Back to Basics - Act 1
" The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next." - Ursula K. Le Guin
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters associated with the original "Higher Ground" television series. This is purely a work of fiction and is not being used for any monetary gain.
Lynn finished packing her bag and hurried out the door of her apartment. She couldn't believe how the past week had crept by. *It figures, since I have something to do on the weekend for once. But at least it's here now.*
As she started the drive to Horizon, she let her mind wander back to the past summer, when she first met Troy. He made her feel so safe, so comfortable, unlike any other man she'd ever met, much less been involved with.
"What am I doing?!?" she suddenly exclaimed, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. "I shouldn't even be going to see him, it's just leading him on. It's not like we have a future together. He won't be interested in me once he finds out..." she broke off and sighed, then smiled in spite of herself. "I have officially lost it, talking to myself. Oh, well, I might as well enjoy the weekend, there's no turning back now."
"So, when do you wanna meet? Troy?" Maria stood in Troy's living room, looking at him impatiently.
"What? Oh, sorry, Maria. I guess my mind is elsewhere." Troy grinned sheepishly at Maria, who softened up.
"What's her name?" Maria teased.
"Uh, how'd you know?" Troy asked, confused.
"Troy, I may be single, but I know the way men think. You are obviously thinking about a woman. Besides, I heard a rumor that you're expecting a visitor this afternoon, am I right?" Maria waited expectantly for his answer.
"Yes, you're right." Maria flashed him a triumphant smile. "Gee, I guess I need to get used to the rumor mill running rampant here at Horizon. But what did you ask in the first place?"
"When do you want to go over our group? I think some of them are arriving at the beginning of the week," Maria said somewhat excitedly.
Troy laughed. "Boy, you're ready to dive right in, aren't you? Well, can we meet Monday morning? Lynn is going to be here all weekend." *Hopefully*, he thought.
"Lynn, is it? Yeah, that's fine, we can meet Monday morning. I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing before I barged in here. See ya." Maria practically bounded out of the cabin, not waiting for a response from Troy.
Troy shook his head, chuckling. *This is going to be some experience.*
Peter hung up the phone, shaking his head in defeat. He plopped down in the chair at the kitchen table across from a worried Sophie, who handed him a fresh cup of coffee.
"Do I have to ask if that was bad news?" Sophie asked, concerned over how upset Peter looked.
"You're not gonna like it, Soph." Peter sighed, rubbing his face, before sitting up and looking directly at Sophie. "That was Juliette's mother on the phone. Apparently, Auggie showed up at their house and tried to see Juliette. When Mrs. Rowe wouldn't allow Auggie to see Jules, Auggie professed his devotion to Jules. That just added fuel to the fire for Mrs. Rowe, who is now absolutely certain that the boarding school in France is what's best for Juliette." Peter paused, noting Sophie's stunned expression.
"Peter, poor Auggie! He's going to be so mad at himself! And I bet that witch didn't even tell Juliette that Auggie was there." Sophie was trying to stay calm, even though her blood was boiling.
"Yeah, I bet Jules doesn't know about Auggie going there, either. Look, Soph, we just have to face the facts. Juliette isn't coming back, and everyone's going to have to learn to deal with it."
"Juliette's not coming back?" Peter and Sophie turned to see Shelby standing in the kitchen doorway, a somewhat stunned expression on her face.
"Uh, Shelby, why don't you join us for a minute?" Peter suggested, getting up to pour her a cup of coffee. "Go ahead and have a seat, kiddo."
"That's okay, I'll stand. And please stop calling me kiddo," she snapped at Peter as he handed her the coffee.
"Okay, no more 'kiddo'." Peter nodded to Sophie, indicating for her to relate the news to Shelby.
"Shelby, Juliette's mom decided to send her to a boarding school in France. She wants Jules to get more culture," Sophie explained cautiously, unsure of how Shelby would react to yet another change.
"What, Princess didn't get enough culture at our fun little school? Or maybe she got too much culture, if Jules' mom found out about her and Auggie," Shelby harrumphed. "Oh, well, one less Cliffhanger to worry about." Shelby shrugged and put down her mug. "I'm going to start packing," she muttered, scurrying out of the kitchen.
Sophie stood up, intent on following Shelby, but Peter stopped her. "Let her have some time to digest it, Soph. She'll be okay."
Sophie reluctantly sat down, letting out a big sigh. "What next, Peter? The kids aren't even back from summer break yet, and look at what's happened to two of my kids." She shook her head in disgust. "For once, I wish something good could happen."
Peter stood up and leaned down to kiss her. "There's a start," he said, smiling. "We've got to look at the positive things here, Soph. We have 2 new counselors, and new kids to meet. It's the start of a new year, Soph. We'll have to teach the fundamentals again, but it will get easier, I promise."
Sophie leaned into Peter and closed her eyes. "Back to basics, huh? I hope you're right, Peter. It has to get easier."
Shelby folded her clothes, only to toss them angrily into her suitcase. *What is wrong with me? I don't even like Juliette*, she thought, making herself even angrier. She rolled her eyes as Sophie came into the room.
"You know, you're not moving until Daisy gets back next week, Shel. Why are you packing now?" Sophie asked, noticing Shelby's angry expression.
"Might as well be prepared. Isn't that what you and Peter teach us?" she said sarcastically, scowling.
Sophie decided to let that comment slide. "So, what do you think about Juliette not returning?" Sophie asked carefully.
Shelby shrugged. "Who cares? Not me." She continued busying herself with the packing.
"You sure you're okay with it?" Sophie asked, not entirely convinced. Shelby barely nodded in response. *Damn,* Sophie thought, *her wall is starting to go back up.* "So, your dad should be here this afternoon. What would you like to do with him while he's here?"
