Hey this is my first Higher Ground Fic, I know everyone says this but I can't believe they canceled the show! Oh well we'll have to keep it alive at fanfic.net right? Please R&R
A/N: so that everything's clear, the kids that are there are Ezra, Juliette, Auggie, Scott, Daisy, and Anna (my character) are in the story, Shelby has gone home so Scott isn't very happy at Horizon.
"You wanted to see me?" Sophie asked walking into Peter's office.
"Yea, we're getting a newbie today. A girl 16, she's riding up with Auggie's parents and Auggie." Peter told her
"Uh oh, I can already sense the trouble. How come her parents didn't bring her up?"
"They had business to take of, sounds like they were just waiting for Auggie's parents to make the trip and ask for a convenient favor." Peter answered
"What's her story?" Sophie asks
"Sneaking out, running with some bad kids, they think maybe drugs. She seems like a kid who's craves attention."
"They're usually the hardest to work with too" Sophie says "When will they get here?"
"Any minute actually, so be prepared" Peter warned.
"Thanks Peter. I'll go gather of the kids."
"All right." Peter got out some files and finished up some paperwork.
"Uh Peter, Sophie said to tell you Auggie and Anna are here…..who's Anna?" Scott asked from the doorway
"The newest cliffhanger." Peter answered "Come on let's go meet her."
"Yea, I'd rather not. Later." Scott turned around
"Scott, you're going to have to get over Shelby sometime you know, she's not coming back, life goes on."
Scott waved his hand saying basically 'whatever' and walked away.
***************
"Auggie!" Jules exclaimed happily as she ran out to greet Auggie.
"Hey Jules, miss me?" Auggie asked giving her a hug.
"Of course!"
"Good, Jules this is Anna Maria, but just stick with Anna." Auggie introduced Jules to a pretty girl who had dark brown hair and eyes, she was thin and nicely tanned from the summer sun. She got out silently and nodded when Auggie introduced her to Jules.
"Hello Anna I'm Peter." Peter introduced himself, as did Sophie, Anna just looked around quietly.
"She has not spoken a word since her parents told her she was coming up here with us." Auggie's mother whispered. "Augosto snuck out while he was home with his brother, I couldn't be sure, but Anna was probably with him."
"Did she make any trouble when she was told she was coming here?" Sophie asked
"None at all, it was horrible she just went to her room and packed her things. She was never outright bad it was always more quiet you could say." His mother said
"All right, Anna come with me." Peter gestured her to follow him. "Checkpoint" He explained "I need to check out your things. And normally you'd wash off your make-up and take off your jewelry but seeing how you don't have any one, this shouldn't take long." Peter tried to make conversation as he went through her things.
"You'd never find anything." Anna finally spoke up.
"Excuse me?" Peter asked
"Had I anything in my bag, you'd never of found it." Anna said quite simply
"Why's that?"
"Cause you're looking in all the wrong places."
"So where should I be looking then?" Peter asked
"If I told you that, a lot whole lot of people here would be very angry and neither of us want a bunch of angry crazy kids now do we?" She asked sweetly.
"No, I guess not. OK you're clean, I'll get Sophie to show you your cabin." Peter said
"Can't wait." She answered dryly
**********************
"You can unpack later, right now it's almost time for dinner, but before dinner you and the rest of the cliffhangers will have a little meeting, basically to introduce you to everyone else." Sophie said.
Anna didn't say a word and just followed Sophie out and to the main hall.
"Guys, this is Anna, the newest cliffhanger." Peter said as Anna and Sophie walked in. "Anna this is Scott, Daisy, Ezra and you already met Juliette and Auggie."
The remaining three mumbled a barely audible hello.
"OK Anna right now we'd usually talk about anything really, today is why you're here." Peter prompted her.
Anna waited a second before saying "Don't expect me to say anything, I don't know why I'm here."
"Drugs?" Daisy asked
"Sneaking out?" Ezra said
"Eating disorder?" Jules added
Anna raised her eyebrows "I'M not bulimic" Anna said pointedly to Jules "But yea I sneak out, maybe drink a little, experiment nothing none of you guys hasn't done right?" She asked mischievously
"Anna the point of being here is to bring people up not down, and to overcome your problems not create new ones." Peter said.
