Title: Time After Time

Pairing: Numerous A.J. Cook and Katheryn Winnick characters (central) with other pairings along the way

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the several dozen franchises and characters that I'll be using throughout this story.

Summary: A love story spanning two decades, told through multiple parallel universes, and seen through the eyes of Rachel McAdams.

A/N: Well it looks like my love for Andrea Joy Cook and Katheryn Winnick has finally hit its peak, and this is the result.

A/N 2: Due to the fact this is a crossover, I'm going to have to alter some timelines and locations in order to make this work.

Story Arc Summary:

Title: 1998 – 2000: The People We Become

Fandom: Mean Girls/Student Bodies and Higher Ground

Pairing: Holly Benson/Shelby Merrick

Rating: G

Summary: Regina George moves out of Illinois and starts a new life in Canada. As she experiences her final high school years, Regina sees life both from the perspective of the quirkiness of Edison High to the troubled Mt. Horizon High School, located across the border in the Ontario wilderness.

A/N: For this story, let's assume the events of Mean Girls, Higher Ground and season 2 of Student Bodies all took place around 1998 despite being released later. Also since Higher Ground was obviously filmed in British Columbia, we're going to have to pretend Ontario has rocky mountains because Higher Ground without mountains wouldn't even be called Higher Ground. I'm also pretty certain Mean Girls took place in the 11th grade, but let's pretend it was the 10th.

A/N2: Both of these Canadian series carries a lot of sentimental value to me, and both ended unresolved. So now I feel like I have a lot of weight on my shoulders because I feel obliged to give both of these series a proper ending. Hope I do them justice. Just for anyone who's unfamiliar with these two shows, Katheryn Winnick is Holly Benson and A.J. Cook is Shelby Merrick. Anyone curious to check out the series, both are up on Youtube. Here are the channels for Higher Ground and Student Bodies. Katheryn is in the episodes 2.49, 3.51, 3.53, 3.54 and 3.59 while A.J. is in the entire series of Higher Ground. If I had to recommend one, then by all means watch Higher Ground.

A/N3: Thanks to all the betas that help review this chapter. There was so much that I'm sorry for not being able to remember all of you.

Fun Trivia: Although taking place in Illinois, Mean Girls was filmed in Toronto, Ontario. So if Regina was actually moving, it wouldn't have been that far.

Chapter 1

1998 was quite a year for Regina George. She fractured her spine when the careless school bus driver rammed her, but she still managed to attend the Spring Fling and received the crown of queen. Okay, that was only because Cady gave away her crown, but Regina got a good chunk of it and only lost to Cady by five votes according to one of the vote counters. After her recovery and numerous sessions with her physical therapist, Regina really had a new view on life. By the time the new school year began her group, the Plastics, were no more. She was advised to join a sports team to let out all the rage and frustrations she had bottled up inside. The sport of her choosing: lacrosse. All of it appeared to be working. The Queen Bee of North Shore High School, who many of the students knew and feared, seemed to have died in the accident. It felt as if the new school year was going to be a new start for Regina, and it was, but in more ways than she had thought.

Almost one month into the new school year Regina's mom broke the news – they were moving. So goodbye to North Shore in Illinois, and here she is now. Sitting in an airplane, looking down on the city she's going to be calling home: Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Regina keeps mostly to herself during the car ride. She looks to the rest of her family. Her little sister, Kylie, and her mom are pretty excited to be starting a new life in a new country.

Their car pulls into the driveway of their new home. "Alright girls, let's take a look inside our new home," her mom says enthusiastically.

Regina steps out of the car and takes a good look at their big house. Inside, she just stands and looks at the interior of the place from the foyer. Her mom passes by her and says, "Hey, Regina I think we'll be calling this city home in no time."

"Can't wait," Regina replies back with a fake smile. Regina should be excited right now, but the thought of starting a new life in a foreign country made her nervous, especially one where she had heard that most people spoke French instead of English. There's not much she can do now to the sudden change other than learn to adapt to it.

Regina sits in the principal's office as her mom chats with the school principal, Mrs. Morton. 'Why would a Canadian high school be named Thomas A. Edison?' Regina wonders. 'The people who built this place must have either been American or idolized Edison, whatever.'

Mrs. Morton reaches over to shake her mom's hand. "We welcome your daughter to Edison, Mrs. George."

