A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm back, and this time I have the very first chapter to my very first full length fanfiction. As of right now, it's titled "With You I'm Born Again", but seeing as I'm indecisive, that could change any day. Just a warning, it's very short, but I think you'll get a pretty good idea of what's going on after you've finished reading it. Read and Review, please! I need all the opinions I can get!
Chapter One.
Peyton wasn't sure what was keeping her awake. Maybe it was the unfamiliar bed, maybe it was being back home after two years, or maybe it was the heat of the room that threatened to suffocate her with every passing second. At this point, she didn't even care, she just wanted to sleep for another few hours before having to get up and face another day. Turning on her side, she took a moment to study the figure next to her, the moonlight seeping in through the window illuminating his face gently. She smiled faintly, her eyes roaming over the scruff on his face, then down over his t-shirt covered torso, and back up toward his closed eyes. She considered waking him so that he could lull her back to sleep in that unconventional way that she loved, but decided against it. Her heart wasn't really in for that tonight. If she were being truthful, though, her heart hadn't been in for that-or him-for a long time.
Sighing heavily, she turned to her opposite side and stared out the window absentmindedly. She didn't want to be this way; plagued with thoughts about her old love. She didn't want to be the girl that settled, that made the safe choice instead of fighting for what she truly wanted and deserved. She didn't want to be the girl with the sweet boyfriend who thought of the one that got away. But again, if she was being honest, he would be labeled as the one she pushed away. As life would have it, though, she was all the things she didn't want to be. With her luck, she'd probably always be those things, as she was sure that Lucas had moved on by now. He couldn't possibly have waited for her, could he? She laughed silently to herself as she thought of how ironic her life had turned out to be. She'd always thought that by now, her and Lucas would still be together, maybe even engaged, and happy. But here they were; broken up for almost two years, her with Julian Baker at her side, and him... well, truth be told, she didn't know whether he was seeing someone or not. Considering the way they'd left things since that fateful day in LA, Peyton had decided that the best thing to do for the both of them was to keep her communication with Lucas on a strictly necessary basis. It had proved to be most helpful, save for the times that the pain of losing him hit her like a ton of bricks (which was quite often). On those days, she'd curl up with a copy of his novel and read it cover to cover, reveling in every word. After meeting Julian, however, she found her need to read his book so constantly subsiding, which was a very welcomed change. She'd grown tired of leaving tear marks on certain pages as she cried her way through them, tired of fingering the worn binding as she reminisced over the first time she'd purchased a copy. Simply put, she'd just grown tired. Sick and tired of everyone and everything, even LA. She knew the only way to fix that was to go back home, as much as she tried to find ways around it.
So, just two days ago, she'd called Brooke, arranged plans to fly into Tree Hill Airport with Julian, and shack up in Brooke's newly purchased home for a few days before figuring out permanent living arrangements. They'd just gotten in tonight, and Peyton had quickly declined all of Brooke's requests to meet up with their old high school friends; stating that her and Julian would rather spend a night in, putting a somewhat suggestive nature in her tone so that her bubbly best friend would believe everything was alright. She wasn't in the mood for reunions and introductions. She wasn't in the mood to see him; his blue eyes, perfect stature, brooding expressions. She didn't want to see any part of him, because she knew that with how vulnerable she was feeling, she wouldn't be able to handle it. And she couldn't do that to Julian-she couldn't fall apart over her old high school flame in front him, she wouldn't. He was too good for that, and for her. If there was any bit of the Peyton Sawyer that Lucas had once wrote about left in her, Peyton would be thanking god that he'd sent her such a sweet, caring, and loyal guy to help her through all of this. Instead, here she was, lying in bed next to the guy that loved her, thinking about the one that didn't anymore. The one that she still loved with all her heart. The one that she would always love. Turning onto her back for a third time, Peyton stared blankly up at the ceiling and only thought one thing:
What the hell have I gotten myself into?