Chapter 21: Down to You
They were 30 minutes away from the game. Lucas was putting on his jersey when Nathan walked in their changing room. He was looking quite upset. "Hey man," Nathan greeted as he stepped beside Lucas.
Lucas looked up and saw his brother, "Hey, I was starting to think you wouldn't show up. Where you been?"
Nathan just shrugs, "I went for a run...tried to take something off my head."
"You mean someone," remarked Lucas as he looked intently at his younger brother.
Nathan gave him a sly smile as he nodded, "Yeah...thanks for rubbing it in by the way."
Lucas laughed, "C'mon man, you're not the only one feeling quite miserable here."
"She's not coming?" asked Nathan as he realized what his brother meant.
Lucas just shook his head sadly, "She's got a date with Sean tonight."
Nathan just nodded as he gave his brother a pat on the back, "Well, miserable or not, we 'gotta big game to play."
Lucas nodded with a sly smile, "Yeah...let's do it." With that, the two joined their teammates.
Brooke sat by her doorstep as she clutched a piece of long-stemmed red rose tightly in her hand. Tears were running down her eyes as she looked out into the empty road. She had been crying for awhile now. Fact is, she had been crying since she returned to their 2-storey apartment and found a rose by the door. It was also attached to a card. The envelope read "Brooke" and just looking at the handwriting, she knew who it came from. She took a deep breath as she opened the card again...
Dear Brooke,
I'm sorry for not trusting you. I'm sorry for not listening to you. I'm sorry for making you upset. But most of all, I'm sorry that I've lost you. My sight is getting blurry as I write these words down. I guess all the pain that I've caused you...I'm feeling them all too. This morning, I thought I'd drop by and see you. However, I just felt like I couldn't...I felt so ashamed of what I have done.
I know you hate me, but please believe me when I say that I love you. I love you very much, Brooke. God knows, if I can undo what happened these past few days, I would. You say there was not much trust in our relationship...in my part, maybe that's true. But I know that all this time, you had complete trust in me and that made me feel all the more like a jerk. So now, I decided to do the right thing by following your advice. I'm going back home and try to figure some things out. I wish I can ask you to wait for me but that would be unfair. I guess all I can really say for now is good-bye...I'll always be thinking of you, Brooke. I love you forever.
Ethan
Brooke let out a soft cry as she folded the card carefully and slid it back to the envelope. "He left me," she whispered as she rocked herself gently. She stared out into an empty space as tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps walking towards her. As she looked up, she saw a familiar face looking at her with concern. "Brooke, are you alright?" asked Jake worriedly as he stood in front of Brooke.
Brooke shook her head as she continued to cry. Giving her a sly smile, Jake leaned down and gave her a hug. "It's 'gonna be alright," he said as she continued to sob.
"Jake, Ethan left me," said Brooke softly.
Jake looked at his friend sympathetically, "Maybe...he'll come back, Brooke."
Brooke shook her head as tears continued to fall from her face, "I don't think so...I don't know..."
Jake just hugged her, "You know, Jenny can take your mind off this...at least for awhile. So, what do you say?"
Brooke just gave him a sly smile as she nodded. Together, they walked towards Jake's car where Jenny was waiting.
Peyton didn't feel like stopping by the apartment before she headed to THE CRIB. She thought she'd just head straight over there, hoping Sean wouldn't be around yet so she'll have some time for herself. She could use some time alone after all. As she placed a small notebook into her bag, a folded piece of paper fell out of it. Peyton unfolded the paper quickly and sighed when she realized what was in it. Suddenly, she found herself slipping the paper into her pocket. With that, she was set for her date.
As she made her way out, the gym's door opened. She was surprised to see Lucas stepping out. "Lucas? What are doing? Aren't you playing in a couple of minutes?" she asked curiously.
Lucas just gave her a sly smile, "Yeah...we'll be on in awhile. I just had to get something."
Peyton just nodded uneasily as she smiled at him, "Um...so, good luck!"
Lucas found himself laughing as he watched her, "Yeah, you too...on your date I mean."
