Sorry this took so long to get posted! It took me a lot longer than I thought, plus I'm in like all AP classes so my homework load is pretty heavy! Let me know what you think! Review please!
This Isn't Goodbye
It was the day of the summer kickoff beach party/bonfire. It was thrown every year for the juniors as they transferred over to seniors. It was always fun and very eventful. Tonight's party would be no different.
After her argument with Lucas the previous night, Brooke needed someone to talk to. She wanted a guy's opinion, so she turned to her best friend…that's a guy, Ryan. She waltzed into the pool house where Ryan was getting dressed. He was wearing jeans with no shirt.
"Ever heard of knocking," he smirked as she plopped down on his bed.
"Nope," she giggled, "Damn, have you been working out?" Brooke kinked her eyebrow playfully.
"Very funny, Brooke," said Ryan with a laugh as he slipped on a white wife beater, "What's up?"
"You first, did you work things out with Haley?" asked Brooke.
"No, in fact, I think I made it worse last night," said Ryan with an exaggerated sigh.
"Yeah, last night was pretty crazy," agreed Brooke.
"She told me she was in love with me," admitted Ryan.
"What did you say?" wondered Brooke.
"Oh…" answered Ryan.
"Oh what?" returned Brooke confused.
"No, that's what I said," he clarified.
"Oh!" responded Brooke.
"Yeah, I'm such an idiot," added Ryan as he shook his head.
"Ryan, you're not an idiot," said Brooke, "I think that it's better than saying something you don't mean."
"I guess, but the thing is I think I do love her. It's just I've only been in love once, and that was with…"
"Marissa," she finished for him.
"Yeah, and then we kissed last night and…I felt that again," he muttered.
"Do you still have feelings for her?" asked Brooke.
"I'm always going to have feelings for her, but we just can't work as a couple. We're better off as friends," answered Ryan honestly.
"What about Haley?" wondered Brooke.
"We work, and I love her, I do. I just don't know if I've fallen in love with her yet," he replied.
"You should tell her that," Brooke advised him.
Ryan nodded in agreement. Why didn't he just tell her that last night? She caught him by surprise that's why. He never thought a girl like Haley could love a guy like him. He didn't think a girl like Marissa could love a guy like him either, but she did, and Haley does. The present is more important than the past. Ryan needed to focus on the present.
"So, have you decided if you're going to California yet?" asked Ryan taking the attention off of him.
"Not yet, but I need to decide soon since Summer is leaving tomorrow. Plus, Lucas and I got into a fight last night," answered Brooke.
"The golden couple got into a fight. No way!" exclaimed Ryan sarcastically.
"Shut up! You and Marissa used to be the golden couple," smirked Brooke.
"Actually, I think that was you and Volchok," he joked, "What was the fight about?"
"Me going to California," explained Brooke, "He basically thinks we're going to break up if I go."
"He said that?" questioned Ryan with a raise of his eyebrows.
"It was implied," said Brooke defending herself, "Ryan, I can't get my heart broken. Not again. I've had enough to deal with this past year as it is."
"You should talk to him tonight," said Ryan giving her the same advice she just gave him.
"And say what? He gave me an ultimatum. I'm not about to let a guy run my life," returned Brooke seriously.
Ryan didn't know what she should say, so he just told her that she needed to talk to him about it. Brooke knew that Ryan was right. She had a bad feeling about tonight, but she knew she would have to talk to Lucas at some point this evening. Plus, she didn't have much time to decide if she was going to join Summer in California.
Zach scooted closer to Kaitlin on her bed and kissed her softly. She smiled against his lips and pulled him closer to her as she wrapped her arm around him. Zach teased her with his tongue asking for entrance which she quickly gave him as their tongues brushed against each other. Kaitlin had to admit that she was having fun, but she didn't want to go too far. Not because of what Chase said, but because she and Zach had just met.
"Last night was fun," mumbled Zach in between kisses.
"Yeah, what happened in that movie again?" asked Kaitlin as they continued to kiss.
"I'm not sure. We were too busy doing this," answered Zach.
"You're right this is funner," said Kaitlin.
"You're so cute," Zach complimented her.
Kaitlin pulled away from him. He did not just call me cute. Cute! Cute! He couldn't have said hot or pretty or sexy or… or…something other than cute! Zach gave her a confused look, wondering why she pulled away.
"Chase used to call me cute," she explained, "In my opinion, cute is for little girls."
"In that case, Kaitlin Cooper, you are so damn sexy," said Zach kissing her again.
"That's more like it," smirked Kaitlin as they continued kissing. Zach and Kaitlin were both too caught up in the moment to notice Julie yelling for Kaitlin from downstairs. In fact, they didn't even notice when Julie opened the bedroom door and stood in the doorway. Julie had to clear her throat to finally gain their attention. "Mom…geez, ever heard of knocking!" exclaimed Kaitlin. Julie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in response at her daughter. "Guess not, Mom, this is Zach," said Kaitlin.
"Uh…nice to meet you Mrs. Cooper," muttered Zach.
Julie just nodded at him in reply. "Kaitlin, honey, we were supposed to have a family breakfast this morning. Where on earth is Marissa?"
"I don't know; at Brooke's house or something," snapped Kaitlin, "And what exactly do you mean by family? Because last time I checked we don't have one."
"Not now, Kaitlin," sighed Julie glancing at Zach and back to Kaitlin, "I want you downstairs, so hurry up and say goodbye." With that Julie left, leaving the door open behind her.
"Ugh! She is such a pain in the ass sometimes," scoffed Kaitlin.
"She hates me," returned Zach with a laugh.
"Who cares, she's a bitch. What the hell kind of family breakfast could we be having? My Dad got his own apartment, and I only get to see him on weekends or for weekly dinners," said Kaitlin venting.
"I'm sorry, that sucks," said Zach sympathetically.
"It's only a matter of time until they get divorced. Anyways, how are your parents? They couldn't possibly be okay with you living in Tree Hill while they're in Newport," replied Kaitlin curiously.
"They're still upset about it, but I think everything will be fine. I'm actually going back for the summer. You should come with me; it'd be fun," suggested Zach.
"You realize we've been on one date…that was last night, and we were making out the whole time, so I would hardly call it a date," returned Kaitlin.
"True," he agreed, "But we said we were going to have fun together and try to forget about our exes." Kaitlin wasn't buying it. "Come on; haven't you ever done something spontaneous?" he argued.
"Alright, I'm in," she gave in.
"Okay, pack your bags, and I'll call you when I get back from the beach party," said Zach as he kissed Kaitlin.
"Bye, have a good time tonight," she returned.
Lucas joined Haley on the roof of his Mom's café where they had set up a miniature golf course freshmen year. He grabbed a club and they played a short game. Haley noticed that something was bothering Lucas, but she had her own problems that she was overwhelmed with. Lucas felt something off about Haley, but he too was dealing with his own problems. There was an awkward silence, so he decided to say something about last night. He needed his best friend's advice.
"So, Brooke and I got into a fight last night," began Lucas.
"Must be going around; so did Ryan and I," added Haley.
"What about?" asked Lucas, not wanting to be selfish by focusing on himself.
"Hmm…let's see. Not introducing him to my family, his kiss with Marissa, oh and when I told him I loved him, he didn't say it back," rambled Haley.
"I'm sorry, Hales," he returned sympathetically.