"Who's creating problems? And who has problems? You consider this problems you should go spend a night out on the streets"
"Have you?" Peter asked
"Yea, me and Auggie have been known to kick it on the streets a little before his parents dragged him up here. A little when he came back, old habits die hard you know."
Scott started to listen to Anna speak, her voice was soothing, she spoke clearly and was sure in everything she said, she wasn't harsh either, she just told it like it was. They all had problems and she was right old habits do die hard.
"Speaking of that Auggie you'll have some extra cleaning time on your hands because of your disappearing act." Peter told him.
"Right, my mom told you?" He asked
"Got it." Peter answered
"Anyone hungry? The kitchen is serving now." Sophie said
"No" Anna answered.
"Anorexia is as bad as bulimia you know" Jules muttered
"Good thing I'm not anorexic then, I ate before when we stopped at a restaurant." Anna said evenly the tension between the two girls apparent
"Ouch" Ezra muttered to Scott who laughed in response.
"Let's all go inside." Peter instructed "Whether you eat or not."
******************
"We all have to sit over here" Auggie pointed as he walked Anna over to a table.
"All of us?" She asked "Even Jules?"
"All of us, and Jules will grow on you I swear."
"I don't know what you see in her." Anna said shaking her head.
They were interrupted by the rest of the group sitting down.
"Here" Daisy pushed a glass across the table. "In case you get thirsty"
"Thanks" Anna said a little surprised "Daisy right?"
"Got it in one" Daisy replied.
Anna looked around the table and her eyes landed on Scott's food, who was sitting next to her. "That looks gross" She commented
"It is, but you get used to it." He replied
"Yea until you get to go out to dinner then it tastes like crap for another week." Ezra added
Anna laughed, Scott thought it sounded like a song. "Your girlfriend just left here right?" Anna asked him interrupting his thoughts
"She's not my girlfriend anymore, we decided to break up not to long ago." Scott answered
"Sorry, I mean it too." Anna said
"I believe you"
"It's so depressing here, I mean you can feel everyone's problems just weighing down onto you, I can drive someone crazy."
"It can sometimes." Scott admitted. "Come on you want to go take a walk?"
"Yea." Anna got up and Scott told Peter he was going to show Anna around. "Let's stop by my cabin first." Anna said once they were outside.
"All right." They walked inside and Anna went over to her bags. "Home Economics did come in handy." She announced pulling out a sock and turning it inside out where there a was pouch sewn into it. "All right I'm done"
Scott eyes the pouch. "What do you have?" He asked
"All in due time" Anna promised with a sparkle in her eye
"We can go over there." Scott pointed to a secluded corner where the lights weren't shining.
"Great." Anna walked over.
"What are the effects?" Scott asked watching as she opened it up.
"None tonight, tomorrow you'll feel a little disoriented a little wobbly on your feet really, a little dizzy kind of like if you hadn't eaten all day. Which is the cop out that I use."
"Great." Scott answered.
*********************
"Good morning, good morning. I need to see the cliffhangers." Peter announced at breakfast.
"What's up Peter?" Auggie asked
"Time for a trip." Peter announced "For the next two nights maybe more if it takes us. We'll climb up the rock trail in the woods. Cross the river and come back down the other side." Peter told them.
"Sounds hard." Jules complained
"And long" Daisy added
"Not to mention painful" Ezra said.
"Suck it up guys. Then when you do go pack"
"What if we don't ever suck it up?" Anna asked
"Be ready in a half hour." Peter answered
*******************
"So what exactly do we pack?" Anna asked frowning at her clothes.
"All your warmest clothes for four nights." Daisy advised
"Peter said we're going for two though" Anna said starting to pack
"Yea, but that probably means three and there's a good chance you'll get wet in the river" Daisy said
"Why's that?"
"Cause we're going to walk through the river."
"All right, four nights then" Anna said grabbing clothes.
**********************
"How do you feel?" Anna asked Scott as they started up the trail
"So-so what about you?"
"A little out of it" She said faltering in her step a little.
