AUGUST 29th 2003

She wasn't a little girl anymore and she never would be again. No longer did she hang on to her long departed mom's words or want to be just like her. Now their similarities irked her and she was determined to be as different as possible. Her muddy green eyes gawked at her reflection in the mirror tucking a loose flaxen curl behind her ear before applying her MAC cello pink gloss to her perfect cupid bow lips. She pushed down the knowledge of the fact that Brooke and Lucas were literally out on the dance floor grinding it up while Nathan and Haley were to busy making out to notice her departure. She was gonna sneak away from them and make a break for it while they weren't looking. She hadn't felt like coming here tonight as it was. But Brooke had practically dragged her all the way. Who would want to watch their best friend swapping sliver with the guy that you were in love with...that was just a huge fat NO. Lucas had offered to give her his heart, body and soul pretty much all of him and like an idiot she had told him no because she was to frightened to commit to anything.

And if she thought that was the worse case scenario her best friend of ten years Brooke Davis had to snake in on him too, knowing of her all consuming feelings for him. She had shown so much restraint around him it was unbelievable. When all she wanted to do was grab him, and kiss him so hard that he would be seeing stars for the rest of his life. She moved away from the mirror that she had been occupying in the ladies room and walked out into the blaring club that was TRIC. Her eyes shot to those of her friends who had long since tired of dancing and were now currently sitting in a booth with martinis. No surprise Brooke and Lucas all over each other. His lips brush hers. Not innocently, like a tease but hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. She wants to scream at the pair of them. Shout from the top of her lungs that Lucas was hers first. But she can't...it's never that easy without the drama that would follow. She stared at the pair her eyes filled with hate and jealousy, in one of her hands was a plum purple bag and in the other the hand of the boy who stole her heart and had never given it back, oh how she envied her.

The heartbreak in her chest feels cold. It feels like concrete drying in her chest. This heartbreak was unexpected, as they always are - top of the world one minute and cut down the next. Why is that? was there some part of him that hated to see her happy when he was miserable? There are only so many times he can break her heart - and she's done letting him add more fuel to the fire. She won't be that girl anymore...the girl hung up on a boy she could never have. She was done being the black sheep of the group. Lucas had changed...and was among one of the most popular guys in school now next to his brother younger Nathan. She barely had anything in common with them anymore, she had to make a decision.

And she had made it...She didn't bother telling them she was leaving...they wouldn't acknowledge her anyway...so she set her plan to flee in motion and left the roaring nightclub. She was stone cold sober now. Much more in a decent frame of mind than she had been in earlier. She stepped down the long winding metal stairs, mentally reminding herself to bring an extra pair of shoes next time because the eight inch stiletto heels she was wearing was doing her feet in. Sitting down on one of the metal steps she unbuckled the strap and removed them. Their was no way she was allowing herself to be in this much physical pain while her emotional state was literally hanging by a thread. The heels were long enough to gauge someone skull in...they were deadly. Letting out a breathy laugh at her internal thinking she got to her feet and started treading along the stone concrete.

'Hey Lady' she heard a voice say to her that she didn't quite recognize. She furrowed her arched blond brows...she was no woman. She was a sixteen year old girl. But it didn't stop the butterflies of excitement that soared through her at being thunk of as an adult. What could she say, she looked the part of a twenty year old dressed down in form fitting leather pants and tight fitting black vest top reading 'I wanna bone' on it. A private joke between her and Brooke that to be honest most people would get. She turned around reluctantly to be met with a man no doubt probably twenty one years of age. He's wearing a brown topcoat, a little too small for him - it must pinch under the arms. His eyes shine at her, brown also and small, like raisins dark with an emotion that she can't quite place, but she's almost positive she doesn't like it...it seems demonic, twisted. His hands were gloveless, dark hair on the knuckles.

'What?' she asked pushing fear she could feel festering to the very bottom of her gut. If there was anything she was good at it was at hiding her fear with a poker face. Something she had learned while playing card games with her father when he wasn't away at sea.

'I don't mean to stare your just...so fucking sexy'She could feel the heat growing in her cheeks. By now they must be beyond an attractive rosiness. They must be marking her out as a social incompetent. She felt as if all her insecurities were writ large across her face and there was nowhere to hide. As her anxieties mounted they became a circle, like a song stuck on repeat. It was uncomfortable. 'Thank you' she murmured turning away from this weird individual.

What he did next she hadn't even seen coming from a mile of. He gripped her forearm roughly, like a rabid animal prancing on it's prey. He slammed his lips to her and nearly knocked all the wind from her lungs. She could tell this stranger was drunk by the alcohol she could taste in his mouth. She made a noise of protest pushing hard against him as he continued to grope her more violently. She stiffened when a hard thunk sounded the hollow air and the man went limp in her arms before dropping to the floor.

She was left gasping for breath her eyes staring at the man's limp form on the floor. The man who had just attacked her. And her pale green eyes looked up to get lost in eyes That glistened brightly, cold and metallic, rivalling the most excellently polished suit of armor. The sclerae that surrounded them were pristine, untouched by red. They were pure. They were cold. They were...beautiful.

Running her eyes over her savior, she felt a breath catch in her throat. The boy wore a tight fitting shirt and black trousers, accompanied by a blue hunter jacket much similar to the one Lucas owned. However,he got better the more she looked. His rich chocolate hair that had tousled griminess which promised finesse. He had strong arched brows and eyelashes so thick, it could be illegal. He was mysterious yet sexy.He had distinct cheekbones and an angular jaw, his tanned skin making him look devilishly handsome.

