"Hey Soph," Peter greeted the blond woman with crystal blue eyes as she entered his office. He set down his papers, glancing up from his paperwork

"So what'd you think of the new admit?"

"Erika?" said Sophie. "Defiant, oppositional, says she doesn't feel, but she seemed to get along well enough with the gang for her first day."

"Yeah, and I don't think we have to worry about losing that soccer game.."

Sophie smiled. "And whatever gave you that idea?"

"She looks like she can play sports to me."

"And pick fights, too."

"Has a history of that. Hopefully it'll go over well, though."

"She doesn't like authority figures, for sure," Sophie commented.

"That one's a given. She's just this big wall, always en garde. That speech she gave me about how I'm wasting my time with her and that she doesn't feel- I'm thinking something happened to her, some kind of trauma.."

"I just hope that whatever is eating at her, we'll be able to get it out of her so she won't have to suffer in silence."

"Yeah," Peter sighed. "But that's all we can do. She got so many defences up, it'll be a while before we can brake them all down."

"Or before she'll let us."

"Yeah. Her mother said something about Erika being manipulative. It definitely doesn't look to me as though she gives up easily."



The afternoon arrived swiftly.

"Alright Erika, time to show us what you can do," Peter said. "Just remember guys, have fun and try not to make this too competitive."

"Yes my captain," commented Shelby.

"I'm serious, don't make this anymore competitive than it is. Can you do that, guys?"

"I dunno," answered Scott, grinning. "What's your definition of competitive?"

Peter cracked a smile. "You know what I mean. Alright, get out there." The cliffhangers jogged out towards a large grass field, with the Ridge-runners opposite them. They formed a tight circle, and Scott, retaining his role as the group leader, took charge.

"Daisy, Ezra, you're on defence," he asserted.

"I'm going in nets," Shelby voiced."

"Alright," Scott affirmed. "Auggie, you're on forward."

"Alright, meat," was the reply. He took his place before the invisible line that divided the two sides.

Scott turned to Erika. "You say you played competitively, so I'm thinking forward for you, along with myself and Auggie."

"Well I don't frickin play anything else," replied Erika, sounding satisfied and went off to take her position.

Scott transferred his gaze to the bubbly brunette. "Juliette, think you can play left mid?"

"I'll do my best," she answered, sounding both up to the challenge and unnerved.

"K, great." he replied. "And Kat, right mid."

Peter and Sophie watched from the stands as the Cliffhangers took their assigned positions on the field. Peter rose from his seat, and with the sound of the whistle around his neck, the game began.

The game began with Scott, who passed the ball directing to Erika, who had been open far on the field. He wanted to know, early on, what kind of game she played. She took control of the game immediately.

She dribbled the ball across the field, winding through the defensive Ridgerunners who were trying, in vain, to take the ball from her. She shoved past them, keeping the ball under her control. The rest of the Cliffhangers stopped and just observed what was happening before them.

"I guess she wasn't kidding when she said she played competitive soccer," Juliette commented to Auggie.

"Yeah," he responded. "Came outta nowhere."

Erika was soon before the Ridgerunner's net. She quickly took aim, and kicked to ball into the top corner of the net, the goalie reaching for the ball in vain, as it slid into the back. The Cliffhanger's erupted into cheers. Juliette was squealing at the top of her lungs, as Scott merely applauded the goal. The game had only begun and already Erika had scored, and all on her own. He couldn't help but be impressed.

"I say we sit back, cheer on Erika and let her do all the work," said Ezra.

Erika made her way back to the Cliffhangers, who complemented her on her game.

"Nice score," Scott commented.

"Yeah, real nice," added Auggie.

"Great job," put in Kat.

Juliette ran up to Erika and hugged her. "You were soo good!" she squealed.

Erika pulled Juliette off of her, irritated. "Whatever," she said, and took her position once again.

Daisy met Ezra's gaze, and shrugged. Auggie placed his hand on a hurt Juliette's shoulder. "She'll come around," he said, not certain she would.

The game began again, with the Ridgerunners on offense and the Cliffhangers, defence. A tall, blond Ridgerunner, ventured on the Cliffhanger's side, and wove through a few of the Cliffhangers. Erika hurled herself in front of him and quickly, tactfully, kicked the ball through his legs, and as he turned around, took off with the ball. She ran towards the opposing team's net, but a Ridgerunner intervened, and tried to steal the ball. She shoved past him, knocking him off balance, but soon found herself guarded with another Ridgerunner. Scott ran up behind Erika.

"Erika, behind you!" he called, making it known to her that he was open. She took a glance at him, but that was all. She played by her own rules. Instead of involving her other teammates, she shoved past the boy who guarded her on the other team and aimed for the net.

"Would it kill her to pass the ball?" Kat muttered to Juliette, who nodded.

As she took aim, a well-built Ridgerunner came from behind her, and with some fancy footwork, stole the ball from her. Erika was furious.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" she yelled and tackled him from behind.

"Erika!" Peter yelled, finding it hard to believe what was happening before him. The game had stopped, and the only action taking place was a fight breaking out between Erika and a seventeen year old Ridgerunner named Daniel. Peter ran from the stands, with Sophie behind him over to where Erika and Daniel were taking shots at each other.

Scott had beaten him to it. Scott pulled Erika off the Ridgerunner, and was barely able to restrain her. She struggled against his grip, desperately wanting to break free.

"Erika!" Scott said as she wriggled against his grip. "Cool it!" She broke free for a moment, only to be held back again, this time by Peter.

"My office, now."

The Cliffhangers looked at one another, stunned. Erika had provided quite the show for the rest of them and they didn't really know what to make of it.

"Soph," Peter said to the counsellor, removing his whistle from around his neck and tossing it to her, "continue the game, I'm going to make sure that there will be no more incidents like this from Erika."

"Got it," replied Sophie as she caught the whistle.

"That girl has a lot of nerve," Shelby muttered to Scott.

"Yeah," he agreed. "A lot of nerve."

"How did it happen?" burst in a confused Juliette. "I wasn't watching."

Scott turned to the bubbly brunette. "Seemed to me like the Ridgerunner stole the ball from her and she tackled him from behind."

Kat joined in their conversation. "Even you're not that bad," she said, indicating Scott. "Her attitude stinks."

"All he did was steal the ball. And she tackles him- from behind even." stated Shelby. Sarcastically, she added, "What's she doing in Horizon, when all she needs is Anger Management."

"Anger is a powerful emotion, Shelby," Daisy put in. "She says she doesn't feel, but she feels anger, that much is evident. And when you let anger control you, ultimately it's destructive. And who's to say anger is her main issue, when it's probably more of her belief that no authority exists."

Shelby looked at Daisy skeptically.

"Ok guys, back to the game," Sophie called to the Cliffhangers, who had bunched up.

The Cliffhangers darted back to their assigned positions, with Kat filling in for Erika, and the game resumed.