A/N: Hey guys, it's been a while since I posted here, but I'm back with a plan thanks to a little encouraging review, so now you know what to do to get me writing again :) Some of you are probably going to hate this plan, but like I said, it's a plan, and I'm not going to ruin this story, pinkie-promise! Please Review!
He wasn't there. The game would start in ten minutes, and just about everyone was there to stare her out, but him. Even her parents were there, and she had been surprised they had even let her play the game, but that was probably all Nathan. He wouldn't let her miss out on something this important even though she was grounded, just like Haley wouldn't let her miss out on school. They had always had such different opinions, personalities, and sometimes they didn't work out at all, sometimes Lydia wondered how the two of them could stick together. Sometimes it was obvious, sometimes they were perfect, as if they had been made for each other. She figured it all was a lot like her and Logan. They were different, but couldn't that be in a good way? In a couple of years, people wouldn't think of the fact that they weren't the same age. Why would they now? She couldn't understand that he had actually lost his job. He said he didn't need one, but she knew that wasn't true. He had the money, but he needed something to do, something he liked to do. He needed it so that his mind wouldn't take him over completely. If only there was a way to get him his job back, but then again, the kids on the team would judge him, just like they did her, and she didn't want that for him. Not even more of that. It seemed like everybody had turned against him, and she didn't know what it was like with his parents, but she hoped they didn't hate him for this. They couldn't have reason to.
"Not giving up on us, Scott, are you?" Somehow that voice always got her calm, for some reason. She didn't know why Davis kept proving her wrong about him, but she had always known that he wasn't really that shallow, stupid, on the inside. Suddenly she felt like opening up to the guy she had never really talked to like that, and it was a strange feeling, but it seemed like he was one of the few people who were still there for her. As the tall boy put his arm around her, like he always did, she felt like crying. Not because it was a very special gesture, but because of the consistency, she needed that. At least there was one thing that hadn't changed. "He's not here," she said, quietly, almost weakly, not bothering to hate herself for showing him that side of her, the one only her brother knew. And he kept quiet as he put his long arms around her and just held her, proving that he was that best friend she had always thought he were. "You'll be fine, Scott, you always are," he said, sounding very convincing. She didn't know if he was right. "And right now, you need to show these guys that you're better than them," he continued, even making a vague smile appear on her lips. She could do that.
They won, brutally, and Lydia had scored 20 out of the 80 winning points. It was a great result, yet she couldn't allow herself to feel happy, because he wasn't there. He probably had his reasons, perhaps he wasn't even allowed on school property, but what did she know? All she knew was that she had been okay playing without him there, and she kind of regretted that, she felt guilty, even scared, because of it. What was next, if she could already win a game by far, without him watching? She wanted him there, but that didn't necessarily mean that she needed him there, and that was slowly proving itself. She had never even thought about it, doing things without him present, playing games, she couldn't have it that way, not when he had always been there. What had he even meant by saying he would be there, and then just blowing her off? She sure hoped he wasn't ignoring her again, cause that was truly unbearable.
"Great job, sis!" As she exited the locker-rooms, they were all there, all but one, it seemed like. Jamie was the first one she saw, as he came up and hugged her as if nothing was wrong. Nathan still looked angry, but at least he was there. Haley wasn't far behind on hugging her daughter, and Lydia couldn't help but to find it absolutely weird as Clay and Quinn were there, not saying much, but still, being there. This was probably Haley's idea, she was always trying to fix things, even if they didn't need fixing. This had to be all her, thinking it would be good for them to stand united, or whatever, or worse, she wanted Lydia to talk to them. She was curious, she needed to know how things were between Nathan and Clay, and she needed to know they didn't blame Logan, but she couldn't do this now. She couldn't face them now, not without him present, this wasn't right. He was the only one who wasn't there, and she felt like that was a bad sign, it meant they were all cutting him off right now, and she couldn't be okay with that, hell, she couldn't even pretend to be.
"I'll be at Brooke's, mom." The girl said, as Haley embraced her, not really caring what her mother would answer. She had made up her mind, and she couldn't be at home. "No way, Lydia, you're grounded," Haley answered, obviously trying to sound as responsible as possible. Not that she wasn't, Haley was a very responsible person, perhaps too responsible. Her mom had always been too keen on doing the right thing, at least as long as Lydia could remember. "Mom.. It's Brooke. I'll be fine," she said, before letting go of the woman who had always worried too much, and following the twins who had just exited the locker-rooms. "Hey Bakers, wait up," she said as she caught up to the two, tall boys, putting an arm around each of them. It did bring her some comfort, having the two of them to rely on, although she would much rather be spending her time with Logan. Things had been weird with Jude the last couple of months, and she had always gotten along better with Davis, but she had known both of them since they were born, and she was sure they would always be friends, no matter the weirdness.
"I have to say, I didn't see that one coming." If there was anyone who could make her laugh during circumstances like these, it was Davis Baker, and he sure did, as they sat on his bed discussing the last couple of weeks. "I mean, I did know you were a slut, but the coach?" He wasn't completely serious, saying those things. They always called each other things like that, joking around, yet still being somewhat serious. Usually she wouldn't mind, and she still didn't, it was just annoying that he couldn't understand, that he just presumed that the rumors were true. That he took for granted that what had been going on between her and Logan was shallow.. wrong even. "It's nothing like that, Davis.. I love him, and I know that's weird coming from me, but I always have," she said, trying to make sense, trying to make him understand. She did love Logan, but that wasn't news, he had always been her best friend, and he had always been there for her, ever since she was born. In one way, it was only natural that it would lead to this kind of relationship one day, but it was still surprising to the people close to them. Perhaps that was all it was, right now, surprise, shock even. They could get over it, get used to it. She hoped they would, cause no matter what she did right now, she didn't want to lose her family.
"I need to go talk to him, are you.. Will you cover for me?" she asked the boy, who had a strange, new expression on his face as he nodded despondently. Logan hadn't answered her texts, nor her phone calls, so the only proven way to get a hold of him was to go knock on his door. She didn't understand why he was ignoring her. Maybe he blamed her for it, she thought, but then again, she knew him better than that. He had never blamed her for anything, all he ever did was blaming himself. "I'll be back," she said, smiling vaguely, before she left the Baker's house to walk into town, like she had so many times before. What she had never expected though, was finding an empty apartment, a sad place without any trace of Logan. Even the little sign on the door which had his name on it, was gone, and in the back of her mind, she knew that he was too.