Talia recovered first

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Higher Ground characters. I do own all the names you don't recognize from the show.

Summer of Changes

Chapter 2 – Meeting head on

Talia recovered first. She swallowed and tried to regain her usual poker face.

"Hi, Scott," she said, relieved her voice only wobbled momentarily at his name, "it's nice to meet you."

Scott stared at her for a moment, ran a hand through his hair, and gave a quick nervous laugh. "Hi," he said. It was almost a whisper.

Peter finally noticed the tension. "Look Scott, you don't have to do this, I can easily ask Ez - " Sophie touched him on the arm.

"I'm sure Scott can manage, Peter. Right, Scott?" Scott mumbled something unintelligible. "I think we should just let them get started on the tour."

"Yes, definitely, Sophie." said Talia quickly. "I'm all ready to go."

"Then that's settled." said Peter with a look at Sophie. "Scott, bring Talia to my office after you're done. Come on, Sophie. We've got some work to do." They both walked off.

Shelby, forgotten, picked herself off the ground. "What is going on?" she demanded. "Scott! Look at me!" she said with anger when there was no reply.

Scott turned to her. His eyes held the same pain Shelby had seen the day of his confession about Elaine. "Look Shelb, I'll talk to you tonight. Midnight, you know where." He walked away. With a backward glance at Shelby, Talia turned to follow him.

- - - - -

"Auggie," said Juliette with a yawn, "This is the most perfect moment." She snuggled closer to him. Auggie and Juliette were stretched out together in the sun on a grassy hill close to Horizon. "But don't you think it's getting a bit boring, you know, now that the prom's over and everything."

"I don't know 'bout that, Jules. I mean, we got that newbie coming. That should liven stuff up," said Auggie with his eyes closed.

"I know, but still," said Juliette. She now looked more awake than sleepy and wore the small pout she always had on when she was thinking.

"Hey, come on, Jules, just relax and enjoy our rest time while we have it," said Auggie pulling her back down next to him. She closed her eyes and rested her head Auggie's arm, letting herself slip back into total relaxation. They both ignored the sounds of footsteps coming towards them.

"So I see I'm interrupting a lovers moment," came the dry voice of Daisy.

"Hey Daisy," said Juliette opening her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Escaping from the wrath of two overwrought gentlemen," she replied.

"David?" asked Auggie.

"Actually, David and Ezra. I've never known two more aggravating people!" she said lying down next to them. "Now that they've got time on their hands, they're at each other all day. Of course, I'm always in the middle of it. Today I just missed getting a container of orange juice dropped on my head."

"See!" said Juliette. "We're all bored. But I think I might have a solution."

"Yeah?" said Auggie. "What you got, Jules?"

- - - - -

"What do you think that was?" asked Peter when he and Sophie arrived in his office.

"Well, obviously Scott and Talia know each other," replied Sophie.

"Yeah," said Peter. "When do those files on Talia arrive?"

"Not for another few days, Peter."

"We're taking in someone we know nothing about. Someone who could be harmful to the welfare of our students here at Mount Horizon. I don't like this at all, Soph."

"You're worried about Scott, aren't you." said Sophie.

"Yeah," said Peter.

"Well, look. If Scott's got demons from his past, he's got to face them sooner or later."
"Yeah, but Soph. Why here? Why now? He's not ready. I mean from this girl's record she could have hurt him badly."

"Peter, we can't judge her without even knowing her middle name."

"Yeah, but what risk are we running having a girl we know nothing about at Mount Horizon?"

- - - - -

Scott was leading Talia in a maze of directions, walking quickly and without a word. Finally they came to a secluded area next to the woods and he turned to face her. He motioned to her to sit down.

"What?" asked Talia. "No tour, then? I'm fine standing, thanks."

Scott stared at her with surprise. "Well, I'm happy to see you too," he said sarcastically.

Talia didn't respond for a minute. "Are you happy to see me, Scott?" she finally said. Scott saw bitterness in the eyes he used to know so well. "I don't think either of us is. Our friendship ended a year and a half ago and that's where it should stay."

Scott stared. "What's happened to you? I don't know you anymore."

"A lot can happen in a year and a half Scott, when you've got no one there to believe in you."

This time Talia saw guilt in his eyes. He was looking back in time, remembering. Then he turned accusing eyes on to her. "I think that I should be the person to know that lesson best. You knew what was happening to me the whole time. And you did nothing!"

For a split second, Talia looked like the young girl Scott used to know. She winced like she had the time at eight years old; he'd been so angry at her he'd thrown a snowball straight in her face. Then the next moment, the expression was gone. A smooth, polished face was presented to him. A blink of the eye and he would have missed it.

"Maybe that's true, Scott. You betrayed me and I betrayed you. But that's in the past, Scott. And that's where it will stay. Good bye." she walked away.

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