Hey. How's the most boring subject on the planet?

None of the teachers at Tree Hill High had ever followed through of confiscating a phone if a student was caught using it in class, so he felt perfectly safe in sending a quick text to his best girl to check in.

Only getting more boring. Hey... Can I ask you a favor?

Lucas rolled his eyes, she knew she didn't have to ask. He would go to hell and back for her, it was what being a best friend was all about.

Always, Hales, you know that. What's up?

If there was such a title as: 'World's Quickest Person In Responding To A Text,' Haley James would have won by a landslide. He loved to tease her about it, though he secretly loved that she was so reliable.

Curly ran out of here about five minutes ago, said she had to go to the bathroom, but I think she's been gone too long. Can you check the usual places?

Lucas sighed and grabbed his bag, shoving his books back into it. Even if he did find her within ten minutes, he knew he wouldn't be back for the remainder of the class.

He leaned low to whisper to his teacher. She gave him a sympathetic look when he mentioned her name and nodded. Peyton had grown used to it, the people at their school treating her as if she were made of glass. She was tougher than they gave her credit for.

On a hunch, he threw open the double doors of the library and began to make his way towards the history section.

Though the carpet had long been changed, neither one of them would ever forget the exact spot. He'd found her lying there, hands wrapped around her injured leg. What she thought had been glass in her knee had actually been a bullet, and it had nearly killed her.

You're always saving me.

"Peyton?"

Somebody's got to.

Peyton glanced up at him, not bothering to brush her tears away with the back of her hand. She simply slid over and made room for him to sit down beside her.

"What happened?" Lucas asked softly, brushing his thumb across her cheek to catch a few stray tears.

"Some girls were talking about the shooting." She muttered. "I didn't really give it too much thought until they brought up my psycho stalker."

His blood boiled, the way it did whenever anyone mentioned Derek/Ian's name. He was currently serving twenty-to-life in the nearby prison. If his goal had been to scar Peyton for life, then he'd succeeded.

"What did they say?"

Peyton sighed and moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He immediately adjusted his position to make her more comfortable, his hand found hers and he squeezed it softly.

That was one of the thing she loved about Lucas: he was always okay with just holding her until she was ready to speak.

"They said, and I quote: 'Wow. First you lose your mom, and then you get shot in the leg, and then you get your very own psycho stalker! How much more fucked up can her life get? She's so pathetic!'"

Lucas had to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He wanted to demand that Peyton tell him those self-centered bitches names, and then send Brooke and Haley after them, but he thought better of it.

She'd be lucky if the others didn't find out, but he wouldn't tell them. The last thing they needed was more drama, especially after Nathan's almost-fight in the hallway that morning.

Lucas loved his little brother, he really did, and he knew that Nathan was only looking out for them, but he really was an idiot sometimes.

"You're lucky Brooke wasn't there." He told her. "Or else there would have been blood shed."

"Thank god for that." Peyton replied, squeezing his hand. "I already had one best friend almost get into a fight today because he thought he was defending me, I don't need another."

Lucas sighed. "Peyt... Does it bother you, when me, or Nathan, or even Haley, or Brooke stand up for you?"

She shook her head. "No... Not really."

"You're lying." He accused, poking her waist. "You're not looking me in the eye, Sawyer!"

Peyton frowned. That was the thing about being close with someone, they knew everything about you, and she couldn't decide if that was good thing or not.

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

She shrugged. "Sometimes, yeah..."

"Peyton." Lucas rolled his eyes. His over-protectiveness bugged her? Too bad, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Lucas." Peyton mocked him. "Seriously, it's fine, but sometimes I wonder why you guys even bother with me."

He rolled his eyes again. "You know why, Blondie. You are our friend, and we love you. So get used to it, because we're not going anywhere."

Lucas stood up, extending his hand out to her. When she didn't take it, he let out a long, frustrated sigh and dropped back down beside her.

"Peyton?"

"If you hadn't run back into the school that day..." She glanced down at the carpet. She'd never forget how it was stained bright red with her blood. "Then Keith would still be alive, Luke..."

She still blamed herself, for getting shot, for Keith running into the school for an attempt to save them, and for Lucas carrying her out when he could have stayed inside to help his uncle talk down the shooter, Jimmy Edwards.

"Peyton." Lucas gripped her shoulders before gently lifting her chin so she was looking him in the eyes.

"That was not your fault." He told her. "Peyton, it's not like you asked to be shot!"

"Just like you didn't ask to run back into the school to save me that day!" Peyton shot back.

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer." Lucas drew out. "I want you to listen to me, alright? I made the choice to go back into the school that day, because I was not going to leave you there. I'm your friend, Sawyer, and like it or not, I'm here to protect you, and love you, and bug you with my over-protectiveness. You're just gonna have to deal with that, okay?"

Peyton managed a smile, taking his outstretched hand so he could pull her to her feet.

"Okay."