Higher Expectations
Flamingteen
Chapter 3: Imagine
~"The faculty for imagination is what makes people happy." Bruce Pennington~
*****
"The prosecution calls Shelby Merrick to the stand," A man called, standing up from the desk he was sitting at with Alice.
Shelby stumbled out from behind a bench in the back of the court room sweating profusely. Her vision became blurry and her breathing became eratic. She looked around the room to the onlookers, the officers, the prosecutor's desk and lastly.. the Defence Attourney sitting beside none other than Walt.
By the time she reached the stand she was struggling to breathe. Luckly there was a glass of water sitting on the small desk beside her and she quickly picked it up and took a sip. When her breath came back she gained enough courage to speak when the question was asked.
"Shelby." The prosecutor spoke, smiling at his number one witness.
"Yes?" Shelby asked, trembling some.
"I'm just going to ask a few questions and then this will be over." He stated and got closer to the girl.
"Okay...." Shelby answered, trailing off. She looked over to the Defence Attourny's desk and her heart almost jumped to her throat. Walt was glaring at her maliciously with a small smirk on his face.
"You say Mr. Blaine, your step-father, touched you and your sister, Jessica, in innapropriate places and forced you two into sexual acts?" The prosecutor asked. Shelby's heart raced as she faced Walt. This was the moment of truth. She finally gained up enough courage.
"Y-Yes, sir." Shelby answered, having to choke out the answer. Walt's eyes burned with fury as he stood up.
"I'll have to ask you to sit down, Mr. Blaine or the balif will have to escort you out of the room and that might call for a mistrial!" the judge exclaimed banging his gavel on the podium. It seemed as if Walt hadn't heard a word he said. He looked as if he were coming right for Shelby, but then turned in his path toward Jess who was too scared to move.
"Jess!" Shelby screamed frozen to her spot in fear.
"Shelby," Jess yelled out, "help me!" Shelby couldn't move any more than Jess could, but it was as if no one saw what was going on but her and Jess. The prosecutor's mouth was moving in front of Shelby but she heard nothing he was saying.
Walt had made his way to Jess. He turned around and smiled at Shelby as he pulled out a knife and stabbed it into her sister repeatedly.
"JESS!" Shelby screamed, sitting up in bed. The court room vanished and Shelby's mother apeared in front of her, somewhat shaken. Alice stood up from infront of the bed and tryed to look innocent. "What're you doing?" Shelby asked getting up from the bed and looked down at the floor where her bags lay open.
"Nothing.. I was just, um, putting your clothes away..." Alice mumbled as she trailed off looking the other way, avoiding eye contact.
"Well," Shelby started eyeing her mother fiercly, "that would work if my closet was the floor. Unfortunately for you, it's not. Now, I'm going to ask you again, what the heck were you doing going through my bags? What were you looking for?" Alice looked back at her with embarassment in her eyes.
"I was trying to see if you had brought anything back."
"Oh, yeah, mom. I'm going to bring drugs back from HORIZON!" She yelled. Alice looked down at her feet. Shelby noticed that this made her look like a child. "Just.. just get out."
"Shelby," Alice pleaded.
"Get out!" Shelby yelled, louder this time.
"Shel-"
"OUT!"
"Okay." Alice gave in and walked out the door, leaving it open. Shelby walked over and scoffed as she shut the door and leaned up against it. She slid down to the floor and sighed loudly.
*****
Ezra walked into the cafeteria and looked around. Finally he found her. There she was, sitting with her new friends at the Trackers table. He walked over, straightening his clothes on the way and smiled widely as he reached her.
"Hey, Jessica." Ezra said, smiling at all of her friends who sort of laughed at him. This brought his confidence down some and he looked back to Jessica. She smiled weakly at him.
"Uh, hey, Ezra. We need to talk." She said and stood up. They both walked out of the cafeteria and down to the beginning of the docks. Scott was sitting down at the end and they didn't want to disturb him.
"Yeah?" Ezra asked, nervous.
"Uh, Ezra," She paused, seemingly hesitant to say what she wanted to say. Ezra gave her the 'go on' look as he prepared for the blow that was coming. She was going to break up with him and he knew it.
