Author's note: First of all I wanted to say that I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long, but you know how life can be. Anyway, I'm still working on the website and hope to have it up soon, if anyone is interested. Also, this story is one that helps to move the plot along so a lot of things begin to happen, but won't be resolved in this story. The next story is already in the works and should be out soon. Please review and let me know what you think about what's happening.
(This story takes place one week before Christmas.)
Phone Calls and Conversations
Ring...ring.
Megan reached over and picked up the phone. "Mount Horizon, Can I help you?"
She waited as the other person responded. "Yes, he can take a call. The students are normally in class, but we had a heating problem this morning." A pause. "Let me find where he is and I will tell him he has a call." Megan pushed the button putting the call on hold, as she did she noticed Peter coming from his office folder in hand. "Peter." She said. "Do you know where Auggie Cicero's is? He has a call."
"He's probably in the lodge with the other Cliffhangers. I can let him know sense I'm headed over there. Do you know who the call is from?"
"It's a Mr. Hamilton." Megan said.
"Oh." Peter said. He knew what this call was about. "I'll make sure to tell him." And with that Peter turned and headed for the lodge.
"It's not fair." Juliette pouted as she walked over and flopped down onto the couch next to Auggie. "I finally think of a way to get through to her sense she wouldn't answer my calls and she writes me back and says I can't have the number."
Auggie glanced over at her. "I'm really sorry Jules. I know that has to suck."
Juliette sighed. "I just wanted to talk to my dad." She turned and looked at Auggie. "Is that so much to ask?"
"No." Auggie said firmly. "No one should be kept from their family." He paused. "Why won't she tell you?"
"Same old reason. She thinks I should concentrate on getting better and not worry about anything else right now."
"I don't want to be mean here, Jules, but maybe she's right."
"What?" Juliette cried.
"Maybe she's right." Auggie said calmly. "Maybe she is trying to take care of you and do the right thing. Maybe she realizes that contacting your dad right now isn't what's best for you."
"But it's what I want." Juliette said. "She never lets me have anything that I want."
"Because you don't stand up for yourself Jules. If you did, she wouldn't be able to walk on you like she does. Stop letting her control you Jules."
Juliette was about to reply to that, when Peter walked up. "Not to interrupt you two, but Auggie you have a phone call."
"My parents?" Auggie asked and Peter shook his head no. "All right I'll take it upstairs. I'll be back Jules." He said as he stood and headed up to take the call. Peter watched him go and then turns to Juliette.
"So," He asks, "How are you doing?"
Juliette looks at him for a moment and then says, "I want to talk to my father. But mother thinks it's best if I concentrate more on trying to get better then talk to him."
Peter nods and sits down next to her. "Maybe she's trying to look out for you."
"That's what Auggie said." Juliette shakes her head suddenly getting angry. "But she doesn't want to look out for me. She doesn't want to protect me. She just wants to control me that's all she's ever wanted."
Peter takes a deep breath. He knew that to be true to an extent, but he also knew that Juliette allowed some of it to happen too. "You don't have to let her. You could tell her how you feel."
"I don't know how." Juliette said frustrated. "Every time I try I either chicken out or... I just chicken out."
Peter thinks for a moment and then says, "I'm not sure what to tell you Juliette. But I have an assignment for you that might help."
Juliette almost groaned aloud. "Everything leads to an assignment."
"I think you'll like this one though and it's specifically for you and you alone. No one is allowed to know that you're doing it." Juliette looked at him curiously. "This assignment will last until I decide it needs to end." He paused for a moment making sure she was following what he said, "And what I want you to do is make your own choices. You decide when you get up; go to sleep, when and if you go to class, if you participate in group. You are allowed to do anything you want... with in reason, as long as it's your own choice."
"But if I don't go to class I'll get in trouble."
"Juliette I own this school and I'm telling you to do this. I'll let the other counselors know so you don't get in trouble. But you can't tell the other students."
"But won't they want to know why if I don't go to class or if I don't participate in group? Won't they wonder why I'm not getting in trouble?"
"Most likely, but you'll just have to tell them something. And once the assignment is over you can tell them about it - after you right a three page paper about how it made you feel to spend your time like this." With that said Peter stood. "Remember this assignment is for you alone and it starts now." He turned to walk away, but then called over his shoulder, "Remember, if anyone finds out the assignment is automatically over."
"What was the call about?" Juliette asked Auggie from where she sat on the couch thinking about her assignment.
"Oh, it was just an old friend." Auggie said as he sat down on the couch. "Wanted to know when I was coming home. I told him I'd be home in a few days."
Juliette leaned over resting her head on Auggie's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you. It was going to be our first Christmas together."
"I'll be back by New Year's Eve I promise."
"I guess that will have to do." She jokes and then she becomes mores serious. She glances up at Auggie. "There's only six or seven months until you graduate Auggie and I already miss you." Auggie doesn't reply, but a sinking feeling begins to settle into his stomach. "I guess we'll just have to make the next six months as special as possible."
"Yea." Auggie says as he puts his arm around. "The rest of our time together will be as special as possible."
Peter walked over to Sophie and slipped his arms around her waist. "How about you and I go away for the weekend?"
Sophie smiles brightly leaning into him, but then suddenly realizes where she is. She turns breaking his hold on her. "As great as that sounds, haven't you been saying that we don't have enough staff as it is?"
"Well, I think I solved that problem."
Sophie looks at him surprised. "You found a counselor to work?"
"Yes. Well, as long as everything works out. But he should be able to start right after the first of the year, so we should be able to escape for a weekend."
"What about Roger?" Sophie asks as she begins to walk around and straighten up the lodge.
"There is still a position open for him. But this way we are better off then we were before. The guys credentials look good and I'll be able to meet him after Christmas break. Plus Kat has agreed to stay for a few extra days to so we'll have help there."
"I thought Kat wanted to go be with her family."
Peter shook his head slightly. "I think Christmas is always hard on her family, with Shannon's death and all. After everything over the summer and all I'm just not sure Kat wants to spend too much time dwelling on such bad times. I think she's ready to have good times. I just think that she thinks her parents aren't ready to yet."
"Doesn't that mean she's avoiding the problem?"
"Yes and no." Peter said. "I think she has a lot of other reasons why she's staying too."
"Hank being number one?"
"Yep." Peter said. "I plan on talking to her and make sure she definitely wants to stay, but if she doesn't I still think we'll be able to cover everything well enough." He paused for a moment before saying, "So will you come out of town with me?"
Sophie took a deep breath. "I'm just not sure Peter. I mean with everything going on here - it's Christmas after all - and all the changes that the cliffhangers have faced. I think it would be a good idea for us to stay in town."
Peter sighed and then guiltily said, "Well, I kind of have to go out of town."
Sophie stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Let me get this straight, you come over trying to woo me away for a weekend, and it's all about business?"
Peter looked contritely at her. "I called Mark. He invited us for the holidays - partially so that we can discuss his funding the scholarship."
Sophie grunted in discussed. "I don't believe you. Here I am thinking you want to spend time with me and it's really because you don't want to face your brother by yourself."
"It's not that I don't want to spend time with you. I always want to spend time with you." He smiled at her sweetly. "And I do want you to go away for the weekend with me. And I think it's important with us being engaged that you and my brother get to know each other."
"You barely spend time with your brother."
"I'm trying to change that." Sophie gave him a look. "Ok, Ok. I'll admit defeat. My brother and I are still working things out and I don't want to go there and argue with him about this. I thought that if you came it would be easier. But I also thought that time away for the two of us would be a good thing too." He stepped towards her. "We're engaged Sophie." He reached out and took her hands into his. "I would like to see you with out all of this."
Sophie smiled at him, but still gave him a hard time. "Well, after such a nice and genuine invitation, how can I say no?"
"So you'll go?"
"As long as everything is taken care of before we leave. I'll go."
"Great." Peter said and he leaned over and kissed her. "I know this is the circumstances that you or I wanted, but I do want you with me." With that he turned and headed away giving her a wave.
Act two:
Inside of the girl's dorm, Shelby laid across her bunk working on homework. She looks up when she hears someone entering the room.
