Only in the News
By: caramelo
I do not own One Tree Hill or anything related to it.
Story Notes: I don't think I ever mentioned the time frame for this story. For those of you that were wondering, it takes place sometime soon after What Is And What Should Never Be and before The Leaving Song. (In other words, post-B/L/P triangle, but Pre-Naley marriage)
Chapter Four: But Before We Can Hope
"Jesus," Brooke muttered as she struggled to keep Jake standing upright. She looked at one of the basketball players expectantly. Jeremy, she was pretty sure his name was. She had dated him for like two hours in seventh grade. "A little help here?"
"Oh, right," Jeremy said, shaking his head and hurrying forward. He lifted Jake's weight off her and Peyton with ease and lowered him to the floor. Jake winced.
"Thanks man," he said through clenched teeth.
"No problem, Jay," Jeremy shrugged. Brooke rolled her eyes impatiently. Now was so not the time for formalities.
Jake seemed to catch on to her nearly imperceptible actions. "Sorry, Brooke," he said, smiling weakly.
Brooke waved him off. Though she wouldn't deny how worried about him she really was at the moment, they just didn't have the time for a heart-to-heart right now. Maybe they never would. Brooke had never been all that close to Jake. That was Peyton's thing.
"What happened?" she demanded.
Jake sighed. He raked a hand through his hair and sat silently for a beat, before finally sending an almost apologetic look in Bevin's direction. "You were right. There's somebody there again."
Regret washed over Bevin's features. "I didn't want to be," she said.
"But you were," Jake sighed again and shook his head. "Almost took me by surprise."
Peyton settled down beside him and put a tentative hand on his shoulder, concerned. "What happened?" she asked softly.
"I made a mistake," Jake said, sounding somewhat disgusted with himself. "I wasn't careful enough. I made it up to the corner before the door okay, and I figured it was all clear, so I was just about to turn back and bring you guys all out there." A strange flash of self-berating and relief crossed his face for a moment before he continued. "Imagine how shocked I was when I heard these two guys talking all smooth and calm with each other. And then one of them decided it was the perfect time to make another round."
Peyton's eyes widened and Brooke gasped. "What did you do?"
Jake laughed. It was bitter and full of regret and just something completely unexpected of him. Peyton was taken aback, and without realizing it, slipped her hand from his shoulder. Jake glanced at her, regretful at the loss of comfort.
"I fell," he said flatly. "Twisted my ankle."
Brooke looked confused. "Then how did you…" she trailed off as he abruptly opened his mouth again.
"It wasn't a terribly loud fall or anything. And when you know there's somebody coming towards you with a gun, you don't really let something like a twisted ankle slow you down," Jake replied. "I ran right into the nearest classroom, and as soon as he passed, I ran straight here."
Peyton took a sharp intake of breath. It was beyond relief to see that Jake was physically all right besides what looked to be a pretty bad sprain, but to think what would have happened if he'd taken one more step, turned that last corner, or gotten up just a few seconds later from his fall…The thought sent a shudder racking through her body.
Jake seemed to sense her unease. "You okay?" he asked her quietly as everyone around them fell into varying states of despair, coming to the conclusion that they were trapped waiting, again.
Peyton wanted to nod, she could picture the motions of herself nodding, but her body seemed to be following directions from a source outside her mind as she shook her head no. "Jesus, Jake," she whispered. "You could have been shot." She swallowed hard and lifted her gaze to his. "You could have died."
Jake's expression visibly tightened, but he wrapped a reassuring arm around her all the same. "But I didn't," he whispered into her ear. "I'm back here with you."
"For the moment anyway," Peyton murmured as she brushed away distressed tears.
Brooke, who hadn't meant to, but didn't try to stop herself from overhearing their conversation, chose that minute to jump in, flinging herself down at Peyton's other side. "Hey," she said huskily, tucking a curl behind her friend's ear, "Don't talk like that, P. Sawyer. Jake's okay. Maybe the fact that none of us have gotten hurt yet is a good sign."
"Maybe," Peyton whispered, her voice hitching slightly.
"Not maybe. It is," Brooke insisted. When Peyton didn't react, she continued in a soothing tone. "I have a feeling, you know, like the first time, except now it's a good one."
