ttac13

Juliet – october 10, 2001 -- . . . Kristy is the new girl in the Cliffhangers. She seems all right. She's here because she drank, at least that's all we know of so far. Her mom brought her here straight out of rehab! I don't know how I'll talk to her about drinking. I've only had a glass of champagne at mom's last two weddings. Auggie says she's attractive, but I don't think I have to worry. He did the cutest thing . . .

Shelby --–oct/15/01 . . . The newbie's here and she's in the group. Scott is in lust, big surprise! She's cute and all, and seems pretty cool but her family has money. And money is trouble. Then again, even Jules has started to grow on me. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and try to get to know her. I think I'd rather get along with the girl who might be Scott's next girlfriend . . .

Kristy -- Oct 18, 01 -- … The people in my group don't seem all that bad. Shelby's really cool and I think I'll get along with her. Daisy is a bit eerie but otherwise decent. The other's are pretty much average. And then, there's Scott. He is absolutely gorgeous. I can't picture myself getting very close to him though because that just opens up a huge can of worms …


~

"You certainly made an impression on Scott," Shelby said. She and Kristy were brushing their teeth in the bathroom.
Kristy laughed, "He's nice and everything, but I still feel like I barely know him Shelby."
"You know him better than we did after he was here for a week."
"Maybe but he's been here for months so he's probably more comfortable getting to know people now." Kristy spat in to the sink, "I've known him for two weeks Shelby. I don't hook up with guys that quickly anymore."
Shelby looked at Kristy as she washed her face, "Anymore? What are you talking about?" Kristy pretended like she hadn't heard her and left the room. Shelby growled and followed her in to the bedroom, "Get up Kristy!"
"I'm going to bed Shelby. I'm exhausted. I was at the wall all afternoon learning how to climb," Kristy was sitting on her bed, about to pull the covers over herself.
"No!" Shelby walked up to her bed, "We're going to have a talk. You can't keep dodging questions and changing the subject."
"Shelby, let it go," Daisy intervened quickly. "You guys can talk tomorrow."
Grudgingly Shelby obliged and got in to her own bed, "This conversation is going to happen sooner or later Kristy. You can't stay low, under the radar forever."
"Enough you guys," Daisy switched off the light. "Go to sleep."

~

Kristy woke up early before everyone else the next morning. She figured the rest of the girls wouldn't be up for at least an hour so she pulled on a pair of sweat pants, a fleece jacket and her running shoes. As she walked outside she pulled her hair in to a ponytail. Then she stretched for a minute and started running.
When she ran, she was finally able to clear her head and think. In rehab she wasn't allowed outside unsupervised and had to settle for a treadmill. But it was when she was outside in the fresh air that it really helped.
She did a lap around the lodge and the dorms and headed off for the lake.

~

Scott rolled over in bed, he hadn't slept much. Both Auggie and Ezra had colds, they had kept him up with their coughing half the night.
On top of his noisy roommates keeping him awake, he had been thinking about Kristy. She still hadn't opened up about the problems that had brought her to Horizon. He knew, as well as everyone else there, what could happen when you kept things inside.
There was plenty of time before breakfast so he decided to go down to the lake for a while.

~

Kristy was sitting cross-legged at the end of the dock staring off at the lake. When she felt the footsteps coming towards her, she sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to talk about it Shelby!"
Scott smiled, "Do I look like Shelby to you?" He sat down beside her.
"Isn't there anywhere at this school to be alone?" Kristy asked. "Did she send you here?"
"No one sent me. I couldn't sleep." He dangled his feet over the edge of the dock, "What's your beef with Shel?" Kristy continued to watch the water, but she didn't say anything. Scott nudged her, "You know the whole silent deal only works for so long. Eventually, what ever it is will eat you up inside. And you'll never shut up. It's true, that's what happened to Jules."
"Why is everyone around here so anxious to find out what the hell is wrong with me?"
"Because you can't get help unless you talk about what's wrong."
Kristy scoffed, "How can you be sure that I have problems that need fixing?"
"We all end up here is because we have problems."
"I drink. There you go. They fixed that."
"I believe that. But another thing that I've learned about people at Horizon; there's never just one thing." Scott added, "If they fixed the whole alcohol thing in rehab, why would your parents bring you here too?"
Kristy got up, "They're being thorough."
"That I don't buy."
"You haven't met my father. He's a very thorough man." Kristy looked Scott in the eye for the first time in the conversation, "Scott. I know that you want to help, and I mean this in the nicest way possible; butt out. You can pass that along to Shelby and the others too. I'm going to get breakfast."

