Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.
A/N: Again thanks to everyone who read and huge thanks to those who reviewed. I'm glad no one was disappointed about the delay on the whole tape thing. Well here it is. Hope you all like it. You'll probably all notice that I pulled some stuff from the show in some of the scenes.
"Ok, Goldilocks, get ready for some serious fun." The brunette stopped short as she took in the scene before her. "Nevermind, looks like you've already got that covered," she joked.
The mood instantly killed, both Peyton and Nathan stood from their spot to face their friend, noticing Rachel and Bevin were also present.
"Uh, we were just about to order something to eat," Peyton said lamely.
"Clearly," Rachel remarked, smirking as the three girls made their way over to them.
Standing to one side of the presently shirtless Nathan, Brooke ran a flirtatious finger up and down his chest to his stomach. "My, my, tutor girl, Rachel mentioned you were different than we thought, but I assumed she meant character wise. Aren't you looking mighty tall and buff these days."
Taking Brooke's cue, Rachel stood on the other side, ignoring Peyton's eye roll, and felt his bicep. "Yes, so strong," she said squeezing. "Have you been working out?" she asked, matching Brooke's flirty tone perfectly.
Nathan looked from one to the other in obvious confusion.
"Evidently you have," Brooke continued. "You've gotten so… ripped."
"That six-pack is most impressive."
"No wonder Peyton's been ignoring Nathan."
"Hmm, I'd definitely be switching teams too."
"Ok, do you two need glasses?" Bevin asked. "Because this is Nathan."
"Oh, would you look at that. It is," Brooke exclaimed as though she'd just noticed.
"See, we thought it was Haley, who Peyton said she was hanging out with tonight and the reason she passed on girls' night," Rachel said.
"I didn't pass," Peyton contradicted playfully. "I said we'll see. And for the record, Haley was here. Tell them," she said to Nathan.
"Haley was here," he confirmed obediently. "Earlier."
"How much earlier?" Rachel questioned.
Peyton shook her head at her friends. "Whatch-ya got there?" she asked Rachel, who held a large envelope in one hand.
"Your mail," Brooke scoffed, making fun of the redhead's penchant for going through others' mail.
"Really?" Peyton asked, taking the package curiously. 'No question, you can do better,' she read aloud. "Cryptic," she said as she opened it. "Oh, this is probably one of the live concerts I ordered online," she said as she pulled out the contents.
"Hon," Brooke began indulgently. "FYI, if it's on tape, it's not live."
"Whatever," the blonde said with a shrug, setting the tape back in its packaging to watch later. "It's live captured on tape."
"Whatever you say," Brooke teased. "Oh, P., you have a message," she said as she noticed the light flashing on the answering machine. "Shall I do the honors?" she asked.
Peyton laughed, knowing that her best friend actually meant 'can I listen to it?' She hadn't noticed it herself – it must have been when she was in the shower earlier because she hadn't even heard the phone ring. "Go for it," she replied with a careless shrug. It's not like she had any secrets.
Brooke skipped over to the machine and pressed the play button.
'Hey, this message is for Peyton. It's Jeff Nelson calling from Thud Magazine. Your friend dropped off your sketches, and he was right, they're terrific. Give me a call when you get a chance. We'd love to talk to you about, well, you know, maybe doing a comic strip for the magazine. Nice work, Peyton. Nice work.'
Everyone stared at Peyton, waiting for a reaction. They all noticed the hint of a smile that played on her lips as she listened, but her features quickly turned into an angry scowl.
"Son of a bitch," she muttered.
"It wasn't me," Nathan was quick to assure her, thinking back to the time he'd mentioned submitting her sketches without her knowing and her subsequent threat of un-sedated castration if he dared.
"I know," she fumed. "You know what? I think I'm gonna pick up dinner," she said, grabbing her car keys and stalking out the door.
"That poor boy is not gonna know what hit him," Rachel stated with humor.
"What, you know who it was?" Nathan asked.
"Lucas," Brooke and Rachel said in unison.
Nathan's brow shot up and a slow smirk spread across his face, and suddenly he wished he'd gone with Peyton because this is something he really hated to miss.
"I don't get it. Why is she mad?" Bevin spoke up. "Didn't she want to submit her sketches anyway?"
