"Hello?" Peyton Sawyer spoke into her cordless phone as she sat at her desk, sketching.
"Peyton?" a framilar voice spoke from the other side of the phone. It was her dad.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed, dropping her pencil and eagerly smiling.
"Hey honey, how are you? " he continued, hearing a smile in her voice.
"I'm okay," she stated, glad to hear her dad, "I miss you,"
"I miss you too baby girl, but that's what I need to talk to you about," The smile slowly faded from her face. That didn't sound good at all.
"What do you mean?" she asked stiffly, trying not to sound upset.
"My three week excapade has turned into a three month travel at the minimum, not by choice of course, but my boss wants me to finish this reasearch project..." she heard him trail off.
"So you won't be home next week?" she felt tears coming. It was bad enough her dad was out of town for so long, now it would be even longer.
"No Pey, but I know you get lonely staying at home by yourself so I have a solution," he spoke, and she listened.
"Which is?"
"I gave your uncle, your mom's brother a call earlier, Sandy, and he said it would be okay if you stayed up in California with them while I'm gone. I know you haven't seen them in a while and you've never really been that close, but I think it would be good to stay with them. Not just for you, for me too," Peyton sighed quietly. She had never really know her relatives in California.
She didn't reply.
"Well?" he asked, a hopefullness in his voice.
"Uh, I don't know Dad..." She used to see her cousin's at least once a year until her mom died, since then every now and then they got a christmas card. That was actually the last time she had seen the Cohens. At her mom's funeral.
"Please honey, do it for me too, only a few months," Peyton thought it over quickly. Only a few months with her cousin Seth, in California, away from Tree Hill then she got to see her dad. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Alright daddy, I will," she concluded now hearing a smile from the other end of the phone.
"Guess who I got a call from recently?" Sandy Cohen questioned his wife as they transfered take-out to tray's for dinner. Seth and Ryan were helping set the table and also curious about who called. He usually didn't share news out front unless it concerned the whole house.
"Oh, I know, the Queen," Seth quipped up for his own amusement, "Or was it the pope?" Sandy smiled a weak smile at his son.
"You're somewhat close son," he turned to his wife, "Larry." The room was silent. Hearing from his brother-in-law only made Sandy think about his sister who had passed away some time ago, 8 years ago.
"Oh honey," Kirsten gave him a quick hug, "What did he call about?" Seth keyed in on what his parent's were saying as he brought the food to the table. Ryan was completely clueless. Sandy made his way to the table to discuss the rest of the conversation.
"He called about Peyton." he said shortly, vividly remembering his neice, "Seth, you remember Peyton?"
"Oh course I remember Peyton, curly blonde cousin with an attitude," he said, smiling casually. Ryan was still completely clueless, trying to piece the conversation together.
"Oh Ryan, right, you must feel lost here. Larry is Sandy's brother-in-law, a widowed husband to Sandy's sister, and a single father to Peyton," Kirsten informed his as they continued their meal. Ryan just nodded, waiting for Sandy to finish now.
"And what about Peyton?" Seth edged on.
"Well Larry said that he is on yet another boating trip for at least 3 months and he can't stand the fact he is leaving her at home by herself again, so he called to ask if maybe she could come down here and stay with us for a while," Sandy concluded, looking at his wife.
"And?" Kirsten asked, waiting for the answer she knew was coming.
"I couldn't say no. We haven't seen or heard from the Sawyer's for a long time and I thought it would be good for the family," Sandy gave his wife a willing look, waiting for her reply.
"I knew you would, and I don't see why she can't stay here, we have plenty of room, and I'm sure it will be a change from the sleepy little town she is in right now," Kirsten replied, smiling.
"Which is where?" Ryan asked, wondering where she was from.
"Tree Hill, North Carolina," Sandy stated.
"I have to say, I've never heard of the place," Ryan said, giving a half smile.
"Don't worry, that's normal, population of that town is like 10," Seth stated, thinking back to a visit when he was younger.
"Close enough," Sandy said, finishing his meal.
"When is she coming in?" Ryan asked, wondering more about their mysterious family from Sandy's side.
"Tomorrow night,"
"Brooke, it's Peyton, I know you are going to hate me when you hear this over the phone but your probably not home anyway, but still, I'm going to Cali for a while, staying with relatives there, call me cell when you get this, love ya," Peyton finished, leaving a message on her best friend's cell phone.It was true she herself had deep down feelings for Lucas but he was with Brooke and she was happy with him. And when she was happy, he was happy, and when he was happy, Peyton was too.
"It'll be good to get away from here," Peyton said to herself as she tossed random burnt cds into her packsack for the plane and some more clothes into her suitcase. She hesitiated as she zipped up her suitcase finally.
"Yah, good." Her dad had purchased plane tickets in first class so the plane ride wouldn't be that bad. At least there was more of a chance to have a peaceful flight to think. After Lucas' car accident she had decided to pull everything off with him. They both knew they wouldn't be able to do anything together behind Brooke's back now that he was in such bad shape. She really regretted letting him say that they should stop. She didn't want to. Not yet.
The plane ride was suitable, it was a break from constantly traveling places in her car, although her car had the better of her cd collection. She wasn't paying attention to her music really, or the lame in-flight movie, or the constant annoyance of the flight attendants, all she was thinking about what everything to come.