Weekend

"Hey," Ezra greeted the group, going over to Daisy and putting his arms around her.

"Why are you cheery?" Asked Juliette.

"I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning," He explained.

"So you always wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Scott asked, making everyone giggle.

"I was joking, I'm cheery because I'm cheery. What's wrong with that?"

"Everything," Shelby put in. Ezra rolled his eyes.

"You're ruining my cheeriness."

Peter went up to them, "Enjoying the weekend?"

"Sure," Auggie answered. Peter nodded. Noticing Ezra and Daisy, he chided them.

"Sorry," They said.

"Sorry isn't good enough guys. Show me you can do it and then I'll know you are.'

'I need a volunteer," Of course no one stepped forward toward the invitation, "Come on, Sophie needs someone to help her out while I go pick Annie up from the hospital," Peter told them.

Sighing Auggie said, "I'll help."

"Thank you, and on next kitchen duty you get a day off." Auggie snickered as he left with Peter, knowing everyone else wanted to volunteer now.


Annie stayed silent the entire trip back to Horizon. She leaned as close as she could to the window, to get away from Peter.

"How are you feeling?" He tried to get an answer from her. He had heard that she gave a fight when the doctor tried to check her for the last time. Peter was wondering why. They already knew her records and that she cut herself. What else could there be? He was really starting to consider physical abuse.

Annie shivered in the corner of the seat. He glanced at her. She barely glanced at him, but quickly looked away.

Peter got out of the vehicle; a red mini van was out front. He glanced at Annie who had slammed the jeep door, and then he went to the van.

"May I help you?" He asked the man who had stepped out of the vehicle.

"I'm looking for MT. Horizon," The said, drunkenly.

"This is it."

"I'm Mr. Jacobs." They shook hands in greeting.

"Is there a reason you're here?"

"My son, I don't know what to do any more. My wife ran out, leaving nothing. Influence of drugs and his friends. I can't deal with him any more. He's driven me to drink. Someone told me about this place. I thought maybe you can help him."

"Usually people make appointments before coming, but maybe we can make an exception. Just wait in my office while I do something and I'll get right to you." Peter showed him inside and went back to Annie. She was leaning against the truck.

"You need sleep. Go on to the infirmary, it'll be quieter," Peter told her.

Peter opened the door, but closed it when Sophie ran up.

"Is someone here?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"There were no appointments."

"I know, he's desperate," Peter explained.

"Want help?"

Peter shook his head, "No, but you can watch Annie to make sure she gets to the infirmary and gets some sleep." She nodded and went after Annie.


Annie leaned against the wall, sitting on the bed. She was fiddling with the blankets around her. Sophie was in the room with her and had started asking questions when Annie hadn't been able to fall asleep. Annie was refusing to answer.

"Do you want something or I can get Peter?" Sophie tried her again. Annie continued to stare at the wall, she looked like she was in a trance.

"Annie?" Sophie was wondering if the drugs they had given her for pain had worn off, but they should have by now. She kept quiet, thinking if it was silent, Annie would drift off to sleep. It would have worked, but someone opened the door.

"Peter wants to see you," Said Roger.

Sophie nodded and got up. Roger closed the door behind her; he came in and sat in the chair Sophie had been sitting in. He looked at Annie. She glanced away quickly when he did.

"You probably don't know me. I'm Roger Claypool." He got Annie's attention. She tilted her head at him, still under the drugs' influence. The doctors hadn't found out, but Annie had increased the level pumping into her body and had stolen some pills. No one knew yet, and she attended it to stay that way. Annie blinked once at him, then turned away, uninterested. She yawned, continuing to fiddle with the blankets. Shivering she drew them closer and got comfortable on her side. She felt uneasy being watched, so shifted away from him, so he couldn't see her face. Annie closed her eyes, feeling nothing but warmth . . .


"How long has this been going on?" Peter asked Mr. Jacobs.

"Well about six months, it was small in the beginning but grew more of a problem. I knew his mother running was going to be rough on him, but I didn't think it would get this terrible."

"Could there be any other problems, such as friends, grades, any medical problems, anything like that?" Sophie asked.

"He didn't have many friends, until now, but the whole town is drugs. He had average grades and has asthma and has difficulty reading," Peter nodded, "But the thing is that he would be good for a week and then something would get him mad and he'd start throwing things and yelling."

"Does he ever talk to you?"

"He used to, but then decided it was stupid, that it was something a sissy kid would do."

"And he'd tell you he had problems at school?"

