ttac1 "Okay everyone, tonight's topic is parents," Peter said happily. The Cliffhangers were assembled for group and they didn't seem too pleased with him. Kristy glared at him, a few others sighed and got comfortable. This was going to be interesting. "I want you all to pick one word that reminds you of your parents. We'll start with Ezra."
Ezra was never pleased with going first, "Uhh, split?" He looked sideways at Daisy.
"Hopeful," she said.
David looked towards Peter and Sophie, "Do I have to?" They nodded at him. "Opposites."
"Unreasonable," Juliet replied quickly.
Auggie smiled, he was one of the few of them that got along with his parents most of the time, "I don't know. Misunderstanding."
Scott stalled for a second, "Deaf."
Kristy looked Peter in the eye, "Delusional."
"Sad," Shelby muttered.
Peter stoked the fire, "That wasn't so hard was it? Now I want you all to explain why you picked that word." They all groaned, "Oh come on. You knew that was going to happen. Ez?"
"I think it's pretty obvious. My parents are split on absolutely everything, not to mention literally."
Daisy leaned back against the couch, "I said hopeful because there's always room for change. It took my mom's death for my father to get better. And now I'm hopeful that we might actually get along."
David was a little more forth coming this time, "Opposites. They live on opposite sides of the country, they both treat me differently and I have absolutely no idea how two people so different from each other could actually link up and try to bring a person in to the world."
"My mom expects too much from me and puts all this pressure on me. That's totally unreasonable because I'm young and she's supposed to help me out and make me feel better about myself. Not totally delete my self-confidence," Juliet smiled at Peter, proud of herself.
"My parents are misunderstanding because they just don't get me. They didn't understand when I did badly in school, why I tagged or other stuff I do. But they try, at least now they do."
Scott explained, "My dad is the deaf one. My mom listens to me but before she didn't hear me when I wanted help. Now, my dad is deaf because he won't believe anything I say. He doesn't trust me any more."
"They're delusional because they thought if they spoiled me and let me do what I wanted to I'd like them for it. They thought if I went here I'd get fixed, like right away."
Shelby replied tiredly, "Sad because I'm not their little girl anymore."

~

Most of the students at Horizon were crowded in to the main room of the lodge. Jonathan was at the front of the room trying to get some of the students to take part in a game of charades but no one seemed interested.
"Have you heard from your parents lately?" Scott asked. He and Kristy were away from the others, sitting on the floor in a corner.
"Have you?" Kristy replied instantly.
Scott frowned at her. He knew exactly what she was doing, "I talked to my mom last week. My dad called the week before that. I told you about it at the dock. When did you talk to them last?"
"You know my dad is not going to call," Kristy said to him. "My mom called yesterday. I think that's why Peter brought up the whole parent deal in group last night."
"What did she want?"
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Kristy gave him a warning look.
Scott defended himself, "I'm only curious. What did your mom want?"
"She wanted me to go on a cruise with her over Christmas," Kristy had a pained look on her face.
Scott tapped her knee, "That sounds cool. What's wrong with it?"
"Think about it. Even if it were just my mom and I it would be bad, she wouldn't know what to do with me. It's not like I'd follow her around to go see all the sites. I'd probably just sit around at the pool or go see the beaches." She added, "But it's not going to be the two of us. She's bringing her friend Lilly. She's the most stifling woman in the world and she probably tells my mom to drown me like an unwanted puppy. Besides that my mom suggested Lilly bring her daughter Tracey. We went to school together, she's exactly like her mom. She made my life miserable."
"So did you say you wouldn't go?" Scott asked.
Kristy shook her head, "I asked her if I could bring a friend from here and she totally spazzed. She's assuming that I'll bring some alcoholic, drug dependent, nymphomaniac and embarrass her. That's when I hung up on her."
"Seriously?" Kristy nodded. "That probably wasn't the best thing to do."
"Don't lecture me," she growled at him. "That's Peter's job." She got up and walked out of the room. Scott sighed and decided to stay put. He wasn't going to run after her this time.

