Memories- Part7
Disclaimer- I don't own any of the original higher ground characters. If I did I would be entirely happy. But I do own Jordan Thomas, his mom and step-dad Kendra and Jackson. His sister Hailey Jade and bother Dillion and his social Workers Max Anderson and Helen Brandon. I also own Jill Trinity, the mail lady.
In this chapter- Group. Jordan's hostility grows and Peter and Sophie get worried. Jordan gets mad at himself and cuts, but no one finds out. He does something bad. :(
On another note- There were two blanks in the last part. They were supposed to be Walt. I couldn't think of Shelby's step-dad's name so I left it blank and forgot about it until I loaded it. Sorry
OH YEAH... I want at least 7 reviews until I write the next chapter or unless I don't get 7 and people beg really really hard!!!
THE LODGE- Group
The cliffhangers were gathering for group. Everyone sat together, away from Jordan. He had ticked everyone off with his attitude. Everyone was shocked at the way he had been behaving today. Usually he was so quiet. But not since he had had his meeting with Peter and Sophie.
Sophie looked over the cliffhangers. Peter couldn't come to group today because he was on a quest with the Trackers. He had just left. Sophie, feeling the tension wished that he were there. It was true, she was qualified and had held a lot of group sessions together, but she got nervous, the Unbreakable Sophie Becker, when there was so much tension in the Cliffhangers.
"Okay guys. Why don't we all blend together. No splitting up." Sophie said and waited.
Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. They didn't move. No one did. Sophie looked at them annoyed. But she didn't give in. She just sat there and waited.
The cliffhangers looked at Sophie and then at each other. For about 10 minutes no one talked at all. Then Auggie spoke up.
"Aren't we supposed to be talking. This is group." He asked.
"It's not group unless everyone cooperates with everyone, and as far as I see you guys aren't a full group. Now I suggest that everyone be nice and make up with each other when I come back. I'm going to my office for 15 minutes. None of you are to leave. As far as I'm concerned we can hold group here all night. No one is leaving this lodge accept for me until I see some cooperation on your part and a change in attitude among a certain few." She said practically glaring at Shelby, Daisy and Jordan.
Sophie got up and walked away. The cliffhangers were left alone with each other. At first no one moved, the lodge was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at each other. No one talked or moved.
"What's wrong with her?" Kat asked. "I've never seen Sophie so mad before."
"I know." Juliet answered. "Not since Chloe came with those cameras and had actors play us."
"Or when you snuck out with Hank and made out in Peters house." Shelby said bitterly.
"Don't try to attack me Shelby. It's not going to work. I didn't do anything. I haven't been here all day. I've been at the nursing home and the library. This stuff lies on you guys' hands not mine." Kat said as she stood up and started pacing the floor.
"Yeah well you sure missed a lot on your little excursion." Ezra said sarcastically.
Kat sighed. She sat back down. It was no use she wasn't there when all the stuff had happened so she knew that she couldn't do anything.
"Times almost up." Jordan finally spoke, his voice sounding jumpy.
"Hey J, settle down. It ain't like Sophie really knows we'll be all buddy buddy and all when she comes back." Auggie said laughing.
"Yeah, she's not serious when she says things like that." Daisy said. "She's actually very civilized at times."
Kat smiled to herself as Daisy talked. Everyone was becoming normal again.
"Like you're mothers... um.." Shelby said and paused. "Your mothers funeral."
"Yeah like in the hotel." Daisy said.
"Well if she wasn't serious then why did she say it?" Jordan questioned.
"Dude why are you so uptight all of a sudden?" Scott asked.
"Yeah, we all saw the way you acted when Peter called your name today." Ezra said.
"What?" Jordan asked.
He knew what, he had tensed up. He just didn't think it was that noticeable. He'd have to retune his technique later. But now he had to cover his tracks.
"Don't pull the innocent act, Jordan, it's not becoming." Daisy said as bitterly as he had about their attitudes earlier that day.
"Hmm." Jordan said. "Where have I heard those words before." He glared at Daisy. "What, can't think of anything of your own to say?" he said. He had the attitude thing downpat.
"What the heck is up with you Jordan. You've been nice, we liked you. Then today your just a... a ice cold no feeling jerk." Juliet said to him.
"Like Shelby." Ezra said laughing.
Shelby laughed and threw a pillow at Ezra.
"That is it. Aren't I entitled to act like everyone else once in a while? Like a screwed up freak just like every one of you." He said almost shouting.