"Do you have any idea what he's done now?" Daisy rambled as she walked right into the room and began to pace in front of Shelby's bed. "I was there for Thanksgiving, I forgave him, and what does he say, that he'll see me at Christmas. Well, it's Christmas and where is he? Sitting at home, telling me that I can't come home because I drank when I was there before. He just doesn't think that it's a good idea. He thinks I should wait." She looks at Shelby for a moment and takes a breath. Shelby starts to say something, but before she can, Daisy starts again. "What gives him the right to just go all parental on me. He hasn't been here for the last seventeen years why should he all of a sudden be able to make any type of parental decision. What even makes him think that he's capable? I just can't believe he's doing this." Daisy says and drops back onto her bed finally out of steam.
Shelby tries to keep the smile from her face as she watches her friend. After a moment Daisy sits up and catches Shelby watching her amused. "What's so amusing?"
"You are." Shelby said. "You know that you enjoy every moment of this."
Daisy glared at Shelby for a moment, but then she suddenly smiles a small smile. "Yea, I think I do." She pauses for a moment. "But, I mean, I do wonder… well, every now and then, I get mad that he tries to take care of me. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we have a relationship and that he's trying. I've learned more about my dad and my life in the last month then I have in seventeen years, but every now and then, I sit back and I resent the fact that he's trying to do it."
Shelby sat up on her bed. "I think it's natural to feel like that. I think anyone would feel the way that you do now."
Daisy nods, and says, "But I wish I didn't. I wanted this. This is always what I wanted."
Shelby looks down at her bunk for a moment, takes a deep breath and then says softly, "Sometimes getting what you want, isn't want you always wanted."
Daisy looks at Shelby for a moment and then asks, "It's Scott again isn't it?"
Shelby looks up at Daisy kind of shocked and then looks back at her hands, "Yea." She says softly. "We broke up so we could both figure out how to cope on our own. I know it's what we both needed. It's what we both still need." She takes a deep breath, her eyes showing sadness as she says, "But I miss him." A pause. "I miss you. I miss everything about how things were before. I know it wasn't simple then, but I feel like it was. I feel like I've lost so much... and I want it back."
Daisy looks at her for a long moment and then stands and goes over and sits down next to her. "Things can't be the same forever Shelby. If things didn't change, you never would have been with Scott, you and I wouldn't be friends, I wouldn't have my father back."
"Everything that has happened though… it wouldn't of if things hadn't changed. Like with my father, and I use that term loosely, he wouldn't be dead right now. He wouldn't have killed himself if things wouldn't have changed."
Daisy looks at Shelby confused for a moment. "What does your father have to do with this? The fact that he committed suicide has nothing to do with you." Daisy watched as Shelby's face went pale. "You didn't kill him Shelby, you didn't. It wasn't your fault." She says firmly.
Shelby shakes her head. "I don't think it's my fault. But if…"
"No buts, Shelby. Nothing you could have done made this happen. If he wanted to end his life, it was his decision. Not the right one, but it was his." Daisy could tell she hadn't convinced Shelby. "Shelby he probably had been thinking about killing himself long before he showed up." She said softly.
Shelby turned sharply to Daisy, with tears in her eyes and shook her head. "He didn't want to until he got here."
Daisy looked at Shelby. "You mean he didn't want to kill himself when he got here?" The words were out of Daisy's mouth before she realized how bad the question sounded.
Shelby nodded swallowing the lump in her throat.
"I just..." Daisy paused for a moment not sure what to say to this new information. "After you left... No one really knew what happened to you. We knew your dad had committed suicide and that you had already been freaking out. Scott told me about that day in the office - when you broke down and said you didn't know what to do. He also told me that your father told him something about," She thinks for a moment, "That your dad said, "Sometimes parents do things that hurt their kids, that they didn't mean to do." We thought that that day in the office that your father told you that he had come to tell you goodbye. And that he was going to kill himself. We thought it pushed you over the edge."
Shelby stared at Daisy. So many questions in her head and even more answers that she wasn't willing to give. She hadn't told the full story to Peter yet and she hadn't said much of anything to any of the other cliffhangers. So she hadn't realized that the others might know stuff about that day that she didn't. "My dad said something to Scott?" Shelby asked beginning to become upset. "After he left the office that day?" She asked standing up.
Daisy could tell Shelby was really upset. "Yea... I thought you knew." She explained. "I don't know why sense you left, but I thought Scott would tell you."
"Well he didn't." Shelby snapped angrily. "He didn't tell me anything." Shelby stands there for a moment and then turned and stormed from the dorm.
Scott sits in the lodge. He sits for a moment and then he stands. Through all this he watches the phone. He tries to mentally pep talk himself into making the call but he can't work up the nerve. Next thing he knows Shelby storms up to him.
"Why didn't you tell me that my dad talked to you?"
"What?" Scott asks thoroughly confused.
"That day, when I freaked out in the office - the day he killed himself - why didn't you tell me that he said something to you?"
"I didn't think about it." Scott says frustrated, more by his current phone situation then with Shelby. "Besides you were gone for a while and the only time we've really talked sense you came back was to break up."
Shelby started to say - to scream at him that he should have told her, but she was too hurt by his last remark to respond so instead she turned to go.
"Wait." Scott said reaching out and touching her arm. Shelby turned but shrugged his hand off.
Scott took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He said. "I should have told you that your dad talked to me and I would have if I had thought about it. I was so worried about you while you were gone, that I didn't think much about what your dad said to me or why he said it. Other then in trying to figure out what happened in the office that day."
Shelby looked at him for a moment. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have left like I did."
"We've already talked about that."
"I know." Shelby said with a heavy sigh as she sank down into a nearby chair. "I feel like I'll be apologizing for it for the rest of my life though."
"You don't have to. You did what you thought you had to do." He paused. "You remember what you said to me in the kitchen the week after I found out about what you used to do?"
"You mean prostitution?" She still found it odd that Scott tried never to say the word.
"Yea." Scott said. "Do you remember?"
Shelby shrugged and then with a half smile said. "I said a lot of things to you that week."
Scott smiled slightly to and then looked at her. "You said, 'I did what I had to do, I'm not proud of it, but I'm not going to apologize for it either.' As long as you feel ok with the decision you made, then you don't have to apologize for it Shelby."
Shelby looked at the wall across from her. "I'm not ok with the decision I made. Not the one to leave. But I know that I wasn't right then. Not emotionally. I'm ok with the fact that I decided to come back and I'm ok with the decisions that I've made sense then." She bit her lip as she suddenly realized that she had off handedly just said she was ok with the fact that they had broken up. And hadn't she just told Daisy that she wasn't ok with it.
"It's ok." Scott said softly. "I'm ok with the fact that we broke up too."
Shelby didn't say anything for a moment. The statement had hurt. Taking a deep breath she decided to take a chance. "I miss being around you... I miss the way we were before."
Scott smiled sadly. "I do too." He reached back and began to massage the back of his neck with his hand. "But I realize that I need to not be with you right now. Just like I think you realize that you need to not be with me right now." A pause. "It doesn't mean that we don't love each other. It just means that we have other stuff to do right now."
Shelby nodded. "I know... it still sucks though."
"Yea," Scott said taking a deep breath, "It does."
Shelby shifted until she was seated more towards Scott. "Maybe if we talk more with each other, instead of walking around on eggshells because we've broken up, actually try to be friends for awhile."
Scott turned and looked at her. "You want that?"
"Yea." Shelby said surprised. "When we broke up that's what I wanted. Why do you not want that."
"No - I mean - yes, I do want that." He shrugged. "I just thought that when we broke up… I thought you didn't want me as a friend. Because you weren't willing to tell me anything and wanted to go off and try to figure things out on your own, I thought you didn't want me around. But, I want you as a friend."
"And I want you around... I don't want you as a boyfriend right now... no I can't handle you as a boyfriend right now. But I want you as a friend."
Scott smiled. "We're actually going to be friends then?"
"Yes." Shelby said. "So - friend - what's going on in your life?"
Scott sighed and then glanced at the phone. "I don't think I can call him."
Shelby didn't have to ask, she knew who 'him' was. "Why do you want too?"
"Because he's my dad... because it's been months sense we talked... because we broke up so that we could deal with things in our lives and this is one of those things."
"What's the worst that can happen?"
"He can say he still doesn't believe me and he can tell me I'm not his son."
