The week drifted by quite easily for Meredith. She couldn't concentrate in her classes lately and she knew that created a bad problem for her especially in her senior year. She knew that she couldn't do that, so she decided to make a pact with herself and since it was the first week of November, she knew she could change it around. But like most of the pacts she makes with not only herself, but importantly Cristina, she lives by it. They've made a pact since they were little kids that on the first week of every month, preferably that Saturday, they would go out to eat. They made this pact and had kept it ever since. But Meredith was not the only one who was being affected by this change.

"Could you hurry up." Meredith eagerly said to Cristina.

"Could you hold on," Cristina snapped back.

Cristina began walking slower as she texted on her phone and every-time she would finish a text message she would run embarrassingly toward Meredith.

"Ugh," she said in disgust, "when you run it's like a cross between a robot & Jabba the Hutt."

"Real funny Mer, besides this phone is hard to use."

"Why don't you tell your boyfriend to buy you a new one."

"Owen is not my boyfriend."

"Right. Avery would be your boyfriend? Or would Avery be your mistress?"

She pierced her eyes into those of Merediths, "Shut up."

"Oh please. It's been like a month and you're telling me that you aren't dating any one of them?"

As Cristina laughed, Meredith could see her breath in the sky. They turned a corner to this little cafe near their school. "It's only been five days, and yes that's exactly what I'm saying. "

"Do you plan on dating one of them?"

"Yes," she slowly responded.

"Then what's the problem," Meredith said as she picked a table. Meredith sat down but Cristina contemplated her question.

"...He just... hasn't asked me..."

"& Who is this he we're talking about?"

Cristina stood quiet, "What about you? Don't you love Derek already?"

Meredith smiled, "Ahh, don't try to change the subject. We're talking about you."

"Okay and now we're talking about you. What's with you and Derek?"

She continued to smile, "Nothing's going on."

"Do you like him? Does he like you? I mean there must be something going on with that hot hunky piece of man."

Meredith began to laugh, "What? Yeah I like him, and yeah he likes me. But it's like, I don't know. Im not ready. I told him I don't want to be in a relationship with him or anybody else until I turn 18. It would just cancel out a lot of controversy."

"Hmm," Cristina said as she stood up, "Well if you ask me love shouldn't be scheduled for your eighteenth birthday." And with that said, Cristina left to order coffee.

Meredith looked out her window and looked at the scenery. She began to ponder about what Cristina said and considered the thought of calling Derek her boyfriend. But before she could think twice she saw a man smile. She was so blinded by this smile she looked twice. He seemed so attractive and she was so fond of this man, it took her a few minutes to realize that it was Derek, & Derek had been with another girl. Meredith sunk into her seat. Her chin was at the level of the table, she put the cafe's menu in her face so that Derek wouldn't recognize her. When he passed by her and sat down at a table visible from her's, she put the menu down. Cristina came back to the table a few minutes later.

"I didn't know you can shrink. What else can you do?"

Meredith waved her hand extremely fast, "shh," she said loudly. In a loud whisper she continued "Shut up. He could hear you!"

Cristina looked around and then leaned in slowly. She whispered back, "Whose he?"

"Derek!"

Her eyes opened wide, "He's here?"

"Yeah with some lady."

"Wi- Wi- With some lady? Please tell me it's like his mom or something."

"No. She's fairly attractive," she said hesitating with every word. First thing that came to her mind was the outrageous fact that he was cheating on her. Seconds after having this absurd thought she realized they weren't together so he wouldn't technically be cheating on her, but technically she wished he wouldn't be with anyone else.

"What does she look like," Cristina asked as she slowly sat down in her chair. .

"She looks like a pretty older girl. What else do you need to know."

"Well I can't see what she looks like, it would be too obvious. Describe her for me."

She sighed and reluctantly she held the Menu to her face. "Okay, umm.. She has long blond hair, blue eyes, pretty smile, she's wearing a red pea coat, nice legs," Meredith put the menu down. "I guess McDreamy found his McPerfect." She groaned as she put her head down.