Scott steadied her "Careful, at home no one would notice since your not climbing a mountain Peter or Sophie will notice everything." He warned
"Thanks" Anna replied.
"All right time to partner off" Peter announced "We'll be crossing two at a time, at the other side be careful, untie the rope then send it back, there's a big fall over there so watch it. Jules and Anna your up first."
(A/N: it's one rope that's strung through a loop so two people can use one rope, it's hard to explain but I thought I should try to explain)
Anna made a face and walked to the front and let Peter tie up her and Jules so they could make their way across.
"OK first swing yourself over there then you have to cross around that sharp turn, after that you have to send the rope back and then move over to where the grass is then your safe." Peter instructed
"Shouldn't you go first?" Anna asked
"Sophie and I have to be last, in case anything goes wrong." Peter explained
"And if anything goes wrong over there?" Anna muttered waiting for Jules to get ready.
"OK go!" Peter shouted
Anna swung over then crossed around the corner, she waited to Jules to get there, then they took off the rope.
"Watch!" Jules exclaimed "You're going to make yourself fall."
"I'm fine, why do you care anyway?" Anna asked
"Look, I care about you as much as the next person, why can't you just be nice? You got a problem with everything."
"No I have a problem with you." Anna retorted
"Why?"
"Cause Auggie can do better then you, and then he goes for you anyway and you break his heart so he comes home and screws up again. Your no good for him. And besides I just don't like you." Anna said hotly
"Throw the ropes back!" Peter yelled from the other side. He couldn't see the girls, he hoped it was a good idea to send them first.
"Listen-" Jules turned around to yell at Anna but saw her holding her head crouching down. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, just leave me alone" Anna muttered
"We need to get Peter." Jules said worried.
"No! Don't ohh." Anna groaned and tried to stand up.
Jules tried to help her but threw Anna off balance, Anna screamed and Jules managed to grab Anna before she fell any further but not before Anna hit hard against the rocks, when she was sure Anna wouldn't fall any further Jules swung the rope back around then grabbed hold of Anna again with both hands and tried to wake her up.
*************
"What happened?" Peter yelled unable to do anything because he didn't have to rope. "Sophie, you and Auggie run back and get some help. Daisy and Ezra stay here to keep hold of everything, Scott you're coming with me." Peter instructed "The rope! Throw it back!" Peter yelled.
The rope swung back around and Peter and Scott hurriedly tied themselves up and went to the girls.
"What happened?" Peter asked as he set foot on the ground, falling to his stomach and pulling Anna up.
"She fell, I knocked her off balance, I caught her before she fell" Jules sobbed
"How did you manage to get the rope back?" Scott asked doubtfully
"She was leaning on a rock, so I swung it back with one arm, then grabbed hold again, I only let go for like a second. I swear I didn't push her or anything." Jules cried.
"Calm down Jules. We need to get Anna back." Peter picked Anna up and he swung back to the other side with her in his arms. Ezra and Daisy helped him on the other side. Then Scott and Jules came across.
"The park rangers are here" Auggie said from above them.
"Tell them to get as close as possible." Peter yelled.
"All right" Auggie yelled back
*******************
In the hospital.
"They found drugs in her blood." Peter told Sophie after he talked to the doctor.
"Well at least we know Jules didn't push her."
"One day she was here and she's already taken drugs, fallen off a cliff, and been to the hospital."
"How is she doing anyway?" Sophie asked
"She hit her head badly which knocked her unconscious and she slightly fractured her wrist, and basically got a few bumps from hitting into the side. She'll be back tonight." Peter answered
"In a way you can almost not blame her. Her parents told her she was coming here, then didn't even bring her themselves, no good-bye or anything I heard it must of been hard on her." Sophie sympathized
"Yea, but now she has to learn to talk about this kind of thing, not pop a pill or something."
"Speaking of which where'd she get it? I thought you said she was clean."
"She was, but she said if she had anything I wouldn't of found it. I don't know if that means she did or if she got it from someone else."
"But who, she was only around the cliffhangers last night and she wasn't alone with them" Sophie said
"Yes, she was, she and Scott went off alone after dinner so she could show her around." Peter remembered.
"You don't think Scott….?"
