Author's Note: Thanks for the great replies on the last chapter, I'm so glad that everyone likes this story, and I hope it continues to hold your attention. The next chapter should be out sometime next week. Please, feel free to e-mail me at AngelSDP@aol.com with questions, comments, thoughts...Thanks!
Disclaimer: I'm in no way associated with Higher Ground...
Better Days
"I have walked too long in darkness/I have walked too long alone/blindly clutching fists of diamonds/that I found were only stones"
-Barbra Streisand, "Higher Ground"
Chapter Six
The girls looked up as three trays clattered on the table beside them. Chairs scrapped across the wood floor as Scott, Auggie, and Ezra sat down to breakfast. The latter looked around the room, his brows furrowed in perplexity.
"Hey, where is everyone? I haven't seen Peter or Sophie yet."
Scott leaned towards Juliette, his voice lowered so the others wouldn't hear. "Where were you last night?"
"Haven't you heard?" Daisy answered Ezra's question with a knowing smile. "Shelby ran last night."
Scott looked up as Auggie set down his fork and leaned forward in surprise.
"She what?" Ezra seemed doubtful, but the girl only shrugged.
"You heard me."
"Yeah, they came looking for her after lights out." Juliette added. "They checked the woods, but I think Peter and Roger are looking in town now."
"Man, wherever she is, there's no doubt that Peter will find her. He's got some sixth sense or somethin'."
"I tried running away once."
All eyes turned to Katherine. Scott spoke what they were all silently asking. "You? A runner?"
She nodded earnestly at their skepticism. "Really. It was my first day here, and my parents were still talking with Frank. I made it all the way to the bus station." She stopped then and took a bite of her food.
"Well?" Juliette asked, impatiently waiting for the older girl to continue.
Katherine shrugged. "Peter was waiting for me at the ticket counter. He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking."
Ezra gazed across the room thoughtfully. "I wonder what Shelby was thinking. I never thought of her as a runner." He looked at the group and went on, "Sneaking out, yes, but not running."
"Well," Daisy rose to her feet and picked up her tray. "I guess you never know what's going on behind those exteriors of ours, do you?" She sighed as she spoke the next few words in disgust, "Come on. We've got kitchen clean up.
"Hey man, where are you going? Hey Scott!"
Scott ignored his group members as he hurried past the picnic tables under the late afternoon sun. He entered the main building and knocked hastily on the office door. Upon hearing someone call out, he entered to see Sophie sitting at the desk, a radio in her hand.
"So, did they find her yet?"
The woman only shook her head.
"Well, where's Peter?"
"He and Roger are in town now. They don't even know where to begin looking..."
Her voice sounded tired, but she tried to shake it away as she looked up at him. "What do you need?"
Scott drummed his fingers on the desk nervously, avoiding the counselors questioning eyes.
"I-uh...I-I saw her last night."
Her eyes widened and she sat up in her chair, but she didn't say a word, her silence urging him to continue.
"It was after lights-out and I was coming back from the docks, and - and I saw her." He lifted his head to look at her. "I thought you should know."
"What?" She was on her feet immediately. "Scott, did she say anything to you?"
"No, yes - I mean, she just told me that she was running. And I told her that Peter would just bring her back, but..."
But Sophie was already reaching for the radio. Scott watched her as she called for the counselors.
"What are they going to do?" He asked.
Sophie looked up, her face stern, her eyes filled with worry. "Hopefully find her. Scott, do you realize how dangerous it is out there? She's a young girl out in the woods, out in the streets..."
"What was I gonna do, huh?" His voice grew loud in defense as he gestured out the window. "What, was I supposed to stop her from running? She was gonna find a way out somehow, and she wasn't about to listen to me."
"Well you should have told us." She replied, her voice softening. "You should have told us immediately."
The boy lifted his head higher. "I'm sorry, okay? But if she wanted to run, that's her deal. I just told you 'cause I thought you should know.
"Well, thank you." Sophie sighed, the exhaustion appearing in her tone and face once again. Scott nodded and glanced at the radio before exiting the room. She heard the soft click of the door as it closed behind the adolescent. Sitting back in Peter's desk chair, she turned to the window and waited.
The slam of the door caused the woman to look up from the file before her. Seeing the look on Peter's face, she stood immediately.
"Well?"
The man shook his head, his expression grim. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the back of a chair. "We've been looking all over town. We don't even know where to go next; she could be anywhere." He crossed to the window, hands on his hips.
Sophie followed him with her eyes. "The sun's starting to go down."
