Higher Expectations
Chapter 13: Keep It Down
"Above all things, never be afraid. The enemy who forces you to retreat is himself afraid of you that very moment.- Andre Maurois"
A/n: In David's speach in the fourth paragraph, he talks of a four star general, first sergeant, drill sergeant, and Physical Training. Those are all things that are in the army. PT, or Physical Training, IS hard. Heh, I go through it every Friday in my Army JROTC class. I thought I'd put that in there somewhere. My instructor for the JROTC is a first sergeant and his favorite phrase, besides hooah!, is "Oh, we're not motivated. I see we'll just have to have more PT to motivate you!" So then he laughs evily. First Sergeant is cool, though. Just wanted to inform you of that incase you didn't know. Now on with the story =P
*****
"David, now I called you down here to get straight what you were telling me the other night." Peter said, sitting down in his comfy chair in front of his desk. David messed around with the bottom seam of his shirt with his sweaty hands and looked up, smiling.
"I don't know what I was talking about. Actually, what I meant was-"
"David, don't lie." Peter said calmly trying to work David up so he would tell him exactly what was going on. Something he rarely did. David looked at Peter with confused eyes.
"What? No. I'm not lying. You know how my dad gets. He's a general in the army. That's alot. A four star general at that. One of the highest you can be! Aside from, like, George Washington, or something. He likes to put all his army stuff on me and we go out for Physical Training every Wednesday and Friday. Now, if you've ever been through that at the age of 17, you know it's not fun. Especially when out of shape. And he's like a drill sergeant or a first sergeant. He likes to push and make sure you're motivated. That's what I mean, I know you probably took it the wrong way, but my father doesn't hit me or anything." David said. Peter looked at David skeptically. Sure, that's exactly how General Ruxton was, and Peter did infact know what it was like to be drug out for physical training. His father had once sent him to a type of army oriented reform school. Of course it didn't last because Peter was so tripped out on drugs he had no respect and was eventually kicked out.
"I do know what that's like David, but what about that limp? How did you get that?" Peter asked, leaning forward, looking David straight in the eyes.
"You know the tools you give us, Peter? To resist the temptation that is presented to us in the outside world?" Peter nodded. "Well, it doesn't work with everyone. Some guys are just.. adament on getting you addicted again. After all, once their main selling source is gone, they go broke and, well, Peter, I think you know what I mean." Peter did know what he meant once again.
"Well, what does that have to do with the limp and bruises?" Peter asked, knowing where this was ultimately going.
"Well, Peter, they virtually kicked the shi- crap out of me when I refused to buy from them. Some friends, huh?" David thought back. This was true, but that's not how he got any of his bruises and especially not how he got the limp. David wasn't a pansy, he could fight, and he had infact won that fight. The other guys went home crying like babies.
"Yeah, some friends." Peter said. He looked back up at David and smiled. "I'm just glad you resisted. That was good of you, David."
"Well, I didn't want to end up like my dad." Peter looked at David confused. "The drugs would have made me crazy like him, I mean." He said standing up. "Can I go now?" Peter nodded. "Thanks Peter." He said as he walked toward the door.
"For what?" Peter asked. He didn't feel as if he had done anything.
"For being there if I need you." David said and shut the door. Peter looked blankly at the closed door for a second. Was he breaking through David's wall? This sounded nothing like him.
Peter was jerked out of his daze by the phone ringing. He jumped, but picked up the reciever and put it to his ear.
"Mount Horizon High School, Peter Scarbrow speaking. How may I help you?" Peter asked in his formal tone. The person on the other line sounded like they were breathing heavily.
"Mr. Scarbrow? This is Alice Blaine, Shelby's mom. The verdict is in."
*****
Shelby walked out of the lodge with Scott holding hands. PDA or no PDA she didn't care. If she wanted to display her affection for Scott publicly, she was going to do so. Maybe things were going to be okay afterall. She had her boyfriend back. The one she loved as much as her sister, and speaking of her sister, she had Jess back too. The only thing standing between Shelby and happiness was the trial. The verdict. When was the trial going to end?