"Yeah," Brooke agreed. "But in her own time."
"You're enjoying the idea of her laying into him, aren't you?" Rachel asked Nathan.
"Hell yeah," he admitted. "I just wish I could be there to see it go down."
"I figured. Anyway, I'm gonna go raid Peyton's closet, see if there's anything I want to wear tonight," Rachel said, knowing Peyton wouldn't mind.
"Oh, me too!" Bevin exclaimed.
Nathan shook his head. He'd never understand why girls couldn't just wear their own clothes instead of borrowing each other's.
"You coming, Brooke?" Bevin asked.
"Nah. I already look bitchin'."
"Ok, well don't blame us if we look hotter than you tonight."
"Like that's gonna happen," Brooke joked dismissively as the other two climbed the stairs. "So what concert is this anyway?" Brooke asked, picking up the envelope Peyton had set aside.
"Who knows?" Nathan replied as he slipped his shirt back on. Peyton was always ordering music online. "Why don't you check it out?" he said needlessly since she was already putting it in the player.
Neither of them was prepared for what came up on screen.
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Lucas glanced over to the café entrance and smiled when he saw Peyton enter. But that smile quickly faltered as she stormed over to the counter and he took in the look of pure venom in her emerald eyes.
"Who do you think you are?" she spat.
"Someone you're pissed at," he guessed correctly. It wasn't exactly hard to tell.
"You submitted my sketches to Thud Magazine."
"And they liked them, didn't they?" he asked unapologetically.
"That's not the point," Peyton thundered, ignoring the curious looks from the customers all around. "You had no right to take my personal artwork and put it out there."
"I thought someone should see them," he remarked simply.
"That's up to me to decide, not you."
"Well, sometimes people need a little push."
"And sometimes people need to mind their own business."
"Look, just tell me why you didn't submit them. Your stuff is good."
"It's not good enough," she muttered.
"Why not?"
She didn't know why she bothered to answer the question, but she did, even though she'd already explained half of it that day in her room when she'd first shown him her sketches. "I want to draw something that means something to someone. You know, I want to draw blind faith or a fading summer or… just a moment of clarity. It's like when you go and you see a really great band live for the first time, you know, and nobody's saying it but everybody's thinking it – "We have something to believe in again." I want to draw that feeling. But, I can't. And if I can't be great at it then I don't want to ruin it. It's too important to me."
"Well, I think you are great and those guys at Thud obviously think so too if they contacted you. And I'm sure they know what they're talking about and recognize true talent when they see it."
She crossed her arms angrily because he wasn't hearing her. "You know what? You talk a good game, but it doesn't change the fact that those sketches weren't yours to take. Or even to look at, for that matter," she said hotly. "You ever think that maybe some people aren't ready to expose themselves to the world?"
The date on the letter to Thud Magazine came to his mind. "You put together that portfolio months ago," he pointed out. "I think you are ready, but you're just scared."
He was right and that just amplified her anger two-fold. "Even if that's true, it's my fear, my art, my decision. I don't need you or anyone else trying to run my life. If I wanted your help, I'd ask for it."
"Alright, fine," he shot back. "Tell me you'll at least meet with them and I'll leave it alone."
"You know what I really hate more than anything?" Peyton snarled. "Ultimatums. How about you just leave it alone anyway because I asked you to?"
"I can't do that, Peyton," Lucas insisted. "I can't just sit back and watch you waste your talent."
"Then don't," she snapped irately, heading toward the exit.
"How's the car running?" he called out.
Backtracking, she stood facing him once more. "Why? Because you fixed my car, you think that gives you the green light to stick your nose in my personal business?"
"No, I just really want to know how it's running."
"The car's fine. And you can send me a bill, by the way. I don't want your charity."
"Peyton, come on. We're friends."
"Yeah, well friends are supposed to respect each other's wishes."
"A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities," Lucas recited from memory. "William Arthur Ward."
"Ok," she said, shaking her head. "You don't know me well enough to use that on me."
"Maybe not, but I'd like to," he admitted.
"Cool," she said dully. "First lesson begins with…stay out of my stuff!"
And before he could form any kind of reply, she was out the door.
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"Uh, Nate…this is…not a concert."
