Ok, so I've written stories for Charmed before, but this is my first OTH fic.

This takes place after graduation. Peyton and Brooke are leaving all of Tree Hill behind for their summer in California. Will have strong Breyton friendship which may turn to something more later on. Will also have some what of a dark side. There will be mention of cutting, so if you don't like that kinda thing, please don't read.

Peyton sat in the window seat looking out at the sea of clouds and blue from beyond the wing of the air plane. Everything seemed so peaceful from this height, almost as if she could open the window and reach out, she would be able to touch heaven. God she wished it were that simple. Since the whole thing with pscyoDerek, she still wasn't the same. It was like a piece of her was lost. Sure, she and Brooke had talked to him, they had gotten to the bottom of the stalker thing. Psyco boy was in jail, where he would stay. That wasn't really what bothered her, it was the fact that she had let him get to her. She let him get into her head, and to her, that made her weak.

She told Brooke things were better, only because she couldn't stand the way Brooke looked so worried all the time. She felt like she was a burden on Brooke, and that wasn't fair. She looked to her right and her best friend. Brooke was sleeping, and to Peyton's relief she was sleeping peacefully. Normally, since she and Brooke had moved into the apartment, Peyton would wake only to find Brooke watching her, as if to protect her from her dreams, from her own mind. She still had her nightmares, but she wouldn't let Brooke know that. Sometimes she wondered if Brook even slept at all. Thankfully, right now, there was no doubt in her mind that Brooke was at least sleeping.

She wondered what Brooke was dreaming about. Maybe her backseat trip with Chase? Brooke told her all about that. Maybe she was dreaming about the summer they were about to have in California. She and Brooke were suppose to spend the summer with Brooke's mom. Brooke would get to have quality time with her while Peyton would do her intern-ship thing. But, as usual, nothing went according to plan. Brooke's mom had called and told her that she would be out of town. Some kind of business thing or something. But it had it's upside, she and Brooke would have the great house on the beach to themselves.

"Can't wait to see how it goes." Peyton sighed to herself as she went back to her daydreams in the clouds.

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What seemed like a lifetime later their plane had finally landed and they had finally been able catch a cab to the beach house. She watched as Brooke pulled the keys out.

"Ok P. Sawyer, here we go. The first day of what looks to be like a very promising summer." Her excitement showed through in the big bright smile she held on her face.

Peyton had to smile with her, that was the happiest she had seen Brooke in a very long time.

As the door opened they were both in awe at what they saw. The place looked like something straight from the movies. It was two stories, three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor, everything else on the first. Both the girls made their way up the stairs. "Ok P., your rooms right here." Brooke opened the door proudly displaying the guest room.

She turned to leave but was stopped by a hand that grabbed her, almost in a state of panic.

"Sorry." Peyton drew her hand back almost embarrassed.

"What's a matter Peyton?"

"Just um...where's your room at?" Peyton tried to sound more curious than frightened.

"Oh." Brooke looked at her, almost as if she was trying to read her mind. Peyton saw the look change to concern pretty quickly. "Hey P., we're safe here, I promise. But, to put your mind at ease...." Brooke walked over to the side of Peyton's room, sliding the double doors that opened up straight to her own room. "See, I'm not far at all. This works out great. We can see each other anytime and when you decide I'm being to bitchy for you, you can just close the doors."

"Thanks Brooke." She leaned into her, hugging not just to go along with the thanks, but to feel the safeness she always felt when she was with Brooke.

Brooke felt a flip in her stomach. What was that about. She shook the thought, maybe it's just my nerves. That's all it could be. "So..." Brooke pulled back from Peyton. "Why don't you get settled in. I'm gonna drop my bags in there and then I'm headed to the kitchen to see what the food situation looks like."

"K." She watched as Brooke made her way though the double doors, stopping just long enough to drop the bags before she headed out. "Safe.......easier said than done B. Davis." She lifted one of her bags onto the bed unzipping it. She looked back to make sure Brooke hadn't returned before taking a pair of jeans out. Sliding her had into the back pocket she pulled out what had become her second best friend. Her first was Brooke, it'd always be that way. This second friend, helped her to feel just a little less weak. With this, she was in control of her pain, hell she in control of everything. She watched as the light almost made the razor blade shine a little.

She had to be careful where she cut. It had to be someplace Brook wouldn't see, and seeing as how they were now at the beach that would be a little more difficult. She never cut deep, that would leave a scar and she would surely have to explain where it came from. In the beginning it had been her forearms, but when she found out she would be with Brooke this summer she stopped cutting there. Her new destination had become the top of her thighs, just high enough that a wrap around would cover it up. That way she could still were a bikini, but no one would ever know.

Quilt hit her as she thought about it. If Brooke knew she would be so disappointed. "That's why you'll never know."