Chapter Ten
"So now Jenny and Lauren aren't talking to me, Sawyer's being distant, Mom and Daddy are being guilty and everyone in town knows that something happened with the Jagielski girls," I said bitterly.
"Oh sweetie. I guess we all knew that something like this would happen someday," said Karen, my grandmother.
"It's just so hard. I can't side with my sisters and just fight with my parents, because I've almost come to terms with it. But if I'm on my parent's side, all hell breaks loose and I'm a traitor to my kind!" I said.
"So Jenny isn't even speaking to you?" asked Grandma in disbelief.
"Not a word. She's even been staying with Lauren. It's so weird, I'm always with Jenny. We've always been close, out entire lives. And now she hates me," I said.
"She doesn't," said Grandma immediately. I leaned against her and cried some more.
"You know Peyton thinks you're being very brave," she said soothingly into my white blonde hair.
"I wish I wasn't," I said, hiccupping.
"Callie, are you okay?" asked Lucas, entering. He pulled his ipod earphones out of his ear and looked at me in concern. Amidst my tears I blushed-he was very good looking.
"She and Jenny and Lauren found out about Nikki," explained Grandma.
"Ouch. How's Jenny?"
"I wouldn't know. By the way, did you sleep with her?" I asked.
"Once," he admitted.
"Lucas Eugene Scott!" exclaimed Karen. He left the room again.
"Sorry about that," I said apologetically.
"That's all right. He wasn't that good to girls in his high school days," she said. After a moment she seemed to regret her wording.
"Nikki insinuated that he was my father," I whispered.
"He's not. If Peyton knew that it was even possible, someone would know about it. And it doesn't show off hand, but you're just like your father. And you have his voice," she reminded me. Daddy could sing-and I could too, though none of my sisters could. I nodded.
"Yeah. She'd never do that, right?" I said.
"No. Peyton would never do that," she said in assurance.
My hands on the steering wheel led me to the court when my mind could not. Shakily I got out of the car, and ran to the river, squatting at it's edge. I gazed at the water, flowing past toward the ocean. Across it I could see downtown. I imagined my sister's partying together, not even noticing my absence. I pictured Sawyer kissing Jenny, of her stealing him away from him.
Though he wasn't mine.
I saw years ahead of me of Jenny never forgiving our parents, never backing down. I saw her never calling me her sister again. I saw the rest of our time that our two families would spend together, being left out by Jenny, Lauren, Sawyer and even Tess. I saw the only time Jenny and I spending together as cheerleader practice.
I walked slowly back to the cement court. I sank down and put my head on my knees. I felt as though I'd born and died here. This was where I spent the long summer days, where my Daddy had first taught me to throw a basketball. Where I'd spent hours upon hours with Sawyer, messing up his game. Would I, ever again?
I wiped away my tears as they began to fall. I laid back on the cement and stared into the sunny sky. I closed my eyes and allowed my pain to wash away. I prayed that no one would come and take me away from the emptiness.
In the end it was the ringing of my cell phone that awoke me and not a visitor. Few visited the river Court-it was in a sad state, and though Sawyer and I often frequented it, most often we were alone.
My hand shaking, I reached into my purse to answer it. Dad, of course. It was almost eleven.
"Please tell me you're still in Tree Hill," he said immediately.
"Yeah, I'm at the River Court. I'll come back home now," I promised. I stood up, dusted myself off and walked hesitantly toward my car.
I turned off the stereo as the Shins began to blast through it. I couldn't deal with that right now.
Daddy and Mom went to bed soon after I got home. I wandered into the backyard, light with small lanterns around the pool. When I climbed up a tree I could see the party of the evening, held for once at the Scott house. That would have been fun.
I eyed the pool water. Suddenly my body itched to be in it. Glancing around nervously, I stripped down to my bra and underwear, and with slightly reservation shed them as well and dove into the blue water.
Underwater I couldn't hear the loud music of the party. I couldn't think of my life without my best friends. I could hardly recall Jenny's harsh words, Sawyer's silence.
However, I could see the dark, masculine shape that appeared on the other side of the glass window as I climbed out.
So I behaved like any normal female-I shrieked, jumped and hid behind a bush until he disappeared.
Author's note: I just saw the latest One Tree Hill. Wasn't it awesome? Anyway, I'm annoyed at them because I can't vote because my cell's a Fido, not a Cingular. So I'm having my own contest. I haven't figured out the details yet but I think I'll go back, find all the reviewers of 'Chasing Fate' put them in a hat and whoever I pull out will get to decide Brooke's fate. Within reason. Aren't you excited? All the reviewers as of Thursday, April 21st at midnight will be entered, and if you don't want to compete let me know.