"Yeah, me too; I guess it just wasn't meant to be," she replied sadly.
"Wait, you guys broke up?" asked Lucas confused.
"I'm not sure exactly, but considering he doesn't feel the same way I do, it's kind of implied," said Haley.
"That's not always true," reassured Lucas.
"I can only hope," returned Haley, "Anyways, what was your fight with Brooke about?"
"She's thinking about going to California for the summer…with Summer," explained Lucas.
"I know, I was there when Summer invited her," said Haley not really getting what the fight was about.
"Haley, what's going to happen to me and Brooke if she goes?" asked Lucas desperately.
"Brooke and I…" corrected Haley. Lucas gave her a puzzled expression. "It's not grammatically correct to say me and…never mind sorry. What did you say when she told you?"
"I think I might have said that things were going to be different between us if she went," explained Lucas.
"So, you basically gave her an ultimatum," corrected Haley.
"I just want her to stay, Hales," he said frantically.
"You should've just told Brooke that, because you basically pushed her into going when you threatened to break up with her," said Haley considerately.
"I didn't threaten to break up with her," said Lucas defending himself.
"You might as well have," replied Haley honestly. Lucas looked at her with pleading eyes as if asking what he should do. "I would try talking to her tonight, considering they would be leaving tomorrow," Haley advised him.
She's right, thought Lucas. I need to talk to Brooke. Maybe I can get her to stay if I just tell her how I feel. Am I just being insecure? Am I afraid of losing her if she goes? I guess I am. What if she meets some guy in Newport, falls in love with him, and doesn't come back? I need to stop thinking like this.
Summer scurried around Brooke's living room cleaning up the mess from last night's girls' night turned into kickback with the guys. Chase knocked on the front door before entering the living room of Brooke's house. He found Summer cleaning up. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts. He crossed his arms and watched as Summer grabbed beer bottles off of the floor and coffee table.
"Looks like you had fun last night," he muttered.
"Yeah, it was just the girls and I. How was your night?" she replied.
"It was okay. I just stayed in," said Chase.
"Oh, you should've called me. I would've ditched girls' night to hang out with you," mumbled Summer in reply as she continued cleaning up.
"I did call, but you said you were busy with girls' night," returned Chase noticing that Summer was acting weird around him.
"Oh, right, I'm sorry," muttered Summer avoiding Chase's eyes as she finished cleaning up. Truth be told, she felt terrible about what happened with Nathan last night. Even though, technically, nothing even happened. Summer couldn't stop thinking about it though, and she couldn't stop thinking about him either.
"It's okay. Is something wrong?" he asked sitting down on the couch. Summer just shook her head in response. "Are we okay?" asked Chase.
"Yeah totally," she said at first. She sighed and sat down next to him on the couch. "No, not really," she admitted, "Can I ask you something?" Chase nodded nervously. "Okay, what are we doing now that we didn't do when we were just friends? I mean, honestly, what's the difference now?"
Chase was at a loss for words. He knew this was coming because he was wondering the same thing. He didn't want this to lead to a breakup though.
"We hang out more…we kiss…we…why do you ask?" he choked out.
Summer was trying to hint at the fact they weren't exactly as physical as she thought they should be and wanted to be, but she didn't want to be so blunt about it. "I just feel like we should be doing more…you know?" murmured Summer as she moved to stand in front of Chase who was sitting on the couch.
"What do you mean?" Chase said with a nervous gulp.
"I think you know…" she answered suggestively as she straddled him. She pecked him on the lips, and then they began to kiss passionately. Summer slipped her hand under Chase's shirt and ran her fingers up and down his toned chest. She wondered why he wasn't taking any sort of lead so she decided to pick up the pace. She reluctantly unlocked their lips and lifted her tank top over her head revealing a blue strapless bra. Chase swallowed tensely. Summer leaned into kiss him, but Chase pulled back. "Wait, Summer, I need to tell you something," he managed to say. Summer just furrowed her eyebrows in confusion waiting in anticipation. "I'm…" he began.
"What? Not in the mood? We can totally do this tonight after the party," suggested Summer trying to figure out what he was getting at.
"No, it's not that. I…I…just…" Chase stuttered trying to find the courage to tell her.
"Didn't bring a condom? I have some, its fine," she tried again. He shook his head. "Chase, just spit it out."
"I'm a virgin," he sighed. Summer widened her eyes in surprise. Did he really just say that? "I've just always wanted to wait until I was in love," he continued.
"Okay, wow, I'm sorry for pouncing on you like that. We don't have to do anything, and I totally respect your values," said Summer in understanding.
"Thanks, and I'm sorry," he returned.
"Don't be sorry, it's cool," she said as she put her shirt back on and adjusted herself so that she was sitting next to him instead of on him. "How about we just watch a movie?" she suggested.
"Sure," he agreed.
Nathan sat at the outside table on the back porch of his dad's beach house. He watched as Dan finished grilling some steaks for lunch. His dad invited him over for lunch in order to bond, since his parents were separated now. Dan was living at the beach house, while Deb stayed at the house. Nathan stayed at home with his mom.
"This is great. Just you and me grilling a couple steaks," smirked Dan as he brought two plates to the table. Nathan glared at his father as he held out a beer for him. "Come on, one won't hurt you, son," urged Dan.
"Save the father-son crap for Lucas," snapped Nathan, "I don't even want to be here."
"Nathan, I'm trying here," sighed Dan.
They both ate their slabs of steak in silence. Nathan occasionally glanced out to the beach, in order to avoid his father's eyes.
"Are you ready for the upcoming season?" asked Dan referring to Nathan's final basketball season at Tree Hill High.
"Dad, it's the first day of summer. Season doesn't start for months," returned Nathan.
"Nathan, this is your senior year. You need to get in shape. Scouts are going to be at the camp this summer, and if you're not ready then they aren't going to give you the time of day. Do you understand me? We need to get you prepared..." Dan went on.
"WE don't need to do anything!" exclaimed Nathan.
"Nathan, I'm just looking out for you. You have a bright future ahead of you," he continued.
"If you were looking out for me, then you would've known about all the crap I've had to deal with the past few months!" Nathan burst out.
"What are you talking about?" wondered Dan.
"Damn it, Dad, you and Mom don't have any idea what the two of you have put me through! You didn't pay attention to how it affected me or what I did to try and escape it!" Nathan admitted.
"Nathan, we never…" began Dan.
"Forget it, I'm done with this conversation," finished Nathan.
"I've been selfish, I know," Dan confessed, "But I'm trying to be a good father to you…and to Lucas."
"I know about Julie Cooper and Karen," added Nathan, "I was in Luke's room when you were there. Did you ever love Mom?"
"Of course I did, I do," rambled Dan, completely unaware that Nathan had any idea about his affair with Julie or his feelings for Karen, "But I'm not in love with your mother, Nathan."
"You've been in love with Karen all of these years," muttered Nathan almost to himself. Nathan finally looked his father in the eyes. "Can I ask you something?" Dan just nodded in reply. "What do you do when the person you love doesn't love you back? How do you get over it?" asked Nathan trying to seek advice from his father. He thought maybe just this one time he could find some common ground with him, and connect with him on a level other than basketball.
Dan took a second before answering. He's never truly gotten over Karen, and he knew that he never would. What would Nathan think if he told him that? What were all of these problems Nathan was having? What did he do to try and escape it? He decided not to give an honest answer.
