Part 4
NOTE: I do not own any characters of Higher ground (Scott, Shelby,etc) but I do own Jordan, Jackson, Kendra
and any of the other people that were in Jordans life before Horizon.
NOTE 2: Sorry if I offended anyone with the word damn following God in (sorry about saying it again). I felt
there was really no other way that I could get the point of Jackson's words across without it. I felt bad writing it
and again I am sorry if it offended anyone. I will refrain from using it in the future. And about the box cutter in
Part 2. Some people might not have gotten its meaning... Jordan uses it to cut himself. Hope this clears some
things up.
Plot: In part 4 we learn more about Jordan. Sophie and Peter talk about why Jordan is here. Daisy and Ezra learn
more about Jeff's love interest.
====================================================================================================================
Auggie, Ezra and Scott, along with some of the other cliffhanger guys, were up, it had to be 2 in the morning.
They were looking at Jordan. He had to have been the only one asleep at that time. Jordan had been at Horizon
for almost 1 full month now. And these nightly outbursts in his sleep were becoming another ritual at the
Cliffhanger boy's dorm.
Though Scott had had dreams over his months at horizon, about his time with Elaine, about the nights he
had to spend with her, the guys were used to that. But his only lasted for a few minutes, and weren't that loud.
He just begged for her to stop, whined slightly, and then he always woke up before the bad stuff happened. And
plus he hadn't had a dream since he had talked to Peter, at least not one bad enough for the guys to tell him.
But even Scott thought Jordan's dreams were different.
"Man, If I were this bad, I hope the guys would tell me. I wonder what's going on inside his mind right now."
Scott said to himself.
Jordan was loud. No matter where you went in the dorm, wether to the bathroom or to your bunk, you
could hear him, unless you were a sound sleeper. Jordan would toss and turn, he would yell, he would beg for
something (the guys couldn't hear what). But they all had their ideas.
Tonight was one of those nights.
"Mom, make him stop, make him stop." Jordan begged in his sleep.
"Please, mom..Jackson.. stop. Please it hurts." Jordan cried as if in pain as he squirmed around in his bed.
"I promise I won't do it again. Just stop. he whined.
"Homes what do you think's going on inside there?" Auggie asked this one night.
"Man, I don't know. I really don't know." Scott said as confused as the rest of the guys.
=========
Jordan was scared, especially after what had he done this time. He had to find a place to run to.
Jackson had been drinking again. Mom would be home any minute and after the school had had to call her
at work to tell her that Jordan had failed his last two science tests he knew he would be getting it.
"How could I have failed. I mean... earth Sci is so easy for me, star trails are easy. Man how did this
happen." Jordan asked himself as he ran up the stairs.
But he knew why he had failed them. The first one was on the day he had been up all night studying for
his big Latin test, the huge one that he had actually managed to get a 100 on. The second one was on that day
that he had gotten his tetanus shot and the pain was the only thing he could think about. But he knew they
wouldn't take that as an excuse for getting a 55 on a test. And besides even if he managed to get straight
100s on all his other tests that 55 and 50 would do a toll on his average.
He was up in his bedroom when he heard the front door slam open. He tensed.
"Jordan Alexander get your hide down here now." his mother yelled, he could sense the anger in her
voice.
Jordan trudged downstairs. He knew that if he stayed in the safety of his room, even for a little while
longer when he went downstairs the beating would be even worse. He had learned that from experience.
"Might was well get this over with." he said to himself.
When he got to the living room they were waiting for him. He noticed that Jackson was up, which meant
that he was at least partially sober right now. Jordan didn't look up at them he didn't want to see their eyes.
"Mrs. Scotsman called me at work today Jordan." his mom said as she walked behind him, rubbing his
shoulders. Jordans body tensed at her touch.
"Wha.. What did she say?" Jordan asked kind of scared.
"Don't play stupid with me Jordan. You already know." she said pulling his hair, he was in her hands now.
"She said you failed your last two science tests, is that right?"
"Maybe? I don't know."
"Give me an Answer Jordan?" she said pulling harder. "Yes or no. It's that simple. And let me tell you.
I don't want you lying to me again." she said and pulled some more.
"Ye... Yes. I failed the last two." he said and closed his eyes.