Tall, dark and handsome. And if she hadn't known the possibility of vampires existing to be impossible she would've sworn hands down that he was one.

'You okay?' his gruff voice made her the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She watched him in shock her heart hammering in her ears as he approached her placing a calloused hand on her arm snapping her out of her trance. She watched as a cute and coy smile tugged at his features and that same heat from earlier rose to her cheeks embarrassed that she had been caught openly checking him out. It felt like a magnet was pulling her to him. That same static she had felt with Lucas coming back to haunt her again only not with Lucas, that crackling in the air that's always happened whenever someone has an attraction to somebody. Enough that she's a little afraid for her life, like, if his hand brushes her, one or both of them would be instantly electrocuted.

'Yea...Yeah thank you' she just about managed to get out. As she found her breathing evening out again, she watched as his storm grey eyes drifted to her bare feet. 'Nice shoes' she stared at him still at a loss for words. Then found that her sarcasm had returned to her like a move she could place on the dot. 'Whatever' was all she said before turning from him and making off towards her comet. 'I saved your life' she heard him say from behind her with light humor in his voice. She turned back to him fire in her eyes. 'What do you want a trophy?' she challenged. And was shocked by what he did next and how forward he was being.

His kiss stole the words she didn't need to say. In that silence all of her secrets were laid bare, all of her passions and the spark of love that existed between her and Lucas instantly flying out the window. In that moment she was strong, independent...free. One kiss and she had the courage to do what had to be done. It wasn't rough like the knocked out man's one on the floor only a few centimeters from them but a soft yet firm...like a promise.

When he pulled away her eyes were still closed. And she heard his deep voice whisper to her. 'You have a good night now'. When she opened her eyes he was gone. And she hadn't seen him again since.

PRESENT TIME

That had happened a mere three weeks ago and she hadn't been able to get the face of her savior out of her head. Hell he was even plaguing her dreams. She had done as her gut had told her and completely cut her former friends off. Her feelings for Lucas still strong and in tact...she knew she had to stay away at all cost because she didn't know what she would do otherwise. She didn't trust herself. She had been avoiding him like the plague. She didn't see why he had to make this harder than it was. He had a choice and he chose Brooke, as far as she was concerned he couldn't have it both ways.

She now currently resided in her classroom getting ready for her History lesson with Mr Tanner unfortunately for her it was a class she shared with Lucas and his fucking disciples.

Her nerves were frayed to the quick. In her building anxiety were her constructed elaborate rationalizations for why everything would turn out alright, but still the nagging voice in the back of her mind spoke of nothing but doom ahead. She had a feeling everything was about to change today, she didn't know why but it was like a feeling she couldn't quite shake. There's change, she can sense it, feel it. For once she doesn't regret the day before it begins because for the first time in a long time...she feels good.

Something was coming and something big.

She had been to deep in thought to notice Lucas enter the classroom along with her other former friends Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Skills, Mouth and along with her not so much friends Bevin and big red Rachel. Either that or she had chosen to ignore them. Once everyone was settled, class had begun. 'The comet originally discovered nearly five centuries ago hasn't been over Tree Hill in almost one hundred and fifty five years, now the comet will be it's brightest right after dusk during tomorrows celebration basketball game' she was in her own little daze barely listening when the door swung open and the boy that walked in had her flabbergasted.

She feels her heart pick up pace in her chest, her hand clasping her pen so hard her knuckles turned white. 'Guys, gals this here is Colton Glass he just transferred here from Idaho' her breath catches as his grey eyes drift to hers a light smolder taking over his features. It seemed that he remembered her too, clear as bell.

'Take a seat in the desk behind Miss Sawyer' Mr Tanner said and she watched the tall brunette shuffle from his place in the doorway. And take the empty desk behind her. She turned slowly to look back at him as Mr Tanner spoke on. Their eyes meeting and for a second it felt like it was just the two of them. 'Hi' she watched him mouth and a light smile graced her features.

'Hey' she mouthed back.

'Mr Glass...am I interrupting something?' the pair snapped their eyes back to the front where Mr Tanner stood hand on his hips. 'Peyton?' she shook her head mutely a little embarrassed that she had been caught. Unbeknownst to her Lucas was watching the whole scene unfold before him the jealousy eating him alive...he had just decided that he hated this new kid...Cole or whatever his name was.

'Anyway among other things who can tell me when the Civil rights act was?' the class was silent but Colton piped up. '1964' there was a stunned silence throughout the classroom as the teacher stared at him in shock. 'J. F Kennedy assassination?' yet again he knew the answer '1963' this boy, this small town Idaho hot shot was a smart ass...she should've known. She just sat there completely blown away.

A warm fuzzy feeling filling her. The whole class started clapping as Mr Tanner looked on smitten with a huge grin on his face. The only one who wasn't clapping was Lucas. He was watching Peyton's interaction's with this Idaho boy now known to him as Colton his hand tightened into fists. And something he refuse to classify as jealousy coursing through him. Peyton also didn't clap turning as she looked back at him her expression shocked.

She turned her body back to the front, one thing for certain this guy had definitely made her feel intrigued. It seemed the thing she thought was coming was here...practically at her doorstep metaphorically speaking, one thing for certain though she had a feeling she was gonna like Colton being here.

A/N: There is the promised first chapter of the story. Colton has already made such a huge impression on Peyton...it's all staring. Lucas needs to get him away from her. Read and Review. Until next time.

LeytonFan4Eva xx