Peyton lifted her head. "Really?" she asked Brooke, a hint of hope crossing her face.
Brooke bit her lip before smiling and nodding. "Really," she said.
The two friends wrapped their arms around each other again, holding on tightly. Brooke could feel Peyton relax against her, which emitted a sigh of relief. But then there was a small part of her, just a small one, that couldn't help but feel guilty and only served to upset her. So what if she had told a white lie to ease her friend's fears? Who cared if she wasn't as sure that things would really turn out all right?
Brooke's eyes welled with tears, and she burrowed her head deeper into Peyton's shoulder. She stayed there for a few hushed minutes, unmoving, as her friend breathed ragged breaths, slowly allowing herself to let go of at least a couple of her fears. That was when Brooke felt the unmistakable pull of somebody staring at her, forcing her to lift her head off of Peyton's shaking shoulder. No sooner than her eyes had risen had she met the patient eyes of Jake, who held an almost fond look in his eyes, an unspoken reassurance.
Brooke gave a weak smile back. His eyes were only a small comfort, but a comfort all the same. But it wasn't long before she was forced to break the connection, unable to believe in the hope it held, as she turned her attention back on Peyton. "Come on, sweetie," she said, flinching under the weight Peyton had put on her. She tensed her shoulder and gave Peyton no choice but to rise.
Peyton looked confused and attempted to thinly veil the hurt she felt. Brooke's gaze was unfocused, unwilling to face the guilt of pushing her best friend away, but she could sense how upset Peyton was.
"Maybe it would be best if you let Jake help you," Brooke whispered as she gave Peyton's hand one last squeeze before she stood up.
This time, there was no hiding the hurt in Peyton's eyes. She reached out a hand towards her friend, almost begging. "Stay with me," she pleaded.
In a move so uncharacteristic of her, Brooke gave a brisk shake of her head. No. She couldn't stay with Peyton. Not right now. Not when she felt as if her body was shutting down right where she stood even if her mind couldn't. It was a strange feeling for her, this desperation, this hopelessness. Usually Brooke was the one who could always handle it, always help. Cheery, Lucas had called her.
Lucas…
Was he even still alive?
Brooke bit her lip and held back an impulsive wave of tears. Mechanically, she turned away, away from Peyton, away from the expressions of persistent false hopes. What was wrong with her? She had always been so emotionally charged during dramatic situations, so full of adrenaline and dreams of how she could make things better. And usually, she tried her best to do so. Why couldn't she now when it was most important?
Why was she pushing her best friend away?
-
The shapes were vague and shadowy, and whispers flew in the air above her. Haley tried her best to reach out to the shadows, in hopes to bring them into the light, see what they really where, but her arm felt so heavy and laden, like lead. She tried to say something, perhaps demand their identities, but all she could manage was an obscure, nonsensical mumble, much to her dismay.
But it seemed to be enough. All at once, the whispers stopped.
This pleased her to no end. Haley mumbled again, not even attempting to say anything intelligible, just trying to keep their attention. Because, despite their shrouded identities, she drew a strange comfort from these figures, whoever or whatever they were.
One of them moved, and very suddenly, Haley felt a cool finger tracing her temples. So they were human. Not that Haley hadn't expected them to be, but still, it was nice to be sure. Haley wanted to frown, but it seemed as if her muscles wouldn't work properly. If only she could see them.
The figure moved his hand away, and Haley felt an acute sense of loss as she mumbled again to try and bring the person back. However, before she had much chance to protest, the other leaned in and whispered something she couldn't quite understand, but it felt just as much a caress as the hand had.
Haley became tense very suddenly.
Something was happening, changing.
The room was getting brighter by the second, and the shadows were quickly fading. Haley gave a silent protest; she didn't want them to leave. But, then, as she strained to look closer, she noticed that the shadows weren't going away, far from it in fact. If anything, they were becoming more solid, more real, steadily gaining color and outlines as the seconds passed.
"Haley," one of them called. Even their voices were getting fuller and deeper. Haley had the urge to smile as she welcomed the change. Everything was still fairly blurry, and Haley couldn't make out the faces yet, but she didn't have to to know that she felt safe with these people. It was all in the feeling she got.
"Haley."
Abruptly, everything disappeared into darkness, pure darkness this time, and Haley spent a moment in silent confusion. And that was when her eyelids finally fluttered open.
