Chapter 9-
Lucy didn't know Scott would be there. It was about dinner time and Scott was never late for dinner. Lucy pulled back into the shadow of the tree but too late. He had seen her. "Lucy." He said in his cute stoner sounding voice. She wanted to stay where she was but she knew there was no point. She stepped out from the shadows and stood next to Scott, "What are you doing here? Everyone at school is looking for you."
"That's why I'm here." Lucy told him sitting down, "I'm not letting them take me back 'home'."
Scott sat next to her and stared at the lake, "I know how that is. I wouldn't go home if they paid me."
"How come?" Lucy knew she was pushing it but she wanted to know Scott. Plus she had to stall so she could come up with a plan on where to go.
"My step mom. She . . . she molested me. My dad doesn't believe me." Lucy nodded in understanding, "How about you? Why won't you let them take you home?"
"My mom and step dad hit me. But I'm not staying at Horizon either. Peter's a jerk. So now I have to find a place to stay and food to eat."
Scott thought a moment and said, "I could bring you food. From dinner, you know. As long as you stay here. And I know a place where you can sleep."
Lucy just stared at him, "Why are you helping me?"
"Because you can get away. I can't. Maybe helping you will help me." With that he got up and left. Lucy watched him go and when she saw two figures walking towards Scott she crawled into the trees. The three conversed and Scott headed back to the school. But the other two walked towards the docks. Lucy pulled herself behind a tree trunk and watched the people- who turned out to be Peter and Sophie. They did a quick scan of the lake and Peter cursed to himself. He stared down at the wooden plaks and Sophie said, "Peter, don't worry. We'll find her."
"If I would have told her what I was doing she wouldn't have run off in the first place!" Peter turned his head and stared into the woods. It looked like he was staring straight at her but he didn't move. His face was tight- he looked genuinly worried. Lucy almost ran out from behind the tree and told him she was sorry. But she didn't. She stayed right where he was because she thought he might be faking. Her gut was telling her he wasn't but her mind- the stronger component between the two- told her to stay put.
An hour later Scott showed up bearing a small bag- hopefully filled with food. Lucy hadn't eaten since lunch where she only had a salad so she was starving. Scott walked to the edge of the dock and said as quietly as possible but so she could hear him, "Lucy- where are you?" Lucy stepped out of the woods and walked towards him, "I thought you left." He said simply.
"What took you so long? I'm dieing out here!" Lucy snapped. Scott's face fell, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just hungry. I didn't mean to snap at you . . . thank you for the food."
Scott nodded and said, "No problem. Come on. I have to get back to do my homework. I'll show you where you can stay." They started walking down the dock and to the left. Scott led Lucy deeper into the woods but it seemed like they were headed straight for the school. Lucy was about to say something about it when Scott said, "Here we are."
Lucy looked all around her but couldn't figure out where he wanted her to stay. All she saw were pine needles, leaves and a few rocks. Then they started coming. All of them and Lucy wanted to run and never look back.
Peter, Sophie and the rest of the Cliffhangers were crawling out of the woodwork. Lucy screamed at Scott, "What did you do? I told them all? I hate you! You said you were going to help me! But you got them!" She turned and faced him and tried with every fiber of her being to punch him as hard as she could in the chest but he grabbed her wrists and wouldn't let them go.
"Luce," Peter said, "Scott's just looking out for you." He walked towards Lucy and tried to put his hand on her shoulder but she backed away from him and Scott's grip on her wrists got stronger. She couldn't believe what was happening! Scott said he was going to help her. He said he understood how she felt. Everyone at the damn school were liers and fakes. She started to turn to run again but Peter said, "You can't run, Lucy. You have to face this and except the reality that we're all trying to help you." Scott's grip tightened once more when Lucy tried to pulle herself free.
"What is with all of you and helping me? Help me do what? Be 'normal'? What if I don't want to be normal? What if I want to stay how I am and never have to deal with any of you again?" She could feel hot tears stinging at her eyes but she held them in. She didn't have to make things worse by crying.
"Lucy," Sophie began. But Lucy cut her off.
"Shut up! Just shut up! I don't want to have to do this anymore!" In a barely audible whisper she said, "I just want to die." The tears streamed from her eyes and Scott gathered her in his arms. He held on tight and she cried and cried into his shoulder. Lucy's knees gave and she and Scott fell to their knees on the ground while everyone stood around them quietly watching. Diasy moved in and put her arms around Lucy. One tiny tear rolled down her cheek and landed on Lucy's sleeve.
