"Peter," Sophie said urgently. She closed the door of the cabin behind her and shrugged off her jacket.
He looked up from the fire he was stoking. "What's up, Soph?" he asked, hearing the distress in her voice.
"Scott isn't at his site. I checked on everyone right before sunset and he was in his tent. But then I checked again just now and he's gone."
"What?" He stood up straight, his brow furrowing in confusion. "He knows the rules. Are you sure?"
"I'm telling you, he's not there! He stuffed his sleeping bag with leaves."
"Where would he go?" He fell silent, his subconscious helpfully supplying him with the answer.
"Peter...do you know where he is?" she asked, suspicious of his sudden silence.
"Did you happen to check on Shelby yet?"
"Shelby? What does she have to do with this?"
"Scott's with Shelby," he said flatly.
"Why would he be with Shelby? If he's with anyone, it's Juliette."
"C'mon," he said, grabbing his jacket from a hook by the door.
Sophie quickly followed, catching the door before it slammed shut. She hurried after Peter, wondering what the hell had just taken place.
They approached Shelby's site. They saw a fire, nearly burnt out. "In the tent," Peter whispered.
They tiptoed toward the front of the tent. Slowly, Peter unzipped the flap.
Sophie shined her flashlight inside the tent. Her eyes widened in surprise as the beam fell across the sleeping face of Scott Barringer. She shifted the light over to the side, and Shelby's profile came into view. Their hands were clasped tightly between them, though it was the only place their bodies touched.
Peter observed the scene in front of him, a troubled look on his face. He could overlook the time on the docks, since he couldn't be sure they had stayed out the whole night and not woken up early for a walk. But this was blatant proof that they were breaking the rules without any regard to himself or Sophie.
He was no fool. He knew that for some reason they were opening up to each other, more so than they opened up to the rest of the group or even to himself. The dried tears on Scott's cheeks was proof enough. But they had to learn that they weren't above the rules set forth by Horizon, no matter how much they might depend on each other.
He sighed. Why did they insist on making his job harder and harder for him to do? He turned to Sophie to motion for her to follow him outside. He stopped short, his arm falling limply to his side. There was a softness in her face as she looked at the sleeping teens. In all the times he had looked at Sophie Becker, Peter had never seen that particular expression cross her face. A touch of wistfulness, hints of understanding, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from experience. He felt his heart skip a beat.
She looked up just then. He quickly averted his eyes, embarrassed of the strange new thoughts swirling around in his head. He was afraid that the brief instant of eye contact had betrayed what he was feeling.
She switched off her flashlight with a soft click, not wanting to wake them. She cautiously picked her way through the darkened tent to the flap. With some difficulty, Peter swallowed and followed her outside.
A faint rustling of canvas woke Scott from his sleep. He listened carefully, instinctively knowing that they weren't alone.
Shelby stirred beside him. For the second time that night, she was pulled from the comforting lull of sleep into wakefulness. She opened her eyes and saw him sitting up rigidly. His eyes were alert.
"What's wrong?" she yawned.
He relaxed considerably. "I thought I heard something, but whatever it was, I think it's gone now."
Her eyes fluttered closed sleepily. "Good..."
He smiled affectionately at her. "Night Shelb."
She was already asleep.
"I don't know what I'd do without you." He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.
Sophie held her breath. The soft murmuring of Scott and Shelby was barely audible through the walls of the tent, but the underlying emotion behind the words came through loud and clear. She was enchanted. Though the cynical part of her scoffed at the naive sweetness of their bond, her soul yearned for the innocence of a first love. She marveled at the intense longing in the pit of her stomach and wondered how the two teenagers had managed to evoke those long forgotten feelings.
Peter stood tall and strong beside her. The emotions in his face mirrored her own, except for his mouth, set in a grim line. He was at a loss. He understood what they were going through, he really did. But he couldn't let this one slide. It was inappropriate for the two to be sleeping in the same tent without supervision, especially since they were supposed to be on a solo anyway. He had to discipline them, but how?
Sophie looked at him sympathetically. She understood what he had to do, no matter how much they wanted to turn a blind eye. "Should we wake them?" she whispered in his ear.
His eyes looked regretful. "We're going to have to. We can't let them sleep together the whole night." He thought for a minute. "Okay, here's what we're going to have to do. Since Shelby doesn't know where Scott's site is, we'll move Shelby to a different site. That way they can finish what's left of their solos alone. We'll have to figure out a punishment when we get back."
Sophie nodded as she moved towards the flap of the tent. She didn't worry about how much noise she made this time. As she crouched under the flap, she saw Scott already sitting up and waking Shelby.
"Shelby," he said, shaking her shoulder.
