Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with Higher
Ground.

One More Time Again2

Quote: Don't give up on love at first sight, because you may not pass second
inspection. --unknown


Shelby walked up the long driveway, and then looked in awe at the house
standing in front of her.

Shelby: God- he lives in a mansion.

'not quit'

Shelby turned around to see Scott walking up behind her.

Shelby: Hey

Scott nodded his head and looked at her.

Scott: Um, I went for a walk.

Shelby nodded her head and smiled.

Scott: So- lets go.

Scott walked up the steps and Shelby followed. He opened the door to find
Elaine waiting for him. She came over to him and gave him a hug.

Elaine: Scottie, so good to see you.

Scott gave her a little disgusted look and pulled away from her.

Scott: This is Shelby Merrick.

Shelby walked in the room and looked at the lady standing in front of her.
She didn't look much older than Scott, and Shelby wondered how she could be
Scott's mom.

"And an over friendly one at that," Shelby thought to herself.

Elaine: Nice to meet you Shelby, I'm Elaine Barringer.

Elaine extended her hand to Shelby, who accepted it.

Scott looked around the room.

Scott: Uh, we have a paper due next week so we're gonna work on it.

Shelby noticed Elaine was staring at Scott continuously.

Elaine: Well ok, I'll just get out of your way.

Scott: Um Shelby, my bedroom is up the stairs, third door on the right.

Shelby slightly nodded her head and started heading up the stairs.

Scott walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He pulled out to
cokes and then closed the door. Elaine was standing inches away from him.

Scott: Get away from me.

Elaine: Shh Scottie, you don't want you little friend to hear us.

Scott: Why not, you'd get in trouble.

Elaine moved closer to Scott and eventually had him pinned against the
refrigerator.

Elaine: Scottie, just remember, you're all mine.

Scott: What, you think Shelby and I...

Elaine put her finger up to Scott's lips

Elaine: Shh, don't even say that Scottie.

Scott tried to pull her hand off of him, but she put it right back on his
chest.



Shelby walked into Scott's room.

Shelby: Typical

Shelby looked around the room. It was blue and had all sorts of football
posters hanging around it. She noticed a desk over in the corner by a
window,
and she went to lay her books on the desk. She observed the room a little
closer. She noticed he had a keyboard by his bed.

Shelby: Wonder if he plays…

Shelby went over to his desk and sat down in the chair to wait for him.





Scott stared at Elaine, hoping she wouldn't do anything to him right now.

Scott: Please, she's waiting for me.

Elaine leaned up on her tiptoes and gave Scott a kiss. He closed his eyes
and
tried to think of something good. Elaine eventually pulled away. She rubbed
her hand across Scott's face and then walked off. Scott slid his back down
the refrigerator and sat pulled his knees up.

"Why does she have to do that," Scott thought to himself.

Scott stood up to go upstairs.

"I wonder why I thought of Shelby when Elaine kissed me," Scott thought to
himself.

He shook the thought out of his head and raced up the stairs, two steps at a
time.



Scott walked into his room to see Shelby sitting in his desk chair.

Scott: Hey

She turned around and stood up to face him.

Shelby: Hey

Scott handed her a coke and then sat down on his bed and put his head in his
hands.

Shelby opened her coke and took a sip. She put down her coke and watched
Scott .

Shelby: You ok?

Scott looked up at her with a confused look.

Scott: Yeah, I'm cool.

Shelby wasn't too sure, but pushed the thought out of her mind.

Shelby: So…how are we going to pass this. I don't feel like flunking
biology
AGAIN this year.

Scott looked up and gave her a little smile.

Scott: Then I'm the wrong partner for you because I suck at it too.

Shelby leaned back in that chair and gave a little sigh.

Shelby: Great…

Scott propped back on his elbows and stared at her with a little smile that
Shelby found hard to resist.

Scott: Let's forget about school for a little while. Tell something about
you.

Shelby gave a little smirk and looked around his room.

Shelby: What do you want to know?

Scott shrugged his shoulders

Scott: Anything

Shelby: Such as…

Scott just laughed at her

Shelby: Ok, um, I like the color blue.

Shelby crossed her fingers, hoping this would be enough.

Scott sat up, nodded his head, and smiled at her

Scott: Me too

Shelby looked at his keyboard and nodded her head towards it

Shelby: You play?

Scott put on a little shy look and shrugged his shoulders

Scott: To myself sometimes

Shelby nodded her head

Scott studied her. A strand of hair fell over her and he watched how she put
it back into place. Scott never thought it would be possible to stare at
someone for hours and not get tired, but he felt that he could her.

Shelby: So, what about your mom, she seems cool.

