Sonder | Grey's Anatomy

9-"PSYCHOTIC AND MARRIED"

Thirteen year old Charlotte Adamson sat alone on the playground, her science textbook open to an image of the human skeleton in her lap. Her eyes were not on the book, though. Instead, they were locked onto William O'Brien.

William was her brother, Ian's best friend. He was always over at their house, and he was kind to Charlotte, unlike the majority of the boys at school, or anyone for that matter.

   Charlotte was head over heels for him.

William, Ian, and a few other boys were playing knockout at the basketball hoop. She wasn't expecting her crush to join her. He sat beside her, smiling.

"Heyya Charlotte," he said, grinning ear to ear. He leaned over, glancing at the science textbook. "Whatcha up to?"

Charlotte blushed bright red. She pushed her hair forward in an attempt to hide it.

   "Just reading," she replied, her soft voice nearly lost in the excitement of her peers screaming and chatting at recess.

   "Science, huh?" He asked, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight. He could not help but notice the obvious blush across the young girl's face. "You wanna join our knockout?"

   "I don't know how," Charlotte responded, looking up at William. She wanted to play, she really did. She thought she would make a fool out of herself if she played knockout with the boys.

   William shrugged, "I can show you. No biggie."

And he did. William taught Charlotte how to play. He was sure to tell his friends (and Charlotte's brother) to play badly so the girl could win. Charlotte had fun.

   The next day at recess, Charlotte had expected William to ask her to join again. He hasn't. Instead, he asked Reed to join.

"You ok, sis?" Ian asked when he noticed Charlotte looking a bit upset at lunch the next day.

"I'm fine."

"You want my cookie?" He smiled, offering his sister a chocolate chip cookie. Charlotte took it happily. Ian looked at his sister. "You like him, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"William. You have a crush on him."

"Is it that obvious?"

Ian shook his head. "Overheard you talking to grandma. You're too good for him, sis."

✾ ✾ ✾

   "She's been staying with her mom in Chehalis," Meredith Grey informed Alex Karev. The man sat in an office chair examining scans. He barely acknowledged the woman. Meredith continued, "Don't know how long she's staying, if she's staying. She had been keeping up with her I.L. 2. That much I do know. That's all I know."

   Meredith stood still, tracing her friend's face for any sign of readable emotions. He simply looked defeated.

   "Alex, what's with you and that Mercy Wester?"

   Karev looked at his friend with wide eyes. "What?"

   "What is happening between you and that Mercy Wester," she said again.

   "How did you-?"

   "I overheard you. You were treating her awfully. Why?" Meredith asked, leaning against the doorframe.