"Yeah?" Ezra asked, lowering his head. He now realized what a jerk he had been the last few days with his head in the clouds. Now that he had brought his head back down again he knew the reason the guys were blowing him off as much as possible. "You're breaking up with me aren't you?" He asked. Jessica nodded and walked off without even saying goodbye.
"Well, I know how Scott felt when Shelby left the time before last without saying goodbye." Ezra mumbled to himself as he walked off.
*****
Scott sat at the bottom of the docks with his bare feet splashing in the water. He was off in his own little word. He thought he heard his name being called but he refused to turn around. Or rather his brain refused to let him turn around and be pulled out of his thoughts. He was wondering exactly where Shelby was and what she was saying or what she was doing. Was she sleeping? Was she in the court room? Was she even safe? After all, she had to face Walt. What if he hurt her?
He had a dream the night before that Walt showed up at Shelby's house and hurt her. Scott had to admit that that dream was worse than all his Elaine dreams put together. Of course he had never seen Walt but he had pictured him as a big strong man whom Shelby couldn't overcome and he had ended up killing her. Scott had actually woken up crying like a baby. He was lucky the guys hadn't seen him.
Shelby where are you? Scott thought, hoping that their bond would prove that they could talk to each other through telepathy. "Oh it's no use!" Scott whispered in an agitated voice. This jerked him out of his dream state and he stood up, obviously mad. "Why couldn't I have just gone with her?!" He yelled out to no one in particular.
"Because you would have upset her more by being in the court room." Peter said calmly from behind him.
"What?" Scott asked as he turned around to see who had spoken to him.
"Like I said," Peter said again, "You would have upset Shelby by being in the court room." Scott sighed.
"I didn't have to be in the court room. I could have just gone with her to her house. Given her some comfort" Scott scoffed.
"You would have just made her nervous by being there. And I'm not quite sure how you would have handled being with her family.. like her mother for instance." Peter said, raising an eyebrow. Scott twitched.
"That bi-witch!" Scott yelled. Peter gave him a stern look. "Sorry.. but she was just.. GOSH if she knew why didn't she get her daughters away from that bas- monster!" Peter acted like he didnt hear that one.
"I don't know, Scott. Other people get scared too. You can expect them to do everything you think is right." Peter explained. Scott looked like he understood.
"So you're taking her side now?!" He changed his understanding expression into an angry glare.
"Look, Scott. Think what you will, but just remember that she told in the end, alright. When it was time to tell, she told." He explained and started to walk away.
"It's always time to tell," Scott mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that!" Peter yelled from behind Scott.
"I heard that!" Scott whispered to himself. Peter heard again but just rolled his eyes and laughed.
*****
A faint cry could be heard from the room next door. Shelby, with much effort, rolled herself off the floor and wiped the sweat from her brow. She jerked the door open and walked into her sisters open room.
"Jess? What's wrong?" Shelby asked, frowning and sitting down to comfort her sister.
"I feel so guilty. It's bringing it all back. I could have stopped it all, I could have, Shel, It's all my fault!" Jess cried out, sobbing into her lap. Shelby looked stunned.
"This couldn't have been your fault. He did it because he's a sick monster..." Shelby trailed off.
"No, not that exactly. I heard it.. I heard it when it was first happening to you. When he first came into your room that first time. I sort of knew what was going on but I wouldn't stop it... I was afraid. That's so selfish. I heard you telling him to leave.. I heard you yell out in pain. Even though mom was gone working, I could have called the cops to stop him from hurting you more." Shelby looked down at her arm where a scar was evident. She had gotten that scar that night from trying to get away.
"It wasn't your fault, Jess. I know you were scared to tell. Don't worry about it. It's over now. I'm just glad you're okay. You're okay aren't you?" Shelby asked. Jess nodded silently with her head toward the floor. Shelby just sighed and hugged her. "Goodnight, Jess" She whispered and waited for an answer. None. She walked out the door, knowing she had not suceeded in comforting her sister.
