Secrets, Chapter Four
**I know the Higher Ground section isn't frequented as often as it use to be, but people are reading the story. Please review!!! I don't know what to fix if I get no reviews!**
Author's Note: This is a re-do of a story I did 8 years ago. The original story is in my profile. I still get questions regarding my Kristin stories every once in awhile, and I can't really think of any way to do a story solely on her so I decided to do this instead. The original version is pretty bad/unrealistic so a LOT has changed, but the same basic plot and details are the same. I also changed some names because I was pretty dumb in 7th grade and used a lot of names of people I knew IRL.
Summary: Twelve-year-old Kristin Maddox is given a spot at Horizon after a call from her band teacher to his best friend, Peter Scarbrow. He doesn't know what her secrets are, but he knows something is horribly wrong, and Peter may be the only one who can save her.
The next two days seemed like a whirlwind to Kristin. When she got out of the hospital the next day, her dad didn't say anything to her until they got home.
"Tomorrow morning I'm taking you to that school. It's a really long fucking drive," he glared at her, "and I'm telling people that you're going to stay with your mom. If you tell anybody where you're really going, I'll drive up there and take you out so fast you won't remember you were there in the first place."
He walked closer to her and she moved away from him until her back hit the wall.
"I don't know what you said to that bastard teacher of yours, but if someone ever threatens me for your sake again, I will kill you. And you know I will. And you know I will get away with it. I can do anything I want to you and get away with it," he grinned at her, raising his fist and bringing it close to her face.
"I didn't say anything to him!" She tried to tell him, flinching away from his fist.
He laughed as she flinched, and waved her away. "You think I even care at this point? After tomorrow you're not my issue anymore. That school is going to care for you for a day and then know how fucked up you are and send you back or to some hospital for crazies, and I sure as hell won't get you out."
For some reason, his words stung. She knew that they shouldn't have; he had said variations of that same rant all throughout her life. She felt herself tearing up and quickly wiped them away.
"Go pack," he said.
The ride to the school was quiet, and tense. They had stopped by the school for Mr. Davis to give Kristin's dad paperwork Peter had faxed Mr. Davis as soon as he told him about Kristin's situation. Kristin watched from the car as her dad snatched the papers and walked away without saying anything to her former teacher.
She fell asleep after a couple of hours and slept the entire way. She had basically not slept over night because she felt like he was giving in to easily to the school. She had to wonder what Mr. Davis had said to him, but was too scared to ask.
They finally arrived but before she could get out, he grabbed her arm after making sure no one could see them.
"This is a school for fucked up kids, he told me today. Just know that you're not too far away for me to check in. You know to keep your mouth shut, right?" She nodded, trying not to wince as he grip got tighter and tighter. "I'm not trying to stay here and listen to some feel-good bullshit, so I'm just going to introduce myself and go home." She nodded again and he released her.
Just as he let go of her arm, a man walked outside of a log cabin-looking building. Kristin had her backpack and one bag, while her dad was carrying the other one.
They met half-way, and her dad was the one who initiated the introduction.
"Hello. I'm Officer Robert Maddox," he and Peter shook hands.
"I'm Peter Scarbrow. Welcome to Mount Horizon. You must be Kristin," he smiled at Kristin and held out his hand. She timidly took it and shook it before snatching her hand back.
"Hate to run, but I have to get some sleep tonight. Write me, sweetie. And I'll call you in a few days," he hugged her tightly and walked to his car.
She watched him leave, to make sure that he got in his car and actually drove off. She breathed a sigh of relief, something that did not go unnoticed by Peter, as he drove into the distance.
"Let's go ahead and get your admittance started," he smiled at her and went to place his hand on her shoulder but she moved away.
Once in the office, he motioned for her to sit down and then started going through her bags.
"We try not to have many rules around here. This is a school, and a place to feel safe—not a prison. But we have to have a few…No drugs, no sex, no violence. Towards anybody," Peter explained as he went through her bags. He found nothing strange, so he took the seat across from her.
"Jack—Mr. Davis—told me a lot about you. He says you're a pretty good in band," Peter offered, trying to get her to talk.
"I'm really not. Everyone else just sucks worse," she mumbled.
He laughed. "Well, he says you're good. He also says that maybe you're having some problems at home? With your dad?"
She stared at him. "Look, I'm appreciative of him for getting me a place here, but there's nothing wrong at him. He's got everything wrong. He was so freaking nosy!" She exclaimed.
"I'm not going to force you to say anything. Just know that I'm always here. Your counselor, Sophie, is always here," he said, use to kids clamming up on the first day. "You know that this is traditionally a high school; but I trust that you'll be able to handle it. We have already begun to look at a modified curriculum, but for the next week before break, you'll work on the stuff that he faxed me from your teachers. For now, though, I'm going to go finish your in-processing. You have to do your physical, and then I'll finish showing you around, alright?" He got up and pointed her towards another door marked "NURSE".
She shrugged. "I don't have a choice, do I?"
He looked her in the eye. "You always have a choice."
