Meeting Michael

The closer we get to our destination the more anxious and scared I was. By the time we arrived to Washington I already wanted to go back to my safe New York City. But I couldn't, not now. I looked to my right and I saw Alex dozing and I couldn't help but smile and cuddle closer into his arms.

"Every time you say you both are just friends I believe you less" Declan's sleepy voice came from the front seat.

"That's because you are all dirty minded" I replied to him with a smile that turned into guffaws as Alex snored.

"Sleep, Allie. I will wake you up as soon as we arrive to Rocky Mount, ok?" I didn't need him to repeat that, I was so tired that I would have fallen asleep anyway. I didn't heard Dec waking me up either Alex carrying me into a room and I slept leaving all my worries behind.

When I woke up it was lunch time already so I took a quick shower and went to find my brother and my best friend. I found them in the café, speaking on the phone.

"Hi" My brother greeted me as I hugged him. "I was talking to mom, she's pretty worried, you know" The guilt hit me hard. I loved my mom but I prevent the rising distrust and rage I felt now. She had lied to me by years. 18 years. And I wondered if she had lied about anything else. It killed me to feel this about my own mom but this was not just anything. I was scared of carry this on and discover that my mom has lied about more things that she had told me but overall I was worried about what I was going to find there so without a word I left the café and sat on stairs.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked me as he seated by my side, he wasn't smiling "I'm concerned about you, today you don't seem yourself"

"I am scared" I whispered but then he started to laugh "Why the hell are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry! It's just so funny, you are scared. You: Allie fearless. That's new!" I rolled my eyes and smiled but I turned my head to watch at the noisy road. "You have always been so brave, that it's hard to imagine you scared about something you don't even know" He added "Do you remember when my mother wanted me to met Robert?" I just nodded so he went on "She had been depressed since she and Dad divorced but when she met him she smiled again and she seemed to be happy. I was scared" and in a solemn tone that made me laugh he said "Yeah, even if it's impossible to imagine… I was scared"

"It's not hard to imagine! I had to go with you to the supper!"

"Shit! This wasn't the example I needed" I looked at him inquisitively "I wanted to give you an example about my braveness and why you shouldn't be scared but you ruined it" This boy was insane! But he could always make me laugh.

"I'm scared about pretty much everything: Mom's lies, people in Tree Hill, Lucas' reaction. God! Can you imagine it? 'Hi! I'm Allie Bentley, Brooke Davis' daughter and I am looking for you because I she recently confessed you're my father!' Priceless!" I gasped and flipped my hair. He just hugged me.

"In other words, you are scared that he doesn't like you" He said simply and I looked at him surprised "What? You have been my best friend for like… thirteen years. That gives me the capacity of read between lines. You're amazing, Allie. I saw the kid and the teen and I'm seeing now the woman and I'm not good with words so all I'm going to tell you is that if he isn't able to see how extraordinary you are… he is the one that is going to regret. I admire you, for doing this" Stupid boy! I was almost crying, so I hugged him harder to suppress that feeling in my chest.

Declan came from behind and I could see him smiling before he said "Ok, if you are done with you friendly cuddles, we can go now and be in Tree Hill in about three hours" It was now or never, so I moved away from Alex and headed to the car. The rest of the trip was calmed, it was Alex turn to drive so Declan and I just seated behind teasing each other and telling Alex the newest silly things our youngest brothers have done. It was a nice way to spent the time and low the tension. Alex even had to stop in a ditch when we told him that Declan, Brayden and I have convinced 10 year old Kai that an orgy was a pyjama party and Mom and Dad's faces when he asked permission to go to an orgy with his friends. Thinking about my brothers made me wonder about Lucas Scott, did he have another child? Maybe he had a son, another brother to me or a girl… a sister. I have always wanted a sister and every time mom was pregnant I would ask for one but she never came. I was surrounded by boys but I didn't complain either. And easy like that I found myself excited about meeting the Scott family.

As my brother predicted, three hours later we were seeing the 'Welcome to Tree Hill, NC' sign. My heart started to run and I found myself looking for Dec's hand like when we were kids and I was scared of storms, he squeezed my hand and smiled encouragingly. We parked the car somewhere near the Townhall and wandered aimlessly. Soon, Alex run into an old dark haired man and as we helped him to get up he looked at me with the surprise wrote on his face and asked me "What are you doing here?" But I was frozen, he was familiar but I didn't remember to have seen him and before I could ask him his name he was gone.

"Mom was right, people here is somewhat weird" Declan said.

"Are you ok?" Alex asked me looking me as if I was going to have an attack or something "You are pale" Declan laughed and so did him "I mean paler"

"I'm ok. Dec, do you remember that man? I think I have seen him before but I don't remember where or when" He looked at me and unlike I thought he would do he said

"Yes, I remember his piercing blue eyes. He scared me, I guess we saw him when we were younger" I nodded and started to walk again "So, Allie, what are we going to do? Are we just going to walk around until we see a man with a neon sign saying 'I'm Lucas Scott' or what?" I rolled my eyes and flipped my hair.

"I don't know, my plan was just to come" I shrugged, I usually planned our activities, pranks and all but this time I didn't.

"It's 5pm. I think the best we can do it's find a hotel and relax. Tomorrow we can search on the phone list or internet" I looked at Alex in surprise "What? I think… from time to time" I smiled and gave him a pat on his back

"That's my boy!" We started to laugh.

"Look! There is a court there. What do you say Kushner? Wanna play?" Declan being the captain of high school basketball team never missed the opportunity to play. Alex just smiled and soon we were heading to the court. When we arrived we saw that there were some kids there, a girl and three boys. They looked at us carefully and sudden all the looks were on me again. Uncomfortable with the situation I moved back and took Alex's hand.

"Hi, who are you? I have never seen you here before" Asked a girl that had to be about my age but had dark hair and brown eyes.

"Uh, Hi. My name is Declan, this is my sister Allie and our friend Alex" My brother voice was shaking and I wondered why "we are just passing through the town, we are looking for someone"

"My name is Jen and these are my brothers Jamie and Ethan" She pointed to an older guy holding a ball and to a young kid who seemed to be the only one that didn't notice the tension "and my cousin Michael" This boy was younger than me but not too much but what was scary about him was how alike we were. I glanced at Declan and I saw him looking at the boy with a painful look. The boy looked at me trying to hide his confusion and when he spoke he did it with a strong voice that made him look older

"Who are you looking for?"

"Lucas Scott" I said sounding less confident that I had intended. The strange was what came after that: the girl turned to look at Jamie and he gave her a warning look and then he excused the saying it was too late and Ethan had to go to eat and the blond boy, Michael, didn't take his eyes off me and asked us where we were staying

"At the Carrington" Alex replied reluctant as the boy without saying another word turned back and headed to an old car as he called someone with his cell.

"This place is surely weird" Declan said with a mock "Everybody seems to know you or something. And that boy…"

"I think he was your brother… half-brother" Alex said looking at me worried I just shrugged. I wasn't sure I wanted to know anything else.

Ok, pretty fast, uh? This is a bit longer thatn the other chapters and I hope to keep increasing. To TeamSophia, my mother tongue is Spanish although I also speak Catalan (as you can already imagine I'm from Spain, from Catalonia). I was thinking about your idea of include a Brooke's POV chapter and I may do it. I liked it. Now a challenge: give me five or six reviews and I upload next chapter within the weekend. I hope you like it!