Ever After -Completed-

Days That I Wonder Where I've Been

><Meg><

"I'm going to Josh's rehearsal!" Collin called from the living room. I could hear her keys jingling as she got her stuff ready.

"Alright!" I yelled back over the shower. I heard her car pull from the driveway a minute later and stepped out of the bathtub. Cold water dripped down my back as I pulled on my clothes, making me shiver. I had been in there for half an hour, long past when the water lost its warmth. 

I wiped away some of the mist from the mirror, taking a look at my reflection. I was even paler, the bags under my eyes more pronounced. One of my eyes was swollen and red, yellowed in the middle. 

I halfheartedly covered it up with makeup, but it didn't do much. Ice would help with the swelling, only time would help with the sting. 

Quickly, I swiped my own keys from my desk. I scribbled a note about dropping some sweets off at the bakery to Collin and sprinted outside to my car. No one was around, but I kept my hood over my face nonetheless.

"Go, go, go!" I urged my car, pushing the speed limit. I wouldn't be late; I couldn't.

><Collin><

I patted my pocket for my phone, keeping the other hand on the steering wheel. Crap. I had left it at home, probably in its usual spot on the dinning room table. 

I did a sharp U turn, turning onto the back roads and gunning the engine. I was not going to be late for my second date with Josh, especially not since the first one had gone so well. Pizza and a movie, taking a walk on the river bridge. If this was a second date, of course. Maybe it was just a get together...is there even a difference?

I pulled up just below the driveway and ran inside. "Forgot my phone!" I yelled to Meg. There was no answer.

I went into her room (which I called the cave, not so secretly, seeing as how she spent every waking moment in it.) Nothing. The bed was unmade, as always, books and paper littering the floor. Her wall of quotes (cut out of magazines, said books, newspapers, and other places) had added a few more colorful quotes and pictures. A funny one from Tumblr, ("Be strong," I whispered to my wifi connection,) a song lyric from My Chemical Romance. "Never let them take the light behind your eyes." a/n I don't really listen to them but I'm trying to get into the band And one from Josh. "You have to keep something for yourself sometimes, too." She must've looked that up during our date. 

I kept myself updated on Meg's board. Quotes were added almost daily. From various places, too. Random things I'd say or someone coming into the bakery would shout. From a monthly magazine stocked full of them. Some where even just random words put together in phrases that Meg wanted to put in stories that would never go past her head. I was lucky if she even would let me preview her essays back in college. 

She was gone. To where, I had no idea whatsoever. She did that sometimes; flitted in and out of the house. Maybe Meg had gotten an idea for a recipe and left in a rush, though it seemed unlikely. 

I got back in my car, checking my texts. There was only one, from Josh. You still coming? He had sent it only five minutes ago. 

Yeah, I just forgot my phone of course :p Meg wasn't there.

Really? Why? He asked almost immediately. I stalled my car on the side of the road. Collin Lee: Safe driving since before time began. 

I don't know. I admitted. Probably at the bakery. 

SHE WORKS AT THE BAKERY?! WE MUST GET FOOD. I laughed, promising him to bring him to get some brownies someday. 

The studio was only a few minutes away, so I pulled up in record time. A brown haired guy, who I knew to be Matt, waited outside. "I did see you!" I exclaimed, holding in the urge to completely freak. "At the pizza place." I held out a hand and shook his. "I'm Collin, Josh's..." I didn't know what I was to him. We had been on a date, but did that make me his girlfriend?

"His lady friend. Won't stop talking about you." Matt sang, "I think he has a crush on you."

"Webb, don't harass her." Josh yelled from inside. He came out a minute later, wearing black skinny jeans and a dark blue tee shirt. "And I plead the fifth on everything."

"We aren't in the states, Josh." I reminded him. "So, not the fifth. You have no American rights. Zero. Zip. Nada."

He threw his hands in the air, smiling. "Well. I guess I'll have to move then." He took my hand, leading me into the studio. 

Josh showed me all the equipment, explaining what it was used for and giving me a small demonstration for everything. He was very animated talking, doing riffs on the guitars and dancing while he showed me a bit on the piano. I couldn't imagine playing one instrument, much less as many as he did. When I told Josh so, he just shook his head. "It's natural, once you find the right one."

"Or the right dozen," I teased, waving my arm at all of them. "And a voice like yours. Forget Justin Bieber. M. Trench is where it's at."

"Heck yeah!" Ian cheered, coming into the room and startling us both. "Now are we going to practice or what?"