* The next few chapters maybe a hard chapter to read. It's going to deal
with abuse and other things. Abuse isn't going to be graphic, but it's not
going to be tender either.
Chapter 8 Two Counselors + Two Students = one unforgettable experience.
Sophie, Shelby and Taylor are all in the clearing where Peter had dropped them off.
"For the hike, Peter wants you two to be tied together. He also wants you two to learn about each other. When you get back to school, you'll have to write an essay about each other." Sophie pulls out some twine.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Shelby & Taylor say at the same time. Both have the same disgusted look on their faces.
"Move together please." Sophie can't help but smile at how much these two are a like. Shelby & Taylor move together and Sophie ties them with the twine. "We'll hike until we get to the main camping sight. I'll follow behind you two only to help out when needed." Sophie points in the direction the girls should walk.
The girls start walking together. Shelby takes off in one direction, Taylor in the other. Shelby ends up yanking the twine and Taylor falls. Taylor glares at Shelby as she stands, brushing herself off. They again try to walk. This time, Taylor purposefully goes in the opposite direction and yanks making Shelby fall. Taylor laughs as Shelby gets up and brushes her self off. Shelby gets right up in Taylor's face. Sophie gets ready to stop whatever might happen.
"Look, I'm not thrilled being tied to you. So let's just stop this and get it over with and we'll never have to do anything like this again. Deal?"
"Have you ever heard of a breath-mint?" Taylor pulls back a little from Shelby.
"You're just impossible." Shelby says and throws up her hands. She looks at Sophie. "Do we really have to be tied together?" Sophie just shakes her head yes. "urrrrr" Shelby let's out a growl and turns to Taylor.
"Oh what now you are livin' up to your true self?"
"What's that?"
"Bitch, defined as a female dog in heat."
Shelby actually takes a swing at Taylor. Taylor anticipating this ducks and swipes Shelby's legs from under her. However, Taylor forgot that they are tied together and both girls fall to the ground. Shelby, realizing what happened sits up. She looks over at Taylor who has already sat up. Shelby throws some dirt at Taylor. The dirt gets into Taylor's eyes and blinds her for a few seconds. Shelby takes another swing and connects to Taylor's left side of her face. Taylor is taken back a little bit. She still cannot see, but knows that Shelby is going to swing again.
"Stop it." Sophie yells.
Before Sophie can stop them, Shelby, thinking that she still has the advantage, swings again. This time, Taylor blocks it with her right and swings with her left, connecting with Shelby's upper face, near the eye. The two girls sit back, Taylor rubbing her eyes, Shelby holding her face.
"Finished?" Sophie takes out her water canteen. She walks over to Taylor. "Lay your head back." Sophie then dumps some cold water over Taylor's eyes.
"Ah, that's cold."
"Deal with it." Sophie says no longer amused by these two. Once Sophie gets most of the dirt out of Taylor's eyes, she checks on Shelby. Shelby's side of her face is red. "Are you okay?" Sophie stands above both of them with folded arms and a dissatisfying look across her face. "You two better figure something out b/c light doesn't last forever. You've got about 8 hours left until it starts to get dark."
Shelby and Taylor remain seated. Both have leaves in their hair and dirt on their clothes. Taylor looks around. She finds what she is looking for. She picks up a very sharp rock and begins to cut the twine between the two of them. When she has accomplished this, Sophie walks over.
"You are to be tied together." Sophie takes the rock from Taylor.
"You said to figure something out." Taylor stands and folds her arms. "I'm not being tied to her." Taylor spits those words out like sour milk.
"You know what, maybe I was wrong in having Peter bring you here." Sophie says finally losing her cool. "I have given you so many chances." Sophie takes a deep breath calming her self down. Shelby just stands there staring at her, a side of Sophie one hardly ever sees. "You need to make a choice right now Taylor. Either you retie yourself or when Peter joins us, he can take you back to the school and you can pack your bags." Sophie then turns to Shelby. "As for you, you know better than to solves things with violence. What is going on with you Shelby? Grow up."
Sophie walks away from the two in the direction of the camp. Taylor and Shelby just stand and look at each other. Taylor bends down and reties the broken twine. At first it was hard for Shelby and Taylor to get their rhythm of walking, but after a few more falls and yanks, the two find their rhythm. They start to follow Sophie. They walk to the campsite in an uncomfortable, tense silence between the three. No one says a word the whole hike to the campsite. They make good time at getting to the campsite and are able to take a few minutes to rest. Sophie walks over and unties the two. She then goes over to a little campsite away from the main one. She begins to set up her tent and fire.
