"Tell me what you want to hear, something that will light those ears, sick of all the insincere. So I'm gonna give all my secrets away."

– One Republic, Secrets

As she pulled on a pair of black boots Effy couldn't help but sigh, the last couple of days had been pretty hectic but tonight had been something else entirely. On the way back from an away game with Peyton, a drugged up Brooke and Lucas' best friend Haley, the four girls had run out of gas and would have been stranded if it wasn't for Haley as Brooke didn't fill up her tank. The whole experience had been weird and yet quite fun even though Haley was tutoring Nathan and apparently had feelings for, whilst Peyton who recently broke up with Nathan had this thing with Lucas. It was kind of awkward for Effy as it meant there was further talk of her two brothers but it was nice in a way, they were getting along until Brooke pointed out that they could never be friends past this night given who they all were. That kind of put a bummer on the night, until the four of them came across a half naked Lucas and Nathan on the drive home. Apparently the two of them had been kicked off the bus by Coach Durham and they kidnapped by the team they had just beaten and lost their closes. So the six of them had crammed into Brooke's car until they reached Tree Hill. Effy had been so relived to be back home after a long night that she had gone straight to her room, she was just going to head straight to be bed but she decided to go out. Her parents were staying at some hotel tonight so none was keeping an eye on her. Just as Effy went to grab her purse there was a knock on her door and she reluctantly went and opened it and there was Nathan.

"Yes?" Effy asked as there was really no reason for Nathan to be here in the slightest, they were in this awkward place at the moment where they didn't say much to each other except for the occasional word and grunts. It seemed to suit the two of them just fine at the moment as it was enough contact that their parents wouldn't start giving them grief about why they didn't speak to each other enough.

"Are you going out?" Nathan questioned as he looked down at Effy's outfit as it was a far cry from pajamas and even more revealing. Effy knew that her parents would have a heart attack if they could see her right now.

"Clearly…" Effy sarcastically stated, it was no wonder why Nathan was failing English if he couldn't even notice the obvious. Effy thought this would be the end of the conversation but Nathan moved past her and into her bedroom and Effy sighed in annoyance. For some reason Nathan wanted to talk to her, no doubt to lecture her about this whole sneaking out thing and how it was annoying their parents and Effy was fully ready to bring up the fact that she wasn't the one who was involved in a hit and run with Peyton's car and tried pinning it on Lucas. "What now? How have I screwed up now?"

"I was going to order a pizza, I just wanted to know whether you wanted to share one and perhaps talk, you know…" Nathan began and Effy couldn't believe what she was currently hearing. Nathan wanted to talk with her?

"Good one Nathan." Effy couldn't help but scoff in amusement as she headed towards her window in order to leave. Despite the fact that her parents were away from the night and she could just walk out the front door but Effy found herself going out her window out of habit. Effy figured Nathan was trying to pull some joke on her and to his credit it was quite funny. Effy had almost fallen for it and she shook her head in amusement as she began to climb out of her window. Apparently Nathan had quite the sense of humour when he wasn't being a complete bastard. It was nice to know that.

"I was being serious Eff." Nathan announced and an already half way out of the window Effy had to turn back around.

"Talk? Nathan we never talk, we haven't had something that constitutes an actual conversation in years because we can't even speak to each other with out yelling or doors being slammed. So forgive me for not believing you Nate when you come in here acting like everything is fine and we're normal siblings to ask if I want to have some pizza and have a bit of a chat." Effy stated as she was sitting halfway in her room and halfway out the window and she watched as Nathan shuffled around uncomfortably.

"Look Effy I know things aren't always easy between but that since we've both had a rather hard night, that might have something to eat and try and get along with each other for once."

"I want to believe you, I really do but you can't stand here and ask me to try when that's what I've been doing. I've tried Nathan. God knows when it happened but things just kind of fell apart between us some point in middle school and high school, I tried for so long after you stopped putting in any effort with me and it was so tiresome as the more I tired, the more of an asshole you became and so I gave up. Just like you and Dan gave up on me. A part of me can deal with Dan and him being a complete dick to me and saying that he never wanted me but I didn't expect you to give up on me Nathan. We used to be so close and now look at us, I look at you and I have no idea who you are, I can't fathom the idea that you're my twin and I suspect that as of late that you've began to think that about me too." Effy corrected as Nathan needed to know that things weren't as simple as he thought they were. They had real problems that the two of them had been going through for years and acting like it was normal sibling stuff, when it wasn't. Effy knew that normal siblings didn't behave this way towards each other.