"Ok so I lied," Shelby thought to her self. "Isn't the first time."

Shelby noticed Scott became uneasy.

Scott: She's my step mom.

Shelby slightly nodded her head, embarrassed she had even brought the
subject
up.

Shelby: No how that goes, I have a step dad that isn't exactly my best
friend.

Scott gave her a little grin

Scott: Guess you could understand them…some anyway.

They sat there in awkward silence for a little while

Shelby: How often do you play the piano?

Shelby was trying desperately to change the subject, and Scott was glad.

He gave a little smirk

Scott: I just play to myself, I don't let anybody listen.

Shelby nodded her head

Scott: My mom taught me how, she's the only one who ever listened to me
play.
My dad every now and then but…

Scott's voice trailed off and he tried to hold back the tears

Scott: Anyway, I only play for certain people

Shelby nodded her head understandingly

Shelby: Special people…

Scott: Yeah, thats it.

Shelby gave him a little smirk

Scott: Not that you're not special or anything, I mean I would, I mean

Shelby started laughing at his attempt to settle the mess she talked him
into

Shelby: I know what you mean, calm down.

Scott gave a little embarrassed smile

They sat there again, in awkward silence.

*RING- RING*

Scott jumped up off his bed and went to answer the phone that was on his
night stand.

Scott: Hello- yeah she's here.

Scott walked over and handed the phone to Shelby.

Scott: Someone named Walt.

Shelby gave a little disgusted look and reluctantly took the phone from
Scott.

Shelby: Yeah- ok- I'm doing a paper- the teacher assigned it that way- ok-
bye.

Shelby clicked the 'off' button on the phone and handed it back to Scott,
who
surprisingly had a concerned look on his face.

Scott: Everything ok?

Shelby gave him a 'not to convincing' nod.

Shelby: That was Walt, my step dad. He says I need to get home…

Shelby slowly stood up and put gathered her books together.

Shelby: Um, maybe we could do this some other time.

Scott stared at her

Scott: Tomorrow ok with you? Same time…

Shelby nodded her head and put on a fake smile, which Scott saw right
through.

Shelby: Yeah- that sounds good.

Shelby walked to the door and Scott opened it for her, but he quickly closed
it before she could walk out.

Scott: Um Shelby, if you ever need someone to talk to… you can call me.

Shelby gave him a little smile and then opened the door and walked out.

Shelby: I'll show myself out.

Scott closed the door to his room and slid his back down against the door
until he was sitting on the floor.

" I didn't think it was possible to stare at somebody so long and your eyes
not get tired," Scott thought to himself.

Shelby walked down the stairs and headed to the door.

'Through already?"

Shelby turned around to see Elaine staring at her with an evil smirk.

Shelby gave her a little fake smile

Shelby: Yeah. Uh I gotta go

Elaine gave Shelby a little evil smile and then Shelby left.

"It's gonna be a long walk home," Shelby thought to herself.



It's dark in here tonight
A great place to come and hide from your fears
[Scott sitting with tears in his eyes]
Hey, I don't mean to intrude
But I've seen that look before
[Shelby walking home, tears streaming down her cheek]
I've heard that slamming door too
Just like you

I know that hurt by heart
I've been where you are
I know how it feels when your world is falling apart
You're not alone tonight
I know what lonely is like
I've still got the scars
I know that hurt by heart

I hope you don't take this wrong
[Scott sitting in his bed looking at the ceiling]
But that smile you're putting on can't disguise
These tears in your eyes
[Elaine walking into Scott's room]
And laughing like you don't care
Can't ease the pain down there inside
[Walk walking towards Shelby in her bed]
Believe me I've tried

I know that hurt by heart
I've been where you are
I know how it feels when your world is falling apart
You're not alone tonight
I know what lonely is like
I've still got the scars
I know that hurt by heart


You're not alone tonight
[Elaine leaving Scott's room]
I know what lonely is like
[Walt leaving Shelby's room]
I've still got the scars
[Scott sitting in his bed crying]
I know that hurt by heart
[Shelby crying into her pillow]
I've still got the scars
[Both Scott and Shelby crying]
I know that hurt by heart

********************************************************************
Shelby let the tears fall for a while and decided the best way to get over
this is to run. She couldn't take it anymore. It's all she was now.Walking
talking fear and Scott was seeing through her. She knew it, but she didn't
understand why. Well, his step mother was a little to close she thought.
She climbed out the window and ran to the first thing that came to
mind........
*******************************************
Scott was still awake. He was listening to the sounds of fall. Weird he
thought to himself. He had never met this girl before in his life, but it
was like she knew him..........
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