Author: Selene Romanov

Title: Seize the Day

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Here's the next chapter. You will love it.

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Wednesday Morning

Jayme ran along the beach, stopping to stare at the beauty that was right in front of her. Foamy waves crashed against the coarse sand. Moving her feet in time to the music she was listening to.

A shadow moved down the beach coming closer to her. Until it merged with hers.

Jayme turned around and just about jumped out of her skin when she saw Nathan standing behind her.

She removed her headphones. "What's up?"

"Just wondering if you wanted some company. Some times I come up here to run on the beach, to get some clarity about a problem that's confusing me." Nathan shielded his eyes to look out across the water.

Insecurity flashed across Jayme's face for a second. She masked it behind a stone wall of indifference.

"Nothing is wrong. I just like to run on the beach in the morning, since it's so beautiful, it would be a waste of a sunny morning." Jayme started running again.

Nathan followed her. He opened his mouth to say something. Jayme cut him off when she replaced her headphones.

Nathan followed her lead and ran at her side, sensing her need for silence. He followed as a quiet partner.

School

Jayme pulled her black Celica into a parking space. As she moved to drive ahead into the empty space in front of her. A silver VW bug backed in, blocking her attempt.

The silver door slammed and its owner flounced over to her.

Brown hair and soft pink sunglasses. Brooke placed her hand on the car door.

"Do you have a problem?" Jayme coolly asked, staring at the unknown girl through her black sunglasses.

"Yeah, I have a problem with you, the new girl who thinks she can come to this school and try to be Miss Cutie. Listen up and listen good. Stay away from Nathan and Sebastian. Nathan is taken and Sebastian is mine." Brooke removed her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes to emphasize her point.

"Thanks for the warning and your name is?" Jayme inquired.

"Brooke Davis, head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school. Don't forget it, I can make your life a living hell." Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she walked away.

"Oh my god, I just got threatened by a cheerleader, what ever will I do?" Jayme pretended to mock cry to herself.

Grabbing her backpack from the back seat, she got out of the car and locked the door. "She thinks she's all that. Well she's got no idea, who she is dealing with."

As she walked down the hall to her locker. A flyer on the wall stopped her. "Basketball tryouts today at 3:30 in the gym"

Like a sign from above, time to have some fun. Jayme smiled and made her way to her locker.

Lunch

Jayme slammed her locker door. Where would the tutor center? If I'm going to catch up in Math, then I'm going to need some help.

Seeing a sign above a door that read "Tutoring Center", Jayme walked into the room. The only occupant was a girl with dirty blond curly hair sitting at a table, sketching in a book.

Jayme stood there awkwardly, not sure what to say. As she opened her mouth, the girl looked up.

"Are you looking for a tutor?" husky overtones greeted her.


Jayme nodded. "I need a tutor for Math, I just moved here. I'm having a bit of trouble catching up."

"Well there's Haley, Henry, Jack, and Sheila. They're all at lunch. My name is Peyton and I am also hopelessly clueless when it comes to math." Peyton gestured to the seat next to her.

"My name is Jayme, I just moved here." Ducking her head, she opened her backpack to retrieve her lunch.

Biting into her sandwich, Jayme watched as Peyton continued to draw. "What are you drawing?"

Peyton showed her the picture of a beach, with a campfire and a group of people sitting around it.

"Your friends?" Jayme asked.

"Yeah, last weekend, we went up to Nathan's cabin and had a camp out. It was really fun, a bit cold, but still fun."

"Nathan is the guy on the far left, sitting on the log. The girl next to him on the log is his girlfriend, Haley. The girl sitting on the sleeping bag is Brooke, my best friend. The guy roasting a hotdog in the fire is Lucas and I'm the one staring at the water." Peyton looked at Jayme and was startled to see tears forming in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" she put her sketchbook on the table.

"No, it's just that the last time I went on a campout was with my mom last summer and we had so much fun. But she's gone now. I'm sorry, you must think I'm a fruitcake." Jayme wiped at her tears.

