Here is my take on what happens at Horizon during the summer. Please review.

Chapter 1

Mount Horizon – the school for emotionally distraught and dysfunctional teens. But what exactly happens to the place during the summer? No, the counselors do not take a 2-month vacation – far from it, actually. Some of the regular school year students stay, while others come for a 2-month session. This session is sort of concentrated therapy used as a transition to see whether they can fare back at normal school in the fall.

Instead of individually meeting new students every few months or so, the students are put into groups of no more than eight. The groups consist of any remaining members of the regular year and new students. The Cliffhangers were no exception. Peter was taking turn getting the groups introduced with each other and their individual counselor. The Cliffhangers were with Sophie in a classroom used for English during the school year. There were 8 teenagers total in the room, quite divided on either side of the room – Oldies vs. Newbies.

"Okay guys, introduction time," Peter began "The new students already met Sophie and myself during check in, so why don't the veterans start off with themselves, Ezra?"

"Hi, I'm Ezra Friedkin," replied a skinny boy with black hair, "I've been here awhile now, fleeing form parent who adopted me in hopes of saving their disastrous marriage, and also from an unfortunate drug addiction."

"Nice introduction, Ezra," commented Sophie "How about you next, Juliet?"

"My mother is too busy with husband number 5 to have me home for the summer," a skinny brunette girl stated, "But I am also here dealing with hurting myself."

"I'm Daisy. Alcoholic parents led to my hyper maturity and eventual attack of my father with a golf club. So now I am here because I do not have a home to go to anymore," replied a pale girl with dark hair.

"I'm here because there was no way I was leaving Ezra alone with Daisy all summer!" exclaimed a tall boy with dark hair.

"David!" scolded Sophie.

"It's the truth," David winked at his girlfriend sitting next to him.

"Okay how about the new guys and gals talk about themselves a little."

A boy about age 16 with light brown hair started, he was tall, but not gawky. Although he had an attractive face, he seemed uncomfortable in his own skin.

"Um, hi. I'm Taylor Wharton. I had trouble fitting in school, picked on and stuff, so my parents thought it would best if I got away from my town for a while," Taylor explained.

"Okay, thanks for sharing. Next?" moved along Peter.

"My name is Constance Ludwig. I am here cause I'm clinically depressed and a summer at home with my family would put me over the edge," remarked a tall 17-year-old girl, with wavy black hair and slightly tanned skin.

"Uh yeah, I'm clinically depressed too," replied a 17 year old boy with shaggy ginger hair falling over his eyes "Um, my name's Steven Steifal, but I also had problems with uh – drugs and stuff."

"How about you?" Sophie calmly asked a small, pale girl with dark blonde hair, who was trying to fade in the corner.

"Um, I'm Daphne Gray," she replied in a small voice "Up until recently I didn't want to be alive, so there was no where else for me to go. I don't want to talk anymore."

"That's fine for now," answered Peter, "Alright, well we have a perfect number for first week buddies so here goes – Ezra and Taylor, Jules and Constance, David and Steven, and Daisy and Daphne. I want everyone to meet for dinner in the cafeteria in fifteen minutes."