shift was over, and then they could go eat. Once he got his suit on, James hopped into his car and began driving to Derpy's work. However, he wasn't on the road for a whole minute when he noticed a car driving recklessly down the road. James stopped his car, called 911 and reported them, and then continued to drive down the road. Suddenly, his car was rear-ended by the reckless driver. James got mad and got out of his car to talk some sense into the people. Suddenly, the car backed up and turned slightly...and accelerated toward James.

He didn't have enough time to react.

The car slammed into him, taking off the open door of his car in the process. James felt pain everywhere. In his ribs, arms, legs, and head. James could only groan as he heard the driver of the vehicle stumble out.

"Look...*burp*...who it is." A voice said.

"Hey...isn't....that the guy who beat you up in middle school, Fido?" another asked.

"Yeah...we hit em'."

"Let's make him pay."

James could see that it was Rover, Fido, and Spot. They all looked drunk, and he could smell beer on their breaths. Before James could say anything, they began kicking at James. Over, and over again. James was in pain, blood ran down his nose and from cuts, but...he started laughing. However, he started coughing when the laughter hurt.

"What's so funny?" Fido asked.

"You...idiots..." James started, "I called the cops already. They're right behind you."

Suddenly...Rover, Fido, and Spot were tackled to the ground and restrained by police officers. When the cops saw James, they wasted no time getting an ambulance for him.

Back at the bakery, Derpy was waiting for James to come. It was almost closing time, and she didn't hear from him yet. Suddenly, her cell phone started ringing. After struggling to push the correct button due to her eyes, she finally managed to pick up the call. It was the hospital. They told her that James was in the hospital with broken bones and internal bleeding. He was bleeding fast, and in too many places.

Derpy burst through the doors and ran all the way to the hospital. After running up the stairs and pushing past a nurse, she managed to find James' room. She screamed when she saw the condition he was in. He was red and bruised all over, casts on his arms and legs, and a brace on his neck. His eyes were closed, and a heart monitor was making steady beeps. She ran to him, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"J-James? Are you...o-okay?" she asked.

He opened his eyes, and looked at her. He smiled, "Hi, Derpy."

"J-James...I'm here for you..."

"Good...at least I don't...d-die...alone..."

"Nonono...please don't say that..."

"Derpy...please...stop crying."

"I can't! The man I love is going to die!"

Derpy couldn't help it. She burst into tears. While her eyes were closed, she saw everything she and James did together. The day they met, the muffins, the time they danced at a prom, and many more.

The beeping was slowing down.

"Derpy...if I hold your hand, would you promise me you'll stop crying?" James asked.

"Y-yes..." she responded.

James weakly opened his hand for her. She placed her hand in his, and he wrapped his fingers around hers. Derpy got up and kissed him on the lips, and he returned the kiss. When their kiss released, the monitor gave off a flat line. The beeping stopped. James slowly closed his eyes...forever.

"I love you, James." Derpy said, silently.

Author's Note

This was a little idea I got one day. I decided to give it a try. It may not be perfect, but I had to release this idea. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, leave a like and comment.

As always, have a nice day.