Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground, blah blah blah, don't sue, blah blah blah, you'll only get a gold fish and a toothbrush, blah blah blah. As much as Kat hates it, I own her, and her mother, and her evil stepfather, and her silly friends Rico and Jose, and her very shy, yet strong friend, LeeAnn. A/N: Finally! Just when you thought that it was over, that you were safe. Guess what? YOU WERE WRONG!!! Kat finally makes it to Horizon. Will she alienate the Cliffhangers? End up murdering Shelby? Or more likely Juliette? Dum da duummmmm! Stay tuned!

***

The 2000 silver Honda Camry rolled up the gravel and a fuming Kat sat in the back seat. She took no notice of her surroundings, choosing only to turn up her music and flip through her car magazine. She wanted a GTO, maybe some nitro cannisters and do some serious racing. Rico could drive anything with wheels, and Jose was a whiz mechanic. LeeAnn could be the poster girl like on those calenders, leaning against the car wearing next to nothing. She definitely had the figure for it.

Kat's thoughts amused her, and made her calm down from her rage a bit. For a short while, that is. The door opened and her mother was glaring at her. She snapped her fingers and guestured her to get out of the car.

"Maybe you should get a Shelby GT 500, you could be gone in sixty seconds. You wanna leave me here and be gone so fast. It'd be a good investment," Kat remarked as she grabbed her one strap back pack and slung it on, then stepped out of the car. Her mother said something, probably ordering her to turn off her music. She compromised, by turning it down, and sliding the headphones down around her neck. After all, it was her first day at this school for disturbed and screwed up teenagers, she wouldn't want to get off on a bad foot.

Right, what was she thinking?

"Kataya, this is Mr. Scarbrow."

"Call me Peter," he said, extending his hand toward her. Kat looked at it like it was poison.

"Call me Kat," she mocked, then put on her most pleading, and pouty face to her mother, "please don't leave me here with them! I'm sorry for all the things I said about Greg--"

"Really?" Greg popped his head out from behind the trunk, where he was getting her two black duffel bags. Kat looked at him and made a face.

She turned back toward her mother, "okay, maybe not sorry about what I said- -"

"Kataya, there is no use. You're here. Deal with it."

"Kat," Peter tried to cut into the family squabble, "after you check in my office, I'll introduce you to Spohie Becker, who will be your group consellor, and Shelby, who will be your group buddy. She'll show you around, tell you about how things work around here, for the first week, until you get settled in."

"Joy," Kat said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yup," said Peter, "you and Shelby will definitely hit it off."

***

Still stinging from Peter's confiscation of her mind-altering substances, which he found in boatloads in the bag that Kataya had packed, she followed him to the girl's dormitory. Peter had also noted aloud the drastic difference in clothing in one bag, to the other. She had dryly told him that the other bag were clothes for her preppy alter-ego. Peter had looked at her strangely, before she relented and told him very in a very nasty way that her mother had packed that bag. "Go a-fuckin'-head," she had said, finishing her rant, "donate those clothes to the needy and fashion retarded."

In exchange for her profanity, she learned all about solos, shuns, buddy hikes and quests, and punishments. She had the choice between writing a five hundred word essay on profanity, and how she could survive without the use of bad language, or chopping wood. She choose the latter, not that she even cared, but chopping wood was easier to fake than writing a paper.

She plopped on the bed that Peter had said was free. He told Kat that the Cliffhangers would be arriving shortly from their classes, and that she would meet Shelby then. Peter left, and she plugged in her adaptor cord for her cd player to save her batteries, and spent the remaining half hour listening to Nirvana.

A frightenly perky girl dressed in a purple dress bounced in, followed by two other girls. Kat became aware of the trio when the perky girl bounced on her bed. Opening her eyes, she looked at the very thin, pretty girl.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kat asked, sitting up, and adjusting her headphones.

"Juliette, but you can call me Jules!" she grinned, bouncing up to sit on her bed, which was right next to Kat's. Which was not a very pleasing development for Kat.

"All right, newbie," a tall, blond haired girl said, "Peter told me that I have to lead you around, so come on, Sparky."

