It was just a regular sunny afternoon as Jake and his older sister Jayla walked home from school, backpacks swinging and sneakers crunching against the sidewalk. Jayla, an 8th grader, had just finished her last day of middle school — and while she tried to play it cool, something was clearly on her mind.

“Next year,” she muttered suddenly, staring at the sidewalk like it had betrayed her, “I’m gonna be in high school… and you’re still stuck in 8th.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? And?”

Jayla stopped in her tracks, spun dramatically toward him, and slapped a hand over her chest. “That means I won’t be there to protect you anymore!” she said in the most over-the-top dramatic voice possible. “Who’s gonna make fun of you? Who’s gonna steal your snacks at lunch? Who’s gonna trip you in the hallway for no reason? WHO, Jake?!”

Jake rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. “You sound like you’re about to cry.”

Jayla sniffed loudly. “I am! This is so sad. My little brother… all alone… in the cruel halls of middle school, with no one to call him a dork or tell him his hair looks like a mop.”

He shoved her lightly. “You’re acting like I’m five.”

She kept walking but wiped an imaginary tear off her cheek. “It’s the end of an era. What if no one bullies you like I do? What if your new bullies aren’t even funny?”

Jake smirked. “You’re so weird.”

Jayla grinned back. “And you’re gonna miss me.”

“…Maybe,” he muttered.

Jayla let out a fake sob and threw her arm around his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll visit. I’ll come back and embarrass you at lunch. I’ll yell your name in front of your friends. I’ll make sure the tradition lives on.”