"Your making fools of us Jordan, we don't like calls like that. You know that don't you. It makes us, me
and Jackson look like we aren't good parents. And that's not true is it Jordan." she said in her tone she always
used when she felt the power she had over him.
"No. It's not true you are good parents?" he said not believing it himself, but telling them what he knew
they wanted to hear.
"Good I'm glad we came to an understanding But you still need to be punished. Bad boys always get
punished." she said and punched him in the stomach and handed him over to Jackson.
Jordan toppled over in pain. And just as he was about to stand up Jackson kicked him in the shin. Now
Jordan was defenceless and he knew it to. Jackson picked him up by his neck and punched him. The pain stung
the right side of his face. He punched him again and again. Jordan could feel the blood trickling from his nose.
He could taste it in his mouth.
"Mom, Make him stop mom, make him stop." Jordan begged.
He always did that. Even though he knew she wasn't listening. And given her turn would have done the
same to him as Jackson. But it was his own mother. Maybe someday she would care enough to stop him.
Jackson kneed him in the chest. Jordan gasped for breath. His mom laughed.
"Please mom... Jackson stop. Please it hurts." he said trying to get away. "I promise I won't do it again.
Just stop."
But he knew they wouldn't. Jackson lifted Jordan to his feet and as his hand came up Jordan braced
himself.....
=====================
"No!!" Jordan said waking up from his dream. He was breathing hard and his heart was thumping.
"Dude you okay?" Scott asked as he got back into his bed.
"Yeah I think." Jordan said looking at the clock, 3:30. "Oh man, was I doing it again. I am so sorry."
Jordan when he realized he had had another one of his dreams what had woken up the dorm room.
"It's okay J. Where used to it by now." Auggie said understandingly. "What was happening in it. You
sounded awful."
"No...Nothing. Nothing at all really." Jordan said trying to sound believable.
"I hope I didn't say anything stupid, revealing tonight." Jordan thought to himself hoping he hadn't.
"If you don't want to talk about it that's okay. But next time we're gonna have to call Peter." Scott said,
that had been the same thing Auggie had told him one night a couple of months ago.
"Sure whatever Aug." Jordan said suddenly to tired to fight with anyone tonight, he flopped back in bed.
"By the way J, who's Jackson?" Ezra asked.
"No one. Just my step-dad." Jordan said, still hoping he hadn't spilled anything.
"What did he do to you?" Scott asked. "Your mom too? What did they do to ya? Did they rape you?" he
asked innocently.
"NO!! why would you think that?" Jordan said defensively.
"Cause my step-mom. The Skank..." Scott began.
"A.K.A Elaine." Ezra filled Jordan in.
"Thanks Ez." Scott said and shook his head in annoyance.
"Any ways. The Skank, raped me. I used to have dreams about her doing it to me. You know I saw her coming
into my room again and again. All those nights she would come into my room... those nights when she would
make me have sex with her...played back in my head in my dreams. It was the only thing I dreamed about. Well
almost. Then it got so bad I used to see her when I was awake. It would come back to me. When I told it was
gone. That hold she had on me when I was asleep was gone. I knew she couldn't hurt me anymore. Peter
taught me that." Scott said kind of understandingly.
"So J. What homes is trying to say, in short is that if you say someone's name in your sleep, they either
had to have hurt you or something happened that hurt you, not them." Auggie said.
"Whatever man. Can we just go back to sleep." Jordan said as he rolled over. He didn't want to hear
anything else.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PETERS OFFICE
Sophie was looking for a file in the file cabinet when Peter walked in. He grabbed her by her waist and
twirled her around.
"Hey Soph. Whatcha looking for?" Peter asked as he look his pen out of his mouth.
"Jordan Thomas's file. He had his month meeting today Peter. At 2." Sophie said as she went back to her
file.
"Don't remind me." Peter said sighing. "It's on my desk. I've been looking at it practically the whole week
trying to find the littlest thing that would give me a clue as to why he's really here. I mean I can guess but..."
Peter said hesitantly.
"But what Peter?" Sophie said concerned.
"Soph. There is nothing really in there. It's like the file's missing something. I don't know what..."
"Yeah I felt that to. But there's something else. I can hear it in your voice." She said as she sat down
on the couch.
"I have a feeling Soph. I have a feeling that Jordan is hiding something he doesn't want us to know.
Something that he's afraid of. His shadows."