"You're Shelby," Kat said.

"Points for the newbie," Shelby said sarcastically.

"That's Daisy," Juliette pointed out.

"I'm utterly pleased," Kat said, dryly.

"So what are you in for?" Daisy asked.

"I killed my step-dad," Kat deadpanned.

Sophie knocked on the door, alerting them to her presence.

"Hey girls, I see you've met Kat. My name is Sophie."

Jules bounced up, "is it true that Kat's in here for killing her step-dad?"

"What?" Sophie was taken aback, "no."

Kat sat back against the wall, with her left leg hanging over the edge of the bed, and disinterestedly leafed through her car magazine. The perfect picture of casual, delinquent attitude.

"Is she in here for being a pathological liar, because that would actually make sense," said Shelby.

"Poo on you, Shelby," Kat retorted, "don't insult Julie."

"Juliette! Or Jules," Juliette corrected.

"Whatever, Julia," Kat said in a bored tone.

"Well, guys, I just came by to tell you that Group's in twenty," Sophie said, "don't be late, and try to be nice to Kat."

"Yes, be nice to the newbie," Kat intoned, "do the words: 'second degree manslaughter' mean anything to you?"

"Do the words: 'rabid dog that must be shot' mean anything to you?" Shelby retaliated.

"Why, yes! It describes you perfectly," Kat shot back.

"Okay, okay, guys, cut it out!" Sophie cut in, "or you'll both be on shuns."

"More rules," Kat rolled her eyes.

"The rules are there for a reason," Sophie said, "this place is a sanctuary. We have to ensure that all of you feel safe here, and aren't harrassed during your stay here."

"You can take your rules and shove it up your fucking ass," scoffed Kat.

Shelby, Daisy and Juliette stopped, and stared at the tableau. Sophie looked really angry, and Kat broke the spell by turning the page in her magazine.

"You're going to Peter's office, right now," Sophie snapped.

Kat rolled her eyes and tossed her magazine aside.

***

"I heard you were swearing at Sophie."

"So what if I was?" She said nonchalently, slumped in her chair. "It's not like I'm planning on doing anything about it."

"There will be punishment for breaking the rules." Peter sighed.

"Does this look like the face of someone who cares?"

"I think you care plenty."

Kat rolled her eyes, "oh sure, I'll defer to your judgement in this matter, you obviously know what I'm feeling a lot better than I do."

"I'm adding five hours to your wood chopping duties."

Kat rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"Is there anything you want to talk about? Anything at all?" Peter leaned forward, putting his elbows on his desk.

"Yeah. When can I blow this popsicle stand?" Kat asked.

"That's a toughie. Lets start by going to group."

"Yay me."

***

"All right everyone, I want you to think of a song that you think describes your life, and why," Peter announced.

Everyone groaned, Shelby especially.

"A song? A song? Life's not a bloody song!"

"I didn't say that life was a song," Peter protested, "I just wanted you to tell me a song that parallels your life."

Kat snorted, "I think I know your song. It's Wild Horses, because not even wild horses can stop you from making us do annoying things like chopping wood and making with the life songs thing."

"I changed my mind," Shelby whispered to Daisy, "I like her."

Peter was not terribly amused. "Thank you, Kat. That's a total of twenty hours of chopping wood. And on your first day here, that's a new record."

Kat merely gave him a death glare.

Peter guestured to her, "Kat, why don't you start?"

"Hrrumph. My song is... The Fragile, by Nine Inch Nails. Because... my friend is the only thing that beautiful in my life. I won't let her fall apart," Kat smiled, saccharine-sweet veiled sarcasm, "now I'm here. Bloody perfect."

Peter filed away that little tidbit of information, "thank you. Pick someone else to say theirs."

"Um. Auggie."

"I choose Moby's South Side, because of the gang, and street violence I was in. David."

"Mine's Hash Pipe, by Weezer, because I'm just a slut with a druggie addiction," David cracked. Everyone laughed.

"David," Peter said sternly.

"Um... Sorry? Hey, Jules, you go."

"David, you still haven't told us your song," Juliette protested.

