Chapter Twenty-Four
*On Their Own*
It was January and things had settled down in the Scott household, both of them. Deb and Dan had finalized their divorce and he left town shortly after, giving his business over to Keith. That was the only considerate thing he had done in his life.
Peyton and Luke had fallen into a pattern with Cameran who was now five months old. Parenthood was tough in the beginning and it definitely put a strain on their relationship. But once again there was a rhythm to life. The pair had programmed their bodies to wake up at all hours of the night for feedings and every Friday night they got a reprieve from the chaos. Karen had volunteered to watch Cameran once a week to allow them some time alone, after all they were still technically dating.
This Friday would be different. Lucas was starting at NYU on Monday (in three days) but they needed to leave a few days earlier. So Peyton and Luke spent that night at home with Karen, enjoying the time they had left as a family.
"Have you guys decided exactly when you are leaving?" Karen asked.
"I figured that it takes at least 12 hours to get to New York but with the baby we'll probably have to stop a lot. So if we leave Saturday morning, drive all day and stay in hotel Saturday night then we can make it to the dorm by Sunday evening." Lucas explained
"Are you sure you are ready for this?"
"Mom we can handle it." He assured her.
"But I know how hard it is to raise a baby at 18 and-" Luke cut her off.
"You were doing it on your own. Peyton and I are doing this together. We'll be okay."
"I'm just afraid that you two are in over you heads, both of you are taking classes."
"Karen, it's okay. I'm just taking night classes." Peyton said.
"We have the whole schedule worked out. Peyton will stay with Cameran while I'm in school and when I come home she will go to art class." Luke added.
"I hope it works out for you but right now I think you need to pack." Karen left with Cameran. Lucas went to the Home Depot and rented a U-Haul truck. When he got back most of the boxes of clothes were at the door. Keith was in the attic getting his old furniture and Peyton was packing up the last of their personal things from the bedroom. Within an hour the contents of the room was in the truck. All except the mattress and a blanket that was on the floor in the middle of the room where the three of them were going to sleep.
Peyton stood in the doorway with Cameran on her hip gazing into the barren room. It had been over a year since she had moved in and it finally felt like home. Now she had to move again. Life had thrown her some unexpected curves but she wouldn't change it for the world. She had a beautiful daughter that she loved very much and a boyfriend she was crazy about. Peyton was confident that things would turn out for the best and for once she felt like things were looking up. She had been accepted into a prestigious art school, that just made things all the better.
Lucas came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He felt her shudder beneath him.
"Sorry did I scare you?"
"It's all right. I was zoned out anyway."
"Well we better get to bed. We have to get an early tomorrow." Luke suggested and took Cameran while Peyton changed. She slipped into a pair of flannel pajamas and he tossed his shirt and pants to the side, sleeping in boxers and a wife beater. Cameran was already wearing her footie pj's. Lucas laid down in what was left of the bed with the baby on his chest and she fell asleep shortly after. Peyton came back from the bathroom, gave them both a peck on the cheek and fell asleep.
They were awoken abruptly by the blare of the alarm clock at 6 am. Normally they would have been upset by waking up at that time but both of them got up willingly, as they were anxious about the trip ahead of them.
Karen was already awake and had made a pot of coffee for them.
"You're up early mom." Luke greeted her.
"Yeah I couldn't get much sleep anyway. I just kept worrying about you guys." She confessed.
"Mom, we're gonna be fine, I already told you."
"Don't worry I'll take care of him." Peyton gave Lucas a little nudge.
"I'm holding you to that." Karen left to make pancakes.
After a hearty breakfast and some last minute packing the time had come for them to leave.
"Call me when you get to the hotel tonight." Karen held back tears.
"Okay. I love you mom." Luke hugged her tightly.
"Take care of yourself Peyton." Karen hugged her as well.
"Thank you for all you've done." Peyton said.
"It was my pleasure." Karen watched Lucas and Peyton strap Cameran in the backseat, get into the truck and drive off down the street.
After a long day of driving they stayed in a Holiday Inn somewhere in Maryland and left early the next morning from there. Luke made good time through New Jersey until her reached the George Washington Bridge into New York. It took them an hour to get into the city and onto campus.
Somehow they managed to solicit one of their fellow students to help them move their stuff into the dorm. Lucas and the neighbor, Patrick Greene, started moving at three o'clock in the afternoon while Peyton sat on the curb with Cameran. It took the boys four hours to unpack everything.
