Shelby leaned close to Scott, giving him a kiss. Scott returned it and went back to his lunch. She tried for another one.
"I'm hungry Shelby, later."
"Later? Now." She pressured him.
"Good afternoon Cliffhangers," Peter said rather loudly. The group looked up, except Scott who continued to eat.
"Hi, Peter," They said. He gave smiled and gave a stern look at Shelby and Scott.
"Since we have an extra bed, I decided to let another resident come to stay."
"So . . . another Cliffhanger? Juliette asked.
Yes." Peter stepped aside. A girl with blue eyes and dirty blond, long hair stood there. She looked nervous and despite the fair weather, she wore a dark blue, zipped up jacket. She looked around 13 or 14, turning into a teenager."This is Annie Miller. She's from Arizona. Does anyone know where that is?" Peter asked.
"Somewhere near California?" Ezra guessed.
"Correct. A warm state. Gets up to 115 degrees. Unlike here, when we go below." He paused for a moment.
"Now I have business to do, so can anyone show her around? She already knows where her dorm is."
"Sorry Daisy, Shelby, and I are practicing tumbling moves." The three left.
"I promised to help," Auggie said, following them out.
"Ezra?"
"I'm on a role," he held a notebook up, "105 pages." He continued to write.
"Scott?"
"I'm eating."
"After."
"I-."
"Good. You'll give Annie a tour, after your eating." Scott sighed, as Peter turned to Annie.
"Do you mind waiting while he eats?" Peter asked Annie. She shook her head.
"I'll check on you later." He left the two.
Scott continued to eat. Annie leaned against the wall, waiting and observing the other kids."Ready?" Scott asked as he stood up. Annie looked at him and followed. Scott showed her the classrooms, including the gym where the others were working. Annie stood back while Scott started conversation. Scott gave Shelby a kiss.
"Aren't you supposed to be giving Annie a tour?" Daisy reminded him.
"Sush, Goth."
"What's she like?" Shelby asked.
"Quiet and like a dog that follows your every move."
"She's just nervous," Juliette said, doing some cross stretches.
"Hey Scott, aren't you-"
"Yeah, I know," Scott said as Ezra strolled up.
"Go finish your tour so you can come back and play," Shelby ordered Scott. They smiled at each other. Then shared a passionate kiss.
"Get a room!" Auggie yelled, picking up Ezra's pencil and throwing it at Scott, hitting him. When they finished their kiss, Scott throws the pencil at Auggie and goes over to Annie.
They walked away, Scott leading. Scott suddenly stopped, so did Annie. She stared at him as he turned to look at her. He then continued to walk. Annie watched him go a few feet then went to catch up.
"Too much like a dog," Shelby whispered, watching them leave.
"Are you playing me or something?" Scott turned to her.
"Playing what? I'm not playing anything," She said.
"Hey you talk." Annie glared at him. She didn't want to be the first to say anything, but Scott seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"Don't start on me," She threw.
"Don't start on you? I'll do whatever I want to.'
'Why in the world are you here?" He added.
"Why are you here?"
"I asked you first."
"You asked me a question, I answered. I asked you a question, you didn't answer. So when you answer one of my questions, I'll answer another one of yours." Annie reasoned.
Scott stared at her for a moment, thinking."All right. I used to be a scalar, began getting bad grades, and did drugs so my dad sent me here. You?"
"Straight A student, started getting my sister's attitude, took my dad's pills, got bad grades, ditched classes, and ran away from home. My dad couldn't stand me anymore, so here I am."
"You live with your dad?" Scott asked.
"Yep, my dad, sister, stepmom, and stepsister. You?"
"My dad, stepmom, and sibling on the way. Where's you're mom?"
"Lives in the middle of no where with a con artist and their four children. And acts as if I don't exist. Yours?"
"Lives alone. I keep in touch."
"Soon coming? I remember saying that three times. I've never seen my other step sister." Annie was starting to feel a bit comfortable.
