Meg could not stop chatting throughout the whole ride to Providence. One of the ways she gets across that she was nervous was that she rambled on a lot, usually about crazy and nonsensical subjects. Brian normally didn't mind this, but after hearing her talk for 20 to 30 minutes, he started to tune it out. Besides, his mind was most on the road that this point.

"And so I went up to the cafeteria and I saw that there was three different flavours of Jell-O available at the counter," began one such conversation. "Well, I knew I was holding up the line, but in all honesty, I couldn't decide. I mean, I liked cherry, but I knew that Mom already bought cherry from the supermarket so I knew I was most likely going to have some for dessert, unless my asshole father and his nimrod friends had ate it all during the day, but I holding out hope that something like that didn't happen. There was also lime, which I liked too but I was still going back to cherry. Then there was a yellow Jell-O thing, and I had no clue what flavour that was. It looked like it was piss-flavoured. And then later on that day, someone mentioned that I had a similar voice to Jackie from That 70's Show, to which I scoffed. I mean, I don't think I sound like her." It was around that point that Brian began to tune out, but he quickly stopped himself because he still had to pay attention to the road. Thankfully, they were soon approaching Providence. Meg had only previously been to Providence a couple times in her life, she didn't really remember a lot about it, either. Providence was the capital and the largest city in Rhode Island, and it was much bigger than the dinky little town of Quahog. There was a lot of very interesting sights and sounds all around.

In the centre of the city located the Providence Barrington, a very posh hotel. There was an indoor pool and auditorium inside it. They got the key to their room which was on the fifth floor. They were at room number 8. It was a pretty decent room, Meg thought, at least it was miles better than her room back home which Peter oftentimes used for whatever mundane thing he wanted.

"Oh my God, Meg," Brian said when he entered into the room. "This is nice. I can't believe they were just giving this room for practically nothing." Meg and Brian set their luggage on their beds as Meg walked by the window. She could see the entire city from her bedroom. She needed a moment to take everything in. This was really happening, she thought. I'm finally going to do something worthwhile. No longer will I be the shit of anything anymore.

"Okay, I'm heading over to the bar..." Brian said after he put his suitcase on his bed.

"Hold it. Be sure not to get too drunk now, Brian. Because the tryouts are in an hour and a half and you're my ride." Meg warned him.

"Hey, hey... don't worry, it's me we're talking about. When have I ever..." Meg just crossed her arms and gave him a stare that said 'yeah right'. "Okay, okay, I've... actually done that quite frequently, but I promise you it won't happen today."

Meg giggled a bit and responded, "Well, all right. See you later." Brian then left to go and have a few martinis. In the back of Meg's mind, she thought he would go back on his promise, but she didn't care, her life was finally beginning. She took off her shoes, jumped onto her bed and proceeded to surf the internet on her tablet for an hour and a half. For some reason, she watched a lot of PewdiePie videos on YouTube.

An hour and a half just few by for Meg, because before she knew it, Brian was right there jiggling his keys around his fingers saying, "Come on, Meg. The chariot awaits."

"Brian, you didn't get drunk. Good for you!"

"Well, I figured that since this is a very important day for you, and since I have done an awful lot of crap to you in the past, I thought to myself as I guzzled the sweet bubbly, 'Maybe I should only have just one drink' and I did." As she put her shoes back on, Meg responded with a huge grin. "Also, I met this really hot girl in the bar..." began his discussion as he and left the room, and headed for the tryouts.

The tryouts were being held in a giant arena, certainly bigger than anything Meg saw back in Quahog. Even the parking lot was bigger than Meg's entire house. Brian and Meg parked in a part of the parking lot entitled "Section Apple" (the different sections were named after fruit for some reason).

"All right, here we are." Brian said as he put the car in park. He looked his right to see Meg sweating and obviously stressed. "Aw, Meg, what's the matter?"

"Oh, me..." she said in a quick jittery stutter, "Me, me, me, I'm just f-f-f-fine. Why would anything be th-th-th-th-the matter?" Brian then put his hand on her hand and said, "Meg, there's no need to be nervous. I've seen what you can do, and you know what you are capable of. I would not say this to just anybody, but you are going to do great things one day. Your artwork will really touch people. And if you get nervous up on that stage, just imagine that I'm the only one in the audience."

A tear of joy crept upon Meg's face and so did a grin. Her anxiety had up and left. She had renewed confidence. Without a single word, she then gave Brian a big hug, and also gave a silent prayer to God.

She got all her stuff from the back of the car and proceeded to walk with Brian into the arena to sign up and prepare for the competition. The parking lot was so big that Meg started to get a little tired from walking through it. Meg was supposed to exercise more often but as of lately she had been slacking off a bit. At that time, she was regretting getting off her exercise regimen.

Soon they made it inside the arena. One of the first people they ran into was the sign up lady. A slovenly hag of a woman, overweight and smoking like no one's business.

"Name?" she said in a growly voice.

"Uh, uh... Schmidt. Uh, Megan Schmidt" Meg said after a few tries.

The woman looked through the contestant registry, "Hmm, Schmidt, Schmidt... Okay, here you are." She then got some stuff from behind her desk and handed it to her. "Alright, young lady, here's all your stuff. Go the second door on your right, that's the contestant entrance, have a nice day." She then proceeded to typing on her computer like she was before Meg came in. The woman gave Meg a schedule of upcoming dates for the contest, a complimentary pen and thermos, and signup sheet to alert the staff if they had allergies or other health-related issues.

