Higher Ground

Episode 1

It was hot for it being so late in the summer. But the school's remote mountain location meant it was blessed with longer summers and wetter winters. Either way, it was a great opportunity for Melissa to take her group out for a little hike. The curly haired brunette may have been one of the smallest counselors Beacon of Hope had to offer, but she was also one of the most active; something that was both a complaint and highly sought after in equal measure, depending on the student.

The school she worked for offered year round boarding for its 'at risk' teens. It was a label that she despised. All kids struggled, some just more than others, and that was what the school her friend John had built, was for. It was a fantastic facility and could be attributed to saving some of their students' lives. They had even been praised for it and recognized nationally for their unique and naturalistic approach. But that wasn't why she quit her job as a nurse and relocated to the middle of nowhere. It wasn't even for the glorious scenery and endless fresh air, although all of those things were huge bonuses. She simply loved her students.

She had seen so much progress in the little time she'd been with the program. In the two years she was a counselor, who also doubled as a science teacher, she had seen students come and go, healed and ready to start their journey into adulthood on better footing. She was fortunate to still have one of her first students in her group, however.

Boyd, as he preferred to be called, had been at the school longer than she had, by a few months. His parents sent him here as soon as he was old enough and he was in Melissa's group for both his freshman and sophomore years. He was tall and quiet but had really began to open up over this last year. He had made remarkable progress in his one on one sessions, talking about his little sister's fatal accident, even if he was still one of the quieter members in group. It was a drowning that took her life. He was the closest one to her that day at the beach, but despite his best efforts, Boyd couldn't save her. That guilt nearly destroyed him, but over time he had learned to accept the fact that he had tried his best.

Boyd seemed to really turn around when Derek joined them last year. They clicked right away. Derek was also built just a bit on the larger side, coming from an active lifestyle and looking at receiving a basketball scholarship. The two didn't talk as much as the others, but could often be seen racing in the lake, as they were constantly competing for faster times. Derek was sent to them several weeks after his family home suffered a severe accident, in which it was almost entirely burnt to the ground. The only survivors were his uncle who sent him here, and older sister, apart from himself. The hazel eyed teen didn't talk much about his home life or the fire, but he did feel his sister was working hard to earn his custody so she could 'get him out of here.'

Most of her students have been with her for about as long as Derek. Lydia came from a well-off family. She was a future heiress, but her father didn't know what to do with her when their maid discovered some of her long sleeve shirts had blood stains. She had resorted to venting her frustration with small jagged cuts on her otherwise flawless arms. Lydia seemingly had everything: good looks with her naturally red hair and green eyes, money, popularity, and she was even considered one of the smartest among her classmates. Her father didn't understand why she would do that to herself. During her initial physical, a standard for all new students, she was discovered to be underweight, as well. So, in addition to periodical self-harming checks she also had a modified diet for students that suffered from anorexia or bulimia.