Peyton lets out a chuckle, "Thanks...hey, maybe I can catch another big game of yours another time."
Lucas nodded, "Yeah sure...well, I 'gotta go."
Peyton nodded understandingly, "Yeah...I guess so...well, I guess I 'gotta head out too. See you around."
Lucas just smiled at her, "Yeah, see you Peyton." With that, he took off. Meanwhile, Peyton looked on as she let out a heavy sigh.
As Jake parked his car at the school parking lot, he turned to look at Brooke with a concerned expression on his face, "Hey, you 'gonna be alright?"
Brooke nodded as she gave him a sly smile, "A bit miserable...but alright."
Jake smiled warmly at her, "I bet Jenny can take your blues away."
Jenny's face brightened up upon hearing her name, "Yeah Auntie Brooke...we're 'gonna have so much fun...watching daddy run around."
Jake suddenly turned to his daughter curiously, "What happened to shooting around?"
Jenny gave her dad a sly smile, "You don't shoot daddy, you just run!"
Brooke suddenly burst into laughter, "Alright, let's go before I end up reporting the father-daughter argument of the century."
Jake was glad to see that Brooke's mood had somehow brightened up. As they walked into the gym, Jake kissed his daughter good-bye. Turning to Brooke, he gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you, Brooke."
Brooke just nodded, "Hey, no problem. Now, you go out there around."
Jake just laughed as he waved at them and joined his teammates.
"Oh, this is the life!" Haley remarked to herself as she took a sip from her steaming cup of hot chocolate. When she didn't find Brooke in the apartment, she decided to just hang-out in the lovely café nearby. She was able to find a quiet little corner. With a new novel in hand, she thought she'd do some reading over a delicious cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows and a huge stack of waffles.
"Here's your blueberry waffles with chocolate syrup on the side," said an old man as he settled a plate of golden brown waffles in front of Haley
Haley smiled at the man gratefully, "Thank you, this looks delicious."
The man gave Haley a warm smile, "I know you'll like it. I've been making those blueberry waffles for years and I am yet to hear a complaint about it."
"Well if I do complain, it would be because I want more!" Haley replied as she laughed.
Suddenly, something in the television caught her attention. It was on mute but she didn't have to hear anything to know who was being focused on by the camera. There they were, Nathan Scott and Lucas Scott having a little discussion before the tip-off. A reporter approached them as they grinned and knocked fists. Haley turned to the waiter who was still standing nearby, "Can you please turn that up?"
The old man nodded as he grabbed the remote control and they both watched. "We are here in the Anne Dale University gym where the Anne Dale Warriors are preparing to go up against the Vermont Bulldogs. We are currently joined by Raven's former star players Nathan Scott and Lucas Scott who are now both part of the unbeatable Anne Dale team," said the reporter as he grinned at the camera.
Lucas and Nathan both gave a sly smile as the camera focused on them. "Lucas, how does it feel to be playing with your brother once again?" asked the reporter as he moved the microphone over to Lucas.
Lucas chuckles, "It's hell...no, I'm just kidding. It's really great that I get to play with him again. He's a great player and there's no one else I would want to play with."
The reporter then turns the microphone over to Nathan, "And what do you have to say about that Nathan?"
Nathan gives his brother a playful punch on the arm, "Just happy to have Luke with me so I can kick his ass once in awhile...nah, he's one of the greatest players I know and it feels good to have my brother around."
"Well, good luck on the game today and hope Anne Dale U feels like a home to you!" said the reporter as he smiled at them to end the interview.
The old man suddenly let out a sigh, "Damn, those Scott brothers sure have the world at their feet. I bet they got everything they want and more!"
Haley just gave him a sly smile, "Yeah...they do, don't they..." Without warning, scenes from her past start flooding into Haley's mind, particularly times when Nathan and her were together. She remembered the things they have done, the troubles they have gotten themselves into and the intimate moments the two of them have shared. Then, she remembered that painful moment they had inside his car. "You said basketball means a lot to you...you said you 'wanna concentrate on that..." she muttered as she continued to watch him on the screen. At the same time, she felt tears start welling up her eyes.
