Shelby lay awake in her bed looking up at the ceiling. Her hands were clasped together behind her head! She rested her eyes letting them flutter open now and then. She knew she had to think of some way to get Chris to leave her alone and go for someone else. Shelby sat up her blonde hair falling around her puzzled face. Shelby turned to the left of her bed and got out starting to move towards the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of light out of the side of her eye, and walked towards her window. She pulled the curtain to the side looking out at Chris. He was holding a cigarette with his shaking hand while trying to get the lighter to work with the other one. Shelby watched him for a few moments wondering if she should go out and talk to him about her and Scott. He finally got it lit up and took a smoke. He closed his eyes and sank down the side of the boy's dorm and then to the ground. Shelby sat on her bed continuing to look out the window.
Chris opened his eyes throwing his fist into the side of the cabin. Shelby cracked her window so she could hear what he was saying.
"I hate you dad, I hate you for hurting my mother, hurting my sister, for hurting me, I hate myself for not stopping you" he said to himself as if he was talking to his father. Shelby slid her hand over her mouth shaking her head and feeling sorry for him. Chris sat back down against the cabin looking over at the girl's dorm. He noticed a flash of blonde hair in the window and stood up walking towards Shelby's window. Shelby sunk down to her bed hoping that he would think she had left. He knocked on the window with is knuckle, and pressed his hand up to the glass. Shelby slipped her face up meeting his gaze.
"Chris go away" she mouthed turning her back to him. He looked hurt as he kept his gaze on the glass. Shelby turned back around her blue eyes shaking with fear, fear of her feelings for Chris, fear of her feelings for Scott, and fear of there feelings for her. Scott had told her he loved her, he had came back to Horizon's because of her, and only her, not Juliet, not for anyone but her. Shelby slid open her window sticking her head out at Chris.
"Hey, Shelby sorry to bother you, I couldn't sleep, and I noticed someone in the window" Chris helped her out the window and onto the cold ground. Her body shivered at the sudden met with cold air. She pulled her arms around her body.
"Chris, I have a boyfriend, his names Scott, and I love him" Shelby said as she stepped up to Chris. Chris looked away still holding the cigarette in his mouth. He blew some smoke to the side as he turned back to Shelby.
"Yea, I know and I'm not trying to break the Dawson and Joey of Horizon up" Chris smiled and laughed to himself. Shelby smiled back. "My sister watches that show, she's in love with Josh Jackson"
"You have a sister cool. Oh and were not that perfect, even thought you could call Scott the boy next door, well you know what I mean" Shelby hugged herself again and then tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Shelby, I don't know what's going on, I'm so confused, I feel empty and…" his voice died down as he heard faint food steps come near the cabin. Shelby pulled herself back into her room threw the window, with Chris close behind her. He closed the window behind him, and then dropped to the floor between Shelby and Daisy's bed. Shelby got under her covers just in time for the cabin door to open. Sophie stuck her head in looking around quickly at each bed, and then closed the door quietly and left not noticing Chris.
"That was close." Chris said to Shelby as he got up out of the floor and sat on Shelby's bed. He looked around at the girl's room taking in the surroundings.
"Yea, now you should leave, encase Peter is checking the boy's cabin." Shelby said to Chris standing up and fiddling with some things on her bedside desk.
"I got it all under control, I left the shower running and it's rigged to only come on when someone's in the main room, so Peter will just think I'm taking a shower." Chris said to Shelby stepping up next to her his chin coming right above her head. Shelby turned around her eye's came up to his shoulders she stepped away walking a few feet from him. Chris smiled at her and then started to pull the window open again.
"Now is this not some teen drama type thing to do? I mean girl well sorry boy goes threw girls window and then leaves the same way" Shelby laughed and a smile spread across her face. "Thanks for dropping by, I'll talk to you tomorrow"
"See yea, Shelby and thanks for talking to me, maybe we can do this again sometime as a friend thing" Chris started out the window and looked back into before closing the window. A light breeze blew the curtains. Shelby walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek and then he closed the window. He mouthed 'thank you' and then Shelby watched as he walked up the steps to the boys cabin, then she turned and plopped down in her bed and fell asleep.