She was still enshrouded by the dark, but it felt so much more real than before. Haley smiled. That's because it is real. Just barely, she could make out Lucas's worried head hovering up above her. Haley repressed the strange urge to giggle.
As her eyes became more accustomed to the darkness, Haley could make out the also very real outline of the rest of Lucas's body, which is how she saw his shoulders sag with relief upon her consciousness. "Thank God," he muttered.
Haley was about to say something when she remembered the presence of the second shadow. Where had it gotten to? Her eyes searched the near vicinity wildly before they fell on a figure leaning heavily against a wall of some sort.
And then she sat up rather suddenly.
"Nathan," she breathed.
A hush fell at her gasp, in which a few silent moments were filled with Nathan and Haley both staring at each other, wide-eyed. Haley reached out to touch his cheek, just to make sure this wasn't another one of the tricks of her mind. She could feel her own shoulders slumping with overwhelming relief and joy as her fingers collided with barely perceptible stubble at the jaw line.
It was Lucas who finally broke the trance that had settled over them.
"Sure," he said, joking, "I'm not here. Just keep on ignoring me."
Nathan emitted a low growl from his throat but kept his gaze steady on Haley. "You try almost dying. Then you can have all the attention you want."
Lucas shrugged easily. "Already done that."
"Funny," Nathan grumbled. It looked like he was ready to take his eyes away from Haley for a second and say more, but that was when she leapt at him.
"Oh my God," Haley whispered shakily as she threw her arms around him. "How…?"
Nathan winced at her sudden lunge but encased her in one arm as well, his other going up to cover his side. "Takes more than a bullet to bring me down."
"That, and extraordinarily bad aim on the shooter's part," Lucas pitched in.
Haley shot Lucas a look. One that said he wasn't being nearly as sensitive as he should be given the situation. Lucas grimaced sheepishly.
Nathan chuckled, seeing their exchange. "Lucas and I already went through all the hysterics before you woke up," he explained to calm her down a little, "He's entered a state of delirious happiness now that my being alive has sunk in."
"I wouldn't go that far," Lucas mumbled, but not loud enough for Haley to hear. Nathan's statement did ring some truth though. Upon the discovery that his younger brother was still alive, Lucas had been in a fairly good mood, mostly due to relief, given the circumstances. Nathan's survival had greatly improved his hopes.
Haley could almost feel some of Lucas's giddiness creep into her own system. "You're really alive," she turned back to Nathan and whispered while tracing an almost disbelieving finger over his face. "You're really here."
"I'm not going to leave you, Haley," Nathan said, "That's a promise."
Haley bit her lip, burying herself deeper into his embrace, and Nathan winced again. This time, Haley had to take notice, even if Nathan had been trying to prevent her from it. "What's wrong?" she demanded as she pulled away.
Nathan grimaced. He looked away without answering.
"Tell me," Haley insisted. "What was that?"
Sighing, Nathan took a second to rub absently at his side again, unable to stop the small hiss of pain that escaped when he did. Haley's eyes immediately shot to the area where Nathan's fingers were touching tentatively and was horrified to see blood gathered on his dark shirt and fingertips. She gasped in surprise and horror.
"I thought he missed!" she cried, rounding on Lucas accusatorily.
Lucas's eyes widened. Obviously, he hadn't expected, nor wanted, to be brought into this. He put a cautious hand on Haley's shoulder to soothe her. "He did," Lucas defended his earlier statement, "just not completely."
"There was a graze," Nathan admitted when Haley turned back to him. She looked upset, so he continued on hurriedly. "But that's probably what saved me life. He saw the blood and just assumed that I was dead."
Haley nodded, not completely reassured but satisfied for the moment. That was when an unwanted memory suddenly flashed before her eyes. It was her and Lucas crouched under the desk, that very suddenly, Haley realized as she glanced at her surroundings, they were still under. Anyway, she and Lucas had been there, scared and shaking, as footsteps taunted them mercilessly as they drew closer. Haley was crying, and she and Lucas were holding each other so tightly. She was pretty much resigned to her fate.
And then the memory finished abruptly. That must have been when she passed out. She turned to face Lucas, questioning. "And what about us?" she said softly.