Cristina's eyebrows rose in sorrow. She slammed her hands palm faced down on the table and sighed violently, "That's it," she yelled and viciously got up from the table. She walked toward Derek and snatched the Menu out of his hand and threw it behind her almost hitting another woman in the face with it. "Hi, Derek. How are you today," she asked. He parted his lips to answer but Cristina put her finger in his face, "Don't answer that. The perfect question is How's Meredith! You know I never really liked you, I knew you were a player from the start. You shine your pretty little smile, and flutter your pretty little eyes, and say your pretty little words and expect people to just fall for you. But I wont have that!"

"Cristina-," he pleaded, but Cristina ignored him.

"-Oh don't you 'Cristina' Me! How dare you. She's actually falling for you. That poor little girl is falling for you, & here I am on your side rooting for you and her, rooting for her to be with you,"

"Cristina," he tried again.

She ignored him, "& your here with Slutty McSlut Slut! She's not even as pretty as Meredith. Do you know how hard it is for Meredith to even like anyone! And here I am thinking Im' cold hearted when it comes to relationships. You don't deserve her – Or whats in between her– "

"Cristina," he yelled.

"What!" she yelled back.

"This is Arizona! Callie's girlfriend!."

"I don't care what her name – ...Callie!"

"Yes! Callie!"

"As– As – As in Calliope? The lady who works in my schools office? This is her girlfriend?

Arizona smiled and bashfully waved, "Hello."

Cristina bit her lip and for a second looked back at Meredith for only a moment. She looked back at Arizona and smiled, "Hi." She sighed then looked down at her feet. She took a step back, "If you don't mind, I'm going to walk away and put my foot in my own ass." As she walked away, Derek stared at Meredith who with a guilty look, looked back at him. As Cristina walked toward their table, Meredith got up from the table and ran out of the cafe. Derek stood up and watched her painfully walk away.

While walking to the hospital Lexie picked up a bundle of roses for April. April has been in and out of the hospital for the whole entire month because she April has been extremely accident prone. She smiled and walked on her way. When she turned the corner a block away from the hospital, she saw the unlawful pervert she cursed out only a month ago. When her eyes contacted his presence her instinct was to be on her tippy toes and turned around. Her heart began pumping in a rapid pace, almost knocking itself out of her ribcage. She leaned her body on the brick wall and tried to find a way of avoiding him. She figured the best way to do so would be for her to just walk straight & not turn to the hospital.

So she walked, and after a block or two she became relieved. She thought that he didn't notice her, & she thought she was in the clear... but that's what she thought...

"Lexie" Mark called out to her.

She bowed her head in defeat but refused to give up. She began walking faster

"Lexie," he called again. But she refused to look at him.

He thought two things. She probably didn't hear him, or she was ignoring her. He walked faster, slightly running to catch up with her. He placed her hand on her shoulders, making her turn around.

" Hey," he said as she rolled her eyes. "I was calling you."

"Oh really? I didn't notice," she said sarcastically.

"I've been calling you all week. You haven't returned any of my phone calls."

"There's a reason for that."

" Why have you been ignoring me."

Lexie squinted her eyes, "Do you hear yourself," she said in a snappish voice. She walked toward him and spoke louder. "You have my number! Which I never gave! You sent flowers to my house! I never gave you the address! You are a creep! You follow me every where! Stop bothering me!"

He had a stern look, and as she continued on with her speech, the iron seemed to have melted off of his face. It was quiet between them, and after Lexie said the words she did, she realized that she had hurt his feelings. He took a deep breathe and spoke gloomily, "Fine, if that's what you want then I wont bother you anymore." She sighed and began to walk away. "But let me say this," he said as he grabbed her upper arm firmly, "I really like you. I know I may come off as a stupid pretty boy, or as a creep like you say, but I really like you. & I will leave you alone, only if you answer one thing for me."

