Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Higher Ground characters. I do however own Chase, Kara, and anyone else you don't recognize. Please don't sue.
AN: My heart goes out to anyone who was in any way affected by the events on September 11, 2001. I was deeply hurt by the tragedy, although I live in Canada. This fanfic won't have any mention of the events, partly because I don't know that I could handle writing about them. Thanks for the great reviews so far! They are much appreciated.
Second Chances
Chapter 2
Shelby lay on her bed, letting salty tears slide down her face. She was too weak to hold them in any longer, and she knew it might help wash away some of the pain. With the bracelet Scott had given her still on her right wrist, and her rock clutched in her left hand, Shelby stared up at her ceiling. The glow-in-the-dark stars that were plastered there weren't going to be enough to calm the teenager tonight. She needed something real, something she hadn't felt since she had left Horizon. She needed love.
Suddenly the phone rang, and the deafening noise clattered in Shelby's head. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing the pain away. She opened them to a soft knock on her door.
"Shel, the phone's for you." Jessica, Shelby's little sister said from the doorway. Jess flicked on the ceiling light and Shelby's arm immediately shielded her eyes, blocking out the stinging, artificial light. "I think it's a guy." Jess continued, handing her sister the phone. Just from looking at her sister's tear stained face and puffy eyes, Jess could tell Shelby wouldn't have been able to catch the phone if she had tossed it. Shelby wiped tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, embarrassed.
"Hello?" Shelby said into the phone, her voice cracking. Jess left the room and closed the door behind her.
"Hey Shel, are you ok?" Scott's voice filled Shelby's head and she couldn't help smiling.
"Uh yeah, I just had a bad day," she replied, unable to lie to the one guy who she knew truly loved her.
"You wanna tell me what happened?" Scott asked, concerned.
"I trusted someone I shouldn't have trusted." She stated simply.
"Who?" Scot asked. Shelby hesitated.
"Kara. It turns out she had a thing for you, and she was using me to get info on you." Shelby pushed a stubborn strand of hair off her face. "I should have known."
"Shel, there's no way you could have detected that. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Scott asked hopefully. He hated to hear Shelby so hurt. So betrayed. Scott adjusted his position on the chair in Peter's office. He would have used the phone in the other room, but it was already occupied. Peter had made an exception for Scott, knowing he would be phoning Shelby.
"Just hearing your voice is helping." Shelby admitted. "It's not the same without you and the rest of the Cliffhangers. If I was at Horizon, nothing like this would have bothered me."
"If you were at Horizon, nothing like this would have happened."
As they talked, Shelby started to relax. The pain of betrayal and loneliness that had seeped into her veins was slowly leaking out, and being replaced by happiness and warmth.
"How was your day?" Shelby asked after a while of explaining her day's events.
"It was ok I guess. There's a newbie coming on Monday." Scott replied, running a hand through his hair.
"I bet Queenie's just loving that!" Shelby replied with a little chuckle. "Guys or girl?" she asked.
"Guy. He said he wouldn't tell us anything else because he doesn't want us to judge him before meeting him or something like that. He says we might recognize him. None of us have any idea who it could be. Any ideas?"
"Not really. It's kind of a weird situation though." Shelby fingered the bracelet on her wrist. "You have to fill me in on the newbie when he comes, ok?" she asked, wanting more than anything to be at Horizon with Scott at that moment.
"Definitely." He replied. He glanced at Peter who had just walked into the room, expecting him to say it was time to get off the phone. No such comment came. Peter offered a little smile, and after grabbing some files off his desk he left again, closing the door behind him.
"I miss you." Shelby whispered after a few seconds of silence.
"I miss you too." Scott felt his throat tighten, as he longed to hold Shelby in his arms again. He now understood why long distance relationships were so hard.
Twenty minutes later Peter stuck his head into his office.
"I'm sorry to do this, but I need to make a phone call." He announced to Scott, who pouted slightly, and then nodded.
"Shel, Peter's gotta use the phone." Scott said quietly. His heart ached, but he knew he could talk to Shelby again soon.
"Ok. So I guess I'll talk to you later?" She asked sadly.
"Yeah. I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
"Bye, Shel. Talk to you soon." Scott said.
"Bye." Shelby hung up the phone and lay back down on her bed. The tears were gone from her eyes and she closed them peacefully. It was time to get some sleep.
