Epilogue
I pretended coyly that I didn't notice when Jake looked up from reading a book to Jenny, and he pretended he didn't notice me glance often at the two of them as I sketched them. The pencil sketch features the two of them exactly as they were, in our Saturday morning routine.
Outside, birds literally sang and everything was green. Tree Hill was never cold or gray, but nothing was like our Summer.
After school had ended and we'd resolved our issues, everyone's lives had settled back into harmony. Mouth and Brooke spent almost all of their time together so I spent what time wasn't spent with Jenny and Jake with Haley. She and Nathan were soon leaving for California on a job offer. Luke hung around, almost comfortable with us, and grew used to having Keith living with them. My dad came home for a brief visit, happy to see me but obviously aware of how much less I had guiltily not missed him.
A wind blew through the window, rifling through Jake's curly hair. The drawing slipped away from me and towards Jake. He picked it up, smiled and handed it back to me.
I glanced at my watch. It was three, still too early to get down to Tric and begin setting up for my all ages night. It was lucky that I had a boss like Karen, who understood the constraints on my time. Thud magazine was beginning to despair of me-my pictures had begun to lack their typical teenage angst.
The six of us had celebrated Nathan's birthday at the river court, where in many ways we'd all began. He joined me, Jake, and Luke in eighteen year old hood and proudly became an official adult, though his emancipation had made him that in many ways two years before. Haley wore the first thing he'd ever given her, a tacky beaded bracelet. After we'd given him his guests we played a game. It wasn't a fair game-Jake, tired of my jumping on his back whenever he took the ball, began to grab me when I took hold of it. Brooke liked this idea, and began to use her assets to effectively distract the boys. The girls against the boys game was near failure-there skill was unbeatable and our underhandness was unquenchable. We'd ended our day at the empty pool at Nathan and Haley's apartment-everyone was amused when my bikini top fell off when I dove in.
We'd all been to see Whitey, who seemed unsatisfied. Secretly I wondered what he'd do-we didn't need him to look after Jenny near as much and both of the Scott boys were gone from his team, the two best players he'd ever had. We all worried that Whitey would retire and end up drooling and needing our care-Whitey, who was so independent.
Chris was still around and still surfaced occasionally. We all knew that eventually he'd swoop in and try to take Haley back to New York, mess up her and Nathan again. As he made himself obvious in Tree Hill reporters descended on her, speculating about why he was around and I occasionally found myself present in the newspaper beside a startled Haley.
But Haley and Nathan still proved unmessupable. They could barely bear to be apart from each other and we all cheered as they passed the mark they'd failed at last time. They bought her a new keyboard-nothing on the grand piano she'd left behind in New York but perfectly fine for practicing for Tric nights, the new limit of her desires.
Lucas and Nathan's Dad, who'd failed miserably with both of them, attempted again to mend fences with Nathan and even with Haley along with his wife Deb. Neither Nathan nor Haley trusted them yet, but Dan and Deb came to the point where they'd on occasion be invited over for dinner. They gave up on Lucas, it seemed. Lucas had destroyed Dan fairly royally a year ago.
Haley had almost lost track of her own parents and even her many siblings. Her parents, never particularly attentive, had bought a motor home upon her marriage and traveled around the country. She had three siblings in university and four out of university, the oldest of which, Patrick, was married. None of the others except her, the youngest, were married. The only one she's seen in the last year is Taylor, the one Nathan slept with so long ago. I think Taylor could help Haley, if she let her. And I have a feelings, built on how Tree Hill always happens, that Taylor will reappear very soon.
I wonder how Jake is going to survive with Luke and Nathan away. He's always used them for help when he and I fought or he had trouble with Nikki. I was always there for him but I'd miss Haley and Brooke as much as he'd miss his friends. I wished desperately that Haley and Nathan would stay home, even if Luke and Brooke had to leave.
These thoughts mulling through my head, I glanced back at Jake and Jenny. Jake looked up and smiled at me.
"I love you," I said bravely.
"I love you too," he said. That was so right.
To my great surprise, Haley appeared at my door and ran over to me. Her face was white with shock, her hands cold in the warm day. Jake looked at her as she stared desperately at me, as though appealing for help.
"I've remembered that thing I forgot," she said. I relaxed.
"Oh, what was it? A doctor's appointment?" I asked easily. She shook her head and I noticed that her chestnut brown hair was curled or straightened but slightly frizzy, as though she'd taken shower and not bothered to dry her hair.
"No. I forgot to take a birth control pill-the day after our girl's night. Remember that?"
The End
Author's note: Don't be concerned if I don't post the sequel for a little while, I might take a break. I also might not be able to bring myself to. So at some point, look for my sequel, currently titled 'Early for Two.' Like it? Understand it? It's going to be like this-a Jake, Peyton story with Nathan and Haley bits. Except for the two couple's time will be split almost equally.
Okay. Now I'd like to disclaim all the characters because I'm fairly sure they all belong to the WB network and March Schwann.
And thanks to my many great reviewers with their insight, predictions, suggestions and praise. I'd have given up without you, it wouldn't have seemed worthwhile. I don't think I've ever written a seventy five page story in a little over a week.
And if you liked this and you can't wait for 'Early for Two', go read Nevermore, my loner fic. It's not so long, but maybe it will tide you over for a little while. And maybe the cliffhanger will help with that. Did any of you suspect it? I'd be proud if you did.
And I would like to explain something. If you were reading this carefully you may have noticed that they were seniors and Jenny was two, which isn't right. I solved this by saying they lived together without being together for longer than they were in the show. This is not an error, I just needed them to be older. And sorry I didn't write more than four words about basketball.
So tell all your friends about 'Sacrifice' so it doesn't get completely buried because I love it and I hope you love it to. So review this one last time.
Goodbye.
3
