Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Higher Ground, however I do own Chase and Meredith.

A/N:  This is really short and bad, but I felt bad for taking WEEKS to get another chapter out, so I figured I could make the next chapter longer. Sorry again! Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, I love to hear what you guys think. Please continue to review, cause it really helps me to know that there are actually people reading this…

Last line: "Uh…that depends.  Were you serious about what you said?" Ezra said quietly, unsure of which way to go.  What is Daisy trying to say? Ezra wondered to himself.

Second Chances Chapter 10

"Yes." Daisy stated simply, wondering whether she was dreaming.  She had wanted this moment SO badly these past few months, and now she had finally gotten it.  What happens now? She wondered silently to herself.  "I mean, I was serious that I made the wrong decision.  About me not having boyfriends.  I mean I haven't had boyfriends but…"  Daisy stopped and tried to calm herself down.  She didn't want to say the wrong thing.  "Ezra I want you to be my boyfriend."

Ezra's eyes grew wide with amazement as his mind registered Daisy's words.  Yet somehow, beneath the pure joy that filled his heart, the teenager couldn't help but notice the distinct feeling of uncertainty that swelled within him.  No matter how much he wanted to be with Daisy, he knew something wasn't right.  Something was missing.

"How do I know that five minutes from now you won't change your mind?" Ezra looked at his shoes as he walked.  "Why would you want to be with someone like me?"  Ezra's self-esteem dropped slightly as he considered what it would be like to have someone he could call his girlfriend.  Someone who wasn't just using him to make other problems in their life go away.  Someone who loved him.

"Ezra, I've thought about this for months.  Ever since our conversation in the tool shed, I've known that you're the one I want.  I made a mistake by turning down your offer that night, and I'm sorry."

"So you've known all this time?" Ezra asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was…scared.  I thought that you wouldn't want to be with me after what I said to you.  I felt – and still feel – horrible for

what I said, and I didn't think you would even look at me."

"Then you'll understand what I will feel like after saying this: I can't be your boyfriend."  Ezra replied grimly as he quickened his pace, leaving Daisy behind to pick up the scattered fragments of a broken friendship.

* * * * *

"Shelby, can I talk to you?" Daisy asked her best friend quietly, attempting to conceal the tear that slid down her cheek.  Immediately noticing her friend's condition, Shelby nodded and turned to Scott.

"Do you think you could -" she began, but was interrupted by Scott's instantaneous response.

"I'll see you in a bit ok?" he asked, knowing what Shelby had been about to ask.

"Thanks." Daisy said. Scott just nodded, speeding up his pace to catch up with Chase.  He had a task to finish.

"Well, he's certainly talkative."  Daisy made reference to his silent response.

"What happened?" Shelby asked, getting right to the point.  As Daisy repeated the conversation to her friend, Shelby listened intently, searching for clues as to how her friend was feeling.  When the story was over, Shelby knew exactly what emotion was tearing through her friend's entire essence.  Calamity.

"He'll come around."  Shelby replied, remembering the time Daisy had said the same thing to her about Scott.

"He hates me."

"No.  He's scared and unsure.  He's afraid of taking a chance."

"None of this would have happened if I had just accepted his offer the first time."

"It wouldn't have worked out.  You weren't ready."

"And now he's not ready."

"Give it time." Shelby replied, hoping to console her distraught friend.  "Don't give up."

* * * * *

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Scott asked Chase as he fell into step with the buff teenager.

"What do you want?" Chase replied rudely, trying to hide the fear that lurked behind a mask of anger and cruelty.

"Can you slow down a little? I want to talk to you."

"You can't always get what you want, Scotty boy." Chase taunted an impatient Scott.

"What's your problem? You act like some hurt little victim with everyone else, but when no one else is around, you go back to being an ass."

"One could say the same thing about you."

"This is impossible!  How can Peter actually expect me to find something about you that I like?"

"So that's why you're talking to me.  I knew there had to be a reason."

"Ok, that's it.  You're not worth the effort." Scott scowled furiously, storming away.  Why did I get this task? He wondered angrily to himself.

* * * * *

Around lunchtime there was a thick silence in the Cliffhanger boy's dorm.  The teenagers had showered and were all sitting on their own beds, lost in their own thoughts.  Peter had realized that maybe not everyone had been finished their tasks, and had given the Cliffhangers two hours to get everything done.  Those 120 minutes were going by slower than the teenagers had ever imagined they could.  Closing the book he had been pretending to read, Chase got up and walked over to Scott's bed.

"Can we go outside for a minute?" he asked quietly.  Without even glancing at the other boy, Scott got up and led the way out of the cabin.  "Look, I'm sorry for being so annoying earlier, I just had a lot on my mind?"

"We all did Chase.  You're not the only one here with a problem."

"It's just so hard being the new guy.  Everyone hates me, and that doesn't make anything any easier."

"We're not trying to make it easier.  Whenever a newbie comes, we have to readjust.  It's not something we enjoy."

"All I'm trying to say is that I'm only being mean because it's what I always do.  It's like my defense mechanism or something."

"Are you expecting me to forgive you?"

"Can you?"

"Ever since I got to Horizon, a lot has happened to me.  For the first time in so long, I feel loved.  When you came here with your school, and with Shelby, everything you did was wrong.  Shelby was hurting, and it was - and still is- because of you.  Maybe you have your reasons for what you did, but does that really erase what happened?"

"No.  It doesn't, and I know that.  But what if I changed?"

"Do you think you'd be able to?"

"I can try."

* * * * *

            Ezra sat in the gazebo, staring at the small fire that burned in front of him.  He had been avoiding Daisy for a few hours now, also keeping a safe distance from Shelby, who he knew would kill him if he let his guard down.  His hands shook slightly as he remembered the look on Daisy's face.  He had never seen her so hurt, so angry.  When had everything become so confusing? He didn't even know what was going through his own head anymore.  Silently he prayed for a sign that he had done the right thing.

"What are you doing out here man?" Ezra jumped, as Auggie seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Questioning my sanity." Ezra replied quietly.

"Anything I can do?" Auggie asked sincerely.  Ezra shrugged as his friend sat down next to him.

"Who am I kidding?" Ezra asked finally.

"What do you mean?"

"I finally get what I've always wanted, and I turn away."

"Maybe you just needed to make sure that you're doing the right thing, you know?"

"Not exactly."

"Daisy shot you down once, so you were making sure she wouldn't do it again.  You wanted to know she was positive that this is what she wants."

"But I don't even know if it's even what I want anymore."

"Then you did the right thing.  Don't worry man, you'll find out soon enough."

"Thanks Auggie."

"That helped?"

"Yup."

"Don't worry about it, muchacho." Auggie smiled, then got up.  Turning back he added, "Glad I could help."

* * * * *

Can I get 5 reviews? Sorry that this was so short!