"No!" Shelby heard a familiar voice yell out in front of the girls dorms. She snapped her head the opposite way, as did Scott, and what she saw made tears come to her eyes.
"Jess! Jess what's the matter?" Shelby asked running up to her sister and Peter. Jess fell down on the steps and sobbed into her arms.
"Why? It can't be... he- he- It just- Why, Peter?" Shelby looked at her sister and then back to Peter's sullen face.
"Wait." Shelby said. "What did I miss." She said laughing nervously. "That- .. that bastard didn't get off did he?" Peter ignored the profanity for once, but the comment made Jess sob harder. "No, Peter. No you're lying! You're all lying!!" She said and collapsed into Scott's arms. "But there was so much evidence! There was so much evidence! HOW! How, Peter? How did he get off. How could ANYONE get off? It's obvious he did it!"
Peter sighed. "Only you testified. The prosecution tried for a week to come up with more evidence, but all they had was your testimony. Neither your mother or your sister said testified.. and what they had was insubstantial. They needed some substantial evidence, but they came up with nothing. You never went in for a-a- check up or anything. I'm so sorry." Peter said.
Shelby pushed away from Scott and ran toward the woods. Scott prepared to go after her.
"Don't, Scott. She'll come back.. she just needs time to think." Peter said
Shelby ran faster and faster until she collapsed beside the old fence that always needed mending. Her track to happiness was now broken, and now she was the one who needed mending. She was back to where she started. It was like she was going in circles. For her to stop living in the past, she'd have to have Walt to be put away, but for him to be put away, she'd have to be able to go back to the past, something she could never do. It was a vicious cycle, and Shelby was breaking apart.
*****
The Cliffhangers sat in the lodge waiting on either Sophie or Peter, but they didn't come. Finally, after being twenty minutes late, Peter walked in harboring Shelby under his arm who was crying and Scott had Jess under his, burying her face as much as she could to hide the tears that threatened to spill. She had calmed down a little after Shelby ran off, but not by much. The tears could come at anything she was so unstable.
"Yo, Peter..." Auggie said cautiously, looking from Shelby to Jess as the rest of the Cliffhangers were doing. A light seemed to come on in Daisy's head and she lowered her head.
"Oh, no.." She whispered to herself. Shelby broke away from Peter's grasps and fell down onto a couch and snuggled with the pillow sitting there. Daisy got up and sat down beside her. Shelby willingly fell into her arms and sobbed some more. Jess saw her sister crying and broke down in Scott's arms again.
"Okay guys.." Peter said. "I just wanted to come and tell you guys that group is going to be cut really short today due to the circumstances. I know you all see Shelby and Jess there, but I don't want you all interrogating them. They'll tell you in their own time. As for right now, I want you guys to just state what you're feeling right now and that will be all." Peter said as he cradled a now upset Juliette in his arms.
"Sad." Juliette said, looking back to Shelby and Jess.
"Upset." Auggie said, looking at his crying girlfriend. "Aw Jules." He said pulling Juliette into his arms. Peter smiled at him.
"Angry." Scott said. Everyone who knew what was going on, knew why he was feeling that way. He wiped away Jess' tears and patted her on the back, lovingly. She was like his sister as well. A sister he never had, and he loved her just as much as he loved Shelby.
"Scared." Jess said and hiccuped she was crying so hard. Scott sqeezed her into a hug even tighter. Shelby buried her face farther into Daisy's arms.
"Dead." Shelby's words were muffled but Peter heard them and winced anyway. Shelby started shaking some and Daisy held on tighter. Shelby knew that if she were to encounter Walt now, he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her, since she told and testifyed against him.. and she could never forget his expression that day in court. She had told everything.
*FLASHBACK*
"Hey Shelby, I know this is going to be hard, but you're strong. Now, to start off, why don't you show us the man who... hurt you.
For the first time since her and Jess watched him walk away with the officers, Shelby looked at him. She looked at him straight in the eyes and saw the menacing glint that they always harbored.
*END FLASHBACK*
"Um, I'm confused." Gid said, snapping Shelby out of her trance. "I don't really know what's going on and I'm not too familiar with any of you guys anyway.."
