Hi again. Welcome to my second original fic! I'm still writing "Rent" and I know that's the worst possible title for that story so if anyone (I mean ANYONE) has a suggestion for a title for that, please tell me in a review! Anyway, with finals almost over I'll hopefully have the next chapter to this out as well as the 3rd chapter of "Rent". Enjoy!

Don't Change Your Plans

Chapter 1 – Another Day

          The clock on the bedside table read 6:44 AM in its electric green shininess. A minute later the serene morning was broken with the shrill call to wake up Merilyn Connolly. From the cocoon of blankets an arm snaked out and swatted at the clock, only to miss and cause the lump of blankets to fall on the floor.

          "Oh shit." Meri moaned somewhere in her pile of blankets.

          Just then the door of to the room swung open and in walked a girl dressed in running shorts and a tank top. She flipped on the lights, slapped Meri's alarm clock and nudged the mound of blankets on the floor with a sneakered foot.

          "Up now, Meri, its 6:45 and gorgeous outside!"

          "Shut up Madison." Her encasement muffled her reply. "Leave me alone."

          "Don't give me that. You need to finish that paper for Dr. Calloway anyway."

          "I don't have his class till 2:30. Plenty of time to do it."
          Madison sat on the floor next to the mound of blankets and began taking her running shoes off. "Alright then. I hope you don't mind me aerobic dancing for the next hour or so. Mr. Bell cancelled class this morning. Saw the signs in the lobby."

          The mound of blankets shifted as Meri sat up. Her hair was in horrid disarray and she was still partially asleep. "You suck very, very much Madison Dimms. And I know that Mr. Bell hasn't cancelled class. The man never does. And you're not going to do any of that aerobic dancing crap because you can't stand it. And besides, all the guys in it are gay."

          Madison shrugged and stood up. "Don't remind me. I had to do something to get you up and off the floor."

          "I have one word for you."

          "What about the six you just said?"

          "Ugh." Meri stood up and deposited her blankets on her bed and proceeded to tame her hair. "I don't know how you can run at 5 AM. It's absolutely astounding."

          "Can't help it, really. Too used to it from that camp I went to over the summer."
          "That was two years ago." Meri walked bathroom they shared with the room to their left.

          Madison shrugged again. "You should try it sometime."

          "Fat chance." Meri shouted from the bathroom.

          "No, really, you should come with me this weekend. There's this great place you'd like in the park-"

          "I have to finish that orchestration to mail by next Thursday and I haven't gotten through half of it yet."

          "-it's really quiet and serene-like. A little ways from campus though…"

 "Bathroom's yours." Meri said as she walked out in her bathrobe and damp hair.

"Just think about it. You never know, you might find some new inspiration there." The door to the bathroom shut once more.

Meri picked up the towel draped on her chair and began to pat her hair dry. I guess it would be nice to do some exercising. It would be a nice change from sitting on my ass all the time writing compositions for my application portfolio. Maybe after I finish this orchestration I'll go with Madison.

          Ten minutes later, Meri was ready and dressed and on her way down to the cafeteria for her regular breakfast of a chocolate chip muffin, an orange and coffee with sugar and creamer. The cafeteria was at least a 5 minute walk from the dorm of West Haven, one of the top pre-collegiate arts institutions in the nation because of its extensive music department that offered not only the traditional Classical training but also contemporary training—something that was only currently offered in conservatories.

As a senior, Meri chose to focus on composition. While most girls carry little hand mirrors or hair brushes, Meri always had manuscript paper and a pencil handy in case a sudden inspiration hit that required her to put it onto paper before it left her mind.

The wind played with her chin-length black hair while birds chirped in the large oak tree beside the table Meri sat at. Eating outside usually got her creative juices flowing. Not today though. With a sigh Meri shoved the last bit of her chocolate chip muffin in her mouth and headed over to the academic building. 

Back in the courtyard, a boy sat at a table not to far from the one Meri had occupied. He watched her from behind his sunglasses eat her breakfast and walk off to a building to the right. He walked into the same building a moment later.

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          Meri stared at her calculus book. It was only 8:14 and she was already wishing for it to be lunch. Although West Haven was a fine arts school all of the students were still required to have a regular academic curriculum in order to graduate.

          Her eyes drifted towards the clock that hung above the door. Come on clock...just a little bit faster. She let out a sigh and turned her attention back to the overhead projector and the professor who lectured. Her eyes began to get heavier and heavier with every word Professor Evans said. Her eyes slid shut for a second and flashed open when someone kicked the back of her chair. She turned around to face Jake Cohen. He had the same lopsided grin he sported to make people laugh at his antics. Typical trombone player. Nonetheless, they were very close, like brother and sister, which is from growing up together in the same small southern town in South Carolina.

          Meri shot him her don't-screw-with-me-or-I'll-castrate-you-right-here-right-now look. He just grinned back at her. I love you to death, Jake, but sometimes you provoke me at the wrong times. Meri thought to herself as she turned around. Her eyes swept the room, seeing the same faces she'd seen for the past three years, until she came to the door.  Standing there was a boy dressed in jeans and a button up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. She stared at him when it clicked—he wasn't a student. Her professor hadn't noticed the boy, or, rather, if he did he didn't draw any attention to him.

          "MISS CONNOLLY!" Meri jumped and look at her professor with wide eyes. "I advise you to pay attention when someone is speaking to you."

          "Yes professor." Meri answered in a small voice. The professor turned back to the lesson on integration. Her eyes drifted back to the door where the boy was standing only to find him gone. Shit, I got myself in trouble over a guy that was probably a figment of my imagination.

          In the back of the room, the boy was leaning against the wall watching Meri Connolly. So this is the one they want. He thought to himself. A few minutes later he slipped out of the classroom in search of the conference room for a meeting he was already late for.

Well? Tell me what you think! Reviews really brighten my day :) Til the next chapter…

Raesaline