Shelby flung the shirt she'd been folding into her suitcase and slammed the lid, then glared at Sophie. "Maybe Daddy Dearest and I can enjoy some real quality time together, talking about everything that's happened since we've last seen each other. I'm sure he'd love to hear all about Walt, and Glenn, and..."
"Shelby, enough!" Sophie grabbed her arm, but Shelby pulled away defiantly.
"Don't touch me!" Shelby hissed, backing away from Sophie.
*This is worse than I thought,* Sophie silently observed. "Okay, I'm not going to touch you. But I am going to take you somewhere. Put on your workout clothes. Be ready in 5 - no, make that 3 - minutes," Sophie directed in a stern tone before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.
*Just great,* Shelby groaned as she pulled on her sweats. For a split second, she considered running away, but the thought vanished almost as soon as it had appeared. *I have nothing to go to. Like it or not, this is all I have.*
After running 3 miles, Sophie took Shelby to the dock. "What are we doing here?" Shelby grumbled.
"Well, I noticed that this is one of your favorite spots. I like it, too - I think the water has a calming effect on me." Sophie sat down on the dock and indicated for Shelby to do the same.
"So, now what?" Shelby asked after a few moments of silence.
"Now, we have our own group, to get you warmed back up for the school year," Sophie stated.
"You're kidding, right? That's all we've practically done all summer, Sophie. That's dumb." Shelby started to stand up, but Sophie pulled her back down.
"Sit down, Shelby. That's an order. You don't have a choice here, you WILL participate. Got it?" Not getting a reply, Sophie sighed. "Okay. Answer the sentence, one word - 'I feel...'"
"Helpless," Shelby mumbled.
"Okay, why?" Sophie probed.
Shelby continued looking down at her feet. "Because I am. I don't have control over anything in my life. I can't stop the custody decision, and I can't stop my dad from coming. I can't stop the others from coming back, and I can't avoid having to move back into the dorms. I can't stop Jess from coming back..." Shelby broke off suddenly. *I couldn't stop Glenn,* she thought miserably.
"Go on," Sophie encouraged, but Shelby shook her head.
"That's it," Shelby said, tight-lipped.
Sophie sighed again, giving up for now. "Okay, let's get back then."
"Lynn!" Troy ran out to greet her with Claire in his arms, setting her down before giving Lynn a big hug. Claire latched onto Troy's leg nervously.
"Hi, yourself," Lynn smiled up at Troy, before looking down at Claire. Her stomach did somersaults when she saw how much Claire resembled Troy, she was adorable. "Hi, sweetie," she smiled, kneeling down to Claire's level of height.
"Hi," Claire answered shyly, before hiding her face again.
"Let's go inside," Troy suggested, picking Claire up off his leg.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Lynn asked, knowing Troy would have it all planned out.
"Well, I was thinking, if it's alright with you, that you, Claire and I could go on a picnic, maybe even go out in the canoe in the lake. Later, Maria agreed to babysit Claire if we want to go to Rusty's for dinner. How does that sound?"
"Perfect," Lynn answered with a grin.
"Shelby, he's here!" Sophie yelled as she saw the unfamiliar car pull up in their driveway. *Uh-oh*, she noticed, *he's not alone.*
Steven Merrick stepped out of the driver's seat, then hurried to the passenger side, where he helped out his wife, Denise.
Sophie noticed with growing dread that not only was Mr. Merrick not alone, but the woman he was with was very pregnant. She wished he'd given them some warning, so they could've prepared Shelby. *Too late now,* she thought, praying for the best as she approached the couple.
"Hi, you must be Shelby's dad." Sophie extended her hand. "Sophie Becker Scarbrow, we talked on the phone."
"Yes, of course, Mrs. Scarbrow. I'm Steven Merrick, and this is my wife, Denise."
Sophie smiled and shook Denise's hand. "Please, call me Sophie. My husband, Peter, must be inside with Shelby. Why don't we go in?" She noticed that Mr. Merrick seemed nervous, but he followed her inside nonetheless.
Once inside, Shelby was nowhere to be seen, but Peter hurried over to them and introduced himself, shaking hands. "Uh, Soph, why don't you get Shelby?" Peter suggested.
But she didn't have to get her. Shelby came out of her room just then and stood by Sophie, staring at her father blankly.
"Hello, Shelby," her dad greeted her with a hopeful smile.
"Hi," Shelby said in a small voice, a grim expression on her face.
"This is my wife, Denise." Mr. Merrick put his arm around Denise, who smiled warmly at Shelby.
"Hello, Shelby. I'm glad to finally meet you," she said in a Southern accent.
"Why don't we all sit down?" Sophie suggested. Everyone followed her suggestion, Shelby making it a point to sit as far away from her father and stepmother as possible.
"Look, I know this is awkward, but I just want to say something to you, Shelby. I am so sorry for not helping you more when you came to me for help two years ago. I'm very glad the judge sent you here, this looks like a very nice school. I understand Jess goes here, too?" Steven asked Peter, who nodded.
Shelby snorted suddenly. "Yeah, remember Jess, Dad? I know it's been awhile since you've seen her. You can't keep track of the two of us, and now you're bringing a third kid into the world?" Shelby pointed to Denise's bulging belly. "I guess the third time's a charm." Shelby folded her ams across her chest, shooting daggers at her father with her eyes.
Denise looked startled by Shelby's outburst, while her father seemed to almost expect it. Sighing, he looked at Shelby sadly. "I know I haven't been a good father, but I'd like to try to be a better one from now on, to both you and Jess, and my unborn child. I need for you to give me that chance, though, Shelby. Can you do that?" He looked at her hopefully.