"It was too my fault. You'll never know." Jess whispered under her breath when Shelby was gone.
*****
Sophie slammed down the book she was looking through. Her mind was racing. David was 4 hours late in getting back. All she could think of was his father doing something to him.
"Where the heck is he?!" She yelled out to no one in particular. What if the general had beat him up and he was in a hospital. What if he even killed David? She would never forgive herself for accepting that David should go home to his father for his two month progress report. "This probably just knocked him back into the way he was. Behind a thick wall of sarcasm and hate."
"Nah," Sophie heard from behind her as a purple journal landed in her lap perfectly. David Ruxton was imprinted on the front. "I'm just fine and dandy, Ms. Sophie. There's the journal you requested. I hope you find it enlightening."
"DAVID! Where in the hell have you been!?" Sophie yelled pulling David into a hug.
"Woah, master. All this foul language is bad for me at this very impressionable age! You don't want to turn me into an 'at risk teen' now do you?" David asked, pulling back from the hug and straightening his clothes. Sophie gave him a stern look. David sighed. "The general had to make a pit stop if you know what I mean. He drank like a gallon of water before he came and had to go real bad." David explained.
"And this took four hours?" Sophie asked, giving David a skeptical look. David shrugged.
"Sure, why not!" He exclaimed and picked up his bags, walking out of the door.
"There's something wrong..." Sophie mumbled to herself as she watched David walk back to his dorm... or rather limp back to his dorm.
*****
Muahahaha, there is your chappie Kristyn and others! Don't rip my head off please?! *laughs* Anyway, what's wrong with David? What's wrong with Jess? Hell, what's wrong with everyone? Okay, well they ARE "At risk teens" I'll let you figure that out on your own. ^-^ Sorry for taking like 5 days with this chapter. I was off doing Satan's work over at my best friends house hehe... with Satan himself.. *glares at Jonny* Anyway, REVIEW IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU! lmao, just kidding. BUT I have LOVED all these reviews you guys have given me. YOU ROCK MY SOCKS! AHHA! Kick ass! Review some more and I'll get the next chappie out soon.
Flamingteen
Chapter 3: Imagine
~"The faculty for imagination is what makes people happy." Bruce Pennington~
*****
"The prosecution calls Shelby Merrick to the stand," A man called, standing up from the desk he was sitting at with Alice.
Shelby stumbled out from behind a bench in the back of the court room sweating profusely. Her vision became blurry and her breathing became eratic. She looked around the room to the onlookers, the officers, the prosecutor's desk and lastly.. the Defence Attourney sitting beside none other than Walt.
By the time she reached the stand she was struggling to breathe. Luckly there was a glass of water sitting on the small desk beside her and she quickly picked it up and took a sip. When her breath came back she gained enough courage to speak when the question was asked.
"Shelby." The prosecutor spoke, smiling at his number one witness.
"Yes?" Shelby asked, trembling some.
"I'm just going to ask a few questions and then this will be over." He stated and got closer to the girl.
"Okay...." Shelby answered, trailing off. She looked over to the Defence Attourny's desk and her heart almost jumped to her throat. Walt was glaring at her maliciously with a small smirk on his face.
"You say Mr. Blaine, your step-father, touched you and your sister, Jessica, in innapropriate places and forced you two into sexual acts?" The prosecutor asked. Shelby's heart raced as she faced Walt. This was the moment of truth. She finally gained up enough courage.
"Y-Yes, sir." Shelby answered, having to choke out the answer. Walt's eyes burned with fury as he stood up.
"I'll have to ask you to sit down, Mr. Blaine or the balif will have to escort you out of the room and that might call for a mistrial!" the judge exclaimed banging his gavel on the podium. It seemed as if Walt hadn't heard a word he said. He looked as if he were coming right for Shelby, but then turned in his path toward Jess who was too scared to move.
"Jess!" Shelby screamed frozen to her spot in fear.
"Shelby," Jess yelled out, "help me!" Shelby couldn't move any more than Jess could, but it was as if no one saw what was going on but her and Jess. The prosecutor's mouth was moving in front of Shelby but she heard nothing he was saying.