"We better get our tents and fire started before it gets dark." Taylor suggests to Shelby.
The two begin to set up their tents in silence. Shelby struggles to get her tent up, while Taylor's tent is already set up. Taylor starts to walk around collecting kindle and fire wood. She starts to build the fire and looks up at Shelby.
"How many little adventures have you been on?" Taylor asks with a small smile on her face.
"Tons, why?"
"Because you'd think you'd know how to put a tent up by now."
"I'm having a bad day." Shelby continues to struggle in setting up her tent. "Damnet" she gets so frustrated that she throws one of the poles and dejected takes as seat on a nearby stump.
Taylor picks up two sticks and begins to rub them together. After about five minutes, smoke begins to rise. Taylor watches as the fire gets started. Then she glances over to Shelby, who has her head in her hands. Taylor stands and picks up the thrown piece. She begins to put the tent together without saying a word. Shelby gets up and helps Taylor as well. The two work together in silence. Sophie gets a small smile on her face at this sight. She sits down and just watches the two girls. When the two are finished, they sit down by the fire to get warm. Taylor looks around at the plants.
"If you're hungry, you can eat that one." Taylor says pointing to a plant. It is the same plant that Sophie pointed out for Scott and David, when she had to take them out on a buddy hike together.
"When did you become such a girl scout?" Shelby asks.
"Boot camp."
"Boot camp? What did ya do to get in there?"
Sophie perks up to listen, as this is the first time Taylor's ever talked about her past.
"Got kicked out of a second boarding school."
"Obviously it didn't work, since you're here now."
Taylor begins to play in the fire with a stick. Shelby stares into the fire.
"So what's the rest of your story?" Shelby's curiosity gets the best of her.
"I don't have a story." Taylor replies throwing the stick into the fire.
"Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?"
"I asked you first"
"Why do you want to know?"
"For the essay."
"You're actually going to write it." Taylor's tone is full of amusement.
"I've seen the crazy consequences that Peter invents. I'm not getting stuck with you for more than I have too." Shelby's defensive alarm goes off.
The two sit in silence once again.
Two hours later, it is getting darker out.
Over at Sophie's camp, Peter sneaks up on her. Sophie jumps and then hugs him.
"Have you learned anything?"
"Yeah, you can't put two concrete people together and expect them to float." Peter raises an eyebrow and Sophie continues. "You just missed a little fight. Taylor called Shelby a bitch, Shelby went to hit Taylor and Taylor swiped Shelby's legs out from under her. Shelby throws dirt in Taylor's eyes and manages to connect a punch. Taylor blocks Shelby's second punch and Taylor lands one on Shelby. Then Taylor finds this sharp rock and cuts the twine." Sophie gets silent here.
"What happened next?" Peter asks getting all concerned when he looks into Sophie's eyes.
"I lost it with them Peter." Sophie turns her head away. "I told Taylor that maybe it was a mistake in bringing her here and if she didn't get the twine tied back together, that she could pack her bags and leave." Sophie takes a deep breath and continues. "And I told Shelby to grow up. I just lost it Peter."
Peter puts his arms around Sophie and kisses the top of her head.
"This is my fault, I shouldn't have pushed you on these two. I should have taken them." He hugs her tighter. "After all you've been through with these two and not having them open up. I would have lost it a long time ago."
Meanwhile
Taylor and Shelby have managed to get their little campsite set up. Shelby has gone over to check out the plant that Taylor pointed too. Taylor just sits and plays in the fire and watches Shelby. Shelby decides not to eat the plant, not trusting Taylor.
"What you don't trust me?"
"Not particularly." Shelby sits down and opens her backpack. She looks in and finds the 'conversation journal' that Peter had all of the Cliffhangers start. Shelby opens it up and sees Peter wrote more questions down for her to answer. She begins to read through and starts answering the questions. She comes to a fresh page with a fresh question on it. The question reads, "What is going on between you and Taylor?" Shelby looks up from the journal and sees Taylor still playing with the fire. The glow of the fire on Taylor's face causes a dark glowing siloutte. This makes Shelby shutter. "I'm going to bed." Shelby lies in her tent leaving her door open. She just lies watching the fire blazing.
2 AM
Shelby wakes up at a slight noise. She moves uncomfortable in her sleeping bag and sits up. She sees Taylor sitting in the same position as she was before she fell asleep. She gets out of her tent and goes over and sits across from Taylor. Both being light sleepers, Peter and Sophie are immediately awaken by the noise of the two. They sit up to listen.
"Can't sleep either?" Shelby asks.
"I don't sleep."
"That's impossible, everybody sleeps?"
"We'll I don't."
