Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground or any of the character except for Emma Morgan, so don't sue!!!
"Why are you doing this?" yelled a disgruntled Miss Emma Morgan.
"Because you've earned it!" yelled back her mother, driving her to Horizon.
"What? How the fuck have I deserved being imprisoned in a school for screw-ups? Especially since it's located in the middle of nowhere. And how do you fucking think I'm gonna even survive without Bell?" She turned to look out the window at the mountainous scenery they were driving through. It looked so beautiful with the snow, but in the light of what was happening, she hated it. She thought of Belle. Belle was her beautiful black mare. No matter what happened, she'd always made Belle her priority in life.
"I'll send her over with Frederick, I think that's the stable manager at Horizon. Don't worry, you'll get your precious little Belle. You always loved her. Sometimes I thought even more than your father or myself," she started to get all choked up here. She looked at Emma and fancied she saw a glimmer of sympathy, but was sure she had imagined it when the reply came.
"Of course I did. Belle was always there for me. Belle loved me. I told her anything and everything! What do you think?" she said quietly. This was almost worse than when she yelled. He whisper went straight to her mother's soul.
The rest of the journey was spent with Emma listening to her walkman loudly and looking out the window while her mom sped off into the mountains.
********************************************************************************
"Shel?" Scott asked tentatively as he approached the girls' dorm.
"Huh?" came the reply from within. He entered.
"Everything okay?" Shelby was sitting on Jess's bed with Jess lying down beside her looking pensive.
"Uh, I guess. " She got up and went to him. He held out his arms. She slid into his embrace and just stood there, bugging him. When they were like that, all was right in the world. They heard a car pull up.
Jess ran to the window.
"Oooooooooh! Looks like a newbie! Wonder if she's gonna be in the Cliffhangers.
********************************************************************************
"I'm Peter Scarbrow. You must be Mrs. Morgan. Right?"
"Correct. In the back seat is Emma. I think you'll be quite impressed with this one. She's a tough one."
"Well, we'll do our best. Don't you worry." He approached the back seat of the car.
"Emma? I'm Peter Scarbrow, your new headmaster." She gave a look that acknowledged him with the most sarcastic air.
"Would you get out please? We have some things to do." He said this in a way that demanded immediate obedience. She got out, giving him a horrible case of attitude. Peter looked her over. She had shoulder-length, straight, brown hair that fell down and sheltered her face. She had sharp green eyes that faced him expectantly but with a defiant look. She was about 5'9" and was slim. He wasn't too sure about the latter since her clothes were very baggy.
"Um... I'm in a rushed position. I have business to attend to," her mother said, rather uncomfortably.
"Sure, go right ahead. And don't worry, we'll take good care of her," Peter said reassuringly.
"Thanks. Bye Emma, be good." She didn't expect this to happen. Emma just glared at her as she unloaded her bags and drove off.
"Follow me please," Peter asked.
She followed. She already had the impression that he was not a man to mess with.
Once in his office, she sat in front of his desk, looking down at the floor, her teeth clenched.
Peter sat and looked at her. "The rules are simple, but strict: no sex, no violence, no drugs, and no inappropriate touching. Also, profanity isn't allowed. You are encouraged to share anything with any counselor and it will stay between us unless we suspect violence or abuse, in which case we are bound by law to report it to authorities. Any questions?" Peter said this quickly and efficiently.
"Yes," she said looking up, her eyes lighted up to a full extent. "When will Belle be here?"
"Belle's your horse?" She nodded. "She'll be here, if all goes as planned, tomorrow evening."
"Thanks," she said as she looked down and clenched her teeth again. Peter made a mental note of the way she'd looked at him when her horse was mentioned.
"Alright," Peter said as he led her to a little room with no windows. "Give me all your bags and your shoes. I have to check them over."
She handed him the stuff, not creating a fuss. He looked through all the pockets finding hints of drugs everywhere. She had obviously hoped to sell to the Horizon kids.
She stood looking everywhere except Peter's eyes. He looked at her.
"Did you use today?" She nodded.
"Alright get undressed and I'll send a doctor in for your physical." He closed the door as he left.
********************************************************************************
Sophie Scarbrow, the counselor for the Cliffhangers, entered Peter, her husband's office. He was massaging his temples.
"Newbie here yet?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he said distractedly.
"Cliffhangers?"
"Yup. Who's gonna be her buddy?"
They were both sitting down on the couch, legs stretched out and heads propped up against the back of the couch.
"I say Daisy," Peter suggested.
"Daisy? Why?" Sophie got up, surprised.
"Because she needs to learn to interact quickly and easily with others. If not,
she'll have a hard time of it once she leaves Horizon." Sophie agreed.