The next day Regina strolls the busy hallways of Edison High in search of her locker.

She locates the number. Just as she was working the locker combination, the blonde guy whose locker is next to hers, looks sideways and sees Regina. "Are you new here? I just noticed you're occupying the empty locker next to mine."

"As a matter of fact, I am. Just moved into the city. And you two are?" Regina returns the question back at the blonde guy and the brunette girl next to him.

"Victor Kane," the blonde guy holds out his hand, trying to be a gentleman, she supposed.

"My name's Fransesca," the short brunette answers. "But people here just call me Flash, because I'm the photographer for one of the school papers."

"Regina," she takes Victor's hand with her left hand and Flash's with her right and shakes them both at the same time. "I'm wondering, do you guys know how many people in this school speak English?"

"Oh don't worry about it," Flash gives her the "forget it" wave. "Many people in this city may speak French, but that doesn't mean we don't speak English either. Besides about half the people here migrated from Ontario. You're in the most non-French speaking school in the whole city."

"That's good, at least I don't have to ace French just to have a proper conversation."

Victor smiles. "Here's hoping we can become good friends."

"Here's hoping," Regina says, giving one of her not-so-sincere smiles. She takes her things and walks off to her class. "I've got to go."

"I could tell she likes me," Victor says to Flash. She just gives him a bemused smile.

"We have a new student, so everyone welcome Regina to the class," the teacher announces. There are a few minor responses from the audience area, mostly moans and grunts. "Okay, just take a seat anywhere in the auditorium."

Regina walks across the auditorium. Many of the boys are giving Regina weird stares as she passes them. She was less than thrilled to say the least. She then spots another blonde girl near the end of the auditorium. Slim and pretty herself, wearing nice casual clothing of the more upscale variety. "Hi there," Regina says to the other girl.

"Hey," the other girl responds with a small smile in the corner of her mouth.

Regina takes a seat next to her. "It's like the boys here have never seen a pretty girl in their lives."

"This school's selection of decent guys is very limited," the other girl responds. "I guess they believe if they flirt with the new students early, it somehow increases their chances. You have any actual interest in acting?"

"Nope," Regina answers. "It beats any of the other classes I can pick though. You?"

"Kind of; I'm a part time model," she answers. "So I should at least know how to pose and walk on a stage."

"Makes sense," Regina responds. "What's your name?"

"Holly."

"Regina," she gives Holly a small smile.

Regina steps into the cafeteria with a plastic container of sushi. Her former lunch diet of salad and diet soda had become extinct ever since the Plastics broke up. The lunch was store-bought, because Regina wanted to survey the quality of the cafeteria food the school has before deciding to try it. The lunch crowds pass by her to find a seat while Regina takes her time and examines the seating area. 'Let's see what kind of people we have here,' she thinks to herself.

Regina glances around as she slowly walks in the pathway between the tables. Unlike her previous school, the group types here didn't stick out like a sore thumb. It didn't look like they catered to an exclusive clique either. A number of the tables appear to have students sitting down at random. She looks around and spots Holly.

"Hey, Regina! Over here," Holly calls out.

Regina takes the invitation and moves towards her table. Holly scoots over for the new student.

"Care to introduce us to your new friend, Holly?" a red-haired friend of Holly's asks.

"This is my best friend Kim," Holly introduces Regina to the red-haired girl. She then directs Regina's attention to another blonde sitting next to them, "And this is Paula. Girls meet Regina. She's in my drama class and just moved into the city, so I figure I should try to make her feel welcome here."

"Welcome, Regina," Paula greets. "Where did you move from?'

"Evanston, Illinois, down in the US," Regina answers. Regina examines Holly and her friends. This could work.

The next day, Regina spends the break time in the gym, checking to see if there are any team openings. Her new self is a nicer and more humble person that tries not to do the things her Queen Bee self would've done for amusement, like spreading rumours or breaking up couples. However, on the sports field is where the Queen Bee still lives on. She goes through the list of girls' sport teams, and is amused when she spots one new sports team. They're still running try-outs and one of them is today at lunch.

Lunchtime arrives and Regina steps into the area of the school where the try-outs are being held. Several girls are already practicing with the red rubber balls in their hands. Regina approaches the female coach nearby.

"So, are you still looking for girls to be part of the team?" Regina asks.