Juliet started crying. She didn't like yelling and she didn't like being called a freak.
"Look what you did J. You just made Juliet cry." Auggie said getting up.
Jordan couldn't handle it. He really didn't mean to be acting like a jerk. He hadn't meant the comment at all. He just wanted to be left alone. He wanted to think about what to do with the file that Sophie and Peter somehow got their hands on.
Jordan took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry." He said ashamed. "I know your all not screwed up freaks. I didn't mean to call you that." He said pausing. "Any of you. Shelby and Daisy, I didn't mean what I said this afternoon or tonight. I'm sorry, you guy's don't deserve my attitude." He said not looking at them. "Juliet sorry for making you cry, I didn't mean to. Scott, Ez, Auggie, sorry for trashing the bunk. All you guys I'm sorry." He said. " I don't know why I'm acting like I am but can you just accept it. And please, please don't tell Peter or Sophie." He almost begged at the end.
Jordan got up as he saw Sophie coming back. He needed to get out of there, he didn't want to be there if someone blabbed about what he had said to everyone.
"Um, Sophie." He said to her as soon as she came up to him. "I don't feel to well, can I go back to the dorm and lay down?" he asked.
She felt Jordan's head. He did feel a bit hot. "Sure Jordan, you can leave."
Jordan walked away slowly out of the lodge.
As soon as he got out of there he ran to the dorm.
IN THE DORM-
Jordan sat on his bed, he pulled his legs closer to him, he was practically gasping for breath. He tried to count back slowly to 10 but it didn't work.
Jordan was used to attacks like this. When he was under to much pressure. It was a time he really, really wanted to cut. It happened when he couldn't control himself or what was happening around him. And right now that seemed to be the case.
"If only they hadn't tried to dig their noses where they didn't belong we wouldn't have this problem." He said to himself referring to Peter and Sophie and his newest file.
He got up slowly. He knew he had been a pain the last day and a half. The fact that he had never acted like he was really scared him. He made his way to the bathroom. As he got there he went to the sink and splashed water on his face, hoping to calm his nerves. That's when he saw Scott's razor.
Jordan picked it up. He wanted to see if the blade would come out. After a few tried pulling it out and putting it back in he took it.
"You're a bad boy Jordan," he said, repeating what Kendra would say in this situation. "And bad boys need to be punished."
He looked at the blade one more time, contemplating if he should cut or not. Finally he gave in. He cut the first time. Just below the skin. A thin line of blood appeared on Jordan's arm. He felt almost relieved with the first cut. He cut again and again. Just deep enough to feel pain and draw blood. But he wasn't stupid. He didn't cut enough for people to be able to see it later. No scars, no signs. That way Peter and Sophie would never know and he wouldn't get another lecture from them.
MEANWHILE BACK AT THE LODGE- (group)
The rest of the cliffhangers sat in a circle. Sophie was leading them in group. They had just done their tribal scream. Now they were about ready to talk.
"Does any one have anything they would like to say?" Sophie asked the cliffhangers.
Everyone was looking at each other. There was some thing on every one's minds. But no one wanted to say anything. It was a code of Honor for the cliffhangers. Unless some one says or does something that puts them in danger then you don't tell. And Jordan hadn't done anything YET. And they didn't like the others talking about them, so they didn't want to say anything about Jordan.
Sophie saw the look on the teen's faces. Something was up. She just didn't know what. Usually Sophie wasn't clueless, far from it actually. But she was today.
Someone knew they had to have the courage to speak up. The looked at each other. Then Kat spoke up.
"Sophie, can we talk amongst ourselves for a minute?" she asked.
"Sure go ahead." Sophie said hearing the seriousness of Kat's voice.
The cliffhangers huddled together on the couch. Sophie edged away as not to intrude on them.
"Okay, who wants to say it." She asked straight out.
"Say what?" Auggie asked.
"Who wants to say we want to talk about Jordan?" Kat asked. "Duh."
The others looked at each other.
"I don't think we should say anything." Scott finally said, "I mean that's like against the little code of honor we have. No telling on others."
"But the rules say we have to tell if we think someone's about to hurt themselves or any one else." Juliet said.
"Well he hasn't done anything yet. I mean nothing major." Daisy said trying to convince Kat.
The guys looked at each other. "Well..." Ezra said cautiously.
"What?" Shelby said annoyed by the waste of time this little "meeting" was.
