Disclaimer: They're not mine, except for the new ones. No suing, please. Thank you!
Author's Note: No flames guys! Before you judge what I'm doing with this story, you have to read the next chapter in which I'll explain all that jazz. Anyways, I still want reviews!
Saturday morning brought with it a sense of gloom, both inside and out. With the rainy, murky weather came fatigue, frustration, and a feeling of everyone being quick to anger. No one liked being woken up at 6 o'clock, but when that wake up call came on a Saturday morning, everyone was more than annoyed to say the least.
They were leaving at around 8 for their hike, but they had to pack, and eat breakfast. Everyone met in the caf at 6:30 and had breakfast, which was done in practical utter silence, except for the usual mumblings about how this wasn't even food, it was just rubber, and so on. They then shuffled sleepily into the lodge where Peter and Sophie had set up everything they'd need for the hike.
"Peter, why?" Scott whined. Peter just rolled his eyes, and kept checking if he had everything.
"Seriously, though, why can't you be human just once, and let us sleep in?" Shelby asked, obviously not in the best of moods.
"Oh, you're just cranky," David said dismissively.
"Damn straight I am. I can't function at this hour without coffee," she said.
"I thought you also needed your cigarettes..." Juliette said.
"Nah, I got cured of that one," she said simply.
"How?" Max asked, who was still heavily addicted, and was cranky only because of his lack of nicotine.
"When I got together with Scott, I couldn't bribe the supply guy anymore," she said in an undertone, which made the whole group laugh, except for Scott who scowled.
"How were you bribing him?" Julia asked.
"Guess," Shelby said, rolling her eyes.
"Not too bright are we?" Daisy asked.
"Hey! It's 6:45! Give me a break!" Julia said defensively.
"Not to mention it's a Saturday!" Shelby said pointedly at Peter.
"One more complaint and it'll become an over-night hike," he said warningly.
"Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" Daisy asked.
"No, we wouldn't!" Leonie said.
"Hey! I didn't mean it sarcastically. Sorry, if it sounded that way!" she said shrugging.
They finished packing, a little chitchat here and there, but not much more. Shelby nodded off on Scott's shoulder when she was done and they were awaiting the horrid moment they'd leave. At a quarter to 8, Peter came and told them to get outside because they'd be leaving soon. Scott waited until everyone was out, before he woke Shelby.
"Hey, beautiful, wake-up," he whispered in her ear. When she didn't wake up, he leant over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She soon responded and kissed him back.
"We have to go?" she asked sarcastically. Scott chuckled and nodded. He helped her put her pack on her back, took her hand, and led her out of the lodge.
"Alright, gang, follow me," Sophie said, when everyone was together. They all moaned and got up from where they were sitting on the ground and picnic tables and stairs and so on, and followed her into the forest.
"What did I say about complaining?" Peter asked pointedly.
"Well, technically, that wasn't some legitimate complaining," Emma said.
"What's up with him?" Alex asked as they walked off.
"I don't know, but this is some pissy attitude," Marc said.
"Ah, you know, it's approaching the end of the year," Kristen said.
"Yeah, but I thought that had to do with students," Shelby said.
"Well, Peter's not exactly..." she cast around with furtive glances, "normal," she stressed the word in a heightened whisper, "is he?" Daisy asked.
"Uh, you realize that wasn't said sarcastically, right?" David asked.
"Oh, I quite realize that, m'dear," she replied with a wink.
"Just checking," he said, only slightly confused. As they separated from the rest on the trail, they kept talking.
"Why've you been so distant lately?" Daisy asked. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," he said dismissively.
"David!" Daisy said loudly to get his attention. "What's up with you? Why do you keep pushing me away?"
"I'm not!" he said, matching her temper. "Why are you prodding so much?"
"Why are you not answering?" Daisy retorted, putting her hands on her hips.
"Daisy, just leave it!" he said, looking like he didn't know what to say next, and walked faster thus leaving her behind. She looked after him, confused. Shelby walked up to her.
"You okay?" she asked.