"I'm not entirely sure I'll get to see my sibling or how I'll react. I've always been the only child," Scott admitted.
"I wish I had been an only child." Annie's eyes went distant, daydreaming. Suddenly she snapped out of it and noticed Scott staring at her.
"What?" She asked, annoyed and embarrassed.
"Nothing." He shook his head. They said nothing for the remainder of the tour.
Up ahead was a giant rock wall. Scott spotted the Cliffhangers and went over, with Annie in toe.
"Ever been on a rock wall?" Peter asked Annie. She looked at the very top, where Juliette and Auggie were racing.
"A small one at school. We didn't need a harness." Her voice was small.
"Want to try?" Annie looked up at it again. Then at Peter, shaking her head.
"Maybe later. I'm tired from the trip."
"Okay." Peter let her leave.
Annie was pretending to walk to the girl's dorm. She wasn't all that tired. She could nap later. Right now she wanted to be alone, or away from any other human beings, at least. Annie walked close to the woods. But loved the sound of nature: the birds and the sound of rustling leaves so walked into them. She wondered if it had rained before she had gotten to Horizon because the ground was moist and a small pool of water sat near by.She sat down on a rather large rock and played in the water: placing a leaf in it and taking a stick twirling it in the water. Annie froze; a brown squirrel had run down a tree and was now searching for some nuts. It found one, nibbling on it. Something startled it and it took off up the tree. Annie closed her eyes, feeling everything fall away. It was just her and nature: No one else. Even though she was alone, she was happy.
Peter and Sophie are finished with a meeting with a student and parent. Sophie walks behind Peter, hugging him.
"Have we gotten Annie's files from the doctor?" Sophie asked.
"No, he had to leave in an emergency and forgot to give me them. He said he'd get them to me first thing tomorrow." Sophie nodded.
After a long while Annie decided to head back to the dorm, hoping no one would be there. To her luck, no one was there. She went over to her bed, the furthest from the door and right next to the bathroom, and lied down. Getting comfortable on her stomach, she closed her eyes.
"I beat you," Daisy said to Shelby.
"No, you didn't."
"Yes, I did." The two, along with Juliette entered the dorm.
"Shhh." Juliette told them and pointed to Annie, who is fast asleep. They looked at her.
"Did not," Shelby whispered.
"Did to."
"Did not."
"Be quiet you two. It was a tie."
They each sat on their beds. Juliette got out a book and started reading. While Shelby redid her makeup. Daisy went over to Shelby and played with her hair.
Sophie walked in.
"Its you're kitchen duty, girls," She told them. Juliette sighed while Sophie eyed Annie.
"How long has she been asleep?"
"Don't know. She was asleep when we came in here. That was at least a half hour ago," Daisy answered. Sophie nodded.
"Come on you three."
"So Annie doesn't have to do anything?" Shelby complained.
"It's her first day. Plus she's tired."
"What a pain. If Annie was here helping us, we'd probably be done by now," Shelby complained some more as they worked.
"You should be used to it by now."
"Shut up."
"No." Scott smiled.
"Hey Scott, did you get anything on the new girl?" Auggie asked.
Annie woke, not opening her eyes. She didn't hear voices or movement. Opening them, she realized she was still alone, unless they had left. She glanced around the dorm, suddenly feeling very alone and scared. Tears began to fall down her cheeks. She put her head in her arms, her shoulders shaking to her sobs.
"Um yeah. She lives with her dad and used to be a straight A student. Her mom lives with four children and a con artist."
"Con artist?" Daisy asked.
"Yeah someone who pretends to be someone they're not."
"I know what a con artist is, Scott. I was just making a remark."
"Straight A student, eh," Auggie said while rinsing the cup in his hand.
"So the four children are her halves?"
"Yeah. She has a whole sister and another half, too."
"I sure hope she's whole," Ezra joked.
