Chapter 18: Troubled Crossroads
With her relationship possibly nearing an end, Brooke could feel dark days glooming ahead. She couldn't hide what she was feeling, it was written all over her face. "Did I do something so bad that I don't deserve any happiness in life?" she miserably thought as she walked around the school.
Peyton dashed frantically along the corridors. She had to find her friend, she had to tell Brooke that Nikki's here. As she did, she also could not help but look behind her from time to time to make sure that Nikki was not following her. At one point, she felt she knocked someone over just as she turned to look behind her. "Oh God, I'm so sorry," she said as she turned to the person she just bumped into.
"I must really seem like a nice road kill." asked Brooke as she slowly stood up.
Peyton eye's widened when she realized just who she knocked over, "Oh Brooke, I've been looking for you."
"Just looking or looking to knock me down?" Brooke asked as she brushed some dirt off her blank tank top.
Peyton gave him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry...I guess I wasn't looking where I was going...it's just that Nikki..."
"Nikki...as in Nikki-who-ruined-my-life Nikki?" Brooke asked as her eyes widened in shock.
Peyton nodded, "Yeah...that Nikki. Anyway, she' here and as usual, she out for trouble."
Brooke lets out a heavy sigh, "Great...my life has just gotten more complicated!"
Peyton looked at her friend intently, "Not to mention Jenny's in trouble."
Brooke suddenly thought of a plan. "It seems like the only way out this time," she thought desperately.
Peyton immediately sensed that her friend had something in mind, "What are you thinking, Brooke?"
Brooke turned to her intently, "I've got a little plan but I need to get back to our place now."
Peyton nodded as they started to walk towards the parking lot, "Alright, let's go."
"Daddy, I don't think they're home," Jenny remarked as no one answered the door for the third time. They were standing outside the girls' apartment. Jake talked to his mother earlier. He filled her in on Ethan's relation to Nikki. Worried about losing her grandchild, she suggested that they meet with a lawyer to prepare for a possible custody battle.
Jake and Jenny were about to leave when they heard a car parking up beside the 2-storey apartment. A smile creeped onto Jenny's lips as she recognized two girls she has grown so fond of, "Aunt Brooke, Aunt Peyton! Daddy, they're here!"
Brooke let out a relieved laugh as she rushed over to give Jenny a hug, "I was just thinking about you."
Meanwhile, Peyton didn't want to waste any time and approached Jake immediately. With a serious expression on her face, Peyton filled Jake in, "We got a problem...Nikki's here and she wants Jenny."
Jake's eyes widened in fear, "I don't 'wanna lose her, Peyton. What am I 'gonna do?"
Peyton felt useless at this point. There is nothing she could really do to help, "Do you 'wanna...go away again?"
Jake let out a heavy sigh, "I don't 'wanna lose Jenny."
Suddenly, Brooke joins in, "Jake, I 'gotta..."
"Brooke, I need you and Peyton to watch Jenny for awhile. I'll go pack up our stuff and then pick her up," said Jake as he interrupted Brooke.
Before Peyton and Brooke could say anything, Jake was gone. Turning to Jenny, Brooke gave the 4-year old darling a smile, "C'mon Jenny, let's go make an ice cream sundae."
Peyton just nodded and smiled at Jenny as she and Peyton took her by the hand and went inside the apartment.
As Jake drove frantically to his apartment, he somehow felt that he was being watched. He peered into his rear view mirror before he made a left turn. Noticing no one suspicious, he shook the thought away and just kept driving, "Maybe the thought of Nikki just creeps the hell out of me."
"So...Peyton and I got into a fight this morning," said Lucas to his brother as he aimed a basketball to the hoop.
Nathan turned to him with a sly smile, "Now that's not new."
Lucas laughed, "Except that Peyton and I ganged up on someone else this time,"
Nathan turned to his brother curiously, "Now that's a first! Who was it?"
"Nikki," Lucas answered with a sigh.
Nathan looked at him in disbelief, "You mean the Nikki...who trashed my apartment?"