The coach gives Regina a good hard look. White fancy dress pants, a black sweater with a large v-neck that exposed a light pink button-down shirt, which was opened enough to show off a gold necklace. The designer ensemble had the coach questioning the new girl.

"You sure you got the right place?" the coach asks. "This is the dodgeball try-outs."

"Oh, I know," she responds confidently. "I'm not too late, am I?"

"No, you're right on time," the coach says, expecting Regina to be a spoiled rich kid who doesn't know what she's getting herself into. Regina gives the coach a smirk.

The coach waits a short while for more people. After a few minutes, the coach blows the whistle to start. "Heads up, girls. Game's going to begin soon, so stop what you're doing. First things first, gather all dodge balls and place them in the centre of the gym."

Many of the girls do as instructed. The coach continues, "Once you're finished with that, grab a coloured bib from the bin over there near my office." The coach points to where the bin is located. "It's a choice between red or green this time."

Regina casually walks to grab a bib. She pulls out a green one. The bibs are in the shape of a tank top meant to be worn over your clothes. Regina instead opts to shoving the bib into her pocket and let it hang out of her pants.

After the girls have picked a colour, the coach goes on. "Okay red team to this wall, green team to that wall," she uses her arms to point to the corresponding spots.

Once the girls have gathered, the coach decides to give a few words about the game of dodge ball. Regina isn't really paying much attention to the coach's little speech; she just wants to slam some balls into girls' faces. After those few minutes, Regina hears the words she's been waiting for. "Okay let's get this game going," the coach says and the whistle blows again.

Many of the girls rush to the centre. Regina just stays where she is, away from the centre, watching with her arms crossed. She watches stationary as the other girls get eliminated one by one.

The coach notices that Regina is the only one not diving for a ball. She shakes her head at the new girl, expecting her not to be into sports. Only trying out for the team for some other purpose, but then she notices the expression on Regina's face. It's the look of someone who's confident and not the least bit intimidated. The coach then looks at the game and watches as Regina is easily outlasting all the other girls by simply standing there. She can't decide if Regina is smart or just full of herself.

Once about half of the girls who came have been eliminated, Regina finally makes her move. Calmly, she moves closer towards the centre.

Three girls on the other team were watching Regina throughout the game; two of them with dodge balls in their hands. "Why look, she's finally moving," one of the girls comment.

"Hey, Carol, should we knock down Barbie over there?" one of the other girls, named Rena, asks.

"Who gets to do the honours?" questions Carol.

The third girl, Mary, makes a suggestion, "You both have dodge balls, why don't you see which of you two can hit her first?"

"I like that idea," Rena replies.

"So do I," Carol adds.

Regina notices the two girls rushing towards her. Carol throws first, followed by Rena a second after. To their surprise, Regina catches Carol's ball, and uses it to block the second incoming ball. With Carol eliminated, Regina swiftly tosses the dodge ball at Rena. It strikes the girl with such force, that Rena gets knocked onto the ground.

Mary drops her jaw at the sight. Regina turns her head to Mary then grins while slowly walking backwards.

The game progresses and Regina continues to go strong throughout. Both Mary and Regina rushes for free dodge balls towards the centre line. One of the balls is rolling towards Mary while the closest to Regina is stationary. Mary gets to her ball first. She bends down to fetch the dodge ball, but Regina quickly gets into a kneel position and scoops up her dodge ball with one hand. Instead of trying to stand back up and throw the ball like her adversary, Regina throws the ball hard into the hardwood floor. The rubber ball rebounds against the ground and clocks Mary underneath the jaw.

Mary collapses on her back and lies on the floor for a bit, seeing stars. "Can't believe I got beaten by Barbie."

Before they know it, the whistle blows. "Victory to the green team," the coach announces. She walks over to Regina and another girl on the team, "Looks like these two ladies are the last ones left. That's enough for today girls. Any new people remember to leave your names on the sheet that's on the table over there near my office. We'll continue more tomorrow."

The coach compliments the other girl before she leaves. "Good one, Jessica." She then faces Regina, "What's your name new girl? Anyone who can do that well and look nice at the same time deserves extra props."

"Thanks," Regina says and flashes a smile. "It's Regina."

"I got to say, Regina, if you're serious about joining this team, I can easily see you becoming the team captain."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Regina comments.

"Well enjoy your lunch while you still have time," the coach finishes.