Shelby shook her head. "No!" she shouted vehemently, standing up. "You can't just walk in here and expect to make up for all those years you weren't there for me..." She cut herself off, not willing to talk any more.
"I know I messed up." Steven Merrick looked miserable as he stood and faced his daughter. "I do have a lot to make up for. Your mom and I were so young when we had you and Jess. I made mistakes, and her family wasn't supportive..." He paused, seeing the confused look on Shelby's face. "I won't go into that now. The important thing is to gain your trust. I want you to come visit us, and live with us during your summer breaks."
Shelby shook her head again, trying to focus her thoughts. He was saying all the right things, everything that she had ever dreamed of hearing him say to her. But something inside her just wouldn't allow herself to believe him. "No, you're just going to leave again. I can't trust you." She turned her glare from her father to Denise. "You'd better get used to the idea of raising that kid on your own, because he won't stick around." Shelby turned and ran into her room, slamming the door.
Steven started to head toward the door, but Peter stopped him. "Why don't we just give her some time to cool off?" he suggested gently. Steven nodded his agreement.
"Jess, we're almost there." Judy Blaine shook her sleeping daughter gently while keeping her eyes on the road. "Wake up, honey."
Fifteen-year old Jessica Merrick sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Why do I have to go back so early? The other kids won't be here until next week." She frowned as she looked out the window at the beautiful landscape. Her mood softened some as she remembered she would soon see Shelby.
"I thought this would be better for you, and for Shelby," her mom said after a moment of silence. "You two will have a chance to get caught up before classes start this way."
"Get caught up on what, Mom? Why you gave full custody of her to our father? Or why she came back to Horizon so early this summer?" Jess spoke in a soft voice, but inside she was seething at her mother. She had repeatedly asked for an explanation for her mother's actions, but her mom would only tell her to ask Shelby when Jess saw her.
Mrs. Blaine just shrugged as they rounded a bend and came in sight of the Mt. Horizon sign. "Here we are," she said unenthusiastically, silently hoping she didn't have to see Shelby when she dropped Jess off.
Troy pulled out Lynn's chair for her before sitting down across from her. After spending the day outdoors, they were both famished.
"This is a cute place," Lynn observed, glancing at their surroundings before perusing the menu.
Troy laughed. "Yeah, from what I hear, I'd better get used to Rusty's. It seems this is the only restaurant in Agnes." He grinned as he looked across the table, admiring everything about the woman seated across from him. She had been so relaxed today, more so than during the summer program. Troy was thrilled at how well Claire took to Lynn. He noticed Lynn was a little stiff around Claire at first, but then she loosened up. *She's probably not used to being around little kids,* he reasoned.
Lynn was also remembering their day together so far, which had been perfect. She had met Maria, who seemed very nice. Lynn was surprised when she felt envious that Maria would get to spend every day working with Troy. *How silly,* she chastised herself. *It's not like he's my boyfriend.*
After ordering from Annie, Troy smiled at Lynn and took her hand in his. 'I'm really glad you came up here for the weekend," he said earnestly.
Lynn blushed under his intense gaze. "Yeah, so am I," she admitted, smiling back at Troy. "And I'm glad I got to meet Claire, she's adorable."
"Thanks. She really seemed to like you, too, which I was glad to see. She hasn't been around many women besides her grandmother since Linda died." His eyes clouded over for a moment, but then he smiled again at Lynn. "I'm so glad I have Claire. I swear, I could have ten more just like her. Aren't kids wonderful?"
Lynn pulled her hand out from his and sat back, averting her eyes. "Yeah, wonderful," she mumbled. "Excuse me, Troy, I need to find the ladies' room." She hurriedly stood up and went over to ask Annie where it was.
Troy was baffled as he watched her retreating figure. *What did I say?* he wondered.
Peter stood up as the phone rang. He excused himself to answer it, while Mr. and Mrs. Merrick continued to wait patiently for Shelby's return. After a half hour, Sophie had finally gone into her room to talk to her.
"Peter, it's Maria."
"Hi, Maria. What's up?" The new counselor's voice sounded a bit strange to Peter.
"I'm at the main lodge. I was babysitting Claire at Troy's cabin when I saw a car drive by. I thought I should check it out, and it's a good thing I did." Maria paused, catching her breath. "Peter, did you know that Jessica Merrick was coming back early?" Maria questioned.
"What? No! You mean she's there right now?" Peter asked incredulously, glancing over at Jess' dad and stepmom.
"Yes, she and her mother are here. I've never done a check-in. Could you come over here?"
"Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks, Maria." Peter hung up the phone, wondering if he should tell Shelby and her dad that Jess was here. *This could be a sticky situation.*
Troy and Lynn drove back from Rusty's in an uncomfortable silence. Ever since she returned from the restroom, Lynn had seemed distant, barely answering Troy's questions. Finally, Troy decided to get to the bottom of it.
"Lynn, did I say or do something to upset you?" he asked, glancing over at her with concern.
Lynn looked startled. "No, Troy, it's not you. I'm sorry, this has nothing to do with you."
Troy pulled up to his cabin, parked the car, and turned toward Lynn. "Then would you consider telling me what it's about?" he asked gently.
Lynn shook her head. "It's nothing for you to be concerned with," she said before getting out of the car.
Troy followed suit and headed toward the cabin. Once inside, he read the note from Maria, indicating she and Claire were at the main lodge. He gave a heavy sigh.
"Well, I guess this is my first lesson at Horizon. The kids have to come first. Looks like I need to go to the main lodge, one of my students arrived early. Would you like to come along, or would you rather wait here?"
"I'll just wait here, if that's okay. I don't want to be in the way." Truth be told, Lynn wanted a few minutes alone to herself, to regroup.
