Chapter 2
Lucas awoke when he felt hands on his shoulders, shaking him waking him, hands too small to be Nathan's. He looked up into honey brown eyes and the lovely oval face of his best friend Haley James.
"Hales? Did something happen? Is Peyton okay? Where's Nathan?" Lucas asked glancing around the empty waiting room.
"He went in with Brooke to see Peyton, she's awake. Your mom came by she heard the message you left on her voicemail and she was freaking out, Nathan took care of her. She had to go open the café she said she'd be back around lunch time." Haley explained.
Lucas suppressed a small smile at the thought of Nathan handling things with his mother, Karen Rowe could be a bit difficult at times if she thought someone she cared about was in trouble, and she cared a great deal for Peyton. Before she even began her tentative relationship with Peyton's father Larry Sawyer Lucas' mother had gotten to know Peyton.
"Oh okay, can I go see Peyton?" he asked.
Haley smiled and nodded, "No ranting or telling her how stupid this all is. We just need to be there for her, she feels bad enough that this all happened, anyways."
"Does she feel bad enough to quit? To stop using for good?" Lucas asked.
"I don't know Luke, it's her life her decision." Haley said darting her eyes away.
Lucas stood and stretched, and then they walked to Peyton's hospital room. Haley was quiet during the elevator ride, she seemed to be in deep thought so Lucas didn't say anything. He wondered if he was going to let things lie. He wasn't the type to ignore 1000 pound purple elephant in the room, but then he knew Peyton didn't need him tell her how to run her life right now.
If he would have just come by earlier and if Haley and Brooke wouldn't have kept it a secret from him he could have done something about it. The more he thought the angrier he got that, he didn't see the signs and that his friends didn't tell him. He took deep breaths and clenched and unclenched his fists before following Haley out of the elevator,
When he walked into the room he saw Brooke in bed with Peyton enthusiastically telling her some story or something, Nathan was leaning against the wall sipping coffee and watching them.
He had only seen Peyton look as frail as she did sitting in that bed the night before and he never wanted to see it again. She looked so small and her blonde curls looked oily like she hadn't washed her hair in days she had dark circles around her eyes and she was smiling a horrible fake smile that everyone in the room could see through, but they all went on pretending that she was okay. Lucas decided then that he had to say something.
"Lucas, hey." Peyton said swapping her fake smile for a real one.
"Hey, Peyton. You really gave us a scare." Lucas said.
"Lucas don't…" Haley started.
"If I don't then she'll just keep on doing it to herself, look in her eyes. She not gonna stop unless we do something." Lucas said.
They all looked at Peyton, Nathan knew Lucas was right, tears began to well up in Peyton's eyes she knew he was right too.
"I'm sorry, I just didn't know what else to–"
"You could have come to one of us, Peyton instead of killing yourself, you're better than this." Lucas said.
"No. I'm not!" Peyton shrieked tears falling freely now.
"Every since the first day I tried it I can't get enough I keep running back for more and more and now all my credit cards are maxed out my savings are drained, I have been selling myself to Rick for more coke. No Lucas I am not better than that. I don't know if I can stop, I don't even know if I want to, it's the only thing I have…"
Nathan was tired of her "poor me I'm a crack whore act".
"Oh come off the bullshit Peyton. You have us, and I know that it might seem like we are all moving in different directions now doesn't mean that you should go and do drugs cause you aren't getting any attention." Nathan said.
Peyton sobbed brokenly, "That isn't why I am doing this."
"Why are you doing this?" Haley asked.
"I–I–I don't know, it's an escape, none of you know what kind of hell I'm going through."
Nathan let out a bitter laugh, "The hell you're going through? All of your pain is self inflicted; we all know you lost your mom. I lost mine too; at least you got to know yours before she died. So what your dad is working all the time it's better than having him knock you around all the time but I guess you wouldn't know anything about that,"
"Nathan, I-I-I."
"No Peyton, we aren't gonna hear anymore excuses. We can't fix this for you only you can but we'll be here for you, but we won't carry you. We have our own crosses to bear." Brooke said wiping tears from her face and getting up off the bed.
"Don't you think I would fix it if I could?" Lucas asked, "I would fix everything for everyone, but I don't have that kind of power." He sighed and walked from the room.
"All I'm gonna say is that I'm gonna be there to help you out but I'm not gonna try to be your hero or your protector and I'm sure as hell not gonna coddle you, and you guys shouldn't either." Nathan said before following his brother out of the room.
He found Lucas exactly where he expected to find him outside of the hospital brooding.
"Why does it all have to be so hard?" Lucas asked.
