~Disclaimer: I own none of them, I'm just playing with them, and I'll be returning them when I get through. I also stake no claim to any episodes that I use for the Flashbacks. They belong to the writers and FFC. I do however own Alex Wallace, his father and his secretary Connie, as well as anyone Scott knew when he was at home with his father.~
~There are also a few lines that I have taken from one of my other favorite shows, BTVS. I thought that Joss's words would fit better in this type of subtext. I am not changing the words in any way shape or form. They will also be returned when I'm done.~
*Not many reviews for the last one...I'm wondering if I should keep writing, or just end it here?? I'll let you guys decide. Review
"The eyes are the window to ones soul." ~Unknown.
Next next day the group headed back to Horizon. All the way back to the lodge, everyone was bustling wiht excitement about the Morp. They wanted everything to be perfect. They wanted a Morp II that Kat would be proud of. Something that they could work together to complete. But there was still something nagging at the back of Scott's brain. They were just about to cross the foot bridge when he grabbed Shelby's arm. "Can we talk?" His tone was firm, but he knew that he had to soften up if he wanted her to love him again. "Please?"
"About what?" Her tone was questioning. She didn't want to hurt him, but a part of her knew that he was hiding something. She wanted to know what was wrong with him, she wasn't about to push. She knew better. "Or do you want me to guess?" Scott hadn't said three words to anyone since they left the cabin. And that was a long time for anyone to hold their tounge. "Scott?"
Both of them slowed down and Scott looked directly into Shelby's eys. "I'm sorry." He said simply. "I know that I've made some really bad mistakes with you, and I want to change that." He took a hold of her hand and smiled at her. "Will you be my date to the Morp?" He watched as a smile spread across her face. She started giggling almost uncontrolably. Daisy turned around to look at her, she exchanged a glace with Scott, then went back to her conversation with Jessica. "Shell? Are you okay?"
Shelby didn't understand why she couldn't stop laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just.....I, um." She took an extra second to calm down. "I actually never thought you'd ask." The thought sounded crazy to them both.
Daisy turned her head to the young girl they all affectionally reffered to as Mini-Me. She was Shelby's double, bo one would be able to deny it. Not if they heard her story, or saw her face. But the cuts that had wounded Shelby's soul were well on their way to healing. Slowly but surely, and in a few short months, Shelby would be able to leave this place, and Walt behind. Maybe not forever, but for a while. Jess on the other hand didn't have that choice. Jess was going to be there for at the very least another two years. Maybe more. Her scars were fresh wounds that shook in her everytime she closed her eyes. She might have been on the right track for recovery, but she was far from being there. The scowl on Jessica's face was one that Shelby had worn many times. It usually meant that she was thinking. "Hey Jess?" She saw the younger girl look up and smiled. "What ya thinking about?"
"David asked me this question, and I can't think of an answer." She was only half lying. David had asked her the question, but that wasn't what she was thinking about. Her thoughts were on her sister.
"Maybe I can help?" Daisy smiled again.
"Okay..." The younger Merrick took a few seconds to remember the question. "If you could have lunch with any one person, dead or alive, who would you chose?" That was how she had conviced herself that David was crazy. The look on Daisy's face was one of mock concentration.
"Hmmm......that is a tough one." Daisy looked over at David and made a face at him. She loved being imature. "Somebody who could make a good lunch, I guess." She offered with a lopsided grin. Jess returned Daisy's smile and hopped over a piece of fallen foliage. "Hey Davey boy?" She shouted up at David, who was walking just behind Juliet. "I got one for you?" David slowed down and took to walking next to Jessica, who formed some sort of human barrier between the two. "If you could beat the crap out of any person, dead or alive, who would it be?" She held up a fist for emphasis.
David couldn't help but to laugh out loud. "You wouldn't want to hurt little ole me would you?" He asked sweetly, putting on his best puppy dog face. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Breathe?" Daisy offered helpfully. She turned to watch as Shelby took Scott's hand and swung it around for a second. The two just laughed. "You think I should talk to him?" She asked David, completely ignoring the smaller girl in the middle.