Lucas nodded with smile, "Yeah, that Nikki."
Nathan just shook his head. "Just when you think we've got more than we can handle, she shows up!" he remarked as he let out a chuckle.
Suddenly, Chelsea approaches them and flashes a flirty grin at Nathan, "Hey Nathan, maybe you and your...brother can join us at the local bar tonight. We can play pool and have a few beers and...who knows what can happen from there."
Lucas just gave his brother a knowing smile. "Oh boy," he said to himself as he realized how hard it will be for his brother to get the girl off his tail.
Nathan forced himself to smile politely, "Um...Chelsea, right? Well, my brother and I already got some plans for tonight...sorry."
"What is it with you Tree Hill guys? Don't you know how to treat women right?" remarked another girl who had just stepped in the gym.
"Nikki!" greeted Chelsea as she gave her a hug the moment she came near them.
"Hey Chelsea, dated anyone since my brother?" asked Nikki as she reciprocated the gesture.
Chelsea just laughed, "Nah...nothing serious since Ethan...unless this guy right here goes out with me tonight."
Nathan just gave Chelsea a sly smile as he met his brother's eyes. Although he was never introduced to Nikki formally, Nathan knew Nikki was trouble...huge trouble. Unable to hold back, he suddenly turned to Nikki, "Tree Hill guys...we sure know how to treat women right...just that we don't respect those who have no respect for themselves!" Nathan just gave Nikki a knowing smile.
Upon hearing this, Nikki just glared at him. She was about to snap back at Nathan when Lucas suddenly spoke up.
"So, you here to stir up trouble again?" asked Lucas with a serious expression on his face.
Nikki just laughed haughtily, "You know what? If Jake would just give me my daughter, I can skip everyone the trouble!"
Suddenly, Coach Fowler emerged from the locker room. He immediately turned to his players, "Alright boys, let's play some ball! Looks like Jagelski won't be joining us today. He says he's got family matters to take care of."
At that very instant, a fearful thought creeped into Nikki's mind, "He's trying to get away again." Immediately, she turned around and started to make her way out of the gym.
"I know this is quite nasty but..." Nathan told himself as he let the basketball slipped from his hands. Just as he had imagined, the basketball rolled onto the floor and all the way to where Nikki was walking.
Not noticing the rolling basketball, Nikki suddenly tripped on it and fell. She immediately stood back up and turned around to glare at Nathan.
Nathan just grinned at her, "I guess that was for messing with my brother...and trashing my party!"
Nikki just gave him a furious stare, "The last laugh is still mine, you'll see." With that, she stormed off.
"Nice work, little brother!" remarked Lucas as he gave Nathan a pat on the back.
Nathan just smiled, "She had it coming."
"You're not getting away from me this time, Jake" muttered Nikki as she drove furiously. She made a few phone calls earlier and was able to track down where her daughter might be...
As Jake reached his apartment, he hurriedly started to pack his and Jenny's stuff. Reaching for a big duffel bag, he frantically grabbed clothes and unthinkingly stuffed them inside. Suddenly, he found himself getting knocked over. As he fell to the floor, Jake felt a sharp pain in his chest as he felt someone punch him. Lying on the floor in pain, he tried his best to see who the person was.
"Damn you, you ruined it for me!" exclaimed Ethan as he continued to punch Jake.
With all his might, Jake fought back as he tried to stand up. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he said as he tried to block Ethan's punches.
As the two guys continued to hit one another, Jake finally found an opportunity to knock Ethan off him. With Ethan down, Jake tried to stand up as fast as he can. Ethan was about to yank Jake's leg when Jake suddenly flashed a picture right in front of Ethan. Breathing heavily, Jake looked at Ethan intently, "Listen man, this is the only girl in my life. And...Brooke's a really great girl but...she doesn't love me...she loves you..." He looked down for awhile before he went on with a sly smile, "Jenny's my world...she's my only world."
Ethan just remained seated in one corner of the room. He just looked at Jake speechlessly.
"Well...looks like your world's about to be shattered, Jake," remarked Nikki as she appeared by the doorway.
