DISCLAIMER

Wow. I'm dishin' 'em out on you guys. Sorry. I guess I just don't want to leave you guys hangin', since this is being done during the school semester. Of course, I'd probably never be able to put something up during finals, but we're not there yet. Once again, the Hunter family belongs to Universal Pictures and everything else belongs to Fox Family.

After everybody had been introduced, the Cliffhangers plus Kyle went into the lodge to get their meal. As soon as they had gotten their trays, they all went to a table and sat down. Kyle looked uncertainly at the food before him.

"It's not as bad as it looks. Really," Katherine assured him.

"Oh, I don't know. They say cafeteria food kills," Daisy deadpanned.

"Ain't that the truth?" Kyle chuckled. Seeing that the ice was broken, Juliette decided to take the plunge.

"So, why are you here?" she asked.

"Why are you here?" Kyle retorted.

"I'm a cutter and binge-purge queen. I sold laxatives to the entire sophomore class and landed in the hospital twice," Juliette responded.

"I was…betrayed by someone I thought I could trust," Kyle said. Only Scott and Shelby noticed the slight twitch in his throat muscles.

"Ah, yes. Betrayal. The root of all our problems," Daisy said dryly. Confused, Kyle looked to the others.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," Ezra assured. Kyle looked at his food, and then decided to take a chance. Cautiously, he poked a fork in what appeared to be ham and stuck it in his mouth.

"Hey. This ain't bad," he stated. Everyone laughed. After finishing dinner, the Cliffhangers met in the main lodge for group.

"Okay, here's the deal. Each one of you is going to say how you feel and why. Auggie, you start," Peter instructed.

"I feel proud. I was able to finish a reading assignment in just one hour," Auggie stated. Ezra whistled. Since he was dyslexic, finishing a book in one hour was no mean feat for Auggie.

"I also feel proud. I haven't cut or messed up my calorie count for two weeks," Juliette announced.

"That's great, Jules," Katherine complimented. Then, "I'm happy. My internship's going great."

"Bored. Group's not my favorite thing. I'd rather be doing something else," David stated.

"Nervous. I---I---I still sometimes have nightmares," Jess confessed.

"I feel relieved that Jess is here with me, away from that monster," Shelby added.

"I feel confused. I got a call from my dad yesterday and I'm not sure what to make of it," Ezra said.

"Well, I got a postcard from daddy-dearest saying that he's been sober for six weeks, so I'm proud of him," Daisy announced.

"I'm happy that my life's basically back on track and that I'm no longer with that skank," Scott said with some venom. Everyone looked to Kyle.

"I'm…overwhelmed. This is a new place for me and I'm not sure what to make of it," he said.

"Okay, then," Peter accepted. That was a valid feeling. With that, they were dismissed. Later that night, Kyle tossed and turned in his sleep. He let out a small moan. He couldn't escape. He was trapped in his nightmare.

"So, how do you feel, Kyle?" Harry Quinlan asked.

"Okay, I guess," Kyle replied with a shrug.

"Just okay?" Harry queried.

"Yeah," Kyle confirmed.

"What's wrong, Kyle? You can tell me. We're special friends, aren't we?" Harry questioned, putting a hand on the boy's knee. Kyle stiffened.

"There's nothing wrong, Dr. Quinlan. I'm fine," was all he said.

"'Dr. Quinlan'?" Harry repeated. "Why so formal, Kyle? I thought we were special friends," he continued, moving his hand upward.

"No," Kyle moaned. "No. Don't. Please."

"No!" Kyle shouted, jerking awake. At this, Scott, Ezra, Auggie, and David made muttering noises.

"What's goin' on?" Auggie wondered.

"I---I just had a bad dream. Go back to sleep, guys," Kyle responded. The other boys did so, but Kyle merely turned his face into his pillow and sobbed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

For those of you who are wondering, Kyle will eventually reveal to the Cliffhangers what happened to him, which will lead to the friendship between him, Scott, and Shelby. Please be patient.