Scott -- 28 feb, 2002 -- . . . I can't believe that I'll be 18 years old tomorrow. I could leave Horizon if I wanted to. Man, when I first got here all I wanted to do was leave but now my priorities are changing. It's not about being able to do what I want anymore it's about getting help. I didn't have the guts to stay away when I was with Shelby. Now I don't want to be away from Kristy . . .
*
Scott rolled over on to his side and mumbled something in his sleep the second Kristy sat on the edge of his bed Friday morning. She jumped a little and stood up instead. When she tapped his shoulder he grunted and sniffed. She shook his shoulder gently.
"Scott?" Kristy whispered. His eyes flickered open and he smiled. "Shh," she put her finger to her lips. "Get up."
Scott climbed out of bed and rubbed his eyes. He pulled some clothes from his dresser and gestured for Kristy to follow him in to the bathroom. "You're crazy!" he said quietly as soon as the door was shut.
"Listen to you, the one who breaks in to the waterfront shed so we can make out, is telling me I shouldn't have snuck in here to wake you up on your birthday."
"A good crazy," Scott smiled. "Come here."
Kristy pushed him against the bathroom door and kissed him, "Happy Birthday."
"Thank you," Scott blushed. "I've got to change."
"I'm not going back out there until we're going outside. I didn't think you were shy Scott."
He pulled his undershirt over his head, "Happy?" She nodded her head. Then he put on a white T-shirt and pulled a pair of sweatpants over his boxer shorts. "Let's get out of here," Scott told her softly after he had put on a navy blue sweatshirt.
He held her hand and pulled her towards the door. Kristy giggled as Auggie snored loudly, Scott pulled his winter jacket off a hook and led Kristy outside. "You're cute when you're worried," Kristy teased him as they started walking towards the lodge.
"I'm not worried. The guys are all heavy sleepers. Especially Auggie, you should see what we go through every day trying to wake that kid up." He added, "Besides, they wouldn't tell on us. But if Petey or Sophie caught us we'd be on kitchens separately for weeks."
"Stop talking birthday boy," Kristy pulled him through the lodge and in to the study hall. "Open your present."
"You didn't have to."
She laughed, "I'm putting you through the whole hellish meet the parents'
routine on your birthday of all days. How could I not give you anything?
Besides once my parents get here I won't feel much like celebrating. I
figured this morning was the only chance I had."
Scott sat down at the round table in front of the box wrapped in newspaper comics. Kristy sat in the chair next to him watching while he opened his present. "Kristy!" he said quietly as he pulled a camera from the tissue paper. "This is too much."
"It is not! I noticed how you always putz with that really old one in the arts and crafts cabin. This one's used so it wasn't a lot of money." She crinkled her face, "Don't you like it?"
He smiled, "I do! It's awesome, it's just a surprise. I wasn't expecting anything."
"Well it's the thought that counts," she joked. It was obvious that she had put a lot of though in to the gift. "It's already got a roll of film in it," she told him when he started fiddling with all the pieces.
"Really?" he aimed the camera at her.
"No way," she cried. "It's way to early for pictures." He snapped one anyway.
*
Scott and Kristy reached the cliffhanger table and the rest of their team all wished Scott a happy birthday. He smiled and sat down.
"This is for you," Shelby said quietly as she passed him a 'Photography For Dummies' book with a bow on it. "It sounded just right for you."
"Very funny," he flipped through the pages. "This is cool Shel. Thanks a lot."
Juliet beamed as she handed him a small blue box, "This is from the rest of us." Inside there were five rolls of film.
"Thanks guys." He added, "I had no idea you guys were planning anything."
Auggie smiled brightly, "You ain't seen nothin' yet meat."
*
"When do they get here?" Scott asked.
Kristy asked distractedly, "Huh?"
"You're clicking that pencil like it's you're job. What time are you're parents coming?"
She replied, "Peter said they'd be here by late afternoon."
"Are you nervous?"
"I think I'm going to throw up," she said quietly before going back to her English homework.
*
"Scott?" Peter called him from his office doorway. "Can you come in here for a second?"
"Come on man, it's lunchtime. I've gotta help clean the cabin," Scott said.
Peter cleared his throat, "It won't take long."
"Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" he said when he walked in to the office and noticed that Sophie was there too.
"You aren't in trouble," Sophie laughed. "We just wanted to wish you a happy birthday."
"But you guys were there in the lunchroom when they did the whole cake and song deal."
Peter nodded his head, "But we didn't have a chance to give you this." He pointed to a gift wrapped box.
Scott opened it slowly, "Wow, thanks a lot. This is really nice you guys." It was a black leather photo album. "Is there anyone at Horizon that didn't know what Kristy was getting me?"
"Not really," Peter answered.
*
Kristy was cleaning the girls' cabin with a lot more effort than the others, her parents would arrive in just a few hours and she wanted the disappointments to be minimal. "Kristy," Shelby said as she made her bed. "You've swept the floor twice!"
"Sorry," Kristy replied quietly. She put the broom in the closet in the bathroom where it belonged and started putting clothes and towels in the laundry hamper.
"Stop cleaning girl," Shelby said to her when she came in the bathroom after her. "They didn't put you in boot camp. The place doesn't have to be spotless."
"Cut me some slack Shel," Kristy sighed. "I haven't seen them since October."
Shelby snorted, "Our room is the cleanest it's ever been. Please just sit down and relax for a second."
"She's right," Juliet said in a singsong voice as she walked in and started brushing her teeth at one of the sinks. "You're going to have a big night. Sit back and relax while you can."
Kristy rolled her eyes behind Juliet's back and walked towards the door, "Fine, I'll stop cleaning." She walked outside and knocked on the door to the boys' cabin.
"Hey," Dave opened the door and called out to Scott when he noticed who it was.
"What's up?" Scott asked when he met her at the door.
She blew hair out of her face, "They're driving me crazy over there. I'm trying to clean and they're telling me to stop. If Juliet tells me one more time what a big night I'm going to have I'll kick her in the teeth."
"They just want to –"
She finished to him. "They just want to help, I know. But it's annoying. Are you done cleaning?"
"Pretty much. Let's get out of here."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the steps, "Let's get out of here. I just want to have a couple of minutes with a normal person before my parental units get here."
"You think I'm normal?" Scott smiled.
"Sometimes." They had reached the parking lot when Kristy stopped in her tracks as she noticed a car coming down the driveway.
Scott noticed the look on her face, "Is that them?"
"I don't know," Kristy replied. The red sports car was causing a cloud of dust as it sped in to the lot and took up two spaces. A man with light brown hair got out of the car and looked around.
"Shit," Scott said quietly.