"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Jake in a furious voice as he turned to Nikki.
Nikki just gave Jake a haughty laugh, "How the hell did you manage to keep Jenny safe all these years when you don't keep your doors closed, Jake?"
"Funny, Nikki. I've always thought I'd hear you say that one day," remarked Jake as he looked at Nikki straight in the eye.
Nikki just glared at her, "Where's my daughter, Jake? I'm taking her away!"
Ethan suddenly gave a sarcastic laugh as he turned to face his sister, "If you came for your daughter, Nick, then you just missed her. She's not here!"
Nikki gave Jake a furious stare, "Where is Jenny, Jake? Where did you take my daughter?"
Jake gave Nikki a knowing smile, "Where you can't reach her!"
"Why don't you leave Jake and his daughter alone, sis? Just like you had all these years!" asked Ethan defiantly to his sister.
"You stay out of this, Ethan! I'll find her and when I do, I'm keeping her!" retorted Nikki as she glared as her brother. With that, she stormed off and left the two guys behind.
As she did, Jake turned to Ethan and smiled at him gratefully, "Thanks man..."
"Just trying to make things right," Ethan answered as he returned the smile.
Back in school, Lucas was running frantically along the hallways. He was looking for any of the three girls. "Where could they be?" he asked himself as he frantically tried to find anyone of them.
"Seen any of them yet?" asked Nathan as he ran behind his brother.
"No, I just hope they no that Nikki may be on their tail," answered Lucas as he continued to run.
Suddenly, he recognized Nikki from across the hallway. Lucas ran towards her with Nathan following closed by. "Haley!" Lucas called out as he tried to catch his friend.
Haley turned around in time to see Lucas running anxiously towards her with Nathan following closely behind. "Surely this isn't about what happened earlier," Haley thought as she looked curiously at the guys.
As Lucas reached her, he stopped right in front of Haley. Breathing heavily, he filled her in, "Nikki's here...I don't think she's leaving until she gets Jenny."
Haley's eyes widened in panic, "Oh God...does Jake know about this?"
Lucas shrugged, "I'm thinking he does coz' he didn't show up to practice."
Haley thought for a moment. "Brooke...I 'gotta warn Brooke and Peyton," she said firmly as she looked straight into Lucas' eyes.
"I think they've left, they're nowhere to be found around here," Lucas explained.
"Then I 'gotta go back to our place," said Haley as anxiety started to build up inside her.
"I can take you there, Hales," Nathan offered as he faced her.
Haley turned to Nathan as she nodded, "Alright."
Lucas looked at both of them intently, "You go warn Peyton and Brooke, I'll go see if I can reach Jake."
With that, Lucas left Nathan and Haley as he stormed to the other side of the campus.
Inside the car, Nathan and Haley were riding in silence. Feeling quite uneasy about the situation, Nathan decided to speak up. "Um...so, I finally met the infamous Nikki earlier."
Haley turned to him curiously, "You did?"
Nathan nodded as he kept his eyes on the road, "Yeah...she's exactly how you described her before...a nasty...well, girl!"
Haley just laughed as things started getting pretty well between the two of them, "She's still got the nasty edge, huh?"
Nathan just laughed, "You bet so I gave her a taste of mine. I rolled a basketball towards her and she tripped on it!"
Haley suddenly burst out laughing in disbelief, "I can't believe you did that! Well...for once, you did something right."
As he saw the 2-storey apartment the girls share, Nathan parked the car. He suddenly turned to her, "What's that supposed to mean? Look Haley...I'm trying to make things right between us here? But you just keep turning me down. When will you let me?"
Haley faced Nathan. She looked straight into his eyes with much sadness, "I don't know...I don't know if this will ever be right between us." With that, she got off the car and walked towards the front door.
A/N: I hope you all are still enjoying this story of mine. To everyone who's never gotten tired of giving me reviews, thank you so much! It really means a lot to me esp. now that I feel like I'm going through a mild case of writer's block. Hope you all keep reading, let me hear from you! )
