Peyton had been in Canada when she received the panicked phone call from her grandmother.

"Peyton, I have something to tell you," she said delicately, and in one fell swoop, Peyton's world crashed around her.

The drive back to Chance Harbour was a long one, and the line at boarder control was unbearable, but eventually Peyton arrived home and it was true. Her mother was dead.

"I'm not going back to the study abroad program," Peyton declared. "And I'm not going back to school.

"Okay," her grandmother agreed, but eventually Peyton found herself in front of Chance Harbour High's school gates.

As she walked the halls, people whispered behind their hands.

"Peyton's back."

"Didn't she go and live in Canada?"

"I heard she went there for an abortion."

Peyton wanted to laugh, but really it was too pathetic to acknowledge.

"Her mom died."

"Her mom is dead."

"She was away in Canada when her mom died…"

Peyton's heartbeat raced, sweat dripped from her forehead, as she ran for the girl's bathroom, wanting to escape the voices. Suddenly someone stepped out in front of her with dark chestnut eyes that she knew too well.

"Brooke," Peyton breathed. The last time they had spoken they had, well, shouted. She wondered if Brooke had forgiven Lucas for cheating on her – with Peyton.

"I know you think you're probably the last person I want to see, but I just want to say I'm sorry, Peyton. I'm sorry about your mom."

"Uhh… thanks." Peyton dashed past and almost smacked straight into Lucas, who was trailing behind Brooke.

"Sorry -," She began to say, before looking up into Lucas' deep blue eyes.

"Peyton," her name left his lips so softly that she wondered whether she had heard Lucas at all. "I'm sorry," he said.

But Peyton couldn't stand there, she couldn't be in the halls with these people, watching her and Brooke and Lucas talking to each other like everything was normal, when everything wasn't normal.

Not anymore.

Peyton didn't feel like going to lunch and risk being stared at like a caged animal, so sat outside with her sketchbook open on her lap. Usually, she drew away the hour quickly, but today inspiration had passed her by. The black page began to glare at her, and Peyton gripped the bridge of her nose, feeling the beginning of a migraine coming. She slammed her sketchbook shut, just as Haley approached her.

"If you've come to say 'I'm sorry' then don't," Peyton snapped.

"Okay." Haley bounced nervously on the balls of her feet. "How are you?" Peyton gave her a deadpan look. "Yeah, don't answer that," she added. "Alright, I'm going to cut to the chase."

"Sounds perfect."

"You know that the five of us have been friends for the longest time."

"Define friends," Peyton sighed.

"Okay, we have known each other a long time," Haley remedied. "And I know you need a friend right now so I'm inviting you to come over to my place after school to talk."

"To talk

"Yes, I'm going to be there, Nathan too, and Lucas and Brooke."

"Hell no," Peyton immediately said.

"I know that sounds like your worst nightmare –,"

"No Haley, that is my worst nightmare. I can't even be in the hallways without people talking trash about me behind my back, and I certainly don't want to be cornered in your condo with Brooke and Lucas saying it to my face." Peyton cried. "You know what, I'm done here," she said, gathering up her things.

"Peyton, please! We're here for you and we want you to know that."

"Why?" Peyton turned to her, throwing her hands up in the air. "What Lucas and I did to Brooke was uncalled for – being a social outcast is the least I deserve."

"Because we all know that there is more to it than that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just come, Peyton, please. Come over tonight and we will explain everything." Haley insisted, turning on her heels and walking away.

Peyton wanted to scream, cry and laugh all at the same time, but instead she walked over to her car and opened the door. There was no way she was going to class now.

As she turned her key in the ignition, she watched Haley make her way back to the cafeteria. Nathan, Brooke and Lucas joined her on the grass. Haley obviously explained her conversation with Peyton, her eyes downcast and solemn. Then all four of them looked over to the car and the accelerator roared to life without Peyton even touching it. She cried out in shock, and when she looked over towards her four former friends, they were gone. Peyton wasn't sure quite what had happened, but she was sure of one thing, she was sure going to Haley's tonight. She had to find out what was going on, one way or another.

In Haley's living room, Peyton sat on the couch by herself. In front of her Haley and Nathan stood by the fireplace, with Brooke leaning against the window frame. Lucas sat in an armchair next to them, and their eyes were all on Peyton.

"So what's this about?" She asked. "This feels like an intervention."

"You're a witch," Nathan said simply.

Haley batted him on the arm lightly. "I was going to say it in a more delicate way than that – but yes, you are a witch."

"Are you guys messing with me?" Peyton asked, her eyebrows arched. "I really don't have time for this."

"No, we're not messing with you. You are a witch and so are we," Haley explained. "It's something we all came to realise when you were away in Canada, after we found my family's Book of Shadows."

"Book of Shadows?"

Haley smiled. "I know it sounds like a lame album title, but after I'm done explaining it's all going to make sense."

"I hope so."

Nathan stepped forward, wringing his hands. Peyton could see in his eyes he was trying to find a way to make this sound not crazy. "What Haley is trying to say is, when we found the James's Book of Shadows, we asked Lydia what it was, what it meant. Our families have been interlinked for hundreds of years. Our ancestors that were alive during the Salem Witch Trials were Witches themselves, but never got found out. They were part of a circle, and their powers were passed down biologically 'till it got to us. We are the last surviving members of those families, until we have children ourselves, and then the line will continue."

"The five of us makes up the Circle. You are the fifth member," Haley added. "Since you've been gone we've all tried to find all our families' Book of Shadows, they're the spell books and journals of our ancestors. The Books say that if we bind the Circle, our power will be stronger."

"And how are we supposed to bind the Circle?" Peyton asked, sarcastically adding quotation marks.

"There's a ritual in the Books that we can perform," replied Nathan.

Peyton sighed loudly. "And how do you know I'm the fifth member? What if the fifth member is Jake, or Rachel?"

Before anyone else could answer, Brooke cleared her throat. "Because you and I both know we all have an unexplainable bond, and I think part of what happened between you and Lucas is to do with that."

"You know I really –,"

"Peyton, it's okay," Brooke chimed in. "I forgive you. I know it wasn't you hurting me, it's because we're bound – all of us."

Peyton couldn't argue with that. Before she and Nathan had broken up, they had dated since the start of High School, and found she had been drawn to him before she even knew his name, and what happened with Lucas was animal, instinctive and primal, there was no way she could have controlled it. She and Brooke had always been best friends, and she had clicked with Haley as soon as they'd met.

"I know you feel it too, Peyton. And I'm not angry with you anymore."

Peyton gulped down the lump that formed in her throat. Lucas sat there, silent as ever, his eyes cast downwards but she could read him like an open book. She willed for him to look at her but he didn't even blink.

"I can't do this right now," she said, getting up.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Haley said. "Maybe we didn't explain it enough?"

"I think you explained it pretty well actually. Unfortunately it was a waste of my time."

Then, Lucas looked up at her and spoke clearly and concisely. "Have you ever done something that was out of your control? Have you ever felt something electric, so alive that it didn't even feel real? That's how you know, Peyton."

She gulped the lump down again, his words touching her soul in a way no one else's ever could. Had he read her mind?

Instead, she replied, "I have to go," and left.