"But what if you call and he says he realized he was wrong. What if he's there right now, trying to work up the nerve to call you, but is afraid you won't forgive him?"
Scott looked at her. "I never thought of that. I assumed he'd just give up."
"People will surprise you - not always in good ways." Shelby said.
Scott nodded. "I still don't think I can make the call."
"Well then don't call." Shelby thought for a moment and then said, "Take your own advice Scott. You said that if I was ok with the decisions that I made that I didn't need to apologize for it. If you think you'll be ok with not calling your dad - then don't, but if you'll be ok if you call him, do that."
Scott sighed. "You're beginning to sound like Sophie."
Shelby gave Scott a look. "If you ever tell anyone that, you will suffer greatly."
Scott smiled. "Ok... Sophie."
"Scott Barringer." She said with warning.
"I think I have a phone call to make." Scott said with a laugh and stood and headed away.
Shelby shook her head and then smiled. She felt like her and Scott were finally ok with each other, not where they were when she left, but closer then they had been before this conversation and it felt good.
Act 3:
Inside the cafeteria, the cliffhangers minus Eric are sitting together eating lunch.
"I think they should cancel the rest of our classes." David said. "It's unfair to get our hopes up by canceling morning classes and then force us to go to afternoon classes."
"There was a heating problem." Kat said.
"Well, it's still unfair." David said.
"Yea." Ezra said. "We had all morning to do what we wanted and we didn't even burn the place down. Why not let us have the rest of the day off?"
"I agree." Daisy said. "After all it is the week before Christmas."
"True." Shelby said. " Be in the Christmas spirit and let us have the rest of the day off."
"Why are you guys telling me this?" Kat asked. "I can't do anything for you."
"You are part of the staff." Scott said.
"No. I'm a college student on home for break and I volunteer to help out here."
"Close enough." David said.
Kat shook her head and the others went back to eating their lunch instead of talking about missing class. "I guess that's the best thing about college. They don't care if you miss class."
"You don't have to rub it in." Auggie said and the others agreed.
"I can't imagine you not going to class." Shelby said after a moment with a doubtful look in her eyes.
"Yea." Scott said. "You just don't seem like the type. It would be like Juliet eating a four course meal and wanting dessert."
Juliette threw Scott a look, but then said, "They have you on that one. It's just not you."
"Ok. Ok." Kat says after a moment with a laugh. "I've only ever skipped one class, all I did was sleep and I apologized to the professor."
The cliffhangers all laughed. "Knew you couldn't actually skip a class." Scott said.
"Who's talking about skipping class?" Peter asked walking up and stopping the conversation.
"Kat." Shelby said.
Kat looked at Peter. "It's not even what your thinking Peter. I was talking about college." She said with a smile.
Peter shrugged. "Your out of Horizon now. You don't need to explain it to me." He paused for a moment looking at the others, making it clear that they still needed to explain it to him. "But I do need to talk to you for a moment, if that's ok."
"Yes." Kat said "But let me finish eating.
"All right." Peter said. "I'll wait for you." With that he turned and headed off.
"That's some accomplishment." David said. "Not even I'm that good."
"What is?" Kat asked turning to David.
"You're not even a student and you're in trouble." He finished.
"I'm not in trouble. I no longer go to this school. He probably just wants to talk to me about my staying on for a few extra days."
"You're staying?" Juliette asked. "I thought you were going home for the holidays."
"I changed my mind." Kat said with a shrug. Then she stood and picked up her tray. "I should probably go talk to Peter."
She walked over to the kitchen and placed her tray at the dish counter. Even though she knew she had done nothing wrong she still felt slightly anxious about speaking to Peter.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Kat asked.
"Yea." Peter said. "Let's take a walk."
Kat nodded and the two of them head out of the cafeteria and begin to walk through campus.
They had been walking for a few minutes when Peter said, "I was just wondering if the reason your staying is because you don't want to deal with your parents."
Kat sighed. She had known he would ask. "I'd be lying if I said that that wasn't part of the reason."
Peter stops walking and looks at her. "You can't hide forever."
"I know." She looks at him. "But if I could just hide for this year, I'd be ok with that."
"That's not how it works Kat and you know it." He said gently. Kat nods in agreement. "Look, I'm not your counselor, I can't tell you what to do, but I am your friend and as your friend, I'm telling you that you might want to think again about going home."
Kat nods. "I'll think about it."
Peter smiles. "Good. Then we're done here?" Kat nods. "I may not be your counselor Kat, but Sophie and I are still here if you want to talk. So are the others."
"Thanks, Peter." She looks up at him. "I know your all here and I appreciate that. You've been so helpful this year with letting me help counsel. You haven't gotten on my case, but you've helped guide me and I appreciate that. So thanks."
"Well, you're welcome." Peter said with a smile and the two turned and headed back to the cafeteria.
Peter and Kat walk into the cafeteria. Seeing Roger and Sophie over in the corner talking to each other, Peter says goodbye to Kat and heads over to where Roger and Sophie are.
"I don't know." Roger was saying. "I just can't figure him out."
"Can't figure whom out." Peter asked walking into the conversation.
"Eric." Sophie says.
Peter sighs. He still feels like he screwed things up with him.
"He showed up that day and kept the cliffhangers from getting in trouble, but he still doesn't seem to want to hang out with him." Roger said.
"I don't think he does." Peter said with another sigh. "I also don't think he wants to talk to me. Not after I thought he ran."
"It was easy to assume." Roger said.
"Never assume Roger. You know that."
"Yea." Roger said. "I do. But everyone makes mistakes."
"I know. I'm just not sure how to fix this one."
"You want me to talk to him for you?"
Peter looked at Roger. "You have a soft spot for that kid?"
Roger shrugged. "Maybe." He paused. "He seems different then the rest. Like he actually wants to be here, but he still seems like he doesn't want to deal with his problems."
"None of them do." Sophie said. "It they did, we'd be out of a job."
Peter and Roger both laughed.
Act 4:
Juliette and Auggie were walking hand and hand through the campus.
"We should probably head back." Auggie said glancing at his watch. "Class is going to start soon."
Juliette took a deep breath. "I don't think I'm going to go."
"Why are you sick?"
"No." Juliette said.
"Then what?" He asked.
"I just… I don't feel like going today." She said keeping her eyes down.
"Is this about your mom's letter?"
"No." Juliette said defiantly. "Not everything is about my mother. Sometimes I do things just for me." But even as she said it, Juliette knew it wasn't really true.
"You're only going to get yourself in trouble Jules. She's not worth it." He squeezed her hand. "Come on lets go to class."
"I said I wasn't going." She said pulling her hand away.
Auggie looks at her. "Fine. Play your own deck then. But I won't lie for you and I don't want to hear about it when you end up on shuns." With that he turned and headed to class.
Juliette sighs as she watches him go. This was harder then she thought. Now Auggie was mad at her. But hadn't Peter told her to do what she wanted to do. And it did feel good to tell Auggie that she was doing it for herself. Even though she wasn't sure that that was why she was doing it. Deciding to think on it for awhile, she turns and walks down to the docks.
As she gets close she sees Eric sitting on the docks with his legs hanging off the edge.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" She asks.
"I could ask you the same thing." He says never looking back at her.
"I have a reason."
"So do I."
Juliet walked over and sat down next to him.
"I didn't say I wanted company." Juliette looked slightly hurt by this, so Eric said, "But I didn't say I didn't either."
Juliette smiled then. "So why are you out here?" She asked after a moment.
"Just cause." Eric said. "Wanted some time to think." A pause. "How bout you?"
"Wanted to do what I wanted for a change."
"A rebel." Eric said knowingly. "But you don't seem like the type."
"I'm not." Juliette said. "Far from it. I'm the cheerleader - homecoming girl."
"Ahh, so you always try to be everything to everyone. Especially your parents."
Juliette looked at him surprised. "How did you know?"
"Been there - done that - writing the screen play."
"Is that why you ended up here?"
"No." A pause. "Not really." It was quiet for a moment. "So," Eric asked, "Why are you here, other then the whole cracking under the pressure to be something your not?"
"Bulimia and cutting."
"You say that so candidly."
"We're not exactly shy here."
"Not exactly welcoming either." Eric said with a slight edge to his voice.