Walt had made his way to Jess. He turned around and smiled at Shelby as he pulled out a knife and stabbed it into her sister repeatedly.
"JESS!" Shelby screamed, sitting up in bed. The court room vanished and Shelby's mother apeared in front of her, somewhat shaken. Alice stood up from infront of the bed and tryed to look innocent. "What're you doing?" Shelby asked getting up from the bed and looked down at the floor where her bags lay open.
"Nothing.. I was just, um, putting your clothes away..." Alice mumbled as she trailed off looking the other way, avoiding eye contact.
"Well," Shelby started eyeing her mother fiercly, "that would work if my closet was the floor. Unfortunately for you, it's not. Now, I'm going to ask you again, what the heck were you doing going through my bags? What were you looking for?" Alice looked back at her with embarassment in her eyes.
"I was trying to see if you had brought anything back."
"Oh, yeah, mom. I'm going to bring drugs back from HORIZON!" She yelled. Alice looked down at her feet. Shelby noticed that this made her look like a child. "Just.. just get out."
"Shelby," Alice pleaded.
"Get out!" Shelby yelled, louder this time.
"Shel-"
"OUT!"
"Okay." Alice gave in and walked out the door, leaving it open. Shelby walked over and scoffed as she shut the door and leaned up against it. She slid down to the floor and sighed loudly.
*****
Ezra walked into the cafeteria and looked around. Finally he found her. There she was, sitting with her new friends at the Trackers table. He walked over, straightening his clothes on the way and smiled widely as he reached her.
"Hey, Jessica." Ezra said, smiling at all of her friends who sort of laughed at him. This brought his confidence down some and he looked back to Jessica. She smiled weakly at him.
"Uh, hey, Ezra. We need to talk." She said and stood up. They both walked out of the cafeteria and down to the beginning of the docks. Scott was sitting down at the end and they didn't want to disturb him.
"Yeah?" Ezra asked, nervous.
"Uh, Ezra," She paused, seemingly hesitant to say what she wanted to say. Ezra gave her the 'go on' look as he prepared for the blow that was coming. She was going to break up with him and he knew it.
"Yeah?" Ezra asked, lowering his head. He now realized what a jerk he had been the last few days with his head in the clouds. Now that he had brought his head back down again he knew the reason the guys were blowing him off as much as possible. "You're breaking up with me aren't you?" He asked. Jessica nodded and walked off without even saying goodbye.
"Well, I know how Scott felt when Shelby left the time before last without saying goodbye." Ezra mumbled to himself as he walked off.
*****
Scott sat at the bottom of the docks with his bare feet splashing in the water. He was off in his own little word. He thought he heard his name being called but he refused to turn around. Or rather his brain refused to let him turn around and be pulled out of his thoughts. He was wondering exactly where Shelby was and what she was saying or what she was doing. Was she sleeping? Was she in the court room? Was she even safe? After all, she had to face Walt. What if he hurt her?
He had a dream the night before that Walt showed up at Shelby's house and hurt her. Scott had to admit that that dream was worse than all his Elaine dreams put together. Of course he had never seen Walt but he had pictured him as a big strong man whom Shelby couldn't overcome and he had ended up killing her. Scott had actually woken up crying like a baby. He was lucky the guys hadn't seen him.
Shelby where are you? Scott thought, hoping that their bond would prove that they could talk to each other through telepathy. "Oh it's no use!" Scott whispered in an agitated voice. This jerked him out of his dream state and he stood up, obviously mad. "Why couldn't I have just gone with her?!" He yelled out to no one in particular.
"Because you would have upset her more by being in the court room." Peter said calmly from behind him.
"What?" Scott asked as he turned around to see who had spoken to him.
"Like I said," Peter said again, "You would have upset Shelby by being in the court room." Scott sighed.
"I didn't have to be in the court room. I could have just gone with her to her house. Given her some comfort" Scott scoffed.
"You would have just made her nervous by being there. And I'm not quite sure how you would have handled being with her family.. like her mother for instance." Peter said, raising an eyebrow. Scott twitched.
