Okay, here's chapter two! I don't own Kat and Scott or any of Higher
Ground. Please R/R, and let me know what you think! On to the story!
2 "Did you pack the flashlights?" Kat asked, rummaging through one of the backpacks.
"Yes." Scott responded, stuffing a tee shirt in his own backpack.
"What about the compass?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" She said, moving over to his backpack and reaching in. "I don't see it."
"It's in there" He pulled the backpack away, "Calm down."
"Scott." Kat sat down, "If we forget something, and we figure it out at midnight tonight, when we are in the middle of the woods, by ourselves, we're screwed."
"We have everything."
At that moment, Sophie walked into the cabin, "You guys ready? The race starts in twenty minutes."
"Ready as I'll ever be." Kat stood up, "I'm so excited!"
"I'm happy for you." Sophie smiled, "Scott, how about you? Excited?"
"I guess so." He shrugged.
"Okay, let's go."
The race - Day one
"Okay, you guys, remember everything we've taught you at Horizon." Sophie patted both Kat and Scott on the back, "You've got your maps and everything?"
"All set!" Kat held the map up in front of her.
"Great. See you in four days."
Kat and Scott headed toward the starting line. Each group had their own starting point and ending point, which contained many obstacles. They director of the race went around doing a walkie talkie check.
"So, what do you think?" Kat asked Scott after the director checked their walkie talkie.
"About what?"
"The race." She rolled her eyes, "Do you think we can win?"
"Maybe."
Kat sighed; she had gotten increasingly frustrated with Scott, and his seeming inability to communicate with her. She just wished he would have conversations like a normal person, and then she would feel more comfortable going on a four day trek with him. She also hoped they would be able to get along, and be able to compromise in making decisions.
"Okay, everyone!" The director called through a megaphone. "Everything is all set. So, let the race begin. On your mark, get set, go!"
Kat and Scott set off running through the woods. They had to cover fourteen miles in seven hours, before the ten PM stopping time for the night. They had been running for about fifteen minutes when they came to a fork in the path. Both stopped, and sat on the ground, drinking hungrily from their water bottles. After a moment, Kat pulled out the map, and began to look over it.
"Okay." She started, after perusing the map, "It looks like going left is the fastest way. We could probably get past our estimated stopping point."
"Let me see." Scott gestured for her to come over to him. Kat crawled over, and sat next to him, holding up the map so he could see. He looked at it for a moment and then, "No.see, we'd have to cross through these marshes if we go left. It'll take much longer."
"But crossing water is easy, and it beats taking the long way around."
"Well, if you want to get bitten by whatever is in those marshes, let's go that way."
Kat sighed, "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. But, let's walk okay? We're already making good time, we should save our strength for the last day, and any other obstacles they have for us."
"Sounds good."
They both stood up, and began walking down the right trail. Scott led the way, just a few paces in front of Kat.
"So." Kat started, "why were you sent to Horizon anyway?"
He glanced back at her, "None of your business."
"Ookay." She raised her eyebrows, "Just trying to make conversation."
"Why?"
"I don't know," She shrugged, "You and I just don't know each other very well. I thought might be a good bonding experience."
"Well, forget that. I didn't come here to bond."
"Then what did you come here for?" She grabbed his arm.
"To win." He yanked his arm away.
"Really? Really Scott? Because you don't seem all that excited about this race."
He turned, and stood face to face with her, staring down at her, "I came here to win. That's all. And I knew if I didn't come you'd never make it, especially if one of those other losers tried to help you."
Kat narrowed her eyes, "The only reason you're here is because I have to have a partner. I could make it on my own easily."
"Fine. Then do it yourself." Scott turned and started walking back the way they came.
Kat stood there for a moment somewhat surprised, then slightly nervous at having to win the race on her own. "Wait!" She ran after him. He turned to look at her. "Look, I can't make it on my own. I - I need your opinions, and I'll probably need your help. So please stay."
Scott thought for a moment, not wanting to make it any easier on her, "Why should I? You know I don't care about this race."
"Then why are you here?" She almost pleaded.
Scott looked away, as Kat tried to make eye contact with him, "Look. I'll stay. There's no point in going back now."
"Great." She smiled, "I'm glad."
Quietly, they both turned and began walking up the trail, "I just think it would be nice if we could get along." Kat spoke up.
Scott sighed, "We can get along fine. You and me, we're both competitors. We'll win the race."
"I want to be friends, Scott." Kat said softly, "This race isn't just about winning, it's a learning experience. Part of that is you and me learning about each other."
"You are Peter's perfect little student are you. The ideal graduating Cliffhanger. Get over it. Not everything is about a lesson."
"But, it can be."
