Author's notes: I was going to post over the weekend but Mother Nature decided to dump 77 inches of snow on my house. Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me.
Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 3
Lunchtime…
Tree Hill High Quad…
Peyton sat down on the bench in the quad. Of course the student body of Tree Hill was practically in a feeding frenzy over this act of vandalism. She was getting looks from everybody. And for some reason, Brooke was arguing with Felix again. She was really starting to wonder how she was even friends with her. If she hated him so much, then why was she taking the time to argue with him? It wasn't like her best friend needed her support. She leaned back and sighed.
Anna would listen to me… Peyton thought.
She had been thinking about her since she left this morning. Anna had made her see things differently. That if she just let it go for a little bit, then she could deal. This incident felt like something different entirely and she wasn't sure that she could just shrug it off. At this point, she wanted to be anywhere else on God's green Earth.
And she wished that Anna was there to keep her company. Just as she had that thought, Brooke came over towards her.
"With men like him in the world, it's a wonder that we all aren't gay." Brooke said as she sat down.
Peyton didn't even acknowledge her. She just kept looking around the quad and counting the people who were staring. And she was looking for Anna but Brooke didn't need to hear that.
"Do you see how everybody is looking at me?" Peyton asked.
"Nobody is taking this seriously." Brooke replied.
"Really because half the girls in P.E. wouldn't change in front of me." Peyton said.
"That's because you look better than they do naked." Brooke replied with a little smirk. Peyton was failing to see the humor in this situation.
"Do you have any idea who did it?" Brooke asked.
The artist shook her head no.
"Well if you ask me, they did you a favor. Boys love lesbians." Brooke said in a seductive tone.
Seriously? This is how you make me feel better…Peyton thought.
"C'mon, the old P. Sawyer would have just rolled with this." Brooke continued.
"Well I haven't been the old P. Sawyer in a while now have I?" Peyton asked.
"Hey your real friends are here for you." Brooke said with sincerity.
Peyton still didn't know what to say. Was she talking about her real friends that all seemed to be completely oblivious to her problems? The ones that just ignored her most days? Those real friends? Peyton just sighed.
She looked over by the bulletin board to see Anna walking towards her and Brooke. She gave her friend a smile and waved her over. But to her surprise, Anna didn't even acknowledge her. In fact she just walked over to the table where her brother and Mouth were sitting. She sat down with her back turned.
It felt like she had been slapped across the face. She heard Brooke say something like she was insulted by Anna's actions. And that was the last straw.
"Fuck this. I am getting out of here." Peyton stood up and grabbed her things.
"Peyton. I know you are upset but come on it's just a harmless prank." Brooke said.
"Harmless? You think somebody writing Dyke on MY locker is harmless?" Peyton asked.
"No. I just think you are getting worked up for no reason. This is high school. Stuff like this happens all the time." Brooke said.
"Just because it happens all the time doesn't make it okay, Brooke. You know what? I have had enough of this crap today." Peyton said.
"I don't know what your problem is Sawyer but you need to relax." Brooke snarked as she folded her arms.
"I can't believe you are saying this to me. Actually I can." Peyton said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Brooke asked.
"It means that I am out of here." Peyton turned and walked away from the cheerleader.
She saw Lucas standing nearby and he was making that face he liked to make when he wanted to talk. He even threw in some of that meaningful eye contact.
Seriously? Peyton thought. The last thing she needed was to talk to Broody McSquintypants. So she kept going.
Anna watched the blonde head towards the parking lot. Her stomach was a fluttering mess. Everything inside of her was screaming for her to get up and follow her. She could feel it all the way down to the bottom of her feet. She had told herself to not think about Peyton and she spent all morning thinking about her. Then she saw Peyton's locker.
It reminded her of everything that she had gone through back at her old school. And that she didn't want to deal with that ever again.
Peyton was her friend. And she should have said something to her. But instead she did nothing. Now Peyton probably hated her.
Anna sighed. Every time she tried to do what was expected of her, she ended up making herself feel bad. She knew she had to do something to make this right.
She just didn't know what to do.
Peyton picked up her phone and dialed the number for her dad's company. She didn't want to worry him but she just needed to hear from somebody that cared. And she knew her dad cared. The phone rang a few times before the answering services picked up.
"Damn it…" Peyton hung the phone up and tried again. There was still no answer. She put the phone back on the hook and leaned on her desk. Today had started out so well and now she felt just as lost as she did last night. Then she heard a knock on the door. She looked up and saw Lucas standing there.
FUCK. Peyton thought. Lucas had tracked her down and now she had nowhere to go. She knew he meant well but she just didn't feel like talking to him.
"Hey." Lucas said from the door.
"Hey." Peyton said back.
"So I saw you cut out of lunch today. I just wanted to know how you were doin'…" Lucas walked into the room. He made eye contact with Peyton.
"I have been better." Peyton sat down on her bed in a huff.
"Do you know who wrote it?" Lucas sat down next to her.
"Why does everybody keep asking me that? I don't care who did it. I just want it to be over. All of this crap." Peyton said,
He noticed the torn up picture of Jake and Jenny.
"You miss Jake…" Lucas said.
Peyton looked at Lucas and rolled her eyes.
"Are you fucking serious right now?" Peyton said with a laugh. She got up from the bed. Being next to him was driving her crazy.
"You should go." Peyton said.
"Peyton…" Lucas replied.
"You can honestly think that Jake is the reason I feel like this. Oh that's right. You don't know anything about me anymore. Neither does Brooke. But the both of you want to come around and act like everything is okay between us. Well it isn't. You are a shitty friend and I don't feel like explaining any of this to you. So get out of my house." Peyton folded her arms and glared at him. She knew that Lucas didn't deserve all of her rage. But she didn't care. Somebody was going to catch it. Lucas walked to the door of her room and paused.
"I just thought you could use a friend. And no matter what you think, I do care about you, Peyton." Lucas said.
"For fuck's sake man, just leave already." Peyton groaned.
Lucas didn't say anything else. He just left and once again Peyton was all alone.
And she was starting to feel like being alone was the only way to go.
To be continued…