For a while Nathan stood in silent bewilderment as the beating he'd taken such pleasure in played before his eyes. It took several minutes, but his mind eventually registered what that meant. Mouth's tape.
Questions naturally followed. How was it here? Peyton stole it? No. It was sent to her. He wasn't sure if Peyton even knew of its existence. She probably did since he knew from Jake that it was being gossiped about at school. Nothing ever stayed secret in Tree Hill. But if Peyton had heard the rumors, she hadn't said anything.
Finally springing into action, Nathan went over and stopped the player, rubbing his hands over his face. A part of him felt relieved that it was finally in his possession. Now he wouldn't have to worry about where it might pop up. But the other part of him felt anything but relieved. Peyton was the last person he wanted watching this.
"Brooke, Peyton can't see this."
"What?" she asked, still in shock.
"I mean, she doesn't need to, right? What good would it do?"
"Ok, tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying."
"We can just destroy it. No harm done."
"Nathan…"
"Brooke, we're just starting to be good again…"
"And there's no faster way to screw that up than by lying to her. Haven't you learned that yet?"
"It's not lying. She won't even know…"
"It's lying by omission which is just as bad."
"Brooke…"
"Nathan, no. I won't go along with this. And it really sucks that you're asking me to."
He took a deep, ragged breath. "I know, but what am I supposed to do? Huh? If she sees this, she's gonna hate me all over again."
"Why would she? She already knows about the beating."
"You know Peyton," he argued. "If she sees it, it'll bring it back to the forefront and she'll flip again. Only worse. You know she will."
Brooke shook her head but didn't respond.
"Look, you don't even have to do anything, ok. I'll do it. Just don't say anything."
"And if she asks where her package went to?" Brooke challenged. "You forget she knows about that too."
"So, just say you don't know. Or fake-cough her, whatever. Come on, Brooke, it's not that hard."
"Maybe not for you, but we just got our friendship back on track too," Brooke reasoned. "Who even sent this anyway?" she asked, taking the envelope in her hand and examining it.
"Yeah, I wonder," he mumbled sarcastically.
"There's no return address. There's not even a postmark," she stated upon closer inspection. "This was hand delivered."
"Great detective work, Sherlock."
"Hey don't get all pissy with me just because I won't follow your half-ass action plan."
He rolled his eyes at her. "Feel free to come up with something better."
"Fine. Go with the truth."
He ran his fingers through his short hair in a show of frustration. "This is exactly what he wants."
"Who?"
"Lucas," he spat resentfully.
"Lucas? You think Lucas sent this? That doesn't even make sense. Why would he send Peyton a tape of himself getting beat up?"
"Because he wants her and I'm in the way," he replied as though that were the only explanation. "And unless you help me, he's gonna win."
"Nathan, I can't."
"You mean won't."
She simply nodded her reply.
"What happened to the Brooke who used to back me up no matter what?"
"She finally figured out that by doing that she was betraying her other best friend."
"Brooke…"
"Look, Nathan," she interrupted. "You're my best friend too and I love you. You know that. But I'm sorry, I'm not gonna lie to Peyton," she stressed. "Not even for you."
"Lie to me about what?" Peyton asked, storming in the door, already in a state of fury.
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"Captain," Sheriff Torbin called out. "Come take a look at this."
The older man joined him where he stood watching a screen. "Where'd you get this?" he asked.
"Anonymous tip left at the front desk this afternoon."
"I know that kid," the captain stated. "That's Dan Scott's boy."
"What do you want me to do, Captain?" the younger guy asked, knowing Dan Scott was a well-respected man in the community.
"There's only one thing to do," the captain replied. "Pick him up."
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Whitey Durham set his large coffee on the table in front of the couch, intent on a lazy night of television. Remote in hand, he pressed play to watch the mystery tape someone had left at his front door. And there went his relaxing evening. Damn Scott genes!
Half an hour later, he was knocking on Karen Roes's door, envelope in hand.
"Coach Durham, come on in," Karen invited.
"You know, most grown ups call me Whitey," he mentioned as he stepped inside.
"Well, I've been known to live in the past occasionally," she returned good-naturedly. "Can I get you a coffee or a tea?"
"I'm afraid this isn't a social call," he answered.