"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can." Troy smiled as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, fighting off the urge to pull Lynn into a kiss. *It will have to wait.*
Sophie emerged from the bedroom to find Steven and Denise sitting by themselves in the living room. "Where's Peter?" she asked.
"Oh, he just left. He had to get to the main lodge to admit a student arriving early," Steven answered, not knowing who that student was.
Sophie nodded, surprised that Peter hadn't told her, and wondering who the early arrival was. *Maybe it's a Cliffhanger, and he didn't want to tell me in front of Shelby,* she thought, hoping she was right.
Sophie sat down across from Mr. and Mrs. Merrick, giving them both a warm smile. "I know you came a long way to visit with Shelby. She has asked to be left alone for tonight, but agreed to visit with you tomorrow."
Steven nodded and grabbed ahold of Denise's hand. "I guess it's better than nothing," he acknowledged. "I knew this visit would be hard for Shelby. I just wish I knew how to get through to her, how to break down her wall."
Sophie chuckled. "Not to discourage you, Mr. Merrick, but Shelby's adept at building walls. It took us quite a while to break hers down, but she's made a lot of progress." Sophie refrained from discussing Shelby's recent regression. "You just have to understand that she's been through a great deal in her young life. It's not easy for her to trust anyone."
"Especially me," Steven astutely observed. "Well, Sophie, thank you for your hospitality. I guess we'll be seeing you in the morning." He and Denise stood up and headed out the door, exchanging goodbyes with Sophie.
Sophie was about to go check on Shelby again, when the phone rang. "Maybe that's Peter," Sophie muttered to herself, hurrying to the phone.
"Sophie?" came a familiar voice.
"Yes." Sophie wasn't quite able to place the voice.
"It's Carol. Your sister," she answered dryly.
"Carol, hi! You caught me by surprise." Sophie grimaced, wondering why her older sister was calling her. It had been years since they had last talked. "Uh, how are you?" Sophie asked, trying to be polite.
"Enough with the pleasantries, Sophie. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm calling you after all these years." Carol paused, as Sophie started to get worried. "Sophie, it's about Mom. She has breast cancer."
"So, Jess, how was your summer?" Peter asked as he searched her bags in the admit room.
Jess shrugged in her usual good-natured manner. "Okay, I went to a pretty cool camp. I wasn't home much." She thought back to Shelby and wondered where she was. "Peter, when can I see Shelby?"
Peter had been studying Jess and her mom since he's arrived at the main lodge, trying to figure out how much Jess knew of the summer's events. He had decided to talk to Mrs. Blaine privately, while Jess became acquainted with Maria and Troy.
#Flashback#
"So, what have you told Jess about Shelby's custody?" Peter questioned Mrs. Blaine.
"I just told her to ask Shelby when she got here," Judy Blaine answered, uncomfortable under Peter's firm gaze.
"And Jess didn't ask any further questions, or ask why Shelby came back here so early?" Peter asked skeptically.
Judy shook her head no. "No, she took me at my word and agreed to wait and talk to Shelby. Jess is a good kid, Mr. Scarbrow, she does as she's told." Hostility crept into her voice.
Peter nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Blaine, I know that Jess is a good kid." *So is Shelby,* he wanted to scream, but he didn't want to risk upsetting Mrs. Blaine and having her take Jess out of Horizon.
"So you've left it all up to Shelby to fill Jess in on everything. That seems like a lot of pressure to put on Shelby, Mrs. Blaine," Peter said, trying to keep his anger in check.
Mrs. Blaine stood up. "Shelby created this mess, I think she should have to explain it all to Jess. She's the one who messed up, not me." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I'll be back in the morning to check on Jess before heading home. Good night, Mr. Scarbrow," she said as she left in a huff.
#End of Flashback#
Jess was wondering where Peter's mind had wandered off to. "Peter? You didn't answer my question."
"Oh, sorry, Jess. Uh, why don't we get you settled into the dorm for tonight, and then you can see Shelby in the morning. She may already be in bed by now."
Jess nodded, realizing how tired she was. "Okay, til tomorrow then," she agreed.
"Well, that was fun," Maria said sarcastically, watching Peter show Jess to the dorm. "I guess there's another change of plans - I have to sleep with Jess in the dorm tonight. That means either Lynn can stay at my house alone or come to the slumber party in the dorm. I wonder if Shelby knows Jess is here. Shoot, I need to read over her file again. Well, I should read over both their files. Better to know about both sisters, ya know? I guess our Monday morning meeting wasn't soon enough, huh?" She looked over at Troy, who looked confused.
"I'm just trying to figure out how your mind works," Troy laughed, looking at Maria in amazement. "Do you always operate at this speed?"
Maria grinned. "Yeah, you'd better get used to it." She looked down at a sleeping Claire. "Looks like someone needs to get to bed."
"Yeah, thanks for babysitting her. Well, I wonder what Lynn will want to do. I guess I'll go back to my cabin, put Claire to bed, and tell Lynn her options." Troy hoped Lynn was in a better mood.
"You know, you both are adults, and Claire is fast asleep. Lynn could just stay at your cabin, it would be easier. Probably more preferable to you, too," Maria observed slyly.
"I don't know, we'll see," Troy said casually, taken aback at Maria's directness. "Have fun at the slumber party."
"Yeah, you, too," Maria grinned, heading toward her cabin to get her overnight stuff.
*This is definitely going to be an interesting year,* Troy thought to himself, as he gathered Claire in his arms and headed home.
Coming Attractions:
- Will Shelby give her father an inch?
- More Cliffhangers return.
- Some new students arrive.
- Jess and Shelby finally talk.
- How will Sophie react to the news about her mother?
