Disclaimer : I own nothing about Higher Ground except for Emma, Fred, Belle, the Rivergliders, and the stables.
Shelby walked towards the kayak barn, making sure not to create more footprints in the snow. She had taken the precaution of unlocking the door. She could tell Scott wasn't there yet. She went in the barn and locked the door again and opened a window.
As she saw Scott approaching, she whispered out to him.
"Hey! Cowboy! Over here."
"Hey hunny! I'm flattered you think I can jump that high," he said looking at the window.
"Sure you can. Here I'll pass you a rope to help you." Once inside, all was quiet. Scott looked at her, panting. She looked up at him with playfulness dancing in her eyes. She gently pushed him up against a wall. They kissed. Their actions that night were so passionate. They hadn't seen each other, alone, for so long. They always had to be so careful in case a counsellor was around. They also had to keep an eye out for David, who was just as bad, if not worse than a counsellor. He had a big mouth and an even bigger joy in screwing Scott over. If it was in his power to get him in trouble while leaving him in the victim's position, it was as good as done.
Finally, after about an hour, with half their clothes off, Shelby pulled away. She was breathing hard but had a smile on her face. In an effort to tease Scott, she got up.
"Alright cowboy, I think we'd better be going back. It's been a while and if any of the girls get up, they'll notice I'm gone. Besides, it's like what? 12:00? Jules'll be getting up any minute to go to the bathroom. She thinks no one knows, but Daisy's often still awake, and so am I. We hear her. Sometimes she throws up, sometimes she just cries. Even though she often drives me nuts, she's my friend and it hurts when she does that." Completely changing her expression, her face adopted a sad and hurt appearance when she thought of Jules. Scott nodded to show he understood. He got up and they got the rest of their clothes on.
"Good thing we didn't go too far. I didn't have a condom."
"Oh, that's not a problem, I brought one, just in case. I guess we'll test it out some other day." At that thought a huge grin spread across Scott's face. He respected her completely and he understood that if he pushed to far, she would feel uncomfortable and pull away, but he was still a guy! She just winked at him, a bit relieved it had not gotten to that point... yet.
When they returned to the dorms, everyone was asleep, or so it seemed. As Shelby entered the dorm, she tiptoed to her bed. The breathing of her fellow Cliffhangers, and now Rivergliders, was even and quiet. As she slipped into bed, Leonie, on the other hand was not asleep. She turned towards her.
"Where have you been?"
"None of your fucking business! Go to sleep, or at least let me sleep," Shelby hissed.
Leonie was taken aback by this.
"What's happening?" Sure enough, as Shelby had predicted, Jules was up.
"Oh, not much, I don't think Shelby's in a good mood. She just got back from somewhere and I asked where. Lets just say her answer wasn't the most civil thing I ever heard."
"Oh, don't worry about it. Shelby, in fact, most of us, don't like to be asked that question. It makes us, especially Shelby, feel like we're being watched and that makes her feel trapped."
"I just asked because I had a little sister that I constantly had to keep watch of. She kept sneaking out. At least she confided in me. It made it easier on my conscience and hers. I also knew the people she hung out with and that was also a relief because I had their phone numbers."
"I see. I know what you mean." Jules looked at Emma and Alexis. Well, more at Emma, for she had been the one who, although the same age, had always watched out for her.
Jules flashed her a smile and Leonie gave her a sort of weak grin. She was definitely not shaping out to be this Shelby girl's friend. She lay her head down and thought about what just happened. Why don't I fit in here? She wondered. Only Jules understands me. They were in fact both victims of eating disorders. Both had fallen in these patterns of self-destruction because of their parents' negligence. Jules couldn't compete for attention without it and Leonie felt guilty without it.
Shelby, on the other hand, fell asleep quickly and with a smile on her face. She couldn't stop thinking about Scott. Thank god the counsellors didn't check the kayak barn regularly, for it would have been quite the site to behold. They hadn't had sex-of any kind-but everything short of it. And with that last thought, she floated off to dreamland.