"Funny Ezra, real funny."
Annie now lied on her side, calmer now. Some tears still rolled down her face. A moment later she closed her eyes, letting the last tears fall and then wiped her face with her jacket.
"Anything else?" Juliette asked.
"She ran away from home once," Scott answered her.
Annie searched the room for tissues. Finally she just went into the bathroom and took some toilet paper to blow her nose. She washed her face, looking at herself in the mirror. When her face and eyes went back to normal color, she decided to go find someone. She redid her ponytail and left the dorm.
A few yards away she spotted Scott. He wasn't alone; someone was with him. Annie slowed down, so they wouldn't notice her.
"Where's Ezra?" Auggie asked.
"Don't know." Scott then turned around, seeing Annie.
"Hey!" He called, motioning for her to come over. She stared at him walking over. Scott stopped so she could catch up.
"Hi," He greeted with a smile. Annie looked at the other boy, then said "hi." Scott noticed that she didn't fully know who he was.
"This is Auggie," Scott introduced them. Auggie said, "hello."
"What are you doing?" Scott asked.
"Walking."
"Aren't you hungry?" Annie shrugged.
"Well, its dinner time."
"Oh." Another boy came running up.
"Sorry," He said. He studied the girl.
"Hi, Annie right?" She nodded, "Ezra Freidkin."
"Hi." Annie said to him. The group walked into the dining area and got in line for food. Annie followed them to the table and sat beside Scott. The group started conversation about the day. Scott glanced at Annie.
"Not hungry?" He asked, as she played with her food. She had touched her fruit and potatoes, but not the chicken. Annie shrugged. Peter walked up to the table.
"How we doing?" He asked.
"Fine," Some replayed.
"Fitting in?" Peter turned to Annie.
"I guess."
"It'll take awhile to get used to. Mean while, eat up." He pointed to her plate and went off.
Annie ate a bit more, then picked at her chicken, waiting for Scott to finish. Scott, along with Shelby, got up. Annie just sat there and ate another piece of chicken. After a while she got up and departed to the dorm.
She sat on her bed, thinking of something to do. The others must have had something else to so because she was alone again. She rummaged under her bed and pulled out a scratching pad, pencil, and drawing book. She flipped though the pages of the book and began drawing an animal.
She glanced up as the girls walked in. They seemed to be talking about something, but Annie didn't pay attention.
Something then landed on the bed, making her jump. She looked at it, confused. Her eyes softened at what it was; a black kitten. It stretched its head out to sniff her.
"Your cute. Do you have a name?" Annie pet it.
"Angel," Daisy answered. Annie looked at Daisy for a moment.
"Are you an Angel, Angel?" She picked her up.
"No," Daisy answered again.
"Well then, you should grow to fit our name or are you an opposite cat?" Angel started to purr. Annie looked up and noticed that Juliette had a fluffy black kitten in her arms. The kitten seemed tense.
"This is Fluffy," Juliette brought her over. Fluffy tried to escape.
"Now stop it, you."
Annie let Angel go, which Daisy gathered in her arms. Juliette gave Annie Fluffy. Annie held Fluffy with one arm and pet her with the other.
"I won't hurt you, see," Annie said in a soothing voice. After a bit fluffy relaxed a fraction.
"Want to go?" Annie let go and she ran under Juliette's bed.
"Fluffy!" Juliette went to the bed, trying to cox her out.
"Darn cat, you're so timid."
"Sorry, I should have given her to you," Annie apologized, feeling stupid now.
"Never mind, she'll come out later." Daisy began to brush Angel, while Shelby and Juliette talked. Annie went back to her drawling. Annie completed it with a few more animals and some scenery. Finding one of her folders, she put it away. Annie felt tied and lied down, closing her eyes. She felt Angel jump on the bed and lie next to her.
Annie heard the door and opened her eyes halfway. She saw Peter in the doorway.