Scott pulled the covers off his face as he saw the morning sun shine in on him. He blinked his eyes trying to adjust to the light. He sat up running his hands thought his think curly blonde hair. He looked at the picture of Shelby on his desk and then stood up dragging his self to the bathroom. Chris sat up rethinking about the dream he had just had about his family. He hated having these dreams. Ezra, and David were already up and dressed and ready for the long day ahead of them. David still lay a sleep in bed. Scott returned from the bathroom dressed in a dark blue, long sleeve shirt, a black vest and blue jeans.
"Chris, you coming to breakfast or what?" asked Scott stopping at David's bed as he spoke to Chris. Scott tapped David on the shoulder. Ezra came up beside him with a cup of cold ice water. Auggie laughed to himself as he watched Ezra poor the water on David's face.
"What the heck, you little crap head, you're goina die!" screamed David as he jumped out of bed chasing after Ezra. He finally caught him pushing him up against the wall.
"Ezra, you don't wanna mess with me in the morning okay, and to tell yea I woke up on the wrong side of the bed so knock it off" David dropped Ezra to the ground and went into the bath room. Chris was dressed and ready in a pair of khakis and a white shirt. He followed a dazed Ezra out of the cabin and into the dinning hall, with Scott and Auggie lagging behind.
"Okay cliffhangers" boomed Peter walking around the table. "We are going to start a little project" peter said. "The project will be about what you want to be when you grow up"
"How long does it have to be?" beamed Juliet
"As long as you want, but at least 2 pages" replied Peter stopping behind Auggie. "Auggie you will record your paper onto a tape recorder so when you turn it in we will hear you lovely voice as your project"
"Cool, man" said Auggie
"What if we don't want to be anything?" asked Chris looking up from his plate of untouched food.
"Well Chris what do you like to do what are your hobbies?" asked Peter looking at Chris
"Getting high" was all Chris said as he looked at Peter with a straight face not showing a glint of shyness, the Other Cliffhangers laughed at the response and resumed to eating.
"You don't like to play any sports? Draw, write, read?" asked Peter picking up a roll off Juliet's plate and then placing it into her hand. "Eat Jules". Juliet looked at the roll taking a small bit and then dropping it.
"Chris you think about it then get back to me on it okay, I'm sure you'll think of something" called Peter as he walked over to Sophie. "That boy's got some serious issues" stated Peter looking back over at Chris. "Yea I know, Miranda said he was nice to her on the ride here, but now he seems quick to talk back and it's as if he does not care about anything except getting high" Sophie said looking at a passing by student. "He seems to taken a fondness towards Shelby" Peter looked at the to, Shelby seemed engrossed in Scott while Chris looked at Shelby as though she was the only thing in the world.
Miranda pushed her chair in as she picked up her empty tray and walked towards the trash can. Ezra was close behind her.
"Hi Miranda" he said in a shaky voice. Miranda turned around and smiled a warm smile at him and then walked out towards the lodge. Ezra walked right up beside her.
"So you're Ezra right?" Miranda stopped him in his tracks and looked him up and down.
"Yea" he cleared his throat "Yes I'm Ezra Freadkin" smiled Ezra starting to walk with Miranda again. "You like it here?" he asked looking her in the eyes.
"Yea the boy's here are real nice," she said in a low voice then she leaned over and kissed Ezra's cheek and walked out of the lodge and to the basketball court. Ezra stood there amazed and he touched his now red cheek with his hand. He had totally forgotten about Daisy for a moment. He started walking back into the dinning hall and ran into Daisy.
"Hi Daisy" he quickly said and then walked past her and over to Auggie.
"Hi Ezra" Daisy said to herself as her eyes formed into teardrops. She continued walking out of the dinning hall and towards the basket ball court were Miranda stood shooting hoops.
"Miranda" called Daisy walking over to her.
"Hi Daisy" Miranda smiled and shot the basketball and made another goal.
