Disclaimer: I don't own 'Higher Ground' or anything that deals with it. I don't own 'Romeo and Juliet' either. I'm not getting paid for my writing but it would be wonderful if I was. I'm sure a lot of other writers agree with me on this. ;-)

Rating: K+, for some language.

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My eyes shot open when my phone hit my head. I looked up to see Shelby hovering over me, leaning just a little bit off my bed. My phone was ringing. It must have woken her up before it even caused me to stir. I grabbed my incredibly loud phone that managed to slide right off the side of my head to next to my ear. I checked the caller I.D. and saw it was Jules.

I grumbled before answering. "Yeah, I'm up."

"Okay, honey. I'll see you in a little bit."

"Wait!" I almost yelled and thankfully I caught her before she hung up. "I'm not going to be able to pick you up today."

"Why not?"

"Something came up last night. I won't have time this morning."

"Alright, well, I guess I'll ask Suzie to."

"Okay, sorry," I replied, only half lying.

"It's okay. I'll see you at school."

"Yep."

I hung up the phone before she could say anything else. I didn't really want to talk to her, or explain the situation. I mean, what could I say? Nothing that would go over very well. Eh, I wasn't worried about it. What I was worried about was still laying in my bed.

"Sorry about that, Shelby," I said as I looked at her. "She calls me in the morning to make sure I'm up."

"It's okay," she replied as she started to stretch out. "I would've answered it myself to get it quiet, but I knew that wasn't a good idea."

"Yeah."

With that little exchange of words we both got up and moving. We each got ready in silence. We took turns in the bathroom doing what we needed. The only time we talked was when she asked about showering and I had to get a towel for her. Neither of us really seemed like we had anything to say. However, once we were both ready and we sat down on different sides of my bed, the silence seemed to be overwhelming.

"Thank you, Scott," Shelby said.

"You're welcome," I replied and turned to look at her just in time to see her get up from the bed and move towards the window. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I'm going to start walking to school."

"Don't be ridiculous, Shel. I live a lot further from school than you do. I'm not going to make you walk."

"Now, don't you be ridiculous, Scott. You can't drive me to school."

"Why not?" I asked.

"What about your friends, or your precious little girlfriend?"

"I don't care."

Shelby looked taken aback. I don't think she really expected me to say anything like that. She probably thought that the second she brought up my friends and Jules that I would see her side and cave on the matter. But she didn't know that that stuff really didn't matter to me. In all honesty, what could they do? Give me shit about it, yeah, but that's easy to handle. The look on that girls face was priceless. I was just surprising her one after another lately. To tell the truth, I was kind of surprising myself too.

"You'd probably be committing social suicide," Shelby said, as if trying to make me understand.

"Maybe, maybe not. So what?" I replied.

"That's why you told the princess you couldn't pick her up."

"Yep."

Shelby was once again silent. She probably couldn't understand what I was thinking. I could almost see the display of emotions cross her face as she tried to figure out what I was doing. I would love to explain to her, but I didn't really know what to say except for what I've already said. I didn't really know much in that moment. I just knew I didn't want her to leave.

"Go outside and wait by my car," I told her. She went to protest, but I raised my hand, silencing her, before she could get the words out. "I'll meet you at my car."

I had my resolve face on and I was hoping that even Shelby wouldn't try pushing through that. She challenged me in every way, and her and I were equally stubborn, but I refused to cave on that matter. After seeing her in the park the night before, I felt very protective of her. I didn't want to let her out of my sight, and I sure as hell didn't want her to leave.

"Fine," she finally said after a moment, frustration obvious in her voice.

I smiled with a small shake of my head and walked out my door.

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The drive to school was silent. I pulled into my usual parking spot and got out of my car in time to look over at Shelby getting out of my passenger seat. She gave me a worried look and the instant I took my eyes off of her I saw the reason for her worry. Everyone was watching us. There were those people who tried to hide it, just looking to the side a bit, or looking up a bit, just enough to see us. But there were also those who were completely obvious and didn't even try to hide it.