Juliette almost flinched from the statement. She sat for several moments trying to think of what to say and then finally said, "I'm really sorry about what we did to you when you first got here."
Eric shrugged. "It happens."
"It shouldn't have though." Juliette said. "All of us have just been through so much, particularly in the last few months, we were just afraid of what would happen if someone new came in. And then when it was you... well it scared us even more."
"I scare you?" He asked turning to her.
"No, the idea of change scares us. Doesn't it you?"
Eric shook his head. "Depends on if I think the change if for the better or the worse."
Suddenly both Eric and Juliette turned as they heard a branch snap. "Shouldn't you guys be in class?" Eric turned from Roger and muttered something inaudible. "I'll take that as a yes." Roger said as he walked closer to where they were. Seeing that it was Juliette, he remembered Peter telling him that she was excused from classes. "Juliette why don't you head back to campus, I want to talk to Eric for a moment."
Juliette nodded and then headed back to campus. She might be able to make her own decisions, but she still wasn't willing to tell Roger no.
Roger stood for a moment and then sat down next to Eric taking Juliette's previous spot. "So you want to tell me why you're not in class?"
"Finally someone who asks me instead of jumping to conclusions." Eric said with sarcasm.
"We all make mistakes."
"Some more then others." Eric muttered.
Roger gave a slight nod. "I can understand why you would be mad about what happened with Peter. He judged you - unintentionally, but he did it."
Eric sighed. He could tell that Roger was an ok guy. So far the man had done nothing to push him or make him think that he was judging him as Peter had. "That's not even what I'm mad about." Eric said after a moment. He knew that he had just made the decision to trust Roger, but it felt right.
"What are you mad about then?" Roger asked gently.
Eric looked at Roger. "You promise you won't say anything?"
Roger looked at Eric, "Everything you tell me is confidential, except in the case that we find that there is harm to you then we are obligated to report it."
Eric gave a slight nod and then looked away. "I thought this place would be different - that's what I'm mad about."
"Different from what?" Roger asked.
"I don't know." Eric said with frustration, "Just different. I mean home wasn't any fun and I don't have a job anymore. I thought that coming here would be different - that I could get out." He looked at Roger. "I came here last year and I know it seemed like this was the last place I wanted to be, but I took information with me. I made sure to get it to my parents. I wanted to be here."
"Why?" Roger asked out of pure curiosity. "No kid wants to come here."
"I did." Eric said looking at Roger. "I wanted out. I wanted to be someplace where I could relax and not have to worry about...." He stopped suddenly realizing what he was saying.
"Not have to worry about what?" Roger asked. He knew that he probably shouldn't push. Not when he was getting so much volunteered information from the boy, but he felt he should.
"Just.... stuff." Eric said. "Just not have to worry about stuff." After a moment, Eric stood feeling that he had said way too much. "I should probably get to class now."
"Eric," Roger said, causing the boy to stop, "You're on kitchens for all meals tomorrow for skipping class."
Eric sighed. "Figures." He turned to head away again, glad that Roger was allowing him to go without any more conversation.
"Oh, and Eric," Eric once again stopped and turned. "If you want to talk, I'm always here."
Eric nodded and then turned and headed back to campus.
Act 5:
"You should have seen it." Roger said as he stood talking on his cell phone to Alex, the girl he had been dating for only a short time. The two had had an instance connection starting when they had ran into each other when Roger had picked Shelby up from one of her psychiatry sessions. And even though he trusted Alex, he was careful about not telling her too much. He had to keep the confidentiality of his students, if he didn't they wouldn't trust him. "I've never had a student open up like that, not so quickly."
"You sure it wasn't fake? He is an actor." Alex asked.
"Alex, it feels like he's telling me the truth. He seems genuine."
"Well, I'm proud of you." Alex said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Does this mean your going to take the job that Peter offered you?"
Roger had known that question was coming. He licked his lips with anticipation. "I'm thinking about it. I do well with these kids. And I think that Eric may be the one that I can help."
Alex smiled, knowing he couldn't see her. "I think we all have one, Rog."
Daisy walked over and joined Ezra on the couch. Classes had ended an hour before. "I feel like I haven't seen you all day."
"You haven't." He answered not looking up from his homework.
"I saw you at lunch." Daisy said wondering what was up with his mood.
"But it wasn't just me and you time." Ezra said finally looking up at her.
For a moment Daisy panicked. She thought that Ezra had finally understood that she didn't think of him like that.
"Didn't mean to freak you out." Ezra said catching the look on her face. "I wanted to talk to you and you weren't around."
"Something happen?" Daisy asked shifting so she could look at Ezra better.
Ezra sighed. "My parents called - they want to visit."
"Oh." Daisy said. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." He said. He sighed. "Last time they were here they lied to me and then I OD because I couldn't handle it."
"You mean because you wanted to get back at them."
Ezra threw Daisy a look and she gave him one right back. "Fine! Because I wanted to get back at them." Daisy gave a slight nod. "But if I'm still willing to do that to try to get back at them I'm not sure they should visit."
"Have you talked to Peter or Sophie about this?"
Ezra threw her a look. "This is the advice that I'm getting?"
"Would you rather me tell you that you should tell them how they make you feel, that you should stand up for yourself and that you need to forgive them?"
"I think I would be better off talking to Peter or Sophie."
"Just remember you asked."
Ezra shook his head. "I think I liked you better before you and your dad worked things out."
Daisy looked at Ezra for a moment. "What does that mean?"
Ezra shook his head. "Nothing."
"Come on Ezra. It's not nothing."
Ezra shook his head again. "It's just that ever sense you came back you and I rarely talk. You're always with David or Shelby or Scott or on the phone with your dad."
"So your mad because I forgave my father?" Daisy asked in disbelief. "I wouldn't have thought you to be like that Ezra. For once I'm finally happy and you can't stand it. I guess the old adage is true. Misery loves company." With that she stood and started to walk away.
"Daisy I'm sorry I didn't mean that." Ezra apologized quickly. Daisy stopped and faced him. "I just miss you. I miss us being friends."
"We're still friends." Daisy said going back over and sitting down. "I don't know why you can' t see that." A pause. "Things are changing Ez, no one can stop that. And it may take time to adjust, but we are still friends... no matter what."
"You mean that?" Ezra asked.
"I do." Daisy said.
Ezra smiled and then his face turned serious. "I am sorry about what I said."
"You're forgiven." Daisy said. "But don't let it happen again." She said with a smile. Turning she caught David coming into the room out of the corner of her eye. "I'm supposed to meet David. I'll talk to you later."
"Yea." Ezra said, suddenly wondering if Daisy had meant a word about them remaining friends. She still ran off to be with David at the first chance she got.
"Hey." Daisy said walking over to David.
"Hey." David said, as he rocked back and forth with his hands in his pockets. "You wanted to talk before dinner."
"Yea." Daisy said. She turned and indicated towards an area off to the corner of the lodge that was somewhat secluded. "We can go over there."
David nodded and the two walked over and sat down. "So?" David asked. he had no idea what this was about. Maybe Daisy decided she didn't like him anymore. Wasn't she talking to Ezra when he walked in?
"I was just wondering when the last time you talked to your dad was."
David huffed and shook his head. "What brought this up?"
"It's almost Christmas David. You haven't talked to him in a while and I just thought after all that we'd been talking about lately with our fathers that maybe, you might want to call him."
"What if I don't?"
"I'm not going to push you into it David." Daisy said. "I only thought I would ask."
"Well you asked."
Daisy sighed. After a moment she said, "I know I said that I would only ask, but David I think that if you call your dad things could get better. I do."
"It's not like you to give advice." David said.
"Well, it's not like me to forgive people either and I have been doing a lot of that."
David sighed. "Will it get you off my back if I call?"
"I'm not on your back. I'm just trying to help."
"Fine. If I call, will you promise not to help anymore?"
Daisy looked at him. She hadn't meant to offend him. She just had thought that after all their conversations lately that he might be ready to talk to his dad. "Deal." She said dully.
David smiled and walked to a nearby phone. Daisy sat watching him as he talked for several moments. When David walked back she looked at him hopefully. "Better then I thought." He said.
"See my giving advice isn't all that bad."
"Just don't do it all the time." He said with a smile.
"I'm going to head back to the dorm. I left my notes there and Eric wanted to borrow them."
