Changing Room, Tree Hill High Sports Hall
With mixed feelings I entered the changing room and opened my locker, where my shower gel and changing clothes were. It was officially my last game as a coach of the 'Ravens' before I would leave Tree Hill. I realized that it was one of the things I would do for the last time. Jamie was right. 17 years was a damn long time. And leaving everything behind was harder for me than I thought. I felt comfort in the thought that I wouldn't be alone in L.A., Tom was there and Julian would visit me. Not to mention Julian's father, my grandfather, Paul Norris, who moved to the City of Angels 5 years ago after living in Tree Hill for several years. But I would miss Jamie, my brothers and my sister, and somebody only I knew about. Was it the right decision to leave Tree Hill? It was a question I didn't ask myself for the first time since I had decided to go to L.A. As I reached for my towel and shower gel and slowly pulled it out of the locker, something else that had been inside fell to the floor. It was a light yellow envelope, with a word written in a delicate handwriting: Desire. Irritated, I turned the envelope back and forth to see if there was a sender. But there was nothing else but this word. Was this a farewell letter from the boys? But the writing looked more like a female handwriting, becoming curious I opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper that was inside. The letter was written in the same delicate, slightly curved style. Confused, I looked around. Who was the sender? And how had the letter even gotten into my locker? Okay, I could answer the second question myself. My padlock had been broken for a long time, so my locker was always open. Still, it was odd. I couldn't imagine that a girl had gone into the man's changing room just to put a letter in my locker. I put my shower gel aside and sat down on the bench. It wasn't a normal letter, I noticed, when I read the first lines, it was a poem. I wasn't really that interested in poetry. That was Izzy's thing. But the words there just touched me deeply in my soul, causing me to shiver because it reflected my current situation.
'Wherever you go, my thoughts are with you.
Wherever you go, my heart beats just for you.
Because without you my life is meaningless and empty.
You changed my life without you being aware.
I dream at night what could have been, though I know it can never be.
And if you go now, my heart will go with you, if only symbolically, for I will stay here.'
I dropped the poem and just stared into space. It was Jamie who suddenly approached me.
"Hey, Dude! What's up? Do we want to drive around a bit with my new car and see if we can ask some girls out along the way?"
I frowned at him without really understanding the meaning behind his words. "What?" I asked, confused. He looked at the sheet of paper in my hand and grinned.
"Ah, so you found it."
I held up the sheet questioningly. "You were the one who had put the letter in my locker?" I asked surprised.
Jamie nodded hesitantly. "But before you ask me who it's from..." He shrugged. "I have no idea."
"And who gave it to you?" I wanted to know.
"I only did my sister a favor," he said cryptically and grinned.
I stared at him with wide open eyes. "That's from Lydia?!" I gasped in shock. "I had no idea she had a crush on me. I thought she was with Jude."
Jamie raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "Well, if you can believe the rumors, then not for very long."
"What does that mean?" I asked suspiciously.
Jamie rolled his eyes. "Oh, man, that's none of my business, but Stacy told me that she had watched Lydia and Davis in the cafeteria together. And the two had been very close."
I stared at my buddy in disbelief. "Lydia and Davis?" I stammered. "But then I don't understand why she wrote me a love letter."
"Show it to me!"
Even before I could stop it, Jamie had snatched the letter out of my hands and read the lines.
"Olala. Looks like someone is secretly in love with you," he said, smirking. "But I can assure you that this is not from Lydia."
"Why, how do you know that?" I asked with a frown.
"Because that's not her handwriting," he replied curtly.
Relieved, I exhaled. But if it wasn't Lydia, who was? "What did you mean by that, that you did her a favor?"
"She just gave it to me and asked to put it in your locker. That's all I know," he said with a shrug. "It's probably from one of her friends."
I rolled my eyes annoyed. "You mean one of her many friends? Lydia is the leader of the cheerleading team. She knows practically every girl in high school. And she's just as popular."
"Sorry, man. I would help you, but I don't know any more."
"That's... like looking for a needle in a haystack," I moaned in frustration and ran my fingers through my hair. "I have no idea how to find out who wrote this."
"Do you want to know? I mean, you're leaving Tree Hill in a few days anyway. What do you care if this girl has a crush on you?"
Yeah, what did I care? Actually, I shouldn't. But for some unknown reason, I wanted to find out before I was leaving. And my first contact person would be Lydia Scott - after I had a serious word with my younger brother. I folded the poem, shoved it into my locker and grabbed my shower gel and towel. "I'm taking a shower now and then I have to go home," I told Jamie. "We can drive with your car another time," I added. "How about next week?" I was surprised that Jamie looked at me oddly and didn't respond to my question. Only when I was under the shower I realized that there would be no 'next week' for me in Tree Hill. Next week I would already be in Los Angeles.