"Yeah. Go on. What's your feeling, what's it based on?"
"Jordan's been here a month. He's still not participating in group. He won't do any of the group activities,
accept for the quests. And there's still resistance. If you ask him something he doesn't want to talk about he
shuts down. He won't talk, he won't look at you, he shuts down like completely." Peter said. "That's not good
Soph. And no matter what I've done it won't work."
"Maybe a solo hike?" Sophie offered.
"Don't you think it's to early for that? He needs to learn more skills first." Peter said.
"He's the only one of the kids that can start a fire on his first try, and that was on his first quest. I don't
think it was beginners luck either.. I think he knows more than we give him credit for. I've never seen a new
kid take to the mountains like him." Sophie said.
"I know but...." Peter said hesitating.
"We'll do it in 3 weeks. He'll be ready by then. I'll train him if I have to. But if he's like you said he is,
if he needs it that bad when we'll send him out as soon as we can." Sophie said.
"Fine. I'll tell him then I'll call whoever I have to call." Peter said.
"Any ways. There was more you had to say wasn't there?" Sophie said realizing how she had interrupted.
"I think I'm going to have to make a call to his hometown." Peter said. "I want to call social services there
to see if they have his complete records. I'll call while Jordan's in here. I need to call the police station there
to. He had shoplifting charges on here, about $20.00 worth of stuff each time. I want to know what he took.
I'll take anything at this point." Peter said and put his head in his hands.
"Well I gotta go. The mail's coming and Daisy and Ezra are on mail duty for the next three weeks." she
said and then remembered what she came to talk to Peter about to begin with. "One more thing." she said
looking back.
"Yeah What sophie?" Peter asked.
"Had Jordan ever really looked you in the eyes, like when you talk to him or when he gets in trouble or
anything?" Sophie asked. She didn't wait for an answer because she knew that peter got her point.
=============================================================================
Daisy and Ezra were waiting for the mail truck to come. Jill was riding it today. She was better than the
other weekly mail man Horace, who was old and kind of hard of hearing by now. Jill was really nice and always
happy.
The white mail truck pulled up. Sophie came up to the truck first and checked the mail. Then Jeff came
out when Sophie left. He practically ran to the truck. But being the klutz he is tripped and fell down two of the
stairs. Jill helped him up as Daisy and Ezra came over.
Jill and Jeff were laughing. Their eyes met and Daisy and Ezra felt like they were intruding on something.
"Um.. Hello?" Daisy said like she was trying to contact life on other planets. "Jill can I have the Cliffhanger
mail please."
"Su.. Sure" she said taken aback a little and also emberessed. "You wait to Jeffy" she said winking at Jeff
as she stepped into the truck.
"Oooooooooooooohhh!!! Jeff's gotta crush on the mail lady." Ezra laughed.
"You two watch it. I could put you on 3 weeks garbage detail after your little incident with the soap
suds. So I'd watch what I say at the moment." Jeff said sneakily.
"BLACKMAIL!!!" Daisy and Ezra said at the same time. Luckily they were spared by Jill walking out with
the mail. There was a full box this time.
'Thanks Jill, bye you two." Ezra said.
"And behave yourselves. Your in public." Daisy said as the walked away.
=============================================================================
CLIFFHANGERS BOYS DORM
"MAIL CALL" Daisy said as soon as she got in the boys room.
Auggie, Scott, and Jordan came up as soon as she said it. The waited impatiently.
"Auggie. A letter from mom and dad." Daisy said handing it to him.
"About time!" he said ripping open the envelope "What's it been 2 weeks since the last one?" he asked.
"More like three. The other one came around the 20th I think." Scott answered.
"Thanks homes." Auggie said as he sat down on his bed to read the letter.
"Scott.. Mom" Ezra said handing him a heavy manila envelope. "Dad and Elaine..." he said handing him
a regular sized envelope. "Your grandma...." he said handing him a little package. "And a kid named Patrick."
Ezra said handing him a little envelope.
"Who's Patrick?" Ezra asked.
"Yeah who is he Homes? You've been getting a lot of mail from him lately." Auggie said looking up from
his letter.
"He's a friend from school. These..." he said tapping the envelope. "Are football trading cards, of our
home team at least."
Scott went to sit on his bed to open his moms letter but Ezra interrupted him.
