World Turned Black

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING:-)

Chapter 11

The sun was just rising above the Horizon, and all was quiet except for in the middle of the campus where the Cliffhangers were gathered. They were all either complaining or falling asleep on each other. Peter walked out of his office and upon approaching the group complaining to Sophie, clapped his hands to get the attention of all.

"Ok, does everyone have everything?"

"Peter, come on, why can't we ever just leave at a more normal time?" Juliette complained in one of her whiny voices

"Because, then we would either never get anywhere, or would have to spend extra days in the woods," He replied exasperated then smiled, "But hey, if you all want to spend more days out there, that's fine with me."

David spoke up, "Hey, if we stay out longer, we miss school for a few days, I'm fine with that!" He laughed and the group agreed

"Actually, you'd get back right before school started," He smiled, "Ok guys, let's stop complaining, we're losing daylight."

"What daylight?" Shelby looked at him like he was stupid; it was still practically dark out

"Exactly, ok let's get going, Scott can I talk to you for a second?"

Scott, who was sitting in the grass and leaning his head on one of the benches, looked up suddenly upon hearing his name; he wondered what Peter needed to tell him. They all started on the hike, Peter let everyone pass, until Scott walked up to them, and they began walking.

"Scott, are you alright?" He looked at the boy intently

"Yea…why do you ask?" he wondered looking back at Peter who seemed to be trying to look through him

"Scott listen, I know that whatever happened over the summer has been hard on you, but I think it will be best for you if you just let it out."

Scott just turned his head to face forward, best for me? He thought, what would be best for him would be that his father wouldn't visit, but Scott knew that wouldn't happen, "Look Peter, I don't know what your talking about, nothing happened over the summer."

"Scott, who are you protecting?" He continued, "Look at you; this isn't who you were when you left."

"Who I was? This is who I was, who I am," he looked annoyed, "Nothings different."

"Scott everything's different, you left here physically and mentally different, then you are now. You come back bruised and broken, Scott you can say that you were in a fight all you want, but you've been in fights before, and never has any one of them changed you like this "fight" has. Why can't you just let go, it will make you feel better."

Scott was tired of this conversation, "Make me feel better or you feel better? You know what Peter? I am so tired of talking about everything, maybe there's just nothing to talk about, maybe I like how I look, how I act. Maybe this is the real me, ever think of that?" Scott felt horrible lying to Peter, but the sooner he got off his case, the easier it would be for Scott to continue lying

Peter sighed, "This is you huh?"

"Yea."

"And you're going to stick with that?"

"What are you talking about; it's not just some lie ok?"

"Yea ok, but when your ready to talk about the "fake" you, and why you've changed into the "real" you, I'm here." Peter knew it would be hard to get anything out of Scott, but this was getting ridiculous, "Oh and by the way, this morning your dad called." He stared at Scott who seemed to tense up at the mention of his father, "Scott look at me," He did and Peter continued, "There coming up next week, if there's anything you want to tell me before they come, you know you can."

"Like what?" Scott was playing dumb and Peter knew it, he was really scared out of his mind

"Like why you don't want them to come."

"What kid ever wants their parents to come up?"

"The one's who miss them."

"Yea well…maybe I miss them."

"Really." It was a sarcastic remark, he knew Scott was lying

"Really, can I go now?"

Peter again sighed, "Sure, go ahead, but like I said, if you want to talk about anything, I'm always here, ok?"

"Yea, sure, ok." And with that he walked up to where Shelby and Daisy were walking

Sophie stopped and waited until Peter caught up with her, "Any luck?"

"Nope, he's a closed book, I have to try and think of something, he obviously doesn't want his parents to come, but he won't say why."

"Does any kid ever want their parents to come?"

Peter smiled, "What did you tell him to say that?"

And they continued to walk for a few miles until Peter stopped the group for a break, "Ok, five minutes, then we're going to start up again, there's only three miles until camp, we're making good time, I'm proud of you all!" He smiled at the group who returned it with grunts of exhaustion

Scott, Shelby, and Daisy were sitting on logs talking to each other. Daisy was telling them about the warning her tarot cards gave them, "Look, I'm telling you, the cards don't lie."

"That stuff is all crap." Shelby tried to cover up her nervousness

Scott sensed that she was scared, "Yea, it's fake." He smiled at Shelby

"Believe what you want, but just be careful ok?" They both shook their heads yes, "I don't like the looks Zack and Lexi have been giving the two of you."

"You are way too paranoid Daisy, why would you even assume that Lexi and I would ever plot against the cutest couple at Horizon?" Zack and Lexi had come into the conversation

"Not to say that we wouldn't love to see the two of you break up." Lexi piped up

Just as all three were about to protest, Peter spoke up, "Ok, Five minutes are up, everyone let's go!" and so they continued on

Upon reaching camp, Sophie and Peter stood in front of the obviously tired group, "Ok, everyone set up camp, you have twenty minutes, and then we will have group. Sophie has the sleeping arrangements," He looked at her, "Sophie?"

