I'm baaaaack!! And I have the rest of this story figured out. I'm also working on some ideas for a Degrassi/HG crossover. Oh, and for those that are interested, I did write those poems a few chapters back. I'm glad you liked them. Maybe I'll work in some more of my poems later on. Please R&R. And Enjoy!!
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As the group sat around the campfire that night swapping ghost stories, Sarah was noticeably detached. She didn't join in or even appear to be listening. She seemed to be lost in thought, just staring around the forest and picking at the rocks at her feet. She stood up a few times, walked around, and then sat back down.
Sophie also noticed her bizarre behavior. "What do you make of it Peter?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed to really be opening up to Shelby."
"I would have thought that her and Jules would have more in common."
"Maybe, but Sarah's tough, I imagine she relates better to Shelby. That's why I paired them up this week."
They sat in silence while Sarah took a long drink from her canteen, then walked down the trail to the potty hole.
"She's up to something," said Sophie. "Do you think she's gonna run?"
"No, I don't think so. I don't think she's a runner."
"Even after last night?"
"Yah. She just doesn't want to let anyone through that shell of hers. We got a little too close last night, and she couldn't handle it."
Sarah had returned, but she didn't rejoin the group.
"I'll be right back." Peter stood up and joined Sarah. "Hey, how about giving me a hand gathering up some more firewood."
She nodded and followed Peter to a small clearing near by.
"Are you enjoying the hike?"
She continued to gather wood as if she hadn't heard him.
"I said, are you enjoying the hike?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, not really."
"Seems like you and Shelby were getting to know each other."
"Well, we don't have much of a choice do we? It'd be pretty damn hard for her to write an essay about me otherwise."
"Language," warned Peter.
She threw down the wood that she was holding. "Is this the only reason you asked me to help you? So you could bug me some more? Like I said yesterday, Peter, just leave me alone, alright?"
"And like I said yesterday, not a chance." He looked her square in the eyes. "How about you give me that rock you pocketed over by the fire?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. Hand it over." She didn't move. "Come on, don't make me empty your pockets for you."
She sighed, reached into her pocket and pulled out a jagged rock. "Do you have nothing better to do than watch me all day and night?"
He slid the rock into his own pocket, ignoring Sarah's last comment. "Did you cut yourself?"
"I'm going back to the campsite. You can manage this by yourself."
He grabbed her arm gently as she walked away. "Not until you answer my question."
"Fuck you Peter!" She broke free from his grasp and headed back to the others. Her blood was boiling. He had some nerve. She couldn't even think straight she was so angry. Damn him.
Peter followed her back to the campsite. "You didn't answer my question."
She walked over to her tent and paused before entering. She turned to face Peter. "Would you even believe me if I did?" She went inside her tent and zipped it closed.
Sophie and the others were staring, wondering what had happened between the pair. Peter paid no attention. "I'm coming in," and with that he unzipped her tent and sat down inside. "I'm not leaving until I get an answer to my question. If I need to, I'll walk you back to the infirmary right now. This is too important to ignore."
Sarah was stuck now. She didn't know what to do. If she said she didn't cut, he wouldn't believe her and would make her go to the infirmary. If she said she did, he would make her go to the infirmary. Either way, she lost. She decided she wasn't going to go down without a fight. "No, I didn't."
He looked her straight in the eyes before responding. "I trust you, Sarah. If you need anything, let me know." And with that, he left.
Sarah was dumbfounded. No one in her life had ever trusted her. Ever. She curled up inside her sleeping bag, and thought about what had just happened. It was just that easy. He believed her.
She rolled up her sleeve and examined her fresh cut. She almost felt bad for lying to him. Almost. In the end, it was all about her own survival anyway. There was no room in her life for liking people. She had to watch out for herself because no one else was there to do it for her. She was used to it by now.