So here is the next chapter, which will introduce Peyton, Brooke, and Haley, as well as their first night in the Scott home. Will Peyton, Brooke, and Haley find trouble from the start?
Chapter 2: Meet the Three
A ten-year old Peyton Sawyer jolted awake in bed as the front door slams. She looked over at the clock on the wall to see that it is 10 am in the morning. Her stomach begins to growl, so she pads barefoot out of her small room and down the stairs remembering to skip the third step that has a hole that is small, but big enough for her foot to get caught in.
In order to reach into the cabinet to find some cereal, she pulls a chair from the table in the kitchen to stand on. She shakes the box of Frosted Flakes, delighted that there is indeed cereal left in the box. Today might actually be a good day, she thinks, as she gets a bowl and begins to pour cereal into the bowl. She then goes to the refrigerator to look for milk, only to find that there is none.
"Mom," she yells. When she gets no reply, she yells again, "Mom." Still no reply. "I know she is here somewhere. I heard her come in this morning." She thinks to herself as she goes into the living room looking for her mother. And that is where she finds her, laying on the couch still in the clothes that she had on last night, with her black, knee-high boots and her black leather jacket still on, in a cold sweat with an empty bottle of Southern Comfort next to the couch. Peyton goes over and begins to shake her, hoping to rouse her.
"Mom," Peyton whispers loudly. "Mom," Peyton says again, now in her full voice. Peyton sighs and checks to make sure her mother is still breathing before taking the afghan off of the back of the couch and laying it on top of her mother.
She then slowly pads back to the kitchen and begins to eat her dry cereal as she pictures another ten-year old Peyton Sawyer at the counter making pancakes with her conscious mother. After she finishes, she goes upstairs to paint the picture that she sees and to put it under her pillow, so she can dream about it, hoping that it will come true some day.
An eighteen-year old Peyton Sawyer woke up from her dream feeling disgusted, not wanting to think about how stupid and naïve she was as a young girl. Hope was for wimps who didn't have the strength to deal with their reality. The reality was that Peyton Sawyer never got her dream that she hoped for, even when it was in reach. That life wasn't meant for her—fate had proven that when it took away her mother—and she had learned to deal with her reality. Besides, why would she want her mother anyway, she was nothing but a drunk, an alcoholic and no amount of apologies or false promises were ever going to change that.
"Would'ves, could'ves, and should'ves don't fucking matter if they didn't happen," Peyton murmured to herself as she put on slippers to go downstairs to get something to eat. It was quiet as Peyton ate cereal and she liked it that way, but as she saw Darlene, she knew it wouldn't stay that way. Fuck.
"Hey Peyton. How did you sleep?" Darlene greeted Peyton cheerfully as she came down fully dressed for the day. She hummed as she grabbed her own bowl of cereal and put bread in the toaster. Peyton rolled her eyes, and ate her cereal slowly to make as little noise as possible. She didn't want to attract anymore of Darlene's attention.
"Peyton, did you hear me?" Darlene asked again as she looked at Peyton curiously from across the table.
"Yes, I fucking heard you. Maybe I just don't feel like answering. Why do you try to talk to me anyway? I have constantly ignored you for the past year and you still can't take a fucking hint!" Peyton snarled.
"Peyton, you will watch your language in this house, and my daughter simply asked you a question," Carter Ganders reprimanded as he walked into the kitchen dressed for work. "You know after all of the time you have been here, I thought you would have changed…maybe opened up a bit. We did our best to make you feel welcome and happy, but yet, you still have the same attitude that you had when you first got here." Carter explained as he looked at Peyton expecting some type of reply, hopefully an apology for her behavior. "Well?" Carter pushed when he got none.
"Look, I never asked for this so I don't know why you act like I should be all grateful," Peyton said with disinterest. "Besides, you can forget about patting yourselves on the back because you changed the emotionless young woman into a loving caring being. I am not your experiment." Peyton finished sarcastically as she put her bowl in the sink.
"We never said or treated you like you were, dear" Charlotte Ganders said as she too now entered the kitchen. "But we expected you to appreciate what we do for you."
"Great, now I have all three of you on my back. Just leave me alone alright. I never wanted your charity and, frankly, never needed it. I am just doing this shit because I am not eighteen, so fuck your humanitarian of the year award alright." Peyton replied with a glare.