"Hi, girls. Came to check up on you," He remarked. Then gazed at Annie, who looked back at him and slowly closed her eyes.
"It seems that Angel has taken a liking to Annie," Peter noted.
"Fluffy hasn't. She's hiding under my bed," Juliette said.
"Fluffy will get used to her in time."
"I hope so, or she'll be living under there for the rest of her life."
"Let me try to fish her out," Peter suggested. He searched under the bed for her and carefully grabbed her.
"Here she is." He handed Fluffy to Juliette, who immediately started to brush her. Fluffy stayed. Peter looked back at Annie.
"How long has she been out?"
"She lied down just before you came in," Daisy answered, "Does she have a sleeping sickness or something?" She added.
"Sophie said she didn't sleep that well on the way here. It must have caught up to her."
Leaving he said, "Sophie will come in before bedtime to check up on you gals."
When he was gone Juliette looked at Shelby and Daisy.
"Why is he checking up on us all the time so suddenly?"
"Maybe he's checking up on everyone. Making sure everything is okay." Daisy suggested.
"Maybe an escaped con is hiding out in the mountains and he wants to know where we are at all times."
"Shelby!" The two girls yelled at her insane suggestion.
"It could happen." Shelby shrugged.
"Hmm . . ." She said quietly.
"Hmm what?" Shelby asked. She looked at the spot where Daisy was looking. So did Juliette.
"Your thinking it has something to do with her?" Shelby asked.
"Yes, maybe she has to be watched."
"Why?" Shelby asked.
"I don't know, maybe she has a condition of some type."
"Nah, he probably just wants to keep a closer eye on everyone," Shelby said, going back to her own bed.
"What about your escaped con theory?" Juliette asked.
"Quiet, Jules." Shelby got a book out and started reading it. Jules and Daisy did the same.
Annie hadn't been asleep; she just lied there like she was. She could fake it very well. She took a deep breath and shifted. It had gotten quiet all of a sudden. Annie could hear pages being flipped, so she figured they were reading. If they liked to read maybe they wouldn't tease her for reading, like the kids at her old school did. But then again they were older and more mature then her school was.
Annie sat up, watching them. They were all reading. Juliette glanced at her as she did. Annie got off her bed and searched for a book in her desk. Most of her books were Star Wars, Heartland, Wishbone, and a few miscellanies. She had read all her Star Wars and Heartland books, so she grabbed a Wishbone book. Lying on her bed, she opened The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
As Annie finished chapter two, Angel meowed, going up to her. Angel climbed on her back. Then started eating her hair.
"Hey, stop that." Annie told her and pulled her hair away from the kitten's reach. Angel settled for her jacket, chewing on the hood.
"What do you want?" Annie got up, dislodging the annoying kitten. Angel meowed, walking up to her and rubbing against her leg.
"Do you want attention?" Annie asked her, petting her head. Angel started purring and meowed a few more times. Annie picked her up. Angel tried to eat her hair again.
"Stop it, would you like it if I ate your hair?" Annie bent down to kiss her.
"Meow," Angel responded to the kiss.
"Meow yourself." Angel wanted down, so Annie let her down.
Annie searched the room for a cat's toy and spotted a mouse, and teased Angel with it; holding it a few inches away from her face.
"You want it? You have to beg for it," Annie teased. Angel sat up on her hind legs and reached for it. Annie let her have it.
Daisy took a ball and started playing with it. It caught Angel's attention and she went for it. Annie watched them play. She was angry, confused, and hurt that Daisy had taken the kitten away.
Juliette sat next to her.
"Hi," she said to Annie, "I'm Juliette."
"Hi," Annie said back, pretending that Daisy taking Angel away didn't bother her.
"So why are you here?"
"Why the sudden interest?" Annie let some annoyance enter her voice, but she didn't want the girl to get mad at her, "You've had all day to ask."
"Been busy," Jules answered. Annie explained again why she was sent to Horizon.