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The next morning, classes resumed. Peter thought that an extra long weekend was quite enough rest from the exhaustion and cold of the hike they had on Thursday. This wasn't welcomed, but it was expected. The Cliffhangers were on kitchens that week and the Rivergliders were on other miscellaneous chores. Neither Sophie nor Peter felt it was fair to get the Cliffhangers up early and let the Rivergliders sleep in, even if they were new. Sophie had made up the list of chores and who would do them the night before. She had Shelby, Auggie, Jess, Jules, Ezra, and David on kitchens, leaving Scott, Daisy, and Emma to show the other kids the rest of the chores. Scott was to be in the wood shed with Alexis and Alex; Daisy in the classrooms with Andrew and James; and Emma in the barn with Kristen and Leonie.
It began as a good morning, things quickly changed when the kids learned the groups. Shelby and Scott didn't see how they had to end up in different groups when Jules and Auggie were in the same one. The kids on kitchens especially didn't get how Scott, Daisy, and Emma got out of the tedious work that was making food, serving it, washing and drying dishes, and cleaning up after everyone. They all knew how much Emma loved horses and didn't like the fact that she was off kitchens to be in a barn! Scott was much more worried than anyone else. He knew that Alexis had some mischievious plan regarding him. As they all separated into groups, outside the girls' dorm, Shelby gave Scott a quick kiss and hug. He appreciated it as the hour that would pass until he would see her again was likely to be quite long. He was not to be disappointed.
********************************************************************************
"Hey how was it?" Shelby inquired of her boyfriend as they all sat down at the same table.
"That girl, Alexis, is the biggest flirt I ever saw!"
"What? Better that me?" Shelby asked, mock indignation in her voice.
"Well, remember how you were during that storm when we almost did it?" Shelby nodding, not forgetting the night that had passed when Scott had first opened up to her. "Well, she was just about as bad as you were that entire week!" They both laughed.
"Well, I had a great time," Jules chirped in, hearing the end of their private conversation. "We had some fun, except when Ezra and David started fighting over who had the best tastebuds. David was cooking and putting way too much salt on the eggs." She looked around, as did the other Cliffhangers and Rivergliders, and almost everyone had their eggs to the side. The only one in the entire cafeteria that was eating them was David. "Ezra came over and told him so," Jules said, returning to the others. "David didn't believe it so they argued about which one had the best tastebuds."
"And you all know it's me!" David came in, to multiple laughs and several shouts of "We don't care, Ruxton!"
"Well, I enjoyed the stables. I don't know about the other two though. They went for showers. Felt dirty," Emma said, matter-of-factly, but with a slight evil smile.
"What did you do?" Shelby asked, amused.
"Oh, I fed, swept, cleaned tack, and turned out some horses."
"Let me rephrase that. What did they do?"
"Ah, well, see, that's the funny bit!" Emma couldn't help from smiling. "Just as we have a code of the schoolyard, there's one for the stables: new kids muck-out!" All the Cliffhangers winced. They had all been assigned to mucking-out at one point. Just one, for they never, ever did it again. They had come up with the most ingenious excuses in order to get out of it. Mucking-out means cleaning the shit out of the stalls-to put it lightly. "I showed them how, and left them to it. We only have eight stalls to do. Four each with an hour to do it... that's nothing! At my old barn, I had twenty to do in that time!"
"Oh! That sounds... wonderful," David said. He looked at the remaining Rivergliders. They all had puzzled looks on their faces. He proceeded to explain what and how mucking-out was to be done, all in very gory details. They all pushed their plates away. He looked thoroughly satisfied. One down, several to go, he thought of his "good deeds to society," as he called them. The rest were probably all going to be finished at Scott's expense.
"Well, I didn't mind things that much," James said, winking at Daisy. David picked up on this, and thought immediately that the rest of his jokes were now completely aimed at James.
"That's just because you're an idiot," Andrew said, taking back to his food. "How could anyone think cleaning blackboards, desks, erasers, floors, and windows exciting?"
"Aw, thanks man, I was beginning to think I'd have to torture him on my own," David said happily. Too happy for Daisy to feel completely comfortable.