I sighed as I scanned the crowd. I saw Shelby's couple of friends to one side, shock clearly written on their faces; and in the middle of the group were my friends with the same expression. Juliet was smack dab in the middle of the group with a mix of emotions playing across her face ranging from shock, to distaste, to anger, to possibly even pain. Justin was there too, humor in his eyes.

Shelby and I locked eyes again as I made my way over towards her. She was shaking her head and ironically laughing to herself. I was tempted to have the same reaction. A big part of me didn't care that everyone was staring, but a small part of me was annoyed and angry by the fact. It wasn't their business who I showed up with. It was my life, and if I wanted to show up to school with Shelby Merrick then god damn it I could show up to school with Shelby Merrick.

"I told you this was going to happen," she said to me.

"Don't worry about it," I replied with a smile.

Shelby responded with a small smile of her own and a quick nod. She watched me for several moments before she turned to walk away. She got a few steps away before the overwhelming emotion washed over me again. I didn't want her to go. I knew we couldn't and wouldn't stay together the entire time at school so I wasn't sure what I was expecting , but I still didn't want her to leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked after her.

She walked back to me and said, "Look, we're both going to have questions to answer 'cause of this. We might as well get them over with now. So I'm going to go talk to my friends, you go talk to yours."

"What are you going to tell them?"

She sighed. "I'll tell them you were just helping me out and, hopefully, leave it at that. You can tell your friends whatever you want."

"What should I tell them?" I asked.

"I don't care. Tell them you were helping me, tell them it was for your amusement, tell them you were using me last night. I don't care."

"That I was using you last night?" I thought I knew what she meant, but I wanted to be sure.

"Yeah. It's not like it would damage my reputation anymore, and it might be the thing to salvage yours."

"You actually think I care about that?" I retorted.

Shelby and I locked eyes again, but it wasn't the same as the time before. The emotion there, in both of us, wasn't soft by any means. I was angry to a point. I couldn't fully tell what she was. I knew she thought I'd lie to save myself. I could tell she thought very little of me in that moment. She thought I could only be nice to her behind closed doors. How could think that to be true? And what the fuck was I thinking when I fell for this girl? Oh, that's right, I wasn't. It just happened. Stupid emotions! However, it was those very emotions that stopped me from acting with my anger.

"I'll tell them I was helping you," I finally said.

"You going to tell them everything?" she asked, voice somewhat cold.

"You didn't even tell me everything," I reminded her. "But, no, I won't tell them everything I know. I'll just tell them you needed some help and I was there. End of story."

She nodded slowly and said, "Thanks."

With that last word she walked away again. My gaze followed her until she reached Daisy and Ezra and the three of them walked into the building. I watched her until I couldn't anymore. It wasn't until that moment that I realized just how hard I fell for that girl. Despite how strongly I didn't want her to leave earlier, it didn't hit me until she was gone, and I was standing there alone.

Well, I was alone until Justin came walking up to my car. I wasn't even sure if what he did could be called a walk, to be honest; it was more like a skip. He had a pep in his step for some reason. He was also sort of laughing, almost under his breath but not quite. The look he gave me when he reached me made we quickly realize I was in for it. Not trouble, but something else, something much cruder, something only Justin would say.

"What were you thinking, Barringer?" he asked. "Showing up at school with Merrick? What's up with that?"

"I was just giving her hand is all," I replied simply, hoping to drop the conversation there, but I knew it was not going to be that simple, not with Justin.

"Why? What do you get out of it?"

"That's for me to worry about," I said. He didn't need to know that I liked simply spending time with her.

"So, what? You gave her a ride to school in exchange for some road head or something?"

"What?"

"'Cause I gotta say, if that's the case, you're one lucky guy. That girl's got skill."

I turned to Justin and glared, my eyes cold as ice. In that moment, I realized the majority of Shelby's bad reputation had probably come from Justin. I knew they were "together" in the past and he was nothing but nice to her then. But then came the end and they've hated each other since. Justin was always particularly cruel towards her. I never really cared before, but damn it I cared now.