"All right." David said. "See you at dinner." He watched as she headed off, relieved that she hadn't seen him holding down the button that kept the call from ever going through.
(This story takes place one week before Christmas.)
Phone Calls and Conversations
Ring...ring.
Megan reached over and picked up the phone. "Mount Horizon, Can I help you?"
She waited as the other person responded. "Yes, he can take a call. The students are normally in class, but we had a heating problem this morning." A pause. "Let me find where he is and I will tell him he has a call." Megan pushed the button putting the call on hold, as she did she noticed Peter coming from his office folder in hand. "Peter." She said. "Do you know where Auggie Cicero's is? He has a call."
"He's probably in the lodge with the other Cliffhangers. I can let him know sense I'm headed over there. Do you know who the call is from?"
"It's a Mr. Hamilton." Megan said.
"Oh." Peter said. He knew what this call was about. "I'll make sure to tell him." And with that Peter turned and headed for the lodge.
"It's not fair." Juliette pouted as she walked over and flopped down onto the couch next to Auggie. "I finally think of a way to get through to her sense she wouldn't answer my calls and she writes me back and says I can't have the number."
Auggie glanced over at her. "I'm really sorry Jules. I know that has to suck."
Juliette sighed. "I just wanted to talk to my dad." She turned and looked at Auggie. "Is that so much to ask?"
"No." Auggie said firmly. "No one should be kept from their family." He paused. "Why won't she tell you?"
"Same old reason. She thinks I should concentrate on getting better and not worry about anything else right now."
"I don't want to be mean here, Jules, but maybe she's right."
"What?" Juliette cried.
"Maybe she's right." Auggie said calmly. "Maybe she is trying to take care of you and do the right thing. Maybe she realizes that contacting your dad right now isn't what's best for you."
"But it's what I want." Juliette said. "She never lets me have anything that I want."
"Because you don't stand up for yourself Jules. If you did, she wouldn't be able to walk on you like she does. Stop letting her control you Jules."
Juliette was about to reply to that, when Peter walked up. "Not to interrupt you two, but Auggie you have a phone call."
"My parents?" Auggie asked and Peter shook his head no. "All right I'll take it upstairs. I'll be back Jules." He said as he stood and headed up to take the call. Peter watched him go and then turns to Juliette.
"So," He asks, "How are you doing?"
Juliette looks at him for a moment and then says, "I want to talk to my father. But mother thinks it's best if I concentrate more on trying to get better then talk to him."
Peter nods and sits down next to her. "Maybe she's trying to look out for you."
"That's what Auggie said." Juliette shakes her head suddenly getting angry. "But she doesn't want to look out for me. She doesn't want to protect me. She just wants to control me that's all she's ever wanted."
Peter takes a deep breath. He knew that to be true to an extent, but he also knew that Juliette allowed some of it to happen too. "You don't have to let her. You could tell her how you feel."
"I don't know how." Juliette said frustrated. "Every time I try I either chicken out or... I just chicken out."
Peter thinks for a moment and then says, "I'm not sure what to tell you Juliette. But I have an assignment for you that might help."
Juliette almost groaned aloud. "Everything leads to an assignment."
"I think you'll like this one though and it's specifically for you and you alone. No one is allowed to know that you're doing it." Juliette looked at him curiously. "This assignment will last until I decide it needs to end." He paused for a moment making sure she was following what he said, "And what I want you to do is make your own choices. You decide when you get up; go to sleep, when and if you go to class, if you participate in group. You are allowed to do anything you want... with in reason, as long as it's your own choice."
"But if I don't go to class I'll get in trouble."
"Juliette I own this school and I'm telling you to do this. I'll let the other counselors know so you don't get in trouble. But you can't tell the other students."
"But won't they want to know why if I don't go to class or if I don't participate in group? Won't they wonder why I'm not getting in trouble?"
"Most likely, but you'll just have to tell them something. And once the assignment is over you can tell them about it - after you right a three page paper about how it made you feel to spend your time like this." With that said Peter stood. "Remember this assignment is for you alone and it starts now." He turned to walk away, but then called over his shoulder, "Remember, if anyone finds out the assignment is automatically over."
"What was the call about?" Juliette asked Auggie from where she sat on the couch thinking about her assignment.
"Oh, it was just an old friend." Auggie said as he sat down on the couch. "Wanted to know when I was coming home. I told him I'd be home in a few days."
Juliette leaned over resting her head on Auggie's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you. It was going to be our first Christmas together."
"I'll be back by New Year's Eve I promise."
"I guess that will have to do." She jokes and then she becomes mores serious. She glances up at Auggie. "There's only six or seven months until you graduate Auggie and I already miss you." Auggie doesn't reply, but a sinking feeling begins to settle into his stomach. "I guess we'll just have to make the next six months as special as possible."
"Yea." Auggie says as he puts his arm around. "The rest of our time together will be as special as possible."
Peter walked over to Sophie and slipped his arms around her waist. "How about you and I go away for the weekend?"
Sophie smiles brightly leaning into him, but then suddenly realizes where she is. She turns breaking his hold on her. "As great as that sounds, haven't you been saying that we don't have enough staff as it is?"
"Well, I think I solved that problem."
Sophie looks at him surprised. "You found a counselor to work?"
"Yes. Well, as long as everything works out. But he should be able to start right after the first of the year, so we should be able to escape for a weekend."
"What about Roger?" Sophie asks as she begins to walk around and straighten up the lodge.
"There is still a position open for him. But this way we are better off then we were before. The guys credentials look good and I'll be able to meet him after Christmas break. Plus Kat has agreed to stay for a few extra days to so we'll have help there."
"I thought Kat wanted to go be with her family."
Peter shook his head slightly. "I think Christmas is always hard on her family, with Shannon's death and all. After everything over the summer and all I'm just not sure Kat wants to spend too much time dwelling on such bad times. I think she's ready to have good times. I just think that she thinks her parents aren't ready to yet."
"Doesn't that mean she's avoiding the problem?"
"Yes and no." Peter said. "I think she has a lot of other reasons why she's staying too."
"Hank being number one?"
"Yep." Peter said. "I plan on talking to her and make sure she definitely wants to stay, but if she doesn't I still think we'll be able to cover everything well enough." He paused for a moment before saying, "So will you come out of town with me?"
Sophie took a deep breath. "I'm just not sure Peter. I mean with everything going on here - it's Christmas after all - and all the changes that the cliffhangers have faced. I think it would be a good idea for us to stay in town."
Peter sighed and then guiltily said, "Well, I kind of have to go out of town."
Sophie stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Let me get this straight, you come over trying to woo me away for a weekend, and it's all about business?"
Peter looked contritely at her. "I called Mark. He invited us for the holidays - partially so that we can discuss his funding the scholarship."
Sophie grunted in discussed. "I don't believe you. Here I am thinking you want to spend time with me and it's really because you don't want to face your brother by yourself."
"It's not that I don't want to spend time with you. I always want to spend time with you." He smiled at her sweetly. "And I do want you to go away for the weekend with me. And I think it's important with us being engaged that you and my brother get to know each other."
"You barely spend time with your brother."
"I'm trying to change that." Sophie gave him a look. "Ok, Ok. I'll admit defeat. My brother and I are still working things out and I don't want to go there and argue with him about this. I thought that if you came it would be easier. But I also thought that time away for the two of us would be a good thing too." He stepped towards her. "We're engaged Sophie." He reached out and took her hands into his. "I would like to see you with out all of this."
Sophie smiled at him, but still gave him a hard time. "Well, after such a nice and genuine invitation, how can I say no?"
"So you'll go?"
"As long as everything is taken care of before we leave. I'll go."
"Great." Peter said and he leaned over and kissed her. "I know this is the circumstances that you or I wanted, but I do want you with me." With that he turned and headed away giving her a wave.
Act two:
Inside of the girl's dorm, Shelby laid across her bunk working on homework. She looks up when she hears someone entering the room.