Laughter sprang up from David once more. "Been there, tried that." He nudged Jess with his shoulder. "Not unlike smothering a forrest fire with NAPALM, as I recall."
The younger Merrick slowed and allowed the others to pass her. She stopped and waited patiently for Shelby and Scott to walk up next to her. As if she were ever so small again, Jessica wedged herself between them, making sure they had to unlock their hands. "Can I talk to my sister?" She asked Scott pointedly. Scott only nodded. "ALONE." She commanded. There was no mistaking the resemblence now. Scott hurried his stride and caught up with David and Daisy, passing them he went up to talk to Ezra. "Why did you let him back into you're life?" She asked harshly. She was so angery at Shelby for putting herself through the whole 'Scott adventure' again. "After all he's done, how could you do that?"
"Calm down Jess." Shelby wrapped a thin arm around her sisters.' "Don't you think you're being a LITTLE too judgemental about this?"
"Judgemental?" Jess repeated the word. "If I was anymore openminded about the choices that you two have made about your 'relationship,' my entire brain would fall out!" She couldhold her anger any longer. Yes, she wanted Scott to come back to the group. They needed him. But she only wanted him to be part of the GROUP. She didn't want him to be part of Shelby's life. "It doesn't take an idoit to see what's going on between you two. I'm starting to think that all you two need each other for is sex. That's the only way I could justify you taking him back so quickly." Jessica pushed her sister away from her and raced up to Peter and Sophie.
They finally reached Horizon about half an hour before dinner. They all went their seperate ways and promised to meet up with each other for dinner. Most of the Cliffhangers were in the dinner line when Daisy realized that Jess wasn't there. She nudged Ezra to tell him to get her some food and that she'd be back in a few minutes, then she headed up to the girls dorm to find Shelby's little sister. She wasn't there. Then she went down to the dock, where she foung Jess. Holding Shelby's knife.
"She puts it with her cigarettes, you know?" Jess stated as if she was talking to herself. "That's how she got it up to the cabin without anyone noticing. It looks like a large lighter if she puts it in there the right way." Jess made a slicing movement in the air. She wasn't unfimilar with cutting herself, or the weight of the knife.
"I know how you feel, Jess I really do." It was the only thing that Dasiy could say. She wasn't ready to talk to Jess about this. This is a conversation that Shelby should have had. She actually knew everything that was going on inside her sister's head . Daisy was just the newbie at this. "I know how it feels to be betrayed by someone. I know how much life hurts."
"Oh, right." Jess shot back. The truth was, she didn't know anything about Daisy. She had never asked why she was there, nor had Daisy taken the time to tell her. Jessica just presumed that she was a habitual runaway. "Cause the burden of being beautiful and mysterious, oh THAT'S a real crippler."
'I'm going to kill Shelby for this.' Daisy thought harshly. "You know what? I was wrong about you. You are just a spoiled child." She knew that this wasn't what she should be saying to a girl holding a knife, but she couldn't help herself. "My life happens to on ocassion SUCK beyond the telling of it. Sometimes more than I can handle." She had to give herself credit for being completely honest with Jess. It wasn't easy to talk about you're life. Inching closer and closer to the girl, Daisy sat down on the edge ofthe dock with a hint of protest from Jess. "Every single kid here is ignoring your pain because they're to busy with their own. The runaways, the druggies," she waved her hand at Shelby's knife. "The cutters....Everyone. It might look quiet inside the lodge. It's not. It's defining. It's louder in there than you could possibly imagine." The younger one shrugged and loosened her grip on the knife. "You know I could have taken that by now." She motioned to the knife again.
"I know."
Daisy closed her eyes and prayed that this would turn out better than it would have if she were talking to Shelby. She reopened her eyes and held her hand out. "I prefer to do it this way." She watched as Jess placed the knife in the palm of her hand. Dropping the knife onto the dock on the other side of her, Daisy pulled the girl closer to her and set her head on top of Jess's. "You and me kiddo, we're a lot alike." She whispered so softly that she doubted that she could hear her. There was a time that I thought the people here on this world existed only to hurt each other. But then I came here. To Horizon." A pale hand swept over the campus. "I found out that there were other kinds of people. People who genuinely want to do right." She moved her head to look into the young one's eyes. "They still make mistakes. They fall down. But they keep caring. Keep trying." Pink lips came in contact with peach colored flesh, and Daisy kissed Jessica's forehead. "If you can trust us, Jess, this can all change. You don't have to go back into that darkness. You don't have to keep hurting yourself."