It was an ill-worded and almost random question, but Lucas seemed to understand her just fine. He had always been able to follow her train of thought. It was one of the things about him that made Haley love him so much. Lucas took her hand and squeezed tightly with a smile. "I really didn't think we'd make it," he admitted. "They were so close…"
Lucas was crouched under the desk with Haley, unable to keep from shaking. God, Scott, he berated himself. Try to keep yourself under control. You're probably scaring Haley. But the shivers refused to cease. At least he had good reason, he thought wryly, there was nothing like the threat of death to justify this sort of cowardice.
All at once, he could felt Haley's shivering underneath him stop. He looked down at her, askance. Lucas was more than horrified to see that she had passed out as her head lolled against the floor. She was still there physically, but Lucas couldn't help but feel so much more alone. And about fifty times more terrified than he already was.
Brown boots sidled up along the desk. Lucas felt something turn in his stomach as he realized he owned the exact same pair. They were his favorites. Used to be anyway. Funny how much the very sight of them scared him now.
The person grunted, presumably as he lowered himself to kneel. Lucas could see a large hand with thick, fleshy fingers steady his weight on the floor. He held his breath. This was it.
And that was when he heard the cries.
They were faint and far away, but there was no doubt that they were real. They sounded heartbreakingly familiar, but Lucas couldn't quite decipher the owners. Lucas was pleased to note that they sounded surprised, but not afraid.
Obviously, they did not go unnoticed by the gunmen either. "Did you hear that?" the one by the door asked roughly. There was a silence in which the one next to the desk presumably nodded. "Let's go," the first said. The one by the desk gave another grunt as he jumped up, his hand pushing off the floor, and his previous task obviously forgotten.
Lucas didn't let go of the breath he was holding until their footsteps were nothing but faint echoes in the background. He rested his head in his hand for a few seconds, his breathing harsh and ragged. It was then that he heard something rustle behind him and a voice whispered in his ear.
"You may have cheated death once, but I wouldn't advise trying it again," Nathan said above him, gesturing to the precarious position Lucas and Haley were in at the moment, Lucas practically sprawled over her.
If it hadn't been for the desk, Lucas was certain he would have jumped straight up into the air. Haley seemed to have the right idea, he reflected ironically as he studied her unconscious form.
"But you're dead," Lucas whispered in astonishment, almost certain he had gone insane by this point.
"Not yet," Nathan said darkly. That was when Lucas noted Nathan's hunched over stance and his hand clutching at his side. Nathan followed Lucas's gaze and smiled bitterly. "I was real close though."
They may have been teenage boys with pride and arrogance and all those other frustrating traits, but they were brother, and Nathan had nearly died, goddamnit. Lucas felt perfectly justified in pulling him into a tight embrace. And Nathan didn't seem to mind as he followed Lucas's lead.
Author's Note: A couple of you caught onto something. Onto what, I'm not going to say, but you definitely nailed it. Also, thirty points to the person who can tell me whose cries (and when/why they happened) saved Lucas and Haley from the gunmen. Please read and review! I love reading all the feedback for this story. It's so encouraging. Also, I remember to include the review responses from last chapter. I was too worried about giving anything away then to post them with chapter three.
Chapter two reviewer responses…
bruno: Thanks! I really am trying to keep my stories away from the overdone cliché stuff, but it's hard, you know? It's so easy to fall into the trap of writing the same thing everyone else has…I hope this was original enough for you!
Innoccent Devil: Bevin is kind of a shady character, isn't she? We really don't know that much about her.
curlyhead: I'm a fan of the cheerleaders myself. I loved the Sparkle Classic Competition episode (don't know the name of it though, I'm not real good with those). And yeah, this is an episode idea I'd like to see in the show too. I don't know if you've seen the show Degrassi before, but they recently came out with a school shooting episode that I thought turned out pretty well. It's a sensitive topic that can be a powerful episode if they handled it the right way.
FriendsFan: Aww! I luv you too! LOL…and yeah I'm a big fan of the Brooke/Peyton relationship. Strictly on friendly terms, of course. Hope this came out fast enough for you!
