I wanted to explain the Keith/Emily storyline in a flashback, but I decided to focus more on the teen's storyline because I want to end the story soon (unfortunately because school is back in session)and there's so many scenes I want to write.But I'm hoping that it'll last till the time season 3 starts, that way you'll have at least something to tie you over till then. Thanks and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything OTH related.

Chapter 8

Nathan was having the time of his life at Highflyers. It was everything he had expected -he competed with the best and learned from the best coaches in the country, but most of all he was having fun.

Today was no exception. All campers were given the day off to enjoy L.A. Nathan had made a couple of new friends and were having a late snack at the food court in the mall.

"Hey, check out those girls over there," Jeremy, who was Nathan's roommate, pointed across the mall.

"Not bad," commented Alex, "I could get used to living here," he said grinning.

Nathan turned his head around to look at the girls. One of the girls immediately caught his attention. His trademark grin grew across his lips. He turned back to his friends, "I'll bet each of you twenty bucks that by the end of the day I'll have a date with one of them,"

Jeremy and Alex looked at each other and scoffed.

"Alright, I'm in," Jeremy said, "This'll be the easiest 20 bucks I've ever gotten,"

Alex agreed, "This I got to see,"

Nathan stood up and smiled, "I'll be right back,"

It was nearly midnight in Tree Hill and the beach walkers were out on their nightly stroll. Peyton and Lucas loved the beach after sun down. Night walks along the beach had become a ritual for them that summer. In the beginning, they never planned on meeting on the beach. They would always arrive separately but would always leave together.

The waves crashing against the shore provided soothing sounds and it was the only sound as the beach wasn't crowded with sunbathers or tourists after sun down. Often times it was just the two of them walking along the shoreline – it was their beach.

"So Keith and Emily," Peyton said upon hearing the news of Keith's marriage.

"Yep," Lucas kicked the sand, "I couldn't believe it when I heard it...I even saw them with my own eyes and I still couldn't believe it. Keith told me afterwards that Emily found him in Charleston and wouldn't leave until he listened. When he gave in, she explained everything...her debt, meeting Dan, Dan's insane plan...and that in the middle of it all, she really did fall in love with him and that she'd do anything to prove it,"

"What exactly did she do?"

"She took him back to her hometown to introduce him to her family and friends. They stayed there for a couple of weeks and he really got to know the real Emily. Keith said it was like falling in love with her all over again,"

"Except the first time, it wasn't really her..."

It was a bizarre situation to say the least. Lucas and Peyton could only share a laugh because only in Tree Hill will you find a story like Keith's.

"How do you feel about it?"

Lucas shrugged, "If Keith is happy, then I'm happy. I mean, yeah, I was in total shock when they told me, but I really do think that Emily fell in love with him,"

"Some people really deserve second chances,"

"Yeah," He closed the gap between them and put his arm around her, "So how are things with you and your dad?"

"Better," it was all she said.

"But…" he knew there was more and encouraged her to talk.

"But I feel like there are things that my dad isn't telling me,"

"So...you want to see her?"

She let out a long breath, "I don't know. I mean I kinda want to know why she left but at the same time, I don't really care...As far as I'm concerned, my mother was the one who was there for me, who stayed up with me when I was sick...who held my hand the first day of school...who made me hot cocoa when it rained...Even though she was there for me for the first nine years of my life, I still feel like I don't know who she really was,"

"And you think Liz is the only one who can tell you that?"

"She was the only one who knew her when she was growing up,"

"Brooke, you are like a fashion goddess," Samantha exclaimed as she took the top that Brooke picked out for her.

Brooke shrugged off the compliment, "Oh, please. I'm just getting started. You guys haven't seen anything yet,"

"Your fashion sense just proves that you are a Davis through and through, you belong here in L.A.," Caroline remarked. She was also Brooke's cousin, "Are you sure you want to move back to Tree Hill?"

Brooke was about to answer when someone said, "Well you know what they say: You can take a girl out of Tree Hill but you can't take Tree Hill out of the girl,"

Brooke's eyes widened at the sound of the voice. She spun around and her jaw dropped with astonishment. Her voice squealed excitedly, "Nathan!"

"Well, my mom says 'hi' and is very proud of you," Lucas said as he put his cell phone away and joined Haley on the porch swing. On his way home, Karen, who was in New Zealand with Andy, had called to check in with her son.

"How's she doing?"

"She's good. She sounds happy,"

"At least someone is happy," she tried to be optimistic, but sounded bitter instead.

Lucas shot her a questioning look, and then he remembered Nathan and understood. "He'll be back soon, Hales,"

"I know, but it's not that. It's just that…I don't know…sometimes I wish we could go back to the beginning and just do this whole year over or fast forward to next year and not deal with all of this,"

Lucas chuckled, "It won't work. Believe me, I tried,"

"Argh…tell me again why you wanted to join the basketball team again?"

"Hey, I didn't ask you to tutor Nathan," Lucas reminded her, "That was all you,"

"Yeah, only because you two couldn't behave like normal brothers,"

The two best friends sat in silence for a second before saying it at the same time, "It's Dan's fault," Lucas and Haley let out a much needed laugh.

"Why is it that, every terrible thing that has happened, it always comes back to Dan?" Lucas pointed out.

"Six degrees of Dan Scott – He's in the middle of the Tree Hill web of drama," Haley said before becoming quiet again.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I told Brooke I wanted to her to stay,"

Haley didn't think much of the comment, "That was nice of you, Lucas,"

"Then I kissed her," he finished.

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, "Oh…" she got the picture now, "Lucas, I knew you guys were friends again…"

Lucas shrugged, "She's a great girl. We have fun together,"

"I know, but…really? Brooke?" she still couldn't get over it.

"Haley…" he was beginning to get frustrated with her disbelief.

"Ok…Ok…I'm just…umm…so why did she say?"

"She said she had to go and left," Lucas sighed.

"Do you love her?"

Lucas thought for a moment before answering, "You know the thing is, when I'm with Brooke I forget about everything and just have fun. It was exciting to get to know her and work on our relationship. But with Peyton, things were different,"

"How so?"

"With Peyton we never really had to work on our relationship. It was always there and it was like we already understood each other…we never had to say anything to each other, we just knew. It was scary, but only when we had to say it aloud,"

"So I guess your problems with Peyton were insecurity and timing,"

Lucas didn't answer. He just sat there beside her and looked down at his feet. Haley watched her best friend sitting beside her. She wondered what was going on in his head – wondered if he finally knew – wondered if she would be one who would help him realize it.

"Lucas, can I ask you a question?"

His eyes looked up at her, "Yeah, anything,"

"Why is it that, whenever we talk about love, it always comes back to Peyton?"