~

Shelby -- nov/5/01 -- . . . Why do I always have to take care of things between Kristy and Scott? Because I'm a pushover that's why. They're both moping around, being stubborn. Both of them refusing to give in. They're bugging the hell out of me. This has to stop . . .

David -- november, 5, 2001 -- … I cannot believe that Scott still hasn't hooked up with Kristy. I mean with her history I figured she would have moved pretty quickly. But then again this place is totally unpredictable and so are the people in it. Normally they're always around each other but in the last day or two they haven't talked much …


~

"If you'd kiss him this would all be over and done with," Shelby said out of nowhere. It was lunchtime and Kristy and Shelby were sitting away from the rest of the Cliffhangers.
"What?" Kristy asked as she pushed food around on her plate.
Shelby sniffed, "Please. You're peeking at him every five minutes."
"Who?" Kristy asked pretending not to care.
"Scott. Don't play stupid with me." Shelby looked her in the eye, "What are you afraid of?
Kristy shifted uncomfortably, "Getting hurt. I'm not the relationship type Shelby. What if I start caring about him and I get hurt? What if he hurts me?"
"You're eighteen years old Kristy. People our age are supposed to get hurt. This is a learning process." Shelby added, "Besides, Scott would never hurt you on purpose." Kristy glanced over shoulder. "Just talk to him already."

~

Scott walked up to the kitchen and checked the schedule. He saw that Kristy was working with him and frowned. They hadn't talked since the night of the terrible charades game. Normally he had kitchen duty with Auggie, he figured someone was behind the switch.
Kristy walked in to the kitchen a second later and avoided eye contact until they bumped in to each other while putting on their aprons.
"I'm sorry!" Kristy cried all of the sudden. Scott was so taken by surprise that he dropped one of the plastic cups on the floor, making them both jump. "I'm sorry," Kristy repeated. "I'm pissed off at my mom and since she's not here I'm taking it out on you. She thinks a few weeks here will make everything better but it won't. And I hate that you're not talking to me, because it's all my fault and I miss the dock and regardless of Shelby I'm lonely." By then she was out of breath and staring at a tray of dirty plates, completely embarrassed. "I miss you Scott."
He stared at her blankly for a few seconds, "Come here." He took the tray from her and set it down, then pulled her towards him.
Kristy put her head against his chest and started to cry. "It's my fault too," Scott whispered to her as he put his arms around her. "I was pushing you again."
Kristy lifted her head up. "Do you forgive me?" she asked sheepishly.
"Of course."
"Good, because I've been wanting to do this all week," she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I'm so sorry."
Scott wiped a tear off her cheek, "Stop apologizing. It's all right. I mean it." This time he kissed her, it was longer than before. "Um, we should do some dishes now if we're going to get out of here before lights out."

~

"What's the deal then?" Scott asked, he and Kristy had walked back to the dorms hand in hand. Now they had stopped at the point where they had to split up.
"Hmm?"
"Tomorrow morning, Kristy. Is it going to be like it always was; we're together at the dock or in study hall but then everyone wakes up and it's platonic? Or does tonight change anything?"
Kristy hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, "Tonight changes everything. We'll let everyone figure it out at breakfast."
"Sounds good to me," Scott was beaming from ear to ear.
"I'm not going to meet you tomorrow." Kristy explained, "I'm not going to get any sleep tonight."
Scott looked a little disappointed but there was a compromise, "Will you come and get me before you go to breakfast? We'll walk to the lodge together."
Kristy giggled at him and started walking towards the girls' dorm, "Are you going to carry my books for me too?" She stopped at the door, "I'll come and meet you."