His head shook in acknowledgment, but he didn't turn. "Did you notify Shelby's mother?"
"She's on her way up. She should be here tomorrow afternoon."
Finally Peter turned to look at her, a forced smile on his face. "Thanks, Soph."
She nodded in return before asking, "So what do we do now?"
Peter sighed as he took a seat at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and shrugged, his palms lifted up in a gesture of defeat. "I don't know. I don't even know where to look anymore, Soph. The woods? This area stretches for miles, and the town..." his voice faded as he suddenly sat up and reached for his jacket.
Alarmed, the counselor reached for him. "Peter, where are you going?"
"I'm going back out there."
"Didn't you hear me?" She asked sternly. "The sun is going down."
The man's voice rose as he gestured out the window, "And she's still out there!"
She watched him incredulously, her eyes widened. "Peter, do you even hear yourself? I know that you're upset, but you're also tired and worn out. Going back out there at this time won't do you or Shelby any good; you said so yourself. You know Shelby, Peter. You won't find her unless she wants to be found."
"But it's my job Soph." The helplessness in his voice didn't go undetected as his tension increased. "It's my job. I pick them up when they fall, and I bring them back when they run."
"No." Sophie responded with as much exasperation. "No, your job is to help them. You give those kids second chances and it's up to them to choose whether or not they want to take them." Sophie lowered her voice and watched Peter. He avoided her gaze, but he stood in silence. "It won't be helping either of you to go out like this, not now." She held her breath, hoping for a positive reaction from him.
The man took one final glance towards the window before dropping his coat back onto the chair. Sophie nodded to herself. "She's a good kid, Peter. And though she may not exactly show it, you taught her a lot."
"Yeah, well where does all that leave her now?" He muttered as he took a seat again.
"We'll go out first thing in the morning." Sophie reached out to touch his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll go tell Roger and the others."
As the door clicked shut behind her, Peter leaned forward and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion and defeat, his mind whirling with thoughts. Shelby's file lay open before him. He glanced down at the papers and leaned back in his chair.
Behind him the sun was setting, and night was beginning to take form. Hours had passed and he felt defeated, worn, and helpless. He wondered if tomorrow would bring any luck.
A light knock sounded on his door. Peter barely looked up. "Come in!" He called out.
The door opened and a meek voice, unfamiliar to him, uttered a word, causing him to look up from the file immediately.
"Peter."
Disclaimer: I'm in no way associated with Higher Ground...
Better Days
"I have walked too long in darkness/I have walked too long alone/blindly clutching fists of diamonds/that I found were only stones"
-Barbra Streisand, "Higher Ground"
Chapter Six
The girls looked up as three trays clattered on the table beside them. Chairs scrapped across the wood floor as Scott, Auggie, and Ezra sat down to breakfast. The latter looked around the room, his brows furrowed in perplexity.
"Hey, where is everyone? I haven't seen Peter or Sophie yet."
Scott leaned towards Juliette, his voice lowered so the others wouldn't hear. "Where were you last night?"
"Haven't you heard?" Daisy answered Ezra's question with a knowing smile. "Shelby ran last night."
Scott looked up as Auggie set down his fork and leaned forward in surprise.
"She what?" Ezra seemed doubtful, but the girl only shrugged.
"You heard me."
"Yeah, they came looking for her after lights out." Juliette added. "They checked the woods, but I think Peter and Roger are looking in town now."
"Man, wherever she is, there's no doubt that Peter will find her. He's got some sixth sense or somethin'."
"I tried running away once."
All eyes turned to Katherine. Scott spoke what they were all silently asking. "You? A runner?"
She nodded earnestly at their skepticism. "Really. It was my first day here, and my parents were still talking with Frank. I made it all the way to the bus station." She stopped then and took a bite of her food.
"Well?" Juliette asked, impatiently waiting for the older girl to continue.
Katherine shrugged. "Peter was waiting for me at the ticket counter. He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking."
Ezra gazed across the room thoughtfully. "I wonder what Shelby was thinking. I never thought of her as a runner." He looked at the group and went on, "Sneaking out, yes, but not running."
"Well," Daisy rose to her feet and picked up her tray. "I guess you never know what's going on behind those exteriors of ours, do you?" She sighed as she spoke the next few words in disgust, "Come on. We've got kitchen clean up.
"Hey man, where are you going? Hey Scott!"
Scott ignored his group members as he hurried past the picnic tables under the late afternoon sun. He entered the main building and knocked hastily on the office door. Upon hearing someone call out, he entered to see Sophie sitting at the desk, a radio in her hand.