" The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next." - Ursula K. Le Guin
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters associated with the original "Higher Ground" television series. This is purely a work of fiction and is not being used for any monetary gain.
Lynn finished packing her bag and hurried out the door of her apartment. She couldn't believe how the past week had crept by. *It figures, since I have something to do on the weekend for once. But at least it's here now.*
As she started the drive to Horizon, she let her mind wander back to the past summer, when she first met Troy. He made her feel so safe, so comfortable, unlike any other man she'd ever met, much less been involved with.
"What am I doing?!?" she suddenly exclaimed, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. "I shouldn't even be going to see him, it's just leading him on. It's not like we have a future together. He won't be interested in me once he finds out..." she broke off and sighed, then smiled in spite of herself. "I have officially lost it, talking to myself. Oh, well, I might as well enjoy the weekend, there's no turning back now."
"So, when do you wanna meet? Troy?" Maria stood in Troy's living room, looking at him impatiently.
"What? Oh, sorry, Maria. I guess my mind is elsewhere." Troy grinned sheepishly at Maria, who softened up.
"What's her name?" Maria teased.
"Uh, how'd you know?" Troy asked, confused.
"Troy, I may be single, but I know the way men think. You are obviously thinking about a woman. Besides, I heard a rumor that you're expecting a visitor this afternoon, am I right?" Maria waited expectantly for his answer.
"Yes, you're right." Maria flashed him a triumphant smile. "Gee, I guess I need to get used to the rumor mill running rampant here at Horizon. But what did you ask in the first place?"
"When do you want to go over our group? I think some of them are arriving at the beginning of the week," Maria said somewhat excitedly.
Troy laughed. "Boy, you're ready to dive right in, aren't you? Well, can we meet Monday morning? Lynn is going to be here all weekend." *Hopefully*, he thought.
"Lynn, is it? Yeah, that's fine, we can meet Monday morning. I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing before I barged in here. See ya." Maria practically bounded out of the cabin, not waiting for a response from Troy.
Troy shook his head, chuckling. *This is going to be some experience.*
Peter hung up the phone, shaking his head in defeat. He plopped down in the chair at the kitchen table across from a worried Sophie, who handed him a fresh cup of coffee.
"Do I have to ask if that was bad news?" Sophie asked, concerned over how upset Peter looked.
"You're not gonna like it, Soph." Peter sighed, rubbing his face, before sitting up and looking directly at Sophie. "That was Juliette's mother on the phone. Apparently, Auggie showed up at their house and tried to see Juliette. When Mrs. Rowe wouldn't allow Auggie to see Jules, Auggie professed his devotion to Jules. That just added fuel to the fire for Mrs. Rowe, who is now absolutely certain that the boarding school in France is what's best for Juliette." Peter paused, noting Sophie's stunned expression.
"Peter, poor Auggie! He's going to be so mad at himself! And I bet that witch didn't even tell Juliette that Auggie was there." Sophie was trying to stay calm, even though her blood was boiling.
"Yeah, I bet Jules doesn't know about Auggie going there, either. Look, Soph, we just have to face the facts. Juliette isn't coming back, and everyone's going to have to learn to deal with it."
"Juliette's not coming back?" Peter and Sophie turned to see Shelby standing in the kitchen doorway, a somewhat stunned expression on her face.
"Uh, Shelby, why don't you join us for a minute?" Peter suggested, getting up to pour her a cup of coffee. "Go ahead and have a seat, kiddo."
"That's okay, I'll stand. And please stop calling me kiddo," she snapped at Peter as he handed her the coffee.
"Okay, no more 'kiddo'." Peter nodded to Sophie, indicating for her to relate the news to Shelby.
"Shelby, Juliette's mom decided to send her to a boarding school in France. She wants Jules to get more culture," Sophie explained cautiously, unsure of how Shelby would react to yet another change.
"What, Princess didn't get enough culture at our fun little school? Or maybe she got too much culture, if Jules' mom found out about her and Auggie," Shelby harrumphed. "Oh, well, one less Cliffhanger to worry about." Shelby shrugged and put down her mug. "I'm going to start packing," she muttered, scurrying out of the kitchen.
Sophie stood up, intent on following Shelby, but Peter stopped her. "Let her have some time to digest it, Soph. She'll be okay."
Sophie reluctantly sat down, letting out a big sigh. "What next, Peter? The kids aren't even back from summer break yet, and look at what's happened to two of my kids." She shook her head in disgust. "For once, I wish something good could happen."
Peter stood up and leaned down to kiss her. "There's a start," he said, smiling. "We've got to look at the positive things here, Soph. We have 2 new counselors, and new kids to meet. It's the start of a new year, Soph. We'll have to teach the fundamentals again, but it will get easier, I promise."
Sophie leaned into Peter and closed her eyes. "Back to basics, huh? I hope you're right, Peter. It has to get easier."
Shelby folded her clothes, only to toss them angrily into her suitcase. *What is wrong with me? I don't even like Juliette*, she thought, making herself even angrier. She rolled her eyes as Sophie came into the room.
"You know, you're not moving until Daisy gets back next week, Shel. Why are you packing now?" Sophie asked, noticing Shelby's angry expression.
"Might as well be prepared. Isn't that what you and Peter teach us?" she said sarcastically, scowling.
Sophie decided to let that comment slide. "So, what do you think about Juliette not returning?" Sophie asked carefully.
Shelby shrugged. "Who cares? Not me." She continued busying herself with the packing.
"You sure you're okay with it?" Sophie asked, not entirely convinced. Shelby barely nodded in response. *Damn,* Sophie thought, *her wall is starting to go back up.* "So, your dad should be here this afternoon. What would you like to do with him while he's here?"
