It All Started At A Record Store

Chapter One

Peyton Sawyer looked around the record store hoping that the owner Chris Keller was there, she

had heard from a few people he was a rad and kick ass musician. Finding him pinning up flyers on a ladder she nervously walked over to him saying timidly, "Hi." Chris looked down from the ladder to see a girl a couple years younger than him standing there and he snorted, "I think you've got the wrong store Forever 21 is down the street." Peyton just rolled her eyes and looked up at the wall. Chris also looked at the wall and what he had just pinned up. "That's Jeff Buckley, you heard of him?" It was now Peyton's turn to snort, "Who hasn't heard of Jeff Buckley?" "That man's the reason why I became a musician. You want to know why?" Peyton just remained silent and waited for Chris to elaborate. "Because he never sold out." "Why stop there? Didn't he also drown in a river?" Chris was now giving Peyton his full attention and said, "Listen, if you want me to play your show you're gonna have to ask nicely." "I don't need this." Peyton turned to walk away. Chris chuckled, "Sure you do. Why else would you be here at eight AM on a school day no less?" Turning back to Chris she sighed in frustration, "Okay, here's the deal; turn out for auditions was kind of um, not what I mean! Ugh it was low, okay! So if you want to play…"

Chris interrupted her smiling cockily, "Read my writer." Then he hopped off the ladder and looked her directly in the eye. "What is this?" Peyton asked. "It's kind of like a list of artist's demands." "I know what a writer is," she assures as she unfolded the paper and read, "Chamomile tea, one small vegetarian pizza…OH!" Peyton became insulted as she read the last thing on his list, "One box of magnum size extra large condoms! You've got to be kidding me!" Chris replied nonchalantly, "The regular ones cut off circulation." "We got a deal or what?" Her usually quick wit failing her, Peyton was unable to come up with a decent or halfway decent comeback and conceded to the record storeowner, "You go on at nine and don't be late." Chris stood there grinning as he watched Peyton walk out the door and said, "Have fun at school!"

She grabbed her purse and ran out of the store, and ran to school as well. Lucas and Brooke were sitting in Mr. Norris' English class and they both noticed Brooke wasn't there yet. Wondering if he knew Brooke mouthed to Lucas, "Hey, Luke do you know where P. Sawyer is?" Lucas shrugged his shoulders, mouthing back, "I'm not sure." After what happened between the three of them, Lucas and Brooke had ended up going back out and they hoped that Peyton was avoiding them or hated them. Hoping that wasn't the case Brooke and Lucas waited patiently for the familiar head of curly blonde hair to walk into the room. Two minutes later the familiar head of curly blonde hair ran into the room, panting heavily as Mr. Norris addressed her, "Miss Sawyer, thank you for managing to be on time. I'm glad you find my class that important that you barely missed the late bell. Take your seat and please do not make this a habit." "Yes, sir." Peyton droned taking her usual seat next to Brooke. "Where were you? You're usually here early. Is it because…" Peyton interrupted Brooke quickly, "I'm cool with you and Luke. Really, Brooke I am. I went to the record store and talked to a musician about TRIC and it slowed me up."

Brooke's face went from inquisitive to one of her mischievous smiles in a nanosecond, "Really? Was this musician a boy?" Peyton rolled her eyes at the auburn haired girl's innuendo, even though the musician she talked to was a boy it was none of Brooke's business. She'd probably never even see Chris Keller again, not after he performed at TRIC anyway. "Yeah, the someone was a boy but it wasn't like that. Get you're head out of the gutter, B. Davis." Then the girls burst into giggles before focusing back on their English class. The rest of the day went smoothly even though Peyton had spaced out about the cranky music store owner more than three or four times, the awkwardness that was her relationships with Brooke and Lucas didn't come up at all and that was just the way the artist/singer/guitar player and songwriter wanted it; to keep it all inside. It was an emotional can of worms that shouldn't be opened ever again, Peyton told herself. And she also vowed to herself that never again would that huge can of worms be opened.

Brooke and Luke deserved to be happy and this was their chance at happiness. Hers would come too, eventually. Little did she know how soon it would and that cocky musician Chris Keller would be the key to giving her happiness. After school Peyton declined hanging out with Brooke by telling her that she had some stuff at TRIC that Karen wanted her to do before the opening.