"You gonna share grandma Barringer's cookies with us later or what Scott, cause If you say no I promise
you no mail for the next three weeks." Ezra said laughing.
"Yeah Ez. At dinner." Scott said throwing a pillow at Ezra.
"Ez, you get any mail?" Auggie asked.
"Yeah he did." Daisy said. "This is from Clay." she said handing Ezra a small box. "And this is from your
parents." she said handing him a letter.
"Good old mom and dad. I wonder what they want to do to destroy my existence yet." Ezra said in the
tone he'd used about them since their little act during their last visit.
"EZ don't worry about them." Auggie said.
Ezra went to his bed to.
"Um...Um.. Is there anything for me?" Jordan asked shyly to Daisy.
"Yeah. Here's 4 letters. I don't know who their from because I can't read the writing. Sorry bout that
Jordan." Daisy said handing the letters to him.
"Thanks Daisy. It's okay.' He said and went to his bed too.
As soon as Daisy left the guys asked about Jordan's letters.
"Who are they from?" Ezra asked.
"Jamie, one of my best friends from back home." he said.
"oohhhh J's gotta girl."Auggie laughed. "And she doesn't go to this school. A miracle."
"Then theirs one from, my grandma." he said laughing and tossing it on his bed.
He looked at the writing on the next one. It was from his mom and Jackson. He instantly felt sick to his
stomach. He hated their letters. His face turned white. He got up and threw it in the trash.
"Who was that from?" Scott asked.
"Mom and Jackson." he said angrily glaring at it.
"Dude, settle down. It was just a letter. They aren't here." Scott said.
Jordan looked at the concern in on scotts face and the sick feeling was gone.
"I know." he said and looked at the other letter, a smile spread across his face. He started laughing.
"What's so funny?" the guys asked.
"My um... my little sister and brother sent me a letter." he said smiling, feeling joy, and yet sorrow at
the same time.
"Yeah so?"
"I'll tell you later." he said stuffing the note in his pocket. "I have to go see Peter and Sophie."
"Take the other letter with you, the one you threw in the trash. If you want to throw it out tell them
and they'll do it for you." Auggie said.
Reluctantly Jordan did and ran off to the main office.
NOTE: I do not own any characters of Higher ground (Scott, Shelby,etc) but I do own Jordan, Jackson, Kendra
and any of the other people that were in Jordans life before Horizon.
NOTE 2: Sorry if I offended anyone with the word damn following God in (sorry about saying it again). I felt
there was really no other way that I could get the point of Jackson's words across without it. I felt bad writing it
and again I am sorry if it offended anyone. I will refrain from using it in the future. And about the box cutter in
Part 2. Some people might not have gotten its meaning... Jordan uses it to cut himself. Hope this clears some
things up.
Plot: In part 4 we learn more about Jordan. Sophie and Peter talk about why Jordan is here. Daisy and Ezra learn
more about Jeff's love interest.
====================================================================================================================
Auggie, Ezra and Scott, along with some of the other cliffhanger guys, were up, it had to be 2 in the morning.
They were looking at Jordan. He had to have been the only one asleep at that time. Jordan had been at Horizon
for almost 1 full month now. And these nightly outbursts in his sleep were becoming another ritual at the
Cliffhanger boy's dorm.
Though Scott had had dreams over his months at horizon, about his time with Elaine, about the nights he
had to spend with her, the guys were used to that. But his only lasted for a few minutes, and weren't that loud.
He just begged for her to stop, whined slightly, and then he always woke up before the bad stuff happened. And
plus he hadn't had a dream since he had talked to Peter, at least not one bad enough for the guys to tell him.
But even Scott thought Jordan's dreams were different.
"Man, If I were this bad, I hope the guys would tell me. I wonder what's going on inside his mind right now."
Scott said to himself.
Jordan was loud. No matter where you went in the dorm, wether to the bathroom or to your bunk, you
could hear him, unless you were a sound sleeper. Jordan would toss and turn, he would yell, he would beg for
something (the guys couldn't hear what). But they all had their ideas.
Tonight was one of those nights.
"Mom, make him stop, make him stop." Jordan begged in his sleep.
"Please, mom..Jackson.. stop. Please it hurts." Jordan cried as if in pain as he squirmed around in his bed.
"I promise I won't do it again. Just stop. he whined.