"That's it. You are extremely lucky that you are leaving today, because otherwise I would put your ass out on the street to give you what you think you want," Carter warned as he pointed his finger at Peyton. "So, go to your room Peyton until your ride comes to take you to Tree Hill. I am telling you Peyton, you better get your shit together or otherwise, you really will be by yourself." Carter finished with finality as he picked up his keys and left the house.
Darlene simply shook her head and left the room to get her stuff for school and Charlotte opened her mouth a few times, as if she wanted to say something, but then decided against it and began to make herself breakfast.
"Fuck them all," Peyton thought as she went to her room. "I'm meant to be alone." And that is what she drew about until she heard her ride beep. Then she grabbed her bags and left the Ganders house for Tree Hill.
Meanwhile, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Haley James woke up feeling extremely hung over. It took her a while to remember where she was, as this room did not at all look like her bedroom back at the Millers. She was startled slightly as something moved to the left of her and as something else poked her in her thigh. Taking a look over, she saw what was his name again…Ryder, her latest conquest. Damn, did he fuck her last night.
And it had been just what she needed last night and pretty much every night, for the past week, since it was the anniversary of her parent's death, but for the past two years, she decided to stop moping and have some fun. Crying every night would not bring them back. So that's exactly what she did last, smoked some weed, drank some 151, and fucked Ryder. All in all, it was a pretty good night.
"Ummm," Ryder moaned as he opened his eyes and saw Heather or was it Hilary under the covers. "Good morning" he stated in what he thought was a seductive voice. He was hoping to get laid this morning, judging by his lower appendage. She was the best he had ever had last night; she was pretty fun last night actually. Maybe after a morning go, he would learn her name again and take her to get something to eat.
"Alright goodbye," Haley said swiftly, climbing out of bed still naked as she searched for her clothes and put them on as she found them.
"Wait, I thought that we could you know and then go get something to eat," Ryder uncharacteristically pleaded.
"No thank you. I mean don't get me wrong you were good and all, but you weren't all that for me to want it again this morning," Haley said conversationally as if her words wouldn't bruise any man's ego.
"Come on, Heather." Ryder said as he picked his jaw off the ground. She was a spitfire; that was for sure. "You can tell me exactly what you want; I'm a good listener," Ryder said now trying to use his "bedroom" eyes as he again tried to sound seductive.
"Well, good listener," Haley started sarcastically, "my name's Haley and you're begging which is really pathetic, so I am going to leave now," Haley stated as she opened the door and moved to leave. As she went to close the door, she heard Ryder mutter bitch, before she saw him reach his hand under the sheets.
"Loser," Haley thought shaking her head. She left the apartment to go back to the Millers' house.
"Haley, where have you been? Your ride will be here in a few hours. Have you packed all of your stuff, yet? Don't be late for the social worker and have him leave you, you are not my responsibility after today, so you better get your stuff packed or live on the streets?" Mrs. Miller fired off at Haley as soon as she hit the door.
Haley made her way upstairs moving past the two rooms that belonged to the two other girls, Sara and Anna, who had come to this house one year before her. Mr. and Mrs. Miller had adopted the two girls, but chose not to adopt Haley, who had told them to fuck off and leave her alone with actions and with her words when they tried to give her a curfew and punishment.
This arrangement worked for Haley anyway, who didn't need any more parents. She had some and they were gone; she didn't need any one else trying to take their fucking place; no one could. When her eyes started to water due to allergies, definitely not due to thoughts of her parents, she reached into her bag that she had never unpacked since she got there a year ago and pull out a blunt. She was tired of thinking. So, she smoked until her thoughts no longer consumed her, and then left the house as she heard Mr. Samuels, her appointed social worker, beep his car.
Onto the next house, she thought, as she watched the Miller home and Wilmington disappear from view.
Hours later, Haley looked up from her lap as the Scott house came into view, white with yellow shutters. She sat in between Lucas and another brunette girl whose bubbly personality was no longer present. Instead, they all waited nervously as the police officer in the passenger seat left the car and knocked on the door once he reached it. Trouble on the first night, Haley thought, story of my life.