A true friend doesn't jump with you, they catch you when you fall.- Unknown

CHAPTER #13

Both Daisy and Chris felt Ezra's resentment towards them. Whenever they came around, he left or ignored them. Daisy made a comment and he replied back, "what do you care?"

As for Chris, she was still numb. Working with Mark had helped, but he had done most of the talking. Before her break down, she might have worked harder to find out why Ezra was upset, but right now she didn't care. She had no appetite and had to force herself to eat, when someone was watching. But often, she was able to just dump her plate. Once Sophie thought the dumped food was Juliette's and took her to have her weight checked. Which of course, when Juliette checked out to be fine, the counsellor grew concerned because she couldn't figure out who had not eaten.

Peter received a phone call from David's mother, she was very upset and rightly so. The General had forced his son into the military and during a live amo training session, David opened fire on the General, wounding him. The truly tragic thing, was that David turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. David's mother had a letter that her son had left for Daisy and another for Peter. She asked if she could deliver it in person. Peter of course accepted and she'd arrive later that day. He knew he'd have to break the news to the Cliff Hangers, sooner than later.

"I need the Cliff Hangers to come to my office once you are done with lunch," Peter said to their group.

Chris got up and followed him, so did Juliette and Auggie. Daisy, Shelby and Scott came last. They sat down in a circle and waited for Peter to explain why he'd called them to his office for a group session.

"David's mother called. There's been a tragic incident. David used a gun on the General and then committed suicide. His mother will be coming this afternoon. He left a letter for myself and for you Daisy." Peter explained sadly, watching their reactions.

Scott rubbed his eyes and said, "the kid was messed up like the rest of us, but he was okay some times too."

Daisy said, "it's your fault Chris, it's all your fault that he's dead!" She jumped out of her chair and attacked Chris. Screaming and pushing her, before Peter could stop her.

Chris crumpled in pain and fell on the floor. Daisy had hit the big bruise that still hadn't healed. But she felt nothing else, no emotions. Shelby and Scott went to her and asked if she was okay. She nodded and they helped her back into her chair.

Ezra was fed up, "Daisy it wasn't on Chris. Open your eyes, David was a jerk. He was as big of a bully as his father was to me and to Chris. He didn't let Peter or any of the counsellors help him. He didn't want help. So sit down and shut up."

Peter hand not expected any of this type of reaction. Daisy was always so calm and cool, Ezra never confronted people, instead he took the pain into himself. But the most alarming was that Chris had shown no emotion.

"Peter you can let me go. I won't do anything. Sorry Chris," Daisy said. "I'm just angry I guess at the General and even his mother. His mother should've fought harder to save her son. Ezra said it best, the General was a bully. I bet he's relieved David is dead."

Juliette had tears running down her face, "it's good that he had Scott and you Daisy as friends. I remember when he tossed the football around with Scott, he was good. It's so sad."

Auggie asked, "what about you Peter, how do you feel?"

"Sad that David felt that his only choice was to take his life," Peter admitted.

Chris spoke in a monotone voice, "you can't save all of us."

"At least you tried Peter. I remember when the General took him away, you begged his dad not to take him. It's not on you what happened," Shelby said.

"Thanks Shelby. But this isn't about how I'm feeling, let's talk about how you feel. How about you Auggie?" Peter asked.

"I guess I'm sad. Like Ezra said, David liked to get in your face and push your buttons."

Juliette said, "but that doesn't mean he deserved to die."

Peter looked around the circle, "what about you Chris?"

She said nothing, just shrugged her shoulders.

Daisy asked, "I know I have to clean toilets or something for pushing Chris. But can I see his mom when she comes? I want to go to his funeral."

"Let me talk to his mother first and then we'll see. And yes you have toilettes to clean all week." Peter added, "anyone else want to say something more?"

They all just sat there in silence.

"Alright you guys can go. Chris I'd like you to stay behind please."

They put away the chairs and went out the door. Shelby closed it as she was the last one out. She looked at Chris and then at Peter and sighed.

"Chris we need to take you to the nurse and have that bruise looked at," Peter said.

She stood up to follow him and had to hold on to the desk, as she got light headed. He came to her side immediately, full of concern. She shrugged him off and went with him to the nurse. All she wanted was to be left alone, but that wasn't going to happen. When the nurse checked her out, she pulled Peter outside her office.

"She's lost some weight. The fainting spell that you just told me about, that's not from her bruise, it's from not eating. The bruise and her cuts are healing well."

Peter thanked her. They'd have to watch Chris even more closely than before. He couldn't handle loosing another child. The Cliff Hangers had been through too much lately and were falling apart. Their trust in each other had disintegrated. They needed to go outside and rebuild their faith in each other. Tomorrow was the weekend and he'd take them on an overnight kayak trip, that would force them to rely on each other.