"We'll find out soon enough" Peter answered
TBC'd you guys like? I hope so please R&R
A/N: so that everything's clear, the kids that are there are Ezra, Juliette, Auggie, Scott, Daisy, and Anna (my character) are in the story, Shelby has gone home so Scott isn't very happy at Horizon.
"You wanted to see me?" Sophie asked walking into Peter's office.
"Yea, we're getting a newbie today. A girl 16, she's riding up with Auggie's parents and Auggie." Peter told her
"Uh oh, I can already sense the trouble. How come her parents didn't bring her up?"
"They had business to take of, sounds like they were just waiting for Auggie's parents to make the trip and ask for a convenient favor." Peter answered
"What's her story?" Sophie asks
"Sneaking out, running with some bad kids, they think maybe drugs. She seems like a kid who's craves attention."
"They're usually the hardest to work with too" Sophie says "When will they get here?"
"Any minute actually, so be prepared" Peter warned.
"Thanks Peter. I'll go gather of the kids."
"All right." Peter got out some files and finished up some paperwork.
"Uh Peter, Sophie said to tell you Auggie and Anna are here…..who's Anna?" Scott asked from the doorway
"The newest cliffhanger." Peter answered "Come on let's go meet her."
"Yea, I'd rather not. Later." Scott turned around
"Scott, you're going to have to get over Shelby sometime you know, she's not coming back, life goes on."
Scott waved his hand saying basically 'whatever' and walked away.
***************
"Auggie!" Jules exclaimed happily as she ran out to greet Auggie.
"Hey Jules, miss me?" Auggie asked giving her a hug.
"Of course!"
"Good, Jules this is Anna Maria, but just stick with Anna." Auggie introduced Jules to a pretty girl who had dark brown hair and eyes, she was thin and nicely tanned from the summer sun. She got out silently and nodded when Auggie introduced her to Jules.
"Hello Anna I'm Peter." Peter introduced himself, as did Sophie, Anna just looked around quietly.
"She has not spoken a word since her parents told her she was coming up here with us." Auggie's mother whispered. "Augosto snuck out while he was home with his brother, I couldn't be sure, but Anna was probably with him."
"Did she make any trouble when she was told she was coming here?" Sophie asked
"None at all, it was horrible she just went to her room and packed her things. She was never outright bad it was always more quiet you could say." His mother said
"All right, Anna come with me." Peter gestured her to follow him. "Checkpoint" He explained "I need to check out your things. And normally you'd wash off your make-up and take off your jewelry but seeing how you don't have any one, this shouldn't take long." Peter tried to make conversation as he went through her things.
"You'd never find anything." Anna finally spoke up.
"Excuse me?" Peter asked
"Had I anything in my bag, you'd never of found it." Anna said quite simply
"Why's that?"
"Cause you're looking in all the wrong places."
"So where should I be looking then?" Peter asked
"If I told you that, a lot whole lot of people here would be very angry and neither of us want a bunch of angry crazy kids now do we?" She asked sweetly.
"No, I guess not. OK you're clean, I'll get Sophie to show you your cabin." Peter said
"Can't wait." She answered dryly
**********************
"You can unpack later, right now it's almost time for dinner, but before dinner you and the rest of the cliffhangers will have a little meeting, basically to introduce you to everyone else." Sophie said.
Anna didn't say a word and just followed Sophie out and to the main hall.
"Guys, this is Anna, the newest cliffhanger." Peter said as Anna and Sophie walked in. "Anna this is Scott, Daisy, Ezra and you already met Juliette and Auggie."
The remaining three mumbled a barely audible hello.
"OK Anna right now we'd usually talk about anything really, today is why you're here." Peter prompted her.
Anna waited a second before saying "Don't expect me to say anything, I don't know why I'm here."
"Drugs?" Daisy asked
"Sneaking out?" Ezra said
"Eating disorder?" Jules added
Anna raised her eyebrows "I'M not bulimic" Anna said pointedly to Jules "But yea I sneak out, maybe drink a little, experiment nothing none of you guys hasn't done right?" She asked mischievously
"Anna the point of being here is to bring people up not down, and to overcome your problems not create new ones." Peter said.