They stood in awe in the doorway of the dorm. It was about 10x10 with a small kitchenette in the back and boxes piled high.
"We are never gonna fit all our stuff in here." Peyton sighed.
"We can make it work. There's not that much stuff." Lucas tried to sound optimistic but the attempt fell flat.
"Let's just unpack and see how it goes." She set Cameran in her stroller and started opening boxes. By a miracle they managed to fit all of their stuff in the dorm leaving limited space for walking.
Luke gathered his books and schedule for his classes the next day. He set the alarm and left to return the U-Haul truck. When he came back, Peyton had put Cameran to sleep and was on the phone with Haley.
"Lucas just came in; do you want to talk to him?" She asked and the answer must have been yes because she handed the phone to him.
"Hey loser what's up?" Haley greeted him.
"How's life treating you over in Princeton?" He asked.
"Not so bad. I made the Dean's List." She told him.
"Congratulations."
"That's not as big as what Nathan has done. Did you watch the NCAA basketball games this week?"
"No I was really busy, why?"
"UCONN is in the championship. The game is in a half-hour." She informed him.
"That's fantastic." A twinge of jealous came over him at that moment. But it was his choice to take his academic scholarship at NYU instead of pursuing a basketball career.
"Oh and guess who is coming to New York for spring break?" Haley hinted.
"You! That's great!" Lucas covered the receiver and told Peyton the news.
"Let me talk to her." She grabbed the phone from him. "Nathan's coming too!" She shrieked moments later. Lucas sat on the bed listening to the girls plan out their spring break until the basketball game came on. Every time Nathan scored a basket he could hear Haley cheering through the phone, especially when the game was won by UCONN.
Luke signaled to Peyton to hang up the phone because it was 10:30 and he had to get up early. They both said good-bye to Haley and went to bed. For once Cameran did not wake them up during the night.
A/N: I know that the story right now is supposed to be taking place in January and the NCAA championship didn't happed then but the story is ending after spring break (in the story) which is before the game. Also I don't know how the dorm thing works so bear with me. Thank you to my loyal reviewers!
*On Their Own*
It was January and things had settled down in the Scott household, both of them. Deb and Dan had finalized their divorce and he left town shortly after, giving his business over to Keith. That was the only considerate thing he had done in his life.
Peyton and Luke had fallen into a pattern with Cameran who was now five months old. Parenthood was tough in the beginning and it definitely put a strain on their relationship. But once again there was a rhythm to life. The pair had programmed their bodies to wake up at all hours of the night for feedings and every Friday night they got a reprieve from the chaos. Karen had volunteered to watch Cameran once a week to allow them some time alone, after all they were still technically dating.
This Friday would be different. Lucas was starting at NYU on Monday (in three days) but they needed to leave a few days earlier. So Peyton and Luke spent that night at home with Karen, enjoying the time they had left as a family.
"Have you guys decided exactly when you are leaving?" Karen asked.
"I figured that it takes at least 12 hours to get to New York but with the baby we'll probably have to stop a lot. So if we leave Saturday morning, drive all day and stay in hotel Saturday night then we can make it to the dorm by Sunday evening." Lucas explained
"Are you sure you are ready for this?"
"Mom we can handle it." He assured her.
"But I know how hard it is to raise a baby at 18 and-" Luke cut her off.
"You were doing it on your own. Peyton and I are doing this together. We'll be okay."
"I'm just afraid that you two are in over you heads, both of you are taking classes."
"Karen, it's okay. I'm just taking night classes." Peyton said.
"We have the whole schedule worked out. Peyton will stay with Cameran while I'm in school and when I come home she will go to art class." Luke added.
"I hope it works out for you but right now I think you need to pack." Karen left with Cameran. Lucas went to the Home Depot and rented a U-Haul truck. When he got back most of the boxes of clothes were at the door. Keith was in the attic getting his old furniture and Peyton was packing up the last of their personal things from the bedroom. Within an hour the contents of the room was in the truck. All except the mattress and a blanket that was on the floor in the middle of the room where the three of them were going to sleep.