"Well, he did trash the dorm today." Ezra said when the guys nodded.
"Plus it's not like we know anything. I mean we should just voice our opinion on the matter." He added quickly on the end.
Everyone looked like they agreed. They turned back to Sophie. She looked at their faces and saw they wanted to talk about something.
"Anything wrong guys?" She asked. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Jordan." They said flatly almost all at the same time.
Sophie looked at them. She knew she was worried but the fact that they were worried made her a little more worried.
"Okay, what about Jordan?" she asked trying to keep her composure.
"It's been actin' wacko Sophie." Scott said.
"Yeah." Juliet said. "He wouldn't even talk to me. He called us all freaks."
"And made Jules cry." Auggie said. "He's got some major attitude today!"
"He called you guys freaks?" Sophie asked.
The Group nodded their head. It wasn't really a big deal. They had been called freaks before, but the way Jordan had said it was mean. They would probably have brushed it over if Juliet hadn't cried.
"Yeah." Shelby said. "That's what we said. We wouldn't lie about that."
"But, then he apologized." Juliet said kind of defensively. "Like a gazillion times."
"Yeah he's been apologizing a lot lately." Daisy said. "If he does it one more time I feel like I should smack him to make him SHUT UP!"
The group laughed. Daisy was like that. Then Sophie looked at them.
"Now we don't want that." She said laughing too. "But I think maybe Jordan is under a lot of stress for one reason or another. The one-month mark just passed this week and I think he's stressing over it. So for the time being we need to deal with it okay? I'll talk to Peter when he gets home tomorrow. But that's what we'll do today okay?" she asked them.
"Okay." The cliffhangers said in joint agreement. They were glad they had said something, at least until Jordan found out they had.
"Well." Sophie said looking at her watch. "It's getting late. I think you guys should go back to your dorms now. Okay?"
The cliffhangers got up. There was a chorus of good-byes before everyone left.
BACK AT THE DORM-before the end of group.
Jordan was standing against the sink. The water was running. His arm was bleeding. He felt the slight numbing feeling he got when he got used to the pain. He looked at the clock on the wall. 7:30.
"Group should be over with soon." He thought to himself. "Better clean up.
Jordan took Scott's razor blade and cleaned it off with soap and hot water. Hopefully Scott wouldn't know he used it. Then he put it back on the holder. He took a paper towel and wiped off his arm with it. He would have used a regular towel but was afraid some one would see the blood on it.
Jordan looked at his arm. Both of them were a bit red but they hadn't bled that much. He pulled down his sleeves and threw away the paper towels just as the door closed.
There was a knock at the bathroom door
"Hey Jordan, you in here?" one of the guys, Jordan didn't know which one, asked.
"Yeah. I'll...I'll be right out." He said giving the room a last once over to make sure he had cleaned up the mess he had made.
"J, are you okay?" Auggie asked. "You sound like your sick.
"I'm fine. I'll be right there." Jordan said as he stepped out of the bathroom.
Ezra, Scott, and Auggie looked at Jordan. He looked sick to them.
"You should lay down Jordan." Scott said. "You don't look to good."
"Yeah your really pale." Ezra said.
"I think I'm going to go lay down okay guys?" Jordan said to them as he made his way to his bed. He felt fine but he had a long night a head of him.
"Sure. We'll be quiet." Scott said as Jordan went into bed and the others settled down to read and write letters.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Jordan got up. Sweat was pouring from his forehead. It was another bad dream. Fortunately he hadn't woken up the Guy's this time. Because no one was staring at him. The clock on his nightstand said 3:30. He got up and pulled his jeans over his boxers, and then put on his shoes. Getting up and walking to the door he grabbed his coat and walked outside, the cold air stinging him a bit
He knew he wasn't supposed to be out of his cabin after dark, it was against Horizon rules. But none of it seamed to matter. Jordan was in a daze. He had been since Peter and Sophie had talked to him in their office a couple of days ago. He needed to know what they knew about him. That way he could protect himself from them and from everyone else. His parent's had taken hold of the files that everyone, like the cops and social workers and teachers, were supposed to have giving Horizon right before they left. At least any paper that had said any thing to imply they were bad parents. Jordan had thought no one would see them again. He had grown to hate and fear the system that was meant to help kids like him. First they split him and his brother and sister up. They went to one foster home and were adopted when he was left in another and eventually returned home. And his mom and Jackson had him so scared, threatening him since he was little about what would happen if he ever told, that he couldn't tell the people that should have been able to help him.