"No. What happened to your mom?" Peyton asked, her attention held by this girl who she felt a close connection to.

"She was crossing the road and was hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light. So I moved out here and I don't really have anyone………" Jayme trailed off.

"Well my mom ran a red light on her way to pick me up from school. You see she was late in picking me up, so she was trying to get there as fast as she could and she died….."Peyton trailed off.

Jayme sniffled slightly. It was nice to have someone to talk to about her mother. No one else really listened, she didn't think Nathan wanted to hear about it or Dan for that matter. There was no one else. At least Peyton could share her pain, she'd been there.

"How did you get through it?" Jayme asked quietly.

"Well I had my father and my best friend Brooke. Do you have anyone?" Peyton asked.

Jayme shook her head.

"Well I'm here, if you want to talk about it." Peyton ripped a piece of paper off her pad. "Here's my cell number, call me anytime. I know we just met, but no one should be alone in a time like this."

"Thanks." Jayme tucked the paper in her pocket.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period. "I gotta go. Thanks for this. See you around sometime."

Jayme walked out of the room.

When she turned the corner. A figure moved out of the shadows of the lockers. Sauntering sexily down the hallway, she moved to her locker.

Basketball Tryouts

Sebastian sat on the bleachers with Whitey talking. He stopped talking when a girl walked in. Nike sneakers marked her wary yet prideful walk. Up sleek calves to navy shorts, a tanned midriff bared by her navy Nike sports bra. Her burnished hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Jayme.

She sauntered over to the bleachers. The rhythm of basketballs ceased as she kept walking. Nathan watched her, his eyes devoid of expression. Lucas watched her with curiosity. Tim salivated and the other guys watched in confusion.

"I want to try out for the basketball team" was uttered as the gym fell to silence.

The guys looked to Whitey to see what his reaction would be.

Sebastian watched, his face devoid of any expression. His eyes sparkled with a glint of happiness.

Jayme waited for this man to decide her fate.

Whitey replied. "Very well." He stood up, walked over to Lucas, took the basketball from his hand. Handing the basketball to Jayme, he proceeded to run her through a series of moves.

After ten minutes of watching her. "You're on the team. Practices are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school from 3:30-5. Games are Fridays, sometimes here other times at the other school. Any questions?"

Jayme shook her head. As Whitey moved to walk away. Jayme stopped him with a hand to his arm. "Thank you."

"Be at practice Monday at 3:30." Whitey walked back to the bleachers.

"What are you ladies gawking at. Get back to your drills, five laps around the gym and then we divide into teams and start practicing." Whitey barked at them.

Jayme walked over to the bleachers to get her backpack. Sebastian jumped down the bleachers, moving towards her.

"Congratulations on making the team." Sebastian said to her.

"Thanks. See you Monday." Jayme swung around to walk away, flushed with pride at achieving her goal.

A pack of girls led by the catty and vivacious Brooke strolled into the gym, clad in their Ravens white and blue cheerleader outfits.

Brooke's gaze moved to Jayme seeing her standing near Sebastian. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, a scowl permeated her pretty face, rendering her ugly for a second.

Jayme turned around. "Sebastian, I really look forward to being on the team and working with you and learning from you." Curling her lips upwards in a beautiful smile, she batted her eyelashes at Sebastian and was rewarded when a dull red flush coated his cheekbones.

"Uh thanks Jayme, see you around." He turned and stumbled away.

A hand viciously grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're playing at?" Brooke breathed fire as she spat at Jayme.

Wrenching Brooke's hand off her arm. Jayme released it as if it were poison. "I'm not doing anything, merely chatting with my coach, got a problem with it, take it up with him." Jayme arched an eyebrow, waiting for Brooke to make the connection.

"You can't be on the basketball team, you're a girl." Brooke said.

Jayme walked away, leaving Brooke to her own conclusions. Once outside of the gym, she let out a cry of joy.

Finally I'm somewhere that I belong. She walked out of the school and to her Celica.

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Next Update: April 3