Peyton stood in the doorway with Cameran on her hip gazing into the barren room. It had been over a year since she had moved in and it finally felt like home. Now she had to move again. Life had thrown her some unexpected curves but she wouldn't change it for the world. She had a beautiful daughter that she loved very much and a boyfriend she was crazy about. Peyton was confident that things would turn out for the best and for once she felt like things were looking up. She had been accepted into a prestigious art school, that just made things all the better.
Lucas came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He felt her shudder beneath him.
"Sorry did I scare you?"
"It's all right. I was zoned out anyway."
"Well we better get to bed. We have to get an early tomorrow." Luke suggested and took Cameran while Peyton changed. She slipped into a pair of flannel pajamas and he tossed his shirt and pants to the side, sleeping in boxers and a wife beater. Cameran was already wearing her footie pj's. Lucas laid down in what was left of the bed with the baby on his chest and she fell asleep shortly after. Peyton came back from the bathroom, gave them both a peck on the cheek and fell asleep.
They were awoken abruptly by the blare of the alarm clock at 6 am. Normally they would have been upset by waking up at that time but both of them got up willingly, as they were anxious about the trip ahead of them.
Karen was already awake and had made a pot of coffee for them.
"You're up early mom." Luke greeted her.
"Yeah I couldn't get much sleep anyway. I just kept worrying about you guys." She confessed.
"Mom, we're gonna be fine, I already told you."
"Don't worry I'll take care of him." Peyton gave Lucas a little nudge.
"I'm holding you to that." Karen left to make pancakes.
After a hearty breakfast and some last minute packing the time had come for them to leave.
"Call me when you get to the hotel tonight." Karen held back tears.
"Okay. I love you mom." Luke hugged her tightly.
"Take care of yourself Peyton." Karen hugged her as well.
"Thank you for all you've done." Peyton said.
"It was my pleasure." Karen watched Lucas and Peyton strap Cameran in the backseat, get into the truck and drive off down the street.
After a long day of driving they stayed in a Holiday Inn somewhere in Maryland and left early the next morning from there. Luke made good time through New Jersey until her reached the George Washington Bridge into New York. It took them an hour to get into the city and onto campus.
Somehow they managed to solicit one of their fellow students to help them move their stuff into the dorm. Lucas and the neighbor, Patrick Greene, started moving at three o'clock in the afternoon while Peyton sat on the curb with Cameran. It took the boys four hours to unpack everything.
They stood in awe in the doorway of the dorm. It was about 10x10 with a small kitchenette in the back and boxes piled high.
"We are never gonna fit all our stuff in here." Peyton sighed.
"We can make it work. There's not that much stuff." Lucas tried to sound optimistic but the attempt fell flat.
"Let's just unpack and see how it goes." She set Cameran in her stroller and started opening boxes. By a miracle they managed to fit all of their stuff in the dorm leaving limited space for walking.
Luke gathered his books and schedule for his classes the next day. He set the alarm and left to return the U-Haul truck. When he came back, Peyton had put Cameran to sleep and was on the phone with Haley.
"Lucas just came in; do you want to talk to him?" She asked and the answer must have been yes because she handed the phone to him.
"Hey loser what's up?" Haley greeted him.
"How's life treating you over in Princeton?" He asked.
"Not so bad. I made the Dean's List." She told him.
"Congratulations."
"That's not as big as what Nathan has done. Did you watch the NCAA basketball games this week?"
"No I was really busy, why?"
"UCONN is in the championship. The game is in a half-hour." She informed him.
"That's fantastic." A twinge of jealous came over him at that moment. But it was his choice to take his academic scholarship at NYU instead of pursuing a basketball career.
"Oh and guess who is coming to New York for spring break?" Haley hinted.
"You! That's great!" Lucas covered the receiver and told Peyton the news.
"Let me talk to her." She grabbed the phone from him. "Nathan's coming too!" She shrieked moments later. Lucas sat on the bed listening to the girls plan out their spring break until the basketball game came on. Every time Nathan scored a basket he could hear Haley cheering through the phone, especially when the game was won by UCONN.
Luke signaled to Peyton to hang up the phone because it was 10:30 and he had to get up early. They both said good-bye to Haley and went to bed. For once Cameran did not wake them up during the night.
A/N: I know that the story right now is supposed to be taking place in January and the NCAA championship didn't happed then but the story is ending after spring break (in the story) which is before the game. Also I don't know how the dorm thing works so bear with me. Thank you to my loyal reviewers!