Jordan crept quietly to the Administrations building. He hoped the door was open. As he got there and jiggled the lock he realized it wasn't. He tried to find another way, an open door or something, he didn't feel like breaking-and-entering again, even though he knew how to, he had done it many times before. Finally he found a window that was open a bit. Pushing it up and edging the screen out he went in.
Luckily for him Peter and Sophie's office was open. He went in and started to look for the file.
"Where the heck is it?" he said to the air.
That's when he saw his file on Peter's desk. He opened it and took a flashlight. He couldn't risk getting caught with it. He opened the file. And flipped through the pages.
"Oh great. It's only the freaking police reports." He said.
He flipped through the ones he knew Peter and Sophie had been looking at, the were out of order, and of the various charges and things that had been brought up against him. Running away and stealing, those sorts of things. Then he got to the ones he was looking for. The ones that hadn't been in the file before.
"Jackson, Jackson, Jackson." Jordan sighed. He had always wondered how his step-dad had gotten a hold of these reports. The ones that he knew would harm him and Kendra. Sure Jackson had friends in high places, that's what was keeping the Social Services reports from coming, but the fact that Jackson could have taken all of these papers fascinated him, and scared him.
Jordan looked at the police reports in his hands. There were 5 or six of them, all around 3 pages long. The longest though was 6. It was dated June 23, 1999. Jordan had been 13 at the time, it was 2 years ago. It was the day he had made the final call that had gotten Dillion and Kali away. He grabbed the papers and stuck them in his coat. Then he put the file back on Peters desk.
"Now what?" he asked himself. "There's still more." He said depressed, there was the whole deal with Social Services, and his old school, and the whole mess if Peter and Sophie found out. But they couldn't.
Jordan got up. He held the papers under his coat. He'd have to hide them and read them later. But for now he needed to get back to sleep. It would be a long day tommarrow.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
Hey how about suspense? I know Jordan was bad this chapter. How sad :(! Anyway he will be back to normal soon. Who do you like better? The bitter mean sarcastic Jordan introduced today. Or the nice normal quiet Jordan that you've seen before? Tell me when you review.
Disclaimer- I don't own any of the original higher ground characters. If I did I would be entirely happy. But I do own Jordan Thomas, his mom and step-dad Kendra and Jackson. His sister Hailey Jade and bother Dillion and his social Workers Max Anderson and Helen Brandon. I also own Jill Trinity, the mail lady.
In this chapter- Group. Jordan's hostility grows and Peter and Sophie get worried. Jordan gets mad at himself and cuts, but no one finds out. He does something bad. :(
On another note- There were two blanks in the last part. They were supposed to be Walt. I couldn't think of Shelby's step-dad's name so I left it blank and forgot about it until I loaded it. Sorry
OH YEAH... I want at least 7 reviews until I write the next chapter or unless I don't get 7 and people beg really really hard!!!
THE LODGE- Group
The cliffhangers were gathering for group. Everyone sat together, away from Jordan. He had ticked everyone off with his attitude. Everyone was shocked at the way he had been behaving today. Usually he was so quiet. But not since he had had his meeting with Peter and Sophie.
Sophie looked over the cliffhangers. Peter couldn't come to group today because he was on a quest with the Trackers. He had just left. Sophie, feeling the tension wished that he were there. It was true, she was qualified and had held a lot of group sessions together, but she got nervous, the Unbreakable Sophie Becker, when there was so much tension in the Cliffhangers.
"Okay guys. Why don't we all blend together. No splitting up." Sophie said and waited.
Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. They didn't move. No one did. Sophie looked at them annoyed. But she didn't give in. She just sat there and waited.
The cliffhangers looked at Sophie and then at each other. For about 10 minutes no one talked at all. Then Auggie spoke up.
"Aren't we supposed to be talking. This is group." He asked.
"It's not group unless everyone cooperates with everyone, and as far as I see you guys aren't a full group. Now I suggest that everyone be nice and make up with each other when I come back. I'm going to my office for 15 minutes. None of you are to leave. As far as I'm concerned we can hold group here all night. No one is leaving this lodge accept for me until I see some cooperation on your part and a change in attitude among a certain few." She said practically glaring at Shelby, Daisy and Jordan.
Sophie got up and walked away. The cliffhangers were left alone with each other. At first no one moved, the lodge was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at each other. No one talked or moved.