"You need to be focusing on basketball right now, not some girl," muttered Dan before standing up and taking the plates inside the house.
Nathan sighed. He was never going to get a straight answer from his father no matter what the situation was. This was no exception. Basketball was all they had, and it was all they were ever going to have.
Peyton rang the doorbell of the Cohen house and stood nervously waiting for Seth to answer. Apparently his parents wouldn't let him go to the concert until they met her, so he told her to come over. She had only left Brooke's house a few hours ago, when Brooke kicked everyone out at practically sun rise. Peyton had gone home and slept for a while, until Seth called. He finally came to the door and let her in.
"How's the hang over?" asked Peyton concerned. Seth had messy hair, and he was wearing jeans and a crinkled shirt.
"Not as bad as when Brooke woke us all up at seven this morning and kicked us out of her house," replied Seth with a yawn.
"I'm sorry for daring you to drink all that vodka," Peyton apologized.
"It's cool. Why don't you feel as bad as I do?" asked Seth as he sipped a bottle of water.
"Because I only had one beer; not a whole liter," joked Peyton with exaggeration.
"Oh, right. Okay, you ready for this?" he asked.
"It's a little soon for the whole meet the parents thing isn't it?" wondered Peyton trying to get out of it.
"Do you want me to go to this concert with you?" asked Seth raising his eyebrows. Peyton just sighed and nodded. "Then, suck it up. They aren't that bad."
Seth gave Peyton a quick peck on the lips before they joined his parents in the kitchen.
"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Pey…" began Seth before Sandy cut him off.
"Peyton Sawyer, we've heard so much about you," interjected Sandy as he held out his hand. Peyton shook his hand with a bright smile.
"Seth talks about you all the time," added Kirsten as she hugged Peyton.
"All the time huh?" smirked Peyton turning to Seth.
"They're exaggerating…" muttered Seth embarrassedly.
Sandy and Kirsten both turned towards each other and laughed.
"So, what's this concert you two are attending tonight?" asked Sandy.
"It's Jack's Mannequin, Mr. Cohen," replied Peyton formally.
"Please, call me Sandy," he returned with a smile. Peyton just nodded.
"That sounds fun," added Kirsten.
Seth smiled. His parents were letting him go. Unless of course they were going to wait until Peyton left to tell him that he couldn't go with her.
"It should be," said Peyton. Seth gave her a reassuring nudge to ease her nervousness. "Something smells great, Mrs. Cohen," noted Peyton as she looked towards the dining room table.
Seth laughed obnoxiously and his mother glared at him. She then turned back to Peyton. "Well, I'm flattered, but it's…" she began.
"Thai take-out," Seth finished for Kirsten, "My Mom can't cook to save her life."
"That's not true, Seth," said Kirsten defending herself.
"Actually, honey, it kind of is," added Sandy cautiously.
Kirsten rolled her eyes at the comment and turned to Peyton. "Peyton, we have plenty. Why don't you stay for lunch?" proposed Kirsten.
"It's actually more like lunner…or linner," said Seth glancing at his watch. Sandy gave him a confused look. "What? It's a combination of lunch and dinner," Seth explained.
"I'd love to stay for…linner," replied Peyton with a smile.
Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, and Peyton all gathered at the kitchen table for the meal. Every ounce of nervousness that Peyton had had was gone. She loved Sandy and Kirsten. Most off all, she was really excited for her date with Seth tonight. The concert was going to be fun, and she was going to have a great time with Seth. She liked him a lot, and she finally wanted to have a real relationship. Not like her stupid fling with Volchok. That was a terrible mistake. Seth was good. The last serious boyfriend she had was Jake Jagielski, and that was freshmen year. This was going to be different.
Ryan walked up the beach towards where the party would be tonight. The school student council was currently setting up the bonfire and putting up tiki torches and huts for decorations. Ryan reached the crowd of students setting up and began looking for Marissa. He needed to talk to her and clear things up about their kiss last night. He knew that Haley was the one he should talk to, but he needed to know how Marissa felt about it. Most importantly, he needed to know how he felt about it. Finally he saw her; she was directing a group of sophomores to decorate a hut. He approached her from behind but didn't give her any warning.
"Looks good so far," Ryan muttered as he leaned in from behind her. Marissa jumped back in shock as she turned around to face him at the sound of his voice. She put her hand to her chest seeing that it was Ryan. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.
"No, it's okay, I'm just really stressed out," said Marissa putting a hand to her forehead and holding a clipboard in the other, "Brooke is supposed to be here, and I don't know where the hell she is right now, so I'm in charge of this and…"
"Marissa, relax. Take a breath," said Ryan with a smile.
"You wouldn't want to help would you?" asked Marissa with a sigh.
"Sure," he replied, "But I was actually hoping we could talk."
"Oh, okay. Erica, you're in charge," said Marissa handing her clipboard to Erica Marsh.
Marissa half smiled and walked out towards the water with Ryan. They began walking slowly along the beach towards the pier.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Marissa, although she had an idea.
"Last night…" began Ryan.
Marissa immediately stopped walked and placed her hand on Ryan's arm as she faced him. She should've seen this coming. Okay, she did see this coming. They probably needed to talk about it anyway. They both knew it wasn't just a dare. I mean, they were kissing after everyone had stopped counting. "Oh, God, how mad is she?" asked Marissa referring to Haley. Ryan glanced down at Marissa's hand on his arm.
"Well, she was pretty upset last night, and I don't even know if we're together or not," answered Ryan solemnly.
"Ryan, I'm so sorry," she apologized.
"It's not your fault. Jake wasn't mad about it?" he asked.
"No, we talked about it last night. It was just a stupid dare," muttered Marissa looking away from Ryan towards the beach as she said it.
"Was it?" asked Ryan crossing his arms and watching her intently.
"Ryan…" muttered Marissa as she brought her eyes back to his.
"Just tell me honestly. What was it?" he repeated.
Marissa sighed. Why do I have to be the one to say what last night was? She thought. I don't know what the hell it was. I know what I think it was, but why doesn't he explain it himself. I know as much as he does.
"Honestly, nothing between us has ever been simple, and that kiss was no exception," she began.
Ryan nodded in agreement. "So, it did mean something?"
"Ryan, I know this is going to sound weird coming from the queen of drama, but I don't want to start anything with me, you, Jake, and Haley. It was a dare, and I think we should leave it at that," concluded Marissa.
Ryan was a bit surprised to hear this from Marissa. It seemed like she had really changed from when they were together.
"Okay, that's…that's good," he stuttered in agreement.
"Just apologize to Haley. I can tell that you really care about her," added Marissa with a half smile.
"I do, and thanks," replied Ryan.
"What are friends for right?" returned Marissa with a shrug. Ryan nodded with a smile. "I should get back," said Marissa pointing back to the crowd, "You don't need to stay and help, I'll just see you tonight."
"Okay, I'll see you," he said.
Marissa gave Ryan a quick hug before heading back to finish setting up for the summer kickoff party. Ryan stood in the same spot watching her walk off with his hands in his pockets. This was good. Now that there wasn't any weirdness between him and Marissa, he could fix things with Haley. He had to.