"You know, I really don't get him sometimes," she huffed and walked off. Shelby shrugged and figured her friend needed to figure things out for herself. Shelby walked over to Scott and walked with him.
"So, Sophie," Peter said to her, at the front of the line of students, "how do you think the students are doing?" She just smiled.
"They seem fine, but a little tired. I still don't know if letting Kristen's friends stay over was a good idea."
"Well, it'll teach the kids to cope with other people than those in the school," he said shrugging.
"I guess. Hey, have you noticed something weird with David lately?" she asked.
"Yeah, actually. He seems totally distant," Peter said.
"I know, ever since yesterday morning. And he's hardly talking to Daisy, which is really weird," Sophie said, thinking hard. Peter shrugged.
"He'll either get over it on his own, with Daisy's help, or with us... eventually."
"Eventually is right!" Sophie said pointedly. "He's hardly given us anything on himself. Only Daisy knows the details, I think."
"Yeah, and apparently Shelby and Scott know a little too," Peter said with a small smile at how his kids were getting maturer.
"He told them?" Sophie asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, I think. I mean, he knows Shelby's past, and I'm betting he knows Scott's too... and they wouldn't have given him-of all people-that information without getting something too," Peter reasoned.
"You are good, aren't you?" Sophie asked, nudging him.
"Well, that's what I've been told," he said.
"Where've I heard that before?" she replied, giving him a sidelong glance and a chuckle. When Peter went to answer she cut in. "Rhetorical question." They both laughed at this.
A little to the back of the line of students, were Julia, Kristen, and Max. They did, after all, have a lot to catch up on.
"Okay, Kristen, I know this is gonna come back to haunt me, but who is Marc?" Max asked, breaking the silence.
"Uh, the guy right up there with the red jacket," Kristen said, pointing in his direction. "I thought you two were more than aquainted." She raised her eyebrows and when Max looked at her uncomfortably, she burst out laughing. "What you really want to know is do I actually know this guy?"
"Yes, exactly," he replied.
"And anything else, come on, we are your best friends!" Julia said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Fine, uh, I met him the first day he was here. He was on the steps to the boys' dorm and I recognized him as James's brother."
"James's brother? They didn't come together?" Julia asked. She'd always been very quick to pick up little hints like that.
"No. James got here around the beginning of the year, with the rest of the Rivergliders. Around the same time as me," she explained. "Marc got here a while later."
"How come?" Max asked, eyes narrowed.
"I don't know," she said shrugging. She did know, but James and Marc had both sworn her to secrecy. "Anyways, as I got to know him, we became really good friends, and well, we finally hooked up, I suppose."
"Yes, that's what must've happened," Julia said sarcastically, almost exploding in laughter.
"Anyways, what type of guy is he?" Max asked, still not sure whether or not he ought to like this guy Kristy, as he called her most of the time, had chosen.
"Uh, well, he's really nice, despite the past he's had," she said slowly. "Yes, I do know his past, and no, I'm not gonna tell you. That's for him to tell when he's ready."
"Well, you've certainly matured," Julia said.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Max asked sarcastically.
"Oh, yeah, fine. Anyways, what's up with you two?" she asked, taking the subject off her.
"Oh, uh, well, Julia and stupid Brian got together!" Max said, laughing. Kristen laughed along. Julia, on the other hand, didn't laugh.
"Shut up!" she said playfully, though her eyes pleaded with them. This only made Max and Kristen laugh harder.
"Okay, hold on," Kristen said through suppressed giggles, "you're telling me that you hooked up with the one guy I've ever known to not be able to hook three words together constructively?" Kristen asked incredulously.
Julia scoffed, rolled her eyes, and shrugged.
"Yes! That's it!" Max said. Then he began an elaborate imitation: "Uh... hi... uh... is Julia... like... is she, like, around?" he said in an unnaturally caveman-like voice.
"Max!" Julia whined. "Besides, he's not nearly that bad, and doesn't sound at all like that!"
"Yeah, Max, he doesn't sound like that," Kristen said with a smirk. The fact that she'd omitted "he wasn't that bad" made her and Max laugh once more. When they calmed down, Kristen seemed lost in thought.