"Alright, I'll go get her." She kissed him gently and left.
"Why are you doing this?" yelled a disgruntled Miss Emma Morgan.
"Because you've earned it!" yelled back her mother, driving her to Horizon.
"What? How the fuck have I deserved being imprisoned in a school for screw-ups? Especially since it's located in the middle of nowhere. And how do you fucking think I'm gonna even survive without Bell?" She turned to look out the window at the mountainous scenery they were driving through. It looked so beautiful with the snow, but in the light of what was happening, she hated it. She thought of Belle. Belle was her beautiful black mare. No matter what happened, she'd always made Belle her priority in life.
"I'll send her over with Frederick, I think that's the stable manager at Horizon. Don't worry, you'll get your precious little Belle. You always loved her. Sometimes I thought even more than your father or myself," she started to get all choked up here. She looked at Emma and fancied she saw a glimmer of sympathy, but was sure she had imagined it when the reply came.
"Of course I did. Belle was always there for me. Belle loved me. I told her anything and everything! What do you think?" she said quietly. This was almost worse than when she yelled. He whisper went straight to her mother's soul.
The rest of the journey was spent with Emma listening to her walkman loudly and looking out the window while her mom sped off into the mountains.
********************************************************************************
"Shel?" Scott asked tentatively as he approached the girls' dorm.
"Huh?" came the reply from within. He entered.
"Everything okay?" Shelby was sitting on Jess's bed with Jess lying down beside her looking pensive.
"Uh, I guess. " She got up and went to him. He held out his arms. She slid into his embrace and just stood there, bugging him. When they were like that, all was right in the world. They heard a car pull up.
Jess ran to the window.
"Oooooooooh! Looks like a newbie! Wonder if she's gonna be in the Cliffhangers.
********************************************************************************
"I'm Peter Scarbrow. You must be Mrs. Morgan. Right?"
"Correct. In the back seat is Emma. I think you'll be quite impressed with this one. She's a tough one."
"Well, we'll do our best. Don't you worry." He approached the back seat of the car.
"Emma? I'm Peter Scarbrow, your new headmaster." She gave a look that acknowledged him with the most sarcastic air.
"Would you get out please? We have some things to do." He said this in a way that demanded immediate obedience. She got out, giving him a horrible case of attitude. Peter looked her over. She had shoulder-length, straight, brown hair that fell down and sheltered her face. She had sharp green eyes that faced him expectantly but with a defiant look. She was about 5'9" and was slim. He wasn't too sure about the latter since her clothes were very baggy.
"Um... I'm in a rushed position. I have business to attend to," her mother said, rather uncomfortably.
"Sure, go right ahead. And don't worry, we'll take good care of her," Peter said reassuringly.
"Thanks. Bye Emma, be good." She didn't expect this to happen. Emma just glared at her as she unloaded her bags and drove off.
"Follow me please," Peter asked.
She followed. She already had the impression that he was not a man to mess with.
Once in his office, she sat in front of his desk, looking down at the floor, her teeth clenched.
Peter sat and looked at her. "The rules are simple, but strict: no sex, no violence, no drugs, and no inappropriate touching. Also, profanity isn't allowed. You are encouraged to share anything with any counselor and it will stay between us unless we suspect violence or abuse, in which case we are bound by law to report it to authorities. Any questions?" Peter said this quickly and efficiently.
"Yes," she said looking up, her eyes lighted up to a full extent. "When will Belle be here?"
"Belle's your horse?" She nodded. "She'll be here, if all goes as planned, tomorrow evening."
"Thanks," she said as she looked down and clenched her teeth again. Peter made a mental note of the way she'd looked at him when her horse was mentioned.
"Alright," Peter said as he led her to a little room with no windows. "Give me all your bags and your shoes. I have to check them over."
She handed him the stuff, not creating a fuss. He looked through all the pockets finding hints of drugs everywhere. She had obviously hoped to sell to the Horizon kids.
She stood looking everywhere except Peter's eyes. He looked at her.
"Did you use today?" She nodded.
"Alright get undressed and I'll send a doctor in for your physical." He closed the door as he left.
********************************************************************************
Sophie Scarbrow, the counselor for the Cliffhangers, entered Peter, her husband's office. He was massaging his temples.
"Newbie here yet?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he said distractedly.
"Cliffhangers?"
"Yup. Who's gonna be her buddy?"
They were both sitting down on the couch, legs stretched out and heads propped up against the back of the couch.
"I say Daisy," Peter suggested.
"Daisy? Why?" Sophie got up, surprised.
"Because she needs to learn to interact quickly and easily with others. If not,
she'll have a hard time of it once she leaves Horizon." Sophie agreed.
"Alright, I'll go get her." She kissed him gently and left.