The school week nears its end. The coach is right about Regina being on her way to team captain with the way she's been dominating all the other girls. It's even more convenient that the same coach, Coach Stam, turned out to be her P.E. teacher. She also finds herself quickly becoming a part of Holly Benson's circle of friends.

Lunch Time

"So you girls have plans for the weekend?" asks Regina.

"No can do," replies Paula, "My boyfriend, Joe, wants me to go with him to the movies."

"And I'm just going to stay home. You can drop by, Regina, you're more than welcome," Kim informs her.

"I'll take you up on that offer," Regina replies back then turns to face Holly. "What about you, Holly?

"Holly's been doing the same thing every weekend ever since the school year began," Paula remarks.

That gets Regina curious. "What might that be?"

"I have a friend named Mike who got into the wrong crowd and picked up some bad habits. So as sort of a last ditch effort, his parents placed him in Mount Horizon. It's a school to try and help teenagers at risk," Holly answers.

"Basically it's a mix between a year round summer camp and a rehabilitation centre," Kim tells her.

"Interesting," Regina comments. "I wonder how his parents heard of the place?"

"I was the one who recommended it," Holly informs, "A former teacher of mine told me about the place. He now works there. Mike's parents still wanted to keep him in public school, so they made a deal with the school board that if he can return back to his old ways, he'll be welcomed back."

"Where is this place anyways?" Regina wonders.

"Right across the border and into the forests of Ontario," Paula blurts out.

"That must be a long way to go and visit a friend," says Regina.

"It's part of a deal Mike and I made," explains Holly. "If he agrees to go to Horizon, I promised him I'll visit once every week. Seeing a familiar face helps him cope."

"Sounds like you've been holding up your end of the deal," comments Regina.

"When Holly makes a promise, she keeps it," Kim tells the new student.

"Never make a promise you don't plan on keeping," replies Holly.

Regina looks at the girls and asks, "So is Horizon an exclusive place, or can anyone drop by?"

"It's open to anyone, but do you really want to visit the place?" Holly asks curiously.

"I'm trying to get adjusted around here and see more of this country," Regina answers. "I'm pretty certain I'll be curious to see it eventually. So might as well visit now."

"In that case, Regina, drop by my house in the morning tomorrow. I typically leave around one in the afternoon on Saturdays."

"I'll be there."

Saturday Noon

Regina and Holly are in the driveway of Holly's home, all set to go. They toss their small packs containing food and drinks into the back seat of the car. The two girls climb into the front seats.

"So how far is this place?" asks Regina as she fastens her seatbelt.

"About 75 miles from the city," Holly answers. "It's going to be a long trip."

Regina looks out the window as the afternoon sun shines through the wall of evergreen trees. She has pretty much been looking out the window the entire trip, gazing at the scenery. Quite a beautiful scenery. They're now moving on a road that's entirely surrounded by trees, as if a construction crew just ploughed its way through the forest to make a road. That's most likely what they did.

"Okay we should be there any moment," Holly says.

Regina can see a clearing ahead. Once the road began to curve ahead, the sight of a large cabin comes into view from behind the trees. The car eventually moves into a small gravel road. Regina spots the wooden sign with the words "MOUNT HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL" as Holly turns the car to the side. The trip finally comes to an end. The two girls step out of the car and make their way towards the double doors of the large cabin.

Inside the large cabin, they see it's the administration office. "Hello," one of the staff at the front desk greets them.

"Hi," Holly replies. "I'm here to visit a friend of mine. His name is Mike Callahan."

"I'll see if I can get someone to take you to him."

Holly looks around the place and spots a familiar person passing by. "Jeff?" she calls out.

It grabs Jeff's attention. "Holly?" He approaches the two girls. "Nice to see you again, Holly."

"Nice to see you too, Jeff." Holly greets at her former teacher. "Your leg has been healing nicely."

"What happened to your leg?" wonders Regina.

Jeff turns to Regina. "Who's your friend, Holly?"

"Jeff, I want you to meet Regina. She just moved into the country," Holly says by way of introduction.

Jeff shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you, Regina. How are you liking Canada so far?"

"It's alright," she answers.

He nods then suddenly remembers Regina's question, "And to answer your question, I broke my leg during a 10 day camping experience we like to call a Quest. I insisted I join the other students and another councillor because I felt the need to get more in touch with nature. Needless to say I wasn't in very good shape by the time we got back."