Shelby walked towards the kayak barn, making sure not to create more footprints in the snow. She had taken the precaution of unlocking the door. She could tell Scott wasn't there yet. She went in the barn and locked the door again and opened a window.
As she saw Scott approaching, she whispered out to him.
"Hey! Cowboy! Over here."
"Hey hunny! I'm flattered you think I can jump that high," he said looking at the window.
"Sure you can. Here I'll pass you a rope to help you." Once inside, all was quiet. Scott looked at her, panting. She looked up at him with playfulness dancing in her eyes. She gently pushed him up against a wall. They kissed. Their actions that night were so passionate. They hadn't seen each other, alone, for so long. They always had to be so careful in case a counsellor was around. They also had to keep an eye out for David, who was just as bad, if not worse than a counsellor. He had a big mouth and an even bigger joy in screwing Scott over. If it was in his power to get him in trouble while leaving him in the victim's position, it was as good as done.
Finally, after about an hour, with half their clothes off, Shelby pulled away. She was breathing hard but had a smile on her face. In an effort to tease Scott, she got up.
"Alright cowboy, I think we'd better be going back. It's been a while and if any of the girls get up, they'll notice I'm gone. Besides, it's like what? 12:00? Jules'll be getting up any minute to go to the bathroom. She thinks no one knows, but Daisy's often still awake, and so am I. We hear her. Sometimes she throws up, sometimes she just cries. Even though she often drives me nuts, she's my friend and it hurts when she does that." Completely changing her expression, her face adopted a sad and hurt appearance when she thought of Jules. Scott nodded to show he understood. He got up and they got the rest of their clothes on.
"Good thing we didn't go too far. I didn't have a condom."
"Oh, that's not a problem, I brought one, just in case. I guess we'll test it out some other day." At that thought a huge grin spread across Scott's face. He respected her completely and he understood that if he pushed to far, she would feel uncomfortable and pull away, but he was still a guy! She just winked at him, a bit relieved it had not gotten to that point... yet.
When they returned to the dorms, everyone was asleep, or so it seemed. As Shelby entered the dorm, she tiptoed to her bed. The breathing of her fellow Cliffhangers, and now Rivergliders, was even and quiet. As she slipped into bed, Leonie, on the other hand was not asleep. She turned towards her.
"Where have you been?"
"None of your fucking business! Go to sleep, or at least let me sleep," Shelby hissed.
Leonie was taken aback by this.
"What's happening?" Sure enough, as Shelby had predicted, Jules was up.
"Oh, not much, I don't think Shelby's in a good mood. She just got back from somewhere and I asked where. Lets just say her answer wasn't the most civil thing I ever heard."
"Oh, don't worry about it. Shelby, in fact, most of us, don't like to be asked that question. It makes us, especially Shelby, feel like we're being watched and that makes her feel trapped."
"I just asked because I had a little sister that I constantly had to keep watch of. She kept sneaking out. At least she confided in me. It made it easier on my conscience and hers. I also knew the people she hung out with and that was also a relief because I had their phone numbers."
"I see. I know what you mean." Jules looked at Emma and Alexis. Well, more at Emma, for she had been the one who, although the same age, had always watched out for her.
Jules flashed her a smile and Leonie gave her a sort of weak grin. She was definitely not shaping out to be this Shelby girl's friend. She lay her head down and thought about what just happened. Why don't I fit in here? She wondered. Only Jules understands me. They were in fact both victims of eating disorders. Both had fallen in these patterns of self-destruction because of their parents' negligence. Jules couldn't compete for attention without it and Leonie felt guilty without it.
Shelby, on the other hand, fell asleep quickly and with a smile on her face. She couldn't stop thinking about Scott. Thank god the counsellors didn't check the kayak barn regularly, for it would have been quite the site to behold. They hadn't had sex-of any kind-but everything short of it. And with that last thought, she floated off to dreamland.
