Yup, another one of those Lucas/Peyton/Lindsay season 5ish stories... I was marathon watching season 5 and that was my inspiration.. Entirely Leyton.
Before you read, i think you should know that i don't plan on making Lindsay too much of a bitch. Just a little bit :P Sorry for the terrible summary!
Disclaimer: I don't own one tree hill.
Peyton Sawyer squinted as she opened the curtains to one of the two windows in her closet sized L.A. apartment. The California sunshine was as bright as ever. She cursed as she turned around and bumped painfully into her bed. With her leg throbbing, she limped into her kitchen. If you could call it that. It took up the far wall of her apartment, had a temperamental fridge and stove and barely enough counter space to hold her coffeemaker, toaster and microwave.
Directly across from her kitchen were the doors to her bedroom and bathroom and in the middle was her...living area. That was all you could call it. There was an overstuffed sofa facing the other window, which was actually beautiful. The huge picture window, overlooking the ocean was what convinced Peyton to get this apartment. A coffee table, an iPod dock, a T.V and a small bookshelf made up the rest of the furnishings. That is, if you didn't count the records and CD's as well as art supplies and sketchbooks that littered every available surface. Along the wall by the door to the apartment, as well as in her bedroom, there were shelves. And more shelves. As many as she could stuff in. They were all filled with her records. Well, some of her records. The rest were in storage or back home in Tree Hill.
Her apartment wasn't much; she hardly ever brought any one home. But it was affordable and close to the office. And besides, Peyton often thought, Elvis Presley was a truck driver before he was discovered. Everyone had to start somewhere.
Peyton yawned as she reached for her coffee maker. It was a bit of a splurge on her tight budget, but it saved a ton at Starbucks, she had reasoned. She opened one of the only cupboards, only to realize she was out of coffee beans. Hello, Starbucks. She thought to herself, dropping the coffee jug on the counter with a clang. As she turned around, she felt something crunch underneath her foot. Looking down, Peyton realized it was one of her expensive colored pencils. Great. She thought, it's gonna be one of those days. How could she be awake for less than 30 minutes and already be having such a terrible day? This was not how she wanted to spend her first day off in weeks.
Peyton took a quick shower then headed downstairs, to the street corner for her much needed first cup of coffee. She would buy the beans later.
As Peyton was heading back to her apartment, steaming latte in hand, she happened to look into the used book store beside the coffee shop. Naturally, her eyes immediately zeroed in on it. The book. His book. An Unkindness of Ravens.
Sighing, Peyton allowed the familiar pull to drag her into the shop. It was ridiculous, really. Even though she already had a copy (or nine) at home, including the one he'd personally inscribed for her, she still reached out for it. Peyton was buying this book. Just like every other time she came across the familiar novel. It was irrational, but Peyton had long since succumbed to it.
This paperback copy was particularly battered. The cover was ripped and there was a coffee stain on the spine, but Peyton ignored this. She had to get it. It's our story...Or at least it was.
She flipped to a random page. Her own name jumped out at her. Once again, his words had their magical effect on her; she could almost hear him whispering them in her ear as she started reading.
When Peyton smiled like that, she lit up the room. Her art, her beauty shined through with that one smile. It was-
"That's a good one," The shopkeeper, a cute old woman with short gray hair said, breaking Peyton out of her trance as she handed her the change. "You know it's a real story?"
"Really?" Peyton said, trying to sound surprised as she closed the book.
"Yeah. Can you imagine somewhere out there, a couple is actually living those words?"
Peyton just smiled, weakly. If you only knew. She looked down at the cover again, rubbing her hand over the imprint of the author's name. Lucas Scott.
Luke grumbled as he reached for his cell phone. It had been buzzing non- stop all morning and he couldn't ignore it any longer. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he answered "Hello?"
"Hey, Luke." His best friend, Haley replied on the other line. Lucas sat up. He was expecting it to be his editor and girlfriend, Lindsay calling to ask him if he'd done any writing.
"Hey Hales, how's it going?"
"Great. Listen, I was wondering if you could take Jamie for the morning. Brooke and I can't get any p-a-r-t-y stuff done. And Nathans training all day."
From the way his best friend spelled out the word, Lucas knew his soon to be four year old nephew and god son had to be in the room with her. Haley and Brooke were planning an elaborate surprise party for Jamie's upcoming birthday and Haley didn't want Jamie to have any idea. "Yeah, sure... put him on."
Lucas heard some shuffling from the other line and then his nephew's voice: "Hi, Uncle Lucas."
"Hey, buddy... Looks like it's just you and me today."
"Yup. Momma's kicking me out for grown up stuff." The little boy said indignantly, making Lucas laugh.
"Grown up stuff is boring. Trust me. So what do you wanna do today? The river court?"
"Yeah!" The little boy screamed, enthusiastically. Nathan and Lucas both loved how Jamie shared their passion for basketball.
When Lucas hung up with his nephew, he genuinely smiled. These days, it seemed like the little boy was one of the only people who had the power to make Lucas happy.
After he showered and dressed, Lucas checked his phone. He was right; Lindsay had called. Four times. And then left a message Luke. I hope I can't get through to you because you're busy writing? Lucas closed his messages with annoyance. Then he immediately felt guilty. Lindsay was just doing her job. He was really just frustrated with himself.
No matter how hard he'd tried, he just couldn't write. It had been ages since he'd been experiencing this writer's block. Although everyone expressed their support and faith in him often, Lucas had to wonder sometimes if he was a... one book wonder.