It was the final quarter. Down by a point with ten seconds left, the Anne Dale Warriors were determined to win the game especially that they have possession of the ball. "Alright boys, let's win this one!" shouted the coach as they resumed the game.
Lucas and Nathan knocked fists as they ran to the court together. "Let's get this over with!" remarked Nathan as he continued to make his way towards the court.
Lucas just laughed, "Yeah...let's do it with a win!"
Nathan smiled at his brother, "I just keep thinking about her, you know? I wish she was here..."
Lucas nodded as he gave his brother a sly smile, "Hey...I know how you feel man."
After awhile the final seconds of the game was underway. Lucas found the ball in his hands when one of his teammates passed it to him. Immediately, he got double-teamed. He turned to look at his brother who was looking intently back at him. "It's your call, man," Nathan said to his brother in his mind. He was well aware that he himself was being closely guarded, but he knew he can still make a neat lay-up.
Suddenly, Lucas threw the ball over to him. Without wasting any time, he leaped to the basket for a lay-up just as the buzzer sounded. As he landed on the floor, he felt his schoolmates erupt in joy. He glanced at the scoreboard and realized that they had won. Lucas immediately ran over to him and helped him up. They knocked fists as they grinned at each other. "You did it man!" exclaimed Lucas at Nathan.
Nathan just grinned back at him, "Nah...we did it. Thanks for the pass."
Back in lockers, both Lucas and Nathan were getting pats on the back from their older teammates. Coach Fowler was grinning at both of them, "Well, you two sure have showed me what great players you are. I just hope to see more of this, this school year."
Lucas nodded as he smiled, "Don't worry coach, this won't be the only time."
Nathan grinned, "Yeah coach...we'll make you proud."
Coach Fowler nodded as he smiled proudly at both of them, "Well, we 'gotta a little celebration at a local pool house tonight. C'mon, we won...we got what we want, it's time to celebrate!"
Nathan turned to his brother and gave him a knowing look. Then, he turned to his coach with a grateful smile, "Well...there's something else that we want coach...and we 'gotta go after it."
Lucas grinned as he turned to Coach Fowler, "Yeah coach...we might miss our chance if we don't."
Coach Fowler smiled at Lucas and Nathan as he understood what they meant. He let out a sigh, "All my life, I've always told my players that basketball is just a game...but it's only now that I found players who understand what I mean. I'm proud of you two." He knocked fists with both before he headed to his office.
"Hey, any chance you guys would be joining me, Jenny and Brooke. We're taking Jenny to this fair. It's a little carnival...it's cute and romantic," said Jake as came up to Lucas and Nathan.
"That depends on how the night turns out man," said Nathan as he smiled at his friend.
"We'll see man," answered Lucas as he knocked fists with Jake. Jake just nodded with a smile as he left, "Well, see you around!"
Peyton's favorite hang-out was more crowded that night than usual. Just like in Karen's Café, THE CRIB also had an open mic night. Peyton smiled as she remembered the time when she helped Haley with the ads. "Seems like yesterday..."she thought as she scanned the crowd while remembering Karen's own open mic night.
Suddenly, she heard someone making an announcement, "The Warriors won!" exclaimed a man loudly to everyone in the club. Roars of applause immediately followed and Peyton just smiled to herself. She grabbed a beer and settled into her favorite place. "Looks like his night is going well," she thought as she took a sip from her beer.
All of a sudden, someone whispers from behind her, "Hey, you're looking pretty hot tonight. Aren't you supposed to be my date?"
As Peyton turned around, she grinned upon seeing Sean who looked admiringly at her, "Depends...if you sing good."
Sean nodded as he played along, "Wait till I get on that stage, I'm 'gonna sweep you off your feet."
Peyton just laughed as she watched Sean and the rest of the group make their way to the stage. "There's only one guy who can sweep me off my feet and he's not here, "she thought sadly. Still determined to have a good time that night, she turned to Sean's group as they took hold of the stage.