"Who's creating problems? And who has problems? You consider this problems you should go spend a night out on the streets"
"Have you?" Peter asked
"Yea, me and Auggie have been known to kick it on the streets a little before his parents dragged him up here. A little when he came back, old habits die hard you know."
Scott started to listen to Anna speak, her voice was soothing, she spoke clearly and was sure in everything she said, she wasn't harsh either, she just told it like it was. They all had problems and she was right old habits do die hard.
"Speaking of that Auggie you'll have some extra cleaning time on your hands because of your disappearing act." Peter told him.
"Right, my mom told you?" He asked
"Got it." Peter answered
"Anyone hungry? The kitchen is serving now." Sophie said
"No" Anna answered.
"Anorexia is as bad as bulimia you know" Jules muttered
"Good thing I'm not anorexic then, I ate before when we stopped at a restaurant." Anna said evenly the tension between the two girls apparent
"Ouch" Ezra muttered to Scott who laughed in response.
"Let's all go inside." Peter instructed "Whether you eat or not."
******************
"We all have to sit over here" Auggie pointed as he walked Anna over to a table.
"All of us?" She asked "Even Jules?"
"All of us, and Jules will grow on you I swear."
"I don't know what you see in her." Anna said shaking her head.
They were interrupted by the rest of the group sitting down.
"Here" Daisy pushed a glass across the table. "In case you get thirsty"
"Thanks" Anna said a little surprised "Daisy right?"
"Got it in one" Daisy replied.
Anna looked around the table and her eyes landed on Scott's food, who was sitting next to her. "That looks gross" She commented
"It is, but you get used to it." He replied
"Yea until you get to go out to dinner then it tastes like crap for another week." Ezra added
Anna laughed, Scott thought it sounded like a song. "Your girlfriend just left here right?" Anna asked him interrupting his thoughts
"She's not my girlfriend anymore, we decided to break up not to long ago." Scott answered
"Sorry, I mean it too." Anna said
"I believe you"
"It's so depressing here, I mean you can feel everyone's problems just weighing down onto you, I can drive someone crazy."
"It can sometimes." Scott admitted. "Come on you want to go take a walk?"
"Yea." Anna got up and Scott told Peter he was going to show Anna around. "Let's stop by my cabin first." Anna said once they were outside.
"All right." They walked inside and Anna went over to her bags. "Home Economics did come in handy." She announced pulling out a sock and turning it inside out where there a was pouch sewn into it. "All right I'm done"
Scott eyes the pouch. "What do you have?" He asked
"All in due time" Anna promised with a sparkle in her eye
"We can go over there." Scott pointed to a secluded corner where the lights weren't shining.
"Great." Anna walked over.
"What are the effects?" Scott asked watching as she opened it up.
"None tonight, tomorrow you'll feel a little disoriented a little wobbly on your feet really, a little dizzy kind of like if you hadn't eaten all day. Which is the cop out that I use."
"Great." Scott answered.
*********************
"Good morning, good morning. I need to see the cliffhangers." Peter announced at breakfast.
"What's up Peter?" Auggie asked
"Time for a trip." Peter announced "For the next two nights maybe more if it takes us. We'll climb up the rock trail in the woods. Cross the river and come back down the other side." Peter told them.
"Sounds hard." Jules complained
"And long" Daisy added
"Not to mention painful" Ezra said.
"Suck it up guys. Then when you do go pack"
"What if we don't ever suck it up?" Anna asked
"Be ready in a half hour." Peter answered
*******************
"So what exactly do we pack?" Anna asked frowning at her clothes.
"All your warmest clothes for four nights." Daisy advised
"Peter said we're going for two though" Anna said starting to pack
"Yea, but that probably means three and there's a good chance you'll get wet in the river" Daisy said
"Why's that?"
"Cause we're going to walk through the river."
"All right, four nights then" Anna said grabbing clothes.
**********************
"How do you feel?" Anna asked Scott as they started up the trail
"So-so what about you?"
"A little out of it" She said faltering in her step a little.
Scott steadied her "Careful, at home no one would notice since your not climbing a mountain Peter or Sophie will notice everything." He warned
"Thanks" Anna replied.
