Meredith didn't move when the lights to her bedroom flicked on. Her eyes were shut lightly as if in a pleasant dream with her lips parted just enough for her breathing to escape in and out rhythmically. The silent hover of Alaric above her made her stir involuntarily. She pried one unwilling eye open to see him crouched beside the bed with a loving gaze. Propping up on one elbow, she looked at her husband-to-be who was grinning at her sheepishly.

"Sorry to wake you," he mumbled leaning forward to kiss her forehead with a bristly chin. "It was a late night at the office."

Meredith squirmed under the covers. She could smell the hint of alcohol on his breath, even though he had tried his best to cover it up with several pieces of peppermint gum. These 'late nights' Alaric always complained about were usually times when he went on drinking binges with his new buddies from work. The drinking didn't bother her – he was a guy, after all- but the thought that some of his friends and co-workers were of the female variety did pull the strings of her paranoia.

Alaric blinked after a long paused moment. His blond brow burrowed into a frown as he reached forward to stroke a dark strand away from her face. "Meredith?" He asked puzzled. "Are you alright?" His voice was full of sincere concern, making Meredith's insides tingle with glee. Little moments like this reminding her that he did love her with all his heart.

"I'm fine," she assured him with a meek smile. "I was just… thinking about Elena and Bonnie." It wasn't quite a lie. Thoughts of What would Elena do? were constantly crossing her mind. "They're just so far away, and I haven't seen them in awhile."

Two years had passed since Klaus' torment of Fell's Church. Nonsense of fighting vampires seemed like ages ago to Meredith, but the memories still hung fresh in her mind. Damon had gone as soon as dawn rose above the horizon, probably off seducing women and terrorizing little children for their pocket change.

Stefan and Elena hung around for a bit longer. At night Meredith could hear them walking the streets; Elena's high pitched giggle, Stefan's footfalls as he trotted after her. During the day Meredith and Bonnie would spend their days at the boarding houses talking colleges and jobs, and breaking away from their small little town. Behind their shared laughter and playful roughhousing it was obvious all of them knew the truth. Sooner or later they would all have to break away and go their own separate paths. Their teenage years were not meant to last forever, and adulthood crept closer and closer as the summer days grew shorter.

Before fall had even begun, Elena and Stefan had left. Matt had found a wind-whipped note on the door with Elena's familiar elegant scribble. Gone to Italy, with all their love. Bonnie cried for hours, and Meredith wished she could have done the same.

Matt didn't bother to stay much longer. He was packed and ready before a week had gone by of Elena's departure. With a football scholarship and suitcases loaded in his trunk, he hugged his good-byes.

Bonnie was next. She stayed awhile, until it was impossible for her to stay any longer. She begged Meredith to go with her – they could be dorm mates and paint their walls purple and pink – but Meredith was firm with her answer. No. As the car drove away, fading in the distance, the last of Meredith's ties were gone. The three close friends who had gone through thick and thin were torn apart by something as simple as time.

Alaric had come and swooped her off her feet, away from her misery, to no place other than Holland. He was stationed there by his boss, exploring supernatural activity while Meredith explored the country. Windmills, tulips – the country was beautiful, the people nice. She couldn't have asked for anything better.

"… and you'll make new friends, Meredith." Alaric finished saying as she slowly pulled herself out of her pool of memories. "You're a very lovely person. Don't you have friends at the schools you work at?"

She blinked twice and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, curling her body against his. "I'm only a substitute," Meredith said grimly. "It's not like I stay in one school too long." She enjoyed the job, but she never had time to connect with the students. In the back of her mind, a small voice nagged: If I had gone to college, I would have been able to get a teaching degree. I could make friends with the rest of the faculty instead of being a familiar acquaintance. I could have friends. But teaching wasn't something Meredith would have enjoyed – not all her life. There were bigger and better things to do than sit in a classroom with children. Didn't her life mean anything?

"Not many," she admitted, addressing Alaric's question. "Even if I did, no one would ever be able to replace them," she said sternly, thinking of her Fell's Church friends.

Alaric, with his sullen face and bruised eyes, nodded although Meredith was sure it didn't fully compute with him. "We'll talk more in the morning," he promised, slipping out of his jeans and into his sleepwear.

Meredith rolled onto her side as the weight of Alaric heaved onto the opposite side of the bed. She wasn't as sleepy anymore, and instead lay awake tracing the patterns on the ceiling with her eyes. She was thinking of what she had thought of her friends earlier. Fell's Church friends. Was that all they were to her now? Faces belonging to a town, a place. Years from now would she completely forget their names and everything they went through was just a childish adventure. She wanted to wake Alaric up and talk to him about it, but – no. It wasn't Alaric she was yearning to talk to. It was Bonnie's curious squeak, Matt's husky rumble, and Elena's reassuring tone that Meredith really wanted to hear.

Leaning forward, Meredith clutched her red razor in her hand, staring blankly down at its sleek surface. As if signaled by some godly force, it vibrated lighting the screen up with Bonnie's caller I.D floating below the yellow envelope. Meredith couldn't help but flash a grateful grin.

Cheesy ending, but meh. I couldn't have come up with anything better. 8P I know it was boring, and mainly it was Meredith moping (and there was no Damon in it. Seriously Meerkat what were you thinking?) but aren't most first chapters a tad on the bland side? I was going to add a Damon point of view in this chapter, but I got lazy and didn't finish it. But, since school will be starting soon (like tomorrow) I'll be able to write during lunch or something.

See you next chapter,

Meerkat.