Finally, the summer kickoff beach party was in full swing. The torches were lit, along with the bonfire, candles lit up the numerous huts, which were in use, and all the seniors occupied the beach, along with a few graduates. Brooke was talking to Bevin, Rachel, and some other girls from her cheer squad when she saw Haley mysteriously wandering around one of the huts. Brooke strolled over to Haley curiously.
"Hey Tutor-Girl, what are you doing?" asked Brooke.
"Avoiding Ryan," Haley answered bluntly, "You?"
"Nothing just came to see what you were up to," replied Brooke.
"Really, because you've been with Bevin and Rachel all night," noted Haley.
"That's not true. Rachel was making use of one of the huts earlier with Luke Ward," said Brooke. Haley just raised her eyebrows at Brooke. "Okay, fine, I'm avoiding Lucas."
"You should talk to him, Brooke," advised Haley.
"So should you," returned Brooke referring to Ryan.
Haley and Brooke both nodded. Neither of them heard footsteps coming from behind them. It was sand…but still. They both whirled around at the sound of Lucas' voice. "Brooke, can we talk?" Haley smiled and left them to themselves. Brooke nodded at Lucas. He took her hand in his and they interlocked their fingers. Lucas led Brooke a little ways down the beach where nobody was. They sat down in the sand next to each other facing the ocean with their fingers still interlocked. Lucas took a moment to take in Brooke's appearance. She was wearing a yellow bikini with a white beach skirt atop the bottom piece. Her hair was wet, so she had been in the water at some point that evening. She looked amazing, and if it were under different circumstances they would definitely be making out at that moment. Brooke looked down at their interlocked fingers and smiled.
"Listen, I'm sorry about last night," began Lucas looking at Brooke.
"Me too, I shouldn't have just sprung it on you like that," she apologized.
"No, I shouldn't have tried to make you choose between me and going to California," he returned.
Brooke leaned her head on Lucas shoulder and squeezed his hand. "Luke, you have to know that I'm not leaving you," said Brooke, "I just have a lot going on right now that I need to get away from."
"So you decided that you're going," stated Lucas, mostly to himself. Brooke just nodded. "Why haven't you talked to me about whatever it is that's going on with you?" asked Lucas.
"I don't know, Luke, I just don't want to drown you with all of my problems," replied Brooke.
"Brooke, I'm your boyfriend. That's what I'm here for," said a confused Lucas.
"I love you, but I need to go, and I need to be there for Summer. Her dad is really messed up right now. They're my family, and at this point, they're the only family I've got left," said Brooke.
Lucas felt like she was slipping away with each word. What was going on with her family? Why didn't he know about it? He knew Brooke's parents were pretty absent lately, but she never talked about it, so he figured it was best not to ask about it. Maybe that was his mistake. Maybe he should have talked to her about it, and paid more attention to her problems. It was too late for him to beg her to stay. He knew that. She was going to California, but what did that mean for them?
"And what about us?" asked Lucas.
"Maybe we need some time apart," began Brooke. Lucas sighed and shook his head. "Lucas, clearly our relationship isn't as perfect or stable as we thought it was. We're both so insecure about what's going to happen, because we're constantly together. Time could be good for us," explained Brooke.
"And when you get back?"
"Then, we'll see…" she muttered.
They were both silent as they remained sitting in the sand, looking out towards the ocean, Brooke still leaning against Lucas. They both wanted to stay like that for as long as possible, because they both knew it was never going to be the same again. I don't know how we got here, thought Lucas. One minute everything was fine, and the next minute…it's anything but fine. We're over. Just like that. Brooke is going to Newport for the summer and I'm staying in Tree Hill. How did this happen? Maybe she's right. Maybe we weren't as perfect as we thought we were. I can't believe I'm actually talking about us in past tense. This summer is going to fly by and everything is going to be fine. Right?
Maybe this is a mistake, thought Brooke. I don't really need to go to Newport with Summer. I could just stay here with Lucas. I could just stay here in my big…empty house…alone. My Mom is in New York and my Dad is Texas on business. It's not like they care what I do. My uncle is having a rough time, and my cousin needs me. I'd be selfish if I weren't there for her. I love Lucas, but my family has to come first, and this break will be good for us. We can both just focus on ourselves, and then we'll be better for each other. Right?
Lucas and Brooke were too consumed with their own thoughts to hear someone coming up behind them.
"Well, well, it's Mr. Hero with my girl," said the guy.
Brooke and Lucas both turned around in surprise at the sound of his voice. They both immediately stood up. As if this night couldn't get any worse. It was Kevin Volchok.
"What the hell are you doing here?" snapped Brooke still holding Lucas' hand.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're not happy to see me," returned Kevin taking a step closer to them, "Especially since you didn't return my calls or write me back. If it weren't for Trey I wouldn't have known how you've been. Of course, even Trey stopped calling me, because you told him you didn't want me knowing anything about you."
"If you don't leave right now, I'm calling the cops," muttered Lucas.
"What are they going to do, huh?" asked Kevin with a smirk, "There's no warrant for my arrest, last time I checked."
"I guess that was a mistake on my part," retorted Lucas in anger.
"A big one, Scott, now I'm going to take my girl back, while you watch from the sidelines," replied Kevin.
Lucas stepped forward, but Brooke squeezed his hand to try and calm him down.
"Keep dreaming, Kevin. You're pathetic," scoffed Brooke. She took a good look at him. He was wearing a ratty black tank top and jeans. He had the same buzz cut and he smelled like he had just been smoking. This was the real Kevin Volchok. The guy he was when he was alone with her was a different person, a fake. He could never truly be that person. "I can't believe I was actually feeling sorry for you. That letter and that voicemail…those were just more examples of your usual bullshit."
Kevin swallowed at her words. They hurt him. He didn't know why, but they did. Brooke was the only one who could ever hurt him. He knew he was being a jerk, but seeing her with Lucas angered him.
"You're finally learning," muttered Kevin, "I guess there's nothing left to say then, since we're over." Brooke just nodded. He's just now realizing that we're over, thought Brooke. I hate him! Kevin smiled slyly. "I guess all I can say is…thanks for the amazing sex. I always thought you were a whore," he said smugly.
Lucas immediately snapped. He let go of Brooke's hand and charged at Volchok without a second's thought. He clenched his fist tightly, swung, and punched Kevin in his jaw. Kevin grabbed his jaw in pain, but before he could swing at Lucas, Lucas punched him again near his eye. Lucas stepped back next to Brooke. Just as Kevin was about to retaliate, Brooke stood in front of Lucas.
"Isn't that cute," grumbled Kevin, "She fights your battles for you."
"Maybe you should look at your face," retorted Lucas.
"Kevin, just get out of here, now!" exclaimed Brooke, before anything else could happen.
"Fine," he gave in, "There's no booze at this high school party anyway."
Volchok angrily stomped away, but turned back to say one last thing.
"But just so you know, I'm not leaving Tree Hill."
Ryan stood near the bonfire talking to Nathan when he spotted Haley for the first time that night. She was alone so he decided to take the opportunity to finally talk to her. She didn't say anything as he stood in front of her. He motioned for them to go inside an empty hut, and she responded with a nod. They sat down on a blanket inside the hut.
"I need to tell you something that I probably should've said last night," began Ryan.
Haley knew this was coming. Sure, Lucas told her that it wasn't going to happen, but she had a feeling it was. Now, she most definitely felt it coming.
"You don't have to say anything. It's over, I know," mumbled Haley avoiding Ryan's eyes.
