Disclaimer: I don't own anything on OTH

The car stopped, and that's when he started to get that pit-of-the-stomach feeling. He was there, and he couldn't hide anymore. He couldn't pretend that everything was and will be okay. Because, he knew it wasn't. While he was away, he had distractions. Now, he was back, and everything leaded back to one thing…Peyton.

And then, there was everyone else: his mom, Haley, Nathan...After he had left, he hadn't really kept in touch with them. He wanted to, of course, but it was just hard. He wanted to forget about the past, and talking to people from your past wasn't exactly the best idea.

Sighing, he reluctantly stood up, and followed Keith to the door. Karen's Café...he knew that one step inside would change everything. And, it did.

"Pick up, dammit!" Peyton mumbled to herself, her back leaning against the worn out wall in an isolated area of Karen's Café.

"Hey, this is Rick…leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Frustrated, Peyton shut off her cell phone, stuffed it in her purse, and walked over to the counter. The bell jingled behind her, but she paid no attention to it.

"Hey Karen, I'm going to head.." She stopped, noticing Karen's shocked face. "What?" Karen didn't say anything, just kept looking past Peyton. Curious, Peyton turned around as well, and stopped dead in her tracks.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to think, even. He was just there, looking back at her with his little broody eyes, frowning as usual. A million thoughts ran through her head, but she didn't know what they were. All she knew was that he was back. The guy who had left him while she was in a coma had returned.

"Peyton…"

Lucas stepped forward, nearing Peyton. When she didn't respond at all, he moved closer, placing his shaking hand on her cheek, as if making sure she was real and not just a fragment of his imagination.

Slap!

Yup, definitely real. All his past hallucinations of Peyton hadn't slapped him before. He rubbed is cheek, waiting for the pain to leave. Peyton, who was as surprised at her actions as everyone else in the café, ran out as fast as her legs could her. She didn't know what happened….it was all happening too fast, but she knew she had to get away…

"Peyton…" Lucas repeated once back, turning around to find the bell swinging back and forth, jingling madly. "Nice to see you too."

"Peyton?…Peyton…PEYTON."

Peyton turned around to find Felix walking towards her, looking slightly worried.

"Oh…um, sorry…hey," Peyton mumbled, trying to act like she was fine.

"Peyton, what's up? Why are you so…jumpy?"

"Jumpy? I'm not jumpy…I'm fine…"

"Peyton…"

Peyton sighed as Felix sat down next to her. "I...I'm just thinking…"

"'Bout?"

"Um...the day I woke up…from the accident…" Peyton gulped uneasily. "Felix…how…how did you get over what happened?"

"Well, I didn't actually." Felix pulled Peyton into a hug. "Something like that doesn't just go away, Peyton. It's like a scar, y'know? And, especially if someone close to you leaves you like that…it's hard."

"But…how do you just forget it? Like…stop thinking about it?"

"You don't. It just becomes part of your life…you know that."

"I know...I guess I just want to forget what happened."

"Yea…I wish that too. Those were dark days, Peyton. Finding out that your girlfriend just took off while you were lying on a hospital bed, no one knowing if you are going to die or not. And, then you wake up, and it gets even harder. You know that. You've dealt with that. But, to forget it completely…you can't. I think about it sometimes too, Peyton…about what happened. And, I have tried to hide from it. But, I can't…in the end, it will just be a scar. It will stay with you, but that won't change the future or the present. "

"Felix, I get that…but, what if…" She stopped. She didn't want to tell him about Lucas. "Never mind."

"Peyton, you can—"

"Talk to you…I know." Peyton smiled. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine. It's just one of those days…"

"Okay, fine." Felix smiled. "So, c'mon…we have to go."

"Where?"

"TRIC…remember?"

"Oh, shit…" Peyton stood up. 'I-I don't have—"

"Peyton…calm down."

"Felix, I told you…"

"Peyton, I told you….I said I would help you out, didn't I?"

"Well, yea…but…"

"I got someone to play."

"Let me guess…you?"

"Nope." Felix held up an autographed CD. "Jimmy Eat World. Is it just me, or—"

Peyton gasped, and hugged Felix, making it impossible for him to finish the sentence.

"Oh my god, I owe you so much!"

Felix smirked. 'I know…" He grinned mischievously , as Peyton playfully smacked him. Felix laughed and pecked Peyton on the lips, then followed her outside.

The title of the chapter is from "Scars" by Papa Roach.