"Okay, guys. That's all of you. Now, I want you to go to your dorms immediately tonight. No stopping off anywhere. We were late so now we don't have any time to waste. Sophie and I will be around for bed checks soon, but other than that, we'll see you guys in the morning. " Everyone nodded and walked off. Peter sighed and pulled Sophie closer. "The next few days, weeks, maybe even months will be the longest we've felt in a while, you know that don't you?" Sophie nodded.
"We can get through it, don't worry. Shelby, Jess, and the rest of them will be fine after a while." Sophie smiled and Peter smiled back at her. "Come on," She said patting his leg, "we have some Trackers to check." Peter nodded and they both got up and left the lodge.
*****
Gid slid down into his covers to block out the angry grunts that were emitting from Scott's mouth, but soon, after about ten minutes of it, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Scott!" He said sitting up. Scott only glared at Gid.
"What?" He questioned with hatred dripping off his words.
"Hey, don't chew my head off. I don't even know what's going on." Gid said, actually talking for once. The rest of the guys couldn't believe it.
"You didn't answer my question. What do you want?" Scott asked, still speaking in pure hatred for everything.
"Oi, mate, don't get your undies in a bundle. I was just wondering if you would stop grunting. Some of us are trying to sleep. No offence meant by it, of course.." Gid said hoping Scott wouldn't chew his face up into several mangled pieces.
"Whatever," Scott said. Gid didn't hear another peep out of him for the rest of the night.
*****
Sorry for the delay guys. More will hopefully come soon. Does anyone else think that the new FF.net rule is pointless? The one they are talking about on the front board? About it being against the rules to post authors notes? Heh, just my opinion. I hope you enjoy though. AND THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I have over 100 now! I love you guys. Review more! You are the only reason I get out with these new chapters at all. By the way, the last part of the chapter was meant for some comic relief. The whole chapter was kind of intense, I think. I hope it was tastefully done. I hope I didn't make too many typos.
First semester is almost over for us here in North Carolina, so that means Christmas is coming quite soon. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and you get alot of nifty presents. :) Over and out,
Flamingteen (Kates)
Chapter 13: Keep It Down
"Above all things, never be afraid. The enemy who forces you to retreat is himself afraid of you that very moment.- Andre Maurois"
A/n: In David's speach in the fourth paragraph, he talks of a four star general, first sergeant, drill sergeant, and Physical Training. Those are all things that are in the army. PT, or Physical Training, IS hard. Heh, I go through it every Friday in my Army JROTC class. I thought I'd put that in there somewhere. My instructor for the JROTC is a first sergeant and his favorite phrase, besides hooah!, is "Oh, we're not motivated. I see we'll just have to have more PT to motivate you!" So then he laughs evily. First Sergeant is cool, though. Just wanted to inform you of that incase you didn't know. Now on with the story =P
*****
"David, now I called you down here to get straight what you were telling me the other night." Peter said, sitting down in his comfy chair in front of his desk. David messed around with the bottom seam of his shirt with his sweaty hands and looked up, smiling.
"I don't know what I was talking about. Actually, what I meant was-"
"David, don't lie." Peter said calmly trying to work David up so he would tell him exactly what was going on. Something he rarely did. David looked at Peter with confused eyes.
"What? No. I'm not lying. You know how my dad gets. He's a general in the army. That's alot. A four star general at that. One of the highest you can be! Aside from, like, George Washington, or something. He likes to put all his army stuff on me and we go out for Physical Training every Wednesday and Friday. Now, if you've ever been through that at the age of 17, you know it's not fun. Especially when out of shape. And he's like a drill sergeant or a first sergeant. He likes to push and make sure you're motivated. That's what I mean, I know you probably took it the wrong way, but my father doesn't hit me or anything." David said. Peter looked at David skeptically. Sure, that's exactly how General Ruxton was, and Peter did infact know what it was like to be drug out for physical training. His father had once sent him to a type of army oriented reform school. Of course it didn't last because Peter was so tripped out on drugs he had no respect and was eventually kicked out.
"I do know what that's like David, but what about that limp? How did you get that?" Peter asked, leaning forward, looking David straight in the eyes.
