Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground or any of it's character, so don't sue!!!
It was a cold, snowy morning in the middle of January. Horizon, a school for profoundly dysfunctional teenagers, sat in a very picturesque location: in between some mountains, with the hint of a lake behind it. The campus had several buildings, all looking very nice and welcoming. The biggest one, being the lounge, was where the Cliffhangers were. They had returned the day before from a buddy hike-back in the snow on snow shoes. Peter had decided that, because of the exertion of the day before, it was not necessary for them to do anything today. Since they didn't get that kind of opportunity often, the Cliffhangers were making the most of it.
Scott and Shelby sat in armchairs next to each other, talking in hushed voices. Daisy was telling Jess about what was to come in her future using her tarot cards. Juliette was reading her English assignment, and Auggie was sketching her out. Ezra sat writing a story. And David, well, he was doing whatever caught his fancy, which basically included driving the other Cliffhangers off the wall.
Peter popped in, looking a bit uncomfortable and uncertain.
"Shelby, may I see you in my office for a minute?"
"What is it?" she asked, looking at his expression. "Is it bad?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"Well, can Scott come?"
"Sure." Shelby turned to Scott. Nothing could be that bad while Scott was there with her. He understood this thought simply by the look of relief on her face. He took her hand, kissed the back of it, and led her to Peter's office. He more like dragged her she was so hesitant.
"Shelb, your step-father called."
"What? Walt? No way! What did that ass-hole want?" she yelled, her eyes welling up at the mere mention of his name.
Scott took her in his arms and held her tight giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She regained composure and held his hand.
"Okay, so, what did the bastard want?" she asked, this time much calmer. She still had tears streaming down the side of her face.
"He wanted to visit you. He says it's urgent. He got out of prison. They say he's changed. He missed you and Jess."
"Now, you know that you don't have to. It's totally up to you. Think about it," Peter seemed to think she should.
Shelby turned to Scott, tears filling her eyes again. He would willingly do anything for her. Right now, though, there was only a fierce, murderous look in his eyes. Shelby knew that whenever her sorry-ass excuse for a stepfather was mentioned, Scott got that look in his eyes. All the same, it was so unlike the look he usually had when he looked at her. She made sure he was okay and left, leaving him behind.
"Peter, don't let... him come back." He said the word "him" with such disgust that Peter was thoroughly taken aback.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't let him come here. He can't. He's hurt Shelby, and Jess for that matter, too much. He doesn't deserve to see them, let alone live. And, all the same, isn't he supposed to be in jail, or in rehab?"
"No, he's out on parole and he got special permission from the board in order to come and see Shelby and Jess. He just needs their consent."
"You can't let him! That mother-fucker hurt her! He hurt Shelby!" Scott said, raising his voice to an almost hysteric level.
"Scott, calm down, and no profanity or kitchen chores." Peter said, calmly, but firmly. "It's not your decision to make, it's Shelby's and Jess's. You have to understand that."
"Well, if he comes back, and hurts Shelby or Jess in the very least, he's probably not going back in one piece. And you can be certain that I will not be civil." He said, or rather yelled this as he stormed out of Peter's office.
He went directly to the lounge, looking for Shelby. He found Daisy instead. She was lying on the floor reading.
"Hey! Scott! What's up?"
"Oh, I need to talk to Shelb."
"I could've guessed.. I think she's in the dorm talking to Jess. Is there a problem?"
"Well, I'll let her tell you. I have to talk to her. It's rather urgent. Bye!"
"See ya," she said, turning back to her book.
It was a cold, snowy morning in the middle of January. Horizon, a school for profoundly dysfunctional teenagers, sat in a very picturesque location: in between some mountains, with the hint of a lake behind it. The campus had several buildings, all looking very nice and welcoming. The biggest one, being the lounge, was where the Cliffhangers were. They had returned the day before from a buddy hike-back in the snow on snow shoes. Peter had decided that, because of the exertion of the day before, it was not necessary for them to do anything today. Since they didn't get that kind of opportunity often, the Cliffhangers were making the most of it.
Scott and Shelby sat in armchairs next to each other, talking in hushed voices. Daisy was telling Jess about what was to come in her future using her tarot cards. Juliette was reading her English assignment, and Auggie was sketching her out. Ezra sat writing a story. And David, well, he was doing whatever caught his fancy, which basically included driving the other Cliffhangers off the wall.
Peter popped in, looking a bit uncomfortable and uncertain.
"Shelby, may I see you in my office for a minute?"
"What is it?" she asked, looking at his expression. "Is it bad?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"Well, can Scott come?"
"Sure." Shelby turned to Scott. Nothing could be that bad while Scott was there with her. He understood this thought simply by the look of relief on her face. He took her hand, kissed the back of it, and led her to Peter's office. He more like dragged her she was so hesitant.
"Shelb, your step-father called."
"What? Walt? No way! What did that ass-hole want?" she yelled, her eyes welling up at the mere mention of his name.
Scott took her in his arms and held her tight giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She regained composure and held his hand.
"Okay, so, what did the bastard want?" she asked, this time much calmer. She still had tears streaming down the side of her face.
"He wanted to visit you. He says it's urgent. He got out of prison. They say he's changed. He missed you and Jess."
"Now, you know that you don't have to. It's totally up to you. Think about it," Peter seemed to think she should.
Shelby turned to Scott, tears filling her eyes again. He would willingly do anything for her. Right now, though, there was only a fierce, murderous look in his eyes. Shelby knew that whenever her sorry-ass excuse for a stepfather was mentioned, Scott got that look in his eyes. All the same, it was so unlike the look he usually had when he looked at her. She made sure he was okay and left, leaving him behind.
"Peter, don't let... him come back." He said the word "him" with such disgust that Peter was thoroughly taken aback.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't let him come here. He can't. He's hurt Shelby, and Jess for that matter, too much. He doesn't deserve to see them, let alone live. And, all the same, isn't he supposed to be in jail, or in rehab?"
"No, he's out on parole and he got special permission from the board in order to come and see Shelby and Jess. He just needs their consent."
"You can't let him! That mother-fucker hurt her! He hurt Shelby!" Scott said, raising his voice to an almost hysteric level.
"Scott, calm down, and no profanity or kitchen chores." Peter said, calmly, but firmly. "It's not your decision to make, it's Shelby's and Jess's. You have to understand that."
"Well, if he comes back, and hurts Shelby or Jess in the very least, he's probably not going back in one piece. And you can be certain that I will not be civil." He said, or rather yelled this as he stormed out of Peter's office.
He went directly to the lounge, looking for Shelby. He found Daisy instead. She was lying on the floor reading.
"Hey! Scott! What's up?"
"Oh, I need to talk to Shelb."
"I could've guessed.. I think she's in the dorm talking to Jess. Is there a problem?"
"Well, I'll let her tell you. I have to talk to her. It's rather urgent. Bye!"
"See ya," she said, turning back to her book.