Chapter 8 - Formal Comeback
Meredith's emptiness consumed her. She felt like she wanted to puke. Formal that year was not going to be fun, she thought. She twirled around in her dress once more in front of her full length mirror. She latched on her crucifix that Dana had bought her when she and William turned six and her charm bracelet. Then checked her hair over. The hairdresser had done a really good job, she thought. She smiled at herself, finishing painting up her face. She sat on the edge of her bed and contemplated her life. She knew that it was stupid, but her date was late and her mind was racing. She needed to do something.
She draped the scarf over her neck, not covering up the silver chain that had her crucifix on it and let it fall down her slender back. She straightened out her red and orange skirt. SHe loved that dress. She looked at her clock radio. 6:30. Damn it, she scolded herself for accepting a date from John Poe, that numbskull. What did he know about being on time?
"Mere!" He mother called from the base of the attic stairs. Meredith had her room moved up there when she was thirteen. She had some of the best sleepovers up there. She walked to her door, took a deep breath in, then braced herself to walk down the stairs.
"You look beautiful." He mother said, her chesnut hair clipped back. She was doing housework, Meredith told herself. "John just got here."
"Thanks mom." She said and walked down the slightly winding staircase.
"Have fun sweetie." She said. Yeah whatever Mom, she said miserably. John stood at the door, a white rose in his hand.
"Hey gorgeous." He said. Meredith put on her I'll-smile- just-for-the-hell-of-it with her actress's charm. John sensed something, she knew that, but she would never had admitted to anyone, even her mother, that she wished it was William with his moppy locks of red hair and bright green eyes she wanted here in a black tuxedo. She and John walked to John's car. John had a jeep. She loved being friends, but since neither of them had a date, they decided to give it a try, dating that is. Meredith swallowed the lump in her throat, and decided, "I might as well make the best of it."
It was 7:00 when they reached the highschool. Meredith walked in, proud and tall next to John who was a little shorter then her in her heels. She giggled a little, but silenced herself when he had no idea what she was laughing at.
The gym was packed with teens, some drunk as Meredith could tell, some sober, and others who had no intention of dancing, as she could see from the dance floor. They had brought a game boy or something and sat with the electronics club or something. Meredith was happy to see her friends though. John left when all the fast ongs were on, leaving Meredith to gossip.
Loralie was the only one who didn't have a date. She and Meredith had been friends for a good four years now and Meredith and her were the only girls who were known to come to dances without dates. Even semiformal they showed up as a "couple".
"You're not having fun are you?" Loralie asked her when they went to go sit down. She twirled her curled brown locks between her fingers.
"Is it that obvious?" Meredith said. She and Loralie laughed a little. They were still like they were when they were five. Meredith and her could laugh at the most pointless things.
"Well I'm leaving ya wanna come with?" She said quickly. Meredith nodded tiredly. She and Loralie walked out of the gym, Meredith slipping in a few words to John who was doing a bad job of pretending not to flirt with the exchange student.
Meredith enterred her house that night, her parents still awake and in the next room watching TV.
"I'm home!" She called. They laughed in acknowledgement. She walked into the kitchen, her skirt dragging on the ground. She slumped into a chair, not looking to see if she was sitting in anything. She was about to fall asleep on the table when the phone rang. Since her parents were obviously a little buzzed, she grabbed hte portable phone.
"Hello?" She said.
"Meredith Doggett?" The woman on the other line said.
"Yes?"
"Do you know a William Scully?" They asked her. Her heart skipped a beat.
"I did but he went missing a year ago." She said, trying to choke down her tears.
"This is Georgetown Memorial Hospital. William Scully was just brought here. He asked for you."
The phone hit the floor...
Meredith's emptiness consumed her. She felt like she wanted to puke. Formal that year was not going to be fun, she thought. She twirled around in her dress once more in front of her full length mirror. She latched on her crucifix that Dana had bought her when she and William turned six and her charm bracelet. Then checked her hair over. The hairdresser had done a really good job, she thought. She smiled at herself, finishing painting up her face. She sat on the edge of her bed and contemplated her life. She knew that it was stupid, but her date was late and her mind was racing. She needed to do something.
She draped the scarf over her neck, not covering up the silver chain that had her crucifix on it and let it fall down her slender back. She straightened out her red and orange skirt. SHe loved that dress. She looked at her clock radio. 6:30. Damn it, she scolded herself for accepting a date from John Poe, that numbskull. What did he know about being on time?
"Mere!" He mother called from the base of the attic stairs. Meredith had her room moved up there when she was thirteen. She had some of the best sleepovers up there. She walked to her door, took a deep breath in, then braced herself to walk down the stairs.
"You look beautiful." He mother said, her chesnut hair clipped back. She was doing housework, Meredith told herself. "John just got here."
"Thanks mom." She said and walked down the slightly winding staircase.
"Have fun sweetie." She said. Yeah whatever Mom, she said miserably. John stood at the door, a white rose in his hand.
"Hey gorgeous." He said. Meredith put on her I'll-smile- just-for-the-hell-of-it with her actress's charm. John sensed something, she knew that, but she would never had admitted to anyone, even her mother, that she wished it was William with his moppy locks of red hair and bright green eyes she wanted here in a black tuxedo. She and John walked to John's car. John had a jeep. She loved being friends, but since neither of them had a date, they decided to give it a try, dating that is. Meredith swallowed the lump in her throat, and decided, "I might as well make the best of it."
It was 7:00 when they reached the highschool. Meredith walked in, proud and tall next to John who was a little shorter then her in her heels. She giggled a little, but silenced herself when he had no idea what she was laughing at.
The gym was packed with teens, some drunk as Meredith could tell, some sober, and others who had no intention of dancing, as she could see from the dance floor. They had brought a game boy or something and sat with the electronics club or something. Meredith was happy to see her friends though. John left when all the fast ongs were on, leaving Meredith to gossip.
Loralie was the only one who didn't have a date. She and Meredith had been friends for a good four years now and Meredith and her were the only girls who were known to come to dances without dates. Even semiformal they showed up as a "couple".
"You're not having fun are you?" Loralie asked her when they went to go sit down. She twirled her curled brown locks between her fingers.
"Is it that obvious?" Meredith said. She and Loralie laughed a little. They were still like they were when they were five. Meredith and her could laugh at the most pointless things.
"Well I'm leaving ya wanna come with?" She said quickly. Meredith nodded tiredly. She and Loralie walked out of the gym, Meredith slipping in a few words to John who was doing a bad job of pretending not to flirt with the exchange student.
Meredith enterred her house that night, her parents still awake and in the next room watching TV.
"I'm home!" She called. They laughed in acknowledgement. She walked into the kitchen, her skirt dragging on the ground. She slumped into a chair, not looking to see if she was sitting in anything. She was about to fall asleep on the table when the phone rang. Since her parents were obviously a little buzzed, she grabbed hte portable phone.
"Hello?" She said.
"Meredith Doggett?" The woman on the other line said.
"Yes?"
"Do you know a William Scully?" They asked her. Her heart skipped a beat.
"I did but he went missing a year ago." She said, trying to choke down her tears.
"This is Georgetown Memorial Hospital. William Scully was just brought here. He asked for you."
The phone hit the floor...