"Do you have any idea what he's done now?" Daisy rambled as she walked right into the room and began to pace in front of Shelby's bed. "I was there for Thanksgiving, I forgave him, and what does he say, that he'll see me at Christmas. Well, it's Christmas and where is he? Sitting at home, telling me that I can't come home because I drank when I was there before. He just doesn't think that it's a good idea. He thinks I should wait." She looks at Shelby for a moment and takes a breath. Shelby starts to say something, but before she can, Daisy starts again. "What gives him the right to just go all parental on me. He hasn't been here for the last seventeen years why should he all of a sudden be able to make any type of parental decision. What even makes him think that he's capable? I just can't believe he's doing this." Daisy says and drops back onto her bed finally out of steam.
Shelby tries to keep the smile from her face as she watches her friend. After a moment Daisy sits up and catches Shelby watching her amused. "What's so amusing?"
"You are." Shelby said. "You know that you enjoy every moment of this."
Daisy glared at Shelby for a moment, but then she suddenly smiles a small smile. "Yea, I think I do." She pauses for a moment. "But, I mean, I do wonder… well, every now and then, I get mad that he tries to take care of me. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we have a relationship and that he's trying. I've learned more about my dad and my life in the last month then I have in seventeen years, but every now and then, I sit back and I resent the fact that he's trying to do it."
Shelby sat up on her bed. "I think it's natural to feel like that. I think anyone would feel the way that you do now."
Daisy nods, and says, "But I wish I didn't. I wanted this. This is always what I wanted."
Shelby looks down at her bunk for a moment, takes a deep breath and then says softly, "Sometimes getting what you want, isn't want you always wanted."
Daisy looks at Shelby for a moment and then asks, "It's Scott again isn't it?"
Shelby looks up at Daisy kind of shocked and then looks back at her hands, "Yea." She says softly. "We broke up so we could both figure out how to cope on our own. I know it's what we both needed. It's what we both still need." She takes a deep breath, her eyes showing sadness as she says, "But I miss him." A pause. "I miss you. I miss everything about how things were before. I know it wasn't simple then, but I feel like it was. I feel like I've lost so much... and I want it back."
Daisy looks at her for a long moment and then stands and goes over and sits down next to her. "Things can't be the same forever Shelby. If things didn't change, you never would have been with Scott, you and I wouldn't be friends, I wouldn't have my father back."
"Everything that has happened though… it wouldn't of if things hadn't changed. Like with my father, and I use that term loosely, he wouldn't be dead right now. He wouldn't have killed himself if things wouldn't have changed."
Daisy looks at Shelby confused for a moment. "What does your father have to do with this? The fact that he committed suicide has nothing to do with you." Daisy watched as Shelby's face went pale. "You didn't kill him Shelby, you didn't. It wasn't your fault." She says firmly.
Shelby shakes her head. "I don't think it's my fault. But if…"
"No buts, Shelby. Nothing you could have done made this happen. If he wanted to end his life, it was his decision. Not the right one, but it was his." Daisy could tell she hadn't convinced Shelby. "Shelby he probably had been thinking about killing himself long before he showed up." She said softly.
Shelby turned sharply to Daisy, with tears in her eyes and shook her head. "He didn't want to until he got here."
Daisy looked at Shelby. "You mean he didn't want to kill himself when he got here?" The words were out of Daisy's mouth before she realized how bad the question sounded.
Shelby nodded swallowing the lump in her throat.
"I just..." Daisy paused for a moment not sure what to say to this new information. "After you left... No one really knew what happened to you. We knew your dad had committed suicide and that you had already been freaking out. Scott told me about that day in the office - when you broke down and said you didn't know what to do. He also told me that your father told him something about," She thinks for a moment, "That your dad said, "Sometimes parents do things that hurt their kids, that they didn't mean to do." We thought that that day in the office that your father told you that he had come to tell you goodbye. And that he was going to kill himself. We thought it pushed you over the edge."
Shelby stared at Daisy. So many questions in her head and even more answers that she wasn't willing to give. She hadn't told the full story to Peter yet and she hadn't said much of anything to any of the other cliffhangers. So she hadn't realized that the others might know stuff about that day that she didn't. "My dad said something to Scott?" Shelby asked beginning to become upset. "After he left the office that day?" She asked standing up.
Daisy could tell Shelby was really upset. "Yea... I thought you knew." She explained. "I don't know why sense you left, but I thought Scott would tell you."
"Well he didn't." Shelby snapped angrily. "He didn't tell me anything." Shelby stands there for a moment and then turned and stormed from the dorm.
Scott sits in the lodge. He sits for a moment and then he stands. Through all this he watches the phone. He tries to mentally pep talk himself into making the call but he can't work up the nerve. Next thing he knows Shelby storms up to him.
"Why didn't you tell me that my dad talked to you?"
"What?" Scott asks thoroughly confused.
"That day, when I freaked out in the office - the day he killed himself - why didn't you tell me that he said something to you?"
"I didn't think about it." Scott says frustrated, more by his current phone situation then with Shelby. "Besides you were gone for a while and the only time we've really talked sense you came back was to break up."
Shelby started to say - to scream at him that he should have told her, but she was too hurt by his last remark to respond so instead she turned to go.
"Wait." Scott said reaching out and touching her arm. Shelby turned but shrugged his hand off.
Scott took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He said. "I should have told you that your dad talked to me and I would have if I had thought about it. I was so worried about you while you were gone, that I didn't think much about what your dad said to me or why he said it. Other then in trying to figure out what happened in the office that day."
Shelby looked at him for a moment. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have left like I did."
"We've already talked about that."
"I know." Shelby said with a heavy sigh as she sank down into a nearby chair. "I feel like I'll be apologizing for it for the rest of my life though."
"You don't have to. You did what you thought you had to do." He paused. "You remember what you said to me in the kitchen the week after I found out about what you used to do?"
"You mean prostitution?" She still found it odd that Scott tried never to say the word.
"Yea." Scott said. "Do you remember?"
Shelby shrugged and then with a half smile said. "I said a lot of things to you that week."
Scott smiled slightly to and then looked at her. "You said, 'I did what I had to do, I'm not proud of it, but I'm not going to apologize for it either.' As long as you feel ok with the decision you made, then you don't have to apologize for it Shelby."
Shelby looked at the wall across from her. "I'm not ok with the decision I made. Not the one to leave. But I know that I wasn't right then. Not emotionally. I'm ok with the fact that I decided to come back and I'm ok with the decisions that I've made sense then." She bit her lip as she suddenly realized that she had off handedly just said she was ok with the fact that they had broken up. And hadn't she just told Daisy that she wasn't ok with it.
"It's ok." Scott said softly. "I'm ok with the fact that we broke up too."
Shelby didn't say anything for a moment. The statement had hurt. Taking a deep breath she decided to take a chance. "I miss being around you... I miss the way we were before."
Scott smiled sadly. "I do too." He reached back and began to massage the back of his neck with his hand. "But I realize that I need to not be with you right now. Just like I think you realize that you need to not be with me right now." A pause. "It doesn't mean that we don't love each other. It just means that we have other stuff to do right now."
Shelby nodded. "I know... it still sucks though."
"Yea," Scott said taking a deep breath, "It does."
Shelby shifted until she was seated more towards Scott. "Maybe if we talk more with each other, instead of walking around on eggshells because we've broken up, actually try to be friends for awhile."
Scott turned and looked at her. "You want that?"
"Yea." Shelby said surprised. "When we broke up that's what I wanted. Why do you not want that."
"No - I mean - yes, I do want that." He shrugged. "I just thought that when we broke up… I thought you didn't want me as a friend. Because you weren't willing to tell me anything and wanted to go off and try to figure things out on your own, I thought you didn't want me around. But, I want you as a friend."
"And I want you around... I don't want you as a boyfriend right now... no I can't handle you as a boyfriend right now. But I want you as a friend."
Scott smiled. "We're actually going to be friends then?"
"Yes." Shelby said. "So - friend - what's going on in your life?"
Scott sighed and then glanced at the phone. "I don't think I can call him."
Shelby didn't have to ask, she knew who 'him' was. "Why do you want too?"
"Because he's my dad... because it's been months sense we talked... because we broke up so that we could deal with things in our lives and this is one of those things."
"What's the worst that can happen?"
"He can say he still doesn't believe me and he can tell me I'm not his son."
"But what if you call and he says he realized he was wrong. What if he's there right now, trying to work up the nerve to call you, but is afraid you won't forgive him?"
Scott looked at her. "I never thought of that. I assumed he'd just give up."
