Peyton slowly opened the hotel room door and closed it behind her, making sure that she was quiet so not to wake Amy. It was only 7:30 in the morning but she hated hotels and needed fresh air. She walked down the streets of Tree Hill. It was a Saturday so most people were still asleep, the streets would be crowded in about half an hour and that would be when she had to return to the hotel. She wasn't ready to face any of the people from her past, the only person she wanted to talk to was Alex. She need to talk to Lucas because she figured she owed him some sort of explanation, but there was no guarantee she would speak to him before she left.
Peyton glanced inside the stores, most of them just opening. She turned the corner and began walking down a very familiar street. The only place that was open was somewhere she knew she wouldn't be welcome, Karen's Café. She felt a tear slip form her eye as she stopped across the street from the café. She looked inside to see Karen wiping down the table tops as Haley prepared fresh coffee. She remembered Haley telling her once that she helped Karen when she had time on the weekends. Peyton smiled to herself, something in the town would never change.
Some things did change though. When she was a teen, most people ignored Peyton, or they stereotyped her. No one knew anything about her other then the fact that she was a cheerleader and she was Nathan Scott's former girlfriend. Now people in this town wouldn't need to stereotype, they all would know her as the girl that left town and then abandoned her daughter. She shook her head trying to make the thoughts go away, she couldn't afford anymore stress then the situation was already causing.
The more she shook her head the dizzier she became and the more the thoughts flooded her head. God how she had missed Alex. She missed her little girl's smile and they way she laughed. She missed their reading and their jokes. She missed talking and most of all she missed just holding her daughter in her arms. When she cried there was no one to hug her and tell her that things would be okay and there was no reason to cry. Amy had given up on trying to break Peyton out of her crying spells. The brunette eventually learned that nothing would help, they had to just wait it out until Peyton either calmed down or ran out of tears.
The blonde could feel herself swaying on her feet but she couldn't break her train of though no matter how hard she tried. "Peyton…" she felt a hand on her shoulder and Amy's voice rang through her ears. "You just left this morning didn't you.?" Amy questioned as she stood in front of the blonde. Peyton's face was full of tears and she looked straight past the brunette. "Peyton" Amy shook the girl in front of her until they finally locked eyes.
"I didn't want to." She responded as her breath caught in her throat.
"Peyt…" Amy began but the blonde shoved passed her and ran across the street, not paying attention to the car coming down the road. Karen and Haley each looked out the window as they heard tires screeching outside. They looked as to what had caused the car to stop so suddenly but saw nothing. They both spotted Amy across the street but their eyes were torn away from the brunette as the door opened and blonde curls flew past the counter and into the bathroom.
She slammed the door behind her and locked it before she slid back against the door. Tears poured from her eyes and her body shook violently as she brought her hand to her mouth. Haley threw the rag onto the counter as she made her way towards the bathroom door. She knocked hard against the wood but there was no answer. Peyton rocked back and forth, her knees tucked to her chest. Karen turned towards the door as it opened again and Amy rushed through. Haley turned around and glared at the taller brunette who just returned the evil stare.
"Peyton, sweetie it's Amy. Just open the door and we can leave." Amy pleaded as she stood impatiently. She had been through this before but it was always within their apartment and she never had somewhere trying to drill holes through her back with their eyes. "Peyton just take you bag then, I know that's what you want." She knocked lightly against the door and waited. It opened slightly, just enough for Amy to slip the small black bag through the crack. Five minutes later the door opened all the way and Peyton stepped into the café. She avoided Haley's hateful eyes at all cost. Her eyes looked to the floor as she walked to the door.
"Peyton…" Karen called out to the blonde. The older woman could see her hands shaking even as she moved father away.
"I'm sorry" Peyton whispered as the bells above the door rang and she and Amy left.
"What the hell was that" Haley asked as she looked back at Karen.
"Haley can you watch the café for about an hour. I just remembered that I was supposed to drop something off earlier." Karen undid her apron as the brunette nodded. She walked quickly out of the café and towards the closet hotel. They were walking which meant they couldn't be far. Karen walked up to the front desk of the hotel ten minutes later and rang the bell for a clerk.
"Hi can I help you" the young man across the desk asked.
"Umm I hope so…is there a Peyton Sawyer staying here" Karen looked at the man hopefully. He scanned the files on the computer and finally stopped.
"Yea there is, would you like me to deliver a message."
"Can I just have the room number?" Karen pleaded.
"I'm sorry Ms. I can't give out that information." The clerk apologized.
"Alright can you ask her to come down here" Karen watched the man nod and she moved over to one of the couches to wait. A few minutes later a familiar face appeared in the lobby but it wasn't Peyton.
"It's Karen right"
"Yes and your Amy" Karen watched as the brunette nodded. "I asked for Peyton."
"Yeah well she said she wasn't coming down." Amy responded bitterly. She didn't like any of theses people so far and she wasn't sure about what she supposed to do but this woman was definitely nicer then Haley.
"So why am I talking to you" Karen crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Room 419" Amy replied as she handed Karen an electronic key. "Tell her I'll be back in an hour."
"Thank you" Karen commented as she watched Amy retreat out of the hotel. She walked slowly into the elevator and took the ride up to the fourth floor. Karen was nervous as she walked down the hall. She stopped in front of the door and knocked. She had no clue what she was going to say, but they needed to talk. When Peyton didn't answer Karen slowly slid the key through the door and turned the knob when it opened. "Peyton…" she called out into the room but there was still no answer. Karen cautiously stepped farther into the room only to find a thin blonde staring out the window.
"If your angry I understand, I would be too…just…please…don't yell." Peyton didn't turn around as she spoke, she just pulled her arms tighter around herself.
"I don't wanna yell…I just wanna talk"