"You running?" Shelby notices that Taylor's tent is down and packed away.
"What do you care?"
"I don't."
"I thought you'd be overjoyed if I took off. Then Sophie would get pissed again and kick me out"
Silence
"They're not that bad you know."
"Who?"
"Peter and Sophie."
"I'm sure they aren't."
"Sophie just got pissed off because she cares so much."
Silence
"So where's this town everyone's talking about?"
"Town's like 20 miles that way." She points in the direction of town. Taylor stands up and starts to go into the opposite direction. "Where you going town isn't that way."
"That's the first place they'd look. I'm getting out for good."
Taylor begins to walk in the opposite. Before she gets too far, Sophie reveals herself.
"Taylor, where do you think you're going?"
"I'm outta here." Sophie stops Taylor by standing in front of her. Taylor begins to pace back and forth. "Get outta my way Sophie."
"You're walking into 25 miles of nothing."
"Then I'll walk till the 26th mile." Taylor pulls a spin move on Sophie and manages to get in front of her. She takes off walking faster.
"I can't let you do that." Peter steps out from behind the tree.
"Try and stop me." Taylor challenges as she begins to walk faster. Peter grabs her from behind, Taylor freaks out. Flashbacks of a horrible night that changed her life forever come flowing through her mind. She squirms and struggles against Peter's hold. The angrier Taylor gets, the harder it is for Peter to hold her. "Don't touch me." Taylor cries out. "Get your hands off me asswhole."
"I can't let you go out there Taylor." Peter's face turns red and sweater. He manages to get Taylor down in a sitting bear hug. Sophie runs over to try and help calm Taylor down. Shelby gets a little upset watching. She covers her ears, tears stream down her face.
"Let go of me Grant." Taylor's face is all sweaty and full of tears She continues to struggle in Peter's arms.
"Honey, who's Grant?" Sophie whips Taylor's hair out of her eyes. Sophie looks into Taylor's eyes and they are glazed over.
"ARGGG LET ME GO!!!!" Taylor begins to kick and squirm more. Sophie manages to get out of the way without being kicked. Peter gets his legs over Taylor's.
"Maybe some water." Peter suggests.
Sophie gets up to get some water. She sees Shelby sitting near the fire. She notices that she is crying.
"Shelby?" Sophie is quickly at her side. "What's going on?"
"I know her father." Shelby blurts out through her tears. "He was a client."
~ To be continued
Chapter 8 Two Counselors + Two Students = one unforgettable experience.
Sophie, Shelby and Taylor are all in the clearing where Peter had dropped them off.
"For the hike, Peter wants you two to be tied together. He also wants you two to learn about each other. When you get back to school, you'll have to write an essay about each other." Sophie pulls out some twine.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Shelby & Taylor say at the same time. Both have the same disgusted look on their faces.
"Move together please." Sophie can't help but smile at how much these two are a like. Shelby & Taylor move together and Sophie ties them with the twine. "We'll hike until we get to the main camping sight. I'll follow behind you two only to help out when needed." Sophie points in the direction the girls should walk.
The girls start walking together. Shelby takes off in one direction, Taylor in the other. Shelby ends up yanking the twine and Taylor falls. Taylor glares at Shelby as she stands, brushing herself off. They again try to walk. This time, Taylor purposefully goes in the opposite direction and yanks making Shelby fall. Taylor laughs as Shelby gets up and brushes her self off. Shelby gets right up in Taylor's face. Sophie gets ready to stop whatever might happen.
"Look, I'm not thrilled being tied to you. So let's just stop this and get it over with and we'll never have to do anything like this again. Deal?"
"Have you ever heard of a breath-mint?" Taylor pulls back a little from Shelby.
"You're just impossible." Shelby says and throws up her hands. She looks at Sophie. "Do we really have to be tied together?" Sophie just shakes her head yes. "urrrrr" Shelby let's out a growl and turns to Taylor.
"Oh what now you are livin' up to your true self?"
"What's that?"
"Bitch, defined as a female dog in heat."
Shelby actually takes a swing at Taylor. Taylor anticipating this ducks and swipes Shelby's legs from under her. However, Taylor forgot that they are tied together and both girls fall to the ground. Shelby, realizing what happened sits up. She looks over at Taylor who has already sat up. Shelby throws some dirt at Taylor. The dirt gets into Taylor's eyes and blinds her for a few seconds. Shelby takes another swing and connects to Taylor's left side of her face. Taylor is taken back a little bit. She still cannot see, but knows that Shelby is going to swing again.
"Stop it." Sophie yells.
