Jenny cursed out loud as she unsuccessfully tried to glue the stupid yarn to the stupid paper bag. She liked Art class but she hated the Crafts part of it.

"What are you doing?" Peyton asked as she came down the stairs in her robe.

"Just a project for school", Jenny muttered.

"Can I see?"

"If you want."

Peyton smiled as she studied the paper bag with yarn for hair and buttons for eyes.

"What's this supposed to be?"

"Beats the hell out of me", Jenny shrugged. "I'm just doing what the stupid teacher told me to."

"Want some help?"

"Nope."

Peyton put her coffee down.

"I'm sure you've got it covered but I was thinking maybe we could work on it together."

Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Look, it ain't exactly brain surgery, okay?"

"I know but…"

"This is just an under qualified, underpaid, fresh out of college, thinks she knows everything, douche bag of an art teacher who doesn't know a paint brush from a magic marker hired by an under funded, drastically declining of quality public school system to make stupid faces out of buttons and cheap glue on freaking sandwich bags like we're in preschool, to pass the time away and pacify the watchful overpaid educators who sit on our school boards."

Peyton grinned.

"Wow. That was quite a mouthful. You should go into politics or something."

"Whatever."

"For what its worth, I think your project looks pretty cool."

"Thanks", Jenny mumbled.

Peyton took a deep breath. Enough of the chit chatter. There were more important things to discuss other than art projects.

"Jenny, listen, can we…can we talk?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Peyton sighed.

"It's just…well, it's about what happened the other night. It was so much chaos and I just wanted to explain. You should hear the truth…"

"You mean about you doing drugs?"

Peyton cringed. How the truth hurt.

"Yeah. Um, about me doing drugs. Like I said, I want you to hear the truth…and I want you to hear it from me."

Jenny shrugged.

"You don't have to explain to me. Do what you want."

"But I didn't do them and I didn't want them."

"But you bought them."

"I did. I made a mistake."

"Sure you did", Jenny smirked.

"I mean it. I…"

"It's cool", Jenny said, getting up and taking project accessories upstairs with her. "I know all about those kinds of mistakes. I lived with Nikki…remember?"

Peyton closed her eyes as the girl brushed past her. From the top of the steps Jake listened as well, ducking into the master bedroom when he heard her coming. From the corner of his eye, he watched her disappear into her room.

"Jen…"

"What?"

"Can we talk?"

"Can I say no?" she didn't look at him.

He sighed.

"I'm being serious. I heard you and Peyton downstairs."

"So?"

"So she's trying and it's been really hard on her. She made a mistake and that's pretty hard for her to admit and deal with it. I know it must have been scary the way that all went down the other night. I'm sorry you had to see it and Peyton is sorry too."

"Whatever."

"No, Jen, it's not whatever. We should talk about this. Tell me what you're feeling."

"I'm not."

"Jen…"

"My stepmother is a crack head and I'm cool with that. What do you want me to say?"

"Jenny, Peyton is not a crack head!" Jake's voice rose. "And I don't want to hear you say that again. Do you hear me?"

Jenny looked away.

"Whatever", she mumbled.

"I'm serious, Jen. Look, it's okay. Peyton had some troubles and stuff in the past and she's getting help. I don't want you to be afraid. You can come to us and ask questions and anything you need. I don't know how to explain all this to you because it's complicated. I…I don't know what to say. But I'm here for you…we both are. And I want you to come to me. Jenny, drugs aren't the answer. They…"

"You don't have to tell me. I don't touch that stuff. Drugs are stupid and they make you stupid."

"That's right…"

"Dad, I'm busy finishing this stupid project. Can we talk later?"

Jake took a deep breath.

"Okay. It's just that…"

"Just what? Go have the DARE talk with Amanda. Sounds like she needs it more than me."

"Jen…"

"But that's cool, right? Let me guess, she cried her way out of it and it's not like it matters because in Peyton's eyes she does no wrong."

"That's not true", Jake whispered.

"Whatever, Dad", Jenny went back to her artwork.

Jake opened his mouth to speak but what could he say? Jenny was right. Things were complicated. What was he supposed to tell her? What could he say about Amanda and the fact that she was still lurking around? What could he say about Peyton's former drug habit? Could he tell her it was going to be okay? He didn't even know himself. He had thought Peyton's demons had long ago been put to rest.

His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang. Jake checked the Caller ID and saw Lucas' name.

"What's up, man?"

"That's what I called to ask you", Luke said. "How's Peyton?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Not very convincing but I'll take what I can get."

"She's fine. Look, dude…you didn't tell anyone what I told you about the drugs and stuff? I mean, I trust Brooke and Nathan and Haley but…"

"Your secret is safe with me. I didn't breathe a word about it to another soul."

"Thanks", Jake sighed.

"You sound down. Everything okay?"

"I don't know. Peyton tried to talk to Jenny and Jen just blew her off. So I tried but what can you really say in this type situation?"

"I don't know."

"And the sad thing is, it looks like Jenny is used to this. Man, I don't know what the hell Nikki's crazy ass exposed my daughter to but apparently none of it was good. I just want Jenny to know she's safe. And I want to say, 'It's okay. Pey isn't an addict like your mom or her friends may have been' but then if I say that, does that make me a hypocrite? Because Peyton is an addict. And the minute she got a little down, she didn't even turn to me. She turned straight to the dope. So how am I supposed to explain this to my kid when I don't even get what it means myself?"

"That sucks, man and I'm sorry and I'm not making excuses for Peyton but isn't it just too damned convenient that Amanda's ass was somehow involved?"

"Tell me about it."

"And just minutes before Peyton was gonna meet her new family."

"Yep."

"She planned it, huh?"

"Probably. I don't know. Either way, it worked."

"Not anymore", Lucas said. "You've got to get her out, man. I'm telling you."

"I know. Peyton is rescheduling with the Gillespies. Looks like it's going to be okay."

"Good. Because nothing will be okay, Jake, nothing until that chick is out of your house…and out of your life."