Warring Emotions
By: Sari
Disclaimer: One Tree Hill is not mine. If I had enough money I'd probably buy it just so I could get rid of half the characters on the show.
Summary: "Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up." - James Baldwin. The sequel to This Time Around.
8: Climbing the Walls
Close your eyes make a wish
This could last forever
If only you could stay with me now
So tell me what it is that keeps us from each other now
Yeah, it's coming to get me
You're under my skin
"I want to go back home." Brooke declared angrily wiping away tears as she sat in Peyton's hotel room. "It sucks to say it but its like this group has a curse hanging over its head. Anytime we're together we're doomed to make each other miserable."
Peyton made a sympathetic sound. "You still haven't called Lucas?"
"Why should I?" Brook replied. "I wasn't wrong to be angry about Madison."
"That's relative Brooke." Peyton said gently. "From what you told me you were bordering on being paranoid. And to Lucas it just looks like you don't trust him."
"Like he has the best track record." Brooke snorted. "It didn't take him long to revert back to his old ways."
"Brooke this isn't high school."
"Funny, it seems exactly the same way." Brooke snapped. "I'm pissed at Lucas, Kali stole Jake from you, and Nathan and Haley are once again the perfect couple. Yep, it's like I went back a couple years."
Peyton looked hurt and Brooke sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be taking this out on you."
"That's right you shouldn't. You and Lucas got in a fight, you'll get over it."
"It'd be better if we just went back home." Brooke said. "Being here is just tearing us apart."
"You and Lucas obviously have a problem, going back to Boston and ignoring it isn't going to help."
She picked at the lint on her skirt. "I'm jealous Peyton, what problem is there to ignore?"
"The fact that as soon as Lucas finds himself a female friend you go completely nuts and go back to being angry at him for things that happened in high school over 2 years ago."
"I don't do that to everyone!" Brooke protested. "It's just…I don't know! There's something about Madison that just makes me feel so threatened…and I hate that!"
"You're going to have to be a little bit more specific B, because right now all you're sounding like a possessive girlfriend." Peyton said wryly.
Brooke looked up her eyes still rimmed red as she thought about why Madison and Lucas's immediate friendship made her so angry. "It's like…" Brooke started. "Madison is like Haley but without the safeguard of being seen as just a 'little sister' or just a 'best friend.'"
Peyton look surprised. "Were you ever jealous of Haley?" She asked curiously.
Brooke laughed. "Of course, what girl in her right mind would feel comfortable with her boyfriend being that close to his best friend that happened to be a female? I was jealous of Kali too, but Kali made it abundantly clear that she would never ever like Lucas. The only thing that got me to actually stop being frightened of Haley and Lucas's relationship is the fact that Haley got married."
"Did you ever bring this up with Luke?"
"And risk being seen as some crazy jealous girlfriend who can't even take him talking to girls? I don't think so."
"Well you're not so far from fitting that role now Brooke." Peyton said smiling.
Brooke groaned. "Yeah I know." She let out a puff of air and stood up. "I should go find him."
"And say…"
"I'm sorry for being such a jealous whore?" Brooke suggested.
"Reword it a little and I think that could work." Peyton said chuckling.
No I can't ever let you go
You're a part of me now
Caught by the taste of your kiss
And I don't want to know the reason why I can't stay forever like this
Now I'm climbing the walls cuz I miss you
Madison raised an eyebrow at an irate Nathan who was pacing the floor in front of her. "Madison what were you thinking?" He said shaking his head. "My brother?"
She yawned. "Nathan, I have no idea what you're talking about. The only thing I can think of right now having to do with your brother is that his name is Lucas, but I'm sure that's not what you're yelling at me about."
"This isn't a game." He hissed.
"I'm sure it isn't, but since I have no clue what you're so disappointed in me about I can't act all noble and humble can I?"
"Lucas was here last night." Nathan stated.
"Yes…" Madison prodded. "And that would be a problem because?"
"Because he has a girlfriend named Brooke who was worried sick about him."
Madison shrugged. "I called Lucas about hanging out and he suggested last night so we met at a bar and had a couple of drinks. We were both pretty tipsy and my room was nearby so why let him stumble home when he could stay with me?"
"The fact that his girlfriend was worried sick didn't register with you did it?"
She threw up her hands. "What do you want me to do? Call and apologize? I didn't force him out his house, I didn't force him into that bar, and I didn't force him into my room. He came here on his own free will."
"Did anything happen?"
"What are you my caretaker?" Madison asked amused. "It isn't any of your business what went on in my room."
"Is this because you're mad at me about Haley?" Nathan asked carefully.
"Don't give yourself so much credit."
"Then what is it? Why Lucas?"
"NOTHING HAPPENED." Madison yelled. "We're just friends, damn, you AND Brooke need to take a damn chill pill."
Nathan sighed. "You two are just acting really suspicious."
"By going out and getting drinks? I didn't realize that was such a foreign occurrence. Maybe that's something only you Tree Hillers think." Madison said sarcastically.
"Look you should probably just stay away from Lucas okay? It's not good for his relationship with Brooke." Nathan insisted.
"You're not his mother and you're not my caretaker. Why don't you leave that decision up to Lucas?"
"Madison you're playing with fire." He warned.
She smirked. "Probably, but trust me, I won't get burned."
Take my hand, take my life
Just don't take forever
And let me feel your pain kept inside
There's got to be a way you and I together now
Yeah it's coming' to get me
You're under my skin
"Still not talking?" Kali asked Lucas who was staring stubbornly at the loud TV.
"Nothing to talk about." Lucas said. "At least nothing that concerns you."
"God Luke, what is your problem?"