"Did E" started Daisy and then she mumbled a few more words and looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry Daisy, I could not under stand what you said" stated Miranda holding the ball on her hip and looking worried at Daisy.
"Oh well I was just going to ask if everyone was being nice to you, since you're a newbie here and all" lied Daisy.
"Yea, there cool, I really like Ezra he's so nice and he's sweet" replied Miranda resuming to shot hoops.
"Oh well good, good, bye" muttered Daisy as she ran off to the girls dorm in a hurried pace. Daisy collapsed on her bed as she let a single tear slid down her pain white cheek. She then got herself together pushing all her emotions into the back of her mind and got her books and walked to her next class.
Shelby and Scott were heading to English class when Ezra ran up to them. "Scott, Shelby you'll never guess what just happened to me," Ezra said in excitement.
"What Ez, you finally met your match?" Scott laughed taking his statement as a joke.
"No really, I have, It's Miranda" Ezra said looking at them both in the face.
"Miranda, is your match, I was expecting some poor mentally insane girl" laughed Shelby.
"She kissed me" quivered Ezra
"Ez you got it made I'm happy for yea man what was it totally broom closet make out?" laughed Scott
"Well not exactly, more like a kiss on the cheek" Ezra looked sad as he said this.
"Well Freakin, happy for yea, but we got to get to English class" Shelby said dryly.
"Okay thanks for your time guys bye" and he was off running in the direction of Juliet.
"Can you believe this?" laughed Scott he put his arm around Shelby and pulled her closer to him. His warm gaze met hers as they looked at each other and then had a tender kiss. Scott pulled away and smiled at Shelby as he took her and hand and the walked on to class.
After class Shelby was walking to the kitchen. She hated having kitchen duty, more time to spend with the pots and pans. She laughed to herself at the thought. She noticed Chris sitting outside the kitchen door- way an apron sitting on the floor next to him. He held a notebook in his lap and was drawing on it. Shelby sat down next to him and watched him. His gaze never left the paper until he had finished what he had started. He looked over at Shelby.
"What? You never seen a boy write his name?" asked Chris joking around with her. Her playfully nudged her shoulder. He stood up ripped out the piece of paper he had drawn on and dropped it into her lap and walked into the kitchen. Shelby looked down at what he had given her. It was beautiful. He had written her name in a script that looked as though the letters were made of roses and leaves, and spelled out 'Shelby Merrick'. She smiled to herself and folded up the piece of paper and slid it into her coat pocket.
Scott sat out at the docks waiting for Shelby to meet him. He blew a breath of cold air as he put his face in his hands. He knew that Shelby's mind seemed elsewhere, she seemed distant. She pulled his coat around his body as he noticed Shelby walk up.
"Hey Scott" she said sweetly as she sat down next to him on the dock. She kissed him on the cheek and held his cold hand. The warmth of his body made her feel good in side as he pulled her close and rocked her back and forth. "Scott, you're so warm," Shelby said as she looked into his eyes searching for the look she loved. He returned her gaze with a kiss and then we continued rocking her back and forth.
"Shel, is something wrong?" asked Scott as he tilted her face up with his finger under her chin.
"Yes, something is wrong you're not happy" she smiled and kissed his forehead.
"No, Shelby I mean with us" he said as she sad up her back straight. Could he have known about her and Chris just talking the other night. "I love you Shelby, and you seem distant"
"I have a lot on my mind and well I just don't feel like talking about it to anyone"
"I'm not just anyone, I'm your boyfriend" His eyes dropped down to her eyes as he looked her in the face. "Shelby talk to me please," he brushed some hair away from her face.
"Scott, I know but it's not that simple, It's well, I can't talk right now I'm not ready to" Shelby said as she stood up. Scott stood up right after she did and pulled her close. "It's not anything you did Scott, you could never do anything wrong, that's all I can say" Shelby pulled away and walked off into the darkness and towards her cabin. Scott tried pushing his tears back but they came out like a Faust with a small leak. He brushed them away with his sleeve and then sat back down on the dock, dropping his head in his hands and crying softly.