"Homes what do you think's going on inside there?" Auggie asked this one night.
"Man, I don't know. I really don't know." Scott said as confused as the rest of the guys.
=========
Jordan was scared, especially after what had he done this time. He had to find a place to run to.
Jackson had been drinking again. Mom would be home any minute and after the school had had to call her
at work to tell her that Jordan had failed his last two science tests he knew he would be getting it.
"How could I have failed. I mean... earth Sci is so easy for me, star trails are easy. Man how did this
happen." Jordan asked himself as he ran up the stairs.
But he knew why he had failed them. The first one was on the day he had been up all night studying for
his big Latin test, the huge one that he had actually managed to get a 100 on. The second one was on that day
that he had gotten his tetanus shot and the pain was the only thing he could think about. But he knew they
wouldn't take that as an excuse for getting a 55 on a test. And besides even if he managed to get straight
100s on all his other tests that 55 and 50 would do a toll on his average.
He was up in his bedroom when he heard the front door slam open. He tensed.
"Jordan Alexander get your hide down here now." his mother yelled, he could sense the anger in her
voice.
Jordan trudged downstairs. He knew that if he stayed in the safety of his room, even for a little while
longer when he went downstairs the beating would be even worse. He had learned that from experience.
"Might was well get this over with." he said to himself.
When he got to the living room they were waiting for him. He noticed that Jackson was up, which meant
that he was at least partially sober right now. Jordan didn't look up at them he didn't want to see their eyes.
"Mrs. Scotsman called me at work today Jordan." his mom said as she walked behind him, rubbing his
shoulders. Jordans body tensed at her touch.
"Wha.. What did she say?" Jordan asked kind of scared.
"Don't play stupid with me Jordan. You already know." she said pulling his hair, he was in her hands now.
"She said you failed your last two science tests, is that right?"
"Maybe? I don't know."
"Give me an Answer Jordan?" she said pulling harder. "Yes or no. It's that simple. And let me tell you.
I don't want you lying to me again." she said and pulled some more.
"Ye... Yes. I failed the last two." he said and closed his eyes.
"Your making fools of us Jordan, we don't like calls like that. You know that don't you. It makes us, me
and Jackson look like we aren't good parents. And that's not true is it Jordan." she said in her tone she always
used when she felt the power she had over him.
"No. It's not true you are good parents?" he said not believing it himself, but telling them what he knew
they wanted to hear.
"Good I'm glad we came to an understanding But you still need to be punished. Bad boys always get
punished." she said and punched him in the stomach and handed him over to Jackson.
Jordan toppled over in pain. And just as he was about to stand up Jackson kicked him in the shin. Now
Jordan was defenceless and he knew it to. Jackson picked him up by his neck and punched him. The pain stung
the right side of his face. He punched him again and again. Jordan could feel the blood trickling from his nose.
He could taste it in his mouth.
"Mom, Make him stop mom, make him stop." Jordan begged.
He always did that. Even though he knew she wasn't listening. And given her turn would have done the
same to him as Jackson. But it was his own mother. Maybe someday she would care enough to stop him.
Jackson kneed him in the chest. Jordan gasped for breath. His mom laughed.
"Please mom... Jackson stop. Please it hurts." he said trying to get away. "I promise I won't do it again.
Just stop."
But he knew they wouldn't. Jackson lifted Jordan to his feet and as his hand came up Jordan braced
himself.....
=====================
"No!!" Jordan said waking up from his dream. He was breathing hard and his heart was thumping.
"Dude you okay?" Scott asked as he got back into his bed.
"Yeah I think." Jordan said looking at the clock, 3:30. "Oh man, was I doing it again. I am so sorry."
Jordan when he realized he had had another one of his dreams what had woken up the dorm room.
"It's okay J. Where used to it by now." Auggie said understandingly. "What was happening in it. You
sounded awful."
"No...Nothing. Nothing at all really." Jordan said trying to sound believable.
"I hope I didn't say anything stupid, revealing tonight." Jordan thought to himself hoping he hadn't.
"If you don't want to talk about it that's okay. But next time we're gonna have to call Peter." Scott said,
that had been the same thing Auggie had told him one night a couple of months ago.
"Sure whatever Aug." Jordan said suddenly to tired to fight with anyone tonight, he flopped back in bed.