"I know."
They sat there in silance for another few minutes before Daisy decided that Jess needed her just like Shelby did. "You want to talk about it?" She asked solomly. The only way she was going to get Jessica to open up was to treat her just like Shelby. "It'll help stop the hurt."
"I'm not worried about hurting myself." Jessica admitted. "I'm scared for Shelby." Off of Daisy's look she decided to elaborate. "Everytime she opens herself up to him he hurts her. I can't watch her go through that again. It's just.....you never really know what's going on inside somebody, do you?" She rubbed her face with her hands and then ran them through her hair. "You think you care about them.....but you don't know enough about them to."
"That's why you go on faith. You sit there silantly watching as they destory their life, then when they are on the cliff, getting ready to fling themselves off, that's when you're allowed to help." Daisy watched the light reflect off of the water. "That's when you let them hang until they allow you to pull them back up."
Jessica thought for a moment. "So that's what Peter means by 'Cliffhanger?' We allow each other to hang from the ledge, but we don't force them to come back up until they're ready?"
Daisy started to stand up. "I think you might be right." She slid the knife into her pocket and helped Jess off of the wood. "Now I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." She watched Jess nod. "Let's go get some food."
It was nothing but talk about the Morp all through dinner. Juliet couldn't shut up about it. She even ate all the food that Auggie had put on her plate. That all by its self was enough to celebrate. After dinner, however, Scott decided that that news was enough for him to do what he wanted to do the first day that he was back with the group. He lead everyone into the main room of the lodge and made everyone sit down. Then he asked Peter to go and get his bag. Everyone waited in anticipation as Scott unzipped his bag and crouched next to it. Looking around the room, Scott was reminded of how they used to hang out like that before he left. Juliet was, as usual, sharing one of the larger chairs next to the fireplace. Daisy was on the floor, semi-squished between Ezra and Jess, who were laying on either side of her. Ezra was the closest to the couch, and every few seconds he would get hit with one of Shelby's feet as she swung them back and forth. Shelby was the lone occupant on the couch, even after David tried to sit on her. He wound up on the floor beneath Juliet and Auggie. He just sat there for a few seconds. That was before Shelby proved that she was more impatient than anyone
"Can we get on with this?" She snapped at Scott.
David smiled and nudged Auggie's foot. "For once, man." He said simply. "I agree with Blondie over there." The room nodded with silent complience. "We've been sitting here for at least ten minutes,and we STILL have no clue what we're doing here." David smiled pointedly at Shelby. "I think some of us have some more important things that we could be doing?" Shelby nodded and looked over at Scott.
"Okay, okay." Scott reached into his bag and moved it around, trying to look for the large wooden box that he knew was in there somewhere. "When I found out I was coming back, I decided to bring at least one thing for everyone. With my dad's money, I thought it would be okay with Peter if I got something that would make being on this mountain a little more bareable." He pulled out the large box and handed it to Auggie. Auggie looked at Peter cautioously before popping the lock and looking inside. "I found those in a little art shop a few blocks from my shrinks office." He said calmly as Auggie held up a case full of pastels, paints, markers and colored pencils. "I thought it might help you to have some one you're own."
Auggie pulled out a few of the pencils and admired the craftsmanship. "Thanks Meat. I've never had an art set before." He showed them to Juliet and she marbled at how expensive they looked. Scott reminded her that he used his father's money, not his own.
Next Scott pulled out a brown box that had the word Daisy written on it. He passed the present over to her, and she shook it strangely. When she was sure that it wasn't a bomb, she started to pull the tape off of it. "I found those in this reall weird shop in the mall." He smiled as she pulled out a pack of tarot cards and a set of ten multi-sized jasmine candles. They both knew that she wouldn't be able to light them unless the group was all together, but it was the thought that counted. "I didn't know what scent you liked, but Mom told me that her favorite was jasmine, so I thought that might do." Daisy nodded approvingly, as Shelby took one of the candles away from her and took a big sniff.