"What? Why would we be over?" asked a confused Ryan, "Unless, this is your way of breaking up with me." Sure, he wasn't exactly sure Haley still wanted to be with him after last night, but she made it seem like he broke up with her, which he didn't.
"No," replied Haley, now confused, "I just assumed that we were breaking up considering my feelings for you weren't returned."
"I don't want to break up," stated Ryan, hoping that what he had to say wouldn't in fact lead to their potential breakup. "Do you?" Haley shook her head in response.
"Haley, I do love you," said Ryan.
"Why didn't you say it last night?" asked Haley.
"Because you caught me by surprise; I really do love you, Haley, but…"
"There's always a 'but' isn't there," interjected Haley.
"Let me finish please," he continued. Haley just nodded. "I love you, but I'm not in love with you yet, if that makes sense. I'm falling for you, but it's hard for me to let myself do that after my last relationship."
Haley knew he was talking about Marissa. Why did Marissa have to be his ex-girlfriend?
"I guess I can understand that. She was your first love…and the kiss last night…"
"Was just a dare," Ryan immediately said, "It didn't bring any new feelings out. It didn't mean anything."
How could he say that? A kiss always means something, thought Haley, especially when it's Marissa Cooper.
"Ryan, I don't know if this can be fixed. Where do we go?" she wondered.
"I want to be with you, Haley," Ryan pleaded, "Please just give me another chance, and I promise you'll never have to again."
Haley sighed. She knew he meant it. "Okay…I trust you," she replied.
Ryan smiled and kissed Haley passionately on the lips. She took his hand in hers, and they left the hut together.
Nathan stood near the bonfire watching Summer and Chase. They were talking to Marissa and Jake near a group of football players. He watched as Marissa and Jake took off to a hut, leaving Chase and Summer alone. Nathan was so focused on Summer that he didn't even acknowledge Zach as he came and stood next to him. He continued to watch Chase and Summer. They were being friendly but not in a romantic way.
"Hey, man," Zach finally said.
"Hey, how'd your date go last night?" asked Nathan keeping his eyes on Summer.
"Pretty good; in fact Kaitlin is coming to Newport with me," answered Zach.
"Geez, you move fast," stated a shocked Nathan.
"We're just having fun," said Zach. He knew that statement was completely ironic and blunt. Zach liked Kaitlin, and they both agreed to have fun together. He needed fun. Something that wasn't serious, especially after his relationship with Summer.
"Just having fun never ends well," Nathan advised him, "You should know that."
"True, but I'm not in love now," said Zach shrugging it off, "Anyways, how was the guys' night?"
"Fun, we crashed girl's night," responded Nathan trying to keep his attention on Summer.
Zach followed Nathan's eyes and saw where he was looking. "Cool, so how's the Summer thing going?" he asked with a smirk.
"I don't even know, man," said Nathan as he took a sip of the water in his hand, "We got kind of physical last night, but nothing happened. We didn't even kiss."
Zach was confused. They somehow were intimate without being intimate. What the hell did that mean? The last thing he wanted to hear about was Summer hooking up with anyone. Even if Zach wasn't in love with Summer anymore, she was still his ex-girlfriend, and he didn't want to hear it. He did promise to help Nathan with Summer though.
"I'm not sure I get what you're saying, but I'll pretend that I do," returned Zach.
"I don't want to explain it. I'm just waiting for Chase to walk away so I can go talk to her about it," replied Nathan.
"No, no, no, bad idea," Zach said quickly. Nathan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "She didn't do anything with you because of Chase, right?" asked Zach, more rhetorically. Nathan nodded. "Every time you two come close to doing something or talking about doing something, she's going to use Chase as her excuse or reason or whatever," continued Zach. Nathan just nodded again, waiting for Zach to explain more. "I say, don't talk to her. Just ignore her. I guarantee she'll come to you, because she won't be able to stop thinking about whatever it is that happened between you two."
"That's actually pretty smart, but she's going back to Newport for the summer," returned Nathan finally taking his eyes off of Summer.
"Right, I forget. Okay, so make one last grand gesture for her to think about all summer long," advised Zach.
Jake and Marissa took off to a hut after hanging out with Chase and Summer for a few minutes. They picked one that was separated from the crowd. Jake led Marissa inside. She was in awe at how romantic it was. There were candles along the interior and rose petals scattered about the blanket in the sand. It reminded her of the first time she and Ryan made love. He had set up a hut like this one, isolated on the beach. It was really romantic, especially surprising coming from Ryan. She had to stop thinking about Ryan. Wasn't she past this already? Jake…she needed to focus on Jake.
"So, are you having fun?" asked Jake as they sat down on the blanket.
"I guess so," muttered Marissa still distracted.
"Come on, you made this thing happen. You should be having a blast," said Jake trying to cheer her up.
Marissa finally snapped herself out of her thoughts to focus on Jake. "You're right. I am having fun. Do you want to go back out there?" she suggested hoping to get out of the hut, which caused her to keep thinking of the past.
"I kind of wanted to hang with you in here, but we can go back out if you want," replied Jake, wondering what was up with her. Marissa nodded and decided to stay there. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Fine, why?" answered Marissa.
"I don't know, you just seem a little out of it," noted Jake.
"This just sort of reminds me of something," Marissa admitted, hoping he wouldn't ask about it.
"Bad memory or something?" wondered Jake.
"No, a good one actually," she confessed, "It's just something I need to move on from."
Jake wasn't exactly sure what Marissa was talking about, but he had a feeling it either had to do with her family or Ryan.
"Well, I hope you can…move on from whatever it is," he said.
Marissa smiled at that. She was glad that Jake wasn't pressuring her to talk about it. Instead, he was being sincere. She liked that about him. He seemed like the perfect guy. Good looking, non-judgmental, intelligent, and funny.
"I think I already am," said Marissa honestly.
They were both silent. It was almost awkward until Jake kissed Marissa. He cupped the side of her cheek as he did. Marissa nearly melted at the touch of his lips on hers. She suddenly pulled away unexpectedly.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," replied a confused Jake.
"Why do you like me?" asked Marissa. Jake wondered why she was asking that. "I mean, what do you like about me?" Marissa tried to clarify.
"Well, you're smart, you make me laugh, and I like hanging out with you," answered Jake hoping that it was a good enough response for her.
Marissa smiled and realized that Jake was probably wondering why she had even asked him that. "I don't know why I asked that. I guess I just feel like you're too good for me," explained Marissa.
"Why do you think that?" asked Jake.
"I just have a pretty crazy past. I'm full of drama, which I'm sure you've heard about," replied Marissa.
"Not in detail, no, but I don't care about your past Marissa," said Jake in return, "I'm not too proud of mine either."
Marissa raised her eyebrows at him. "You don't exactly strike me as the type of guy with some dark, mysterious past that nobody knows about," she said.
There was a long pause before Jake spoke. "I got a girl pregnant last year," he admitted.
Marissa's eyes widened and her mouth hung open. She immediately snapped herself out of shock. "Wow…what happened?" she managed to ask.
"She decided to have the baby, which she did, and I have an amazing, beautiful daughter," continued Jake, "That's why I'm always so busy. My parents help out, but it's pretty stressful taking care of her and managing school plus a job."
"What about her mom?" wondered Marissa, "Do you switch off every week or…?"
