SECRETS
A/N: I don't own any of the original characters of the TV show Higher Ground.
All of the Cliffhangers are in my story, as well as most of the counselors.
This doesn't take place at Mont Horizon, but the characters are still having the same problems and have to deal with their problems without this place.
Don't worry; I know where this story is going. I already have all the ideas for the five next chapters, at least.
Oh, and thanks to all of the reviewers.
Chapter 5: Rumours
Juliet came back from Daisy's house crying. Scott had just dropped her and then left without saying anything. When she entered the living room, her mother was waiting for her. She noticed the tears in the eyes of her daughter and came quickly towards her.
"God, Juliet, I already told you to not use a mascara non-waterproof. This isn't good, you look like a ghost!" she complained taking a tissue and wiping her face with it. Juliet pulled away from her mother and sat on the couch as she felt the tears coming back.
"What happened dear?"
"She slept with him!" she mumbled keeping her eyes closed.
"Who dear?"
"Shelby. That slut slept with my Scotty!" she exploded looking like a fury.
"Oh, poor baby!" that was all she could say. She took Juliet's hand and stroked it lightly.
"Am I this ugly that he doesn't want to touch me?" she asked looking up at her mother.
"No dear. Maybe you just need to check your weight a little, that's all."
"But he slept with her! She isn't perfect either!"
"I know dear."
"I don't understand why he would want her and not me, mom." she said crying again.
"Dear, you need to take revenge on her. Nobody hurts you and goes out like this."
"I know. But what could I do?"
"I don't know…maybe you could tell the others and add some things which never happened" she suggested smiling meanly.
"You mean lying?" she asked innocently.
"Just think about it Juliet: this isn't exactly lying, just adding…" Juliet nodded and began to smile: she had already an idea of what to say.
Next morning Shelby and Ezra were walking to their next class. Shelby stopped to her locker to take some books and what she saw writing on top of it didn't really amused her. Slut was printed in red marker. This was accompanied by a small letter intended to her. She took it and opened it. She could recognized Juliet's handwriting at the first attempt and quickly read it. She explained that she wasn't going to let her destroy her reputation and was going to make her pay, very rapidly. Shelby turned around and saw a lot of people looking at her. Some of them were smiling; others were looking at her with pity. She couldn't take it anymore and ran quickly towards the bathroom. There she noticed she was alone and entered in one of the cabins. Once there, she let the tears fall, and cried for a long moment. But she wasn't going to let Juliet win this battle. She was tired of all of these lies. She wiped her tears and sat there for several minutes.
As she was ready to leave the cabin, she heard two girls enter in the restroom. She tried not to make noise and listened what they were saying.
"Why did they look at her this way?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean why 'slut' was writing on her locker?"
"You don't know what she did?" the girl asked surprised.
"No, what?" the other girl said curiously.
"She made Scott Barringer sleep with her."
"Wow, Juliet must not have like this! But how did she do that? Did she rape him?" the girl asked giggling stupidly.
"She made him drunk" the other girl replied shrugging.
When Scott Barringer went to practice this afternoon, the guys were all whispering in the locker room. He noticed they had stopped as soon as they had heard him coming. He looked at them strangely until Matt, one of his friends, came behind him and slapped his back.
"Good one Scott!" he exclaimed smiling huge at him.
"What are you talking about?" Scott didn't know he had been in all the conversations today. He sat and waited for Matt to develop.
"You know, about Juliet. I never thought of this! Making believe your girl that Shelby had made you so wasted you couldn't even understand what was happening! That was so brilliant of you"
Scott rolled his eyes and took his head in his hands. "Oh God!" he whispered. He looked up at all the footballers and began:
"Look guys, this isn't like this. Shelby didn't force herself on me" he explained. As he was ready to continue, another guy cut him off.
"We already figured that!"
"Let me finish!" he said exasperated. The boy nodded. "Okay, it was an error to sleep with her. And I don't want to hear of this again" he finished.
"Shelby someone's on the phone for you!" Jess yelled from the kitchen. Shelby emerged from her bedroom and went downstairs.
"Who is it?" she asked taking the phone from her sister's hand.
"Scott."
Shelby nodded and answered. "Hi?" she said hesitantly.
"Shel, it's me. I want to know if I can come over your house. We need to talk about what happened today"
"Scott I don't think talking will change something"
"Look, I'm already in my car. I'll be here in 5 minutes. Please!"
"Okay, you can come" she agreed.
"Come on in here" Shelby said as she opened the door to let Scott enter her house.
"How are you going?" he asked, as she led him towards the kitchen.
"Fine" she said coldly.
"Shelby, there are just rumours, they won't last" he comforted her. She shook her head and sat on the nearest chair, sighing.
"Do you know exactly what she said about me?"
"Shel, listen I-" He stopped as he saw tears coming from her eyes. This was the first time he was seeing her so vulnerable. He knelt down in front of her and wrapped her in a hug.
"She said to everybody I was a whore and that I made you drunk to sleep with you" she mumbled crying in his arms.
"I already cleared things with the guys at practice. We just need to tell everybody, and then everything will be over"
Shelby looked up at him. "You really think it will be enough to stop all the rumours she spread on me?" she couldn't believe he was so naïve.