David's present came next. Scott had bought him a few books on manners, and a few words puzzle books. Then there was Juliet. She had recieved a ton of back issues of Seventeen, as well as a new make-up kit and some more lotion. To say that she was happy about it would be an understatement. She was so happy that Auggie had to hold her in her seat. Ezra had gotten a camcorder, a camera, and an entire box full of film and tapes. Daisy noted that Ezra's present alone had to be at the very least a couple hundred dollars, but Scott had shrugged it off as if it were nothing. Jessica almost refused to take the present that Scott had handed her, but Daisy passed it to her. If it weren't for that, Jess wouldn't have opened it. Inside was a jewelry box full of necklaces and bracelets and rings. It was as if he bought it fully stocked with both gold and silver charms. Jess sat up and gave Scott a huge hug.
At last it was Shelby's turn. No one knew what to expect when Scott started by handing her a rectangular box that was about the legnth of Shelby's hand, wrist to the tip of her middle finger. It was about as deep as a shoebox. She pulled the ribbon away and opened the box cautiously. Inside were groups of letters, each tied together by a single ribbon. Shelby counted all of the stacks and looked up quizically. There were five stacks of envalopes. "There's one there for every day I was gone." He noted thoughtfully. "I was too scared to mail them." Shelby smiled and placed the stacks back into the box. She handed the box to Daisy just to recieve another box from Scott. "I didn't get this one for you until I was already here. I had Mom send it to me." Shelby opened a box that looked very simalar to the one that he had given Auggie to reveal an art set that looked a little more professional than Auggie's. "Peter and Sophie told me that you like to draw. I thought you might need that." He noticed that Shelby was biting her lip so she wouldn't start crying. No one had ever done anything like that for her. Never. The last box he held out to her was small. It was just bigger than a ring box. Shelby eyed that one strangely before opening it. The necklace was exquisite. A single pearl was threaded through a delicate gold chain. There was also a note on the top that read: Lift the padding up later. No one in the room expected Shelby to do what she did after that. She jumped off of the couch and gave Scott a long kiss that would still linger on his lips even after they no longer touched. The funny thigs was, neither Peter nor Sophie did anything about it.
"How come Shell gets more presents than us?" David asked calmly. Both boys knew that he was only joking, so Scott decided to play along.
"Cause I actually LIKE her." He stated sharply
Ezra got into the game a bit. "But we LOVE you Scott." He pulled himself out from behind Daisy and tried to hug him. Shelby just sat there laughing at them.
That was before she noticed Jeff walking up to the group, followed by someone that looked vaguely fimilar. Peter turned and walked over to them, talking silently so none of the others could hear them. The guy that Jeff had brought into the lodge was tall, about the same size as Peter. He had short brown hair that partially covered his beautiful green eyes. Juliet took a noticed to him immediately. She scooted next to Shelby and started pointing out his many attributes. Including his designer suit and Rolex watch. Finally Peter pointed to the group that was next to the fire, and the misterous man stepped foreward. His eyes held Shelby's and she felt like she was the only girl in the room. He flashed a million dollar smile, and Shelby was certain she knew who it was immediately. "Alex." She whispered just loud enough for Scott and Daisy to hear her.
*You didn't think I'd leave you THERE did you? Of course not. Here's a taste of what's to come.
Alex nodded in Shelby's direction and smiled. He was finally close enough to touch her. She stood slowly and took careful steps to where he was standing. Everyone in the room was watching them very carefully, Scott was tensing rapidly, and Daisy scooted out from behind Jess and moved to sit behind him. She kept one hand on him at all times. But Alex noticed none of that. The only thing on his mind was Shelby. He let out his breath and that he didn't realize that he had been holding. "Slate." He said softly. "You look......." His throat caught again and he wasn't sure what his next words was going to be. "......."
"So do you." Shelby pulled him into a huge hug and he kissed her forehead. That was all it took for Scott to jump up from his place on the floor and rush to her side. Daisy collasped on top of his bag, she had been trying to hold him, but her efforts weren't enough. She silantly prayed that he wouldn't do something crazy. Then again, this was Scott she was talking about.
