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Meredith awoke the next morning, her legs exposed, her shorts askew and the quilt bunched up around the top of her body. The room was bright, and as she orientated herself, she could see Derek's back sitting at the desk, studying away. His white earphones trailed over to his phone, sitting on top of a textbook next to him. She shifted slightly in the bed and yawned, stretching to look at the time. 11am. She'd nearly slept until noon.
As if by instinct, Derek swung around on his desk chairs to leave the room, holding an empty glass.
"Good morning!" He said, with a big grin when he noticed her now awake.
"I haven't slept this late in a long while…" She said, rubbing her eyes. "It's already 11."
"It's not a worry. Here," He said, handing her his mug from the desk. "Fresh coffee." The mug was still hot and she gratefully accepted it, taking a large sip from the side. "How'd you sleep?" He asked.
She thought for a moment, "Good." It was only the second time in over a week she'd slept in a bed instead of on the couch or floor after she'd exhausted herself packing.
"I'm glad." He replied, walking around to the other side of the bed and climbing in next to her, careful not to spill the coffee.
"How long have you been up?" She asked, placing the cup on the nightstand.
"Since 7. Well, I started studying at 7." He straightened out the blankets and pulled the textbook from the floor next to his side of the bed. "I've got another chapter to cover and then I think I'll take the afternoon off. I thought we could do something. If you're not busy, that is."
She lay on her side, her hand under her head. "I'm not busy at all. No obligations until next week."
"Well, in that case," Derek grinned, rolling onto his side to face her, placing his hand on her waist, "We could go to the lake? It's amazing weather and I'm allowed to swim as it's 'good muscle strengthening exercise'."
"Hmmm…" Meredith pondered, "That sounds lovely." She kissed the end of his nose. "You'd better get on with studying, then."
They both sat up and pulled the pillows up from behind them, creating a small nest. She nuzzled into his chest and held the text book for him, revising the subject together in silence.
When they surfaced from Derek's room in the early afternoon, Meredith sought out food for breakfast and they soon left for the lake, Derek even letting Meredith drive. They wound through the tree lined roads with the windows down, enjoying the beautiful weather.
The cool breeze through the valley at the lake gave Meredith goosebumps as she stripped off her tshirt, revealing her brightly coloured bikinis underneath. She kicked off her shoes and tossed her shirt on top, but eyed the water with caution. The sun went behind a cloud, sending a cold shiver down her spine.
"Derek, it's freezing." She told him.
"The sun is hot and as soon as it comes out, you'll be running for the water." He smirked. "I like those bathers you've got on, though."
"You would." Meredith stuck out her tongue, slipped her shorts off. "Come on, if I'm going in, so are you."
He followed her into the water as the sun emerged from behind a cloud. She floated on her back in the water, slowly kicking to propel herself as she glided along the top layer. The sun was warming and she acknowledged Derek was right. It made the water refreshing. Derek waded through the water at chest height, following her as she floated around relaxed.
Derek sighed happily, smiling down at Meredith. "This is the life, hey?" He asked. "I should have brought a fishing pole!"
"I'd scare away all your fish." She stuck her tongue out at him and he lunged forward towards her. Her body was submerged into the water, but she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull herself up as he stood. They both burst out laughing as Meredith rustled her soaking hair to stop it from sticking to her head. "Watch it." She told him. "My bite is worse than my bark." She splashed him and he held his hands up for a truce.
"Want to take a walk down a little? It's nice for the water to support my leg. I can basically walk normally… if I'm submerged up to my chest!" She agreed and half floated next to him, talking about the next year of school ahead of them.
.
After they returned home, Meredith took a shower and encouraged Derek to go back and study until dinner. She decided to let him work alone for a while and to go sort out a few things in her suitcase and boxes of 'things'. She got changed into her sweats and sat on her bed in the spare room, surrounded by momentos as she reboxed everything as to what was heading back to college with her, and the stuff that could stay at Derek's. The water had worn her out, and she was very pleased to be able to sit on a comfortable bed and felt very relaxed.
She opened one box to find it full of her journals. The box she thought was still in her car. Eventually after minutes of staring at it, curiosity got the better of her, and she grabbed the first on on the pile. Lying down on her bed she began to read, but eventually she fell asleep, and didn't wake up until 3am.