Scott just shook his head, and kept walking. They walked for the better half of their allotted time in silence. Soon it began to get dark, and the temperature went down drastically. Both were beginning to get rather cold and hungry, but each refused to speak to the other one. It was nearly nine o' clock when they reached a huge wall in the middle of the path.
"What is this?" Scott threw his hands up into the air.
"A wall." Kat nodded.
"Thanks." He glared at her. He looked to his right and to his left, not seeing the end of the wall. "Who puts a wall in the middle of a forest?"
"It's called an obstacle." Kat grinned, "And it's our first real one. How should we do this?"
"Well," Scott examined the height of the wall, "I can boost you up, then climb up myself behind you."
"Scott, there's no way you can climb that wall on your own."
"We won't know unless I try."
"Well, how about this. Since I'm shorter, and lighter, and you have much more upper body strength than me, I can give you a boost up, and then you can help pull me up the wall."
Scott nodded, "All right." He took his back pack, and set it on the ground. "When I get up there, I'll look around, then you can throw me the backpacks, and I'll drop them on the other side.
Kat nodded, and bent forward, clasping her hands together, creating a foothold for Scott. She flexed her leg muscles as best she could as Scott stepped in the foot hold, and began scaling the wall. Once Scott reached the top of the wall, he looked at the other side, which looked fairly safe and normal to him.
"Okay, throw me the packs."
Kat threw the first one, completely missing Scott, and landing on the other side of the wall.
"Oops." She said, sheepishly.
"Or we could do it that way." He shrugged as he watched the other pack fly by. "Okay, ready to climb up?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Kat watched as Scott steadied himself, then reached down for her. She grabbed his arm at the elbow, then jumped as he pulled her up. She struggled a little to reach the top, but finally did safely.
"Being short sucks." She looked at the other side, "Okay, time to go down."
"I"ll go first." Scott jumped down, and held his arms up for her, "Okay, come on."
"What? You think I can't make it on my own?" Kate said somewhat indignantly.
"Just come on." He said irritably, "You're too short!"
She sighed, and swung a leg over the wall, and lowered herself so that she was hanging. Kat let go of the wall, when she felt Scott's hands grab her gently around the waist. She turned slightly, grabbing onto his shoulders for support, and came down rather fast. She landed with her arms around his neck, and his hands at her waist. She looked up at him, noticing just how deep his eyes seemed to go. Scott tried not to notice the smell of apples that seemed to rise from her hair. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, and then both looked away laughing nervously.
"Hungry?" Kat asked.
2 "Did you pack the flashlights?" Kat asked, rummaging through one of the backpacks.
"Yes." Scott responded, stuffing a tee shirt in his own backpack.
"What about the compass?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" She said, moving over to his backpack and reaching in. "I don't see it."
"It's in there" He pulled the backpack away, "Calm down."
"Scott." Kat sat down, "If we forget something, and we figure it out at midnight tonight, when we are in the middle of the woods, by ourselves, we're screwed."
"We have everything."
At that moment, Sophie walked into the cabin, "You guys ready? The race starts in twenty minutes."
"Ready as I'll ever be." Kat stood up, "I'm so excited!"
"I'm happy for you." Sophie smiled, "Scott, how about you? Excited?"
"I guess so." He shrugged.
"Okay, let's go."
The race - Day one
"Okay, you guys, remember everything we've taught you at Horizon." Sophie patted both Kat and Scott on the back, "You've got your maps and everything?"
"All set!" Kat held the map up in front of her.
"Great. See you in four days."
Kat and Scott headed toward the starting line. Each group had their own starting point and ending point, which contained many obstacles. They director of the race went around doing a walkie talkie check.
"So, what do you think?" Kat asked Scott after the director checked their walkie talkie.
"About what?"
"The race." She rolled her eyes, "Do you think we can win?"
"Maybe."
Kat sighed; she had gotten increasingly frustrated with Scott, and his seeming inability to communicate with her. She just wished he would have conversations like a normal person, and then she would feel more comfortable going on a four day trek with him. She also hoped they would be able to get along, and be able to compromise in making decisions.
"Okay, everyone!" The director called through a megaphone. "Everything is all set. So, let the race begin. On your mark, get set, go!"
Kat and Scott set off running through the woods. They had to cover fourteen miles in seven hours, before the ten PM stopping time for the night. They had been running for about fifteen minutes when they came to a fork in the path. Both stopped, and sat on the ground, drinking hungrily from their water bottles. After a moment, Kat pulled out the map, and began to look over it.
"Okay." She started, after perusing the map, "It looks like going left is the fastest way. We could probably get past our estimated stopping point."
"Let me see." Scott gestured for her to come over to him. Kat crawled over, and sat next to him, holding up the map so he could see. He looked at it for a moment and then, "No.see, we'd have to cross through these marshes if we go left. It'll take much longer."