*If you want this story to continue, I expect at least 15 reviews. You guys have done it before, and I have no doubt that you can do it again.
~There are also a few lines that I have taken from one of my other favorite shows, BTVS. I thought that Joss's words would fit better in this type of subtext. I am not changing the words in any way shape or form. They will also be returned when I'm done.~
*Not many reviews for the last one...I'm wondering if I should keep writing, or just end it here?? I'll let you guys decide. Review
"The eyes are the window to ones soul." ~Unknown.
Next next day the group headed back to Horizon. All the way back to the lodge, everyone was bustling wiht excitement about the Morp. They wanted everything to be perfect. They wanted a Morp II that Kat would be proud of. Something that they could work together to complete. But there was still something nagging at the back of Scott's brain. They were just about to cross the foot bridge when he grabbed Shelby's arm. "Can we talk?" His tone was firm, but he knew that he had to soften up if he wanted her to love him again. "Please?"
"About what?" Her tone was questioning. She didn't want to hurt him, but a part of her knew that he was hiding something. She wanted to know what was wrong with him, she wasn't about to push. She knew better. "Or do you want me to guess?" Scott hadn't said three words to anyone since they left the cabin. And that was a long time for anyone to hold their tounge. "Scott?"
Both of them slowed down and Scott looked directly into Shelby's eys. "I'm sorry." He said simply. "I know that I've made some really bad mistakes with you, and I want to change that." He took a hold of her hand and smiled at her. "Will you be my date to the Morp?" He watched as a smile spread across her face. She started giggling almost uncontrolably. Daisy turned around to look at her, she exchanged a glace with Scott, then went back to her conversation with Jessica. "Shell? Are you okay?"
Shelby didn't understand why she couldn't stop laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just.....I, um." She took an extra second to calm down. "I actually never thought you'd ask." The thought sounded crazy to them both.
Daisy turned her head to the young girl they all affectionally reffered to as Mini-Me. She was Shelby's double, bo one would be able to deny it. Not if they heard her story, or saw her face. But the cuts that had wounded Shelby's soul were well on their way to healing. Slowly but surely, and in a few short months, Shelby would be able to leave this place, and Walt behind. Maybe not forever, but for a while. Jess on the other hand didn't have that choice. Jess was going to be there for at the very least another two years. Maybe more. Her scars were fresh wounds that shook in her everytime she closed her eyes. She might have been on the right track for recovery, but she was far from being there. The scowl on Jessica's face was one that Shelby had worn many times. It usually meant that she was thinking. "Hey Jess?" She saw the younger girl look up and smiled. "What ya thinking about?"
"David asked me this question, and I can't think of an answer." She was only half lying. David had asked her the question, but that wasn't what she was thinking about. Her thoughts were on her sister.
"Maybe I can help?" Daisy smiled again.
"Okay..." The younger Merrick took a few seconds to remember the question. "If you could have lunch with any one person, dead or alive, who would you chose?" That was how she had conviced herself that David was crazy. The look on Daisy's face was one of mock concentration.
"Hmmm......that is a tough one." Daisy looked over at David and made a face at him. She loved being imature. "Somebody who could make a good lunch, I guess." She offered with a lopsided grin. Jess returned Daisy's smile and hopped over a piece of fallen foliage. "Hey Davey boy?" She shouted up at David, who was walking just behind Juliet. "I got one for you?" David slowed down and took to walking next to Jessica, who formed some sort of human barrier between the two. "If you could beat the crap out of any person, dead or alive, who would it be?" She held up a fist for emphasis.
David couldn't help but to laugh out loud. "You wouldn't want to hurt little ole me would you?" He asked sweetly, putting on his best puppy dog face. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Breathe?" Daisy offered helpfully. She turned to watch as Shelby took Scott's hand and swung it around for a second. The two just laughed. "You think I should talk to him?" She asked David, completely ignoring the smaller girl in the middle.
Laughter sprang up from David once more. "Been there, tried that." He nudged Jess with his shoulder. "Not unlike smothering a forrest fire with NAPALM, as I recall."