Before Sophie can stop them, Shelby, thinking that she still has the advantage, swings again. This time, Taylor blocks it with her right and swings with her left, connecting with Shelby's upper face, near the eye. The two girls sit back, Taylor rubbing her eyes, Shelby holding her face.
"Finished?" Sophie takes out her water canteen. She walks over to Taylor. "Lay your head back." Sophie then dumps some cold water over Taylor's eyes.
"Ah, that's cold."
"Deal with it." Sophie says no longer amused by these two. Once Sophie gets most of the dirt out of Taylor's eyes, she checks on Shelby. Shelby's side of her face is red. "Are you okay?" Sophie stands above both of them with folded arms and a dissatisfying look across her face. "You two better figure something out b/c light doesn't last forever. You've got about 8 hours left until it starts to get dark."
Shelby and Taylor remain seated. Both have leaves in their hair and dirt on their clothes. Taylor looks around. She finds what she is looking for. She picks up a very sharp rock and begins to cut the twine between the two of them. When she has accomplished this, Sophie walks over.
"You are to be tied together." Sophie takes the rock from Taylor.
"You said to figure something out." Taylor stands and folds her arms. "I'm not being tied to her." Taylor spits those words out like sour milk.
"You know what, maybe I was wrong in having Peter bring you here." Sophie says finally losing her cool. "I have given you so many chances." Sophie takes a deep breath calming her self down. Shelby just stands there staring at her, a side of Sophie one hardly ever sees. "You need to make a choice right now Taylor. Either you retie yourself or when Peter joins us, he can take you back to the school and you can pack your bags." Sophie then turns to Shelby. "As for you, you know better than to solves things with violence. What is going on with you Shelby? Grow up."
Sophie walks away from the two in the direction of the camp. Taylor and Shelby just stand and look at each other. Taylor bends down and reties the broken twine. At first it was hard for Shelby and Taylor to get their rhythm of walking, but after a few more falls and yanks, the two find their rhythm. They start to follow Sophie. They walk to the campsite in an uncomfortable, tense silence between the three. No one says a word the whole hike to the campsite. They make good time at getting to the campsite and are able to take a few minutes to rest. Sophie walks over and unties the two. She then goes over to a little campsite away from the main one. She begins to set up her tent and fire.
"We better get our tents and fire started before it gets dark." Taylor suggests to Shelby.
The two begin to set up their tents in silence. Shelby struggles to get her tent up, while Taylor's tent is already set up. Taylor starts to walk around collecting kindle and fire wood. She starts to build the fire and looks up at Shelby.
"How many little adventures have you been on?" Taylor asks with a small smile on her face.
"Tons, why?"
"Because you'd think you'd know how to put a tent up by now."
"I'm having a bad day." Shelby continues to struggle in setting up her tent. "Damnet" she gets so frustrated that she throws one of the poles and dejected takes as seat on a nearby stump.
Taylor picks up two sticks and begins to rub them together. After about five minutes, smoke begins to rise. Taylor watches as the fire gets started. Then she glances over to Shelby, who has her head in her hands. Taylor stands and picks up the thrown piece. She begins to put the tent together without saying a word. Shelby gets up and helps Taylor as well. The two work together in silence. Sophie gets a small smile on her face at this sight. She sits down and just watches the two girls. When the two are finished, they sit down by the fire to get warm. Taylor looks around at the plants.
"If you're hungry, you can eat that one." Taylor says pointing to a plant. It is the same plant that Sophie pointed out for Scott and David, when she had to take them out on a buddy hike together.
"When did you become such a girl scout?" Shelby asks.
"Boot camp."
"Boot camp? What did ya do to get in there?"
Sophie perks up to listen, as this is the first time Taylor's ever talked about her past.
"Got kicked out of a second boarding school."
"Obviously it didn't work, since you're here now."
Taylor begins to play in the fire with a stick. Shelby stares into the fire.
"So what's the rest of your story?" Shelby's curiosity gets the best of her.
"I don't have a story." Taylor replies throwing the stick into the fire.
"Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?"
"I asked you first"
"Why do you want to know?"
"For the essay."
"You're actually going to write it." Taylor's tone is full of amusement.
"I've seen the crazy consequences that Peter invents. I'm not getting stuck with you for more than I have too." Shelby's defensive alarm goes off.
The two sit in silence once again.
Two hours later, it is getting darker out.
Over at Sophie's camp, Peter sneaks up on her. Sophie jumps and then hugs him.
"Have you learned anything?"