"It's not like that, man," I said, my voice as even and cold as my eyes.

Even Justin knew to back down when I got mad, and he could tell I was mad then. He also was smart enough to realize that my anger was directed at him, and for good reason. His joking demeanor softened and he became somewhat serious, at least, as serious as Justin ever got.

"Look, man, I didn't mean anything.." he said.

"Yeah, you did," I retorted before he could even finish his sentence.

He sighed. "Okay, well, if it's not for reasons like that, then why did you give her ride?"

"I told you, I'm just helping her out."

With those last words I walked away from Justin, leaving him by my car. He wasn't happy with me for turning my anger on him, and for putting him in his place, reminding him that even though he was tough shit, and one of my friends, I was still above him. That may seem cocky, but I didn't care 'cause it was the truth. I didn't care that he was probably mad at me. He stepped out of line. I just made it known to him.

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The day dragged on incredibly slowly. If I hadn't known better, I would say time was moving backwards. It didn't help that everyone was acting weird around me. Justin was kind of mad at me still for how I treated him in the parking lot. My other friends were distant, almost unsure about how to act around me because I showed up with someone who was definitely not a part of our group. And Jules, well, she wouldn't talk to me. She hadn't said so much as a word to me since I walked into the school.

I was sitting in my last class of the day. I had it with Shelby, Jules, and Justin. Shelby noticed how I was being given the cold shoulder from Jules and she gave me a guilty look. I shook my head softly and gave her a little smile as if to say, 'don't worry about it.' Of course, just my luck, Jules decided to look at me just in time to see me smile at Shelby. I noticed she quickly turned her glance in Shelby's direction and made an angry noise, almost like a scowl. I couldn't stop a chuckle as I saw Shelby roll her eyes and look away.

The bell rang and before I could get a word out or move, Juliet was out the door already. I sighed and grumbled at the same time as I made my way to the door. I was expecting her to be a little upset, especially considering how she was when she found out I was only working with Shelby, but, damn. She's beyond a little upset. She's straight pissed.

I walked into the hallway just as several over hundred students were and I lost her in the crowd. Ugh! At least I knew where she was going. There was practice for the play that day and, understudy or not, she had to be there. So, I made my way to the auditorium and found her right outside the door. She spotted me too and went to walk inside without saying a word.

"Jules, wait!" I yelled after her and she hesitated, then stopped.

I finally got over to her a few seconds later. Her back was to me and that was never a good sign. I raised my hand slowly and touched her shoulder just enough that she would know I was there. I felt her tense under my touch though. Another bad sign.

"What were you thinking, Scott?" she asked me as she turned around to face me.

"She just needed some help, Jules," I replied, knowing instantly what she was referring to. "That's it."

"So, of course, she asks you to help her, knowing I'd hate it," Juliet retorted.

"No, I offered."

"Why?"

It was strange, considering I was expecting that question, that I still hadn't come up with an answer for it. At least, not an answer I could tell anyone. The only answer I could come up with for myself was that I liked her. I stopped fighting it, and I admitted that I liked her. I couldn't say that to Juliet though. That would start a completely different problem, one that I didn't feel like dealing with then.

"'Cause she needed it, and I knew she wouldn't ask for it," I replied simply, keeping everything about me very even and calm.

"So why did you have to help her?" Juliet asked.

I shrugged. "I was there."

"Look, Scott, I don't know what's been going on with you lately, but you've been different," she said, careful not to look at me out of nerves but it was almost as if she rehearsed this before. "Ever since the play started you haven't been the same."

"That's not true."

"You're right," she said and looked up at me. "It's not since the play started. It's since you've been working with her. At first it were little things, like not making plans 'cause you had to practice with her, and I understood those times because I knew you wanted to get better. But, now you show up at school with her. Not to mention you brought her to school instead of me."