The younger Merrick slowed and allowed the others to pass her. She stopped and waited patiently for Shelby and Scott to walk up next to her. As if she were ever so small again, Jessica wedged herself between them, making sure they had to unlock their hands. "Can I talk to my sister?" She asked Scott pointedly. Scott only nodded. "ALONE." She commanded. There was no mistaking the resemblence now. Scott hurried his stride and caught up with David and Daisy, passing them he went up to talk to Ezra. "Why did you let him back into you're life?" She asked harshly. She was so angery at Shelby for putting herself through the whole 'Scott adventure' again. "After all he's done, how could you do that?"
"Calm down Jess." Shelby wrapped a thin arm around her sisters.' "Don't you think you're being a LITTLE too judgemental about this?"
"Judgemental?" Jess repeated the word. "If I was anymore openminded about the choices that you two have made about your 'relationship,' my entire brain would fall out!" She couldhold her anger any longer. Yes, she wanted Scott to come back to the group. They needed him. But she only wanted him to be part of the GROUP. She didn't want him to be part of Shelby's life. "It doesn't take an idoit to see what's going on between you two. I'm starting to think that all you two need each other for is sex. That's the only way I could justify you taking him back so quickly." Jessica pushed her sister away from her and raced up to Peter and Sophie.
They finally reached Horizon about half an hour before dinner. They all went their seperate ways and promised to meet up with each other for dinner. Most of the Cliffhangers were in the dinner line when Daisy realized that Jess wasn't there. She nudged Ezra to tell him to get her some food and that she'd be back in a few minutes, then she headed up to the girls dorm to find Shelby's little sister. She wasn't there. Then she went down to the dock, where she foung Jess. Holding Shelby's knife.
"She puts it with her cigarettes, you know?" Jess stated as if she was talking to herself. "That's how she got it up to the cabin without anyone noticing. It looks like a large lighter if she puts it in there the right way." Jess made a slicing movement in the air. She wasn't unfimilar with cutting herself, or the weight of the knife.
"I know how you feel, Jess I really do." It was the only thing that Dasiy could say. She wasn't ready to talk to Jess about this. This is a conversation that Shelby should have had. She actually knew everything that was going on inside her sister's head . Daisy was just the newbie at this. "I know how it feels to be betrayed by someone. I know how much life hurts."
"Oh, right." Jess shot back. The truth was, she didn't know anything about Daisy. She had never asked why she was there, nor had Daisy taken the time to tell her. Jessica just presumed that she was a habitual runaway. "Cause the burden of being beautiful and mysterious, oh THAT'S a real crippler."
'I'm going to kill Shelby for this.' Daisy thought harshly. "You know what? I was wrong about you. You are just a spoiled child." She knew that this wasn't what she should be saying to a girl holding a knife, but she couldn't help herself. "My life happens to on ocassion SUCK beyond the telling of it. Sometimes more than I can handle." She had to give herself credit for being completely honest with Jess. It wasn't easy to talk about you're life. Inching closer and closer to the girl, Daisy sat down on the edge ofthe dock with a hint of protest from Jess. "Every single kid here is ignoring your pain because they're to busy with their own. The runaways, the druggies," she waved her hand at Shelby's knife. "The cutters....Everyone. It might look quiet inside the lodge. It's not. It's defining. It's louder in there than you could possibly imagine." The younger one shrugged and loosened her grip on the knife. "You know I could have taken that by now." She motioned to the knife again.
"I know."
Daisy closed her eyes and prayed that this would turn out better than it would have if she were talking to Shelby. She reopened her eyes and held her hand out. "I prefer to do it this way." She watched as Jess placed the knife in the palm of her hand. Dropping the knife onto the dock on the other side of her, Daisy pulled the girl closer to her and set her head on top of Jess's. "You and me kiddo, we're a lot alike." She whispered so softly that she doubted that she could hear her. There was a time that I thought the people here on this world existed only to hurt each other. But then I came here. To Horizon." A pale hand swept over the campus. "I found out that there were other kinds of people. People who genuinely want to do right." She moved her head to look into the young one's eyes. "They still make mistakes. They fall down. But they keep caring. Keep trying." Pink lips came in contact with peach colored flesh, and Daisy kissed Jessica's forehead. "If you can trust us, Jess, this can all change. You don't have to go back into that darkness. You don't have to keep hurting yourself."
