Among The Sane
A "Higher Ground" Fan Fic
By MissKate
A/N...I'm SOOOO sorry that I haven't posted in so long!! Major writer's block!!! I had ideas for LATER in the story, but not really towards the beginning. :) But here it is, chapter 6...FINALLY!! Yes, it's been a week since I last updated. Sorry again!! Still, I hope that you all like this chapter!! Each time I write a new part, it gets longer!! WOW!! This is the longest yet. :) Oh, and I wrote a "Higher Ground" based poem a couple days ago, which I posted. If you want to read it, it's called "On Higher Ground". Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!! Please read and review!!!!! THANKS BUNCHES!!!!!
Chapter 6: Gossip Between Cliques
"Can anyone tell me how many people died after being accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials?" the history teacher, Ms. Anderson, asked the class. Her eyes scanned the room as she watched for someone to raise their hand with an answer. Ezra's hand poked up over the crowd of students and the teacher said, "Yes, you...ummm...Ezra, is it?"
"Nineteen were hanged and one was pressed to death. Many others died in prison, but the numbers vary from source to source. Some say four, while others say thirteen," he said, impressing the class, as well as Juliette. She knew he was smart, but did not know that he paid attention so well during class.
"Very good, Ezra," the teacher said, praising him,
A couple of the students smirked behind his back. "He must be one of those Goths obsessed with death and stuff." Tristan and a few others laughed quietly at the comment.
Juliette leaned over to Ezra's desk and whispered, "Ignore it."
"Ah, is the druggie scared to fight back? Gotta have the Prom Queen fight for you, huh?" the other teenager retorted quietly, again causing laughter throughout the classroom from the "regular" students.
"I assume you are trying to be spiteful. Well, this is terribly funny. Please continue," Ezra replied, turning slightly to look into the eyes of the boy behind him and flashing him a smile.
Hearing the whispers of the students before her, Ms. Anderson spoke up. "Is there a problem, boys? Jack? Ezra?" she asked angrily.
"No, ma'am," the taunting teenager replied.
"No," Ezra said meekly. He turned around as soon as he saw the teacher look away and noticed the glare that Jack was giving him from his desk a few seats away.
The rest of the period dragged on slowly, with Ms. Anderson droning on about the Salem Witch Trials, while the occasional sneers continued to come from the back of the room, directed at both Ezra and Juliette. It was odd, but Ezra found himself somehow feeling that he needed to protect Juliette. It was as if he felt that Shelby was the only person that could make comments and mock her behind her back for it to be okay.
It was finally lunchtime, and the Cliffhangers made their way to the cafeteria, following after their escorts obediently. Other teenagers were already crowding into the fairly large room, and the line for food grew and grew. Walking into the space, memories came flooding back to them, of their lives before Horizon, before they found the strength they needed to face everyday life.
Juliette squealed as she saw her friends enter through the doors on the opposite side of the room, and she pulled at Ezra's hand so that he would follow after her as she ran to meet them. Questionably, Claire and Tristan tagged along as well, wondering, much like Shelby, where she got her unusual peppiness. They thought that everyone at the school hidden so carefully within the thick forest of trees had to be cynical and hide behind angry scowls, but Juliette was none of that, and once they thought about it, none of them really were.
"Hi, guys!" she shrieked, causing Shelby to turn her head and laugh silently.
"You can all hang out or whatever while we go eat with our friends. How about we all just meet back over at the pop machines 11:50 so that we have five minutes before we have to be in class," Luke suggested, as the entire group nodded, showing their affirmation, before the other high schoolers took off, searching for their friends, leaving the Cliffhangers standing and wondering what to do.
David turned to the group, trying to get their attention, and asked, "Anyone up for a real American high school delicacy?" getting all of them to laugh, before they joined the rest of the students in line for lunch.
"Hey, Shel," Scott said simply as he strolled up to the beautiful blonde that stood in front of him in the lunch line. There was something uneasy about her, but he could not quite figure out what it was. "You having fun yet?" he questioned, in a sarcastic, yet curious tone.
"Loads," she replied, smiling.
