Keep Hope Alive

Author's Notes: Thanks for all reviews! Chapter title credit- Only Time by Enya

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own anything that is One Tree Hill or its characters.

Chapter Two: Only Time

Brooke sat on the cold floor, her back propped up against the wall. How long had her and Nathan been sitting on that floor? She took a glance at a clock on the wall, and while it seemed like it had been hours, it had only been a few minutes.

The school was now quiet, and from the sound of things, everyone had escaped, or there were lying somewhere dead. That was a thought Brooke really didn't want.

She turned to see her dark haired friend, still sitting in the same position. Nathan hadn't moved a single bit. The light had been turned off in the room, but it was still dimly light from the window. It was the window they were carefully avoiding. Brooke could only image what would happen to the pair if Jimmy happened to comedown the hall and glance in the window.

"Nate?" Brooke asked softly, mostly for reassurance.

Nathan lifted his head from the wall, and turned his head in Brooke's direction. "Yeah?" He asked, not as politely as she had hoped.

"What are we gonna…do? Do you have like a plan or something?" Nathan shook his head in a depressing manner.

The truth was, he had no plan, no idea at all what to do. While he didn't want to pity himself, he couldn't help but think what a bad husband he was. Not only could he not get to Haley, but he couldn't think of a single game plan either.

"So we're just going to sit here?" Brooke asked, using an innocent tone. Nathan didn't reply.

"Do you know if, Lucas, or Peyton, or Haley made it out?" She asked, still in a quiet tone.

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Lucas had made it to the area around the tutor center, without a lot of time. The halls were almost cleared, and every step forward he had taken, could have been his last. Thankfully, Haley had let him into the classroom. He took a quick glance at the remaining people in the room, noticing almost all of them. Mouth, Skillz, Tim, Rachel, Bevin, a guy he didn't know, and…Jimmy?

Lucas, unaware of the identity of the shooter, shrugged it off. He looked down at Haley, regaining all hope. He wrapped both of his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. As he pulled away, he could see it in her eyes, the exact thing he was dreading.

"Lucas. I'm so glad you're here." Haley had spoken, not yet asking what she really wanted to. "Is… Nathan? Is he okay?"

His expression became sad and sympathetic. "Peyton said he came in, looking for you. I, I didn't see him."

Haley nodded, in defeat. The one thing she had been clinging onto, the one thing that would make her feel so much better in a situation like this, could be dead.

"Hales. He's fine. I know he's fine. You know Nathan, you know that he's strong." Lucas reassured her as he wrapped an arm around her, and gave her a comforting hug.

"I know he's okay, he has to be." Haley still looked scared out of her mind, and it was killing Lucas that he couldn't make it stop.

Lucas pulled away from Haley, as he looked at the others, who all seemed to be in quiet conversation. Skillz and Bevin seemed completely unfazed. They were looking at each other, with love in their eyes, as if there was nothing else in the world.

Lucas remembered that look. That was the look that he and Brooke shared every time they were together. Oh god, Brooke. Brooke was still in the school? How would he find her?

Down the line, he saw Mouth, who had the exact expression that most of the students were wearing…shock. Beside him, Rachel stood, staring straight ahead, her arm rested in Mouth's.

The next student, Lucas had no idea who he was. Beside the unknown kid, was a familiar dumb brown haired boy, who seemed to still have that smile on his face…Tim.

"Hey, Lucas, my-" Tim started as he walked toward them.

"Tim…don't say anything." Lucas said, cutting him off. The last sight in his room, was actually scaring him a bit. Jimmy Edwards. The boy seemed very on edge, more than the rest of the teens. He turned back to Haley, trying to quickly come up with a plan. He could get them out of the school, and find Brooke and Nathan?

"Luke? What are we gonna do?" Haley asked as she stood against the desk. Meanwhile, Lucas was pacing back and forth, deep in thought.

"Okay. Okay. Here's what we're going to do. I got in through the entrance by the quad, and made it here. I think we can get there." He started. He needed more, more of a plan.

Suddenly, all his thinking was useless. Jimmy, listening carefully to their conversation, had made his way to the middle of the room. He was now holding a shiny, life threatening piece of metal. "No one goes anywhere!" He yelled, raising the gun in Lucas' direction.

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Peyton got off the bus, and walked into the gym. She could remember the times when her, Brooke, and Haley would stand on the sidelines in their cheerleading uniforms. On the court would be Lucas and Nathan, playing their hearts out. And she could see Whitey in his suit and tie, yelling to the players.

Now the gym was filled with scared parents and their children.

And the worst thing about it, they were the lucky ones. The people sitting on the bleachers in tears and hugging their parents, they were the lucky ones.

Peyton slowly walked over to a person who seemed to be in charge. All these teens were leaving the doors, arm and arm with their guardians. Peyton had no one. Both her moms were now gone, and her dad was nowhere to be known. The love of her life was gone due to legal and daughter issues, and her four closest friends were possibly gone forever.

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"I don't know Brooke. I don't know anything. I don't know if they made it out, I don't even know what the hell is going on! All I know is that we're stuck in a room, with a window, and there's a fucking shooter in the building with us!" He snapped, causing her to get even more emotional.

Not that he was mad at her, he just didn't have any idea what to do, and he could not handle her incessant questions.

"I…I'm sorry, Nate." She said, as she continued staring at the wall in front of her. She had no idea where Lucas or Haley were, but she knew for a fact that Peyton had been in that hallway.

Most of her thoughts were on the three people that she was closest too. The other thoughts, on herself and Nathan. Her body was frozen with fear, horrified that this day would be their last.

A single tear fell from her eye, and then more came. She wouldn't usually be this emotional around anyone, but under this situation, she couldn't contain it.

Nathan gave a small sigh as he heard the girl next to him. He could tell Brooke was trying to contain her cries, but he could still hear it. Great, now he could add another mistake to his long list. He'd upset her, in the worst possible time ever.

After a minute of complete awkward silence, Nathan turned his head, looking down at Brooke. She was huddled against the wall, her arms wrapped around her legs, and her face rested on her knees.

"Brooke…I didn't mean to snap at you…I just-" He started to apologize.

"Whatever. It's fine." She stated, cutting him off.

Nathan gave a sigh as he looked around the cold dark room, scared out of his mind. Facing Jimmy, in order to get to Haley at the tutor center, was starting to appeal to him.

But the thought kept creeping back into his mind. What would happen if they went, and he shot them? He wouldn't been helping Haley at all by dying, he would be leaving her alone is the scary world. And he would never be able to live with himself if something happened to Brooke, but he couldn't just leave her there.

His only option at the moment, sit and wait. All they had left was time. Time to wait, time to think, time to live. Only time.