Thank you guys for the reviews. I noticed, Leytonunit, that you had a question regarding the beginning of the first chapter. The beginning of that chapter was sort of like a daydream of Lucas'. I put Lucas into Jimmy's position, and later specified the reason why. As a result of last night's episode, clearly a lot of people, including Lucas, blamed Jimmy for everything that happened. I wanted to show that Jimmy could have been anyone else who felt disoriented from the world around them. Sorry I didn't make that as clear. I was going to in the beginning, but I had to get off and wanted to post the first chapter before I went to bed. But from now on, like most of my other fanfics, flashbacks and dream sequences will be shown in italics. I just find it easier that way; for me to type and also for people to read.

I was sort of disappointed from last night's episode, so for the most part, this fanfic most likely from now on will NOT follow what's happening in the show. I don't like the looks of next week either since they're shoving Peyton off with someone else while everyone else is hooking up. Peyton will never be that kind of person to me, and I probably wouldn't even be able to write her that way if I tried.

Hope you enjoy this chapter! Maybe more than some of you enjoyed last night's episode.

Love, Emily


Peyton slowly made her way out of Brooke's convertible BMW bug, Brooke already standing right next to her with her crutches. With a smile, Peyton took them from her, situating herself before they both headed toward their school. She stopped with Brooke, both of them looking up at the building, noticing the plants that had been there for years but never had been noticed before. No one ever took the time to look around them. Not until now.


"Somebody has a gun inside, they're shooting…" Brooke crashed into Lucas' chest heatedly, tearful, and out of breath. "I lost Peyton!"

"Wai-Wait, Peyton was shot!"


It was the first day Tree Hill High would be open since the incidents of last week. School was starting late, ten in the morning, ironically, just around the same time the madness ended days prior. The two best friends weren't surprised to see a line forming outside the front entrance, two metal detectors now sitting in the doorways accompanied by police officers. They joined the lines uncomfortably. It was relatively quiet, confusion, fear, and sadness crossing peoples' faces. No one had anything to say, just a few awkward smiles, a few comforting hugs; a lot of silence.

"Hey, Peyton, how are you?" She almost didn't hear her own name, the silence overcoming her, pushing her mind back into the memories of what was left of their school. It was Bevin standing next to her, a small smile appearing on her face.

"I'm okay…" was her simple answer. That's all that needed to be said.


"No, don't leave me, please!" Her eyes were pleading with him, becoming widened with just the idea of him leaving her alone again. He shushed her quickly, holding her face in his hands, drowning her worries with a simple look of his eyes.

"I'm not leaving you, Peyton." His words were simple and direct. "I promise…"


"P. Sawyer, you ready?" Brooke rubbed her shoulder lightly, the second person to knock her out of her own thoughts in the past two minutes. With a not so sure smile, she nodded, handing over her bag to security, watching him tear through the contents of her messenger bag. Her bag was handed back to her rather roughly; shoved almost. She took it quickly and followed Brooke into the school.

There was a small memoriam in front of Jimmy's locker which consisted of a small poster, a few candles, and flowers laid on the ground against it. Both of them slowed down in front of it, along with the handful of students who beat them to it. Mouth made his way toward the front of the small crowd until finally standing just in front of the lit votive candles. His eyes soon filled with tears, and he excused himself, heading down the hallway toward the bathroom.

"I'm going to go follow him, will you be okay?" Brooke asked, one of her hands on moving onto Peyton's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll be fine…" She smiled as Brooke disappeared behind the group of people surrounding them. Slowly, she made her way to her locker, watching as the crowd died down, one by one.


"If I say, I love you right now, will you hold it against me?" She looked toward the blonde sitting next to her, blinking back tears as her own voice cracked. His face changed slightly, and she wasn't sure what to think of it. "Come here…" she tilted her head up, capturing his lips briefly with her own with a small peck.

"Just in case you can't keep your promise…"


"Shit…" she cursed herself as a book fell from her grasp.

"A little klutzy there aren't you, hobbles?" Nathan slowly bent down, picking the book up for her and grabbing all the others from her grasp. "You're supposed to have someone carry these you know?" He smirked at her as she shut her locker, beginning to hand him her backpack as well. "I didn't mean backpacks, I meant books, weakling." Peyton smiled, threatening to hit him by lifting her crutch slightly.

Nathan put his arm out in front of her, surprising her slightly as she looked up to see what he was looking at. It didn't take long. It was Luke. But it wasn't. He was drunk, or close to it, and the two of them knew it right away. She hurried toward him, Nathan behind her, hoping too many people weren't too interested in the scene he was most likely about to throw out. "Luke, come on, let's go…" she reached for his arm, but he pulled it away.

"Lucas, let's go man, seriously. Don't do this."

"Do what? Something stupid like I don't know, bring a gun to school?" A few people were turning their heads at his comment, his voice slightly slurred. "I thought that's what people did here when they wanted everyone else to feel sorry for them."

"Luke, come on," she slightly pulled at his arm, trying to avoid the stares that were being thrown at her, Lucas, and Nathan.

"Lucas, it's not worth it, let's go." Nathan was a bit more direct, trying to be more persuading.


"Drinking through the pain?" He turned to her face, watching as the smile faded, a slight nod taking its place. A look of concern crossed his face as she made herself comfortable on the hotel bed.


"Keith is worth it!" his voice was strong and threatening. "And if I hadn't have come back in here, he'd still be alive."

Peyton looked up at him, trying to see if he'd take back what he just said. Trying to see if he'd realize what he just said. He didn't. "Yeah, and you would've been at my funeral…" She grabbed her books from Nathan and made her way out of the school, not turning around to see if anyone followed.