Agel15: Yeah, Lucas and Haley have such a great friendship. I'd really like to see the show expand more on it. Actually the show would do well to expand on all of the friendships. I'd much rather see that than a ton of new characters coming in and taking over. (coughAnnacough)
Hanna: Awesome. Sometimes I worry I'm being too obvious, but I love being disagreed with. ;) But yeah, you gotta watch out for those inner dialogues. They will be abundant for all the characters. Mostly because half the time they can't talk. And, a lot of people have responded about the Brooke/Peyton friendship, which I am thrilled about. I'm glad so many people still support them as friends, instead of totally hating anything to do with Peyton/Brooke because they're a B/L or P/L fan. (Okay, I'm a hypocrite because I used to do that, blame the B/L/P triangle, and I like one with Lucas better than the other, but it's so much easier, and fun, to like both of them)
Queen of the Elven City: LOL I've had people request characters not to get hurt, but your review made me laugh…But I guess if it means cleaning your room, I should consider it, right? lol
Raynacch SilverMoon: I'm glad you liked it! Summaries aren't particularly easy…and they have to be so short on this site! It drives me crazy! As for promising the safety of the main characters, um, I don't think I can do that. Sorry! But as for the J/P, I like them too, but we'll see what happens.
dead beat heart: You think it's that realistic? That's awesome! Thanks.
firefightersgal: Cheerleaders can be tricky…but maybe this one has good intentions.
lysser8312: Trust me, it's hard picking out who goes! I mean, I love Tim, and look what happened! I almost deleted that part out.
Princessbm: Character bonding is great. As far as I'm concerned, they don't have enough of it in the show. Especially when it comes to friendships (coughLucas/Haley).
nate: A huge bloody massacre? I hadn't realized it was that bad.
IntentionallyCruel: Scary, huh? That's new. Haha…you know I'm the type of person that drives my friends nuts when we're telling spooky stories cuz I always end up laughing in the middle or leaving out humongous parts. But no, don't worry Felix is not in this story. Felix will not be in any of my stories unless he's the bad guy that everybody hates.
l-a-c-18: Yep, I'd have to say being in a group probably increases the danger level for them. And remember, just because Brooke's my favorite doesn't mean she's safe. I mean, look what happened to Tim, who also happens to be a favorite by the way.
Crack of Doom: OMG! You are like the best review I've read. Every time I see it I laugh. And umm, yeah NB are cool…so why aren't you visiting the Firecracker board? HUH? You can't lose interest in the show yet! You have to see Felix get kicked off in a totally crappy way.
Tardychick06: Let's see if your guess is right, whoever it is.
genuinexchiled: Thanks! This probably wasn't your definition of soon, but I have to say, I'm pretty happy that I got it out within the month lol.
Brucas/JeffnTrish4eva: Lucas and Brooke are so cute together, aren't they? I love them. But I'm not promising they'll get together. No way. I'm not even promising that both of them will stay alive.
Erica: Brilliant? Suspenseful? Aw, shucks. LOL Thanks!
lizz: Hope you still think it's good after this chapter. ;)
NovStar: A lot a lot? Like how much? This much- LOL I love it when little kids do that with their arms when they tell you how much they love something. Of course, it's not nearly as cute on the computer. ;)
NaThAnHaLeY4eVa: Of course I'm continuing!
melihoku: Haha when I first read your review I thought you meant is that how the story ends. I was like "OMG, no way, people think I'm ending this soon?" And then I got smarter and realized you probably meant the chapter. Lol
tlc4ever312: Awesome! Don't fall off your chair!
LucasnBlondie03: Glad you like it! Once again, see my advice above about the chair.
SuperJew277: You really don't know? I haven't given anything away yet? AWESOME. I'm usually so obvious.
TheSouthernBelle: Since you asked so nicely…sure!
amanda: I wish I could say every one of them will make it out, but sorry, no promises.
countrybutterfly: Now! Talk about pressure lol! So it's not now anymore (does that make sense?), but I'd still appreciate a review.
kaos: I seem to be good at writing dark. It's depressing since I really much prefer humor. And as for Brooke…sorry. I'm not promising anything.
Julie: Soon enough? I hope everybody makes it out too!