Nathan paused he wanted to give Lucas an honest and not so sarcastic response, "I honestly don't know Luke."
"I don't either, and there's nothing I can do."
"Maybe we're not supposed to know what to do." Nathan said.
Lucas just stared at him, "But I know what I want to do,"
Lucas looked at Nathan curiosity evident in his eyes, "What do you want to do?" he asked in barely a whisper.
"I want to kiss you," Nathan told him.
Lucas smirked, before seizing Nathan by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him in for a mind blowing kiss.
Haley and Brooke left Peyton's room not long after Lucas and Nathan did. Peyton wouldn't stop crying and the nurse came in and asked them to leave just as Mr. Sawyer was on his way in so it was just as well they left.
Brooke had an appointment with her stylist but Haley was sure it was with Jake. She smiled to herself, as she went to find Lucas and let him know she was going to go home shower and make it to her second class. There was no way she would make the first it started in ten minutes.
She looked for Lucas and Nathan outside of the main exit and then she went around the side right off from the elevator in the little alley way where the nurses smoked, it was someplace seedy that she knew would attract Lucas.
She expected to find Lucas and Nathan outside together, but not together kissing and groping up against a wall. Seeing them resting together made her wonder but seeing them kissing made her heart shatter into a million pieces. It was well guarded secret that Haley liked Lucas, she knew he had to know but he didn't think of her like that, or anything. She never expected that he was going around kissing his brother. Haley didn't know how it made her feel she just knew if she didn't leave right away the hospital might have to admit her as well.
She had never hurt like this she felt like she wanted to throw up and like some fat Japanese Sumo wrestler was sitting on her chest. She stumbled down the corridor of the hospital not really looking where she was going, so it was inevitable that she collide with someone, but what were the odds that that someone was Felix.
She hadn't talked to him since the week before, it was just glimpses in school and she couldn't exactly talk to him during classes.
"Haley," he said offering a stunning white smile and the movie star dimple in his right cheek the smile was soon gone when he saw her tears, "Are you alright?"
"Felix," Before Haley could answer an annoyed voice came from behind her, she turned to see a beautiful Latino girl about her age dressed as candy striper, she could only assume she was Felix's sister.
"Haley," Felix said smoothly maintaining his smile although it seemed a bit forced now, "Have you met my darling little sister Anna?"
"No I don't think so, Anna, I'm Haley." She said extending a hand.
The girl looked her up and down her espresso eyes taking in every aspect of her before shaking her hand.
"It's nice to meet you," Anna said in a whisper as she averted her eyes.
"I hope there isn't anything wrong." Felix said.
"Everything's fine now. My friend OD'd last night, but she's doing pretty good." Haley explained.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Just dropping my sister off." He said shrugging.
"Brooke told him you were in here." Anna explained.
"Oh…"
"Anna, don't you have patients to see?" Felix growled.
Anna rolled her eyes, "I do have to clock in."
"It was nice meeting you too Anna." Haley called after the brunette.
"So can I give you a ride home or is your boy gonna take you?" Felix asked.
"My boy?" Haley didn't understand why guys talked that way.
"The guy with the short blonde hair he's kinda tall on the basketball team but he sucks."
"Lucas? He doesn't suck! He's injured, and he is definitely not my boy." Haley said.
Felix laughed, "C'mon. I'll give you a ride."
"Okay," Haley agreed.
Peyton felt like her whole world fallen down around her, after being reamed out by Lucas and Nathan she had to listen to her father yell and cry and scream at her and then Karen, Lucas' mom stopped by to yell at her too.
So she sat alone wallowing in her misery, her friends were all long gone her father was having lunch with Karen.
A Latin girl with long hair came into the room.
"Hi, I'm Anna, would you like some fresh water?" she asked.
Peyton rolled her eyes, "That would be nice thanks,"
"So… do you go to Tree Hill High?" Peyton asked.
"Just started."
"I haven't really seen you around, but I haven't exactly been there myself lately." Peyton said.
"Are you sick?" Anna asked.
"Only in the head." Peyton answered.
Anna laughed, "No, really why are you here."
"Guess." Peyton told her.
"Eating disorder?" Anna asked.
Peyton shook her head.
Anna laughed, "I'm joking, did you get in a car accident?"
Peyton was appalled she hadn't really thought of her appearance but now there was a pretty girl in the room, "Do I look that bad?"
"You told me to guess, I was using inductive reasoning."
"You just told me I look thin and beat up, which I am, but there was no need to rub it in." Peyton said.
Anna laughed, "Sorry, do you want some lunch?"
"I'd really love a bath." Peyton said.
"I'll make your water and then I'll help you in." Anna said.