Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or anything of Higher Ground. I only own the Character Shay.
She stood there standing atop the hill that faced the entry of a what seemed to be a school. However this school that haunted many a conversation with her parents, was now what she felt to be her worst nightmare coming to life.
"Are you ready to go?" Said the lady nervously holding a black leather folder in her arm.
The girls tired eyes just glared at the woman, who could only sigh and walk forward.
There were three muffled knocks on the door.
"Come in," said the busy man behind the desk, ruffling through an enourmous mess of papers.
The door slowly opened, creaking, every inch. Even though the man seemed frazzled he had a very cheerful, brightening demeanor. "Hi. How may I help you?" he said booimngly.
"Are you busy?" asked the woman, slightly loosening up as she noticed the cheerfulness on this mans face.
"Oh, this is just an everyday thing, trying to find papers, being unorganized, dealing with rude kids. It just makes my day even better." The man noticed the womans nervous attitude, in doing so he leaned back reached for his mug and took a large sip of coffee. "So what brings you here today?" he said smiling brightly.
"I spoke to you on the phone the other day about a pressing matter." she said trying to find a seat in the messy office. The man rushed up and quickly with both arms picked up the books and everything covering the little couch that sat in front of his office.
"Yes, yes you didn't exactly tell me what this pressing matter was."
"It is concerning your sister in Seattle."
"Why, what is wrong with Anne?" This time the man straightened up and his cheerfulness quickly faded away.
"I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Anne and her husband were involved in a car accident two weeks ago. Both of them did not make it." the woman said.
The man slumped down in his chair, his whole body seemed to have frozen in paralyzing disbelief. Tears filled his eyes, but the only thing he could do was blink them away and focus his attention back to the woman, who felt pity as she watched the man.
"What about Shay?" he said remembering his neice.
"That is why I am here. Her parents luckily left a will just in case anything whatsoever were to have happened to them." The woman nervously fumbled through her folder and pulled out a paper, handing it to the man. "It says that if anything were to happen to them that their daughter Shay Ann Thompson, were to be put into your care."
His disblief grew as she spoke those words, the man loved his neice dearly even once describing her as his true best friend, even though at the time she had been eight, however; they had always been close. Sometimes even more close than she was with her own parents. The idea, however; of having to become her gaurdian daunted him. "They had put it specifically in their will that they want you Mr. Peter Scarbrow to be her legal guardian. It goes on to say that since you are the sucessful principal of this school that they want you to take care of her and have her be taught here."
"How is she doing?" he asked trying to hold back the tears.
"We asked her if there was anyone else she wanted to be with, like a grandprent, but she barely speaks."
Mr. Peter Scarbrow looked up surprised by what she had said. His neice had always been, cheerful, talkitive, and outgoing.
"We can give you seventy-two hours to think about it, before we have to put her in foster care." said the woman more assertively.
"No, she is going to stay right here with me." He said more assertively.
"Are you sure mister Scarbrow?"
"Of course I am, I am the only thing she has left. I definitely will take her in." he said.
The woman stood up and handed Peter a stack of papers. "I need you to sign all the highlighted areas, and date them."
Without a second thought he reached for a pen and started signing. The woman quietly walked over to the door and slowly closed it.
He looked up quiet surprised, "I do have to tell you Mr. Scarbrow. That in the past week her neighbors said that she has been solemnly quiet, she barely ate. They have even said that she has disappeared during the nights and bottles of alcohol have gone missing."
Peter leaned back, dropping his pen in complete, utter, disbelief. Nothing that this woman had said seemed to sink in whatsoever, his chest pounded; he closed his eyes tightly trying to imagine that when he opened them that none of this ever happened at all. He opened his eyes only to find the woman impatiently pacing back and forth in front of him.
Peter started signing the long and tedious paper work. Finally signing the last paper in a hurry, he slammed the pen down, and handed her the packet. He jumped up from his chair. "Where is she?" he followed the woman.
"There she is, but Mr. Scarbrow before you see her..." The woman stopped and turned to Peter leaning closer, "She hasn't said much."
"No one knows her more than I do." he said imptiently.
As they reached the waiting area, there he found her, in a manner that surprised him. Pale, long black hair that used to flow freely now tied tightly into pony tail. Her once vivacious brightening green eyes, were now lowered with dark tired circles underneath them. Her head down, looking at the ground. Her clothes was all black, black shirt, black pants, shoes, and coat. Which was even more surprising becuase she always wore bright colors to cheer everyone up. Peter looked over at the woman an they both quietly nodded to eachother as to say good bye, and the woman left.
"Shay?" Peter whispered, sitting next to her. Gently he put his arm around her, but she quickly stood up, and walked over to the window looking outside of it.
"Do I have to stay in this school with the other kids?" she said; noticing the kids, cheerfully hanging around, out on the beautiful sunny day.
"No you can stay at my place." Peter felt nothing but extreme disbelief.
"Hey, Pete..." said a young man as he ran up to both of them in lobby. The man stopped quickly as he looked at the young girl. His eyes were unable to move off of her saddened face. Somewhat entranced by the girls distinct beauty, the boy found himself at a loss for words.
She had noticed the company had come up along side them, slowly she turned her tired green eyes in his direction. Without a single emotion on her face she managed to feel something surprising, an interest in the handsome young man who had shown up. He was strong, tall, slender. His muscles, his face were aglow seeing as he came from outside with a basket ball.
His crystal blue eyes met with hers, but even though she was curiously attracted to this young man, she couldn't care. It seemed that anything new was overcome by an overwhelming depression that overtook her heart. All she could do was look him up an down then quickly turn her attention back to the window.
Still the boy could not speak. Peter cleared his throat, "What is it, Scott?" he said with slight agitation.
"Um..." trying to speak, "There was an altercation at the basketball court and some of the teachers are calling you." But his eyes did not leave the girl.
Peter stood up, "Shay can you please wait here." but Shay said or did nothing.
Peter turned the entranced Scott around and walked him out of the lobby. Shay turned to look at Scott one more time who turned his head around to look at her one more time.