One by one, the Cliffhangers walked toward a table in the back of the room, however they did not mind its location, as long as they were all able to converse with one another; the people they knew loved and understood them.
The table was round, and each member of the group pulled a chair over to it and sat with their lunches before them. Ezra looked to his right, smiling, happy that Daisy had placed her chair beside him. Shelby was next to her, with her shadow, Scott, at her side. Auggie tossed his tray down and pushed his chair next to Scott, and Juliette followed after him, sitting to his right. David got the most room, as he had grabbed the most food, but his place was between Juliette and Ezra. Juliette did not care to watch him down so much food, so she turned her gaze toward Auggie, who grinned in return.
"What do you think of your noble guides?" Daisy asked Ezra, with a smirk on her face.
Thinking for a moment, he replied, "They are interesting, to say the least."
"That they are...and it doesn't help that Peter stuck me with this bitch, though, does it?" she questioned, elbowing Shelby, who laughed light-heartedly at the comment.
"Yeah, but too bad I couldn't be with you too, though," Scott said to Shelby, smiling.
"There's no way that Peter would ever put you and Shelby in the same group!" Juliette reminded him. "Just like he would never put me with Auggie, right?" she asked Auggie, gently putting her head on his shoulder for a second.
"Sure thing, Jules," she replied.
David looked up from the tray set before him with wide eyes, and said, "Oh my God...This food is bad! I should have known...but it still can't compare to Horizon's." With that remark, his focus returned to his food, as the rest of the group remembered to ignore him.
"Oh, I just want this day to be over," Shelby sighed, propping her head up against the elbow she rested on the table. "This is definitely some strange form of 'cruel and unusual punishment', that's for sure," she finished.
Scott smiled and put his arm around the shoulders of his girlfriend. He loved her so much, and only wished her to always feel safe, protected, and he did his best to do that for her, wherever they were. He hoped that this experience would not destroy her; her spirit; but would, in actuality, make her stronger as a whole. She was already such an amazing person, but there were still demons haunting her every movement.
A few tables away, Tristan and Violet looked over at the table full of misfits. They noticed the bond between the seven people, and the lightness in their laughs, but continued to view them as an eccentric group that deserved everything that had ever happened to them, even though they could not begin to fathom the kind of pain they had all endured. They were different from them, and the different did not have the same rights as they did.
"Look at them," Tristan whispered. "Who do they think they are, walking into this school and acting like they belong here?"
"Oh, come on. They're not all bad. I mean, they did go to high school at one point, just like us," Violet told him, trying to change his mind.
Continuing to focus on the table in the corner, Tristan spoke again. "I don't care what they did before ending up at that loser school. They're not like us, and they shouldn't try to make us think they are. You should have seen that Ezra kid in class today. What a joke."
"But that Scott guy...He's just...fine," Violet responded with a silly tone in her voice.
Noticing the look in her eye, Tristan knew he had to say something. "Don't you be going after him. You'll just get sucked into their world," he warned her.
"Fine, but don't do anything stupid, okay? You're already off to a bad start with Mr. Nelson," she reminded him. "You know he doesn't like your smart-ass attitude anymore than I do."
The two returned the conversation that was holding the attention of the others at their table, and soon forgot about their feelings toward the Cliffhangers. They became engaged in the gossip among the other high school students, and soon, their world was, once again, the size of the head of a pin.
The Cliffhangers walked outside into the fresh air where the warm spring sun gave them a sense of security. Shelby looked around the campus, and she could not help but think of Horizon as she noticed the vast amount of trees that surrounded it. However, it was not the same, and she knew that, though they would only be there for a week, she would never be able to feel the same kind of protection that she felt at her own school.
In the distance, Peter walked cautiously with Mr. Nelson, the principal of Agnes High School. He had told the group that he would be there, but wanted to keep a safe distance from them, afraid that it might ruin the experience if he intervened.
"I think this was a great idea, Peter. Both for your kids, as well as mine," Mr. Nelson told him, smiling.
"I hope so. It's just that the Cliffhangers have been so...emotionally drained lately. They've all been through so much. I just wanted them to remember what it was like before all of it," Peter said, his gaze fixed on the teenagers in front of the large building.
"Or maybe what led them to some of their actions?"