"Kristy, you all right?" he asked.
"Ah, I was just thinking, stupid Brian sounds worse than that," she said and this time all three laughed.
"Guys, he's really nice, and sweet. I dunno, I'm having fun with him!" Julia replied with a shrug. "It's totally innocent."
"I'm sure," Kristen said. Julia gave her a look. "I am! I'm not being sarcastic!"
"Right, well, enough about me, let's talk about Max. It's way more interesting, either way," she said.
"What do you mean by 'interesting'?" Kristen asked.
Max gave Julia a glare of pure hatred. Kristen was one of his best friends. She was also emotionally very fragile and vulnerable. He turned to Kristen and gave her a pleading look.
"What?" Kristen asked.
"Well, you'll have to tell her eventually," Julia reasoned with a shrug.
"Why don't you tell her? You seem awfully anxious to say it all!" he spat out and walked ahead to join none other than Juliette and Auggie.
Kristen turned to Julia with a scared look in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked quietly.
"Well, you know how he got drunk all the time?" Kristen nodded slowly. "He got his stomach pumped once. If he hadn't, the doctors said he would've died from alcohol poisoning." Kristen gasped.
"I sense from your tone that that's not it," she said cautiously. Julia shook her head.
"He...uh...he was in a coma, Kristy." Kristen was on the edge of tears. She didn't dare look Julia in the face; she just glared at the ground.
"Why?"
"Drugs," Julia specified weakly. Suddenly, Kristen's eyes glazed over and she adopted a vacant, careless expression.
"I knew it!" she said simply. She shook her head as if to forget what had just been said. "So, how's Anna?" she asked, looking up at Julia with a smile, that she could tell was fake.
"Kristen, you can't just-"
"Watch me!" she yelled, and stormed off.
Some of the students stared at her, then at Julia, who looked really scared and alone. They then turned their gazes to Max who looked stunned. After a moment, he rushed off to find Kristen, who'd gone to the front of the line. Emma and Jules went off to comfort Julia.
Max ran up to Kristen who'd gone to Ley for comfort.
Andrew had been walking with her when Kristen came running, and immediately figured out what happened. He stepped in Max's way.
"Step out of my way, man," Max said dangerously.
"Look, Kristen's with Leonie. She's going to be fine. Give her time," he said gently so he didn't provoke a fight.
"I need to talk to her."
"She doesn't want to talk to you," Andrew explained. "If you push now, she'll be even more upset, and you won't get anything out of her... maybe ever. Don't push it. Give her a break," he finished. He gave Max a look that basically said, "What did you do to her?" But, instead of causing more trouble by starting a fight, he walked off.
Peter came up to them, saw the state of Kristen and Max and turned back to Sophie. "Soph, it's time to get going back to Horizon," he said. She nodded and led the kids on the return path. Peter turned back to Max. "Stay behind with me, I need to have a little talk with you."
"I don't want to talk to you!" Max said.
"Well, that's too bad, because you're going to have to," Peter said.
The gist of this "talk" was basically asking general questions about what happened. He then proceeded to go into how life at home was for Max, and so on. Max grew completely annoyed with him. He was a visitor! He didn't have to have a one-on-one with this shrink!
"Now little Max knows the brilliance of a counseling session," Daisy said, walking up to David who'd been walking alone this entire time. He didn't reply. "David? What's wrong?" she asked.
"He then looked at her. She could see he had tears in his eyes. "Daisy," he said slowly, "I'll never stop loving you, ever." He sighed. "Ever! I-I just... You have to believe me!" he said quickly.
She furrowed her brows. "I believe you," she finally said in the most sincere voice she could muster. She knew this was not time to be sarcastic.
"I...can't... you know?" he asked she shook her head.
"You'll have to be a little more articulate," she said sarcastically.
He gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Dais. I thought it over. I can't."
"You're breaking up with me?" she asked. He just nodded and walked off, brushing away the tears that had started to flow.
"Why?" she called out. "Why?" she repeated quietly to herself. She looked to the ground. Time to hide it all then, she thought, wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes. Until I get it... I'm not telling a soul.