"Yeah, with friends and stuff," Jacobs responded.

"We'll have to think about it and make a decision. We don't have much room, but he could fit into the Trackers or Night Crawlers group."

"Thank you, thank you so much." Mr. Jacobs stood up, shaking they're hands.

"We haven't done anything yet," Peter reminded him.

"I know, but just thinking there's a chance is enough for now." Peter smiled and shook his hand one last time before he left.

"We have to do something," Sophie said, watching the van leave.

"We'll do what we can, right now, we need to make sure everything is alright with everyone here and we have Cliffhanger's group in ten minutes. I'm going to fetch Annie, meet you in ten." Peter walked off.


Roger was standing up, his hands held out defensively as Peter came in. Annie's standing on her bed.

"What's going on?" Peter asked.

"I went to check if she was sleeping and she started screaming when I got near her." Peter studied her.

She was barely rocking back and forth on the bed. She was confused and looked scared. Peter stepped toward her, making her cautiously step back.

"Come on Annie, no one's going to hurt you. Get down from the bed so we can go to group," Peter said soothingly. She glanced away from him, uncertainly and her eyes softened.

"Come on, get down." Peter looked into her eyes, but she turned away to fast for him to tell anything. He stopped walking forward, because she moved back every time he did.

"Okay, how about this, I'll ask you a question, if I'm right, you step forward. If I'm wrong you can step back." Peter wondered if she'd ever seen The Sixth Sense.

"Is your real name Annie?" Annie almost moved, but she sat down instead.

"Don't want to play?'

'That's all right, but we need to get to group."


"Okay, today we are going to talk about siblings," Peter confirmed, starting Cliffhanger's group.

"How does this concern me? I have no sibs and some others don't either," Ezra asked.

"Cousins, perhaps?"

"Yeah."

"That's good enough.'

'Shelby I would like you to start," Peter said.

"What am I supposed to say about Jess?"

"Likes and dislikes about her, something about her, etc."

"Well, Jess is younger than me and when Walt turned to her, he was sent to jail. Everyone mostly knows her since she came here, saying that problem. I'm happy that she isn't going to become like me and be scared."

"Good enough Shel. Auggie how about you?"

"Well I have a few brothers, all which are in gangs and I almost got into that. Luckily I didn't, but I hate it that my brothers think that life is all drugs and girls, but if I was in trouble they would defend me," Auggie told them. Peter nodded, letting Ezra go next.

"I have no sibs, but I guess a cousin is as close as I'll get to one. My one cousin, Joseph, was very nice and Natalie, his sister, was very mean and totally girlie. I don't know them well enough to say anything more," Ezra explained.

"I don't have any sibs either, but when I was younger I had an imaginary sister. She liked to do everything I did and hated when my parents fought as much as I did. My only cousin is about twenty and I've never met her," Daisy said next.

"I have lots of sibs, all perfect. I even have another one the way. Not sure what it's going to be yet. All of them are girls so far. I hate all of them for being so perfect and I've never gotten close to any of them. All of them are older." Juliette stared at the floor when she was done and Daisy put an arm around her in friendship.

"Good job, Juliette.' Everyone looked at Annie, who was sitting by herself on the floor.

'Annie, its your turn."

"I have one whole sis, two half sisters and three half brothers. I hate my three brothers and my one half sis, that I have never seen, which were brought up by my mom. I hate my whole sis, but I love my half sister that is only two. My steps curse from the time they can talk and my sister is a brat." Annie almost said something else, but then thought better of it. Even though she couldn't think clearly. She didn't want questions.

"Scott?"

"My step mom is having a kid of my dad's. It has been proven. I don't know what to say about it. I don't know whether to be happy or angry, but I am glad it isn't mine. I've never met any cousins. I'm not sure I even have any."

"Very good everyone," Peter congratulated, "Now I heard you all have a book report due on the Old Curiosity House by Charles Dickens, so get to it."


"Aren't you going to get started?" Shelby asked Juliette. She didn't answer.

"Jules?

"What?"

"Aren't you going to get started?" Juliette shook her head.

"Jules, don't let your new sibling get to you. Who cares if it's going to be prefect? Maybe it won't. You're mom is going to win if you let this get under your skin, so don't let it."

"You're right. Thanks," Juliette smiled, but she wasn't at all convinced, but happy she had friends that cared so much. She, with Shelby and Daisy, read aloud the book. Annie read on her bed alone, but she didn't mind at that moment. She read faster when she read in her head. She was lost in the book, seeing the images float in her mind, as if it was a movie.