Holly pats her former teacher on the back, "Don't feel bad Jeff. Just give it more time and eventually city people like us will adapt to places like this."

"I take it you're here to see Mike and Regina isn't going to be another student here?" Jeff jokes.

"Yes, we're here for Mike," Holly says with a smile.

"I'll take you to him then." Jeff leads the two girls out of the administration building.

Regina glances around the place as they enter the campus area. The camp ground is more impressive than she expects. The buildings are better than what she would expect from a summer camp or even a public school; on the outside anyway. All the walkways are neatly outlined by rocks and made out of either wood chips or gravel. Everything is neat and tidy. The grass is perfect, all even with a healthy green colour, no patches of weeds, dying grass or lack of grass in sight. She can't even spot litter or any kind of mess. Even the firewood is all properly stacked underneath the woodshed.

'Damn, Canada really is as clean as they say. Their groundskeeper must get paid very well,' Regina thinks to herself.

"The students usually hang around here." Jeff takes them into one of the larger buildings.

Once through the doors, the initial room appears to be a lounge. A number of students are slumped on couches and love-seats. Paintings are hung on the wall and the interior is decorated with ornaments you would find in a living room.

"Oh, I see him right there." Holly points to a table on the further end of the room. Mike is relaxing by himself, drinking a glass of orange juice.

"I'll leave you two alone." Jeff gives them a smile before heading out. The two girls approach Holly's friend.

It isn't long before Mike looks forward and notices the person walking up to him. That lightens up his mood. "Oh, hey. Good to see you, Holly."

Both Holly and Regina pull out a chair. "How is it going, Mike?" Holly asks.

"Not bad," Mike answers. "Who's your friend?"

"Regina," she introduces herself.

"Nice to meet you," Mike greets.

"So how are you getting along?" questions Holly.

"A few of the guys in my cabin are pretty cool."

"Any mishaps?" Holly adds.

Mike thinks about it before deciding to answer. "Yeah. I got into a rivalry with a student from another group."

"Who with?" Regina asks curiously.

"That little man over there." Mike looks over to the couch. "The one in the tank top."

"The Hispanic guy at the end?" Regina questions.

"Yeah, that's him."

Holly is disappointed in the news, but she tries not to show it much. "Is this rivalry still going on?"

"No, we worked it out."

"That's good to know," Holly says in a more pleasant tone. "How did you guys work it out?"

"We went over to the lake to settle it. He allowed me to have a free shot at him since he sucker punched me a few times. He said he was sorry, so rather than hitting..." Mike pauses. "I pushed the runt in the lake instead and we had a water fight. Couple of other kids who were watching jumped in the lake too."

"Way to go, Mike," Holly says with a smile. "I'm proud of you."

Regina stands out in the yard, observing more of the place. In her current line of sight is Scott, a new student that was forced into Horizon by his father several weeks ago.

A man with dark brown hair, who looks to be in his mid 30s to early 40s walks up to the new visitor. "What are your thoughts of Horizon so far?"

Regina turns to face the man. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Peter Scarbrow. I run this place," he answers.

"Is that how you can tell I'm not one of the students?"

"That, and Jeff told me Holly brought a friend who matches your description."

"To be honest, when Holly told me this place is to rehabilitate teenagers, I expected this place to look more..." Regina thinks of the proper word. "Guarded."

"This isn't a prison," Peter replies.

"Is that why it's conveniently deep in the wilderness?"

"Okay you got me. That's so the students don't try to run off," Peter admits. "However that's not the only reason why this establishment is in the forest, Regina. Out here it's a different environment from what they grew up in, an environment that can be harsh, and that's when the students will have to rely in each other to make it through."

"Well it is a very nice place," compliments Regina.

"Thanks."

In the distance, Mike and a few of his group mates approach Scott. Mike comments about the football in Scott's hand, "How about we play a friendly game?"

Scott looks at them with an unimpressed look. "Sure... but I think we're a few players short."

One of the students, Katherine, confronts them after seeing the group walk up to Scott. "Any trouble here?"

"No trouble at all. Just a friendly game of football," Mike answers. "I know, why don't we get our entire groups here? It would make some good exercise for that whole X-Challenge thing."