Reviewer responses for chapter three…
FriendsFan: No parents yet. But oh boy there will be. Hopefully in character since I'm not used to writing them.
lisa2302: I loved reading your review(s). Cookies to you for being so smart! I'm glad you like the direction the characters are going in. And yes, you read the Brooke/Jake undertones correctly. I'm not saying they'll be a couple, but I do think they'd have a good chemistry. However, (this is so repetitive) that doesn't guarantee that they'll survive.
liz: Your favorite fic? AWESOME. Makes me feel sooo special. lol
Anonimus: I guess it is kind of different, for this category anyway. Not a terribly original plot by any means, but I really haven't seen any others like this on fanfiction. I hoped you like this chapter!
Jenn: I wrote your response and realized it was almost word for word as the person's above your (Anonimus). LOL Anyway, thanks for reading!
kafia: The parents' reactions will…vary. To tell the truth I haven't really thought that far ahead yet. And as for Lucas, well, plenty happens. You'll see.
Kaity: Do it for Jenny! Aww, it would be sad to have Jenny's dad be taken away. But I'm sure the others would be more than willing to take her in too. And don't go insane! I need you to review!
melihoku: I made you cry? Aww, I'm sorry. Did this chapter make you feel better? ;)
tardychick: Jake seems to be the one person have the biggest argument against dying, and I can totally see why. Unfortunately, I can't make a promise for any of them.
genuinexchild: Yeah, I think I even surprised myself with a couple of the things I threw in last chapter. I have a very basic outline of the story, but it leaves plenty of room to throw stuff in if I'm just typing and happen to get an idea.
lysser8312: Restored your hope yet? ;) And another person to pick up on the little Brooke/Jake I threw in there! Yay! If you'll notice though, there are small undertones for a lot of the character relationships in this story.
Serious Fan: Yeah, I've killed characters I wasn't planning to in that chapter (Mouth). I love Mouth. And Tim.
Shannon: Major cookies to you for being so smart.
ElisaCollette: I'm assuming you're a Haley and Peyton fan. Right? Those are two cool chicks if you ask me. And yes, it would be sad to see the Peyton/Jake relationship end. However, it was also sad to see Tim and Mouth die. Unfortunately, this story isn't guaranteed a happy ending for anyone.
Princessbm: You hate me? That's so…sad… lol. Yes, there is some major foreshadowing that goes on.
charli: Rest assured, Nathan is relatively okay. For now.
Brucas/JeffnTrish4eva: Brucas fan? Me too! Romance, however, may have to take the backseat this story. And just b/c I like them does not necessarily mean they will get together. Everything has to fit the overall story, and I'm not sure if they do.
CharmingPiper: Thanks. It's hard writing about something so serious. You want to lighten it up sometimes, you know, but then you realize you can't.
Agel15: Nice work. I didn't come right out and say it in this chapter, but I'm hoping it was implied that Haley blacked out from the terror. Thanks for the great review!
lizziebeth: I love the Lucas/Haley friendship! I'm currently in denial that the show actually showed Lucas confiding things in Anna that rightfully should have been told to Haley. It's ridiculous.
tutorgirl323: Thanks! Did I update soon enough? It was within the month…I think.
LucasnBlondie: Relatively speaking, I think this chapter was lighter than the rest. Nathan being alive is good, right?
jacqueline22393: LOL I kept messing up the numbers in your name. I swear sometimes I'm dyslexic or something. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!
Izzy: Nope. Nathan survived. For now. This can be read as an either good or bad sign, considering how far down his survival pushed the chances for the other characters.
Henka: Nathan and Jake are okay. For now. In all honesty, I can tell you that there is way more to come for at least one of them.
klm111a: Yeah, I read over my chapters sometimes and I'm like, geez, how could I write this or how could I kill so-and-so. When I'm not agonizing over the grammar errors I missed or whether or not I made the characters believable enough, of course.
jamesandbryan: I am evil. Totally agree. Was this chapter out fast enough?
l-a-c-18: You are the last review response, and for that, I love you. In all seriousity (My spell check is telling me that isn't a word, and it's probably right, but just go with it ;) ). Just because you're the last, I'm going to tell you something. These reviewer responses took two hours, three pages in size 9 font, and are almost two thousand words. Does that make me a masochist? Of course, I had to write a few responses for chapter two still so that took a little longer and more space than usual. Of course, I'm not complaining. No way. I love you guys! It was worth it. But I am never, ever getting behind in my responses again. Because that would be bad. Very, very bad. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!