Lucy didn't know Scott would be there. It was about dinner time and Scott was never late for dinner. Lucy pulled back into the shadow of the tree but too late. He had seen her. "Lucy." He said in his cute stoner sounding voice. She wanted to stay where she was but she knew there was no point. She stepped out from the shadows and stood next to Scott, "What are you doing here? Everyone at school is looking for you."
"That's why I'm here." Lucy told him sitting down, "I'm not letting them take me back 'home'."
Scott sat next to her and stared at the lake, "I know how that is. I wouldn't go home if they paid me."
"How come?" Lucy knew she was pushing it but she wanted to know Scott. Plus she had to stall so she could come up with a plan on where to go.
"My step mom. She . . . she molested me. My dad doesn't believe me." Lucy nodded in understanding, "How about you? Why won't you let them take you home?"
"My mom and step dad hit me. But I'm not staying at Horizon either. Peter's a jerk. So now I have to find a place to stay and food to eat."
Scott thought a moment and said, "I could bring you food. From dinner, you know. As long as you stay here. And I know a place where you can sleep."
Lucy just stared at him, "Why are you helping me?"
"Because you can get away. I can't. Maybe helping you will help me." With that he got up and left. Lucy watched him go and when she saw two figures walking towards Scott she crawled into the trees. The three conversed and Scott headed back to the school. But the other two walked towards the docks. Lucy pulled herself behind a tree trunk and watched the people- who turned out to be Peter and Sophie. They did a quick scan of the lake and Peter cursed to himself. He stared down at the wooden plaks and Sophie said, "Peter, don't worry. We'll find her."
"If I would have told her what I was doing she wouldn't have run off in the first place!" Peter turned his head and stared into the woods. It looked like he was staring straight at her but he didn't move. His face was tight- he looked genuinly worried. Lucy almost ran out from behind the tree and told him she was sorry. But she didn't. She stayed right where he was because she thought he might be faking. Her gut was telling her he wasn't but her mind- the stronger component between the two- told her to stay put.
An hour later Scott showed up bearing a small bag- hopefully filled with food. Lucy hadn't eaten since lunch where she only had a salad so she was starving. Scott walked to the edge of the dock and said as quietly as possible but so she could hear him, "Lucy- where are you?" Lucy stepped out of the woods and walked towards him, "I thought you left." He said simply.
"What took you so long? I'm dieing out here!" Lucy snapped. Scott's face fell, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just hungry. I didn't mean to snap at you . . . thank you for the food."
Scott nodded and said, "No problem. Come on. I have to get back to do my homework. I'll show you where you can stay." They started walking down the dock and to the left. Scott led Lucy deeper into the woods but it seemed like they were headed straight for the school. Lucy was about to say something about it when Scott said, "Here we are."
Lucy looked all around her but couldn't figure out where he wanted her to stay. All she saw were pine needles, leaves and a few rocks. Then they started coming. All of them and Lucy wanted to run and never look back.
Peter, Sophie and the rest of the Cliffhangers were crawling out of the woodwork. Lucy screamed at Scott, "What did you do? I told them all? I hate you! You said you were going to help me! But you got them!" She turned and faced him and tried with every fiber of her being to punch him as hard as she could in the chest but he grabbed her wrists and wouldn't let them go.
"Luce," Peter said, "Scott's just looking out for you." He walked towards Lucy and tried to put his hand on her shoulder but she backed away from him and Scott's grip on her wrists got stronger. She couldn't believe what was happening! Scott said he was going to help her. He said he understood how she felt. Everyone at the damn school were liers and fakes. She started to turn to run again but Peter said, "You can't run, Lucy. You have to face this and except the reality that we're all trying to help you." Scott's grip tightened once more when Lucy tried to pulle herself free.
"What is with all of you and helping me? Help me do what? Be 'normal'? What if I don't want to be normal? What if I want to stay how I am and never have to deal with any of you again?" She could feel hot tears stinging at her eyes but she held them in. She didn't have to make things worse by crying.
"Lucy," Sophie began. But Lucy cut her off.
"Shut up! Just shut up! I don't want to have to do this anymore!" In a barely audible whisper she said, "I just want to die." The tears streamed from her eyes and Scott gathered her in his arms. He held on tight and she cried and cried into his shoulder. Lucy's knees gave and she and Scott fell to their knees on the ground while everyone stood around them quietly watching. Diasy moved in and put her arms around Lucy. One tiny tear rolled down her cheek and landed on Lucy's sleeve.