"What's wrong with her?" Kat asked. "I've never seen Sophie so mad before."
"I know." Juliet answered. "Not since Chloe came with those cameras and had actors play us."
"Or when you snuck out with Hank and made out in Peters house." Shelby said bitterly.
"Don't try to attack me Shelby. It's not going to work. I didn't do anything. I haven't been here all day. I've been at the nursing home and the library. This stuff lies on you guys' hands not mine." Kat said as she stood up and started pacing the floor.
"Yeah well you sure missed a lot on your little excursion." Ezra said sarcastically.
Kat sighed. She sat back down. It was no use she wasn't there when all the stuff had happened so she knew that she couldn't do anything.
"Times almost up." Jordan finally spoke, his voice sounding jumpy.
"Hey J, settle down. It ain't like Sophie really knows we'll be all buddy buddy and all when she comes back." Auggie said laughing.
"Yeah, she's not serious when she says things like that." Daisy said. "She's actually very civilized at times."
Kat smiled to herself as Daisy talked. Everyone was becoming normal again.
"Like you're mothers... um.." Shelby said and paused. "Your mothers funeral."
"Yeah like in the hotel." Daisy said.
"Well if she wasn't serious then why did she say it?" Jordan questioned.
"Dude why are you so uptight all of a sudden?" Scott asked.
"Yeah, we all saw the way you acted when Peter called your name today." Ezra said.
"What?" Jordan asked.
He knew what, he had tensed up. He just didn't think it was that noticeable. He'd have to retune his technique later. But now he had to cover his tracks.
"Don't pull the innocent act, Jordan, it's not becoming." Daisy said as bitterly as he had about their attitudes earlier that day.
"Hmm." Jordan said. "Where have I heard those words before." He glared at Daisy. "What, can't think of anything of your own to say?" he said. He had the attitude thing downpat.
"What the heck is up with you Jordan. You've been nice, we liked you. Then today your just a... a ice cold no feeling jerk." Juliet said to him.
"Like Shelby." Ezra said laughing.
Shelby laughed and threw a pillow at Ezra.
"That is it. Aren't I entitled to act like everyone else once in a while? Like a screwed up freak just like every one of you." He said almost shouting.
Juliet started crying. She didn't like yelling and she didn't like being called a freak.
"Look what you did J. You just made Juliet cry." Auggie said getting up.
Jordan couldn't handle it. He really didn't mean to be acting like a jerk. He hadn't meant the comment at all. He just wanted to be left alone. He wanted to think about what to do with the file that Sophie and Peter somehow got their hands on.
Jordan took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry." He said ashamed. "I know your all not screwed up freaks. I didn't mean to call you that." He said pausing. "Any of you. Shelby and Daisy, I didn't mean what I said this afternoon or tonight. I'm sorry, you guy's don't deserve my attitude." He said not looking at them. "Juliet sorry for making you cry, I didn't mean to. Scott, Ez, Auggie, sorry for trashing the bunk. All you guys I'm sorry." He said. " I don't know why I'm acting like I am but can you just accept it. And please, please don't tell Peter or Sophie." He almost begged at the end.
Jordan got up as he saw Sophie coming back. He needed to get out of there, he didn't want to be there if someone blabbed about what he had said to everyone.
"Um, Sophie." He said to her as soon as she came up to him. "I don't feel to well, can I go back to the dorm and lay down?" he asked.
She felt Jordan's head. He did feel a bit hot. "Sure Jordan, you can leave."
Jordan walked away slowly out of the lodge.
As soon as he got out of there he ran to the dorm.
IN THE DORM-
Jordan sat on his bed, he pulled his legs closer to him, he was practically gasping for breath. He tried to count back slowly to 10 but it didn't work.
Jordan was used to attacks like this. When he was under to much pressure. It was a time he really, really wanted to cut. It happened when he couldn't control himself or what was happening around him. And right now that seemed to be the case.
"If only they hadn't tried to dig their noses where they didn't belong we wouldn't have this problem." He said to himself referring to Peter and Sophie and his newest file.
He got up slowly. He knew he had been a pain the last day and a half. The fact that he had never acted like he was really scared him. He made his way to the bathroom. As he got there he went to the sink and splashed water on his face, hoping to calm his nerves. That's when he saw Scott's razor.
Jordan picked it up. He wanted to see if the blade would come out. After a few tried pulling it out and putting it back in he took it.