Peter stopped for a second, before moving on. "No, most of their problems came from the interaction with their parents, or what they didn't get from them. School may have been a factor, but it was their upbringing that is the initial aspect in their problems."
"Still, it could be hard on them. After having been kept away for so long and only being around others that are just like them," Mr. Nelson reminded Peter.
"Yeah, I know. But they are strong, and I think this will be good for them. They have each other to turn to. They're like a family, you know? I've never worked with another group like them," Peter said, still watching his kids, smiling as they laughed.
Mr. Nelson could see the pleasure in his eyes at watching them. "So, they are your favorites?" he asked.
"I don't pick favorites...But if I did..." he replied, his voice trailing off.
Across the courtyard, Auggie looked at his watch, casually. "Yo, guys. It's almost time to get back. Maybe we should start walking." They all nodded in agreement, and began to head for the pop machines within the building. They were all "anxious" to get back to their guides, to say the least. Nobody was not having the greatest time, and their leaders were not helping much.
When they got there, Luke was leaning up against one of the machines, with his arms folded across his chest and Claire sitting on the ground near his feet. They did not look happy, nor angry...their faces appeared very calm, almost solemn. It was not long after they approached them that Violet and Tristan came strolling up towards them, smiling, as usual. Fi was the last to show up, but they were not in a big hurry anyway.
"Alright, let's go to class now," Claire stated simply, rising from the floor and walking off in the direction of her class, hoping that the others would follow after her. They all shrugged, and, without saying another word, headed for their next classes.
The hours seemed endless as the school day dragged on, and each made it a point not to listen to the whispers behind them. By the time that they bell rang, they were all relieved. Never before had they been so happy to see that old, banged-up van with Peter waiting inside. His smile offered them so much comfort, and in no time at all, they were squished up inside, ready to head back to the place where they felt safe.
"So, how was Day 1?" Peter asked, throwing the question up into the air, ready for anyone to grab it.
"Can you say...awful?" retorted Ezra. The others chuckled slightly, leading Peter himself to show a small smile.
Scott spoke up from the back seat. "Yeah, I mean...you think that we are the ones with the attitude problems? But it wasn't all that bad. Some of the people I met were alright, and what a football field."
"Well, I am glad you are looking on the bright side, Scott. When we get back, you can go do any homework you have, and we will have group after dinner, alright?" Peter asked, not expecting an answer, seeing as how it was not a debate.
Groans erupted from all corners of the van. "Should have expected that one," Juliette stated simply.
The familiar view of the school soon came into view, as the trees continued to fly past the windows that the students stared out of. They could hear the shouts of their peers within the boundaries, and, though many of the sounds were the same, they knew that Agnes High School could never compare to Mount Horizon High School. Though they knew that there were those in the both environments that were capable of caring, they felt that at Horizon everyone did. They all had the same experiences; they felt each other's pain.
By the time that they filed out of the van, each realized how emotionally weary they were, and headed off to their dorms in near silence. As they walked, Sophie strolled up beside Peter, the two of them watching as the group left.
"How did it go?" Sophie asked, nudging Peter, smiling slightly.
"I'm not exactly sure. When I saw them there, they were laughing and looked like they were having a good time, but now...now I see them and I wonder if maybe I was wrong," he told her, gazing over at the two cabins that now held all the Cliffhangers within. "Maybe I was wrong about this whole thing. Maybe they weren't as ready as I thought."
Sighing, Sophie tried to reassure him that he made the right decision. "I'm sure that they just had a hard day. You know how the first day at a new school can be. There's always pressure. It'll all be better tomorrow, you'll see."
"I hope you're right," Peter said as he put his arm around Sophie's waist and guided her over to the lodge.
Inside the girls' dorm, it was unusually quiet. As soon as they had walked in, Juliette plopped down onto her bed and fell asleep, as the other two chuckled quietly, before lying down on their own beds, with their heads at the end facing each other so they could talk casually.
"I saw the way you looked at Luke," Shelby stated sarcastically, smiling.
Daisy appeared startled. "What are you talking about?"
"And to think...I thought you were beginning to like Ezra..." Shelby continued, ignoring what her friend had just said.