Jake took a deep breath. "She uh…she died…" he choked out.
"I'm sorry," said Marissa. Jake turned away from Marissa. She noticed a single tear make its way down his cheek. "Jake, come here," she said as she pulled him towards her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her in a comforting hug. Marissa never would have guessed that Jake was going through so much, and it was obviously still affecting him.
"I don't mean to pile this on you, I'm sorry. I don't even know why I just told you all that," Jake apologized as he pulled away from her.
"Don't be sorry, Jake. I'm glad you did," returned Marissa, "I think I understand you better now."
"You know what, how about we just go back out there?" suggested Jake, "I need to get my mind off of this."
Marissa obliged politely, and she was more than happy to get out of there as well.
Jake decided to go home early, leaving Marissa alone. She knew he was going through a lot, but part of her wanted him to ask her to go with him. She found Summer talking to Bevin and Rachel, so she pulled her away from them.
"What's up?" asked Summer as they stood near the bonfire.
"Jake had to leave early," answered Marissa.
"Oh, his parents must be really strict. He's always cutting out early," noted Summer. Marissa just nodded. "Great job setting this up by the way, it's amazing," Summer complimented her.
"Thanks, I had a lot of help though, so I can't take all the credit," replied Marissa, "I take it you're having fun."
"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind," said Summer.
"Let me guess: Nathan, Chase, and Zach," smirked Marissa.
"Can I just combine them into one really great guy?" said Summer half jokingly and half seriously.
"They're all really great guys," returned Marissa.
"So you see my dilemma," replied Summer with a raise of her eyebrows.
"No, because you must have stronger feelings for one of them, and considering one of them is your boyfriend, I would hope it would be him," advised Marissa. Summer silently agreed with her. "Speaking of…how is he with you going to Newport for the summer?"
"He was fine, actually. We aren't breaking up or anything if that's what you're asking," replied Summer.
"So, he doesn't care about all of those hot guys in Newport?" asked Marissa. Summer just shook her head. "Not even Zach?" questioned Marissa.
"It's not like I asked him. Besides, I'm going to be hanging out with my dad and Brooke, not Zach or any other guys."
"I doubt Zach will have time to hang out with anyone anyway since Kaitlin is going with him," added Marissa. Summer furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She clearly wasn't aware of this. "Zach invited her, and my mom surprisingly agreed to it," explained Marissa. Summer swallowed almost angrily or jealously. "Isn't it a good thing that Zach is moving on, even if it is with my sister?" asked Marissa. Summer just nodded. "Summer, I think you need to spend some time focusing on yourself and figuring out what you want," sighed Marissa, "I mean, have you even talked to Chase about what happened with you and Nathan?"
Summer was about to answer, but she was interrupted.
"What about you and Nathan?" asked Chase as he joined them with two sodas in his hands.
Summer didn't know what to say as she sighed and looked at Marissa. Marissa mouthed an apology before leaving so that the two of them could talk. Chase set the two sodas down and crossed his arms waiting for an answer. Summer looked down at the sand. She couldn't bring her eyes to Chase. He looked so confused and worried.
"Summer, what's going on?" asked Chase. Summer finally brought her eyes to Chase's pleading eyes. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Something happened last night," he muttered mostly to himself. Summer sighed and nodded. "That's why you were acting weird earlier," stated Chase. Summer realized she had to explain or say anything before he got angry.
"It wasn't just the girls last night," she began, although Chase already had an idea from the mess earlier. Summer looked around and decided that they shouldn't be having this conversation in the midst of the party. She led him into a hut, where it was quiet, which only raised the tension.
"It was just fun and games at first," continued Summer, "Skills dared me to lick whip cream off of Nathan, and I did. We all agreed that anything we did or said would stay between everyone in the room." Summer swallowed guiltily. Chase shook his head in disbelief, but he didn't respond. Summer knew he wasn't going to like this next part. "Please don't be mad about what I'm about to say," pleaded Summer. Chase didn't say anything. "We were all pretty tired so everyone went their separate ways and went to bed or whatever, and I took Nathan up to my room," explained Summer, "We were just talking and I guess flirting. Nothing happened though. We didn't do…that. We didn't even kiss."
Chase raised his eyebrows not believing her. "The only article of clothing removed was my shirt, and he may have kissed my neck a few times, but I swear that was it. Chase, I need you to believe me when I say that it stopped there. I stopped things, because I was thinking about you," concluded Summer, hoping to get through to him.
"Do you have feelings for him?" asked Chase.
"Chase…" began Summer.
"Do you or do you not having feelings for Nathan?" repeated Chase almost angrily.
"Yes," answered Summer with a sigh.
"Why are you even with me?" questioned Chase.
"Because you're a good guy, Chase, and I really like you," pleaded Summer.
"Yeah, well, apparently not enough," retorted Chase as he turned to leave the hut. Summer placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him, and he shrugged her off. "You know what Summer, just do us both a favor. Go to California tomorrow, hook up with whoever the hell you want, and when you get back next fall, don't talk to me, because we're done."
"Chase!" exclaimed Summer.
"You lied to me, Summer. I asked you what was wrong this morning, and you lied to me when I was honest with you. I don't know what else you want me to do because I can't forgive you for this, and frankly, I don't believe that that's all you two did last night. So, please, just go home to Newport, and don't even think about me," returned Chase. Without another word, he stormed off.
Summer was devastated. This was not how she expected this to go. She never even intended on telling him in the first place, but it was only a matter of time until he found out. It just had to be tonight. This was a great start to her vacation.
Meanwhile, Taylor James decided to visit Trey Atwood. She went looking for him at Tric, but he wasn't there, so she tried The Bait Shop next. She went inside and found Trey standing behind the bar unloading boxes. The Bait Shop was empty because it was closed down for the night.
"Well, well, look who got a job…and as a bartender of all things," smirked Taylor as she sat on a bar stool.
"Funny, but I just carry and unload the beer," he replied nonchalantly, "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might want to hang out," suggested Taylor, "We could get a bite to eat or maybe just try out that guest room of yours again…or my room, but I think my parents are home so that could get a little awkward. Either or…your choice…"
"I told you I don't want anyone knowing about us," returned Trey without any sign of emotion as he continued unloading crates and boxes and restocking different types of liquor.
"No, you said you didn't want your brother knowing about us," said Taylor, wondering why Trey was acting like he wanted nothing to do with her.
"Well, this is a small town, and people talk, so that means nobody can know," he said seriously as he stopped what he was doing to look her in the eyes.
"Why does it matter if he knows about us?" asked a frustrated Taylor.
"Fine, I'll tell him everything, including what happened. Is that what you want?" threatened Trey, "You can just go ahead and tell your sister all about it too."
"That's not what I meant," muttered Taylor. Why is Trey being like this? Why is he bringing this up? I just meant that it didn't matter if people knew we were dating, not that!
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to keep bringing it up," said Trey realizing how his words had affected Taylor.
"Yeah, you do. You blame me for what happened!" exclaimed Taylor, "You know what, I blame me too!"
"Stop it, alright," he said apologetically, trying to calm her down, "It wasn't your fault." He reached across the counter and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
Taylor smiled and attempted to lighten the mood. "You're kind of sexy when you're being all sensitive," she said suggestively. Trey laughed slightly.
"I really did miss you, Tay," muttered Trey, "Is that weird for me to say?"
