I own nothing, but you guys knew that. I do own everybody that you don't know. I hope everyone is liking this so far. I'm not too infatuated with it, but my friends like it. So what the hell. Everything will becoming in place soon. These first few chapters are just getting aquainted with the characters. I do know some things I right really wouldn't happen, but oh well. It's my world. Sorry this is sort of long and the ending sucks.
33
KC
"Peter!" yelled a disgruntled Sophie. She had two calls on hold, but she had just got the new faxes that he wanted.
"Come in," he said, as he didn't look up from a file that was in front of him.
"Here are those faxes," she threw them on the desk, which caused him to look up. He smiled gratefully.
"Thanks Soph."
"No problem, Captain. Oh Captain." She walked at of the door and he rolled his eyes at the nickname some of his students called him. He reclined in his seat. His students. He couldn't get over that just ten years ago he was just another ODed, drugged up loser washed up on the streets and would do anything for another hit of heroine. But now he was taking care of over 100 kids, a close 10 almost seeming like his own. He shook his head, mentally slapping himself from getting off topic. He had to study up on the new arrival that was coming soon.
He looked at the new papers Sophie had just handed him and groaned. He couldn't figure out why this girl was even coming to Mt. Horizon. She had no records of any theft, drug possessions, suspensions, or anything else that was considered "normal" at Mt. Horizon's School for Rebellious Youth school. There was two supposed runaway cases, but were later dropped. There were no notes or comments at all. Peter was just stunned. The girl was coming in about an hour and he didn't have anything on her. He doubted that he'd get anything out of her, since none really talked. Pushing her file aside, he decided to check in on his 'Cliff hangers' group.
"Hey Peter," Scott said in his northern accent. It sounded like a heavy New York or even New Jersey accent, but it was hard to say.
"Hey Scott." He saw Shelby who was talking to Daisy.
"Hey Shel, Daisy," he greeted. They acknowledge him with their own hellos, but went back to talking. He smiled at the two. Shelby, being the hostile girl she was, was actually starting to calm down somewhat. "Scott, round up all the 'cliffhangers'. We're having someone new join our group today, and I want to get everyone prepared." He mumbled something, but got off the couch and rounded up the group. Peter went off to go get Sophie.
"So what's this 'bout, Peter?" Ezra asked, wondering why the big meeting was called.
"Yea, Captain, what's the deal?" Auggie asked his accent coming through.
"Did we do something bad?" Jules asked, her voice hushed a little.
"No, God no. Actually, it's something good. We have a new student arriving with us today." He heard groans all around and smirked. He really did love these kids.
"That's good how?" Shelby asked her sarcastic-but-true way.
"Shelby," Sophie warned with a look. The blonde 16 year old rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, the girl will be arriving soon, but I just wanted to let you know. And, tell you who her show-around-buddy will be." Jules got excited, because that's her nature, and some of the guys were a little interested, too. This was a girl coming after all.
"Who's gonna show the newbie 'round?" asked Auggie.
"I'm not sure yet, we'll wait until she arrives. I want the girls to go and clean out their room." He stopped them before they opened their mouths.
"I know you cleaned it Sunday, but, please, just clean it up a little. I went in there this morning and I was pretty surprised."
"Can we leave?" Shelby asked, her voice a little cold, but glad she could get out of group.
"Yes, you can."
A black BMW parked into the gravel and a middle-aged woman in dark glasses stepped out. She wore a black pant suit and looked very professional, while the girl who still sat, sleeping, in the car, looked not very well put together. They basically clashed.
"Hello. I'm Mrs. –I mean Ms. Claudia Renolds," the woman said extending her hand out towards Peters; he shook it forcefully.
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Renolds. I'm Peter Scarbrow, but you can just call me Peter." She smiled a flirtatious smile.
"Nice to meet you too," her southern accent was on full –fake –blast. She walked over to the passenger side and knocked on the window loudly. Then she went into the trunk and got out the girls' bags. The girl jumped and looked around franticly, but calmed down a bit to find that they were at the destination. She rubbed her eyes, embarrassed to find everyone staring at her. She wished she could hit her stupid mother; she probably wanted to humiliate her. She got out of the car and awkwardly stood with her head looking straight ahead, she never was one to look down to the grown. She sort of stood on the sides of her feet, rolling them around in the gravel as Peter and her mother talked.
"Love you baby. Kiss, kiss," her mother said before heading off into the car.
"Mom, will you call Adam and tell him where I am?" the girl pleaded as the mother closed the car door.
"Sure. Whatever. Kisses." She waved her hand outside the window and took off fast. She chuckled a nervous chuckle.
"Mom wants to get home early," she said to herself more than to the others. She dropped her bags and extended her hand.
"Hello. I'm Taylor Mead."
"I'm, um, Peter," he said confused. He never met anyone like this before. Most everyone ran or called him names or did something ruthless. No kid ever shook his hand.
"Auggie," he called, bringing a bright-eyed Latino boy from the group. He looked at Taylor with interest. She was really pretty, beautiful even. She looked skinny, but not bulimic skinny. She had very blond hair that looked natural, but was so hard to tell these days, her eyes were green and she had tan skin. She also had a slight southern accent that was driving him crazy.
"Yea Peter?"
"Will you take Taylor here and show her around campus."
"Sure."