Katherine thinks about that idea. "That's not a bad idea. Let's do it."

"What's going on here?" Holly asks Regina and Peter as she walks up to them.

"Looks like a football game with your friend Mike," Peter answers.

They watch as the students gather their colleagues. "I'll get the cones," one of Mike's group mates yells out.

A thought comes into Regina's head. "I'm wondering, Peter, are there any rules about outside visitors playing with the students?"

"It's fine if the students are okay with you playing alongside them, but do you really want to?" asks Peter.

"What better way to get to know people?" Regina smiles. "Coming Holly?"

"Sure, why not?" Holly follows.

The two of them approach Mike. "Excuse me," Holly addresses.

"Yeah, Holly?"

"Any room left in your game for a couple extra players?"

"Didn't know you were the sports type Holly," he comments.

"It's her idea," Holly says and turns to look at the girl beside her.

Mike looks at Regina as the blonde lifts up one of her eyebrows. "Going to have to see what they think," he responds.

"Hey," Mike calls out. It grabs the other team's attention. "You mind if my two friends here join us?"

"There's two of them, one of them is going to have to be on our team," Katherine replies.

"I have no problems with that," Regina tells Mike's group.

"Me neither," Holly confirms.

"Pick one then," Mike responds back. Mike's colleague returns with cones and starts out lining the field.

Scott looks at the two girls. Both blond, pretty, about the same height with similar slim figures too; wearing nice clothing that sticks out from the crowd. They look like they could've been sisters. "Okay, which one is the closer friend?" Scott asks.

"That would be me," Holly answers. "I've been Mike's friend for years now."

"Just moved here this week," Regina confirms.

"What's your name?" Scott asks Holly.

"Holly," she tells him.

"Okay we take Holly."

Holly is a bit surprised they have her facing Mike's team, but she accepts. "Okay, I don't have a problem with that."

The outline of the field is finished. Regina makes her way towards her team's end zone. "Come on, losers," Regina calls out. "Let's prove we're at least better than those losers."

"Don't play so rough, okay," Juliette, one of the more sensitive members of Scott's team, says aloud.

Peter jogs towards Regina. "Say, Regina, considering why everyone is here, I think it will be in our best interest to refrain from calling any of the students 'losers'."

"My apologies, Peter," Regina responds politely. "Let's huddle up now, rejects," she calls out again.

The members finally group up at their side of the field. Juliette gazes at their extra member. "Are you and your friend both rich? Those are some nice clothes you two are wearing."

"Thanks." Holly smiles at the brunette. "And, yes, we are quite rich," she says coyly.

"Let's hope princess here isn't as frail as Princess Juliette," One of the team-mates, Shelby, remarks.

"Hey," Juliette complains.

"Just tell me where you want me," Holly says confidently.

"I know, Holly, why don't you check your buddy Mike," jokes Mike's former rival.

"Hey, the Hispanic kid," Regina calls out. He looks at Regina. "What's your name?" she continues.

"Auggie. What is it to you?" he replies.

"You want to check me, Auggie?" she asks.

Auggie smirks at the request. "I wouldn't want to hurt you, rich girl."

She returns the smirk. "I can take a hit." Regina gives a good look of the opposition: six opponents plus Holly. The only one that stands out from the crowd is the new student, Scott.

Peter watches on the sidelines. The display interests him not only because it's rare to have visitors who request to interact with the students like this, but also because he gets to see how far that teamwork has gone. The game's underway.

The ball is thrown through the air and caught by Auggie. Regina heads towards him. She moves into a crouching position to get underneath him and quickly rises back up. Lifting Auggie off the ground and tossing him into the air. He comes crashing down on his back.

"Are you okay, Auggie?" Juliet asks.

"Yeah, fine," Auggie responds still lying on his back.

Mike walks past Regina and looks at her with a grin on his face. "I'm really starting to like you, Regina."

Auggie rises back on his feet. He stares at the blonde that just levelled him and points at her. "I'll get you back for that, rich girl."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Regina retorts.

The game goes on and Scott's group is losing. One point of the game has Mike passing the ball to a team mate before being taken down. The team mate then manages to run up to the end zone to score a touchdown. Another part of the game has Scott trying to throw the ball over to Auggie, but unfortunately, the other boy gets tackled down by multiple people. Later on, both groups charge at one another into one large pile.