Shelby flung the shirt she'd been folding into her suitcase and slammed the lid, then glared at Sophie. "Maybe Daddy Dearest and I can enjoy some real quality time together, talking about everything that's happened since we've last seen each other. I'm sure he'd love to hear all about Walt, and Glenn, and..."
"Shelby, enough!" Sophie grabbed her arm, but Shelby pulled away defiantly.
"Don't touch me!" Shelby hissed, backing away from Sophie.
*This is worse than I thought,* Sophie silently observed. "Okay, I'm not going to touch you. But I am going to take you somewhere. Put on your workout clothes. Be ready in 5 - no, make that 3 - minutes," Sophie directed in a stern tone before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.
*Just great,* Shelby groaned as she pulled on her sweats. For a split second, she considered running away, but the thought vanished almost as soon as it had appeared. *I have nothing to go to. Like it or not, this is all I have.*
After running 3 miles, Sophie took Shelby to the dock. "What are we doing here?" Shelby grumbled.
"Well, I noticed that this is one of your favorite spots. I like it, too - I think the water has a calming effect on me." Sophie sat down on the dock and indicated for Shelby to do the same.
"So, now what?" Shelby asked after a few moments of silence.
"Now, we have our own group, to get you warmed back up for the school year," Sophie stated.
"You're kidding, right? That's all we've practically done all summer, Sophie. That's dumb." Shelby started to stand up, but Sophie pulled her back down.
"Sit down, Shelby. That's an order. You don't have a choice here, you WILL participate. Got it?" Not getting a reply, Sophie sighed. "Okay. Answer the sentence, one word - 'I feel...'"
"Helpless," Shelby mumbled.
"Okay, why?" Sophie probed.
Shelby continued looking down at her feet. "Because I am. I don't have control over anything in my life. I can't stop the custody decision, and I can't stop my dad from coming. I can't stop the others from coming back, and I can't avoid having to move back into the dorms. I can't stop Jess from coming back..." Shelby broke off suddenly. *I couldn't stop Glenn,* she thought miserably.
"Go on," Sophie encouraged, but Shelby shook her head.
"That's it," Shelby said, tight-lipped.
Sophie sighed again, giving up for now. "Okay, let's get back then."
"Lynn!" Troy ran out to greet her with Claire in his arms, setting her down before giving Lynn a big hug. Claire latched onto Troy's leg nervously.
"Hi, yourself," Lynn smiled up at Troy, before looking down at Claire. Her stomach did somersaults when she saw how much Claire resembled Troy, she was adorable. "Hi, sweetie," she smiled, kneeling down to Claire's level of height.
"Hi," Claire answered shyly, before hiding her face again.
"Let's go inside," Troy suggested, picking Claire up off his leg.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Lynn asked, knowing Troy would have it all planned out.
"Well, I was thinking, if it's alright with you, that you, Claire and I could go on a picnic, maybe even go out in the canoe in the lake. Later, Maria agreed to babysit Claire if we want to go to Rusty's for dinner. How does that sound?"
"Perfect," Lynn answered with a grin.
"Shelby, he's here!" Sophie yelled as she saw the unfamiliar car pull up in their driveway. *Uh-oh*, she noticed, *he's not alone.*
Steven Merrick stepped out of the driver's seat, then hurried to the passenger side, where he helped out his wife, Denise.
Sophie noticed with growing dread that not only was Mr. Merrick not alone, but the woman he was with was very pregnant. She wished he'd given them some warning, so they could've prepared Shelby. *Too late now,* she thought, praying for the best as she approached the couple.
"Hi, you must be Shelby's dad." Sophie extended her hand. "Sophie Becker Scarbrow, we talked on the phone."
"Yes, of course, Mrs. Scarbrow. I'm Steven Merrick, and this is my wife, Denise."
Sophie smiled and shook Denise's hand. "Please, call me Sophie. My husband, Peter, must be inside with Shelby. Why don't we go in?" She noticed that Mr. Merrick seemed nervous, but he followed her inside nonetheless.
Once inside, Shelby was nowhere to be seen, but Peter hurried over to them and introduced himself, shaking hands. "Uh, Soph, why don't you get Shelby?" Peter suggested.
But she didn't have to get her. Shelby came out of her room just then and stood by Sophie, staring at her father blankly.
"Hello, Shelby," her dad greeted her with a hopeful smile.
"Hi," Shelby said in a small voice, a grim expression on her face.
"This is my wife, Denise." Mr. Merrick put his arm around Denise, who smiled warmly at Shelby.
"Hello, Shelby. I'm glad to finally meet you," she said in a Southern accent.
"Why don't we all sit down?" Sophie suggested. Everyone followed her suggestion, Shelby making it a point to sit as far away from her father and stepmother as possible.
"Look, I know this is awkward, but I just want to say something to you, Shelby. I am so sorry for not helping you more when you came to me for help two years ago. I'm very glad the judge sent you here, this looks like a very nice school. I understand Jess goes here, too?" Steven asked Peter, who nodded.
Shelby snorted suddenly. "Yeah, remember Jess, Dad? I know it's been awhile since you've seen her. You can't keep track of the two of us, and now you're bringing a third kid into the world?" Shelby pointed to Denise's bulging belly. "I guess the third time's a charm." Shelby folded her ams across her chest, shooting daggers at her father with her eyes.
Denise looked startled by Shelby's outburst, while her father seemed to almost expect it. Sighing, he looked at Shelby sadly. "I know I haven't been a good father, but I'd like to try to be a better one from now on, to both you and Jess, and my unborn child. I need for you to give me that chance, though, Shelby. Can you do that?" He looked at her hopefully.