"And while you're doing that, we're going to search through your bags." He smiled and she tried to return one but only gave a broken one.
"That okay?" He asked wanting to get something out of this girl. Yelling, screaming, crying, tears, smiling. He just wanted emotions.
"Yes sir. It's fine." She walked away behind Auggie, leaving, again, a shocked Peter. He's never been called a sir before in his life.
He showed her around the outdoor area.
"There isn't any fences around here?" she asked confusedly. Well, she stated it but it was in the form of a question.
"Yea, I bet you were sleeping, but there isn't any towns around here for miles. I think it's something like 30 miles. All around here is woods and mountains and rivers and more woods. There really isn't no need for any fences. Most kids who run get caught. Peter's damn fast and he knows this area." He paused and continued. "Why you getting the idea of running?"
"No," she shook her head.
Well, maybe. I don't know yet." She stopped walking and he stopped walking too.
"Do you...do you like it here?"
"Yea, I do. Why?"
"I don't know." She quickly returned to walking again. And wondered why she was talking so much. This was everything she was trying to stay away from, but she liked Auggie. She almost, God Forbid, trusted him. She needed to stay far away from him and not get so close. She wasn't suppose to start liking these people. Taylor's plan was to fade away.
"So, where you from?" he asked as he led the young girl towards the kitchen area.
"The States." He urged her to go on. "North Carolina." She smiled.
"I'm from this really small, end of the world town that everyone knew everybody. The beach was so close that you could smell it. Everybody surfed or dirt biked or four-wheeled and fished. And everyone always went to the beach or to the forest; depending on what group you went with and just hung out. You'd just spend hours doing nothing. It was just awesome" She finished quickly not sure why she said all those things. She really had to watch her mouth.
"Sorry," she quietly said.
"No, it's okay. Wow. That-that sounds really nice, yo." He smiled as he saw the dreamy look on her face. "Yea it was and I guess I kind of miss it. What about you?"
"Oh you know, places," he said sadly. She could tell he missed it more than her. She always had a thing for ready emotions and being able to feel them, even if she never went through the same things that person had. She shook off the feeling of wanting to tell him comforting thoughts. Stupid girl.
"So this is the cafeteria," she announced while noticing some tables and chairs. "The food any good?" "Some of the stuff is," Auggie laughed. He couldn't get enough of this girl. She kept him guessing. One time he thought she was in for drugs, and then he thought she could be one of those paranoid girls, then he thought she could be an alcoholic, but nothing was giving him any clues. She seemed so normal; not like any of the people at Horizon. But when she was normal, it was almost as if she was trying to be normal, like it was hard for her. He was just way too confused. What was it about this girl? He had no clue.
"Yo meat," he said as he made his way to a dirty blonde hair boy that was outside with the group earlier. He motioned a slow Taylor to follow behind him.
"Hey Aug." Scott rolled his eyes. Auggie was always making up weird nicknames for everyone.
"This is Taylor," he arched his head back to point out the girl. Scott nodded.
"Yea, you're the newbie everybody's been questioning. You had everyone surprised. I think Peter's still in shock."
"Huh?" she said quietly. Scott was cute and seemed really nice, but he almost looked intimidating, like his eyes could burn right through you.
"No one has ever not tried to run, or spit on him, or like called him a bastard or whatever. He was stunned. And no body's ever called him sir before." He smiled a friendly smile before saying, "He's still trying to figure you out."
"We're all trying to figure you out, yo," Augusto said, laughing right along with Scott, which left Taylor feeling hurt and confused. She looked to the side trying to think but then looked back up and laughed. She put on another layer.
To bad you never will," she said in a seductive hushed-voice and walked away shaking her ass in the process.
"I think I'd like to try," Auggie said as he watched her leave. He turned his head sideways as he stared at her ass.
"Definitely." Scott slapped his chest and they both laughed. Then Auggie said he'd see him later, and went to find his first week buddy.
Taylor was walking quietly outside. She didn't want to be inside anymore. She hated the inside, it confined her more then she did herself. She was one of those people who hated small places –claustrophobic. She took off her flip-flops and walked on the dock like she was back at home. She pictured the rusted, raised nails that stubbed her feet and the weird texture that came from the mixture of salt and pressure treated wood. She closed her eyes and thought about the water that was hot from the sun, no matter what time of the year. And she thought about how she would spend hours just staring at the ocean and thinking that you could get lost in something so big. How you could just disappear so easily and they could never ever find you. She smiled to herself as she sat down on the dock and stuck her bare feet into the cold, chilly water. It didn't even faze her.
"What's up, newbie?" Auggie said as he approached. He sat down beside her and put his hand in the water. "Damn, Taylor, this water is really cold."
"It's not that cold," she said softly.
"Yea it is. Anyway. Look, I've got to get you to over to Peter's office. Okay?" He motioned her to get up and she did. Her foot wasn't cold at all because that's how she felt. Numb.
"Why? What does Mr. Scarbrow want?" Auggie looked at her funny before he started busting out laughing. "What?" she asked annoyed and sort of self-conscious.
"It's just Peter. No Mr and no Scarbrow. We're not formal here. Jeez, anyway. He has to go over the rules with you. Then he'll probably talk to you about why you're here and then a physical. Then we'll have group." She stayed silent, not wanting to get laughed at again.