"So why are you here, since I answered your question."
"Seems fair.'
'I'm a cutter and I have bulimia," Jules answered.
"Oh," Annie glanced around the room.
"That's Daisy, she's gothic and can read cards. And that's Shelby, don't mess with her. All of us are paired into couples; Auggie and me, Ezra and Daisy, and then Scott and Shelby."
Annie noticed she was alone, with no partner. That almost brought tears to her eyes, but she forced them back.
"Hopefully we'll have another Cliffhanger come along, so you can partner up, as well." She got up and tried to catch Fluffy as she went back under the bed. Annie stared at the wall, thinking.
Someone sat ton the bed again. Annie looked over and was confused at who it was; Daisy.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Visualizing a TV."
"What's on?"
"Friends."
"What episode?" Daisy asked.
"The one when Joey auctions for a boat."
"That's a funny one." They stared at the wall.
Shelby got up and went for the door.
"Where are you going?" Asked Juliette.
"For a walk," She answered.
"I'm coming with you." Daisy ran to catch up.
"Fluffy, please come here," Jules tried again and again to coax her out.
"Let me try," Annie offered.
"Go ahead." Annie easily squeezed between the bed and floor and grabbed the kitten. She handed her to Juliette.
"Your skinner than me!" Jules exclaimed.
Annie shrugged, "I'm younger, so naturally I'm skinner."
"The cats have to back to their house, want to help me?"
"Sure," Annie and her took a cat, heading out. Annie draws her jacket closer around her. Juliette opened a door to a small hut. Inside are three cages; one has a rabbit, another a lizard, and a hamster. Another larger cage was empty and they set the kittens in there.
"These are rescues. Every few months they're taken here so we can take care of them. It teaches reasonability. We only have to spend 30 minutes with them each day and clean up after them.
"No dogs," Annie noted.
"Dogs require more work," Jules explained. They passed the docks and saw a couple making out; it was Scott and Shelby.
"They really love each other, don't they?" Annie asked.
"Yep, they've been broken up before, but they always get back together. Nothing can separate those love birds."
"I wish I had someone to love me like that," Annie whispered to herself.
"What?" Juliette heard her mumble.
"When's bed time?" She covered up with that.
"Ten-thirty."
"And where have you been?" Juliette asked as Shelby came in.
"None of your business."
"And you Daisy?"
"Talking to Ezra, is that bad?"
"Guess not." Jules said.
"Where's the new girl?"
"She has a name, Shelby."
"Fine, where's Annie?"
"Shower."
"Shower?" Shelby was confused, "It's only eight-thirty."
"Apparently she's tired or dirty from the trip here," Juliette said.
Annie came out of the bathroom in light blue, lose PJ's. Her hair was down and still wet, which caused her to shiver to the sudden cold. She sat on the bed, seeing Daisy and Shelby sitting on a bed, seeming to be playing a card trick. Juliette is watching from her bed.
"Something this week is going to upset you," Daisy said to Shelby.
"Doesn't that happen every week?" Jules asked, she received a glare from Shelby.
"What; extra work?"
"You'll find out when it comes.'
'You'll also go the wrong way with something or someone." Annie realized that She was telling Shelby's fortune.
"Interesting?" Daisy asked her, snapping her out of her sudden daydreaming.
"Believe in witchcraft and such?"
"A little," Annie answered.
"I could tell you your fortune."
"No thanks. I like my life to be a surprise than waiting and dreading something to happen."
"Suit yourself." Daisy shrugged, putting the cards away. As the others talked, Annie read more of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Feeling drowsy, she covered up with the blankets, going to bed. Images floated in her mind as she drifted to sleep.
"She sleeps way too much," said Shelby.
"Why is it your concern?" Daisy asked.
"It's not, but she'll probably fall asleep during classes tomorrow." She shrugged.
"She should be rested by then," Juliette explained to them.
