A/N: Welcome to the world of Scott, Monique, Shelby and our
other favorite characters, ten years after Horizon. A lot has happened in those
years and eventually we'll catch up and understand what's going on. Don't be
shocked by what you see (namely the Scott and Shelby situation), read more and
you'll see where I'm going, to everything there's a history. I hope you enjoy reading this and as
always…Review!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Higher Ground Characters but I own Mo and the other secondary characters.
1. Monique's Journey Home
~Monique~
The car moved along the busy downtown streets, sometimes changing lanes, turning, stopping but always moving forward. It made its way down the black paved road at a medium pace, oblivious to any other passer-Byers and their meaningless daily tasks. It was dark but everything was visible by the light of the numerous street lamps, store signs and headlights of the other automobiles. There was nothing odd about this night; in fact it was like every other, which was exactly why the driver was in no rush to get home. She lingered on the streets, taking the long way home, through the back alleys and seldom used roads, glancing away from the highly tinted front windshield only long enough to turn the radio to a jazz station. She stayed like this for a while, in the car, listening to the fluid sound of jazz and not wondering when she'd get home since it really was of no consequence. No one was waiting for her and counting the minutes to her arrival so she didn't bother to count the minutes either. Eventually a familiar street came into view and she knew her journey was over for one more night. The car pulled into the posh apartment complex where she stopped at the front of the worn brown building and a valet in a smart red suit greeted her before taking the keys to her car. She didn't even look back and watch him pull away, but continued until she reached the elevator. It was empty, which was not unusual considering it was too late for the workers to be coming home and too early for drunk bodies to be carried back up to their rooms. For the moment that she was confined in the padded box, she leaned against it and tried hard not to think about the million things that were on her mind. Those were the dangerous times, when she was alone, confined to a small space with herself, these were the minutes that every event over the past ten years would come rushing back, overtaking her and sending her into almost immediate depression for the night. She fought them valiantly and soon, but not soon enough for her, she was standing in the hallway in front of her large studio apartment, the hallway wasn't long because hers was the only apartment that occupied that floor. A key was pushed into the door, a familiar click followed and she pushed her way inside. The normal routine always followed, throwing her keys on to the table by the door, kicking her shoes off, turning on the television on the way to her bedroom and changing into a pair of sweats. She pulled her dark curly hair up into a ponytail and went to the kitchen to search for something to eat.
"Welcome to Inside Hollywood. I'm your host Jennifer Kidwell. This week we have an exclusive, never before seen, special on the hottest actress since…well…forever, Monique Garret!"
She was halfway into the fridge, digging and rummaging, when she heard this and immediately she jerked up and in the process banged her head hard on the roof of it. Rubbing the top of her head she reached for the remote on the kitchen table and turned up the sound on the large screen flat television.
"Since coming to Hollywood only five years ago, Monique Garrett has taken the film industry by storm. Her last three movies have acquired rave reviews, Golden Globes, Academy Awards, Cannes Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the list goes on and on. A Girl Called Wednesday, her most recent film, topped the charts for a month straight, even beating the highly anticipated, One Last Dance, and grossing over $500 million dollars in the first three weeks! It seems like nothing can stop her and it is agreed that Hollywood has crowned a new queen." The toothy blonde anchorwoman exclaimed all this in a high-pitched overly excited voice while pictures of a gorgeous woman were simultaneously plastered all over the screen.
She stood at the fridge with a sandwich half way in her mouth and the remote in her hand, and then violently she clicked off the television and threw the rest of the food away before stomping to her bedroom. The shower was turned on and she hid in there for a good while until her skin became wrinkled and it was time to get out. Then another quick change into pajamas and she was in bed but she didn't go to sleep right away. She sat there, staring at the wall across from the bed; it was covered with photos of friends and family that she had rarely seen in the last five years. They were all smiling and laughing at jokes that she had long forgotten. A particular photo caught her eye and she immediately wondered why she hadn't gotten rid of it years ago. She had certainly tried but he never made things easier on her. A small white bottle and a glass of water sat on the night table next to her and she tried to resist but she couldn't. She popped a pill, took a mouthful of water, flicked off the light and then drifted off into the darkness of sleep.
Next: We check up on Shelby....