"Yeah, you can't put two concrete people together and expect them to float." Peter raises an eyebrow and Sophie continues. "You just missed a little fight. Taylor called Shelby a bitch, Shelby went to hit Taylor and Taylor swiped Shelby's legs out from under her. Shelby throws dirt in Taylor's eyes and manages to connect a punch. Taylor blocks Shelby's second punch and Taylor lands one on Shelby. Then Taylor finds this sharp rock and cuts the twine." Sophie gets silent here.
"What happened next?" Peter asks getting all concerned when he looks into Sophie's eyes.
"I lost it with them Peter." Sophie turns her head away. "I told Taylor that maybe it was a mistake in bringing her here and if she didn't get the twine tied back together, that she could pack her bags and leave." Sophie takes a deep breath and continues. "And I told Shelby to grow up. I just lost it Peter."
Peter puts his arms around Sophie and kisses the top of her head.
"This is my fault, I shouldn't have pushed you on these two. I should have taken them." He hugs her tighter. "After all you've been through with these two and not having them open up. I would have lost it a long time ago."
Meanwhile
Taylor and Shelby have managed to get their little campsite set up. Shelby has gone over to check out the plant that Taylor pointed too. Taylor just sits and plays in the fire and watches Shelby. Shelby decides not to eat the plant, not trusting Taylor.
"What you don't trust me?"
"Not particularly." Shelby sits down and opens her backpack. She looks in and finds the 'conversation journal' that Peter had all of the Cliffhangers start. Shelby opens it up and sees Peter wrote more questions down for her to answer. She begins to read through and starts answering the questions. She comes to a fresh page with a fresh question on it. The question reads, "What is going on between you and Taylor?" Shelby looks up from the journal and sees Taylor still playing with the fire. The glow of the fire on Taylor's face causes a dark glowing siloutte. This makes Shelby shutter. "I'm going to bed." Shelby lies in her tent leaving her door open. She just lies watching the fire blazing.
2 AM
Shelby wakes up at a slight noise. She moves uncomfortable in her sleeping bag and sits up. She sees Taylor sitting in the same position as she was before she fell asleep. She gets out of her tent and goes over and sits across from Taylor. Both being light sleepers, Peter and Sophie are immediately awaken by the noise of the two. They sit up to listen.
"Can't sleep either?" Shelby asks.
"I don't sleep."
"That's impossible, everybody sleeps?"
"We'll I don't."
"You running?" Shelby notices that Taylor's tent is down and packed away.
"What do you care?"
"I don't."
"I thought you'd be overjoyed if I took off. Then Sophie would get pissed again and kick me out"
Silence
"They're not that bad you know."
"Who?"
"Peter and Sophie."
"I'm sure they aren't."
"Sophie just got pissed off because she cares so much."
Silence
"So where's this town everyone's talking about?"
"Town's like 20 miles that way." She points in the direction of town. Taylor stands up and starts to go into the opposite direction. "Where you going town isn't that way."
"That's the first place they'd look. I'm getting out for good."
Taylor begins to walk in the opposite. Before she gets too far, Sophie reveals herself.
"Taylor, where do you think you're going?"
"I'm outta here." Sophie stops Taylor by standing in front of her. Taylor begins to pace back and forth. "Get outta my way Sophie."
"You're walking into 25 miles of nothing."
"Then I'll walk till the 26th mile." Taylor pulls a spin move on Sophie and manages to get in front of her. She takes off walking faster.
"I can't let you do that." Peter steps out from behind the tree.
"Try and stop me." Taylor challenges as she begins to walk faster. Peter grabs her from behind, Taylor freaks out. Flashbacks of a horrible night that changed her life forever come flowing through her mind. She squirms and struggles against Peter's hold. The angrier Taylor gets, the harder it is for Peter to hold her. "Don't touch me." Taylor cries out. "Get your hands off me asswhole."
"I can't let you go out there Taylor." Peter's face turns red and sweater. He manages to get Taylor down in a sitting bear hug. Sophie runs over to try and help calm Taylor down. Shelby gets a little upset watching. She covers her ears, tears stream down her face.
"Let go of me Grant." Taylor's face is all sweaty and full of tears She continues to struggle in Peter's arms.
"Honey, who's Grant?" Sophie whips Taylor's hair out of her eyes. Sophie looks into Taylor's eyes and they are glazed over.
"ARGGG LET ME GO!!!!" Taylor begins to kick and squirm more. Sophie manages to get out of the way without being kicked. Peter gets his legs over Taylor's.
"Maybe some water." Peter suggests.
Sophie gets up to get some water. She sees Shelby sitting near the fire. She notices that she is crying.
"Shelby?" Sophie is quickly at her side. "What's going on?"
"I know her father." Shelby blurts out through her tears. "He was a client."
~ To be continued