"Ok, the girls are, Juliette and Daisy, Shelby and Lexi. And in the boy's, there is, in the bigger tent, Auggie, Ezra, and David. In the other one, Zack and Scott."

Scott and Shelby looked at each other, then at Daisy, she just made a face that said I told you. They walked up to Peter, "You have to be kidding." They said at the same time

"Look, we didn't just put you with each other, actually, we just picked randomly." It was the truth, Peter wanted to change the arrangements, but Sophie said she thought they might benefit from them

"Come on, I'd rather sleep outside." Scott complained

Peter laughed, "Sorry Mr. Barringer, there will be no sleeping under the stars, a storm is coming in, I checked before we left.

"Then why are we out here, isn't it dangerous, remember last time there was a storm during the solos?" Shelby reminded him

"That was different; this storm won't be as bad."

With a huff they both went to their respective destinations and helped to set up

After adding an extra twenty minutes to the original plan since Shelby and Lexi couldn't seem to work together to get the tent up, the Cliffhangers gathered around the fire that Peter had begun, it was time for group.

"Tonight's topic for discussion is keeping secrets, good or bad," He looked at each of them, receiving a glare from Scott who obviously knew this was based on their previous discussion, "Ezra, why don't you start us off."

"Umm, ok," The boy began, "Well, I…what do you mean by good or bad. I mean I know what you mean, but I don't know what to say."

Before Peter could answer, Scott spoke up, "He wants you to say that bad secrets shouldn't be kept, that they only eat away at you," He looked annoyingly at Peter, "Right?"

"Well, that what the topic is, you can answer however you feel Scott."

"Then I say that if a person has a secret, it's theirs, not anyone else's to say whether they should tell or not." Scott said, trying to make his point

"But what if that secret could ultimately destroy the person?" Peter said trying to tell his side

"Then it's their decision," He thought for a moment then added, "Maybe being destroyed by the secret in the end is a better alternative to what would happen if the secret was told," He stared Peter right in the eyes, "Or maybe either way the person would be destroyed."

Peter sat there communicating with Scott, while everyone else had no idea what they were talking about, and just sat in confusion while watching the tennis like talk between the two people.

"Did you ever think that maybe that's not true, maybe if the person told they would be fine, nothing bad would happen?"

"Yea, because everything always turns out good right?" Scott was referring to telling about Elaine

"No, but it doesn't always turn out bad, and there are always people to protect the person, to help them, take care of them, pick them up when they fall."

Scott was fighting with himself through the entire conversation, deep down he just wanted to tell right now, to just scream out everything that had happened, but he knew not even Peter, not even CPS could protect him from what would happen if he let his secret slide, so he shook his head, "But sometimes it's just not enough, sometimes there's nothing any one can do, sometimes it's just not worth it." He was no longer mad, but he had to make Peter understand that he couldn't tell.

"It will always be enough, there's always something someone can do, and Scott?" He looked up from the ground, tears in his eyes, why didn't Peter understand? "Scott, it's always worth it."

"Well, this time it's not." He stood up and walked into his and Zack's tent

"Just let him go, I think we should end group, it's time for dinner anyway. By the looks of the sky, the storm should be here in an hour at the most, so make sure you have anything that shouldn't get wet in your tent already."

Juliette and Auggie passed out the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches Ezra and Daisy had made before eating, Shelby took hers and one she got for Scott and went over to his tent.

"Scott?" She pulled back the cover to see Scott crying silently almost, "Oh Scott!" She went over to him and pulled him into a hug

Sophie also got Scott and sandwich and brought it over to the tent, she heard two voices conversing, one muffled, so she slowly pulled the cover and saw Scott and Shelby talking while Shelby rocked him in a hug. She saw that Scott was obviously been crying, and although she knew Shelby shouldn't be in there, Scott was hurting and needed her right then, so she walked back to where Peter was sitting.

"What happened?" Peter motioned to the extra sandwich

"Peter, it really breaks my heart, that poor kid." She said sadly

"I know, but until he realizes that he will be safe if he tells, nothing will get better for him."

Back in the tent, Scott had stopped crying.

"Look, I just can't tell ok?"

"Well, can't you at least tell me? You know I won't tell any one."

"It's not that I don't trust you, believe me, I would trust you with my life."

"Then what is it Scott?"

"I just…you don't understand ok?" he looked at her sadly, "I'm sorry ok."

She returned the look, "Well, whenever this gets too heavy for you, talk to me, I'll help you carry some of it."

"Thanks."

She smiled sadly at him and walked out of the tent

Now I just have to think of a way to get out of the visit alive and I'll be set, he thought and laughed nervously

(a/n) I am going away on vacation on Monday, so I'll try and get another chapter up before then, thanks for all the reviews, I'm really sorry it takes so long to post!