"Yes," she agreed, "But it's nice to hear, and I missed you too."
"What do you want me to do Taylor?" asked Trey with a long drawn out sigh.
"Just say we met here at Tric," proposed Taylor, "I came in while you were working, and we hit it off. So, now we're dating. Haley and Ryan don't need to know about our past."
Trey shook his head in response. "I've lied to my brother enough as it is," he replied urgently.
"I'm sorry, but didn't you just say that you didn't want him knowing anything?" wondered a confused Taylor.
"Yes, but…" he began.
"Look, Trey," she interjected, "If you don't want to be with me then just say so."
"I just need to work on myself, and try to be a better person. I owe it to Ryan to at least try," replied Trey, knowing he was hurting her by rejecting her.
"Fine," returned Taylor with anger, "You know what, you're right. I should probably do the same. I guess I have a lot to tell Haley."
The expression on Trey's face immediately changed. "Wait, Taylor, what are you going to tell her?" asked Trey desperately.
"Everything; honesty is the best policy, right Trey?" said Taylor with a glare. She spun around on her heels and hurried out.
"Taylor!" he called after her.
"Screw you Trey!" she yelled without turning back.
Trey's heart was racing. Taylor is going to tell Haley everything, he thought. Once, Haley finds out, she will definitely tell Ryan. What will Ryan think? He is never going to trust me again. Who am I kidding; he doesn't even trust me as it is. Especially now that he knows that I somehow know Volchok, and that I was helping Volchok keep an eye on Brooke. I can't tell him how I know Volchok. I'm screwed.
After the altercation with Volchok, Brooke took Lucas back to her house to get ice for his hand. She held a pack of frozen peas against his hand as they lie on her bed in silence. Lucas winced as she pressed the cold bag to his knuckles. He didn't remember his hand hurting this much the last time he punched Volchok.
"Thanks for defending me," muttered Brooke thinking about what Kevin had said about her, and the way Lucas stepped up and defended her.
"I wasn't going to let him get away with saying that about you," said Lucas as he looked up at Brooke. She was sitting up and leaning against the headboard, while he was lying down with his head on the pillows. "Thanks for standing in front of me. I didn't really want a black eye tonight," he smirked.
Brooke just half smiled in response. "I'm actually glad you're going to California," Lucas managed to say, and he meant it. He meant it for selfish reasons, but he didn't want her to be around Volchok, now that he was back in town. Brooke looked at him confusedly. "You'll be away from Volchok," he elaborated, "You shouldn't have to deal with him now."
"I can't believe he actually came back," mumbled Brooke in agreement with Lucas. Lucas sat up and leaned against the headboard so that he was level with Brooke. He noticed that she kept her gaze on his hand with the frozen bag of peas.
"Maybe by time fall comes around, he'll just leave us all alone," hoped Lucas trying to comfort Brooke, although he knew that Brooke wasn't thinking about Volchok. She just nodded in response.
"How's your hand?" she asked as she set the bag aside and finally moved her gaze to his eyes.
"It still hurts," answered Lucas as he gazed back into her eyes, and they both knew he wasn't talking about his hand.
Lucas leaned in and closed the gap between their lips. He pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. He probably shouldn't have, but he needed her and he wanted her. She was leaving tomorrow. How could he just let her leave like this? He sighed as Brooke pulled away from him. She turned her head away with her eyes still closed.
"Lucas, this is making it really hard for me to leave tomorrow," she sighed. Brooke opened her eyes and looking back at Lucas who was staring at her with pleading eyes. He swallowed, knowing exactly how painful this was for her, because he was hurting too. Brooke placed her hand on Lucas' neck and pulled him into her as she kissed him hard. She needed to feel his lips against hers for one last time before she left.
"I'm going to miss you so much, pretty girl," muttered Lucas as they broke the kiss. He put his arms around her and they cuddled silently.
Brooke kept opening her mouth and closing it as if she were going to say something. She felt like she owed Lucas some sort of explanation. She thought about what he said on the beach earlier. Why haven't you talked to me about whatever it is that's going on with you? Why hadn't she? She was leaving tomorrow, and she needed to tell him what's been on her mind before she left.
"My parents are separated, and their filing for a divorce," muttered Brooke. Lucas furrowed his eyebrows not expecting her to say that. He was right. He should have talked to her about her parents even if she didn't want to. "I keep telling everyone that they're away on business, but it's more like trial separation. I just didn't want anyone to know. My parents would rather throw cash at me and send me on my way rather than spend any time with me," continued Brooke, "They didn't even tell me they were getting a divorce. Sure, it was obvious, but they could have told me. I found out when I saw the divorce papers in my dad's office."
"I'm sorry I haven't been there for you," said Lucas apologetically.
"I guess it's going around, huh? First, Nathan's parents, then Marissa's parents, and now mine," she added.
"You were right," said Lucas, "We aren't perfect or we weren't perfect. I was a terrible boyfriend, and I should've known that all of this was going on with you."
"It's not your fault…it wasn't your fault. I never wanted to talk about it," returned Brooke, not wanting Lucas to put blame on himself.
"I hate talking about our relationship in past tense like this," said Lucas with a sigh.
"Can you spend the night?" asked Brooke.
"Sure, but I don't want to make this any harder for you," replied Lucas, remembering what she said when he first kissed her a minute ago.
"It's already hard enough, Lucas, please stay," pleaded Brooke as she nuzzled into Lucas. He agreed and pulled the blankets over them. "Just remember that this isn't goodbye," added Brooke.
"Okay, this isn't goodbye," agreed Lucas.
The next morning, Brooke and Summer were both in the living room with their bags packed and ready to go, waiting for their cab. They were both anxious and excited for their summer vacation, but they both had other things on their mind. Lucas had left early, before Brooke even woke up, leaving a note that said he loved her and would miss her. Summer couldn't stop thinking about the three guys in her life, but there was one in particular that she couldn't get off of her mind. She knew she needed to focus on herself this summer though, and her dad. The doorbell rang and Brooke was the first to the door with her bags to hand over to the cab driver. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't the cab driver.
"It's for you," muttered Brooke and she went back and plopped down on the sofa. Summer furrowed her eyebrows wondering who it was. She was surprised to see him standing in her doorway, especially after their last encounter together.
"Nathan…hi…" she mumbled with widened eyes.
"Hey," he replied. Summer nodded thinking he was going to say something. He must have a reason for showing up on her doorstep right before she is about to leave.
"What are you doing here?" she finally asked.
"I heard you and Chase broke up last night," Nathan said.
"I'm aware, thanks for reminding me," sneered Summer rolling her eyes. Why is he talking about Chase? Is that seriously why he came over here? Ugh! And here I was obsessing over him a few minutes ago.
Nathan stuffed his hands in his pockets. Why am I acting like a geek who has never talked to a girl before? And what kind of opening line was that? Okay, I got this.
Summer began to close the door in frustration, but he slid his foot in the door to hold it.
"Wait, I'm sorry. I just came to say goodbye," said Nathan desperately.
"This isn't goodbye, Nathan, I'll be back in the fall," replied Summer crossing her arms and leaning her head against the doorframe.
"I know, but I had to see you before you left."
"Okay, well you've seen me…" Summer looked at Nathan questioningly. It seemed like he wanted to tell her something, but what? "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Nathan turned around and sat on the front steps leading up to the front door. He obviously had something on his mind, so Summer closed the door behind her and joined him on the steps.
