Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Higher Ground characters in my story. All rights are reserved to whoever owns the show now. Yada, Yada, Yada. I'm sure you get the picture.
Summary: Scott and Shelby are forced to go their separate ways after they graduate from Horizon. Can fate bring them back together?
Category: Romance/Drama
Rating: I'll just say PG-13
Author's Note: Recently I received a review that said that I was taking things a little slow and now that I think about it, I couldn't agree more. Thanks for being patient and I will try to speed things up a bit. I want to give you the Shelby and Scott interaction just as much as you want to see it, but there are still a few chapters that are needed to lead up to that. So please continue to be patient and I will give the updates as fast as possible. Keep sending the feedback. I love hearing what you have to say.
Chapter Four: Arriving at Horizon, Pt. 2
Shelby's eyes showed uncertainty as she stood from her car, scanning over the place that she had used to secretly call home. Even with the comfort of seeing all of her old friends again, Shelby was still so unsure about actually showing up. The determination that she had had in L.A. was slowly starting to dwindle, and it was hard for her to be so sure that she could stay away from the one man that she could truly say she ever loved. Doubt flooded her and all she really wanted to do was get back into her car and drive away. Shelby couldn't do that though; not when she was given the chance to reunite with the people that she had had more in common with her than what she was always willing to admit.
Shelby shut the door of her car and looked up to see two women walking her way, both oblivious of her until they spotted her movement. They had aged since the last time that Shelby had seen them, but they were still unmistakably recognizable. She plastered a smile onto her face and began toward Juliette and Daisy, her bags in hand. "Hey, long time no see, huh?"
"Shelby? Is that you?! You haven't changed a bit; Still look as great as ever!" Juliette shrieked and Shelby suddenly remembered why they hadn't gotten along for so long. She hadn't changed a bit either. Juliette still had that same perky attitude that could have driven the sanest person up the wall. "It is so good to see you!" Shelby was forced to drop her luggage when Juliette pulled her into an embrace.
"You too, Juliette. It's been way too long." Shelby returned her hug momentarily before casually trying to free herself from the uncomfortable situation. As soon as she was able to rid herself from Juliette's grasp, Shelby turned to Daisy, who stood, her arms folded over her chest. "How have you been, Dais?"
"I've been doing pretty good." Daisy spoke, her tone of voice was different since the last time that Shelby had last talked to her. She was no longer the walking epitome of gloom and doom. Instead of her infamous sarcasm, her tone seemed lighter. Almost happy. "I'm engaged." she proudly showed Juliette and Shelby her ring. "To Ezra."
Shelby's mouth visibly dropped in shock. "You and Freakin? You two actually survived this long? That's great, Dais. I'm happy for you both." she pulled her old friend into a hug, a couple of beats passing before she felt Daisy's arms around her as well. As they pulled apart, Shelby began to wonder about Juliette. "What about you and Auggie, Jules? Are you still together and happy?"
Juliette smiled that wide, bubbly smile and already Shelby knew the answer to her question. "We're not engaged or anything, but we're pretty serious. He's so great, Shel." her smile quickly fell as her memory came back to her. "What about you and Scott, Shel? Have you talked since … that night?" Juliette didn't know what else to call it. It was a pivotal turning point, but that wouldn't have been appropriate. A turning point usually implies some good in one way or another.
Shelby shook her head sadly. "No, that was the last time we talked. It was probably for the best though. It would have been so much harder to get over him if we had kept in contact." she lied, hoping that they wouldn't see right through her. She hadn't even begun to get over Scott and she just prayed that they couldn't see that.
"So you're over him then?" Daisy asked skeptically. During their time together at Horizon, Shelby and Daisy had gotten close. She knew how Shelby had felt about Scott and Daisy didn't see her ever getting over him.
"It's been ten years, guys. Of course I'm over him." Shelby picked up her luggage and began to walk quickly. She didn't exactly know where she was supposed to go, but she needed to get away from them. If she had stayed and allowed them both to look into her eyes, they would have known. They would have known that she thought about Scott every minute of the day. That Shelby had wanted to call him so many times since that night. That she was still so hopelessly in love with the boy that held so much of her past.
"So you are going to see him then? He's here already. He is staying in their old cabin. We can walk you there, if you want." When Shelby heard Juliette's words coming from behind her, she just merely rolled her eyes. Secretly, Shelby was hoping that she'd be able to break away in peace. She should have known better. Juliette had never been the one to just let things rest.
Shelby stopped abruptly when Juliette's words suddenly hit her. He was here. Scott had really come to see her. But she couldn't see him. That would be too much for her to handle. "No. I'm not going to see him." she spoke firmly, wanting more to convince herself than the others. "Seeing him would only remind everyone of what happened." Shelby paused, her face falling a bit. "Please don't question me anymore. Not right now. Not about this." she was almost pleading with them and she hated herself for it. If they didn't know before, they had to now.
They smiled over at her sympathetically and nodded. Shelby picked up her bags and began toward the cabins, Juliette and Daisy directing the way as they walked. It was going to be so hard staying away from Scott, but if one thing about Shelby hadn't changed, it was that she was still as tough as nails. The fact that she had given in to come here was just a fluke.