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"I don't know what hurts worse, you and Lucas sneaking around behind my back or you lying about it to my face."
"Brooke…"
"No. The next time you want to steal my boyfriend, you might want to turn that thing off. I went into his room to check on him and his computer was on. I know you two were together. He meant everything to me, Peyton. And I was ready to try and be his friend if that's what he needed. And now I don't really care if I see either one of you again."
* * *
Penelope sat in her room and stared out of the window at the river crossing Tree Hill.
She remembered her father teaching her how to play basketball at the age of four. She had been good; not brilliant, at first, but good enough to play with some of her guy friends who had been impressed. "Not bad", one of them had said but Penelope had already known that. Her father had been a basketball player at High School in Tree Hill and later when they had moved to California he played with his colleagues from work. Although neither of Penelope's parents had graduated from high school at that time they got jobs soon enough. Later they both visited evening classes and somehow her father had managed to go to college. Peyton had stayed at home with her, telling her over and over again that she hadn't been planning to go to college anyway.
When Penelope was eight Lucas had published The Golden Map, a fantasy book written by Charlotte Keiser, which became a huge success and made Lucas and his family wealthy indeed.
After that more bestsellers followed. They had bought a house, than another. Penelope went to a private high school. She was one of the best students, she loved high school. She was good at high school.
And now? Now she had no friends. She didn't know anyone. She was a stranger in a town full with people who'd always lived there. How would they react on newcomers?
She hoped the new music store would be able to stand on its own soon so they could move back. That was the only guarantee her mother had given her. That they would move back home when the store was fine enough.
She hoped desperately it would be soon.
* * *
Lissa stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. Immediately, she heard the shouting coming from the kitchen.
"How can you do that to me? How can you be suspended from classes? What did you do this time?"
"I didn't do anything! It wasn't my fault. I had to defend myself, didn't I?"
"No. No you didn't. There are other ways…"
Lissa sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. They were always fighting. Always.
She entered the kitchen. Her mother's face was flushed; she looked angry and disappointed and helpless while Kyle seemed cool and calm. Lissa walked over to him and took his arm. "Leave it", she whispered.
Her twin shot her an annoyed look. Then he walked out of the room and Brooke let out a deep breath.
"I can't do this anymore", she murmured and sat down. "He's… why can't he just be a little more like you? You're nice and… serious and smart…"
"He's smart too", Lissa replied. "He just doesn't want to show it."
"He got suspended from school", Brooke said slowly but loud. "What did he do? You know it, don't you?"
Lissa sighed again. "He got into a fight with a senior who… I don't know, insulted him, probably. And Kyle just freaked out, I guess." She paused for a moment. "Did you tell him?"
"What?" Brooke replied wearily. "Did I tell him what?"
"About… Lucas." Lissa bit her lips.
"No, I… I haven't had the opportunity yet."
Lissa's eyes widened. "He's going to freak out when he finds out. You have to tell him."
Brooke shook her head but she looked uncertain. "Kyle would go over there and beat him up."
"He wouldn't. You don't trust him and that's what makes him do all these things."
Brooke didn't respond. She stood up and walked out of the room, shaking her head in desperation.
Lissa waited a few minutes. When she heard her mother closing a door she climbed up the stairs and knocked at her brother's door.
"Go away", she heard him shout over his music. She ignored it and opened the door.
Kyle was sitting on his bed, his phone in his hands. He seemed uncertain and Lissa took advantage of that and said: "What, you're going to run away or something? Calling someone to pick you up?"
Kyle shot her a dark look. "I said go away."
She sat down next to him. He didn't really look like her. While her hair and her eyes were dark brown, he was rather blonde and his eyes were a piercing blue. They both liked to play basketball but while Kyle was trying to get into the team Lissa only played for fun and not often. And he liked to argue. With anyone and everyone. With his teachers, with his friends, with his mother, with her…
"I've got to tell you something", she said carefully. He had to know about it. If he saw his father on the streets or something he would beat him up, probably. But not when she told him now, here, where she could hold him back, if necessary.
"What?" he said bored.
"Uh. Well. Our father is kind of, sort of, in town."
For a few moments no one said a word. But Lissa saw the rage in Kyle's eyes that told her he was about to burst.
The bell stopped them. It rang and they heard Brooke open.
"Brooke", they heard a male voice say, "It's good to see you."
The door was closed with a bang. And then Brooke started crying.
* * *
Peyton sat on the couch in their living room, frowning at the TV. Penelope had locked herself up in her room and Lucas was out to visit Brooke…
Peyton had told him she didn't think that was a good idea. They hadn't talked to Brooke for the past sixteen years and although Peyton doubted she was still angry she remembered the evening when Brooke came to her house and told her she knew that her boyfriend and her best friend were sneaking around behind her back.
And then the time when Brooke claimed to be pregnant... Of course she had only said that to punish Lucas for leaving her for her best friend. Still, it had hurt her to see how desperate Brooke was.
Peyton really hoped she was alright. Maybe she was married as well. She hoped she was happy. Maybe she even had kids, kids who were Penelope's age. Maybe they could all go back to the way they had been.
But still she didn't think Lucas should have gone over there by himself. And she knew she should've come with him but, she admitted that, she had been afraid. Afraid of what Brooke might say to her.
She would visit her soon, Peyton thought. But at first she should go over to Nathan and Haley's.
She stood up and left the house, trying to convince herself that Brooke wasn't as hurt anymore as she had been seventeen years ago.
* * *
"Brooke", Lucas shouted. "Open the door. Please. Let me just talk to you."
"Go away", he heard her say. "Please."
"I won't unless you talk to me for a moment. Only for a minute. Really. I… I'm sorry."
"Very funny, Luke. Really."
Lucas bit his lips in desperation. He had thought – hoped – that Brooke's reaction would be different.
He had even believed they were fine since Brooke was living in his old house. Karen hadn't told him she had sold the house to Brooke.
He heard some noises from behind the door and then, finally, the door opened.
But it wasn't Brooke who was looking at him.
It was a furious teenager and he looked exactly like him.
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