"Oh. Is this about Lucas? You know, he's really excited to be your assistant coach," she told him. "And a little scared too. To be honest, so am I."
"This isn't about basketball either," he said somberly.
"Ok, you're making me nervous."
"Can we sit?"
"Please do, but I'd rather stand."
He nodded, realizing he was only causing her more anxiety by beating around the bush. "Somebody left this at my front door today," he said, indicating the envelope.
"Oh yeah, I got the same thing," she said, surprising him. "At the back door of the café."
"I'm going to assume you haven't watched it." No way she'd be this calm if she had.
"No, I haven't had the chance yet. By the time Lucas relieved me at the café, I had all these errands to run and…well, I was going to watch it after dinner."
"I'm not sure you'll want to see it. But, on the other hand, I think you should," he said, handing her his copy.
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"Ok, one of you needs to start talking," Peyton said with her arms crossed when Nathan and Brooke both simply stared at her in dread. She was still reeling from her altercation with Lucas and this stalling wasn't helping. "Because I am already this close to blowing a fuse," she added, using her thumb and index finger as indicators.
"Peyt, it's nothing," Nathan replied, sending a pleading look toward Brooke, silently appealing to her to go along with him. Damn, Peyton was pissed off enough as it was.
"If you don't tell her, I will," Brooke warned him sternly, angry that he'd put her in this position, despite having just told him multiple times that she wouldn't do it.
His shoulders slumping, he looked away and sighed in defeat. Glancing over at Peyton he reluctantly told her the truth. And waited for the fireworks he was sure would come.
"And you were going to what?" Peyton snapped. "Get rid of the tape and feed me some bullshit story when I wondered where it went?"
"Look, things have been going pretty good with us lately, and I just…I didn't want to mess it up again," he told her honestly.
"Yeah, that worked out well for you," Peyton returned coldly. "Get out."
"Peyton…"
"Get out!"
Knowing there was no point trying to talk to her in her current mood, he slowly made his way to the door, his head hanging. "I'm sorry," he said miserably before making his exit. For a day that had seemed so promising, it couldn't have turned out any worse. Or at least that's what he thought before he went home and found out what else was in store for him.
Peyton paced the floor in agitation. "Do I have a sign across my forehead that says stupid?" she asked, more to herself than to Brooke. "Because I really thought he was starting to change. Even just a little bit. You know?"
Brooke smiled sympathetically.
"But I guess that's what I was supposed to think! I should have known it was just more of his mind games…just him telling me what I want to hear! But nooo, I have to go and fall for it just like every other gazillion times!"
"Don't be too hard on him, P.," Brooke said. "He was just scared of losing…"
"Ok, do not defend him," Peyton cut her off to snarl. She was angry beyond words and Brooke, or anyone for that matter, jumping to Nathan's defense would surely send her over the edge.
"Ok," Brooke agreed softly.
Rachel and Bevin chose that moment to come downstairs, having heard all the commotion.
"Girls night still on?" Peyton asked Rachel.
"You bet."
"Good. Cuz I've had it with guys," Peyton fumed, already on her way upstairs to get changed.
"Wow," Rachel commented in amusement when Peyton was out of earshot. "I fear for the poor suckers who try to hit on her tonight."
And Brooke and Bevin had to agree.
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Karen was a mess upon watching the video. She wasn't sure whether to be happy, sad or mad. In truth she was all three and she couldn't seem to settle on one. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she witnessed the brutality against her son. But she was also angry that he'd insisted the culprit was unknown to him. After Nathan had treated him so callously, he'd still protected him. But one shred of happiness broke through – she wouldn't protect Nathan like Lucas did. She would make sure justice was served.
Soon there was a light rap on the door and she tried her best to compose herself before opening it.
"Sheriff Corbin," she said, surprised to find him standing on her steps at this particular moment.
"Miss Roe," he replied with a tip of his hat. "I just wanted to let you know in person that we've caught your son's assailant and we have him in custody."
She was rendered speechless for a moment. It was soon discovered that, although a copy was sent to her and Whitey, the original was sent to the police station. She was relieved to learn that Nathan had been arrested. Until Sheriff Corbin spoke again.
"I'm also going to need to speak to Lucas about filing a false police report."