~

"How was it in the kitchen?" Shelby asked Kristy as she brushed her hair out in the bathroom.
Kristy faked annoyance, "I suppose I have you to thank for the switch in the schedule."
"What? It didn't go well?"
"It was so embarrassing. I was practically a puddle on the floor Shel. I let it all out and told him how I feel," Kristy was so close to breaking, but she wanted to tease Shelby a little longer. "He didn't say anything."
Shelby stopped what she was doing, "I didn't think that things would go like that at all."
That's when Kristy lost it. "Shelby, you should see the look on your face," she managed to say in between bursts of laughter. "I apologized. I told him the truth, and then I kissed him… A few times."
"You must think you're hilarious," Shelby smiled and pushed Kristy gently. "If after all that you two still aren't going out I'll kick your ass."
Kristy put her toothbrush away, "We are, relax."

~

Daisy -- nov , 7, 2001 -- . . . What a relief. Kristy and Scott finally bit the bullet and got together. It will be interesting to see how much Scott changes, or whether he actually acts like himself. Hopefully this won't be a repeat of him and Shelby. He forgot she had a shady past until they went out, don't get me wrong. They went well for a while but their relationship didn't survive outside of Horizon . . .

~

Scott woke up on Thursday morning and smiled to himself. It may have only been two days but they had been friends longer before that. He wanted to do something special for her. He could see that she was stressing about her mom and things in general.
"Hey Petey can I talk to you for a second?" Scott asked as he knocked on the door to the office after breakfast.
Peter waved him in, "What can I do for you?"
"It's really important," Scott said hopefully.
"Out with it."
Scott replied quickly, "I want to take Kristy out, on a date."
"I'm sorry Scott, I can't allow that."
"Why not? We're both old enough for off-campus privileges."
Peter shook his head, "Kristy's old enough but she hasn't been here long enough to leave with out full supervision."
"Please Peter?" Scott begged. "I have to do this for her!"
Peter frowned, "I can't let her off the grounds with out a supervisor. Unless you feel like doubling with Sophie and I you're out of luck. Why is this so important to you?"
"I want to show her that I'm serious about this."
"It didn't work out with Shelby or Juliet, what makes you so sure this time will be any different?"
Scott smiled, "Third time's a charm."
Peter sighed, "It's only been a few days. Do you think that might scare her off? After all didn't she tell you that she was new to this sort of thing? I really think you should take things slowly here Scott. "
"They pay you to tell me that," Scott sighed.
"Sort of." Peter added, "But in this case it's also the best advice I can offer. If you want to do something nice for Kristy, just be there for her. She's upset about her mom and the whole Christmas thing, whether she says so or not."
"Yea, she won't talk about it much but I can tell she's not happy."

~

Kristy – Nov 8 01 -- … I wish they would get off my back about Christmas. Of course I'm going to turn down the trip. It's not even worth putting up with my mother and Lilly just to see the Caribbean . I already went with her when I was in grade four. Of course I'm not going to Aunt Judy's, so I guess I'll be here …

Scott -- 8 nov, 2001 -- . . . I hate it when she won't open up to me. I can put up with it when it's about really tough stuff. But complaining about her parents!? That's nothing. Peter's right about dinner though. I think that would intimidate her for sure. I don't want her to get cold feet and back out now . . .


~

"Hey," Scott said quietly as he sat down in study hall on Friday morning before breakfast. Kristy looked up at him and went back to the computer. "What's the matter with you?"
Kristy turned the screen off, "E-mail from my mom."
"What did she say?"
"She's angry that I won't go on the trip. But she wants a list of things I want for Christmas," Kristy said cynically. "Still thinks material goods are going to make me clean again. I could ask for nothing and she'll still send half of Saks."
Scott smiled, "I'm only going home for five days. Luckily I'll only be at my dad's for two."
"At least your dad will talk to you," Kristy scoffed.
Scott reminded her, "Barely."
"Don't brag or anything," she teased him.
"We've still got plenty of time until Christmas anyway. Want to get out of here?" Scott stood up.
Kristy got up too, "And go where? Breakfast won't be ready for fifteen minutes. It's too cold out."
"I'll keep you warm," Scott whispered suggestively as he pulled her towards him and hugged her.
Kristy nuzzled her head between his neck and shoulder, "Jonathon's going to come back and check any minute."
"Live dangerously," Scott told her.
"Been there, done that. Ended up in here."