After a couple of songs, Sean and his friends stepped off stage after receiving an appreciative applause from the crowd. Peyton hurriedly went near the stage to meet Sean as he stepped down. "You were great!" remarked Peyton as she gave Sean a playful punch on the arm.
Sean just grinned at her, "That's coz' you were here!"
As he opened the door, Lucas felt like he had just stepped into a completely different world. "Damn, this place is packed!" he remarked to himself as he entered THE CRIB. He tried to make his way towards the bar, hoping that she'd be there, getting herself a drink or something. However, it was just impossible to go anywhere. "What was I thinking?" he muttered as he realized how hard it would be for him to find her. Lucas let out a sigh as he made his way back to the door.
Standing by the steps, which leads to the stage allowed Peyton to see just about everyone in her favorite spot that night. Particularly, she caught sight of the dirty blond guy who had just entered. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she realized who it was. Her heart sank, however, when she saw him making his way out. At that point, she knew she had to do something...
Peyton suddenly went to the stage and held the microphone. "Uh...hi," she began. Immediately, everyone turned to look at her. Lucas recognized the voice and turned around. His face lit up when he saw her. She was looking more beautiful than ever as she captured the attention of everyone there.
Peyton bit her lip as she gave the crowd a sly smile before she continued, "I'll be honest, I can't sing...and I have no intention to..." She took a deep breath before she continued, "But, there is something that I would like to read to everyone tonight..." Mustering all her courage, she turned towards Lucas who immediately met her eyes, "It's actually a poem...I didn't write it...but, it's a poem that has captured exactly how I feel about someone." At this point, Peyton's eyes were focused on Lucas who simply kept his eyes on her. He looked quite surprised, not aware of what Peyton was up to. Peyton took out a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. Taking a deep breath, she began, "Here it goes...."
How Do I Love Thee?
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace,
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death...
For a moment, the crowd stood still. After awhile, however, they broke into a loud applause, some even cheered her on. Peyton smiled gratefully at the crowd. Immediately, she frantically searched the room with her eyes. All of a sudden, Lucas disappeared from where he was standing awhile ago. "I guess I have just made a big fool of myself," Peyton thought as she began to think that Lucas had already left.
"Looking for someone?" asked a familiar husky voice from the front of the stage. As Peyton looked down, her eyes lit up as she saw Lucas grinning crazily at her. Without a second thought, she jumped into Lucas arms that were openly held out to her. As Lucas settled her down, Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck. They both looked into each other's eyes while everyone else watched them.
Finally, Lucas broke the silence. He let out a soft chuckle, "I didn't think you'd do that."
Peyton grinned at her as she nodded, "Me neither...but when I saw you about to leave, I knew I had to take the chance."
Lucas just smiled, "Well, it worked." Peyton just smiled as she leaned over to give him a long passionate kiss. The crowd's applause grew louder as they watched them.
Keeping his arms around Peyton's waist, Lucas looked intently at Peyton, "You know...if I were Mr. Jennings, I would have given you a GPA of 4.0 for that."
Peyton just laughed, "If you were Mr. Jennings, I wouldn't have kissed you."
Lucas laughed, "Guess, I'm lucky I'm not the professor." With that, he leaned over to give Peyton another long and passionate kiss.
"Daddy!" squealed Jenny as she ran towards Jake who had just come out of the locker room.
"Hey sweetie, have you been a good girl while daddy was playing?" asked Jake as he took his 4-year old daughter in his arms.
Jenny nodded, "Yep, you can even ask Aunt Brooke."
Brooke just smiled as she watched Jake and Jenny. "You two are the cutest father-daughter pair I've ever seen...just don't tell Peyton I told you that," she remarked as she approached them.
Jake smiled at Brooke as he put Jenny down. "You go play with daddy's ball for awhile, okay?" he told his daughter who simply nodded and ran along.
Jake stepped beside Brooke. "Great game, congratulations!" said Brooke as he came near.
Jake just smiled, "Thanks..." Suddenly, his face turned serious. Brooke knew her and Jake had some issues to clear out. "So...about yesterday..." said Jake uneasily as he began.