"I know."
They sat there in silance for another few minutes before Daisy decided that Jess needed her just like Shelby did. "You want to talk about it?" She asked solomly. The only way she was going to get Jessica to open up was to treat her just like Shelby. "It'll help stop the hurt."
"I'm not worried about hurting myself." Jessica admitted. "I'm scared for Shelby." Off of Daisy's look she decided to elaborate. "Everytime she opens herself up to him he hurts her. I can't watch her go through that again. It's just.....you never really know what's going on inside somebody, do you?" She rubbed her face with her hands and then ran them through her hair. "You think you care about them.....but you don't know enough about them to."
"That's why you go on faith. You sit there silantly watching as they destory their life, then when they are on the cliff, getting ready to fling themselves off, that's when you're allowed to help." Daisy watched the light reflect off of the water. "That's when you let them hang until they allow you to pull them back up."
Jessica thought for a moment. "So that's what Peter means by 'Cliffhanger?' We allow each other to hang from the ledge, but we don't force them to come back up until they're ready?"
Daisy started to stand up. "I think you might be right." She slid the knife into her pocket and helped Jess off of the wood. "Now I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." She watched Jess nod. "Let's go get some food."
It was nothing but talk about the Morp all through dinner. Juliet couldn't shut up about it. She even ate all the food that Auggie had put on her plate. That all by its self was enough to celebrate. After dinner, however, Scott decided that that news was enough for him to do what he wanted to do the first day that he was back with the group. He lead everyone into the main room of the lodge and made everyone sit down. Then he asked Peter to go and get his bag. Everyone waited in anticipation as Scott unzipped his bag and crouched next to it. Looking around the room, Scott was reminded of how they used to hang out like that before he left. Juliet was, as usual, sharing one of the larger chairs next to the fireplace. Daisy was on the floor, semi-squished between Ezra and Jess, who were laying on either side of her. Ezra was the closest to the couch, and every few seconds he would get hit with one of Shelby's feet as she swung them back and forth. Shelby was the lone occupant on the couch, even after David tried to sit on her. He wound up on the floor beneath Juliet and Auggie. He just sat there for a few seconds. That was before Shelby proved that she was more impatient than anyone
"Can we get on with this?" She snapped at Scott.
David smiled and nudged Auggie's foot. "For once, man." He said simply. "I agree with Blondie over there." The room nodded with silent complience. "We've been sitting here for at least ten minutes,and we STILL have no clue what we're doing here." David smiled pointedly at Shelby. "I think some of us have some more important things that we could be doing?" Shelby nodded and looked over at Scott.
"Okay, okay." Scott reached into his bag and moved it around, trying to look for the large wooden box that he knew was in there somewhere. "When I found out I was coming back, I decided to bring at least one thing for everyone. With my dad's money, I thought it would be okay with Peter if I got something that would make being on this mountain a little more bareable." He pulled out the large box and handed it to Auggie. Auggie looked at Peter cautioously before popping the lock and looking inside. "I found those in a little art shop a few blocks from my shrinks office." He said calmly as Auggie held up a case full of pastels, paints, markers and colored pencils. "I thought it might help you to have some one you're own."
Auggie pulled out a few of the pencils and admired the craftsmanship. "Thanks Meat. I've never had an art set before." He showed them to Juliet and she marbled at how expensive they looked. Scott reminded her that he used his father's money, not his own.
Next Scott pulled out a brown box that had the word Daisy written on it. He passed the present over to her, and she shook it strangely. When she was sure that it wasn't a bomb, she started to pull the tape off of it. "I found those in this reall weird shop in the mall." He smiled as she pulled out a pack of tarot cards and a set of ten multi-sized jasmine candles. They both knew that she wouldn't be able to light them unless the group was all together, but it was the thought that counted. "I didn't know what scent you liked, but Mom told me that her favorite was jasmine, so I thought that might do." Daisy nodded approvingly, as Shelby took one of the candles away from her and took a big sniff.