Shelby shook her head. "No!" she shouted vehemently, standing up. "You can't just walk in here and expect to make up for all those years you weren't there for me..." She cut herself off, not willing to talk any more.
"I know I messed up." Steven Merrick looked miserable as he stood and faced his daughter. "I do have a lot to make up for. Your mom and I were so young when we had you and Jess. I made mistakes, and her family wasn't supportive..." He paused, seeing the confused look on Shelby's face. "I won't go into that now. The important thing is to gain your trust. I want you to come visit us, and live with us during your summer breaks."
Shelby shook her head again, trying to focus her thoughts. He was saying all the right things, everything that she had ever dreamed of hearing him say to her. But something inside her just wouldn't allow herself to believe him. "No, you're just going to leave again. I can't trust you." She turned her glare from her father to Denise. "You'd better get used to the idea of raising that kid on your own, because he won't stick around." Shelby turned and ran into her room, slamming the door.
Steven started to head toward the door, but Peter stopped him. "Why don't we just give her some time to cool off?" he suggested gently. Steven nodded his agreement.
"Jess, we're almost there." Judy Blaine shook her sleeping daughter gently while keeping her eyes on the road. "Wake up, honey."
Fifteen-year old Jessica Merrick sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Why do I have to go back so early? The other kids won't be here until next week." She frowned as she looked out the window at the beautiful landscape. Her mood softened some as she remembered she would soon see Shelby.
"I thought this would be better for you, and for Shelby," her mom said after a moment of silence. "You two will have a chance to get caught up before classes start this way."
"Get caught up on what, Mom? Why you gave full custody of her to our father? Or why she came back to Horizon so early this summer?" Jess spoke in a soft voice, but inside she was seething at her mother. She had repeatedly asked for an explanation for her mother's actions, but her mom would only tell her to ask Shelby when Jess saw her.
Mrs. Blaine just shrugged as they rounded a bend and came in sight of the Mt. Horizon sign. "Here we are," she said unenthusiastically, silently hoping she didn't have to see Shelby when she dropped Jess off.
Troy pulled out Lynn's chair for her before sitting down across from her. After spending the day outdoors, they were both famished.
"This is a cute place," Lynn observed, glancing at their surroundings before perusing the menu.
Troy laughed. "Yeah, from what I hear, I'd better get used to Rusty's. It seems this is the only restaurant in Agnes." He grinned as he looked across the table, admiring everything about the woman seated across from him. She had been so relaxed today, more so than during the summer program. Troy was thrilled at how well Claire took to Lynn. He noticed Lynn was a little stiff around Claire at first, but then she loosened up. *She's probably not used to being around little kids,* he reasoned.
Lynn was also remembering their day together so far, which had been perfect. She had met Maria, who seemed very nice. Lynn was surprised when she felt envious that Maria would get to spend every day working with Troy. *How silly,* she chastised herself. *It's not like he's my boyfriend.*
After ordering from Annie, Troy smiled at Lynn and took her hand in his. 'I'm really glad you came up here for the weekend," he said earnestly.
Lynn blushed under his intense gaze. "Yeah, so am I," she admitted, smiling back at Troy. "And I'm glad I got to meet Claire, she's adorable."
"Thanks. She really seemed to like you, too, which I was glad to see. She hasn't been around many women besides her grandmother since Linda died." His eyes clouded over for a moment, but then he smiled again at Lynn. "I'm so glad I have Claire. I swear, I could have ten more just like her. Aren't kids wonderful?"
Lynn pulled her hand out from his and sat back, averting her eyes. "Yeah, wonderful," she mumbled. "Excuse me, Troy, I need to find the ladies' room." She hurriedly stood up and went over to ask Annie where it was.
Troy was baffled as he watched her retreating figure. *What did I say?* he wondered.
Peter stood up as the phone rang. He excused himself to answer it, while Mr. and Mrs. Merrick continued to wait patiently for Shelby's return. After a half hour, Sophie had finally gone into her room to talk to her.
"Peter, it's Maria."
"Hi, Maria. What's up?" The new counselor's voice sounded a bit strange to Peter.
"I'm at the main lodge. I was babysitting Claire at Troy's cabin when I saw a car drive by. I thought I should check it out, and it's a good thing I did." Maria paused, catching her breath. "Peter, did you know that Jessica Merrick was coming back early?" Maria questioned.
"What? No! You mean she's there right now?" Peter asked incredulously, glancing over at Jess' dad and stepmom.
"Yes, she and her mother are here. I've never done a check-in. Could you come over here?"
"Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks, Maria." Peter hung up the phone, wondering if he should tell Shelby and her dad that Jess was here. *This could be a sticky situation.*
Troy and Lynn drove back from Rusty's in an uncomfortable silence. Ever since she returned from the restroom, Lynn had seemed distant, barely answering Troy's questions. Finally, Troy decided to get to the bottom of it.
"Lynn, did I say or do something to upset you?" he asked, glancing over at her with concern.
Lynn looked startled. "No, Troy, it's not you. I'm sorry, this has nothing to do with you."
Troy pulled up to his cabin, parked the car, and turned toward Lynn. "Then would you consider telling me what it's about?" he asked gently.
Lynn shook her head. "It's nothing for you to be concerned with," she said before getting out of the car.
Troy followed suit and headed toward the cabin. Once inside, he read the note from Maria, indicating she and Claire were at the main lodge. He gave a heavy sigh.
"Well, I guess this is my first lesson at Horizon. The kids have to come first. Looks like I need to go to the main lodge, one of my students arrived early. Would you like to come along, or would you rather wait here?"
"I'll just wait here, if that's okay. I don't want to be in the way." Truth be told, Lynn wanted a few minutes alone to herself, to regroup.