The journal she was reading had been closed and placed on the bedside table, all the lights were off, and she was covered in a blanket. The few things that were sitting next to her on the bed were placed on top of the box in the corner of the room and there was a note left next to her.
Didn't have the heart to - in fact, couldn't even if I tried, wake you for dinner. We've left you a plate in the fridge. xxx
She considered collecting all the notes that Derek had started to leave for her. Had Derek seen the diary? Why hadn't he woken her up? At least when she lived alone she could sleep and not have people finding her at strange times.
She lay there for a moment, trying to decide whether food trumped sleep, or how embarrassed she was.
Her stomach rumbled. The choice had been made. She sat up and quietly crept downstairs to the kitchen, switching on the light and taking the plate of food from the fridge, placing it in the microwave. She tapped her fingers against the bench top waiting for it to finish heating, then took her steaming plate into the living room to eat. She switched on the tv and turned the volume down low, finding a re-run of an old sitcom. She ate and watched, until she heard the front door quietly open. Meredith put her plate down,and crept around the corner. Her heart was racing. Was she about to have to single handedly fight off a burglar? Her mind raced, thinking back to the few self defines lessons they had to take in school. A dark figure emerged through the doorway and her heart leaped into her mouth.
"What do you want?" Meredith whispered loudly and viciously.
"Meredith! It's me!" Amy whispered back.
"Amy! You gave me a heart attack!"
"So did you! What are you doing up?"
"I woke up and I was hungry. Where have you been?" Meredith asked, walking back into the living room.
"Out. I was at a friend's house, but I didn't want to stay, so I walked home." Amy said, avoiding Meredith's eye contact.
"Is everything okay?" Meredith asked, warily.
"Yeah. Just don't tell Mum or Derek, okay?"
"Of course. Are you sure you're okay?"
Amy nodded, "Yeah, I am. Really. Nothing bad happened. I promise."
"Okay."
"Are you often up at 3am eating?" Amy snickered, pointing to her food.
"I feel asleep this afternoon and only just woke up. Noone woke me for dinner."
Amy giggled. "Derek said you were asleep and not to bother you."
"He keeps coming in to find me asleep places." Meredith laughed, "Frankly, it's getting embarrassing."
"Don't be embarrassed. He probably likes it." Amy replied. "That sounded creepier than I expected. Okay, I'd better get to bed. Night." Amy smiled, creeping upstairs.
After she finished her dinner, Meredith shut off the lights and rinsed her plate and stacked it into the dishwasher. She tiptoed up the stairs and went to go back to the spare room, but stopped in the doorway. Something didn't feel right. She crept further down the hall to Amy's room and tapped lightly on the door before opening it. Amy was sitting in bed with her phone.
"Are you sure everything is okay? I mean, you'd tell me if it wasn't, right?"
"Yeah. Everything is fine." Amy reassured her.
Meredith continued to frown and stepped inside her room, and shut the door behind her. "I know coming home at 3am. If you come home at 3 am, usually it means something isn't fine."
Amy sighed, "I went to a party, and it just… Something didn't seem right. So I left."
Meredith stared at her warily, "What do you mean? Drugs?" She asked.
Amy nodded, "Boyfriend was being an ass." She sniffed. "So I denied it, and then I snuck out the back and ran home."
"You know you can call me at any time. You made the right choice. I made some bad choices when I was younger. None that ever got me into a whole lot of trouble, but certainly a few that my mother would not have approved of. I'm glad you left."
"Me too." Amy replied, putting her phone on the night stand.
"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Meredith asked.
Amy nodded. "I trust you more than my sisters. I'm glad you've moved in."
"Me too. It's nice having some company." Meredith smiled slightly. "Alright, I'm headed back to bed." She opened the door behind her, "Good night. See you tomorrow."
"Thanks for caring." Amy whispered back.
Meredith left Amy with a hug, and went back down the hall to the spare room, but stopped in front of the door. She made an about turn and walked to Derek's door, opening it quietly, and padding over to her side of the bed. She pulled back the covers and slipped in next to him.
"Hey," He whispered sleepily.
"Hey." She replied, turning her head to kiss his cheek.
"Mmm, welcome back." He replied, pulling her in closer. And with that, she slept until the morning.
