Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, the characters or anything else related to the show. Mark does. Damn it. Neither do I own the song 'What Else Is There' by Røyksopp.
AN: All five characters will make an appearance in this story, it just might take a while before they do :)
Please let me know what you think! This is just an idea that popped into my head, I hope you like it!
Summary: five strangers find each other on a rooftop one night, all with different reasons to be there. Will it be the night from hell or will they be able to help each other?
The man parked his car and got out. Here he was again. Ten years ago this place was filled with good memories, with him and his friends, with life. Tonight he came here to see if he could bring those memories back for just one night, before the buildings would be taken down next week. He was feeling nostalgic. That and he really had nowhere else to go.
He got the bottle of whiskey out of his car and walked towards the entrance. To his surprise the gate wasn't locked, so he walked right in. He stopped for a second and looked around, trying to remember where he had to go in order to get on the roof. It wasn't long before he found the fire escape and made his way up.
The woman was surprised to see another car parked outside the gate. She thought she would be alone here tonight. After she turned the radio off, she got out of her car. She sighed when she saw the buildings again. It had been ten years since she last walked through those gates. Since she last had been happy. Tonight, she came here to try to find peace. Who was she kidding, she came here because she wanted to get out. Out of the mess she was in, maybe even out of this life. But that, she hadn't decided yet.
She walked through the gate and made her way to the fire escape. After ten years she still knew where everything was. It took her some time to reach the roof, after all she wasn't really in shape and although she had a pretty good excuse for that, she hated it. Just as much as she hated the fact that people constantly asked her how she was doing, if they could get her something or if she needed help. She wanted to tell them to go stuff it, but she didn't. She put on a smile and said she was fine.
He heard a noise coming from the fire escape. He thought he would be the only crazy enough to come here, but it turned out he was wrong. He turned around, taking another sip of his whiskey and saw a blonde woman coming up. Her breathing was heavy and she rested her hands on her knees, head down, trying to get more air.
"You should exercise more, lady. It's just a fire escape." He said while he held up his bottle to greet the woman.
"Thanks for the advice," the woman replied sarcastically while she looked up with her eyes narrowed. "And you should drink less, buddy."
The man looked at his bottle "Yeah, I know."
His answer surprised her. She didn't expect him to be honest, she had expected him to give a smart reply. She looked at the man, he had been good looking once, you could tell. Well he still was, really, he just needed a hair cut and a shower. She laughed.
"And what's so funny, missy?" He asked, while he looked at the woman curiously. There was something about her that made him feel uncomfortable. Like she was going to break down any second.
"Nothing, it's just… I didn't think I would have company tonight." She sat down next to him. He offered her his bottle but she shook her head "Not yet," she said with a low voice.
"Well same here, I thought I could have some me-time tonight, but I guess it just got changed into we-time." He smiled and put his bottle down before he turned towards the woman. He reached out his hand "Nathan Scott, 28, unemployed basketball star and alcoholic."
"And charming, I might add," she smiled at Nathan and took his hand "Peyton Sawyer, 27, alone and dying."
"You really do know how to kill a good mood, don't you?" Nathan replied while he let go of her hand and took his bottle again. So that's why she looked so vulnerable. "But as a matter of fact, we're all dying, so what makes you so special?"
Peyton smiled, she liked how he was honest with her. Not comforting, like most people were, not understanding, not protective but just honest. "You've got a point there, Nathan," she looked at him "The only difference is I know I'm gonna die within the next three months, while you probably have your whole life ahead of you," Peyton paused "If you slow down on the drinking that is."
Nathan shook his head "That sucks."
"What? That you have to stop drinking in order to stay alive? Yeah, disappointing, huh?" Peyton liked teasing him a bit. So far he was honest with her, so she decided she might as well return the favour.
"Yeah, that too." Nathan smiled at Peyton. He had decided he liked her. She was sincere, something not many people were these days.
"So what brings you up here?" Peyton asked while she walked over to the ridge.
"I don't know really. I heard they are taking this place down in a couple of days and I don't know… This place has some good memories." Nathan replied, while he joined her.
"I know what you mean. I was so safe when I was in here. You know, all my friends were here as well, life was easy back then." Peyton looked around and the buildings below her.
"Yeah. It sure was," Nathan sighed "So what year did you graduate?"
"It's been ten years now." Peyton answered "You?"
"Me too. That's funny because I don't think I remember you." Nathan looked at Peyton again, but he really didn't remember her.
"Well, I wasn't all that popular in high school, unlike now, I might add," Peyton laughed and gave him a wink to let him know she was joking "I was on my own most of the time. I guess me and my friends weren't really a part of the popular crowd."
"It's not all that they say it is, being popular in high school. I mean, look at me now, life's not really all that it was supposed to be." Nathan sat down again and drank some more whiskey. He sure had been disappointed by life.