She sighed and with a soft, annoyed tone she replied, "What is it? What do you want me to answer?"

He pulled her close making his chest touch hers, his hands slowly trailed to the middle of her back. He leaned in and softly whispered in her ear, "Honestly tell me you don't feel the way I do. Look me in my eyes and tell me I disgust you." Softly with tender lips, he kissed the bottom of her jaw, the closest part to her neck. His lips trailed back to her ear, "Tell me, you don't want me.."

Her legs trembled and her lips quivered. She stared into his eyes trying so hard to create this lie which she and him knew would not be true. She bit her lip and softly traced his cheek bone with her fingers. She reached to his lips and softly kissed him with passionate lust. She whispered in his ear and asked, "Which way to your place?..."

Meredith was a good runner. She can run a long distance, without stopping to catch her breath. Meredith can run away from a lot of things, but as she ran home she couldn't get away from one thing: Derek. She stopped in front of the stoop to her house.

Her body was trembling to catch oxygen in this cold winter air. She sat on the last step and closed her eyes trying to concentrate on her breathing.

Concentrating on her breathing was the last thing she could think about.

"I'm glad I found you here," a familiar voice echoed around her.

A chilling surge went though her whole body, trying not to open her eyes and discover if it was a dream or not.

"You don't have to say anything," she said coldly, "I know I'm stupid."

He sat next to her on the step, but she refused to open her eyes. He smiled as he nudged her, "Do you remember what I said last week?"

"You said a lot of things."

"I said you're the only one I'd do this for."

She opened her eyes, and looked him in his. "But what does that mean Derek?"

"You're the only one I'll open up to. The one I'll tell everything to. Only if you'd let me. Only if you would just trust me"

She looked away from him and into the street. She inhaled strongly and exhaled the same way. "Do you remember what I told you that night, too?"

He stood quiet.

She continued, "That how Seattle was just like me? How there were only 71 days that were sunny? & How the rest were gray like me? I have so much baggage. I don't want you to open all of it and then walk away. I'm not an easy person. I can't seem to erase all the scars I have & I don't want to fall for something that's going to wake up and walk out of my life one day."

Derek tried to comprehend what she was trying to say, but was lost with the words she used. "Meredith, what are you trying to say."

She was trying to say a lot of things, but she couldn't find the guts to say it. Not at all. She sighed, and dropped her head. "I don't know," she murmured.

It became quiet, all that could be heard were cars passing and going. They shared silence for a moment. He exhaled strongly, "I was with this girl before. She took my heart and she broke it into many pieces. She left me with no goodbye, no nothing. I was hurt for a long time, so what ever you're feeling, I've felt it too. The scars that you have, will eventually heal. The pain that you feel will vanish. Tears eventually dry on their own. You just have to give it time." He grabbed her hand and placed it softly into his. "No one is going to take me away from you, I promise."

On the other side of Seattle, was a very high priced hotel. In front of the hotel, stopped a yellow taxi cab. A woman gracefully walks out of the cab and pays the man his money. A bell boy waits for her outside, and grabs her bags. As she walks into the hotel, her phone rings and she picks it up in one swift motion.

"Hello," she greeted the caller, "How are you Mrs. Sheppard?.. Oh yes, I've just entered the hotel. How are you feeling? That's good, and no don't tell him. I want to surprise him, if you don't mind. Alright, Mrs. Sheppard, I will do so. Have a goodnight."

As she reaches the concierge, she hangs up the phone. She takes off her sunhat and her sunglasses and places them onto her bags.

"Hello, I'd like a room please," she said.

The man smiled and typed into the computer, "Is there a room you would want?"

"Penthouse?"

"Perfect. It's vacant."

She smiled, "aah perfect."

He looked at her and with curiosity asked, "What is your name miss?"

She pulled out her Visa Card and ID card, "Montgomery... Addison Montgomery."