"You know the tools you give us, Peter? To resist the temptation that is presented to us in the outside world?" Peter nodded. "Well, it doesn't work with everyone. Some guys are just.. adament on getting you addicted again. After all, once their main selling source is gone, they go broke and, well, Peter, I think you know what I mean." Peter did know what he meant once again.
"Well, what does that have to do with the limp and bruises?" Peter asked, knowing where this was ultimately going.
"Well, Peter, they virtually kicked the shi- crap out of me when I refused to buy from them. Some friends, huh?" David thought back. This was true, but that's not how he got any of his bruises and especially not how he got the limp. David wasn't a pansy, he could fight, and he had infact won that fight. The other guys went home crying like babies.
"Yeah, some friends." Peter said. He looked back up at David and smiled. "I'm just glad you resisted. That was good of you, David."
"Well, I didn't want to end up like my dad." Peter looked at David confused. "The drugs would have made me crazy like him, I mean." He said standing up. "Can I go now?" Peter nodded. "Thanks Peter." He said as he walked toward the door.
"For what?" Peter asked. He didn't feel as if he had done anything.
"For being there if I need you." David said and shut the door. Peter looked blankly at the closed door for a second. Was he breaking through David's wall? This sounded nothing like him.
Peter was jerked out of his daze by the phone ringing. He jumped, but picked up the reciever and put it to his ear.
"Mount Horizon High School, Peter Scarbrow speaking. How may I help you?" Peter asked in his formal tone. The person on the other line sounded like they were breathing heavily.
"Mr. Scarbrow? This is Alice Blaine, Shelby's mom. The verdict is in."
*****
Shelby walked out of the lodge with Scott holding hands. PDA or no PDA she didn't care. If she wanted to display her affection for Scott publicly, she was going to do so. Maybe things were going to be okay afterall. She had her boyfriend back. The one she loved as much as her sister, and speaking of her sister, she had Jess back too. The only thing standing between Shelby and happiness was the trial. The verdict. When was the trial going to end?
"No!" Shelby heard a familiar voice yell out in front of the girls dorms. She snapped her head the opposite way, as did Scott, and what she saw made tears come to her eyes.
"Jess! Jess what's the matter?" Shelby asked running up to her sister and Peter. Jess fell down on the steps and sobbed into her arms.
"Why? It can't be... he- he- It just- Why, Peter?" Shelby looked at her sister and then back to Peter's sullen face.
"Wait." Shelby said. "What did I miss." She said laughing nervously. "That- .. that bastard didn't get off did he?" Peter ignored the profanity for once, but the comment made Jess sob harder. "No, Peter. No you're lying! You're all lying!!" She said and collapsed into Scott's arms. "But there was so much evidence! There was so much evidence! HOW! How, Peter? How did he get off. How could ANYONE get off? It's obvious he did it!"
Peter sighed. "Only you testified. The prosecution tried for a week to come up with more evidence, but all they had was your testimony. Neither your mother or your sister said testified.. and what they had was insubstantial. They needed some substantial evidence, but they came up with nothing. You never went in for a-a- check up or anything. I'm so sorry." Peter said.
Shelby pushed away from Scott and ran toward the woods. Scott prepared to go after her.
"Don't, Scott. She'll come back.. she just needs time to think." Peter said
Shelby ran faster and faster until she collapsed beside the old fence that always needed mending. Her track to happiness was now broken, and now she was the one who needed mending. She was back to where she started. It was like she was going in circles. For her to stop living in the past, she'd have to have Walt to be put away, but for him to be put away, she'd have to be able to go back to the past, something she could never do. It was a vicious cycle, and Shelby was breaking apart.
*****
The Cliffhangers sat in the lodge waiting on either Sophie or Peter, but they didn't come. Finally, after being twenty minutes late, Peter walked in harboring Shelby under his arm who was crying and Scott had Jess under his, burying her face as much as she could to hide the tears that threatened to spill. She had calmed down a little after Shelby ran off, but not by much. The tears could come at anything she was so unstable.
"Yo, Peter..." Auggie said cautiously, looking from Shelby to Jess as the rest of the Cliffhangers were doing. A light seemed to come on in Daisy's head and she lowered her head.