* * * * *
Monday came far too quickly. The Cliffhangers sat in the gazebo, some anticipating the arrival of the new Cliffhanger, others dreading it. Juliette's eyes were glued to the door of the admin building, while Scott's eyes were focused on his shoes. The fewer people he had to tell about his past and Elayne, the happier he was. Little did he know, the newbie that was soon to arrive in his mother's car had a secret more personal to Scott than he could ever have imagined. Daisy sat between Scott and Ezra, while Juliette sat on Auggie's lap. When Peter walked up to the gazebo, his only thoughts were of how he was going to get the Cliffhangers to accept the teenager who was about to arrive. He knew deep down that there was nothing he could say that would erase what impressions had already settled into his students' minds. Sighing at the melancholy expressions on their faces, Peter stepped into the gazebo.
"Don't you usually the do the admissions?" Ezra asked, wrenching his eyes away from the road to glance at his counselor in surprise. Peter nodded slightly.
"Sophie wanted to do it." He lied in explanation. That wasn't actually the case at all. He had wanted Sophie to do the admission for one reason: so that Peter could restrain Scott.
As the front door of the admin building opened, Peter moved to stand next to Scott. Eyeing the Cliffhangers out of the corner of his eye, Peter watched their changing expressions as the newbie walked towards them with Sophie.
Scott's blood temperature rose as the identity of the new Cliffhanger dawned on him. He leaped forward, only to be held back by Peter.
"How could you do this?" Scott growled angrily at Peter, who was struggling to hold the angry teenager back. Daisy only stared in disbelief at the muscular guy who stopped at the entrance of the gazebo. He wore an Agnes High School T-shirt…
* * * * *
Shelby crouched on the toilet seat, afraid to move for fear of being heard. She sat silently, listening intently to the conversation that was going on outside the stall.
"She like totally blew me off this weekend." Kara said as she applied another layer or plum coloured lipstick to her lips.
"I can't believe you're actually friends with her." Paige replied, lighting a cigarette. Rules didn't seem to apply to her.
"We're not friends ok?" Kara answered, insulted. "I just wanted to have a way of contacting Scott."
"You could have just asked him for his phone number."
"I can't believe she actually thinks I'm her friend. Like seriously, who would be friends with a slut like her?"
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know?" Kara asked. Paige shook her head. "She used to sell herself on the street!" Kara exclaimed.
Looks like something is coming
Looks like there's gonna be a storm
Looks like everyone's running
Looks like everyone's torn
Kara's words sliced into Shelby's heart like knives. With every word the knives would twist and tear her tissues until there were only shreds that remained. Suddenly the pain was too much. Shelby tore out of the stall, and was met with two pairs of staring eyes that bore into her. She could feel her insides falling apart.
Hands to blades as daylight fades
Hold this shaking hand
Swimming from dry land
Everything she had believed, all the hope that had grown inside her disappeared within a mere few seconds.
"Why?" Shelby's voice was no more than a whisper as she uttered the one question that came to mind. Kara and Paige just stared. "Why?" She asked again, a little more forceful now. Again, she got no answer. "WHY?" She screamed it this time, the rage boiling up inside of her.
Looks like everyone's broken
Looks like everyone's lost
Look at all the money were making
They don't even see what it's cost
Everything around her seemed too fade. There was too much to register: the expressions of terror and disbelief on Kara and Paige's faces, the teacher storming through the bathroom door, the sound of the 9:00 bell over the PA system…Everything. Shelby's knees went weak, and she felt herself crumbling into a heap on the cold floor. She lurched forward with every uncontrollable sob.
Hands to guns as night time comes
Hold this shaking hand
Swimming from dry land
Soon she felt herself being lifted and carried out into the hall. Her classmates' eyes all watched her in stunned silence. She didn't know what to expect. Would they laugh at her? Would they run in terror?
Looks like war in the valley
Looks like war in the sky
Looks like war on the playground
The first thing you learn is to lie
It was one of those silent moments that seemed to last forever. Shelby's eyes focused on the clock on the wall, and she watched as the seconds droned on. Finally she was placed on a bed in the health room, where she curled up in a ball and waited for the world to go away.
Hands to skies for morning's right
Why can't we start again?
Swimming from dry land…
* * * * *
A little while later, once Scott had managed to calm down, Sophie called group. The only way she had managed to get Scott to cooperate was with a simple threat: If he hurt Chase (yes for all of you who didn't catch on yet, that's who the newbie is), he would be on shuns for a month. That meant no calling Shelby. That was all Scott needed to hear.
Sensing a moment to get away, Peter retreated to his office. He was about to look over Chase's files again, when the phone rang. He stuck the files in his drawer. He already knew chase's story.
Quickly he picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he said. There was a pause before he heard a familiar voice.
"Peter I need help…"
********************
That's it for chapter 2!!! Can you please, please, please review, cause I really want to hear what you guys think!!!