Their friendly competition comes to an end, and both teams are beat and resting up in the lounge.

"I got to say, you were impressive on the field, Regina," Mike compliments. "I especially love how when Auggie tackles you back, you shrug it off and smile."

"I was hit by a school bus once," Regina states in a light manner. "I think I can handle a football game."

"You were really hit by a bus?" one of Regina's team-mates asks.

"I was and managed to recover in time to compete for Spring Fling queen," she says proudly of the last sentence.

"Damn girl," the same guy remarks.

"I thought you were training these guys, Katherine?" Scott remarks to his team.

"Hey maybe if you covered me more, we could've scored more points," Auggie fires back. "Aren't you suppose to be some great football player?"

"Yeah," Scott answers coldly. "But it's hard to win games when the team is filled with losers."

"I wouldn't say that," Mike blurts out to them. "Holly was better than I expected."

"Thanks, Mike," Holly says from the recliner chair she's seated on.

"I was surprised our two rich girls didn't mind dirtying their designer clothes," Shelby remarks. A death glare is the only response Holly gives Shelby.

Regina sees Peter and a question enters her head. She gets off the couch and approaches him. "Excuse me, Peter, you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not at all, Regina. What do you have on your mind?"

"I remember Mike mentioning something called the X-Challenge race. What's that about?"

"The X-Challenge race is when schools just like ours around the area all gather up to compete in a team race through the wilderness," Peter answers.

"So everyone in the school is going to compete?" Regina continues.

"Ah no, we're only allowed to pick one group to represent the school."

"So which of those two groups did you choose?"

"The Cliffhangers."

"Which one is that?"

"The group your team won against."

Regina gets the feeling Peter picked the wrong group. "What's the name of group I played with?"

"You were with the Trackers," Peter answers.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you pick the Cliffhangers?"

"I thought they needed the teamwork."

"Good luck to them then, Peter," Regina finishes.

"Thanks."

Ezra, one of the least athletic members of the Cliffhangers, walks to where Holly is. He pulls out a chair and sits beside her. "I've noticed the stares you gave Shelby both during and after the game," he says to Holly. "Don't take her comments too hard; she's like that to everyone."

"I figured," Holly remarks.

"It's all just an act though," Ezra adds. "Deep down there's a good person underneath."

Holly spins her chair to the side and looks at Ezra, "How would you know that?"

Ezra begins to whisper. They are a good distance away from the other students and Ezra doesn't want anyone to overhear, "Can you keep a secret?" Holly nods. "A couple of weeks ago, a little girl went missing and we had to search for her. Not only was Shelby the one to find her, she actually climbed up the side of a cliff to rescue her. It was one of the most heroic things I've ever seen."

Holly raises an eyebrow. "For real?"

"Yeah, but she didn't want anyone to know about it," Ezra answers. "So she gave me the child, told me to say I found her, and ordered me not to say anything about it. I guess she doesn't like people to know she has a sweet side."

"So, why are you telling me this?"

"I just can't keep this to myself. And I figure since you're not a student here, I could tell you. You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

"I promise," Holly reassures him.

"Good." Ezra smiles and nods. "Also, I asked Peter about you and your tough, but pretty hot friend. Since you're going to be coming back here to visit Mike, I thought you should know she isn't all bad. She's actually quite a lot of great things," he says the last part almost hesitantly. He isn't hiding the bashfulness very well.

Holly gives Ezra a sly look. "You have a crush on her, don't you?"

"What? Me?" Ezra tries to look uninterested. "Yeah," he admits. "But look at her. You can't say she isn't one of the prettier girls here."

"That she is," Holly agrees. "Though as they say, looks can be deceiving."

Peter chats with the two visitors while they start to leave the camp ground and head back to their car. "Jeff tells me that Mike really looks forward to your visits Holly, and that your visits are what's helping him settle in. I'm grateful that you're dropping by here," Peter informs her.

"Anything to help a friend," she replies back.

"See you again next week?"

"You bet," Holly answers.

Peter looks over to Regina. "How about you? You have any plans to return?"

"We'll see," she tells him with a straight face.

"Alright, I'll be getting back to the camp now," says Peter. "You two girls take care."

"By the way, Peter, I really meant it when I said good luck with the X-Challenge race," adds Regina.

"Thanks," Peter finishes before dashing off towards campus.