"Oh, no.." She whispered to herself. Shelby broke away from Peter's grasps and fell down onto a couch and snuggled with the pillow sitting there. Daisy got up and sat down beside her. Shelby willingly fell into her arms and sobbed some more. Jess saw her sister crying and broke down in Scott's arms again.
"Okay guys.." Peter said. "I just wanted to come and tell you guys that group is going to be cut really short today due to the circumstances. I know you all see Shelby and Jess there, but I don't want you all interrogating them. They'll tell you in their own time. As for right now, I want you guys to just state what you're feeling right now and that will be all." Peter said as he cradled a now upset Juliette in his arms.
"Sad." Juliette said, looking back to Shelby and Jess.
"Upset." Auggie said, looking at his crying girlfriend. "Aw Jules." He said pulling Juliette into his arms. Peter smiled at him.
"Angry." Scott said. Everyone who knew what was going on, knew why he was feeling that way. He wiped away Jess' tears and patted her on the back, lovingly. She was like his sister as well. A sister he never had, and he loved her just as much as he loved Shelby.
"Scared." Jess said and hiccuped she was crying so hard. Scott sqeezed her into a hug even tighter. Shelby buried her face farther into Daisy's arms.
"Dead." Shelby's words were muffled but Peter heard them and winced anyway. Shelby started shaking some and Daisy held on tighter. Shelby knew that if she were to encounter Walt now, he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her, since she told and testifyed against him.. and she could never forget his expression that day in court. She had told everything.
*FLASHBACK*
"Hey Shelby, I know this is going to be hard, but you're strong. Now, to start off, why don't you show us the man who... hurt you.
For the first time since her and Jess watched him walk away with the officers, Shelby looked at him. She looked at him straight in the eyes and saw the menacing glint that they always harbored.
*END FLASHBACK*
"Um, I'm confused." Gid said, snapping Shelby out of her trance. "I don't really know what's going on and I'm not too familiar with any of you guys anyway.."
"Okay, guys. That's all of you. Now, I want you to go to your dorms immediately tonight. No stopping off anywhere. We were late so now we don't have any time to waste. Sophie and I will be around for bed checks soon, but other than that, we'll see you guys in the morning. " Everyone nodded and walked off. Peter sighed and pulled Sophie closer. "The next few days, weeks, maybe even months will be the longest we've felt in a while, you know that don't you?" Sophie nodded.
"We can get through it, don't worry. Shelby, Jess, and the rest of them will be fine after a while." Sophie smiled and Peter smiled back at her. "Come on," She said patting his leg, "we have some Trackers to check." Peter nodded and they both got up and left the lodge.
*****
Gid slid down into his covers to block out the angry grunts that were emitting from Scott's mouth, but soon, after about ten minutes of it, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Scott!" He said sitting up. Scott only glared at Gid.
"What?" He questioned with hatred dripping off his words.
"Hey, don't chew my head off. I don't even know what's going on." Gid said, actually talking for once. The rest of the guys couldn't believe it.
"You didn't answer my question. What do you want?" Scott asked, still speaking in pure hatred for everything.
"Oi, mate, don't get your undies in a bundle. I was just wondering if you would stop grunting. Some of us are trying to sleep. No offence meant by it, of course.." Gid said hoping Scott wouldn't chew his face up into several mangled pieces.
"Whatever," Scott said. Gid didn't hear another peep out of him for the rest of the night.
*****
Sorry for the delay guys. More will hopefully come soon. Does anyone else think that the new FF.net rule is pointless? The one they are talking about on the front board? About it being against the rules to post authors notes? Heh, just my opinion. I hope you enjoy though. AND THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I have over 100 now! I love you guys. Review more! You are the only reason I get out with these new chapters at all. By the way, the last part of the chapter was meant for some comic relief. The whole chapter was kind of intense, I think. I hope it was tastefully done. I hope I didn't make too many typos.
First semester is almost over for us here in North Carolina, so that means Christmas is coming quite soon. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and you get alot of nifty presents. :) Over and out,
Flamingteen (Kates)