"I do! Luke? Why would I like Luke? I just met him...we didn't even talk or anything," Daisy said, trying to convince Shelby that there was no connection between the two.
"Oh, you know very well that communication is the LAST step in building a relationship. This "Luke" thing...it could be purely physical, although I don't know exactly what any of his 'eye-catching characteristics' would be," Shelby acknowledged.
Sighing, Daisy knew that she could not cover her feelings up. Shelby was her best friend, and it was clear that she would find out the truth eventually, no matter how much she tried to hide them. "I don't know...He just has that...intelligently attractive look to him."
"Understandable...just don't let Ezra catch you looking at him, okay? I know that is the last thing you would want to do," Shelby told her friend.
"Oh, I know. No problem, right?"
Shelby shot Daisy a comforting glance, before turning over and reaching for her notebook to begin some of the homework given that day, and not long after, Daisy followed her lead.
After stepping through the door and throwing their papers and notebooks to the floor, the guys in their cabin went about their relatively normal routine. They sat around silently before someone finally said anything, and it was Scott.
"Man, it felt SO good to get back to the football field."
"I'm sure," Auggie replied. "And I saw Violet checkin' you out."
Scott rolled his eyes. "No way...you don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't let her get to close. She's just messin' with you. They all are, with all of us. It won't be long until they try to start trying to...pry us open," Auggie told Scott, as well as the other two guys in the room. They all had to be careful. It was unclear whether the high schoolers were trustworthy or not, and they knew that they should not risk it.
Following a few moments of silence, they reached to the floor and pulled out their papers to begin the homework due the next day, like the girls. In their minds, they were dreading the dinner that was soon to come, not only because of the food, but also because group was to follow it, and there was no doubt that Peter would begin to explore their feelings about being placed in a situation, that at one time, was familiar to them. Then they thought further ahead, and knew that soon they would all go to bed, and when they awoke, they would have to do it all over again.
****
Well?? I hope that you liked it!! :) Please review while you wait for my next chapter!! I will try to get it out before another week goes by!! Sorry about that!! THANKS BUNCHES!!!
A "Higher Ground" Fan Fic
By MissKate
A/N...I'm SOOOO sorry that I haven't posted in so long!! Major writer's block!!! I had ideas for LATER in the story, but not really towards the beginning. :) But here it is, chapter 6...FINALLY!! Yes, it's been a week since I last updated. Sorry again!! Still, I hope that you all like this chapter!! Each time I write a new part, it gets longer!! WOW!! This is the longest yet. :) Oh, and I wrote a "Higher Ground" based poem a couple days ago, which I posted. If you want to read it, it's called "On Higher Ground". Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!! Please read and review!!!!! THANKS BUNCHES!!!!!
Chapter 6: Gossip Between Cliques
"Can anyone tell me how many people died after being accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials?" the history teacher, Ms. Anderson, asked the class. Her eyes scanned the room as she watched for someone to raise their hand with an answer. Ezra's hand poked up over the crowd of students and the teacher said, "Yes, you...ummm...Ezra, is it?"
"Nineteen were hanged and one was pressed to death. Many others died in prison, but the numbers vary from source to source. Some say four, while others say thirteen," he said, impressing the class, as well as Juliette. She knew he was smart, but did not know that he paid attention so well during class.
"Very good, Ezra," the teacher said, praising him,
A couple of the students smirked behind his back. "He must be one of those Goths obsessed with death and stuff." Tristan and a few others laughed quietly at the comment.
Juliette leaned over to Ezra's desk and whispered, "Ignore it."
"Ah, is the druggie scared to fight back? Gotta have the Prom Queen fight for you, huh?" the other teenager retorted quietly, again causing laughter throughout the classroom from the "regular" students.
"I assume you are trying to be spiteful. Well, this is terribly funny. Please continue," Ezra replied, turning slightly to look into the eyes of the boy behind him and flashing him a smile.
Hearing the whispers of the students before her, Ms. Anderson spoke up. "Is there a problem, boys? Jack? Ezra?" she asked angrily.
"No, ma'am," the taunting teenager replied.