The second door let to a backstage area, where the contestants practiced and/or got to know their competition. They were all split up into a certain number of cliques. Meg tried to join said cliques, but to no avail. Meg was beginning to get discouraged.

"Hey, pinkie," said a voice from behind. "We see that you haven't joined a group. Would you like to join mine?" It was a perky short, blonde-haired girl about Meg's age and she was walking right in Meg's direction. Meg walked toward her while Brian tried out some of the complimentary food.

"Oh, sure. I... I'd love to." Meg said.

"Great! What's your name?"

"Meg, Meg Griffin."

The girl looked at a piece of paper that had all the contestants trying out written on it (Meg never exactly knew why or how she got her hands on it). "Hmm, I don't see your name on here."

"Oh, well that's because I signed in under a different name." She then pointed towards the "Schmidt, Megan" that was written on the paper.

"Oh, okay, cool. Uh, here is my name." She then pointed to the "Zinsmeister, Grace".

"Grace Zinsmeister? Great name!"

"Thank you. My name is easily to find, because it's at the end of the alphabet."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Just then, a tall lanky black-haired boy who looked slightly older than Grace walked up to her.

"Hey, sis, did you notice that all the washrooms here have a slight sense of lavender. I just love lavender."

Grace just laughed and said, "Really, I haven't been to the washrooms here, but it's nice to know."

"Cool. Who's your friend?"

"This is Meg, I just met her."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Daniel," he said as he shook Meg's hand. "I'm Grace's older brother."

"No kidding?"

"Yeah, you could say that we're related you know?"

Meg then burst out laughing. "Oh my God, you're so funny."

"Thank you." Daniel then also went toward the complimentary snack bar.

"Man, he's cute." Meg told Grace. "I hope this isn't out of line to ask, but can I have his number?"

"Trust me, you are not his type."

"What do you mean?"

"He's gay."

After a brief moment of silence, Meg said, "he is?"

"Uh-huh. A lot of people just don't accept him for who he is, but I don't mind. He could be attracted to hippopotamuses for all I care, and I'd still love him. It's what's on the inside that counts, you know?" Meg just shook her head. She was also a little shocked that Daniel didn't look or sound like the stereotypical gays you might see in Quahog, but I guess it was just a lesson in don't judge a book by its cover. "You wouldn't believe how many women have to 'convert' him and make him go straight. I keep telling them. Sexual orientation is not a choice."

"Ha! The nerve of them," Meg said hiding the fact that she herself tried to make a gay man at her school go straight.

"You know I haven't seen you at these competitions in the past," Grace then said changing subject, "is this your first time?"

"Yeah, yeah, it is."

"Ah, a newbie. This is my second and Daniel's third. We never did get to be among the ten that will represent Rhode Island in the Nationals, but we never gave up."

"That's a good attitude."

"You wanna see some of my stuff I paint?"

"I'd love to." Grace then got a tablet out of her purse and got it to a picture of a piece she called 'The Lagoon'. "Oh, wow. That looks awesome."

"You really think so? I actually feel like that is one of my worst works."

"If that's your worst, then you must be a great artist."

"Thanks! Now let me see yours."

"Okay!" Meg then got out her phone and tried to find out of the pictures of her art. "Damn... you know if I hadn't have taken so many selfies than I would find it sooner. You know what I mean? Ah, here it is." Meg then showed it to Grace.

"Oh my God! I like it. I really do."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean I usually don't care for landscapes, but this one has such profound... realism. I real feel like I'm there." Just then Daniel walked by with a plate of food. "Hey, Dan, take a look at this."

After a few seconds Daniel smiled as he exclaimed, "Yes! Yes! Fabulous. And I don't say that often. You really have something. Between you and me, some of the stuff all the other guys are making are just abysmal."

"Yeah, like no creativity. No spark. No nothing. I miss the good old days where there was a lot of healthy competition. Instead there'll put anyone through."

"So, Meg, I'm just curious. Where do you live?" Daniel asked.

"Quahog."

"Quahog? Hmm. Never been, but I heard of it. Isn't your mayor the guy who played Batman?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. He's also my uncle."

"Your uncle is Batman? Oh my God! Too awesome! Too awesome! Grace, we must shield our eyes, or we'll be blinded by such awesomeness." Meg have laughing at everything Daniel was saying. He was quite a character.

"Have you guys met my friend Brian?"

"No we haven't."

"He's right over there." She pointed to him, sitting about twenty feet away from where Meg, Grace and Daniel were currently standing. Grace then walked over to Brian who was sitting on a chair nearby drinking his martini until her shadow towered over him. Brian was a little nervous that this random girl would come up to him. He expected the worst, but instead got the best.

"Oh, my God! I love dogs! Brian is such a cute little thing." She then began to pet Brian on his belly.

"Oh, yes. Oh, yes. That feels good." Brian was panting happily and wiggling his arms, legs, and tail while Grace continued pet on his belly.

"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"

"I am. I am." Brian said, panting happily and twitching his leg as Grace petted all over his body. Daniel and Meg were just watching in the same spot.

"How is it exactly that Brian can talk?" Daniel inquired.

"I have no clue. Some crazy shit happens back in Quahog, some you don't even wanna know about."