Meredith woke up the next morning with a groan and ran her fingers though her tangled hair. She didn't have work that night which she was slightly disappointed about, she did in fact like hanging out with Brian after all. He was a sweet guy. Meredith checked her phone and saw the time was almost noon. It was good thing didn't have class either today or she would've been screwed.

What then caught her attention was a new message that had appeared on the lock screen. She couldn't see all of it as it trailed off the space. She slid open the message and read.

'Hey! I had. Lot of fun last night thanks! I hope we can do it again sometime.' Then followed by a quick 'Oh this is Brian by the way! I got your number from Jaime.'

A smile crept across Meredith's face one she couldn't get rid of and butterflies in her stomach. She quickly texted him back then proceeded to place her hands on her face and fell back on to the bed giggling.

The feeling of someone liking you, or you liking someone back, Meredith thought, was such a high school feeling. But she just couldn't shake it.

She thought and thought and thought about Brian and what she was feeling, and soon enough her giggles turned in to crying. The tears streamed down her face as echoes of her parent's shouting rung though her ears.

She felt a small foot step on her stomach and looked up seeing Spike crawl across get tummy and curled on her cuddling down in. She gave a faint laugh though her tears and wipped her eyes looking down at the feline.

Sighing heavily, she scratched the cat and stared up at her celling. She was back in a position of a relationship. Of course she didn't need to go though with anything. She could just leave him be after that night. But she couldn't.

Deciding to not think of this now she sat up to the much distaste of Spike and headed off in to the kitchen to make breakfast. A slice of toast hanging out of her mouth minutes later, she was back in the bedroom.

Her eyes fixated once more on the blank canvas in front of her. Finishing her toast, Meredith grabbed the paints under her bed and a pencil from her bucket near her bed and got to work sketching.

Of course her mind quickly strayed from her project of love and she ended up sketching a giant bird. Midway though painting said bird she came to the conclusion that it was now Fawkes from Harry Potter. It didn't take long for her piece to be finished. She glanced it over and was actually quite proud of the work she had done. She placed it in the keep pile instead of her paint over pile for canvases. Besides the one on top of the pile now drying there was quite a stack built up of ones she was keeping. They all tended to range in a wide variety as well. From the back of a corset, to a depiction of her interpretation of women's rights, to world hunger, to now a burning pheniox.

Finishing up her painting she laid down on her floor and reached behind her. Stretching as far as she could she attempted to reach her phone with out moving much. A groan of difficultly and a happy smile later she was pressing shuffle on her albums.

She picked up the paint brush she had left out and moved on to another canvas. Her own skin. It was always something she enjoyed doing, there was something about the feeling of paint on skin that she just loved. Much to the distaste of her roommates who were sure she was going to get skin cancer one day.

It didn't take long for her project to get abandoned however. A half painted flower, and colorful paint streaks on her face later, she was dancing around her room to Walk the Moon. Spike's head curiously popped though the crack of the door at her loud singing and dancing. She pick up the fuzzy creature despite his screams of protests and spun him around the room with her.

A week soon passed, and things were going a lot better than she had expected them to. She had seen Brian almost every night, besides work of course. Life was going good. There was still that fear eating up inside her of the unknown. Not knowing how her and Brian's relationship would turn out. She pushed back her boundaries as well. She didn't wait to kiss him.

That first night after work, they walked out of the building together and she leaned up and kissed him. Leaning forward up on her tip toes slightly, her lips had touched his. The kiss was magical to say the least. She wasn't sure excerpt what made it that way, but there was something about it. "I'll see you later," she whispered pulling back and then headed off in the direction of her apartment. She glanced back when she thought she was far enough and still saw him standing there.

What had happened after that was they were starting to spend every free moment with each other, it didn't seem that she could be happier in this situation. However she found less time for painting. She knew she needed to get that project done, but spending so much time with Brian made that task just seem impossible.

For the first time in her life, things ever going perfectly.

Then he had to show up agaain. Just like always. She could see his curly hair from a mile away. Unfortunately, she didnt catch it until it was only a foot from her. Then came his voice, "Meredith?"

She looked right at him, right in to his hazel eyes once more, glancing away from Brian who was standing next to her. Why couldn't she just enjoy a nice was with Brian with not have to think about him. He always screwed everything up for her. "Darren!" She said trying to be a little cheerful. The the woman next to him caught her eye. Tall, way too skinny to possibly be healthy, and blonde. A model, no doubt about it.

She had a sour look on her face as she glanced at Meredith. Wheater is be from the measly lemon on the side of her water, or the fact she didn't seem to like her, she tried not to think about it.

"This is Kendra," Darren said gesturing to the blonde next to him giving Meredith a polite smile, as Darren finally seemed to acknowladge Brian next to her.

"Pleasure," She said exting her arm for Kendra to shake, but gettting nothing out of that interaction. "Oh, um, this is, uh, my friend, Brian," She said turning and pointing at Brian. Her nervousness was spiking though the roof. She had completely meant to say boyfriend, but the boy part didn't seem to get out tthere in time, She watch Darren's reaction closely. He was still able to see what she meant to say.

His eyebrows seemed to raise unexpectedly as he glanced Brian up and down, with a small smirk, obviously unimpressed. "Well, perhaps we should meet up for dinner again sometime soon, and we could catch up?"

"Um, yeah, sure," Meredith stuttered suddenly wanting to get out of there s fast as possible. Which she did. Stumbling on her shoes slightly and she mpoved to get out, she bid, Darren a quick, stuttering, awkard goodbye, and left, with Brian only following close behind.

He ruined everything for her again. His eyes, smile, dissaproving looks towards Brian, the way he made her feel all weak. But sheee tried not to think of it. She was with Brian now. He was the one that was suppoosed to make heer knees fel weak.

"Hey," A hand grabbed her arm, putting her at a halt. "What happened back there? Who was that?" Brian asked meredith delicately searching her eyes.

"Nothing," Meredith lied though her teeth. "Just an old ex, that's all," she said shaking her head trying to ignore the tears welling up in her eyes.

"What happened between you two?"
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