"Fine. Uh, Everclear's Wonderful, because everything is wonderful now. You happy now?"

"You know what insanity is? Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results," Shelby said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, we get different results," Peter protested.

Everyone laughed, and Juliette grinned, "my song is kinda something that I wouldn't really listen to, but I heard it once, and it kinda stuck. It's by Bif Naked," Shelby grinned at Juliette as she paused in her explanation, "it's called, I Love Myself Today."

Everyone clapped their hands and cheered for Juliette, except for Kat, since she didn't really understand the situation. Was it because before, Juliette hated herself? It was a concept that Kat really couldn't comprehend.

Everyone else got their chance to explain their songs, and then Peter let them go to have some free time, excluding Kat, she had to "chop" wood, and Scott and Auggie, because they were on kitchens.

"You have an hour or so to chop wood, before dinner," Peter said, as he lead Kat to the wood shed, "Shelby's going to show you the works, and keep you company."

"Whatever."

When Peter had walked away, Shelby dove in for the jugular. She was good at pushing buttons.

"So, who's your friend?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't. Just making conversation," Shelby shrugged as she set up a block of wood and chopped a neat split.

"You're good."

"I've been doing this for three years," Shelby shrugged.

"You've been here for three years?!" Kat exclaimed, aghast. "I'm never getting out of here. My mother would be so glad to know that she can push me out of her sight for two years."

"You're sixteen?"

"I'll be seventeen in two months," Kat said, defensively.

Shelby raised her hands, "whoa, there, rabid dog. Don't blow a gasket."

Kat didn't say anything, just put a block of wood and unsuccessfully whacked at it.

"Here, hold it like this. Swing it from down up, so you don't have to do much work, you just let gravity do the rest, and--" the wood split, "violĂ !"

"Do it again," Kat said, if she played her cards right, Shelby would do all the work.

"Nope, you try it."

You can't con someone who uses the same tricks.

Kat tried it, and almost took her foot off.

"Whoa! You're dangerous with that thing. Maybe you should take the essay punishment instead," Shelby suggested.

"This is stupid," Kat threw the ax down on the ground, "I'm not a woodsey outdoors person. I'm a city rat, through and through."

"Well then, you probably shouldn't have done whatever stupid things you did to get here," Shelby retorted back.

"What did you do?"

"None of your beeswax."

"Why do you think I'm not talking?" Kat proved her case in point, "quid pro quo."

Shelby sighed. Then she pointed to a spot next to a nearby tree. They sat down, and Kat stared at the sky, while Shelby gathered her thoughts.

"Okay. Quid pro quo," Shelby sighed, "I'll say something, then you say something."

"Deal."

"My stepfather. I hate him," Shelby said.

"I hate my stepfather, too."

"I ran away from home."

"I did drugs."

"What kind?" Shelby asked.

"Marijuana, valium, meth. Just stuff of the magic variety," Kat said, "what about you? Did you take drugs?"

"Sometimes. But not really."

"I have a friend. Her name's LeeAnn. I think her father abuses her," Kat whispered.

"Is that why you identify her with Nine Inch Nails?"

"Yeah."

"My friend Patti O.Ded in our motel room. Before she died, she told me that she wanted to be a Jane Doe. So I took all of her money, her identifications, everything, with the police sirens a block away."

After that, Kat didn't volunteer any more information. Shelby didn't press, lost in thought about her friend from the streets.

***

The Fragile by: Nine Inch Nails

She shines, In a world of ugliness... She matters, When everything is meaningless...

She doesn't see her beauty... She tries to get away... Sometimes, It's just that nothing seems worth saving...

I won't let you fall apart

She reads the minds of all the people as they pass her by, Hoping someone can see... If I could fix myself I'd-- But it's too late for me...

I won't let you fall apart

We'll find the perfect place, to go where we can run and hide... I'll build a wall and we can keep them on the other side ...but they keep waiting ...and picking...

It's something I have to do... I was there, too, Before everything else, I was like you...

***

Yay!!! I told myself that I would update this Saturday, and lo! I hope you enjoyed this, the next one is coming soon!