"But crossing water is easy, and it beats taking the long way around."
"Well, if you want to get bitten by whatever is in those marshes, let's go that way."
Kat sighed, "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. But, let's walk okay? We're already making good time, we should save our strength for the last day, and any other obstacles they have for us."
"Sounds good."
They both stood up, and began walking down the right trail. Scott led the way, just a few paces in front of Kat.
"So." Kat started, "why were you sent to Horizon anyway?"
He glanced back at her, "None of your business."
"Ookay." She raised her eyebrows, "Just trying to make conversation."
"Why?"
"I don't know," She shrugged, "You and I just don't know each other very well. I thought might be a good bonding experience."
"Well, forget that. I didn't come here to bond."
"Then what did you come here for?" She grabbed his arm.
"To win." He yanked his arm away.
"Really? Really Scott? Because you don't seem all that excited about this race."
He turned, and stood face to face with her, staring down at her, "I came here to win. That's all. And I knew if I didn't come you'd never make it, especially if one of those other losers tried to help you."
Kat narrowed her eyes, "The only reason you're here is because I have to have a partner. I could make it on my own easily."
"Fine. Then do it yourself." Scott turned and started walking back the way they came.
Kat stood there for a moment somewhat surprised, then slightly nervous at having to win the race on her own. "Wait!" She ran after him. He turned to look at her. "Look, I can't make it on my own. I - I need your opinions, and I'll probably need your help. So please stay."
Scott thought for a moment, not wanting to make it any easier on her, "Why should I? You know I don't care about this race."
"Then why are you here?" She almost pleaded.
Scott looked away, as Kat tried to make eye contact with him, "Look. I'll stay. There's no point in going back now."
"Great." She smiled, "I'm glad."
Quietly, they both turned and began walking up the trail, "I just think it would be nice if we could get along." Kat spoke up.
Scott sighed, "We can get along fine. You and me, we're both competitors. We'll win the race."
"I want to be friends, Scott." Kat said softly, "This race isn't just about winning, it's a learning experience. Part of that is you and me learning about each other."
"You are Peter's perfect little student are you. The ideal graduating Cliffhanger. Get over it. Not everything is about a lesson."
"But, it can be."
Scott just shook his head, and kept walking. They walked for the better half of their allotted time in silence. Soon it began to get dark, and the temperature went down drastically. Both were beginning to get rather cold and hungry, but each refused to speak to the other one. It was nearly nine o' clock when they reached a huge wall in the middle of the path.
"What is this?" Scott threw his hands up into the air.
"A wall." Kat nodded.
"Thanks." He glared at her. He looked to his right and to his left, not seeing the end of the wall. "Who puts a wall in the middle of a forest?"
"It's called an obstacle." Kat grinned, "And it's our first real one. How should we do this?"
"Well," Scott examined the height of the wall, "I can boost you up, then climb up myself behind you."
"Scott, there's no way you can climb that wall on your own."
"We won't know unless I try."
"Well, how about this. Since I'm shorter, and lighter, and you have much more upper body strength than me, I can give you a boost up, and then you can help pull me up the wall."
Scott nodded, "All right." He took his back pack, and set it on the ground. "When I get up there, I'll look around, then you can throw me the backpacks, and I'll drop them on the other side.
Kat nodded, and bent forward, clasping her hands together, creating a foothold for Scott. She flexed her leg muscles as best she could as Scott stepped in the foot hold, and began scaling the wall. Once Scott reached the top of the wall, he looked at the other side, which looked fairly safe and normal to him.
"Okay, throw me the packs."
Kat threw the first one, completely missing Scott, and landing on the other side of the wall.
"Oops." She said, sheepishly.
"Or we could do it that way." He shrugged as he watched the other pack fly by. "Okay, ready to climb up?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Kat watched as Scott steadied himself, then reached down for her. She grabbed his arm at the elbow, then jumped as he pulled her up. She struggled a little to reach the top, but finally did safely.
"Being short sucks." She looked at the other side, "Okay, time to go down."
"I"ll go first." Scott jumped down, and held his arms up for her, "Okay, come on."
"What? You think I can't make it on my own?" Kate said somewhat indignantly.
"Just come on." He said irritably, "You're too short!"
She sighed, and swung a leg over the wall, and lowered herself so that she was hanging. Kat let go of the wall, when she felt Scott's hands grab her gently around the waist. She turned slightly, grabbing onto his shoulders for support, and came down rather fast. She landed with her arms around his neck, and his hands at her waist. She looked up at him, noticing just how deep his eyes seemed to go. Scott tried not to notice the smell of apples that seemed to rise from her hair. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, and then both looked away laughing nervously.
"Hungry?" Kat asked.