~

Kristy was standing in the doorway to Peter's office, "The secretary told me to go to the guidance counselor's office."
"Ha, ha," Peter said. "Come on in."
She took a seat on the couch, "What's the problem?"
"There's no problem. You've been doing really well. This is just your weekly one-on-one session." Peter rested his elbows on his desk, "You did well at the wall yesterday. You're improving."
"Thank you."
"What's happening? Anything I need to know about?" Peter asked. "You weren't very talkative at breakfast."
Kristy played with a throw cushion, "I'm just getting a little sick of them wanting to know everything."
"They just want to get to know you better."
"Well maybe I'm not comfortable letting it all out yet."
Peter reminded her, "Myself, Sophie and the staff know."
"It's in all in my file. You guys found out by default not because I told you."
"What's stopping you from telling the Cliffhangers? Are you embarrassed? It's nothing they haven't heard about before or done themselves."
"I know that. I'm just not used to confiding in people that's all. I've always been more independent. I don't need to lean on people."
"Independence is healthy. But don't confuse it for stubborn self-assurance." He added, "Having a support-system is also a good thing. You can't handle everything on your own. Those kids can identify with you. Talking to them can help. They're in the same boat as you."
Kristy groaned, "When I feel comfortable telling them I will! Until then I wish everyone would just stop pushing me."
Peter raised his hands in surrender, "All right. I just want to say one more thing. You don't have to take an ad out in the paper. You can start slow."
"Next topic?"
"Have you talked to your dad recently?"
Kristy looked at him, "Low blow. Got any more one-liners for me?"
"When did you talk to your parents last?"
"I got an e-mail from my mother. My dad's in Europe again. She didn't ask about the program if that's what you're getting at. She babbled about my grandparents visiting and told me to behave." She crossed her arms, "My dad isn't going to call, Peter. He's still in shock."
"From what?"
She seemed slightly embarrassed. "He voiced his disapproval when he found out I was having sex. But when he came home early from a trip and I was having breakfast in the kitchen with the boy from next door he found out exactly how much sex I was having.
That's when he got really upset."
"How upset?" Peter wondered.
"He didn't say anything, didn't talk to me for a week. I went to rehab two weeks later. We haven't really had a textbook definition conversation since then." She scowled at him, "And don't go telling me that I should try to patch things up on my path to recovery. I don't want to hear it right now. My dad was never around. Before, during and… after."
"Is that why you did it all of it Kristy, because you wanted attention from your parents?"
"Ding, ding, ding." She paused, "At least that's what they told me at the clinic. It's the most logical explanation at least, that I turned to drugs and sex to get my absent parents' attention. A monkey could diagnose this one. Sorry I took all the fun out of it. I've been in counseling for the last month and a half Peter. The whole routine is getting old."
"I know it seems like a chore but I hope eventually you'll see that it's beneficial and change your mind. Time's up, you've got to get to class." Kristy breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the door. "But," Peter added. "Take it easy on them. Listen to what they have to say."
She paused with her hand on the doorknob, "It's my decision." She left.

~

Daisy -- oct, 21, 2001 -- . . . I don't know why they're all trying to persuade Kristy to share all of her secrets. honestly, when the rest of us got here we were just as stubborn as her. I warned them and still they pushed her too far. now she's back in her shell, refusing to talk to any of us . . .

David -- october, 21, 2001 -- . . . The only good thing about Kristy showing up is that she takes a lot of pressure off me. I'm no longer the new kid around here. I hate labels like that. The bad thing is that she's hot, and if it weren't for all the effort I'd put it in with Daisy I might just give Scott a run for his money . . .


~

"What's wrong with Kristy?" Auggie asked. He was in the art room with the rest of the Cliffhangers and a few other students. Scott and Shelby were working together at a desk on one side of the room. Kristy was in the opposite corner and the others were in the middle.
"She's mad at us for asking about her story," Daisy explained.
"Shelby's bugging her, not us," Juliet complained.
Daisy rolled her eyes, "A watched pot never boils."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ezra said.
"If you all keep pressuring her to share her little fairy tale, she won't. She's new. She hasn't realized that the whole process is about opening up and talking." Daisy added, "We've all been there before, you would think we could sympathize and let her learn on her own."
Across the room Shelby and Scott were also discussing Kristy. "Why did you have to go and say something to her?" Shelby hissed.
"Hey, don't give me that."
"Oh I forgot, you're practically in love with her," Shelby remarked sarcastically.
He was quick to defend himself, "I like her and I want to help. Since when is that a crime? What are you, jealous?"
"No I'm not jealous," Shelby growled as she punched Scott on the shoulder. "It's just that now she's pissed at both of us and she's not talking to anyone. You've got to fix it."
"I have to fix it? Jules said you all but dragged Kristy out of her bed last night while you were yelling at her tell talk."
"Juliet exaggerates and you know it."
Scott tapped his pencil on the desk, "I'll try to talk to her again. But you better apologize to her."
"I don't do apologies," Shelby pushed her chair back and got up. "I'm going to get lunch."
Scott stood up a few seconds later and walked towards Kristy.
"What?" Kristy glared at him as he leaned on her desk.
"Are you coming to lunch?" Scott asked in an attempt to be casual.
Kristy got out of her seat, "I'm not eating with you guys." She left as quickly as Shelby had.

~

Kristy -- Oct 21 01 -- … Why don't they understand? I just wish everyone would get off my back. I talk to Peter and Sophie about everything because I really have no choice, they know what's in my file. I just can't tell Shelby, Scott or the others yet . I have no idea how they will react. I don't care if they've been through the same shit, it's my life and I'm not prepared to share it with people I just met …