Author's Note: No flames guys! Before you judge what I'm doing with this story, you have to read the next chapter in which I'll explain all that jazz. Anyways, I still want reviews!
Saturday morning brought with it a sense of gloom, both inside and out. With the rainy, murky weather came fatigue, frustration, and a feeling of everyone being quick to anger. No one liked being woken up at 6 o'clock, but when that wake up call came on a Saturday morning, everyone was more than annoyed to say the least.
They were leaving at around 8 for their hike, but they had to pack, and eat breakfast. Everyone met in the caf at 6:30 and had breakfast, which was done in practical utter silence, except for the usual mumblings about how this wasn't even food, it was just rubber, and so on. They then shuffled sleepily into the lodge where Peter and Sophie had set up everything they'd need for the hike.
"Peter, why?" Scott whined. Peter just rolled his eyes, and kept checking if he had everything.
"Seriously, though, why can't you be human just once, and let us sleep in?" Shelby asked, obviously not in the best of moods.
"Oh, you're just cranky," David said dismissively.
"Damn straight I am. I can't function at this hour without coffee," she said.
"I thought you also needed your cigarettes..." Juliette said.
"Nah, I got cured of that one," she said simply.
"How?" Max asked, who was still heavily addicted, and was cranky only because of his lack of nicotine.
"When I got together with Scott, I couldn't bribe the supply guy anymore," she said in an undertone, which made the whole group laugh, except for Scott who scowled.
"How were you bribing him?" Julia asked.
"Guess," Shelby said, rolling her eyes.
"Not too bright are we?" Daisy asked.
"Hey! It's 6:45! Give me a break!" Julia said defensively.
"Not to mention it's a Saturday!" Shelby said pointedly at Peter.
"One more complaint and it'll become an over-night hike," he said warningly.
"Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" Daisy asked.
"No, we wouldn't!" Leonie said.
"Hey! I didn't mean it sarcastically. Sorry, if it sounded that way!" she said shrugging.
They finished packing, a little chitchat here and there, but not much more. Shelby nodded off on Scott's shoulder when she was done and they were awaiting the horrid moment they'd leave. At a quarter to 8, Peter came and told them to get outside because they'd be leaving soon. Scott waited until everyone was out, before he woke Shelby.
"Hey, beautiful, wake-up," he whispered in her ear. When she didn't wake up, he leant over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She soon responded and kissed him back.
"We have to go?" she asked sarcastically. Scott chuckled and nodded. He helped her put her pack on her back, took her hand, and led her out of the lodge.
"Alright, gang, follow me," Sophie said, when everyone was together. They all moaned and got up from where they were sitting on the ground and picnic tables and stairs and so on, and followed her into the forest.
"What did I say about complaining?" Peter asked pointedly.
"Well, technically, that wasn't some legitimate complaining," Emma said.
"What's up with him?" Alex asked as they walked off.
"I don't know, but this is some pissy attitude," Marc said.
"Ah, you know, it's approaching the end of the year," Kristen said.
"Yeah, but I thought that had to do with students," Shelby said.
"Well, Peter's not exactly..." she cast around with furtive glances, "normal," she stressed the word in a heightened whisper, "is he?" Daisy asked.
"Uh, you realize that wasn't said sarcastically, right?" David asked.
"Oh, I quite realize that, m'dear," she replied with a wink.
"Just checking," he said, only slightly confused. As they separated from the rest on the trail, they kept talking.
"Why've you been so distant lately?" Daisy asked. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," he said dismissively.
"David!" Daisy said loudly to get his attention. "What's up with you? Why do you keep pushing me away?"
"I'm not!" he said, matching her temper. "Why are you prodding so much?"
"Why are you not answering?" Daisy retorted, putting her hands on her hips.
"Daisy, just leave it!" he said, looking like he didn't know what to say next, and walked faster thus leaving her behind. She looked after him, confused. Shelby walked up to her.
"You okay?" she asked.
"You know, I really don't get him sometimes," she huffed and walked off. Shelby shrugged and figured her friend needed to figure things out for herself. Shelby walked over to Scott and walked with him.