"I don't know what the hell I'm doing anymore, Summer. I used to know exactly who I was and what I wanted. I was a cocky jock," he explained, "And all I cared about was basketball and hooking up with as many girls as possible. I didn't even care about my family. Then, I got to know my brother, and I cared about someone other than myself. My father hated that Lucas and I had gotten close, so we moved to Charleston. I found myself becoming the guy that didn't care again. So, my mom convinced my dad to move back here. That's when Lucas was in the hospital. I thought coming home would give me clarity and help me figure out who I was and what I wanted, but it didn't. I went back to being that guy who didn't care."
Summer listened intently as he spoke, taking it all in. She was glad that he felt he could talk to her and confide in her.
"You cared about Lucas. That's why you came home when you did, because you heard he was hurt," said Summer. Nathan nodded.
"When I ran into you that day, in the hospital, I found clarity. Something made me realize that what I wanted and really needed was love," he continued, "I mean, when we first started out, it was all fun and games, but I found myself falling harder and deeper. Then, Zach came along…and Chase…and everything got complicated, and I lost sight of what I wanted…you."
Nathan hoped that everything he was saying made sense. Summer was about to interrupt, but Nathan resumed before she could get a word in.
"I got caught up in my parents' problems and things got dark for me. When things were bad though, you were the only one I could open up to and confide in. That's when I realized I was in love with you…I am…"
"Nathan…"
"I don't want you to say anything, and I know this isn't fair. Just go to California for the summer and be there for your family. I just couldn't let you leave without say that. I'm going to go, so have fun and I'll see in three months," he concluded as he smiled at her and left.
Summer was speechless. She definitely wasn't expecting this. A few seconds later, the cab pulled up. Brooke ran outside with all their bags handing them over to the cab driver, who loaded them into the trunk. They both climbed into the backseat of the cab. They would have a lot to talk about on the plane.
After a late night at the concert with Seth, Peyton woke up to see five missed calls and two new voicemails. They were all from Jake. She listened to the first messaged and immediately got dressed and headed over to Jake's house. She knocked on his front door and heard him yell to come in. She walked inside, carefully closing the door behind her. Peyton smiled as she saw Jake cradling his baby daughter, Jenny. She watched as he put her down in her crib and motioned for them to go into the living room, where they sat on the couch.
"How are you?" asked Jake as he gave Peyton a quick hug.
"I'm really good actually," replied Peyton, "But how are you? You sounded weird on the phone."
"I'm okay…I just…I told Marissa about Jenny and Nikki, and I don't know if I should have," Jake admitted, "It just got me thinking about everything that happened and I needed someone to talk to."
"You know you can talk to me about anything, Jake," said Peyton consolingly, "What's on your mind?"
"I'm not ready for people to know yet, Peyton. You're the only person I've ever been honest with about this, and I let it slip last night," said Jake.
"Maybe this is a sign, and maybe there's a reason you told her," began Peyton trying to help him. Jake raised his eyebrows with expectation, waiting for her to elaborate. "Maybe it means that you shouldn't keep your daughter a secret anymore. Maybe telling people about Jenny and about Nikki will help you cope."
Jake knew she was right, but he was worried about what was to come. "This world is evil, Peyton."
"I have faith that you'll protect Jenny, and you should too."
Jake pulled Peyton in for another short hug. "Thanks for coming, Peyton. I'm glad I can still talk to you, even with the way things turned out with us," said Jake gratefully.
"We were young and stupid. No big deal," returned Peyton with a laugh.
"And we're just so much older and wiser now," Jake joked.
"Exactly; I should get going, but give me a call sometime. We should hang out more often, like old times."
"Count on it."
Haley was sitting on her bed with her laptop, when Taylor came into her room. Haley closed her laptop and looked up at her rebellious sister. Haley was happy with Taylor's decent behavior lately. Haley felt bad about their first encounter when Taylor came home, and she tried to mention anything about college around her. Although she still wasn't sure why Taylor had dropped out in the first place, Haley was still worried about her sister.
"Hey, Tay," Haley greeted her with a smile, "What have you been up to? You got in late last night."
"I went to The Bait Shop," replied Taylor with a half smile.
Haley felt like something was bothering Taylor, but she didn't know what. She figured now was a good time to apologize for the way she acted when Taylor had first arrived, even though they both had pretty much ignored it since.
"So, I just want to apologize for going off on you when you first got home. College isn't for everybody, and I shouldn't judge you. You're my sister, and I love you," said Haley.
Taylor joined Haley on her bed and hugged her. She didn't feel like she deserved Haley as a sister, especially after what she was about to tell her.
"I love you too, Hales, and I appreciate you apologizing, but I'm the one that needs to apologize," said Taylor sincerely.
"I already know you wore my shirt three days ago," returned Haley with a laugh, "I saw the stain. You better wash it!"
Taylor didn't even half smile this time. "I'm serious, Haley. There's a reason I dropped out of University, and it didn't happen just recently. I haven't been at school all year."
Haley immediately got serious, and she was already assuming the worst in her sister.
"If you weren't at school, then where?" questioned Haley.
"Chino…" said Taylor.
Haley opened her mouth and widened her eyes in surprise. It had to be coincidence that Taylor was in Chino, where Ryan is from.
"You mean Chino as in California?" asked Haley for clarification. Taylor just nodded. "What were you doing in Chino?"
"There's a lot I need to tell you…" began Taylor.
Ryan sat in his usual booth at the diner. He kept glancing at his watch wondering what the hell he was even doing there. Finally, someone sat down across from him. Ryan glared across the table at Kevin Volchok. The waitress came by to take their order, but Ryan quickly told her that they weren't eating, all the while keeping his eyes planted on Volchok.
"Hey, Ryan," said Kevin with a hint of fake excitement in his voice.
"What do you want Volchok?" sneered Ryan not buying into his antics.
"Don't give me that attitude Atwood, you have no reason to hate me," returned Kevin, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't I?" replied Ryan leaned forward with his forearms on the table.
"No, you don't," retorted Kevin, "I think the only people who have reason to hate me are Peyton, Lucas, and Brooke."
Ryan laughed sarcastically. "You've got to be kidding me!" he snapped, "Volchok, you intentionally put Lucas in the hospital, and cheated on Brooke with her best friend. Not to mention, you used my brother to keep tabs on Brooke. I think I have good reason to dislike you."
"Speaking of that, he didn't do a very good job. I'll have to have a chat with him about that," muttered Kevin almost to himself.
"What do you have on him, huh?" questioned Ryan, "I mean, you must know something, because Trey wouldn't just agree to do that."
Volchok laughed sarcastically in the same way Ryan just had, as if he knew something that Ryan didn't. "Trey and I are buds. We met in Mexico. I let him crash with me. That's it man," stated Kevin seriously.
Ryan found out from Brooke that Trey and Kevin knew each other somehow, but Trey tried denying it. Ryan knew better than to believe his brother, though. He would find out sooner or later why Trey went to Mexico when he got out of prison in the first place.
"Fine, whatever," scoffed Ryan, "Just get to the point. What do you want?"
"I need your help," Kevin said in a serious tone.
Hey Guys! What did you think? Are they too many characters for you? Should I kick some to the curb? Too long? Too short? Who are your favorite couples? Any suggestions? Please review!