H.A.R.P Program discussion

This is where the H.A.R.P girls sleep

Layla was laying on her bed staring up at the ceiling bored out of her mind "This place is so damn boring" she muttered with a sigh as she sat up.

"Oh, hey Layla" El said as she rushed into the bunkhouse. She was still a little shaken from her fight with Chou so she sat down on her bed. "How long have you been in here for?"

Layla looked at her with expressionless eyes "don't know, few hours" she said with a shrug.

"Boring right? I have no idea what to do with myself in this damn place. So far, all I've done is created a death sentence for myself." El froze, that reminded her of Chou's threats. "Hey, you don't think they would make it possible for someone to, I don't know, commit a murder here or anything right?" El asked casually.

Layla shrugged "I could kill anyone of you easily" she said as if that was a commen thing to say "they let murderers come here so I'm sure someone will be killed eventually, why?"

El laughed nervously "Just...wondering." That was not the answer she had been hoping for. She could feel her heart beating faster and her palms getting sweaty. She had to get out of this bunk room. "Hey, are you hungry?"

"little bit" she said standing and pulling her black hair into a pony tail.

"Yeah me too. Wanna go grab something?" El stood up and realized just how hungry she was. She realized she hadn't eaten all day.

"Sure" she murmured as she slipped on her boots before walking outside with her hands stuffed in one of the pockets of her green cargo pants.

El followed her out the door, relieved to be outside. She walked up next to Layla "Know any good places?"

"There's a diner in town, the foods okay and the music is pretty good" she said.

"Sounds good, lets go" Food sounded so good right now, El was up for pretty much anything.

((I guess we should move to the town now))

Chou ran in with hot tears starting to wet her eyes, but quickly brushed them away. She swore she would never shed a tear on any thing or any one ever again. They didn't understand. Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me?Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why does it have to be me to suffer everything in this fucking life? If only understood She pushed her head into her knees in the corner of her room.

Piper was walking towards the bunkhouse when she saw Shigaro tied to a post, still fully tacked and sweating like a marathon runner.
"I am going to kill Chou, Piper muttered."Calm down girl, I'll take care of you." She took care of Shigaro as fast and as thoroughly as she could, then stalked to the bunkhouse.
"CHOU! she bellowed, throwing the door open. Chou looked up. "First, do not ride a horse without permission! You could get hurt! Second, if you must ride, take care of the horse after! If you ever fuck up like that again, I will kick you out of Silver Lining so fast it will make your head spin." Piper took a deep breath.
"Have I made myself clear Chou? she asked, trying to sound nicer.

Chou quickly put her head back down. "Good I wanna get out of this fucking place." She chuckled quietly. "And you were suppost to be a consoler. What are you? 5? You're not doing the greatest job, but doing wonderful in making me miserable just like every one else."

Piper walked over and knelt down besides Chou.
"Chou, I know your going through a rough time, but these horses are fragile. You need to help them build trust, and you're not doing that. Chou, you need to try." Chou didn't answer. "Is there something you wanna talk about?"

"NO" She snapped. She got up and walked to her suitcase. She started stuffing all her clothes in messily and cursed under her breathe. "You know what? I've tried. I've tried and nobody likes me. My parents, my aunt, and every one else. I certainly don't think no horse would give a damn either."

Piper walked over and laid a hand on Chou's arm.
"Please don't hit me CHou, but you haven't tried, Piper said. "You don't dress appropriately, you damage the horses, you deliberatedly try to make the other girls fear and hate you, and you certainly know how to push my buttons." She sucked in a breath. "You haven't tried, but that doesn't mean that you can't start now. You don't need to leave, you just need to lose the clothes and the attitude, try and be nicer and more patient, and stop using your powers to harm others."

Chou head just popped up. "Wh-why do they know? Why the hell do the fucking know about my secret. That's the point of a secret, not to be told to every one. Now-" She paused. "Now they use it against me. The only reason I'm mean is because, whether I just containing to my self, they gotta shout it out." She felt the tears coming back. "I never wanted them to fear me, but when they find out I've-" She sucked in a breathe. "They're naturally afraid of me and everything I do. But instead of asking if maybe they would like to be fr-" SHe paused again. "Friends, no they just think of me as the psycho murderer bitch. They will never understand."

"Chou, they are on their guard. You have a reputation. But reputations aren't something permanent. Start by..." Piper thought of something, anything to say. "Make an announcement. Let them know how you feel. They aren't psychics, Chou. Also, again, changing your attitude and the way you act and talk, and how you dress, would be a big help. Remember Chou," Piper looked the troubled young girl straight in the eyes. "I'm here to help. Just think of me as a friend if you want."

"Oh? And they don't? You still haven't answered my question. Why do they know?" Her eyes saw right through Piper's, practically forcing the answer out. "Why?"

Piper looked down.
"When my dad found out about... what you did to your parents, Piper said, trying to act as calm and neutral as possible. "He had a talk with the other girls, just to warn them," Piper winced at how that sounded. "And to tell them that if you try anything, to tell him. And that if they tried to Pull a stunt like that goddamn Chou did, they'd be outta here." Piper waited for Chou to punch her.

