~* Disclaimer: I hate these things, you know the drill, I own Jackie and Jared*~

When it had finally started to get dark, they came to the split in the trail. "Now what?" Asked Jackie. "I'm not sure" Scott responded. "Hey, what's this?" Shelby asked rhetorically, untying a note from a tree. She opened the envelope while Scott and Jackie crowded around. She read:

"Every day we make choices. It's theses choices that decide which path we are to take. Too many wrong choices meant to take the easy way out lead you down the wrong path to more intense hardships. You must choose the path you take carefully. One path leads to a bridge, the other, a cliff. You must either tight-rope across, or ford the river below. However, before reaching either of these two landmarks, you will have smaller choices to make. Each turn you take will guide you closer to the bridge, or closer to the cliff. Remember, the easy way out might not always be the best way."

When she had finished reading, Shelby sighed and rolled her eyes. "He must really enjoy torturing us," She complained. "Well," Scott said, rubbing the side of his mouth, "I guess we're gonna be doing a lot of overcoming smaller obstacles cause there's no way I'm tight-roping if I don't have to." " What's tight-roping?" Jackie meekly asked directing the question towards Shelby. "Omigosh, two whole words!" Shelby said with mock astonishment, and then teasingly smiled at her. "Ignore her," Scott said to Jackie. "Tight-roping is stretching a line across a gap between two cliffs and pulling yourself across. Nothing but you, a rope, and the river below you." "Oh," Jackie replied, tense from the idea of tight roping and Scott's answering of her question. "Well I guess we should set up camp here. It's gonna get dark soon," Shelby advised. While setting up his tent, Scott thought to himself, "I might be just imagining it, but I think she's trying to avoid me. But why? Have I done something to her? Damn it! Why can't I figure out where she's from!?

Night fell and Shelby, Scott, and Jackie sat around the campfire, empty dinner plates in hand. "So, Jackie," Scott's voice shattered the silence. "Where are you from?" "Oh no," Jackie thought, "here it comes, it's all downhill from here." "Seattle," she half murmured. Scott was immediately surprised. He was eager to find out more about this girl from his hometown. "No way! Scott blurted out, "Me too. What school did you go to?" "Oh my God, he's putting two and two together." Jackie worried and reluctantly pronounced the five syllables she was sure would send Scott over the edge, "George Washington High." After hearing these words, Scott was more anxious to hear more about Jackie than ever. "That's where I went, but you're a sophomore right? So we couldn't have known each other, could we?" "No, probably not," Jackie lied hoping Scott and Shelby couldn't see through her. Scott caught on though, and his eyes widened then narrowed into questioning slits. " We did didn't we?" Scott concluded. "What did you say your name was again?" " Should I make it up?" Jackie asked herself. Shelby, who had been silently spectating all the while, began feeling like a third wheel and got up to leave. "Shelby, wait, come back!" Jackie called out a little too desperately. She needed her for moral support and, though she hated to admit it, for protection. She remembered Scott's reputation for his bad temper and figured Shelby was the only one who could prevent his fist from going through her face. As Shelby curiously sat down, Jackie took a deep breath eyeing a confused Scott. "Jackie Forlenza," Jackie blurted, deciding against lying about her name. " Forlenza, .Forlenza.?" Scott repeated to himself when suddenly the light became dimly lit. " You were the freshman class president weren't you? Well, last year anyway. What are you doing. here? You're way too collected." Scott blurted, thrilled at his recent revelation. Jackie felt like jumping for joy. She smiled the biggest smile she had smiled since she had arrived at Horizon. "Yeah," she answered. " Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Scott asked confused. Jackie shrugged. " I don't know," She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She began to feel more comfortable and began carrying on a conversation with Shelby. Somehow the conversation veered to the topic of her having a boyfriend and she realized she hadn't heard anything from Jared the entire time she'd been at Horizon. She thought back to the night before she left home when she and Jared were saying their good-byes. " I'm gonna miss you so much it hurts already," he had said brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and enveloping her in his arms. She felt so safe there. Everything was right in his arms. She had never met Scott, her mom was still alive, and now married to a wonderful man who was like the father she never had and Elaine was the big sister she had always wanted. But, of course, when he let go of her, everything went back to normal and she was still leaving him. "I'll write to you every day. So much that they'll start to get annoyed and everyone else will be jealous that you get so much attention from me," She remembered Jared had promised. And when she had turned to leave he left her with these words: "I love you Jackie. Never forget that. I always will." But not one letter had found its way to her yet. Not one. Maybe there would be one for her when she got back, or maybe he had already found someone else.