Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, or any of its characters. They belong to the wonderful Mark Schwahn and the CW.
Summary: Another one shot. This one is about why Rachel took the money and left without a word. Spoliers up to 5x11, You're Going To Need Someone On Your Side.
AN: If you guys haven't realized, I adore Rachel, but I doubt I do her any justice. She's a great character, even with the whole drug problem, and honestly I saw that one coming. Maybe not to the same extremes, but I still saw it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Ignore the mistakes, or let me know about them, that may be better.
All the pain came back. The feeling of abandonment. The feeling of loss. The feeling of no control. Why did Victoria have to come here and tear her down? Why did she have to come her and be-little her? God! The old Rachel Gatina - not the fat one, the high school bitch- would have been able to match her blow for blow (verbally of course). But instead, she had sat back and took it. She let Victoria tear her dwon, and make her feel like she needed to turn back to drugs.
What was wrong with her?
How could she let herself be degrated to this mess? Brooke, her one and only real friend, had so much faith in her. She couldn't let her down, even if her mother was a conniving little bitch.
Wiping at tears, Rachel finished throwing things into her bag. She was going to prove to little Miss. Victoria she could get clean. She'd show her she was wrong, and she'd make both Brooke and Mouth proud of her. Though, leaving was going to be the hard part, because she truley believed she couldn't do this alone, no matter how good she felt at times. All that could be heard in the house was her crying, and packing. Brooke and Peyton were still at the party. Which was good, because it'd be easier this way. Rachel wiped at her tears again as she zipped up her bag. She put on her coat and slid the strap of her bag her shoulder. Before leaving the house she went over to the small yellow envelope and pulled out the cash. They'd hate her for this. They'd jump to conclusions. Rachel knew that, but she needed the money to get to New York and the rehab facility Brooke had brought up after she ODd. Asking for the money would probably be the best option, but she couldn't do that. She wouldn't be able to leave if she saw Brooke. Just like she wouldn't be able to leave if she tried to write a note. She'd let them jump to their conclusions, and once she was completely clean, she'd come back and surprise them. But, until then, she'd break contact to make it easier on herself.
Rachel slid half of the money into her coat pocket and the other half into the front pouch of her bag. Once she got back to New York, she'd call her parents. They'd help pay for the rest of rehab, wouldn't they? They wouldn't let her slip down that dark path again. They couldn't. Rachel wiped at her tears again before she left the house. She was ending one chapter, a dark chapter, of her life and beginning a new one. A better one.