"So, Sophie," Peter said to her, at the front of the line of students, "how do you think the students are doing?" She just smiled.
"They seem fine, but a little tired. I still don't know if letting Kristen's friends stay over was a good idea."
"Well, it'll teach the kids to cope with other people than those in the school," he said shrugging.
"I guess. Hey, have you noticed something weird with David lately?" she asked.
"Yeah, actually. He seems totally distant," Peter said.
"I know, ever since yesterday morning. And he's hardly talking to Daisy, which is really weird," Sophie said, thinking hard. Peter shrugged.
"He'll either get over it on his own, with Daisy's help, or with us... eventually."
"Eventually is right!" Sophie said pointedly. "He's hardly given us anything on himself. Only Daisy knows the details, I think."
"Yeah, and apparently Shelby and Scott know a little too," Peter said with a small smile at how his kids were getting maturer.
"He told them?" Sophie asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, I think. I mean, he knows Shelby's past, and I'm betting he knows Scott's too... and they wouldn't have given him-of all people-that information without getting something too," Peter reasoned.
"You are good, aren't you?" Sophie asked, nudging him.
"Well, that's what I've been told," he said.
"Where've I heard that before?" she replied, giving him a sidelong glance and a chuckle. When Peter went to answer she cut in. "Rhetorical question." They both laughed at this.
A little to the back of the line of students, were Julia, Kristen, and Max. They did, after all, have a lot to catch up on.
"Okay, Kristen, I know this is gonna come back to haunt me, but who is Marc?" Max asked, breaking the silence.
"Uh, the guy right up there with the red jacket," Kristen said, pointing in his direction. "I thought you two were more than aquainted." She raised her eyebrows and when Max looked at her uncomfortably, she burst out laughing. "What you really want to know is do I actually know this guy?"
"Yes, exactly," he replied.
"And anything else, come on, we are your best friends!" Julia said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Fine, uh, I met him the first day he was here. He was on the steps to the boys' dorm and I recognized him as James's brother."
"James's brother? They didn't come together?" Julia asked. She'd always been very quick to pick up little hints like that.
"No. James got here around the beginning of the year, with the rest of the Rivergliders. Around the same time as me," she explained. "Marc got here a while later."
"How come?" Max asked, eyes narrowed.
"I don't know," she said shrugging. She did know, but James and Marc had both sworn her to secrecy. "Anyways, as I got to know him, we became really good friends, and well, we finally hooked up, I suppose."
"Yes, that's what must've happened," Julia said sarcastically, almost exploding in laughter.
"Anyways, what type of guy is he?" Max asked, still not sure whether or not he ought to like this guy Kristy, as he called her most of the time, had chosen.
"Uh, well, he's really nice, despite the past he's had," she said slowly. "Yes, I do know his past, and no, I'm not gonna tell you. That's for him to tell when he's ready."
"Well, you've certainly matured," Julia said.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Max asked sarcastically.
"Oh, yeah, fine. Anyways, what's up with you two?" she asked, taking the subject off her.
"Oh, uh, well, Julia and stupid Brian got together!" Max said, laughing. Kristen laughed along. Julia, on the other hand, didn't laugh.
"Shut up!" she said playfully, though her eyes pleaded with them. This only made Max and Kristen laugh harder.
"Okay, hold on," Kristen said through suppressed giggles, "you're telling me that you hooked up with the one guy I've ever known to not be able to hook three words together constructively?" Kristen asked incredulously.
Julia scoffed, rolled her eyes, and shrugged.
"Yes! That's it!" Max said. Then he began an elaborate imitation: "Uh... hi... uh... is Julia... like... is she, like, around?" he said in an unnaturally caveman-like voice.
"Max!" Julia whined. "Besides, he's not nearly that bad, and doesn't sound at all like that!"
"Yeah, Max, he doesn't sound like that," Kristen said with a smirk. The fact that she'd omitted "he wasn't that bad" made her and Max laugh once more. When they calmed down, Kristen seemed lost in thought.