When Lucas got to Nathan and Haley's place, he walked right in without knocking, as usual. He found Haley in the kitchen with Jamie. Brooke was on the back terrace talking on the phone. She was probably talking to someone back in New York.
Two months ago Brooke came back from New York, Louis Vuitton suitcases in tow, determined to run Clothes over Bros, her successful clothing label from home in Tree Hill. This meant a constant stream of phone calls from the city, but it also meant Brooke was happier.
Lucas and Jamie said goodbye to Haley and waved to Brooke before heading off for the River Court.
Peyton let herself back into her apartment silently. The book felt like a heavy weight in her hands. She immediately went to the bookshelf and tucked it in with the other copies. She would pull it out to read it later. It was a ritual of sorts for her. Whenever she got a new copy of his book she had to read that one.
Afterward, Peyton sunk onto the couch, defeated. She'd woken up in such a great mood this morning. That mood had gone to ashes when her day turned upside down before it had even started. And now she was having a Lucas day.
That was what Peyton called days like this. When nothing else but him consumed her mind. Usually, she was good at training her mind not to think of him, but some days she was just caught off guard. Needless to say, none of the things she had planned for her day off were about to get done.
After wallowing on the couch for a while, Peyton picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey, P. Sawyer!" Brooke's cheery voice answered from the other end. Peyton half smiled. A chat with her best friend was exactly what she needed right now.
"Hey yourself, B. Davis." Peyton said back, in as cheerful a voice as she could manage.
"Peyton..." Brooke's tone immediately made it clear that she wasn't buying it. "One of those days again, huh?"
"Yeah." Peyton said quietly, a tear rolling down her cheek.
She heard Brooke say something to someone in the background, some shuffling and then what sounded like a sliding door closing before: "So, what happened?"
"I founded a copy of the book." Peyton hated the way her voice sounded. If there was one thing she didn't want to be, it was pathetic. But when it came to Lucas, she couldn't help it.
"Peyton, you have to stop doing this to yourself. It's not healthy."
"I know. And i thought it would stop with Julian and all but... I don't know what happens to me sometimes, Brooke."
"Look Peyton, you know what I think you should do. The rest is on you." Brooke said
Moving back to Tree Hill. "I...can't." Peyton said.
Rather than letting it drop as she usually did, this time Brooke spoke again. There was a challenging edge in her voice "Why not?" They both knew the answer to this. In fact, Brooke was watching him walk into Haley's kitchen that very second.
"I... I just can't. I can't leave work."
"P. Sawyer, if I remember correctly just last week you called that label a disgrace to music. And you've been talking about starting your own label since high school. Now's the perfect time!"
"From Tree Hill?" Peyton said skeptically.
"Yes. If i can run a clothing label from here, you can run a record label!"
"I... I don't know, Brooke. I just don't think it's right for me."
"Not right for you?" Now Brooke sounded angry. Uh oh. "Peyton, if it's not right for you then explain to me how, even after almost 3 years away, you still call Tree Hill home? Or how half your music is still here? I know you, Peyton. If you weren't coming back, your music would be long gone. And how is it not right when people who love you are here? Your friends and family? Me? And I have room in my big empty house..." There was a pause before Brooke continued, in a softer voice "look, I can list off the reasons for you but at the end of the day we both know what it comes down to, don't we?"
Peyton was silent. She had no idea what to say. So Brooke said the one thing she knew Peyton didn't like hearing: "Stop being afraid Peyton."
For a while there was silence until Peyton said, in one of the most vulnerable voices that Brooke had ever heard from her fiercely independent best friend, "I screwed everything up, Brooke."
"So then come fix it!"
Their conversation was cut short when Peyton got a call from work about some contracts that she was supposedly responsible for. But Peyton thought about Brooke's words long into the night. Was it time to go home?
Haley James Scott gave Brooke Davis a questioning look as the latter came back into the kitchen. She was well aware of who had been on the phone and had to do her best to make sure Lucas didn't suspect anything when he'd dropped by to pick up Jamie. It was irrational, but no body talked about Peyton in front of Lucas, though she was always there.
"So what did Peyton say?"
Brooke sighed. "She's having another bad day." With that, Haley understood. The two women often expressed their concern for their friends and their relationship (or currently lack thereof). They both also shared the belief that Peyton and Lucas's story was nowhere near over.
"Poor girl... I don't get it. Why doesn't she come home?"
"Well... actually that's what we were talking about. Except it felt different this time. If you ask me, Hales, I think she might finally be ready to come home."
"Wow."
"Yeah. So do you think we should tell Lucas?"
Jamie and Lucas were halfway to the River Court when the little boy realized that he'd forgotten his cape at home. The boy was going through a phase where he wore the vibrant red cape, with a bright yellow 'J' on the back, everywhere.
Lucas simply smiled and turned the car around.
"Do you remember where you left the cape, buddy?"
"On the kitchen table. Momma made me take it off when I was eating breakfast."
"Alright then, you wait in the car, okay? I'll be right back." Lucas said as they pulled into the driveway.
Once again, he let himself into his brother's house and made his way to the kitchen, where he heard Brooke and Haley's voices.
"Yeah. So do you think we should tell Lucas?" He heard Brooke say, just as he walked into the kitchen.
"Tell Lucas what?"
So what did you guys think? Reviews would be much appreciated! This chapter was mainly setting up for the story.. My chapters will usually be shorter, this was pretty long for me... Both Lucas and Peyton's P.O.V will be provided throughout with the occasional insight into other characters. I think that's all you need to know.. Once again, please review! :)