"No," Ezra said meekly. He turned around as soon as he saw the teacher look away and noticed the glare that Jack was giving him from his desk a few seats away.
The rest of the period dragged on slowly, with Ms. Anderson droning on about the Salem Witch Trials, while the occasional sneers continued to come from the back of the room, directed at both Ezra and Juliette. It was odd, but Ezra found himself somehow feeling that he needed to protect Juliette. It was as if he felt that Shelby was the only person that could make comments and mock her behind her back for it to be okay.
It was finally lunchtime, and the Cliffhangers made their way to the cafeteria, following after their escorts obediently. Other teenagers were already crowding into the fairly large room, and the line for food grew and grew. Walking into the space, memories came flooding back to them, of their lives before Horizon, before they found the strength they needed to face everyday life.
Juliette squealed as she saw her friends enter through the doors on the opposite side of the room, and she pulled at Ezra's hand so that he would follow after her as she ran to meet them. Questionably, Claire and Tristan tagged along as well, wondering, much like Shelby, where she got her unusual peppiness. They thought that everyone at the school hidden so carefully within the thick forest of trees had to be cynical and hide behind angry scowls, but Juliette was none of that, and once they thought about it, none of them really were.
"Hi, guys!" she shrieked, causing Shelby to turn her head and laugh silently.
"You can all hang out or whatever while we go eat with our friends. How about we all just meet back over at the pop machines 11:50 so that we have five minutes before we have to be in class," Luke suggested, as the entire group nodded, showing their affirmation, before the other high schoolers took off, searching for their friends, leaving the Cliffhangers standing and wondering what to do.
David turned to the group, trying to get their attention, and asked, "Anyone up for a real American high school delicacy?" getting all of them to laugh, before they joined the rest of the students in line for lunch.
"Hey, Shel," Scott said simply as he strolled up to the beautiful blonde that stood in front of him in the lunch line. There was something uneasy about her, but he could not quite figure out what it was. "You having fun yet?" he questioned, in a sarcastic, yet curious tone.
"Loads," she replied, smiling.
One by one, the Cliffhangers walked toward a table in the back of the room, however they did not mind its location, as long as they were all able to converse with one another; the people they knew loved and understood them.
The table was round, and each member of the group pulled a chair over to it and sat with their lunches before them. Ezra looked to his right, smiling, happy that Daisy had placed her chair beside him. Shelby was next to her, with her shadow, Scott, at her side. Auggie tossed his tray down and pushed his chair next to Scott, and Juliette followed after him, sitting to his right. David got the most room, as he had grabbed the most food, but his place was between Juliette and Ezra. Juliette did not care to watch him down so much food, so she turned her gaze toward Auggie, who grinned in return.
"What do you think of your noble guides?" Daisy asked Ezra, with a smirk on her face.
Thinking for a moment, he replied, "They are interesting, to say the least."
"That they are...and it doesn't help that Peter stuck me with this bitch, though, does it?" she questioned, elbowing Shelby, who laughed light-heartedly at the comment.
"Yeah, but too bad I couldn't be with you too, though," Scott said to Shelby, smiling.
"There's no way that Peter would ever put you and Shelby in the same group!" Juliette reminded him. "Just like he would never put me with Auggie, right?" she asked Auggie, gently putting her head on his shoulder for a second.
"Sure thing, Jules," she replied.
David looked up from the tray set before him with wide eyes, and said, "Oh my God...This food is bad! I should have known...but it still can't compare to Horizon's." With that remark, his focus returned to his food, as the rest of the group remembered to ignore him.
"Oh, I just want this day to be over," Shelby sighed, propping her head up against the elbow she rested on the table. "This is definitely some strange form of 'cruel and unusual punishment', that's for sure," she finished.
Scott smiled and put his arm around the shoulders of his girlfriend. He loved her so much, and only wished her to always feel safe, protected, and he did his best to do that for her, wherever they were. He hoped that this experience would not destroy her; her spirit; but would, in actuality, make her stronger as a whole. She was already such an amazing person, but there were still demons haunting her every movement.