"People will surprise you - not always in good ways." Shelby said.
Scott nodded. "I still don't think I can make the call."
"Well then don't call." Shelby thought for a moment and then said, "Take your own advice Scott. You said that if I was ok with the decisions that I made that I didn't need to apologize for it. If you think you'll be ok with not calling your dad - then don't, but if you'll be ok if you call him, do that."
Scott sighed. "You're beginning to sound like Sophie."
Shelby gave Scott a look. "If you ever tell anyone that, you will suffer greatly."
Scott smiled. "Ok... Sophie."
"Scott Barringer." She said with warning.
"I think I have a phone call to make." Scott said with a laugh and stood and headed away.
Shelby shook her head and then smiled. She felt like her and Scott were finally ok with each other, not where they were when she left, but closer then they had been before this conversation and it felt good.
Act 3:
Inside the cafeteria, the cliffhangers minus Eric are sitting together eating lunch.
"I think they should cancel the rest of our classes." David said. "It's unfair to get our hopes up by canceling morning classes and then force us to go to afternoon classes."
"There was a heating problem." Kat said.
"Well, it's still unfair." David said.
"Yea." Ezra said. "We had all morning to do what we wanted and we didn't even burn the place down. Why not let us have the rest of the day off?"
"I agree." Daisy said. "After all it is the week before Christmas."
"True." Shelby said. " Be in the Christmas spirit and let us have the rest of the day off."
"Why are you guys telling me this?" Kat asked. "I can't do anything for you."
"You are part of the staff." Scott said.
"No. I'm a college student on home for break and I volunteer to help out here."
"Close enough." David said.
Kat shook her head and the others went back to eating their lunch instead of talking about missing class. "I guess that's the best thing about college. They don't care if you miss class."
"You don't have to rub it in." Auggie said and the others agreed.
"I can't imagine you not going to class." Shelby said after a moment with a doubtful look in her eyes.
"Yea." Scott said. "You just don't seem like the type. It would be like Juliet eating a four course meal and wanting dessert."
Juliette threw Scott a look, but then said, "They have you on that one. It's just not you."
"Ok. Ok." Kat says after a moment with a laugh. "I've only ever skipped one class, all I did was sleep and I apologized to the professor."
The cliffhangers all laughed. "Knew you couldn't actually skip a class." Scott said.
"Who's talking about skipping class?" Peter asked walking up and stopping the conversation.
"Kat." Shelby said.
Kat looked at Peter. "It's not even what your thinking Peter. I was talking about college." She said with a smile.
Peter shrugged. "Your out of Horizon now. You don't need to explain it to me." He paused for a moment looking at the others, making it clear that they still needed to explain it to him. "But I do need to talk to you for a moment, if that's ok."
"Yes." Kat said "But let me finish eating.
"All right." Peter said. "I'll wait for you." With that he turned and headed off.
"That's some accomplishment." David said. "Not even I'm that good."
"What is?" Kat asked turning to David.
"You're not even a student and you're in trouble." He finished.
"I'm not in trouble. I no longer go to this school. He probably just wants to talk to me about my staying on for a few extra days."
"You're staying?" Juliette asked. "I thought you were going home for the holidays."
"I changed my mind." Kat said with a shrug. Then she stood and picked up her tray. "I should probably go talk to Peter."
She walked over to the kitchen and placed her tray at the dish counter. Even though she knew she had done nothing wrong she still felt slightly anxious about speaking to Peter.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Kat asked.
"Yea." Peter said. "Let's take a walk."
Kat nodded and the two of them head out of the cafeteria and begin to walk through campus.
They had been walking for a few minutes when Peter said, "I was just wondering if the reason your staying is because you don't want to deal with your parents."
Kat sighed. She had known he would ask. "I'd be lying if I said that that wasn't part of the reason."
Peter stops walking and looks at her. "You can't hide forever."
"I know." She looks at him. "But if I could just hide for this year, I'd be ok with that."
"That's not how it works Kat and you know it." He said gently. Kat nods in agreement. "Look, I'm not your counselor, I can't tell you what to do, but I am your friend and as your friend, I'm telling you that you might want to think again about going home."
Kat nods. "I'll think about it."
Peter smiles. "Good. Then we're done here?" Kat nods. "I may not be your counselor Kat, but Sophie and I are still here if you want to talk. So are the others."
"Thanks, Peter." She looks up at him. "I know your all here and I appreciate that. You've been so helpful this year with letting me help counsel. You haven't gotten on my case, but you've helped guide me and I appreciate that. So thanks."
"Well, you're welcome." Peter said with a smile and the two turned and headed back to the cafeteria.
Peter and Kat walk into the cafeteria. Seeing Roger and Sophie over in the corner talking to each other, Peter says goodbye to Kat and heads over to where Roger and Sophie are.
"I don't know." Roger was saying. "I just can't figure him out."
"Can't figure whom out." Peter asked walking into the conversation.
"Eric." Sophie says.
Peter sighs. He still feels like he screwed things up with him.
"He showed up that day and kept the cliffhangers from getting in trouble, but he still doesn't seem to want to hang out with him." Roger said.
"I don't think he does." Peter said with another sigh. "I also don't think he wants to talk to me. Not after I thought he ran."
"It was easy to assume." Roger said.
"Never assume Roger. You know that."
"Yea." Roger said. "I do. But everyone makes mistakes."
"I know. I'm just not sure how to fix this one."
"You want me to talk to him for you?"
Peter looked at Roger. "You have a soft spot for that kid?"
Roger shrugged. "Maybe." He paused. "He seems different then the rest. Like he actually wants to be here, but he still seems like he doesn't want to deal with his problems."
"None of them do." Sophie said. "It they did, we'd be out of a job."
Peter and Roger both laughed.
Act 4:
Juliette and Auggie were walking hand and hand through the campus.
"We should probably head back." Auggie said glancing at his watch. "Class is going to start soon."
Juliette took a deep breath. "I don't think I'm going to go."
"Why are you sick?"
"No." Juliette said.
"Then what?" He asked.
"I just… I don't feel like going today." She said keeping her eyes down.
"Is this about your mom's letter?"
"No." Juliette said defiantly. "Not everything is about my mother. Sometimes I do things just for me." But even as she said it, Juliette knew it wasn't really true.
"You're only going to get yourself in trouble Jules. She's not worth it." He squeezed her hand. "Come on lets go to class."
"I said I wasn't going." She said pulling her hand away.
Auggie looks at her. "Fine. Play your own deck then. But I won't lie for you and I don't want to hear about it when you end up on shuns." With that he turned and headed to class.
Juliette sighs as she watches him go. This was harder then she thought. Now Auggie was mad at her. But hadn't Peter told her to do what she wanted to do. And it did feel good to tell Auggie that she was doing it for herself. Even though she wasn't sure that that was why she was doing it. Deciding to think on it for awhile, she turns and walks down to the docks.
As she gets close she sees Eric sitting on the docks with his legs hanging off the edge.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" She asks.
"I could ask you the same thing." He says never looking back at her.
"I have a reason."
"So do I."
Juliet walked over and sat down next to him.
"I didn't say I wanted company." Juliette looked slightly hurt by this, so Eric said, "But I didn't say I didn't either."
Juliette smiled then. "So why are you out here?" She asked after a moment.
"Just cause." Eric said. "Wanted some time to think." A pause. "How bout you?"
"Wanted to do what I wanted for a change."
"A rebel." Eric said knowingly. "But you don't seem like the type."
"I'm not." Juliette said. "Far from it. I'm the cheerleader - homecoming girl."
"Ahh, so you always try to be everything to everyone. Especially your parents."
Juliette looked at him surprised. "How did you know?"
"Been there - done that - writing the screen play."
"Is that why you ended up here?"
"No." A pause. "Not really." It was quiet for a moment. "So," Eric asked, "Why are you here, other then the whole cracking under the pressure to be something your not?"
"Bulimia and cutting."
"You say that so candidly."
"We're not exactly shy here."
"Not exactly welcoming either." Eric said with a slight edge to his voice.
Juliette almost flinched from the statement. She sat for several moments trying to think of what to say and then finally said, "I'm really sorry about what we did to you when you first got here."
Eric shrugged. "It happens."
