House of Bakers

'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 read the lines over and over again, wondering who she was; the stranger who wanted to keep her identity a secret. Somehow it was strange to know that someone was running around outside who felt that way. Why did she want to stay anonymous? Did she already have a boyfriend or was she married? Or maybe it was just too embarrassing for her and she was afraid to be turned down. Whatever it was, this poem was the main reason why I had decided to stay here for a little while longer. I had to solve the puzzle before I could go to L.A. Otherwise, I would always wonder if I might have missed a chance. When it knocked on the door, I quickly folded the poem and put it back in my drawer. "Yes?" I called. It was Izzy who entered my room and sat down next to me on the bed.

"I want to get straight to the point without quibbling," she said hastily.

"Sure, shoot," I told her.

"Well, Lydia wants to go to the beach with us tomorrow so we can practice our figures there," she said. "She already asked Jamie if he agreed to supervise, and I told her that I would ask you too. Do you have some spare time tomorrow afternoon?"

As she looked at me pleading with her big, brown eyes, I couldn't reject her request. "Okay, yes, why not?" I shrugged and smiled. "That will be fun. You want to go swimming, too, right?"

She nodded. "That's why we need someone who can take care of us. And you were in the swim team back then and have the best qualifications to watch us."

"Sure." I grinned. "And besides, this is a good opportunity to hang out on the beach again. I haven't done that for a long time."

"Great! Then that's settled. I'll text it to Lydia right away."

I thought she would get up and leave the room, but she stayed seated and I sensed she had something else on her mind. "Is there anything else?" I asked curiously.

"What you said, that you would fear trouble because of Jude and Davis," she began hesitantly. "I think I know why."

Astonished, I looked at her. Did I really say that? "What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

"I'm talking about Lydia," she confessed and lowered her head in embarrassment. "I know that Davis has a crush on her."

I nodded carefully. I had the same suspicion, even though he had denied it. "You worry about what happens if Jude finds out?"

She nodded. "They're my brothers and I love them both. But what Davis is doing is wrong. And I can't go to mom or dad because that would only cause more trouble."

"Thank you for telling me," I said smiling, putting my arm around her shoulders.

"I thought you knew about it?" She asked in surprise.

"I had my suspicions," I admitted. "But I didn't know anything concrete. How do you know about that?"

"We talked about it. Besides, he keeps staring at her when we have training. That's quite embarrassing. But so far, Jude hasn't noticed yet."

"Do you want me to talk to him again?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Yes, maybe. Such a 'man-to-man' conversation can be useful sometimes."

I laughed. "You know a lot about that."

"Girls mature faster than boys," she said, raising her chin. "Even though Davis is already 17 ½, he isn't smarter than me."

I knew she was right. Suddenly an idea crossed my mind. I opened my drawer, took out the poem and held it out to her. "Here, look at this! Do you know the handwriting?" I watched her, frowning, while she was reading the lines.

"Where did you find that?" She asked suspiciously.

"In my locker." I leaned back and looked at her curiously. "Do you know who wrote that?" I repeated again. "Izzy, if you know, please tell me!" I pleaded.

"This is a love poem."

I closed my eyes impatiently. "Yes, I know that already. So do you know the handwriting?"

"There is no signature," she stated, frowning. "The person who wrote this probably prefers to stay anonymous.

"I guess so." Gradually, my patience slipped. It was just the same with Lydia. She hadn't told me either about the writer. I was sure that Izzy knew more about it, too. "Have you all conspired against me?" I asked indignantly. "Lydia didn't want to tell me, and neither are you."

"You asked Lydia about it?" She asked in surprise.

I nodded. "She said if the person wants to stay anonymous then I should respect that."

"That's exactly how it is." Izzy jumped up. "That was a lousy trick, Justin! You thought I would tell you, even though you knew I would never betray a friend of mine."

I ran through a hand through my hair in frustration. Now I had a guilty conscience. The girls really stuck together "I'm sorry," I said meekly. "I didn't want to get you in trouble."

"You haven't." She shrugged casually. "I would like to help you, but if I tell you who wrote that, then the person would be mad at me. And I don't want to risk that. We have a 'friendship code of honor'. I can't break that."

I nodded. "Yes, I understand. I also wouldn't betray any of my friends, "I admitted. When she left, I looked after her and wondered if I would ever find out who the writer of the poem was. Or maybe it was better I would never find out, because wouldn't it make things even more complicated now that I had decided to leave Tree Hill? Sighing, I opened the drawer, put the poem back in, and then closed it again.