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.
Chapter 4 – Heartache
Sophie walked into the
dining hall and up to Peter.
"Peter, we'd better call a group
session to tell the Cliffhangers about tomorrow," Peter was still looking at
the Cliffhangers table, a worried look on his face.
"Soph, I really don't know
if this is the time to be going. I can
feel the conflict between Scott and Talia. Scott just had a small explosion."
"Peter, if I didn't have to
go, I wouldn't go, but you know how it is with family. Why don't you stay
behind and watch over the Cliffhangers if you're worried?"
"No, Sophie. I promised you that I would be there for you
and I will," said Peter with another worried glance at the Cliffhangers. "I'll ask Roger to keep an extra tight eye
on them. I'll tell the Cliffhangers we
have group in fifteen minutes. Why
don't you go round up Scott and Shelby."
"Fine, I'll be right back."
- - - - -
The Cliffhangers sat
haphazardly on couches and on the floor in front of the fireplace in the main
lounge. Talia was perched on a couch
between Juliette and Auggie while Scott was slouched on the ground on the other
side of the room from Shelby.
"Hi Cliffhangers," said
Peter. "This is going to be really
short. Sophie has an announcement to
make." Juliette nudged Auggie with a
smile.
"Okay guys." Sophie stepped
to the front of the room. "My mother is
sick. The doctors don't know what is
wrong with her, so they are keeping her in the hospital. Tomorrow, Peter and I will both be going
down to visit her. We'll be back here
the morning of the day after tomorrow."
"Oh, Sophie, that's rough,"
said Auggie.
"Well I don't know whether
to whoop or holler!" said David making eyes at Daisy.
"I'm glad everyone is so
sympathetic," said Sophie sarcastically. "But it's getting late."
"Good night, everyone. Get to your dorms and get ready for bed,"
ordered Peter. There were groans as
they pushed themselves off their seats and straggled out the door. Peter and Sophie looked at each other as
Scott walked slowly past, his head down.
"Scott," said Peter. "Stay here, we'd like to talk to you."
Scott turned back to them
defiantly.
"What?" he mumbled.
"Sit back down on the
couch," said Sophie.
Scott walked back to the
couch and plopped himself down.
"What?" he said again.
"Scott," said Peter. "What happened at dinner today? I saw you walk out early."
"Nothing happened."
"Scott," said Sophie in a
warning tone. "Are we back at square
one again? You know you can trust us."
"Yes, Scott. I'd like to know what's going on between you
and Talia," added Peter. At the name
Talia, Peter could see Scott closing himself off like he had done in the past.
"I already told you, nothing
is happening!"
Peter and Sophie looked at
each other.
"All right then, Scott. We'll talk more when we get back. Good night," said Peter.
Scott walked out without a
word.
- - - - -
In the girls' dorm Juliette
had Daisy pulled to one side and was whispering to her. Daisy was only half-listening. She was watching warily Talia and
Shelby. Shelby was writing in her
journal on her bed, stopping sporadically to send a glare across the room at
Talia. Talia ignored her, reading calmly
in her bed. Finally, Shelby couldn't
hold herself back. She got off her bed
and went to stand in front of Talia. Talia kept on reading. With one
yank, Shelby pulled the book out of her hands and hurled it across the
room. Talia looked up.
"If you have something to
say, Shelby, say it. Don't take it out
on my book."
"Yeah, I have a lot to say, Talia,"
said Shelby pulling out Talia's name as if it were something nasty. "I want an explanation as to what is going
on with you and Scott."
"What is going on? I'm sorry Shelby, but nothing is
happening. And nothing will."
"Nothing is happening?" Shelby pulled Talia off the bed violently
and held her by the neck of her shirt. "If you know Scott at all you take a look at him and tell me nothing is
happening! How can you do this to him?"
"Somehow I think you're
caring less about him than about your relationship, Shelby," said Talia. "Get your hands off of me."
Shelby pushed Talia back
onto her bed, hard. Then she jumped on
the bed herself and started to pound on Talia. But the next second she found herself pinned on her back on the bed with
Daisy, Juliette and Talia holding her down.
"Shelby, stop it!" said
Daisy. "It's not worth it. Leave it alone for now." Talia walked across the room and retrieved
her book. Juliette and Daisy led Shelby
back to her bed. Talia went back to her
bed, turned off the light, and made as if to go to sleep.
- - - - -
Everyone had finally turned
off their lights. Talia could hear
steady breathing as she stared blankly up at the dark ceiling. Everything was wrong, had all gone
wrong. Quietly she slipped out of bed,
put on her coat and went outside. She
walked just outside of the pools of light, making her way over to the
water. She knew instinctively that this
was Scott's favorite place. She walked
to the edge of the dock and sat down, dangling her feet over the edge. Everything was quiet.
"Oh Scott, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you," she whispered into the
darkness.
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