"It shouldn't have though." Juliette said. "All of us have just been through so much, particularly in the last few months, we were just afraid of what would happen if someone new came in. And then when it was you... well it scared us even more."
"I scare you?" He asked turning to her.
"No, the idea of change scares us. Doesn't it you?"
Eric shook his head. "Depends on if I think the change if for the better or the worse."
Suddenly both Eric and Juliette turned as they heard a branch snap. "Shouldn't you guys be in class?" Eric turned from Roger and muttered something inaudible. "I'll take that as a yes." Roger said as he walked closer to where they were. Seeing that it was Juliette, he remembered Peter telling him that she was excused from classes. "Juliette why don't you head back to campus, I want to talk to Eric for a moment."
Juliette nodded and then headed back to campus. She might be able to make her own decisions, but she still wasn't willing to tell Roger no.
Roger stood for a moment and then sat down next to Eric taking Juliette's previous spot. "So you want to tell me why you're not in class?"
"Finally someone who asks me instead of jumping to conclusions." Eric said with sarcasm.
"We all make mistakes."
"Some more then others." Eric muttered.
Roger gave a slight nod. "I can understand why you would be mad about what happened with Peter. He judged you - unintentionally, but he did it."
Eric sighed. He could tell that Roger was an ok guy. So far the man had done nothing to push him or make him think that he was judging him as Peter had. "That's not even what I'm mad about." Eric said after a moment. He knew that he had just made the decision to trust Roger, but it felt right.
"What are you mad about then?" Roger asked gently.
Eric looked at Roger. "You promise you won't say anything?"
Roger looked at Eric, "Everything you tell me is confidential, except in the case that we find that there is harm to you then we are obligated to report it."
Eric gave a slight nod and then looked away. "I thought this place would be different - that's what I'm mad about."
"Different from what?" Roger asked.
"I don't know." Eric said with frustration, "Just different. I mean home wasn't any fun and I don't have a job anymore. I thought that coming here would be different - that I could get out." He looked at Roger. "I came here last year and I know it seemed like this was the last place I wanted to be, but I took information with me. I made sure to get it to my parents. I wanted to be here."
"Why?" Roger asked out of pure curiosity. "No kid wants to come here."
"I did." Eric said looking at Roger. "I wanted out. I wanted to be someplace where I could relax and not have to worry about...." He stopped suddenly realizing what he was saying.
"Not have to worry about what?" Roger asked. He knew that he probably shouldn't push. Not when he was getting so much volunteered information from the boy, but he felt he should.
"Just.... stuff." Eric said. "Just not have to worry about stuff." After a moment, Eric stood feeling that he had said way too much. "I should probably get to class now."
"Eric," Roger said, causing the boy to stop, "You're on kitchens for all meals tomorrow for skipping class."
Eric sighed. "Figures." He turned to head away again, glad that Roger was allowing him to go without any more conversation.
"Oh, and Eric," Eric once again stopped and turned. "If you want to talk, I'm always here."
Eric nodded and then turned and headed back to campus.
Act 5:
"You should have seen it." Roger said as he stood talking on his cell phone to Alex, the girl he had been dating for only a short time. The two had had an instance connection starting when they had ran into each other when Roger had picked Shelby up from one of her psychiatry sessions. And even though he trusted Alex, he was careful about not telling her too much. He had to keep the confidentiality of his students, if he didn't they wouldn't trust him. "I've never had a student open up like that, not so quickly."
"You sure it wasn't fake? He is an actor." Alex asked.
"Alex, it feels like he's telling me the truth. He seems genuine."
"Well, I'm proud of you." Alex said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Does this mean your going to take the job that Peter offered you?"
Roger had known that question was coming. He licked his lips with anticipation. "I'm thinking about it. I do well with these kids. And I think that Eric may be the one that I can help."
Alex smiled, knowing he couldn't see her. "I think we all have one, Rog."
Daisy walked over and joined Ezra on the couch. Classes had ended an hour before. "I feel like I haven't seen you all day."
"You haven't." He answered not looking up from his homework.
"I saw you at lunch." Daisy said wondering what was up with his mood.
"But it wasn't just me and you time." Ezra said finally looking up at her.
For a moment Daisy panicked. She thought that Ezra had finally understood that she didn't think of him like that.
"Didn't mean to freak you out." Ezra said catching the look on her face. "I wanted to talk to you and you weren't around."
"Something happen?" Daisy asked shifting so she could look at Ezra better.
Ezra sighed. "My parents called - they want to visit."
"Oh." Daisy said. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." He said. He sighed. "Last time they were here they lied to me and then I OD because I couldn't handle it."
"You mean because you wanted to get back at them."
Ezra threw Daisy a look and she gave him one right back. "Fine! Because I wanted to get back at them." Daisy gave a slight nod. "But if I'm still willing to do that to try to get back at them I'm not sure they should visit."
"Have you talked to Peter or Sophie about this?"
Ezra threw her a look. "This is the advice that I'm getting?"
"Would you rather me tell you that you should tell them how they make you feel, that you should stand up for yourself and that you need to forgive them?"
"I think I would be better off talking to Peter or Sophie."
"Just remember you asked."
Ezra shook his head. "I think I liked you better before you and your dad worked things out."
Daisy looked at Ezra for a moment. "What does that mean?"
Ezra shook his head. "Nothing."
"Come on Ezra. It's not nothing."
Ezra shook his head again. "It's just that ever sense you came back you and I rarely talk. You're always with David or Shelby or Scott or on the phone with your dad."
"So your mad because I forgave my father?" Daisy asked in disbelief. "I wouldn't have thought you to be like that Ezra. For once I'm finally happy and you can't stand it. I guess the old adage is true. Misery loves company." With that she stood and started to walk away.
"Daisy I'm sorry I didn't mean that." Ezra apologized quickly. Daisy stopped and faced him. "I just miss you. I miss us being friends."
"We're still friends." Daisy said going back over and sitting down. "I don't know why you can' t see that." A pause. "Things are changing Ez, no one can stop that. And it may take time to adjust, but we are still friends... no matter what."
"You mean that?" Ezra asked.
"I do." Daisy said.
Ezra smiled and then his face turned serious. "I am sorry about what I said."
"You're forgiven." Daisy said. "But don't let it happen again." She said with a smile. Turning she caught David coming into the room out of the corner of her eye. "I'm supposed to meet David. I'll talk to you later."
"Yea." Ezra said, suddenly wondering if Daisy had meant a word about them remaining friends. She still ran off to be with David at the first chance she got.
"Hey." Daisy said walking over to David.
"Hey." David said, as he rocked back and forth with his hands in his pockets. "You wanted to talk before dinner."
"Yea." Daisy said. She turned and indicated towards an area off to the corner of the lodge that was somewhat secluded. "We can go over there."
David nodded and the two walked over and sat down. "So?" David asked. he had no idea what this was about. Maybe Daisy decided she didn't like him anymore. Wasn't she talking to Ezra when he walked in?
"I was just wondering when the last time you talked to your dad was."
David huffed and shook his head. "What brought this up?"
"It's almost Christmas David. You haven't talked to him in a while and I just thought after all that we'd been talking about lately with our fathers that maybe, you might want to call him."
"What if I don't?"
"I'm not going to push you into it David." Daisy said. "I only thought I would ask."
"Well you asked."
Daisy sighed. After a moment she said, "I know I said that I would only ask, but David I think that if you call your dad things could get better. I do."
"It's not like you to give advice." David said.
"Well, it's not like me to forgive people either and I have been doing a lot of that."
David sighed. "Will it get you off my back if I call?"
"I'm not on your back. I'm just trying to help."
"Fine. If I call, will you promise not to help anymore?"
Daisy looked at him. She hadn't meant to offend him. She just had thought that after all their conversations lately that he might be ready to talk to his dad. "Deal." She said dully.
David smiled and walked to a nearby phone. Daisy sat watching him as he talked for several moments. When David walked back she looked at him hopefully. "Better then I thought." He said.
"See my giving advice isn't all that bad."
"Just don't do it all the time." He said with a smile.
"I'm going to head back to the dorm. I left my notes there and Eric wanted to borrow them."
"All right." David said. "See you at dinner." He watched as she headed off, relieved that she hadn't seen him holding down the button that kept the call from ever going through.