"Not again," she groaned. "What now?"
"We're busted," he said.
"We're what?" A coldness seeped into the pit of her stomach. She knew without a doubt that they were in a crap load of trouble.
Peter and Sophie crouched in the entrance of the tent. Strangely enough, they didn't look angry. Their expressions were unreadable but troubled.
Peter spoke first. "Scott, Sophie is going to walk you back to your site now."
Scott squeezed her hand briefly, then stood up. He walked out of the tent without looking back. Sophie quickly followed.
Shelby sat up in her sleeping bag and looked at him unrepentantly.
"Okay, Shel. Pack up. You're moving."
She shrugged indifferently. "Aye aye, Captain."
Ten minutes later, she followed Peter to a new site. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked, not expecting an answer.
Surprisingly, she spoke. "I'm not sorry. He needed me."
"What do you mean?"
But she wouldn't say another word.
When Peter arrived back at the cabin, Sophie sat warming her hands in front of the fire. "Did you get anything out of Scott?"
"Not a thing. You?"
"Just that she wasn't sorry, because Scott needed her."
They fell silent, until Sophie changed the subject. "Do you think they'll go looking for each other?"
"Well as far as Scott is concerned, Shelby is still at her original site. And I backtracked and went in circles with Shelby, so I don't think she'll be able to find her way back to the other site."
"This feels so wrong," Sophie said quietly.
"I know," said Peter gravely. "I don't think their relationship is anything beyond friendship right now."
"It's only a matter of time," Sophie said ironically.
The next morning, Scott sneaked back to Shelby's site. He was only mildly surprised to see no one there. He didn't really think they'd be stupid enough to let her stay there. But he'd hoped...He started to head back to his site when he noticed an object from the corner of his eye.
A white bag was placed deliberately on top of the log where the fire had been. He crossed the distance to the bag in a split second. The plastic rustled as his hand reached in. His fingers found a smooth, satiny material. He lifted his hand from the bag and held the contents up. A long pink ribbon was tangled in his fingers. A tiny delicate slipper, pink and well worn, dangled from the ribbon. In his mind's eye, he saw a tiny wisp of a girl, blonde hair pulled into a long ponytail, wearing a pink tutu. She twirled around and around forever, giggling.
He gently placed the shoe back in the bag. He clutched it to his chest protectively as he made his way back to his site. He finally had something he wasn't afraid to think about.
He looked up from the fire he was stoking. "What's up, Soph?" he asked, hearing the distress in her voice.
"Scott isn't at his site. I checked on everyone right before sunset and he was in his tent. But then I checked again just now and he's gone."
"What?" He stood up straight, his brow furrowing in confusion. "He knows the rules. Are you sure?"
"I'm telling you, he's not there! He stuffed his sleeping bag with leaves."
"Where would he go?" He fell silent, his subconscious helpfully supplying him with the answer.
"Peter...do you know where he is?" she asked, suspicious of his sudden silence.
"Did you happen to check on Shelby yet?"
"Shelby? What does she have to do with this?"
"Scott's with Shelby," he said flatly.
"Why would he be with Shelby? If he's with anyone, it's Juliette."
"C'mon," he said, grabbing his jacket from a hook by the door.
Sophie quickly followed, catching the door before it slammed shut. She hurried after Peter, wondering what the hell had just taken place.
They approached Shelby's site. They saw a fire, nearly burnt out. "In the tent," Peter whispered.
They tiptoed toward the front of the tent. Slowly, Peter unzipped the flap.
Sophie shined her flashlight inside the tent. Her eyes widened in surprise as the beam fell across the sleeping face of Scott Barringer. She shifted the light over to the side, and Shelby's profile came into view. Their hands were clasped tightly between them, though it was the only place their bodies touched.
Peter observed the scene in front of him, a troubled look on his face. He could overlook the time on the docks, since he couldn't be sure they had stayed out the whole night and not woken up early for a walk. But this was blatant proof that they were breaking the rules without any regard to himself or Sophie.
He was no fool. He knew that for some reason they were opening up to each other, more so than they opened up to the rest of the group or even to himself. The dried tears on Scott's cheeks was proof enough. But they had to learn that they weren't above the rules set forth by Horizon, no matter how much they might depend on each other.
He sighed. Why did they insist on making his job harder and harder for him to do? He turned to Sophie to motion for her to follow him outside. He stopped short, his arm falling limply to his side. There was a softness in her face as she looked at the sleeping teens. In all the times he had looked at Sophie Becker, Peter had never seen that particular expression cross her face. A touch of wistfulness, hints of understanding, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from experience. He felt his heart skip a beat.