"Kristy, you all right?" he asked.
"Ah, I was just thinking, stupid Brian sounds worse than that," she said and this time all three laughed.
"Guys, he's really nice, and sweet. I dunno, I'm having fun with him!" Julia replied with a shrug. "It's totally innocent."
"I'm sure," Kristen said. Julia gave her a look. "I am! I'm not being sarcastic!"
"Right, well, enough about me, let's talk about Max. It's way more interesting, either way," she said.
"What do you mean by 'interesting'?" Kristen asked.
Max gave Julia a glare of pure hatred. Kristen was one of his best friends. She was also emotionally very fragile and vulnerable. He turned to Kristen and gave her a pleading look.
"What?" Kristen asked.
"Well, you'll have to tell her eventually," Julia reasoned with a shrug.
"Why don't you tell her? You seem awfully anxious to say it all!" he spat out and walked ahead to join none other than Juliette and Auggie.
Kristen turned to Julia with a scared look in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked quietly.
"Well, you know how he got drunk all the time?" Kristen nodded slowly. "He got his stomach pumped once. If he hadn't, the doctors said he would've died from alcohol poisoning." Kristen gasped.
"I sense from your tone that that's not it," she said cautiously. Julia shook her head.
"He...uh...he was in a coma, Kristy." Kristen was on the edge of tears. She didn't dare look Julia in the face; she just glared at the ground.
"Why?"
"Drugs," Julia specified weakly. Suddenly, Kristen's eyes glazed over and she adopted a vacant, careless expression.
"I knew it!" she said simply. She shook her head as if to forget what had just been said. "So, how's Anna?" she asked, looking up at Julia with a smile, that she could tell was fake.
"Kristen, you can't just-"
"Watch me!" she yelled, and stormed off.
Some of the students stared at her, then at Julia, who looked really scared and alone. They then turned their gazes to Max who looked stunned. After a moment, he rushed off to find Kristen, who'd gone to the front of the line. Emma and Jules went off to comfort Julia.
Max ran up to Kristen who'd gone to Ley for comfort.
Andrew had been walking with her when Kristen came running, and immediately figured out what happened. He stepped in Max's way.
"Step out of my way, man," Max said dangerously.
"Look, Kristen's with Leonie. She's going to be fine. Give her time," he said gently so he didn't provoke a fight.
"I need to talk to her."
"She doesn't want to talk to you," Andrew explained. "If you push now, she'll be even more upset, and you won't get anything out of her... maybe ever. Don't push it. Give her a break," he finished. He gave Max a look that basically said, "What did you do to her?" But, instead of causing more trouble by starting a fight, he walked off.
Peter came up to them, saw the state of Kristen and Max and turned back to Sophie. "Soph, it's time to get going back to Horizon," he said. She nodded and led the kids on the return path. Peter turned back to Max. "Stay behind with me, I need to have a little talk with you."
"I don't want to talk to you!" Max said.
"Well, that's too bad, because you're going to have to," Peter said.
The gist of this "talk" was basically asking general questions about what happened. He then proceeded to go into how life at home was for Max, and so on. Max grew completely annoyed with him. He was a visitor! He didn't have to have a one-on-one with this shrink!
"Now little Max knows the brilliance of a counseling session," Daisy said, walking up to David who'd been walking alone this entire time. He didn't reply. "David? What's wrong?" she asked.
"He then looked at her. She could see he had tears in his eyes. "Daisy," he said slowly, "I'll never stop loving you, ever." He sighed. "Ever! I-I just... You have to believe me!" he said quickly.
She furrowed her brows. "I believe you," she finally said in the most sincere voice she could muster. She knew this was not time to be sarcastic.
"I...can't... you know?" he asked she shook her head.
"You'll have to be a little more articulate," she said sarcastically.
He gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Dais. I thought it over. I can't."
"You're breaking up with me?" she asked. He just nodded and walked off, brushing away the tears that had started to flow.
"Why?" she called out. "Why?" she repeated quietly to herself. She looked to the ground. Time to hide it all then, she thought, wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes. Until I get it... I'm not telling a soul.