Meredith liked to explore. She was young and despite the fact that she was extremely intelligent, the seriousness of what was happening had not started to sink in yet. After Cross had led her back to the camp and she had set down her things she set off to study the area around the camp.
With her algebra book tucked under one arm she made her way along the edge of the stream, figuring that as long as she followed the water she would be able to find her way back to the camp. While she walked she recited various formulas and information to herself, only stopping occasionally when she accidentally stepped on a sharp rock or twig.
"There’s antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, and hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium," she sang cheerfully to herself as she walked, bobbing her head a little with each element. It was all rather nice. The silence was perfect for Meredith's brain to work at full power, however she had gotten so lost in her own thoughts that she had been relying simply on her hearing to remain alert to her surroundings.
The sound of the water changed as it became deeper and Meredith's keen attention to detail instantly picked up on the change. Her head snapped up, instantly spotting somebody's clothing laying out on a rock. Quickly she looked to her left and noticed the woman in the water.
"Oh!" the young girl exclaimed as she quickly put it all together. She was naked! Without much thought she lifted her algebra book, using it as a shield to cover her face. "I-I wasn't looking!" she promised.
Like most fifteen year-old girl's, Meredith was extremely self conscious about her body. She wasn't even comfortable changing in the locker room during her gym class, instead she'd always go hide in the bathroom and change. It never occurred to her that as people got older, they probably grew more comfortable with their body image.