1.2 - Granting a Wish Over the Water

As it turns out, Jamar had tried to give flowers to both Joey and Kristy while Meredith was sleeping. Meredith, of course, heard about it in the morning.

Jamar rejecting her didn't bother Meredith as much as it did that night. She decided to just blow it off, and continue living her life for now. And, by living her life, she knew it meant cooking and cleaning for her step-family until she could get a job and make enough money to move out.

Courtney woke her up early that morning and ordered her to make breakfast. 

 Meredith tried to make breakfast, only to fail and end up making burnt waffles. Courtney yelled at her, and decided to just eat cereal for breakfast.

Soon enough, the sisters stormed out of their rooms, yelling at each other.

"YOU should be the one getting the job!" Kristy yelled.

"When it was just the three of us, I was the one doing all of the chores! you didn't do anything!" Joey retorted.

"ME? YOU were the one who didn't do anything!"

"Girls, girls..." Courtney calmed. "If it's going to be a competition, i know the winner." Courtney said, glancing at Meredith.

Meredith was now tasked with finding a job. She looked through the local paper, and found a job working as a dishwasher at the local diner in town. it wasn't her dream job, but it would pay the bills. She also worked in the afternoons, so of course it would give her time to do all the cooking and cleaning before going to work.

 She put on her clothes and hopped in the taxi. While she was out, she was also told to stop by the grocery store on her way home.
She stopped in front of the diner, and walked inside looking for the manager.

She walked out of the diner with a new dishwashing job. great.
While she was in the grocery store, she heard a ,"Hey!"
Aaron walked up to her. "Hey Aaron." Meredith said.
"Hey, so i haven't heard from Joey in a while, i was hoping to meet up with her. Do you have her number?"
Meredith slightly nodded, and wrote down her number for Aaron. He took it. "Could you maybe give me your number, too?"
"Oh, i don't have a cell phone..."
Aaron nodded. "Okay. Well, see you later."

Meredith drove home around noon, and decided to have her leftover burnt waffles for lunch.

 After Meredith had cleaned up, Courtney ran in from the bedroom. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Meredith held her hands up. "I went to go apply for the job, then i went to go get groceries. Why? what's wrong?"
"You were taking too long! i was afraid you forgot about the groceries! You better be quicker next time!"
Meredith gave an exhausted nod and a sigh. "Yes, ma'am."
Courtney stood there for a few seconds, then held up Joey's cellphone. It wasn't anything special, Just a flip phone that we had to buy because we were low on money. "Take this, in case i need to contact you from now on."
Joey was sitting on the couch, and she didn't like the conversation she was overhearing. "MOOOOOM!!!You can't let her have my phone!"
"Listen, sweetie, i'll buy you another phone. a better phone. one of those iPhone thingies."
After a few seconds, Joey calmed down enough to sit down.

 Courtney walked back over to Meredith. "Go out to the restauraunt by the movie theater and grab us some dinner. i'm not letting you cook for a while after this morning."
"Yes ma'am." Meredith muttered. She grabbed her cell phone and hailed a taxi. She was going to the restauraunt, but she had a pit stop to make first.

Ever since Meredith was a little girl, she loved the beach. Her mother and father used to take her every weekend. She loved the feel of the sand, the sound of the waves, the view of the horizon over the water. When she was a teenager, she decided that all she wanted to do was become a lifeguard, that way she could help people on the beach, two of the things she's always wanted to do. After her father died, this dream was put on hold, and now she's working as a dishwasher to pay the bills on her mother's house, for her stepmother and stepsisters.

"It's beautiful out here." said a voice from behind Meredith.

 "You know, Starlight Shores is known for having one of the best beaches in the country." said the man.
"Why?" Asked Meredith.
"Because when it's nighttime, and the stars are all out, reflecting over the water, it's one of the most beautiful things out there."
Meredith smiled. "I'm Meredith."
the man returned the smile. "I'm Grant. Grant Davidson."

The two of them talked on the beach for the rest of the afternoon. He asked where she was living, because he knew she was new in town. He told her she was living with her stepmother and stepsisters until she could afford to move out. She also said she was working at the diner in town.
He was a scientist working at the science facility outside of town. His dream was to find a way to crossbreed a creature and a robot into a whole new life form. He was fairly wealthy, as he was living in a very expensive house on the outskirts of town by himself. his father was the mayor, and his mother was a very famous art appraiser.

 The two of them talked until the stars came out over the water. Meredith just watched as the sky and the water seemed to become one: a huge pool of stars.
"Thank you for all of this, Grant." Meredith said.
"You're welcome." Grant smiled.
In that moment, Meredith reached over and kissed him.

 Grant stood there in shock for a few seconds, then exploded.
"What did you do that for? I just met you!" Grant yelled.

 Meredith directed her eyes at the ground. her face was hot, and her hands were shaking. "I'm so sorry..."
Grant sighed. "Don't worry about it, it's all good. I'm sorry about yelling at you, i actually just broke up with my girlfriend a few days ago."

 "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it had to be done." Grant picked up his stuff and started leaving the beach. "Oh, wait." He said. he reached in his bag and pulled out a slip of paper. He handed it to Meredith. "Call me anytime, i'd love to hang out again." He said with a smile. Grant zipped up his bag and walked away.
Meredith held the phone number to her chest and sighed in happiness. Though the night didn't go exactly as planned, she was glad she met someone like Grant.

Courtney was furious with Meredith when she returned. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK HOURS AGO! WHERE WERE YOU?"
Meredith tried to explain that she was at the bistro, but there was a very long line which caused her to be back late.
"I DON'T WANT YOUR EXCUSES! JUST GIVE ME THE FOOD, I'M STARVING!"
Courtney and Kristy went to work with the food, while Joey was still in her bedroom. Meredith set her things on the table as she went out back to get her sleeping bag. Joey stepped out of the room and noticed the folded-up piece of paper on the table. She picked up and read it.

Joey smirked. Meredith got a guy's number? Interesting...

The next day, Meredith got woken up early again. She made breakfast and cleaned up the house for her stepfamily, and soon after the house was finished cleaning, it was time for her to go to work. She decided to leave a little early so she could get a head start on the work. When she pulled up to the Diner, she saw Grant standing against the wall.
"What are you doing here?" Meredith said, smiling.
"I was on my way to work, and i thought i'd say hi before i head out. How are you doing?"
Meredith smiled. "I'm okay."
"Well, what time do you get off work? Maybe we could get dinner somewhere or something."
Meredith sighed. "I'm sorry, i don't get off until 9. and i have to be back home right after i get off work. I'm sorry, maybe another time?"
Grant smiled. "Of course, just call me whenever."

 Meredith nodded, and dressed in her career uniform before walking inside of the Diner.

 Grant watched her go before hailing a taxi and going to work.

All in all, work wasn't that bad. Meredith washed the dishes for five hours straight, but it was basically what she did at home anyway. She earned around 150$ that day. She needed to earn 450$ more to make the payment on the house next week. She was also the only one working. How am i going to do it all?
Courtney also called her and asked her to stop and get groceries on her way home, so she didn't get home until around midnight. When she walked in the door, however, Joey snuck up on her and scared her.

 "Gotcha!" yelled Joey.
"What are you still doing up?" Meredith asked.
"What are YOU doing up? Did you go out to see your "boyfriend?"" Joey said with a sneer.
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"Exactly." Joey retorted. She retreated back in her bedroom, leaving Meredith to sleep out in the living room.

The next morning, Meredith woke up and realized she had the day off. Courtney and the sisters were still sleeping, so Meredith quietly took out her phone and made a call. "Grant, what are you doing today?"