"So, did they find her yet?"
The woman only shook her head.
"Well, where's Peter?"
"He and Roger are in town now. They don't even know where to begin looking..."
Her voice sounded tired, but she tried to shake it away as she looked up at him. "What do you need?"
Scott drummed his fingers on the desk nervously, avoiding the counselors questioning eyes.
"I-uh...I-I saw her last night."
Her eyes widened and she sat up in her chair, but she didn't say a word, her silence urging him to continue.
"It was after lights-out and I was coming back from the docks, and - and I saw her." He lifted his head to look at her. "I thought you should know."
"What?" She was on her feet immediately. "Scott, did she say anything to you?"
"No, yes - I mean, she just told me that she was running. And I told her that Peter would just bring her back, but..."
But Sophie was already reaching for the radio. Scott watched her as she called for the counselors.
"What are they going to do?" He asked.
Sophie looked up, her face stern, her eyes filled with worry. "Hopefully find her. Scott, do you realize how dangerous it is out there? She's a young girl out in the woods, out in the streets..."
"What was I gonna do, huh?" His voice grew loud in defense as he gestured out the window. "What, was I supposed to stop her from running? She was gonna find a way out somehow, and she wasn't about to listen to me."
"Well you should have told us." She replied, her voice softening. "You should have told us immediately."
The boy lifted his head higher. "I'm sorry, okay? But if she wanted to run, that's her deal. I just told you 'cause I thought you should know.
"Well, thank you." Sophie sighed, the exhaustion appearing in her tone and face once again. Scott nodded and glanced at the radio before exiting the room. She heard the soft click of the door as it closed behind the adolescent. Sitting back in Peter's desk chair, she turned to the window and waited.
The slam of the door caused the woman to look up from the file before her. Seeing the look on Peter's face, she stood immediately.
"Well?"
The man shook his head, his expression grim. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the back of a chair. "We've been looking all over town. We don't even know where to go next; she could be anywhere." He crossed to the window, hands on his hips.
Sophie followed him with her eyes. "The sun's starting to go down."
His head shook in acknowledgment, but he didn't turn. "Did you notify Shelby's mother?"
"She's on her way up. She should be here tomorrow afternoon."
Finally Peter turned to look at her, a forced smile on his face. "Thanks, Soph."
She nodded in return before asking, "So what do we do now?"
Peter sighed as he took a seat at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and shrugged, his palms lifted up in a gesture of defeat. "I don't know. I don't even know where to look anymore, Soph. The woods? This area stretches for miles, and the town..." his voice faded as he suddenly sat up and reached for his jacket.
Alarmed, the counselor reached for him. "Peter, where are you going?"
"I'm going back out there."
"Didn't you hear me?" She asked sternly. "The sun is going down."
The man's voice rose as he gestured out the window, "And she's still out there!"
She watched him incredulously, her eyes widened. "Peter, do you even hear yourself? I know that you're upset, but you're also tired and worn out. Going back out there at this time won't do you or Shelby any good; you said so yourself. You know Shelby, Peter. You won't find her unless she wants to be found."
"But it's my job Soph." The helplessness in his voice didn't go undetected as his tension increased. "It's my job. I pick them up when they fall, and I bring them back when they run."
"No." Sophie responded with as much exasperation. "No, your job is to help them. You give those kids second chances and it's up to them to choose whether or not they want to take them." Sophie lowered her voice and watched Peter. He avoided her gaze, but he stood in silence. "It won't be helping either of you to go out like this, not now." She held her breath, hoping for a positive reaction from him.
The man took one final glance towards the window before dropping his coat back onto the chair. Sophie nodded to herself. "She's a good kid, Peter. And though she may not exactly show it, you taught her a lot."
"Yeah, well where does all that leave her now?" He muttered as he took a seat again.
"We'll go out first thing in the morning." Sophie reached out to touch his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll go tell Roger and the others."
As the door clicked shut behind her, Peter leaned forward and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion and defeat, his mind whirling with thoughts. Shelby's file lay open before him. He glanced down at the papers and leaned back in his chair.
Behind him the sun was setting, and night was beginning to take form. Hours had passed and he felt defeated, worn, and helpless. He wondered if tomorrow would bring any luck.
A light knock sounded on his door. Peter barely looked up. "Come in!" He called out.
The door opened and a meek voice, unfamiliar to him, uttered a word, causing him to look up from the file immediately.
"Peter."