"Nothing at all. Brooke has a problem but not me." Lucas said. "She doesn't trust me and all of you are feeding into it."
"How in hell are we feeding into it? You're the one who's acting so damn shady."
He laughed. "I didn't think it was abnormal to want to cool off after a fight."
"It's not, but cooling off with some woman you just met? That's abnormal."
He shook his head. "Whatever okay? You guys are paranoid and it's getting on my nerves."
"I just want you to understand that this friendship you got going on with this Madison girl is seriously screwing with your relationship so if you value Brooke in any way you'd leave that girl alone."
"Madison and I are just friends and Brooke needs to understand that." Lucas said firmly. "I'm not going to make myself feel bad every time she thinks I shouldn't be friends with someone."
Kali sighed. "That isn't what this is about."
"Kali we are not going to agree on this." Lucas said. "So we should just drop it."
She rolled her eyes. "You are impossible."
He shrugged. "Why must I concede every time one of Brooke's insecurities pops up out of the blue? If I have to worry about pissing her off every time I make a move it's not worth it."
"I guess Luke, that's between you and Brooke's insecurities."
"So, what's up with you and Jake?" He asked smirking. "I heard Peyton got the boot."
Kali grinned. "We're taking it slow. I'm still pissed at him for the hiding Peyton stunt he pulled off but we're just getting to know each other again."
"Nothing concrete, I think he's still hanging around Peyton as well." Kali said.
"And you're okay with that?" Lucas said incredulously.
"If I was still the Kali from high school I'm sure I would be pissed, but now it's like whatever comes may come. If he's into Peyton that's fine and if he's into me then that's fine too. I'm not going to hold him to any false promises and he's going to do the same for me and I think it's working for us."
"So what happens when the week is over?"
"We look back and evaluate and figure out if it's worth saving." Kali said staring at her hands. "We still have a couple of days."
"I hope it works out for you." Lucas said sincerely.
"Me too Luke."
There was a sharp knock on the door and Kali groaned dragging herself from her position on the couch. She opened the door and smiled. "Well it's about time."
Brooke smiled back. "I needed some encouragement. Is he still here?"
Kali nodded. "Right in the living room." She grabbed her purse and keys. "I'll give you guys a little privacy. Call me when the war is over."
Brooke grinned. "Will do, thanks Kali."
No I can't ever let you go
You're a part of me now
Caught by the taste of your kiss
And I don't want to know the reason why I can't stay forever like this
Now I'm climbing the walls cuz I miss you
Peyton ran a hand through her curly blonde hair as she waited nervously in the small café opposite of Central Park. When Jake had called her requesting that they meet she had been surprised. She had expected to never hear from him now that he was in bliss with his long lost love but it seems as if that wasn't the case.
She looked up as the chime on the door jingled signaling the arrival of a new customer. Recognizing Jake's dark brown hair she waved him over to her table. "I'd say it's nice to see you again but really it isn't." Peyton said.
"I was a jack ass to you on Tuesday and I want to apologize for it." Jake started. "Seeing Kali again, it brought back such a huge amount of repressed feelings that I couldn't separate the old ones I was feeling from the ones I'm feeling now."
"What are you trying to say Jake?" Peyton asked.
"I'm saying that I might have made a mistake." Jake replied quietly. "I might have been holding on to an image of Kali that isn't there anymore."
"And now you want to see if there's a chance that I might take you back?" Peyton said amused. "Sorry, Jake but no. You made your choice now live with it."
"Peyton I know that I hurt you and that I was wrong to lead you on and it does even worse of me to try to get you back but you have to believe me when I say that I loved you and still love you." Jake pleaded.
Peyton chuckled. "Its funny how life works doesn't it?" Peyton asked. "Just a couple days ago I was still operating under the belief that I need you to survive but it's like I had a spiritual awakening and realized I don't. My days don't revolve around you anymore and I don't think I ever want to become that dependent ever again." She smiled. "I need to learn how to be Peyton Sawyer, and not Jake's girlfriend or Jenny's surrogate mother."
"I don't want to jump back in a relationship Peyton." Jake amended. "I just want there to still be a possibility that it could happen again."
"Just in case Kali decides she doesn't want you, you can have something leftover to go back to?" She asked bitterly.
"Of course not." He protested. "Kali and I are trying, we're trying to see if what we think we had is still there. But we were young and we were quick to say we were in love. But you, you've been there for me when she wasn't, you helped me through situations she couldn't possibly understand, and that Peyton, that is why I want to know if you'll wait for me."
Peyton looked down, silently cursing her lack of willpower. "I'll always wait for you Jake because against my better judgment I love you."
"Thank you." He said softly holding her hand in his. "I appreciate this Peyton."
She nodded. "Just hurry up and make your decision okay? Both of us aren't going to wait for you forever."
It's an illusion how can I feel this way
(If I can't have you)
It's an illusion nothing is real this way
(If I can't have you)
No I can't let you go
You're a part of me now
Caught by the taste of your kiss (I don't want to know)
And I don't want to know
The reasons why I can't stay forever like this (I am climbing the walls)
Now I'm climbing the walls cuz I miss you
TBC
Music Credits: Backstreet Boys – Climbing the Walls
A/N: The lack of reviews for this fic is really disappointing. Even though the story is relatively short, I still hoped that there would be a better response to it. Please rec this fic to your friends! Just a short explanation of what's going to be going on with this story. Warring Emotions is going to be a relatively short sequel. It takes place over a week and the story lasts 15 chapters. If you want the time that elapsed so far:
Chapter 1-3: Monday through Monday night
Chapter 4-6: Tuesday through Tuesday night.
Chapter 7: Wednesday
Chapter 8: Thursday