"You're a bad boy Jordan," he said, repeating what Kendra would say in this situation. "And bad boys need to be punished."
He looked at the blade one more time, contemplating if he should cut or not. Finally he gave in. He cut the first time. Just below the skin. A thin line of blood appeared on Jordan's arm. He felt almost relieved with the first cut. He cut again and again. Just deep enough to feel pain and draw blood. But he wasn't stupid. He didn't cut enough for people to be able to see it later. No scars, no signs. That way Peter and Sophie would never know and he wouldn't get another lecture from them.
MEANWHILE BACK AT THE LODGE- (group)
The rest of the cliffhangers sat in a circle. Sophie was leading them in group. They had just done their tribal scream. Now they were about ready to talk.
"Does any one have anything they would like to say?" Sophie asked the cliffhangers.
Everyone was looking at each other. There was some thing on every one's minds. But no one wanted to say anything. It was a code of Honor for the cliffhangers. Unless some one says or does something that puts them in danger then you don't tell. And Jordan hadn't done anything YET. And they didn't like the others talking about them, so they didn't want to say anything about Jordan.
Sophie saw the look on the teen's faces. Something was up. She just didn't know what. Usually Sophie wasn't clueless, far from it actually. But she was today.
Someone knew they had to have the courage to speak up. The looked at each other. Then Kat spoke up.
"Sophie, can we talk amongst ourselves for a minute?" she asked.
"Sure go ahead." Sophie said hearing the seriousness of Kat's voice.
The cliffhangers huddled together on the couch. Sophie edged away as not to intrude on them.
"Okay, who wants to say it." She asked straight out.
"Say what?" Auggie asked.
"Who wants to say we want to talk about Jordan?" Kat asked. "Duh."
The others looked at each other.
"I don't think we should say anything." Scott finally said, "I mean that's like against the little code of honor we have. No telling on others."
"But the rules say we have to tell if we think someone's about to hurt themselves or any one else." Juliet said.
"Well he hasn't done anything yet. I mean nothing major." Daisy said trying to convince Kat.
The guys looked at each other. "Well..." Ezra said cautiously.
"What?" Shelby said annoyed by the waste of time this little "meeting" was.
"Well, he did trash the dorm today." Ezra said when the guys nodded.
"Plus it's not like we know anything. I mean we should just voice our opinion on the matter." He added quickly on the end.
Everyone looked like they agreed. They turned back to Sophie. She looked at their faces and saw they wanted to talk about something.
"Anything wrong guys?" She asked. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Jordan." They said flatly almost all at the same time.
Sophie looked at them. She knew she was worried but the fact that they were worried made her a little more worried.
"Okay, what about Jordan?" she asked trying to keep her composure.
"It's been actin' wacko Sophie." Scott said.
"Yeah." Juliet said. "He wouldn't even talk to me. He called us all freaks."
"And made Jules cry." Auggie said. "He's got some major attitude today!"
"He called you guys freaks?" Sophie asked.
The Group nodded their head. It wasn't really a big deal. They had been called freaks before, but the way Jordan had said it was mean. They would probably have brushed it over if Juliet hadn't cried.
"Yeah." Shelby said. "That's what we said. We wouldn't lie about that."
"But, then he apologized." Juliet said kind of defensively. "Like a gazillion times."
"Yeah he's been apologizing a lot lately." Daisy said. "If he does it one more time I feel like I should smack him to make him SHUT UP!"
The group laughed. Daisy was like that. Then Sophie looked at them.
"Now we don't want that." She said laughing too. "But I think maybe Jordan is under a lot of stress for one reason or another. The one-month mark just passed this week and I think he's stressing over it. So for the time being we need to deal with it okay? I'll talk to Peter when he gets home tomorrow. But that's what we'll do today okay?" she asked them.
"Okay." The cliffhangers said in joint agreement. They were glad they had said something, at least until Jordan found out they had.
"Well." Sophie said looking at her watch. "It's getting late. I think you guys should go back to your dorms now. Okay?"
The cliffhangers got up. There was a chorus of good-byes before everyone left.
BACK AT THE DORM-before the end of group.
Jordan was standing against the sink. The water was running. His arm was bleeding. He felt the slight numbing feeling he got when he got used to the pain. He looked at the clock on the wall. 7:30.
"Group should be over with soon." He thought to himself. "Better clean up.