Juliet's carefully practiced speech was starting to have flaws. She was starting to hesitate on words, having to pause to take a breath. She looked like she was about to cry. I felt bad, I couldn't deny that. I also couldn't deny anything she was throwing at me. She was right. Ever since I started working with Shelby, my mind has been pretty much all Shelby.

I couldn't help that I fell for her though. It's not like I chose it by any means. All she was suppose to be there for was help with the play. I only started even being civil to her because of the damn play. But being around her, talking to her, seeing how she really was, I just couldn't help it. I tried to fight it, but it didn't work. So there I was, with my girlfriend mad at me, and the only reason I really cared was because I didn't want her hurt. I didn't care about losing her; I just didn't want her that hurt by all this.

"I don't want you to see her anymore, Scott," Juliet said, after several moments to silence.

"What?" I asked quickly.

"I don't want you to see Shelby again," she repeated.

"I can't stop seeing her, Jules."

"Because she's helping you with the play?" she asked me, obvious disbelief in her voice.

It was only then that I realized I was caught. She had figured it out when I showed up to school with her. I knew in that moment that Juliet knew the real reason why I didn't want to have Shelby out of my life. Somehow, she picked up on my feelings for her. I was so careful. How could she have figured it out?

"That smile, Scott," Juliet said, as if she read my mind. "I know that smile all too well. And I know what it means when you direct it at a girl like that. I saw you give her that smile this morning."

I didn't know what to say. I was kind of surprised that out of everyone to figure it out, it was Jules, but I should have known better than to be. She was right. She knew what that smile meant. I had given it to her more than enough times for her to recognize me giving it to another girl. I didn't even think about it when I smiled at Shelby this morning; I didn't even realize I did it, but she did. Therein lied the problem.

There was nothing I could say at that point to make things right. Even if I did still want Jules with everything I had, more than I wanted Shelby, nothing was going to make things okay with us again, not after this morning. A part of me wanted to keep her, to have her stay mine; not so much because I wanted her, but because she was familiar. However, a part of me also didn't mind the idea of her walking away. Hell, a part of me was hoping she would so I could go after what I really wanted. There was nothing to do or say that could please both parts of me and her.

"I'm sorry, Jules," I said.

She didn't reply with words. She watched me carefully for several quiet moments before she nodded and turned away. She paused at the door for the shortest of seconds before opening it and walking through, leaving me there alone. She understood what I meant when I apologized. I didn't only apologize for hurting her, although that was a big part, but she also understood what was lying underneath that apology – her answer to the ultimatum she gave me. She understood in my apology that I chose Shelby.

I heaved a heavy sigh as I walked into to the auditorium. I knew I didn't look happy by any means when I walked in. However, no sooner than I walked in, I saw Shelby looking at me from her spot on the stage, and instantly, some of that unhappiness faded. She gave me a questioning look, and I offered her a small shake of my head. I wasn't sure what she was asking, but whatever it was, I couldn't answer it then. She nodded, in a apparent understanding, and gave me a small smile.

I did the only thing I could do then, and gave her a smile back.

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(A/N)- First thank you for the reviews from: Linkie, Melms213, Meghan, Ghostwriter, ShalBrenfan, Mandy, Kellie, Opal, Rachel, Xenia, LJSkywalker, ac5000, Juliette Fan, Nicole, Missworld243, Zannie52, weylela, Suzzy20, Hannah, Beamish-is-a-legend, Aimed mischief, Cassie, IrigD, writergirl99, graceling, scandal-manhatten, JCLadyBug, Priscilla, IcyGold, Line 101, and Ashely. You guys keep me writing! Also, if I missed you, let me know.

So, I got an update in 2 months. That's, sadly, good for me. I was going to write "Memories" but this came so much easier. I might stick with this story, or I might write a chapter for "A New Life" or "Memories". It depends what kind of mood I'm in and which I can get to you guys the quickest.

I'm pretty sure I like this chapter, even if I did make Scott REALLY like Shelby fast. But, it's all up to you guys.

As always, please review!