"By the way J, who's Jackson?" Ezra asked.
"No one. Just my step-dad." Jordan said, still hoping he hadn't spilled anything.
"What did he do to you?" Scott asked. "Your mom too? What did they do to ya? Did they rape you?" he
asked innocently.
"NO!! why would you think that?" Jordan said defensively.
"Cause my step-mom. The Skank..." Scott began.
"A.K.A Elaine." Ezra filled Jordan in.
"Thanks Ez." Scott said and shook his head in annoyance.
"Any ways. The Skank, raped me. I used to have dreams about her doing it to me. You know I saw her coming
into my room again and again. All those nights she would come into my room... those nights when she would
make me have sex with her...played back in my head in my dreams. It was the only thing I dreamed about. Well
almost. Then it got so bad I used to see her when I was awake. It would come back to me. When I told it was
gone. That hold she had on me when I was asleep was gone. I knew she couldn't hurt me anymore. Peter
taught me that." Scott said kind of understandingly.
"So J. What homes is trying to say, in short is that if you say someone's name in your sleep, they either
had to have hurt you or something happened that hurt you, not them." Auggie said.
"Whatever man. Can we just go back to sleep." Jordan said as he rolled over. He didn't want to hear
anything else.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PETERS OFFICE
Sophie was looking for a file in the file cabinet when Peter walked in. He grabbed her by her waist and
twirled her around.
"Hey Soph. Whatcha looking for?" Peter asked as he look his pen out of his mouth.
"Jordan Thomas's file. He had his month meeting today Peter. At 2." Sophie said as she went back to her
file.
"Don't remind me." Peter said sighing. "It's on my desk. I've been looking at it practically the whole week
trying to find the littlest thing that would give me a clue as to why he's really here. I mean I can guess but..."
Peter said hesitantly.
"But what Peter?" Sophie said concerned.
"Soph. There is nothing really in there. It's like the file's missing something. I don't know what..."
"Yeah I felt that to. But there's something else. I can hear it in your voice." She said as she sat down
on the couch.
"I have a feeling Soph. I have a feeling that Jordan is hiding something he doesn't want us to know.
Something that he's afraid of. His shadows."
"Yeah. Go on. What's your feeling, what's it based on?"
"Jordan's been here a month. He's still not participating in group. He won't do any of the group activities,
accept for the quests. And there's still resistance. If you ask him something he doesn't want to talk about he
shuts down. He won't talk, he won't look at you, he shuts down like completely." Peter said. "That's not good
Soph. And no matter what I've done it won't work."
"Maybe a solo hike?" Sophie offered.
"Don't you think it's to early for that? He needs to learn more skills first." Peter said.
"He's the only one of the kids that can start a fire on his first try, and that was on his first quest. I don't
think it was beginners luck either.. I think he knows more than we give him credit for. I've never seen a new
kid take to the mountains like him." Sophie said.
"I know but...." Peter said hesitating.
"We'll do it in 3 weeks. He'll be ready by then. I'll train him if I have to. But if he's like you said he is,
if he needs it that bad when we'll send him out as soon as we can." Sophie said.
"Fine. I'll tell him then I'll call whoever I have to call." Peter said.
"Any ways. There was more you had to say wasn't there?" Sophie said realizing how she had interrupted.
"I think I'm going to have to make a call to his hometown." Peter said. "I want to call social services there
to see if they have his complete records. I'll call while Jordan's in here. I need to call the police station there
to. He had shoplifting charges on here, about $20.00 worth of stuff each time. I want to know what he took.
I'll take anything at this point." Peter said and put his head in his hands.
"Well I gotta go. The mail's coming and Daisy and Ezra are on mail duty for the next three weeks." she
said and then remembered what she came to talk to Peter about to begin with. "One more thing." she said
looking back.
"Yeah What sophie?" Peter asked.
"Had Jordan ever really looked you in the eyes, like when you talk to him or when he gets in trouble or
anything?" Sophie asked. She didn't wait for an answer because she knew that peter got her point.
=============================================================================
Daisy and Ezra were waiting for the mail truck to come. Jill was riding it today. She was better than the
other weekly mail man Horace, who was old and kind of hard of hearing by now. Jill was really nice and always
happy.