"All right time to partner off" Peter announced "We'll be crossing two at a time, at the other side be careful, untie the rope then send it back, there's a big fall over there so watch it. Jules and Anna your up first."
(A/N: it's one rope that's strung through a loop so two people can use one rope, it's hard to explain but I thought I should try to explain)
Anna made a face and walked to the front and let Peter tie up her and Jules so they could make their way across.
"OK first swing yourself over there then you have to cross around that sharp turn, after that you have to send the rope back and then move over to where the grass is then your safe." Peter instructed
"Shouldn't you go first?" Anna asked
"Sophie and I have to be last, in case anything goes wrong." Peter explained
"And if anything goes wrong over there?" Anna muttered waiting for Jules to get ready.
"OK go!" Peter shouted
Anna swung over then crossed around the corner, she waited to Jules to get there, then they took off the rope.
"Watch!" Jules exclaimed "You're going to make yourself fall."
"I'm fine, why do you care anyway?" Anna asked
"Look, I care about you as much as the next person, why can't you just be nice? You got a problem with everything."
"No I have a problem with you." Anna retorted
"Why?"
"Cause Auggie can do better then you, and then he goes for you anyway and you break his heart so he comes home and screws up again. Your no good for him. And besides I just don't like you." Anna said hotly
"Throw the ropes back!" Peter yelled from the other side. He couldn't see the girls, he hoped it was a good idea to send them first.
"Listen-" Jules turned around to yell at Anna but saw her holding her head crouching down. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, just leave me alone" Anna muttered
"We need to get Peter." Jules said worried.
"No! Don't ohh." Anna groaned and tried to stand up.
Jules tried to help her but threw Anna off balance, Anna screamed and Jules managed to grab Anna before she fell any further but not before Anna hit hard against the rocks, when she was sure Anna wouldn't fall any further Jules swung the rope back around then grabbed hold of Anna again with both hands and tried to wake her up.
*************
"What happened?" Peter yelled unable to do anything because he didn't have to rope. "Sophie, you and Auggie run back and get some help. Daisy and Ezra stay here to keep hold of everything, Scott you're coming with me." Peter instructed "The rope! Throw it back!" Peter yelled.
The rope swung back around and Peter and Scott hurriedly tied themselves up and went to the girls.
"What happened?" Peter asked as he set foot on the ground, falling to his stomach and pulling Anna up.
"She fell, I knocked her off balance, I caught her before she fell" Jules sobbed
"How did you manage to get the rope back?" Scott asked doubtfully
"She was leaning on a rock, so I swung it back with one arm, then grabbed hold again, I only let go for like a second. I swear I didn't push her or anything." Jules cried.
"Calm down Jules. We need to get Anna back." Peter picked Anna up and he swung back to the other side with her in his arms. Ezra and Daisy helped him on the other side. Then Scott and Jules came across.
"The park rangers are here" Auggie said from above them.
"Tell them to get as close as possible." Peter yelled.
"All right" Auggie yelled back
*******************
In the hospital.
"They found drugs in her blood." Peter told Sophie after he talked to the doctor.
"Well at least we know Jules didn't push her."
"One day she was here and she's already taken drugs, fallen off a cliff, and been to the hospital."
"How is she doing anyway?" Sophie asked
"She hit her head badly which knocked her unconscious and she slightly fractured her wrist, and basically got a few bumps from hitting into the side. She'll be back tonight." Peter answered
"In a way you can almost not blame her. Her parents told her she was coming here, then didn't even bring her themselves, no good-bye or anything I heard it must of been hard on her." Sophie sympathized
"Yea, but now she has to learn to talk about this kind of thing, not pop a pill or something."
"Speaking of which where'd she get it? I thought you said she was clean."
"She was, but she said if she had anything I wouldn't of found it. I don't know if that means she did or if she got it from someone else."
"But who, she was only around the cliffhangers last night and she wasn't alone with them" Sophie said
"Yes, she was, she and Scott went off alone after dinner so she could show her around." Peter remembered.
"You don't think Scott….?"
"We'll find out soon enough" Peter answered
TBC'd you guys like? I hope so please R&R