Chou just simply looked away. "He's a fucking idiot. So ignorant of everything. He doesn't understand. If he was in the same position as I was, I swear he would do it too. I'm not proud of it, but ho-" She chocked on a cry. She couldn't break down. She couldn't break down.

"First of all, my dad is not an idiot!" Piper snapped. "And he knows the law. He's a real cowboy, and the law, along with horses, mean everything to him." Piper took a deep breath. "Now, what were you going to ask?"

"Nothing. Nothing." She felt the first tear roll down, and then the second, and the third and so on. Her life was messed up already and now everyone knows about her secret. Her goddamn secret. Told by the goddamn bastard. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears, but proved unsuccessful.

"Hey, Chou, it's OK, Piper soothed. "It's all right. We aren't here to judge you. You'll have a lot of fun with Shirago tomorrow. Maybe she'll take food from your hand." Piper found herself babbling. "You'll have a lot of fun, and by the end of the month, you'll be a changed girl."

She chuckled. "Not here to judge? I've been judged by everyone, including your goddamn father. To think, maybe if he hadn't spilled, I might've had friends. But no. At least he showed his character." She took a long breathe. "The only fun I've had was when I dreamed that I left this god forsaken ranch and went back home, away from every goddamn person here."

"Don't get scared. I'm not the monster your father portrayed me as. I won't kill him. Or any one else."

Miki walked back in, touching the bruise that was beginning to form on her cheek. She walked over to her bunk, getting ready to read some more Phantom Stallion. She noticed Chou and Piper there. SHe instinctively cringed away from Chou, but reprimanded herself. Chou looked in bad shape.
"I should probably go, Miki said, getting up.
"No, you don't have to, Piper said. She turned to Chou. "Is there anything you wanna tell Miki, Chou?"

Chou didn't look at her. "No."

Miki glanced at Chou again.
"What's the matter China? she mocked. "Is Piper asking you to apologize for throwing me against a wall?" Piper's head snapped to Chou.
"You threw Miki against a wall? she asked, incredulous. Miki nodded. Then she whirled around to Chou.
"Mount Chou thinks she's so perfect, and she doesn't care how her actions hurt others. But, the minute something goes wrong, it's poor Chou. And she doesn't care about anyone." Miki didn't know where her words came from, but she knew they were true.

Chou contained herself well. "Piper, now you know what I go through because of your father. What were the first words you ever said to me, Miki? I believe they were We all know your little secret? Yes, I pushed against a wall, and for that she started going all psycho and cussing me out. She started making these names to call me, but that's not what really bothers me. It's her lies and accusations with out knowing the truth. She's just a bully, like what you would see in movies, except worse. She is your typical bully. Ya, I know I've done bad things, but you-" She stopped looking pleadingly at Piper, hoping she would understand.

Miki glared at Chou.
"A bully? she hissed. "You wanna know what I had to go through Chou? Because I can tell you. Chou darling," Miki stepped close to Chou. "There are two types of bullies. There are bullies who bully just to be mean, and there are bullies who bully because they've been bullied. I, dear Chou, belong in Category Two. My dad moved to goddamn Russia, my mother drinks and doesn't give a shit about me, all of her husbands are slimebags. Husband Numero Uno tried to send me off to boarding school, Husband Numero Dos tried to fucking rape me, and Husband Numero Tres starting beating me up, then got me sent to H.A.R.P.! And Chou, show me one time you have said a kind word to me! You're so quick to judge, but maybe you should take a look in the mirror and fix yourself first!" Miki was breathing heavily. Piper calmly stepped between the two girls.
"Chou, Miki, I understand both of your situations. But, before you two decide you're enemies, take a moment and see if you can be friends."

"Oh? That's all? Cause your life sounds like a paradise compared to mine! My parents despised me, beat me until I lost consciousness every fuckin day, my fuckin dad shot my only and best friend that really loved and cared for me in the head and never got caught, my mom would force me to sleep in the goddamn garbage bin, even the winter when it snowed, so when I moved to live with grandmother, I was happy and we loved eachother a family, but here comes my fuckin father again and kills her, as if my life wasn't miserable enough. That broke me. When my aunt found me on the street, she sent me here." She took a long breathe. She tried forgetting her past, but it was all still there.
She turned to Piper. "I'm sorry, but I can't take it any more."

Piper stared at the two girls.
"You know what> I've tried." She declared icily. "I've tried to be nice, tried to make you two realize what great friends you two would be. But you guys are too selfish and self-absorbed to realize it. I'me done with this. I'm done." Piper stalked out, slamming the door as she went. Both girls looked at the floor. Miki bit her lip.
"I'm sorry about your grandmother."

Chou stated at the floor breathing in choppy breathes. "I-I'm sor-" she couldn't say the rest.

"Hey, um, Chou," Miki stammered. "Um, I brought some, um, classics with me when I, um, came here." Miki wasn't really sure how to proceed. She felt bad for Chou, but it wasn't like she was the only one with a suckish life. "Maybe, you would, um, want to borrow one and read it, if you, um, if you want?" Miki shot a glance at Chou. She felt ashamed after Piper's outburst, and decided to give this whole friendship thing a shot.