********************************************************************************
The next morning, classes resumed. Peter thought that an extra long weekend was quite enough rest from the exhaustion and cold of the hike they had on Thursday. This wasn't welcomed, but it was expected. The Cliffhangers were on kitchens that week and the Rivergliders were on other miscellaneous chores. Neither Sophie nor Peter felt it was fair to get the Cliffhangers up early and let the Rivergliders sleep in, even if they were new. Sophie had made up the list of chores and who would do them the night before. She had Shelby, Auggie, Jess, Jules, Ezra, and David on kitchens, leaving Scott, Daisy, and Emma to show the other kids the rest of the chores. Scott was to be in the wood shed with Alexis and Alex; Daisy in the classrooms with Andrew and James; and Emma in the barn with Kristen and Leonie.
It began as a good morning, things quickly changed when the kids learned the groups. Shelby and Scott didn't see how they had to end up in different groups when Jules and Auggie were in the same one. The kids on kitchens especially didn't get how Scott, Daisy, and Emma got out of the tedious work that was making food, serving it, washing and drying dishes, and cleaning up after everyone. They all knew how much Emma loved horses and didn't like the fact that she was off kitchens to be in a barn! Scott was much more worried than anyone else. He knew that Alexis had some mischievious plan regarding him. As they all separated into groups, outside the girls' dorm, Shelby gave Scott a quick kiss and hug. He appreciated it as the hour that would pass until he would see her again was likely to be quite long. He was not to be disappointed.
********************************************************************************
"Hey how was it?" Shelby inquired of her boyfriend as they all sat down at the same table.
"That girl, Alexis, is the biggest flirt I ever saw!"
"What? Better that me?" Shelby asked, mock indignation in her voice.
"Well, remember how you were during that storm when we almost did it?" Shelby nodding, not forgetting the night that had passed when Scott had first opened up to her. "Well, she was just about as bad as you were that entire week!" They both laughed.
"Well, I had a great time," Jules chirped in, hearing the end of their private conversation. "We had some fun, except when Ezra and David started fighting over who had the best tastebuds. David was cooking and putting way too much salt on the eggs." She looked around, as did the other Cliffhangers and Rivergliders, and almost everyone had their eggs to the side. The only one in the entire cafeteria that was eating them was David. "Ezra came over and told him so," Jules said, returning to the others. "David didn't believe it so they argued about which one had the best tastebuds."
"And you all know it's me!" David came in, to multiple laughs and several shouts of "We don't care, Ruxton!"
"Well, I enjoyed the stables. I don't know about the other two though. They went for showers. Felt dirty," Emma said, matter-of-factly, but with a slight evil smile.
"What did you do?" Shelby asked, amused.
"Oh, I fed, swept, cleaned tack, and turned out some horses."
"Let me rephrase that. What did they do?"
"Ah, well, see, that's the funny bit!" Emma couldn't help from smiling. "Just as we have a code of the schoolyard, there's one for the stables: new kids muck-out!" All the Cliffhangers winced. They had all been assigned to mucking-out at one point. Just one, for they never, ever did it again. They had come up with the most ingenious excuses in order to get out of it. Mucking-out means cleaning the shit out of the stalls-to put it lightly. "I showed them how, and left them to it. We only have eight stalls to do. Four each with an hour to do it... that's nothing! At my old barn, I had twenty to do in that time!"
"Oh! That sounds... wonderful," David said. He looked at the remaining Rivergliders. They all had puzzled looks on their faces. He proceeded to explain what and how mucking-out was to be done, all in very gory details. They all pushed their plates away. He looked thoroughly satisfied. One down, several to go, he thought of his "good deeds to society," as he called them. The rest were probably all going to be finished at Scott's expense.
"Well, I didn't mind things that much," James said, winking at Daisy. David picked up on this, and thought immediately that the rest of his jokes were now completely aimed at James.
"That's just because you're an idiot," Andrew said, taking back to his food. "How could anyone think cleaning blackboards, desks, erasers, floors, and windows exciting?"
"Aw, thanks man, I was beginning to think I'd have to torture him on my own," David said happily. Too happy for Daisy to feel completely comfortable.