"Effy we grew apart, things like that happen as we're two different people now." Nathan began and Effy sighed, this was her brother's problem he wouldn't take responsibility for anything.

"Nathan we're not friends, we are brother and sister; we're twins! There is not supposed to be any growing apart between us. We fight a lot and I call you name constantly and I know I'm not perfect. I'm self righteous and judgmental with some serious daddy issues not to mention an inferiority complex with you because I know our parents love me less than you. But I have needed you to be there for me Nathan, to be my brother and look out for me but you didn't give a damn, You let me sneak out of here for months on end without batting an eyelid and I go and hook up with random men, steal cars and other nonsense because I have nothing. No self esteem or sense of worth because Dan took that from that me and you just stood there Nathan. You stood there and let him make me feel like I wasn't important and not show up or take any interest in the things I do because it's not basketball or Duke. Not even once after Dan admitted did he not want me did you even say anything to him or me Nathan and that hurt, more than I like to admit. I've needed you to save me from myself, to save me from drowning in this house but you don't care, all you seem to care about is calling me names and making me feel like I'm two inches tall. But it's not just me that you do that to, it's Lucas and Peyton as well. It's probably why she dumped you." Effy retorted as she ran her hands through her hair.

"I-I don't know what to say Lizzy, I didn't ever realize." Nathan quietly began and Effy could see that Nathan was shocked about everything that she had just told him.

"I hate it here Nathan, I hate my life here and I probably would have left town a long time if it wasn't for Jake, my best friend in the entire world and one of the few things that actually keeps me going who I have feelings for. Yet I can't tell Jake that because I'm scared that he just see's me as he's friend with the crazy home life." Effy tearily laughed.

"Effy…"

"I wasn't asking for much Nathan, all I wanted was a tiny bit of acknowledgment from my twin brother." Effy said with a small sigh. "I call a bastard and an asshole all the time Nathan because your turning just a little more into Dan every single day and that terrifies more than anything in this world."

"I'm sorry that I ever made you feel that way Eff, I know I say a lot of stuff to you but I thought you knew that I never really meant it. I just say stupid things like that because you know that's what we do, we both call each other names all the time. Stuff that brothers and sisters do with each other." Nathan replied and Effy didn't know what to say.

"I'll see you later." Effy replied.

"Lizzy you don't have to go."

"I have to Nathan, you wouldn't understand." Effy quietly said as she turned back around and climbed back out of the window and made her way down the first storey roof so she could scale down the side of her house. Effy wasn't taken her skateboard this time, she had decided to drive and would leave her car somewhere and pick it up sometime tomorrow. As Effy began to make her way to the side of house, she started to feel kind of bad about what happened. Normally she wouldn't care as yelling at Nathan was something that was apart of her everyday life but she hadn't expected Nathan to be so sincere about how she was feeling and shocked over everything that she had told him. For Effy it was weird as she had never been that honest with anyone not even Jake. She felt so conflicted, Effy wanted to go out, she wanted to do whatever she did when she felt confused and that was to flee from the house and do something that she would later regret. But Effy also wanted to go back inside and she knew that there were something's inside with Nathan that were left unfinished.

Knowing what she had to do Effy turned around and headed back up to her bedroom and climbed back in the window, once she was back in Effy kicked off her boots and grabbed a cardigan to cover up with. Taking a deep breath Effy opened her bedroom door and headed down the hall towards Nathan's bedroom and once she reached there, Effy opened the door without entering and found Nathan lying down on his back. Nathan looked up and was beyond to surprise to see Effy back as she had just left only minutes ago. Effy knew that Nathan hadn't been expecting her until tomorrow morning when she was sneaking back in.

"Effy what are you doing back here? I thought you had left…" Nathan slowly began and Effy took a deep breath and sighed.

"I decided to take up you on that offer of yours Nathan, I'd really like to have some pizza and talk."