"That bi-witch!" Scott yelled. Peter gave him a stern look. "Sorry.. but she was just.. GOSH if she knew why didn't she get her daughters away from that bas- monster!" Peter acted like he didnt hear that one.
"I don't know, Scott. Other people get scared too. You can expect them to do everything you think is right." Peter explained. Scott looked like he understood.
"So you're taking her side now?!" He changed his understanding expression into an angry glare.
"Look, Scott. Think what you will, but just remember that she told in the end, alright. When it was time to tell, she told." He explained and started to walk away.
"It's always time to tell," Scott mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that!" Peter yelled from behind Scott.
"I heard that!" Scott whispered to himself. Peter heard again but just rolled his eyes and laughed.
*****
A faint cry could be heard from the room next door. Shelby, with much effort, rolled herself off the floor and wiped the sweat from her brow. She jerked the door open and walked into her sisters open room.
"Jess? What's wrong?" Shelby asked, frowning and sitting down to comfort her sister.
"I feel so guilty. It's bringing it all back. I could have stopped it all, I could have, Shel, It's all my fault!" Jess cried out, sobbing into her lap. Shelby looked stunned.
"This couldn't have been your fault. He did it because he's a sick monster..." Shelby trailed off.
"No, not that exactly. I heard it.. I heard it when it was first happening to you. When he first came into your room that first time. I sort of knew what was going on but I wouldn't stop it... I was afraid. That's so selfish. I heard you telling him to leave.. I heard you yell out in pain. Even though mom was gone working, I could have called the cops to stop him from hurting you more." Shelby looked down at her arm where a scar was evident. She had gotten that scar that night from trying to get away.
"It wasn't your fault, Jess. I know you were scared to tell. Don't worry about it. It's over now. I'm just glad you're okay. You're okay aren't you?" Shelby asked. Jess nodded silently with her head toward the floor. Shelby just sighed and hugged her. "Goodnight, Jess" She whispered and waited for an answer. None. She walked out the door, knowing she had not suceeded in comforting her sister.
"It was too my fault. You'll never know." Jess whispered under her breath when Shelby was gone.
*****
Sophie slammed down the book she was looking through. Her mind was racing. David was 4 hours late in getting back. All she could think of was his father doing something to him.
"Where the heck is he?!" She yelled out to no one in particular. What if the general had beat him up and he was in a hospital. What if he even killed David? She would never forgive herself for accepting that David should go home to his father for his two month progress report. "This probably just knocked him back into the way he was. Behind a thick wall of sarcasm and hate."
"Nah," Sophie heard from behind her as a purple journal landed in her lap perfectly. David Ruxton was imprinted on the front. "I'm just fine and dandy, Ms. Sophie. There's the journal you requested. I hope you find it enlightening."
"DAVID! Where in the hell have you been!?" Sophie yelled pulling David into a hug.
"Woah, master. All this foul language is bad for me at this very impressionable age! You don't want to turn me into an 'at risk teen' now do you?" David asked, pulling back from the hug and straightening his clothes. Sophie gave him a stern look. David sighed. "The general had to make a pit stop if you know what I mean. He drank like a gallon of water before he came and had to go real bad." David explained.
"And this took four hours?" Sophie asked, giving David a skeptical look. David shrugged.
"Sure, why not!" He exclaimed and picked up his bags, walking out of the door.
"There's something wrong..." Sophie mumbled to herself as she watched David walk back to his dorm... or rather limp back to his dorm.
*****
Muahahaha, there is your chappie Kristyn and others! Don't rip my head off please?! *laughs* Anyway, what's wrong with David? What's wrong with Jess? Hell, what's wrong with everyone? Okay, well they ARE "At risk teens" I'll let you figure that out on your own. ^-^ Sorry for taking like 5 days with this chapter. I was off doing Satan's work over at my best friends house hehe... with Satan himself.. *glares at Jonny* Anyway, REVIEW IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU! lmao, just kidding. BUT I have LOVED all these reviews you guys have given me. YOU ROCK MY SOCKS! AHHA! Kick ass! Review some more and I'll get the next chappie out soon.