The next day Katherine is helping out at an old folks home. She wheels an elderly lady towards her friends who are playing a game of cards while enjoying the sunshine outside.

A blonde teenage girl recognizes Katherine. "Hey, Katherine, right?" Katherine recognizes the girl, too, and tries to ignore her by moving to another table to gather newspapers.

The blonde girl moves up to Katherine. "We met on the trail the other day, remember? It's me, Michelle, from Lawrence Hastings." Michelle notices Katherine is still trying to avoid eye contact. "I was visiting my grandma. Do you work here or something?"

"Three days a week," the dark skinned girl answers abruptly while still avoiding eye contact. "I'm a falcon - I have privileges."

Michelle laughs at the response. "A falcon? How totally summer camp."

Katherine finally faces the other girl with a serious expression on her face. "It's my status." She waits a while before speaking up again. "Forget it."

"I didn't think they let you guys out."

"It's a school. You think it's some kind of prison?" Katherine responds defensively.

"Sure. You're the hoods in the woods. We're the spoiled brats down by the lake," Michelle answers. "That's how everyone sees us both, right?" Katherine looks at Michelle and nods to her words. "Listen, I was gonna go meet some friends, just hang for a while. They're all shrews like me, but you want to come along anyways?" she offers.

"I need to meet the van at 8:30."

"You won't be late. Come on, don't you ever want to have fun?"

Later that day, Katherine finds herself persuaded to hit the dance floor with Michelle and her Lawrence Hastings comrades.

Late at night, Hannah is pacing around the lounge, wondering about their student's whereabouts. The place is lit mainly by the flames in the fireplace. Peter enters the room. "She missed the bus. No one's seen her."

"It's been two hours, Peter," Hannah informs.

Then, surprisingly, Katherine runs into the room from another entrance.

Katherine sits quietly on a recliner as Peter and Hannah stand beside the fireplace, discussing what should be done about the matter. "Dancing at Fabian's," Peter puts his fist against his forehead. "My head's pounding."

"It could be worse, Peter," Hannah comments. "She could have been in a bar."

Peter sticks his thumb out at Katherine. "You want to call her parents and tell them that, huh? Yes, it could've been worse, but there's still consequences, and she knows that." Peter walks away from Hannah and approaches the student. "Katherine..."

"I said I was sorry."

"Still..."

"I said I was sorry, but I'm not," Katherine adds. "I'm really not." She leans forward and faces Peter as he takes a seat in front of her. "I just wanted to go dancing. I just wanted one normal night. Once, can't you get that?"

"Absolutely, absolutely," Peter agrees. "But you're still responsible for being here, on time." Peter thinks of an appropriate punishment, "You lose your town privileges for a week. You're off the X-Challenge team, and you're out of the race."

"They'll lose without me," she comments.

"Then we lose. What do you want me to do? Make the easy choice? You know I can't do that Kate." Peter lets out a sigh. "I'm sorry. Go to your dorm."

Katherine marches off the recliner. "Face it, Peter, this is really your race."

The following morning, the Cliffhangers are seated around a table in the cafeteria. The team captain is breaking the news to the others.

"Come on, don't kick her off. Just put her on restriction or something," suggests Juliet.

"Come on, Peter, be human just once," Shelby insists.

Peter looks off to the side. "We need a new team captain. Scott, you're it."

Scott raises his head to the announcement. "What?"

"You're it," Peter repeats.

Scott gets off his seat, "No... no way, this team is a joke."

"Then make them a good joke." Peter gives him a sly look before exiting the room.

"Let's see what you can do 3 time league champion," Katherine says with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.

"Give him a chance," Juliet defends.

"All right, first thing," Scott begins. "Shelby and Juliet, you're gonna shut up and stop complaining."

"Scott," Juliet says in a displeased tone.

Auggie points to the new team captain, "Hey, don't you talk to her like that, meat."

"Auggie, you're going to drop the attitude," Scott continues. "And figure out a way to get Ezra across the finish line alive."

"You keep in my face, and I'll show you attitude," Auggie responds.

"I'll camp in your face if I want to," Scott fires back. It's only been a few seconds, and already the team isn't too fond of its new leader. Scott sighs and stares at all of them, "Now, check your gear, and, uh, look at your maps and try not to do anything too stupid." Scott turns and walks away from them, still trying to take in the idea of being team captain.