Jordan took Scott's razor blade and cleaned it off with soap and hot water. Hopefully Scott wouldn't know he used it. Then he put it back on the holder. He took a paper towel and wiped off his arm with it. He would have used a regular towel but was afraid some one would see the blood on it.
Jordan looked at his arm. Both of them were a bit red but they hadn't bled that much. He pulled down his sleeves and threw away the paper towels just as the door closed.
There was a knock at the bathroom door
"Hey Jordan, you in here?" one of the guys, Jordan didn't know which one, asked.
"Yeah. I'll...I'll be right out." He said giving the room a last once over to make sure he had cleaned up the mess he had made.
"J, are you okay?" Auggie asked. "You sound like your sick.
"I'm fine. I'll be right there." Jordan said as he stepped out of the bathroom.
Ezra, Scott, and Auggie looked at Jordan. He looked sick to them.
"You should lay down Jordan." Scott said. "You don't look to good."
"Yeah your really pale." Ezra said.
"I think I'm going to go lay down okay guys?" Jordan said to them as he made his way to his bed. He felt fine but he had a long night a head of him.
"Sure. We'll be quiet." Scott said as Jordan went into bed and the others settled down to read and write letters.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Jordan got up. Sweat was pouring from his forehead. It was another bad dream. Fortunately he hadn't woken up the Guy's this time. Because no one was staring at him. The clock on his nightstand said 3:30. He got up and pulled his jeans over his boxers, and then put on his shoes. Getting up and walking to the door he grabbed his coat and walked outside, the cold air stinging him a bit
He knew he wasn't supposed to be out of his cabin after dark, it was against Horizon rules. But none of it seamed to matter. Jordan was in a daze. He had been since Peter and Sophie had talked to him in their office a couple of days ago. He needed to know what they knew about him. That way he could protect himself from them and from everyone else. His parent's had taken hold of the files that everyone, like the cops and social workers and teachers, were supposed to have giving Horizon right before they left. At least any paper that had said any thing to imply they were bad parents. Jordan had thought no one would see them again. He had grown to hate and fear the system that was meant to help kids like him. First they split him and his brother and sister up. They went to one foster home and were adopted when he was left in another and eventually returned home. And his mom and Jackson had him so scared, threatening him since he was little about what would happen if he ever told, that he couldn't tell the people that should have been able to help him.
Jordan crept quietly to the Administrations building. He hoped the door was open. As he got there and jiggled the lock he realized it wasn't. He tried to find another way, an open door or something, he didn't feel like breaking-and-entering again, even though he knew how to, he had done it many times before. Finally he found a window that was open a bit. Pushing it up and edging the screen out he went in.
Luckily for him Peter and Sophie's office was open. He went in and started to look for the file.
"Where the heck is it?" he said to the air.
That's when he saw his file on Peter's desk. He opened it and took a flashlight. He couldn't risk getting caught with it. He opened the file. And flipped through the pages.
"Oh great. It's only the freaking police reports." He said.
He flipped through the ones he knew Peter and Sophie had been looking at, the were out of order, and of the various charges and things that had been brought up against him. Running away and stealing, those sorts of things. Then he got to the ones he was looking for. The ones that hadn't been in the file before.
"Jackson, Jackson, Jackson." Jordan sighed. He had always wondered how his step-dad had gotten a hold of these reports. The ones that he knew would harm him and Kendra. Sure Jackson had friends in high places, that's what was keeping the Social Services reports from coming, but the fact that Jackson could have taken all of these papers fascinated him, and scared him.
Jordan looked at the police reports in his hands. There were 5 or six of them, all around 3 pages long. The longest though was 6. It was dated June 23, 1999. Jordan had been 13 at the time, it was 2 years ago. It was the day he had made the final call that had gotten Dillion and Kali away. He grabbed the papers and stuck them in his coat. Then he put the file back on Peters desk.
"Now what?" he asked himself. "There's still more." He said depressed, there was the whole deal with Social Services, and his old school, and the whole mess if Peter and Sophie found out. But they couldn't.
Jordan got up. He held the papers under his coat. He'd have to hide them and read them later. But for now he needed to get back to sleep. It would be a long day tommarrow.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
Hey how about suspense? I know Jordan was bad this chapter. How sad :(! Anyway he will be back to normal soon. Who do you like better? The bitter mean sarcastic Jordan introduced today. Or the nice normal quiet Jordan that you've seen before? Tell me when you review.