"Why do you say that? Is there more than the story with me?" he asked surprised.
"If only you knew…"
"What about?" he pressed.
"I don't want to talk about it. Beside, you should leave, if someone sees you, I can't even imagine what Juliet would do" she said with a little smile. He allowed himself a smile too, that was how he felt around her, in a good mood. He got up and kissed her cheek briefly, then left.
"Come on Shelby, I have someone to introduce to you." Ezra took her by the hand and led her to the cafeteria.
"Ezra, I'm not in the mood!" she replied, pulling her hand away from his. As they were on their way, Shelby looked to the side and saw two girls whispering things in each other ears, glaring at her. She gave them a cold stare and continued to walk.
"Here we are. This is Kat, she's a senior. I talked to her about your problem with the rumours and since it happened to her last year, I thought she would help you.
"Hi!" Kat greeted her warmly. Shelby smiled a weak smile and sat next to the girl.
"So what can you tell me? Were you the girl who slept with…God I don't remember his name" she said frustrated.
"That was me. As Ezra already explained, I was victim of rumours before. Everybody thought that I had slept with Hank Ferry. The truth was that we were just good friends."
"And what did you do?"
"Nothing, I just let them talk until they got tired and found another target."
"And how long did it take?" she asked anxiously.
"Some weeks."
"Well that's just good!" she exclaimed dropping her head and taking it in her hands. She sighed once, then twice to keep the tears to come.
Juliet walked furiously towards Scott who was talking with some friends. She took him by the wrist and didn't let him have the time to realise what was happening.
"Hey!" he exclaimed pulling away. "Are you crazy?"
"A friend told me you came to see Shelby yesterday" Scott looked away then back at his girlfriend.
"Yeah, I saw her yesterday, and so?"
"And so? Scott, I'm trying everything to save our couple, and you have nothing more intelligent than to go see her!"
Scott looked at her with disbelief. She decided to continue.
"Scott, if I learn that you saw her again, I'll commit suicide. And don't think I'm not able to do it" she said her voice threatening him.
"Are you crazy?" he asked for the second time in a few minutes. 'Yes, she is!" he thought to himself.
"No, I just want to make sure you're mine. We belong together, everybody can see it…" she added tenderly touching his cheek. He pulled away.
"I can't believe you changed so much in a so short time. Where is the Juliet I dated?"
"Scott, don't try this with me. Nothing changed, only Shelby did, in becoming this little bitch."
Scott was about to reply, but decided otherwise when he saw that she wouldn't give up.
Even though Scott was sure he wasn't in love with Juliet, he still cared for her and was afraid of what she would do if she didn't have what she wanted. He had to call Shelby and tell her about it.
"Merrick residence?" said a childish voice. Scott figured it was Jess.
"Hey Jess, it's Scott. Shelby's here?" He heard Jess yelling for Shelby to come and smiled to himself.
"She's coming" she said quickly, dropping the phone.
"Hello?" Shelby asked politely. She probably didn't know who was on the other line.
"Shel, it's me Scott."
"Oh, hi. How are you going?" she asked friendly.
"Fine. Uh, look Shel, Juliet talked to me today. She saw me at your house yesterday and she kind of asked me to stop seeing you" he explained quickly.
"Yes?" she demanded anxiously guessing what he was going to say coming.
"I'm sorry but she needs me. We can't be seeing together, at least not now"
"I understand" her voice cracked, she hadn't expected to feel so this sad, nor had Scott. He instantly felt guilty.
"I'm sorry, believe me. Maybe this won't last, I mean we just need time to forget and above all forgive. Okay?"
"Yeah, maybe you're right" she agreed, even if she didn't want to.
"Hey Daisy!" David called from upstairs as he saw her walking with Shelby Merrick and a short guy he didn't recognized. Daisy looked up and smiled warmly. Shelby and Ezra both noticed that smile.
Shelby nudged Ezra. "Seems you're going to have some competition…" She said as they watched David coming down to meet them. Ezra gave her a glare, and Shelby smiled sweetly. Ezra tried to put a smile on his face. Maybe this guy was just in Daisy's class.
"Guys, this is David, a friend of mine." Daisy said to Ezra and Shelby. Ezra's smile left his face and was replaced by a feeling of jealousy. He could see David wasn't only a friend, he was so much more. He had to make a move quickly or Daisy would go out with this guy before.
What will happen in 6th Chapter?
"I don't know why you're acting like nothing happened between us." He wondered taking her hand.
"Scott, even if Juliet and I aren't in the best terms now, she's been my best friend for years.
"A friend of yours is waiting for you in the living room. He's Spanish or something like that."
"Mom, that's so racist of you!"
"Oh, god I missed you" he whispered into her hair as he wrapped his hands around her waist from behind. His voice made her shivering slightly.
"Scott, is there something going on between Shel and you?" Auggie asked carefully knowing his friend was hiding something to him.
"Daisy, will you go out with me?" He asked without thinking.
"Are you serious Ezra?" she said surprised.
"It's Shelby. She ran away from home." She said trying to catch her breath.