She looked up just then. He quickly averted his eyes, embarrassed of the strange new thoughts swirling around in his head. He was afraid that the brief instant of eye contact had betrayed what he was feeling.
She switched off her flashlight with a soft click, not wanting to wake them. She cautiously picked her way through the darkened tent to the flap. With some difficulty, Peter swallowed and followed her outside.
A faint rustling of canvas woke Scott from his sleep. He listened carefully, instinctively knowing that they weren't alone.
Shelby stirred beside him. For the second time that night, she was pulled from the comforting lull of sleep into wakefulness. She opened her eyes and saw him sitting up rigidly. His eyes were alert.
"What's wrong?" she yawned.
He relaxed considerably. "I thought I heard something, but whatever it was, I think it's gone now."
Her eyes fluttered closed sleepily. "Good..."
He smiled affectionately at her. "Night Shelb."
She was already asleep.
"I don't know what I'd do without you." He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.
Sophie held her breath. The soft murmuring of Scott and Shelby was barely audible through the walls of the tent, but the underlying emotion behind the words came through loud and clear. She was enchanted. Though the cynical part of her scoffed at the naive sweetness of their bond, her soul yearned for the innocence of a first love. She marveled at the intense longing in the pit of her stomach and wondered how the two teenagers had managed to evoke those long forgotten feelings.
Peter stood tall and strong beside her. The emotions in his face mirrored her own, except for his mouth, set in a grim line. He was at a loss. He understood what they were going through, he really did. But he couldn't let this one slide. It was inappropriate for the two to be sleeping in the same tent without supervision, especially since they were supposed to be on a solo anyway. He had to discipline them, but how?
Sophie looked at him sympathetically. She understood what he had to do, no matter how much they wanted to turn a blind eye. "Should we wake them?" she whispered in his ear.
His eyes looked regretful. "We're going to have to. We can't let them sleep together the whole night." He thought for a minute. "Okay, here's what we're going to have to do. Since Shelby doesn't know where Scott's site is, we'll move Shelby to a different site. That way they can finish what's left of their solos alone. We'll have to figure out a punishment when we get back."
Sophie nodded as she moved towards the flap of the tent. She didn't worry about how much noise she made this time. As she crouched under the flap, she saw Scott already sitting up and waking Shelby.
"Shelby," he said, shaking her shoulder.
"Not again," she groaned. "What now?"
"We're busted," he said.
"We're what?" A coldness seeped into the pit of her stomach. She knew without a doubt that they were in a crap load of trouble.
Peter and Sophie crouched in the entrance of the tent. Strangely enough, they didn't look angry. Their expressions were unreadable but troubled.
Peter spoke first. "Scott, Sophie is going to walk you back to your site now."
Scott squeezed her hand briefly, then stood up. He walked out of the tent without looking back. Sophie quickly followed.
Shelby sat up in her sleeping bag and looked at him unrepentantly.
"Okay, Shel. Pack up. You're moving."
She shrugged indifferently. "Aye aye, Captain."
Ten minutes later, she followed Peter to a new site. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked, not expecting an answer.
Surprisingly, she spoke. "I'm not sorry. He needed me."
"What do you mean?"
But she wouldn't say another word.
When Peter arrived back at the cabin, Sophie sat warming her hands in front of the fire. "Did you get anything out of Scott?"
"Not a thing. You?"
"Just that she wasn't sorry, because Scott needed her."
They fell silent, until Sophie changed the subject. "Do you think they'll go looking for each other?"
"Well as far as Scott is concerned, Shelby is still at her original site. And I backtracked and went in circles with Shelby, so I don't think she'll be able to find her way back to the other site."
"This feels so wrong," Sophie said quietly.
"I know," said Peter gravely. "I don't think their relationship is anything beyond friendship right now."
"It's only a matter of time," Sophie said ironically.
The next morning, Scott sneaked back to Shelby's site. He was only mildly surprised to see no one there. He didn't really think they'd be stupid enough to let her stay there. But he'd hoped...He started to head back to his site when he noticed an object from the corner of his eye.
A white bag was placed deliberately on top of the log where the fire had been. He crossed the distance to the bag in a split second. The plastic rustled as his hand reached in. His fingers found a smooth, satiny material. He lifted his hand from the bag and held the contents up. A long pink ribbon was tangled in his fingers. A tiny delicate slipper, pink and well worn, dangled from the ribbon. In his mind's eye, he saw a tiny wisp of a girl, blonde hair pulled into a long ponytail, wearing a pink tutu. She twirled around and around forever, giggling.
He gently placed the shoe back in the bag. He clutched it to his chest protectively as he made his way back to his site. He finally had something he wasn't afraid to think about.