He had noticed Ezra's hostility and had a one on one session scheduled with him for that evening. There was something more than just David, bothering the boy. Before him was a similar session with Daisy. Peter talked to his wife Sophie about everything that happened. She told him about the food in the garbage and having thought it was Juliette's food, not realizing it was Chris. They found comfort momentarily in each other's arms, before he got a call that Mrs. Ruxton had arrived.

As expected, David's mother was emotional and she didn't stay long. She advised due to a military investigation, her son's body was not being released for a civilian funeral. After giving Peter the letters, and thank him for trying to save her son, she left. He read the letter from David and found it was almost like a confession. David had written everything had had never been able to say when he was at Mount Horizon high school. He revealed that the General had used physical force in the past to discipline him. David admitted he wished he had let Peter help him, when he had the chance.

The letter to Daisy was included in his envelope, but he didn't read it. Instead he called Daisy into his office and explained about Mrs. Ruxton leaving and that there was no funeral to go to. Finally Peter gave her the letter. He waited patiently while she read it. Tears pooled in her eyes and then slowly fell down her cheek. When she was done, she traded the box of tissues for the letter.

"Please read it Peter," she said almost in a whisper.

In her letter, David thanked Daisy for being a friend and giving him a chance. For giving him one of the few things that he had to smile about. David talked about dancing with her at the MORP and learning to work with Scott on their buddy hike. Then David said good-bye.

"How do you feel about what he said in his letter?" Peter asked Daisy.

Instead of making him turn around back to back, for once she let him see her face. She didn't hide from him. "I'm happy and sad at the same time. I'm glad we were friends and he took comfort in that, but sad that he gave up. But most of all I am angry and I hate his father."

He helped her work through her feelings and they made a lot of progress with how she was handling her friend's death. It was the most that Daisy had ever allowed Peter to see her vulnerability. At the end of the session, she felt relieved for having talked to him about it all.

"I am finally understanding what you meant by life being ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. But cleaning toilets for a week, will never be something I'm happy to do," Daisy said as she left Peter's office.

Next was Ezra's one on one session and he made Peter work hard to get his feelings out. He was mad at Chris, Daisy and David. First they tackled the anger with David. They probed why Ezra was angry with the girls. His friendship with the two girls had become strained and he didn't trust that they cared about him anymore. Peter knew of Ezra's crush on Daisy, it was one of the reasons Ezra had disliked David. They were teenagers, with normal hormonal reactions, but rejection was handled a lot differently. Try as he would, Peter couldn't prevent them from going through that pain. So he tried to teach them how to be comfortable with who they were and to love themselves first. Their relationships and interaction with each other, sometimes helped with the healing process and sometimes hindered it.

Shelby, Scott, Juliette and Auggie were all doing well, learning how to handle their past. Being more open with other people and the rest of the Cliff Hangers was something new with Shelby. Having her sister on campus, also help with her healing process. Scott's school work and athletic skill were back on track. He helped his team a lot more than when he had first arrived. Juliette was more confident and no longer expelled her food when she was upset. Auggie's reading and writing improved every day. These kids would graduate in the near future and be able to cope with life. Ezra, Daisy and Chris had a long way still to go.

The next day Peter advised them what to pack for their overnight camping excursion. For their group session they did an exercise for building trust. It was the classic one used, where the person has to fall backward and everyone catches them. Only Chris wouldn't do it. Chris was the last to go and while Ezra had everyone's attention, she took off.

"Where's Chris, it's her turn?" Auggie asked.

"Figures she'd take off," Daisy said dryly, "so much for facing your fears."

"I think this was more about trusting your peers," Ezra added.

Daisy rolled her eyes at him, but put her arm around his shoulders.

"Everyone stay here, I'll be right back with Chris," Peter said.

"That's what he thinks, but that's not what's going to happen," Scott grinned.

Ten minutes later, to everyone's surprise, Chris and Peter came back. She climbed up and stood with her back to everyone.

"We're ready when you are."

"If I jumped off a bridge, would you all jump with me?" Chris asked.

"If we're bungie jumping, then hell ya," Scott said enthusiastically.

Ezra asked, "why do you want to jump off a perfectly good bridge?"

Daisy snorted, "quit stalling."

Peter answered, "I'd be waiting at the bottom to catch you."

The others nodded and really thought about what he just said. One by one they nodded and agreed.

Scott whispered to Shelby, "I'd catch you, if I couldn't stop you from jumping."

The look in her eyes, was all he needed.

Without warning, Chris fell backward. She had expected to hit the ground, so when they caught her she got emotional. No longer numb, tears poured down her face. "Why?"

Shelby said simply, " because you're one of us Spaz."