David's present came next. Scott had bought him a few books on manners, and a few words puzzle books. Then there was Juliet. She had recieved a ton of back issues of Seventeen, as well as a new make-up kit and some more lotion. To say that she was happy about it would be an understatement. She was so happy that Auggie had to hold her in her seat. Ezra had gotten a camcorder, a camera, and an entire box full of film and tapes. Daisy noted that Ezra's present alone had to be at the very least a couple hundred dollars, but Scott had shrugged it off as if it were nothing. Jessica almost refused to take the present that Scott had handed her, but Daisy passed it to her. If it weren't for that, Jess wouldn't have opened it. Inside was a jewelry box full of necklaces and bracelets and rings. It was as if he bought it fully stocked with both gold and silver charms. Jess sat up and gave Scott a huge hug.
At last it was Shelby's turn. No one knew what to expect when Scott started by handing her a rectangular box that was about the legnth of Shelby's hand, wrist to the tip of her middle finger. It was about as deep as a shoebox. She pulled the ribbon away and opened the box cautiously. Inside were groups of letters, each tied together by a single ribbon. Shelby counted all of the stacks and looked up quizically. There were five stacks of envalopes. "There's one there for every day I was gone." He noted thoughtfully. "I was too scared to mail them." Shelby smiled and placed the stacks back into the box. She handed the box to Daisy just to recieve another box from Scott. "I didn't get this one for you until I was already here. I had Mom send it to me." Shelby opened a box that looked very simalar to the one that he had given Auggie to reveal an art set that looked a little more professional than Auggie's. "Peter and Sophie told me that you like to draw. I thought you might need that." He noticed that Shelby was biting her lip so she wouldn't start crying. No one had ever done anything like that for her. Never. The last box he held out to her was small. It was just bigger than a ring box. Shelby eyed that one strangely before opening it. The necklace was exquisite. A single pearl was threaded through a delicate gold chain. There was also a note on the top that read: Lift the padding up later. No one in the room expected Shelby to do what she did after that. She jumped off of the couch and gave Scott a long kiss that would still linger on his lips even after they no longer touched. The funny thigs was, neither Peter nor Sophie did anything about it.
"How come Shell gets more presents than us?" David asked calmly. Both boys knew that he was only joking, so Scott decided to play along.
"Cause I actually LIKE her." He stated sharply
Ezra got into the game a bit. "But we LOVE you Scott." He pulled himself out from behind Daisy and tried to hug him. Shelby just sat there laughing at them.
That was before she noticed Jeff walking up to the group, followed by someone that looked vaguely fimilar. Peter turned and walked over to them, talking silently so none of the others could hear them. The guy that Jeff had brought into the lodge was tall, about the same size as Peter. He had short brown hair that partially covered his beautiful green eyes. Juliet took a noticed to him immediately. She scooted next to Shelby and started pointing out his many attributes. Including his designer suit and Rolex watch. Finally Peter pointed to the group that was next to the fire, and the misterous man stepped foreward. His eyes held Shelby's and she felt like she was the only girl in the room. He flashed a million dollar smile, and Shelby was certain she knew who it was immediately. "Alex." She whispered just loud enough for Scott and Daisy to hear her.
*You didn't think I'd leave you THERE did you? Of course not. Here's a taste of what's to come.
Alex nodded in Shelby's direction and smiled. He was finally close enough to touch her. She stood slowly and took careful steps to where he was standing. Everyone in the room was watching them very carefully, Scott was tensing rapidly, and Daisy scooted out from behind Jess and moved to sit behind him. She kept one hand on him at all times. But Alex noticed none of that. The only thing on his mind was Shelby. He let out his breath and that he didn't realize that he had been holding. "Slate." He said softly. "You look......." His throat caught again and he wasn't sure what his next words was going to be. "......."
"So do you." Shelby pulled him into a huge hug and he kissed her forehead. That was all it took for Scott to jump up from his place on the floor and rush to her side. Daisy collasped on top of his bag, she had been trying to hold him, but her efforts weren't enough. She silantly prayed that he wouldn't do something crazy. Then again, this was Scott she was talking about.
*If you want this story to continue, I expect at least 15 reviews. You guys have done it before, and I have no doubt that you can do it again.