"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can." Troy smiled as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, fighting off the urge to pull Lynn into a kiss. *It will have to wait.*
Sophie emerged from the bedroom to find Steven and Denise sitting by themselves in the living room. "Where's Peter?" she asked.
"Oh, he just left. He had to get to the main lodge to admit a student arriving early," Steven answered, not knowing who that student was.
Sophie nodded, surprised that Peter hadn't told her, and wondering who the early arrival was. *Maybe it's a Cliffhanger, and he didn't want to tell me in front of Shelby,* she thought, hoping she was right.
Sophie sat down across from Mr. and Mrs. Merrick, giving them both a warm smile. "I know you came a long way to visit with Shelby. She has asked to be left alone for tonight, but agreed to visit with you tomorrow."
Steven nodded and grabbed ahold of Denise's hand. "I guess it's better than nothing," he acknowledged. "I knew this visit would be hard for Shelby. I just wish I knew how to get through to her, how to break down her wall."
Sophie chuckled. "Not to discourage you, Mr. Merrick, but Shelby's adept at building walls. It took us quite a while to break hers down, but she's made a lot of progress." Sophie refrained from discussing Shelby's recent regression. "You just have to understand that she's been through a great deal in her young life. It's not easy for her to trust anyone."
"Especially me," Steven astutely observed. "Well, Sophie, thank you for your hospitality. I guess we'll be seeing you in the morning." He and Denise stood up and headed out the door, exchanging goodbyes with Sophie.
Sophie was about to go check on Shelby again, when the phone rang. "Maybe that's Peter," Sophie muttered to herself, hurrying to the phone.
"Sophie?" came a familiar voice.
"Yes." Sophie wasn't quite able to place the voice.
"It's Carol. Your sister," she answered dryly.
"Carol, hi! You caught me by surprise." Sophie grimaced, wondering why her older sister was calling her. It had been years since they had last talked. "Uh, how are you?" Sophie asked, trying to be polite.
"Enough with the pleasantries, Sophie. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm calling you after all these years." Carol paused, as Sophie started to get worried. "Sophie, it's about Mom. She has breast cancer."
"So, Jess, how was your summer?" Peter asked as he searched her bags in the admit room.
Jess shrugged in her usual good-natured manner. "Okay, I went to a pretty cool camp. I wasn't home much." She thought back to Shelby and wondered where she was. "Peter, when can I see Shelby?"
Peter had been studying Jess and her mom since he's arrived at the main lodge, trying to figure out how much Jess knew of the summer's events. He had decided to talk to Mrs. Blaine privately, while Jess became acquainted with Maria and Troy.
#Flashback#
"So, what have you told Jess about Shelby's custody?" Peter questioned Mrs. Blaine.
"I just told her to ask Shelby when she got here," Judy Blaine answered, uncomfortable under Peter's firm gaze.
"And Jess didn't ask any further questions, or ask why Shelby came back here so early?" Peter asked skeptically.
Judy shook her head no. "No, she took me at my word and agreed to wait and talk to Shelby. Jess is a good kid, Mr. Scarbrow, she does as she's told." Hostility crept into her voice.
Peter nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Blaine, I know that Jess is a good kid." *So is Shelby,* he wanted to scream, but he didn't want to risk upsetting Mrs. Blaine and having her take Jess out of Horizon.
"So you've left it all up to Shelby to fill Jess in on everything. That seems like a lot of pressure to put on Shelby, Mrs. Blaine," Peter said, trying to keep his anger in check.
Mrs. Blaine stood up. "Shelby created this mess, I think she should have to explain it all to Jess. She's the one who messed up, not me." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I'll be back in the morning to check on Jess before heading home. Good night, Mr. Scarbrow," she said as she left in a huff.
#End of Flashback#
Jess was wondering where Peter's mind had wandered off to. "Peter? You didn't answer my question."
"Oh, sorry, Jess. Uh, why don't we get you settled into the dorm for tonight, and then you can see Shelby in the morning. She may already be in bed by now."
Jess nodded, realizing how tired she was. "Okay, til tomorrow then," she agreed.
"Well, that was fun," Maria said sarcastically, watching Peter show Jess to the dorm. "I guess there's another change of plans - I have to sleep with Jess in the dorm tonight. That means either Lynn can stay at my house alone or come to the slumber party in the dorm. I wonder if Shelby knows Jess is here. Shoot, I need to read over her file again. Well, I should read over both their files. Better to know about both sisters, ya know? I guess our Monday morning meeting wasn't soon enough, huh?" She looked over at Troy, who looked confused.
"I'm just trying to figure out how your mind works," Troy laughed, looking at Maria in amazement. "Do you always operate at this speed?"
Maria grinned. "Yeah, you'd better get used to it." She looked down at a sleeping Claire. "Looks like someone needs to get to bed."
"Yeah, thanks for babysitting her. Well, I wonder what Lynn will want to do. I guess I'll go back to my cabin, put Claire to bed, and tell Lynn her options." Troy hoped Lynn was in a better mood.
"You know, you both are adults, and Claire is fast asleep. Lynn could just stay at your cabin, it would be easier. Probably more preferable to you, too," Maria observed slyly.
"I don't know, we'll see," Troy said casually, taken aback at Maria's directness. "Have fun at the slumber party."
"Yeah, you, too," Maria grinned, heading toward her cabin to get her overnight stuff.
*This is definitely going to be an interesting year,* Troy thought to himself, as he gathered Claire in his arms and headed home.
Coming Attractions:
- Will Shelby give her father an inch?
- More Cliffhangers return.
- Some new students arrive.
- Jess and Shelby finally talk.
- How will Sophie react to the news about her mother?