I haven't updated this story for quite awhile, but I got some ideas. I hope the interest wasn't lost.


The next morning Sydney forgot where she was. She reached for her bear, which seemed to be her only source of comfort. She took a few deep breaths and remembered where she was. She sat half-way up in bed and looked around the room at her sleeping roommates. She remembered what had happened the night before and felt embarrassed. She knew she didn't need to be but she still was.

At breakfast Sydney had reverted back to not speaking. She was ashmaed of her life and didn't feel like talking anymore. She didn't think anyone would listen, either. She was having a hard time adjusting, harder than she thought. And Shelby wasn't making it any easier. Sydney didn't want to say anything but she thought it was more than Scott that was bothering her. To her, they were getting along fine. But then, again, it was only her second meal with them.
"So, why is she not talking again?" Scott asked.
"I don't know, why don't you ask her," Shelby said, giggling.
"Give her a break, man. Its barely her first day," Auggie said. Sydney looked gratefully at him.
Shelby ignored Auggie and kept pestering Sydney. "So, what can I say that will get you to talk?" Shelby pretended to think. "Oh, I know. What if I told the table about what you told us last night? Would you talk?"
Sydney looked at her pleadingly. She wouldn't give in to Shelby's bullying.
"Lets see...what if I told about your problems in high school? No, we all have problems. What about demanding perfect grades? No, Juliette's mother is already like that. Oh, I know. What if I told about how you killed your mother?"
Hurt and embarrassed, Sydney looked down, trying not to cry.
"Whoa, Shel, you've gone too far this time," Scott said.
Shelby whipped her head around and glared at him. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"
"Nobody's, but you should let up on her."
"Whatever. I wasn't lying, though. She-" Shelby began.
"Shelby, stop. We don't want to hear it, okay?" Scott interrupted. Shelby narrowed her eyes at Scott but remained quiet. Sydney couldn't take it anymore, jumped up, and left. Shelby watched her go with no remorse on her face.
"I don't get you, Shelby. Why do you always have to pick on the sensitive ones?" Juliette asked, then followed Sydney.
"Thats it, they're too sensitive. They need to lighten up."
"You just need to leave them alone. They're dealing with their own problems right now and don't need you creating new ones," Kat said. At that Shelby herself got angry and left. She went to the docks. She expected Scott to follow her, but he didn't.
"Thanks, Kat. I don't know what's wrong with her," Scott said.
"Talk to her, see whats wrong."
"You're forgetting that she doesn't tell me about her life. Its a big secret. I'm not supposed to know anything about her." Now Scott left.
"Isn't this a great morning," Daisy said. Ezra and Kat nodded in agreement.

In the room Sydney lay on her bed, crying into her pillow and holding her bear tightly. She heard footsteps then the bed shifted. Juliette put a hand on her shoulder. Sydney sat up and brought her knees to her chest. Her eyes were red and had tear streaks across her face. Juliette felt bad for her. Shelby had never hurt her this much before. It was strange to see that Shelby could break someone else down easier than her.
"Sydney, I don't know what to say. Shelby has bullied before, but she's never crossed the line like that," Juliette said. Sydney had so much to say, and she knew that Juliette was someone she could trust, but there was still that old fear deep down.
Finally, after a few moments: "What is it about me that makes me such an easy target? It seems that no matter where I go, people always make fun of me, nobody cares, and they make fun of me because of my past. Why? I've never done anything to Shelby, to nobody. All I've done is be alive. Its not my fault that my mom killed herself because she didn't like my grades. Its not my fault my father beat me. It is my fault that I turned to drugs and stuff. But why must everyone I meet make fun of me because of all of it? What have I ever done to deserve any of this?" Sydney choked out, barely able to talk. It brought tears to Juliette's own eyes and she hugged Sydney for a long time.

Scott had gone to the courts and was shooting some hoops. He played against himself, pretending he had someone else trying to get the ball away. He dodged the pretend player and ran all over the court. He would always did that when he was angry, to let off some steam. He didn't do it using the football, because he knew he would look silly doing it. He didn't understand Shelby. What could be so bad that she couldn't tell him? He told her everything about his life, and she could barely say that she had turned to prostitution after her step-father molested her. He knew it was hard stuff to deal with, but he didn't understand why she couldn't be more open with him. He didn't want to keep bugging her and make her turn away completely, but he didn't see how a relationship could work if there were secrets like that. Shelby was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he couldn't bear losing her. He resolved that he would try his hardest to not bug her about it, to let her come to him. Feeling slightly better, he went back to the dorm to take a shower.

Shelby sat at the edge of the docks, dangling her feet in the water. It was such a beautiful place just to sit and think. Especially today. The sky barely had any clouds, yet the sun wasn't extremely bright. There was a cool breeze that made the water ripple. The forest was a perfect background for the lake. It seemed like a backdrop for a play or movie. Shelby didn't go to the lake to enjoy the scenery, though. She had a lot on her mind, lots of painful memories were coming back and Shelby wanted to clear her mind a little. She didn't want to cry in front of the others. To her, tears were a sign of weakness and Shelby wasn't weak. When she tried to keep in her emotions, she tended to be rude. She knew she was horrible to Sydney and felt horrible about it. She'd apologize later, but right now she had to figure out how she could get through the next two days.


Next: what is bothering Shelby so much. Hope y'all enjoyed it since its been so long. Please review!