The white mail truck pulled up. Sophie came up to the truck first and checked the mail. Then Jeff came
out when Sophie left. He practically ran to the truck. But being the klutz he is tripped and fell down two of the
stairs. Jill helped him up as Daisy and Ezra came over.
Jill and Jeff were laughing. Their eyes met and Daisy and Ezra felt like they were intruding on something.
"Um.. Hello?" Daisy said like she was trying to contact life on other planets. "Jill can I have the Cliffhanger
mail please."
"Su.. Sure" she said taken aback a little and also emberessed. "You wait to Jeffy" she said winking at Jeff
as she stepped into the truck.
"Oooooooooooooohhh!!! Jeff's gotta crush on the mail lady." Ezra laughed.
"You two watch it. I could put you on 3 weeks garbage detail after your little incident with the soap
suds. So I'd watch what I say at the moment." Jeff said sneakily.
"BLACKMAIL!!!" Daisy and Ezra said at the same time. Luckily they were spared by Jill walking out with
the mail. There was a full box this time.
'Thanks Jill, bye you two." Ezra said.
"And behave yourselves. Your in public." Daisy said as the walked away.
=============================================================================
CLIFFHANGERS BOYS DORM
"MAIL CALL" Daisy said as soon as she got in the boys room.
Auggie, Scott, and Jordan came up as soon as she said it. The waited impatiently.
"Auggie. A letter from mom and dad." Daisy said handing it to him.
"About time!" he said ripping open the envelope "What's it been 2 weeks since the last one?" he asked.
"More like three. The other one came around the 20th I think." Scott answered.
"Thanks homes." Auggie said as he sat down on his bed to read the letter.
"Scott.. Mom" Ezra said handing him a heavy manila envelope. "Dad and Elaine..." he said handing him
a regular sized envelope. "Your grandma...." he said handing him a little package. "And a kid named Patrick."
Ezra said handing him a little envelope.
"Who's Patrick?" Ezra asked.
"Yeah who is he Homes? You've been getting a lot of mail from him lately." Auggie said looking up from
his letter.
"He's a friend from school. These..." he said tapping the envelope. "Are football trading cards, of our
home team at least."
Scott went to sit on his bed to open his moms letter but Ezra interrupted him.
"You gonna share grandma Barringer's cookies with us later or what Scott, cause If you say no I promise
you no mail for the next three weeks." Ezra said laughing.
"Yeah Ez. At dinner." Scott said throwing a pillow at Ezra.
"Ez, you get any mail?" Auggie asked.
"Yeah he did." Daisy said. "This is from Clay." she said handing Ezra a small box. "And this is from your
parents." she said handing him a letter.
"Good old mom and dad. I wonder what they want to do to destroy my existence yet." Ezra said in the
tone he'd used about them since their little act during their last visit.
"EZ don't worry about them." Auggie said.
Ezra went to his bed to.
"Um...Um.. Is there anything for me?" Jordan asked shyly to Daisy.
"Yeah. Here's 4 letters. I don't know who their from because I can't read the writing. Sorry bout that
Jordan." Daisy said handing the letters to him.
"Thanks Daisy. It's okay.' He said and went to his bed too.
As soon as Daisy left the guys asked about Jordan's letters.
"Who are they from?" Ezra asked.
"Jamie, one of my best friends from back home." he said.
"oohhhh J's gotta girl."Auggie laughed. "And she doesn't go to this school. A miracle."
"Then theirs one from, my grandma." he said laughing and tossing it on his bed.
He looked at the writing on the next one. It was from his mom and Jackson. He instantly felt sick to his
stomach. He hated their letters. His face turned white. He got up and threw it in the trash.
"Who was that from?" Scott asked.
"Mom and Jackson." he said angrily glaring at it.
"Dude, settle down. It was just a letter. They aren't here." Scott said.
Jordan looked at the concern in on scotts face and the sick feeling was gone.
"I know." he said and looked at the other letter, a smile spread across his face. He started laughing.
"What's so funny?" the guys asked.
"My um... my little sister and brother sent me a letter." he said smiling, feeling joy, and yet sorrow at
the same time.
"Yeah so?"
"I'll tell you later." he said stuffing the note in his pocket. "I have to go see Peter and Sophie."
"Take the other letter with you, the one you threw in the trash. If you want to throw it out tell them
and they'll do it for you." Auggie said.
Reluctantly Jordan did and ran off to the main office.