"No...Jake, I'm so sorry for that impulsive thing that I did yesterday...it's just that..."Brooke said as she cut Jake off and tried to explain.
However, Jake cut her off this time, "It's okay Brooke, I understand. I know it's a really tough time for you now. I hope you'd still be going out with us tonight though. Jenny really loves you and we both would love it if you'd join us tonight."
Brooke smiled at him gratefully as she nodded, "Sure, I'd love to."
"Great!" Jake remarked as he reached out to give Brooke a hug. Together, they walked toward Jenny and headed out for some fun.
After awhile, Haley decided to leave the café and go back to the apartment. She was feeling quite tired and simply wanted to go to bed. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar figure sitting by the apartment's doorway. As she came nearer, she saw Nathan waiting for her. "Hey, shouldn't you be in a victory party or something?" asked Haley as she came near.
Nathan just smiled, "I decided not to join them..."
"And you'd rather mope around by my front door?" she asked jokingly as she grinned at him.
Nathan laughed, "Yeah...mope around by your front door until you get back."
Haley suddenly let out heavy sigh, "Why do you this Nathan?"
"Do what?" Nathan asked as he stood up and looked intently at Haley.
"This...trying to get things back the way they were when you were the one who broke up with me!" Haley exclaimed as she started to sound hurt.
Nathan let out a heavy sigh, "Haley...I've already told you...I'm incredibly sorry for what I did. It was the worst decision I have ever made and I admit that...I just hope you'd still give me another chance."
Haley glared at him, "How can you even ask for another chance just like that? What about basketball, Nathan? What's 'gonna happen to your basketball career? Didn't you say that being a bachelor in the draft would make you increase your market value? What's 'gonna happen now? We become a couple for awhile and then you break up with me again during our final year in college!"
At that point, Nathan was starting to get frustrated, "Haley, that's not what I meant...that's not what I want!"
Haley voice suddenly grew louder, "Then what do you want, Nathan....huh, what do you want?"
Nathan looked at her with intent eyes, "This." Without warning, Nathan suddenly pulled Haley close to him and gave her a passionate kiss. Haley was just stunned as they pulled away from each other afterwards. Nathan gave him a sly smile, "I want that, Haley. I want you."
Haley was still in awe as she spoke up, "How do you know that? Are you sure about that now? I saw you on television while you were playing and I could have sworn...you looked like you had everything you want, maybe even more."
Nathan took Haley's hands in his, "I looked like that awhile ago because in my mind, I was imagining that you were watching me...smiling and cheering me on especially when I made that winning shot..." He took a deep breath before he continued, "Everything that I've become Haley, I've become because of you. I've heard people say that behind every man is a woman. But it was only when I met you that I realized that, that saying is actually true. I love you, Haley James...and if I have to camp out here all night just for you to believe me and give us another chance, I will."
Suddenly, what Nathan's been hoping for all night happened. Haley finally broke into a smile, "You don't have to...you can camp out in my living room and cook me and the girls breakfast tomorrow morning."
Nathan just laughed, "Would you finally forgive me if I do that?"
Haley giggled, "On second thought, you don't know how to cook..." She suddenly moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Maybe another kiss will do the trick."
Nathan smiled as he leaned over to give Haley another long passionate kiss. After the kiss, Nathan looked at Haley intently, "I'll be a better boyfriend, I promise."
Haley nodded, "I know...and I love you too." They wrapped themselves into each other's arms even tighter and shared yet another long passionate kiss...
A/N: This concludes my second fic, "This Time Around." I sure hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would like to give my biggest thank you's to tardychick06, barbra, DragonBLOOD87, leytonforlife, lysser8312, lysa3oc, softballbabe12, amateur-writer, HaleynNathan23, OTHlover04, othlov3r23, keke8148, OTH-charm, evcrules, OneTreeHillCharmedFreak, Marry Royalty and soapter. Your encouragement has helped me reach the final chapter of this story. I especially like to thank cuteandhugs, my dear sister, who's always found time to read my stories. I just 'wanna let everyone know that plans for a sequel are already underway and I hope you'll all like it just as much! Thank you so much again! )