A few tables away, Tristan and Violet looked over at the table full of misfits. They noticed the bond between the seven people, and the lightness in their laughs, but continued to view them as an eccentric group that deserved everything that had ever happened to them, even though they could not begin to fathom the kind of pain they had all endured. They were different from them, and the different did not have the same rights as they did.
"Look at them," Tristan whispered. "Who do they think they are, walking into this school and acting like they belong here?"
"Oh, come on. They're not all bad. I mean, they did go to high school at one point, just like us," Violet told him, trying to change his mind.
Continuing to focus on the table in the corner, Tristan spoke again. "I don't care what they did before ending up at that loser school. They're not like us, and they shouldn't try to make us think they are. You should have seen that Ezra kid in class today. What a joke."
"But that Scott guy...He's just...fine," Violet responded with a silly tone in her voice.
Noticing the look in her eye, Tristan knew he had to say something. "Don't you be going after him. You'll just get sucked into their world," he warned her.
"Fine, but don't do anything stupid, okay? You're already off to a bad start with Mr. Nelson," she reminded him. "You know he doesn't like your smart-ass attitude anymore than I do."
The two returned the conversation that was holding the attention of the others at their table, and soon forgot about their feelings toward the Cliffhangers. They became engaged in the gossip among the other high school students, and soon, their world was, once again, the size of the head of a pin.
The Cliffhangers walked outside into the fresh air where the warm spring sun gave them a sense of security. Shelby looked around the campus, and she could not help but think of Horizon as she noticed the vast amount of trees that surrounded it. However, it was not the same, and she knew that, though they would only be there for a week, she would never be able to feel the same kind of protection that she felt at her own school.
In the distance, Peter walked cautiously with Mr. Nelson, the principal of Agnes High School. He had told the group that he would be there, but wanted to keep a safe distance from them, afraid that it might ruin the experience if he intervened.
"I think this was a great idea, Peter. Both for your kids, as well as mine," Mr. Nelson told him, smiling.
"I hope so. It's just that the Cliffhangers have been so...emotionally drained lately. They've all been through so much. I just wanted them to remember what it was like before all of it," Peter said, his gaze fixed on the teenagers in front of the large building.
"Or maybe what led them to some of their actions?"
Peter stopped for a second, before moving on. "No, most of their problems came from the interaction with their parents, or what they didn't get from them. School may have been a factor, but it was their upbringing that is the initial aspect in their problems."
"Still, it could be hard on them. After having been kept away for so long and only being around others that are just like them," Mr. Nelson reminded Peter.
"Yeah, I know. But they are strong, and I think this will be good for them. They have each other to turn to. They're like a family, you know? I've never worked with another group like them," Peter said, still watching his kids, smiling as they laughed.
Mr. Nelson could see the pleasure in his eyes at watching them. "So, they are your favorites?" he asked.
"I don't pick favorites...But if I did..." he replied, his voice trailing off.
Across the courtyard, Auggie looked at his watch, casually. "Yo, guys. It's almost time to get back. Maybe we should start walking." They all nodded in agreement, and began to head for the pop machines within the building. They were all "anxious" to get back to their guides, to say the least. Nobody was not having the greatest time, and their leaders were not helping much.
When they got there, Luke was leaning up against one of the machines, with his arms folded across his chest and Claire sitting on the ground near his feet. They did not look happy, nor angry...their faces appeared very calm, almost solemn. It was not long after they approached them that Violet and Tristan came strolling up towards them, smiling, as usual. Fi was the last to show up, but they were not in a big hurry anyway.
"Alright, let's go to class now," Claire stated simply, rising from the floor and walking off in the direction of her class, hoping that the others would follow after her. They all shrugged, and, without saying another word, headed for their next classes.
The hours seemed endless as the school day dragged on, and each made it a point not to listen to the whispers behind them. By the time that they bell rang, they were all relieved. Never before had they been so happy to see that old, banged-up van with Peter waiting inside. His smile offered them so much comfort, and in no time at all, they were squished up inside, ready to head back to the place where they felt safe.
"So, how was Day 1?" Peter asked, throwing the question up into the air, ready for anyone to grab it.
"Can you say...awful?" retorted Ezra. The others chuckled slightly, leading Peter himself to show a small smile.
Scott spoke up from the back seat. "Yeah, I mean...you think that we are the ones with the attitude problems? But it wasn't all that bad. Some of the people I met were alright, and what a football field."
"Well, I am glad you are looking on the bright side, Scott. When we get back, you can go do any homework you have, and we will have group after dinner, alright?" Peter asked, not expecting an answer, seeing as how it was not a debate.
Groans erupted from all corners of the van. "Should have expected that one," Juliette stated simply.
The familiar view of the school soon came into view, as the trees continued to fly past the windows that the students stared out of. They could hear the shouts of their peers within the boundaries, and, though many of the sounds were the same, they knew that Agnes High School could never compare to Mount Horizon High School. Though they knew that there were those in the both environments that were capable of caring, they felt that at Horizon everyone did. They all had the same experiences; they felt each other's pain.
By the time that they filed out of the van, each realized how emotionally weary they were, and headed off to their dorms in near silence. As they walked, Sophie strolled up beside Peter, the two of them watching as the group left.
"How did it go?" Sophie asked, nudging Peter, smiling slightly.
"I'm not exactly sure. When I saw them there, they were laughing and looked like they were having a good time, but now...now I see them and I wonder if maybe I was wrong," he told her, gazing over at the two cabins that now held all the Cliffhangers within. "Maybe I was wrong about this whole thing. Maybe they weren't as ready as I thought."
Sighing, Sophie tried to reassure him that he made the right decision. "I'm sure that they just had a hard day. You know how the first day at a new school can be. There's always pressure. It'll all be better tomorrow, you'll see."
"I hope you're right," Peter said as he put his arm around Sophie's waist and guided her over to the lodge.
Inside the girls' dorm, it was unusually quiet. As soon as they had walked in, Juliette plopped down onto her bed and fell asleep, as the other two chuckled quietly, before lying down on their own beds, with their heads at the end facing each other so they could talk casually.
"I saw the way you looked at Luke," Shelby stated sarcastically, smiling.
Daisy appeared startled. "What are you talking about?"
"And to think...I thought you were beginning to like Ezra..." Shelby continued, ignoring what her friend had just said.
"I do! Luke? Why would I like Luke? I just met him...we didn't even talk or anything," Daisy said, trying to convince Shelby that there was no connection between the two.
"Oh, you know very well that communication is the LAST step in building a relationship. This "Luke" thing...it could be purely physical, although I don't know exactly what any of his 'eye-catching characteristics' would be," Shelby acknowledged.
Sighing, Daisy knew that she could not cover her feelings up. Shelby was her best friend, and it was clear that she would find out the truth eventually, no matter how much she tried to hide them. "I don't know...He just has that...intelligently attractive look to him."
"Understandable...just don't let Ezra catch you looking at him, okay? I know that is the last thing you would want to do," Shelby told her friend.
"Oh, I know. No problem, right?"
Shelby shot Daisy a comforting glance, before turning over and reaching for her notebook to begin some of the homework given that day, and not long after, Daisy followed her lead.
After stepping through the door and throwing their papers and notebooks to the floor, the guys in their cabin went about their relatively normal routine. They sat around silently before someone finally said anything, and it was Scott.
"Man, it felt SO good to get back to the football field."
"I'm sure," Auggie replied. "And I saw Violet checkin' you out."
Scott rolled his eyes. "No way...you don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't let her get to close. She's just messin' with you. They all are, with all of us. It won't be long until they try to start trying to...pry us open," Auggie told Scott, as well as the other two guys in the room. They all had to be careful. It was unclear whether the high schoolers were trustworthy or not, and they knew that they should not risk it.
Following a few moments of silence, they reached to the floor and pulled out their papers to begin the homework due the next day, like the girls. In their minds, they were dreading the dinner that was soon to come, not only because of the food, but also because group was to follow it, and there was no doubt that Peter would begin to explore their feelings about being placed in a situation, that at one time, was familiar to them. Then they thought further ahead, and knew that soon they would all go to bed, and when they awoke, they would have to do it all over again.
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Well?? I hope that you liked it!! :) Please review while you wait for my next chapter!! I will try to get it out before another week goes by!! Sorry about that!! THANKS BUNCHES!!!