Notes: I'd just like to say thank you to the reviewers from chapter one. I hope you all continue liking this. Also, depending on how this fic goes over with you all, I do have an idea for a sequel, I've had plans for one since I began outlining this fic. It all depends on if you guys like this one though.
Chapter Two
August 21, 2014
Not much had changed in Tree Hill, North Carolina over the years. The people had come and gone but the town had remained essentially the same. Tree Hill High School was still held at the center of the town, basketball the main staple of the school, blue and white Ravens banners covering the small area. The Rivercourt was still populated by the hopeful teenage boys, born on the wrong side of town, not the richest or the most popular but still full of dreams. The end of summer beach parties remained along side the burning boat ceremony. At the edge of town the students could still be found partying on the weekends at Tric or stopping in Karen's Café for an afternoon snack.
The memories of the Scott legacy had dwindled over time, the brothers moving on with their lives, Dan finally leaving the town. The wounds that had been inflicted by the family over the years healed and a sort of stillness had come to rest over the town. The memories of shootings and car crashes, fires and heartaches remained as nothing more than a light stain against the town, memories that had been pushed away by the departure of the involved.
Karen Roe had remained in Tree Hill, along with her business partner and best friend Deb Scott. Whitey Durham, former Ravens coach and a sort of father figure to everyone who had attended Tree Hill High during his reign.
Business in the small café was booming that Thursday afternoon, summer vacation was coming to an end and the students were trying to enjoy their last days of summer to the fullest. As Karen finished pouring a cup of coffee for one of her customers as a boy about seven popped up from behind the counter, phone in hand.
"Mom, some guy's on the phone for you. It's not Nathan or Lucas," he said, handing the phone to Karen. Accepting the phone, Karen smiled, remembering all the times Lucas and Haley had sat in the same spot under the counter when they were younger, even a few times when things got hard in high school. Sometimes it amazed Karen how similar her sons were in every way but their looks. Will was the spitting image of his father, Keith Scott, who had been killed just weeks after Karen must have conceived. She had experience at being a single parent, but the circumstances had certainly been different.
"Did he say who it was?" Karen asked, snapping out of her thoughts. Will shook his head.
"Just that he wanted to talk to you. Can I go meet Deena at the park?" Karen nodded.
"Be back before sundown and be careful," she told him, holding the phone up to her ear and watching her son leave the café. "Hello?" As the man on the phone spoke, Karen's face began to fall. The bell above the café door sounded, Deb entering with several bags in hand.
"I got everything on the list except for the Bisquick," she informed Karen before noticing that her friend was on the phone. Seeing the pained expression on Karen's face, Deb sat the grocery bags down on the counter and gave the other woman a questioning look. A few moments later, Karen hit the off button and slowly lowered the phone.
"Can you cover for me for a minute?" Karen asked. "I have to make a call." Deb nodded, concern growing on her face.
"Of course," she told Karen, stepping behind the counter as Karen took off, phone still in hand.
Lucas propped his feet up on the wooden coffee table and sunk down into the couch, turning his television on. His home in Miami was small, about half the size of his home growing up, but it was perfect for him. He figured at the stage of life he was in he didn't need much space, just a one bedroom one story house, reasonably cheap and within walking distance of the gym.
He had the day off, Craig had been too hung over to meet with him. Lucas wasn't sure if he was more amused or annoyed with the boy, but he had no doubt that he was going to make the best of his day off. Even if the best just included sitting on his couch watching Comedy Central.
From a far corner of his house, the phone rang, pulling Lucas from his thoughts. Climbing off of the couch he began to search the house for the phone, cursing himself for hardly ever picking up. Finally locating it, in the washing machine of all places, and he wasn't even going to wonder how that worked out. Pulling it out of the machine he turned it on and headed back for the living room.
"Hello? Oh, hey mom. What's wrong? When? Yeah I want to be there. I'll get a flight out as soon as I can. Thanks for letting me know..." Lucas stared at the phone in his hands for a few moments before turning it back on and punching in the familiar numbers of Nathan and Haley's house.
"Daddy, Uncle Luke is on the machine," Emily announced happily as she ran into the den where her parents sat. Lifting her head from Nathan's lap Haley patted Nathan lightly on the knee to help push herself to her feet. Yawning she followed her daughter into the front of the house just in time to hear the answering machine cut off. Throwing her head back in frustration she let out a heavy groan, hitting the playback button.
"Hales, Nate, call me when you get the chance," Lucas's voice sounded over the small grey machine.
"Vague," Haley muttered, pulling the phone from its cradle next to the answering machine and dialing Lucas. "Luke, hey, it's me. What's up?" she asked."Wait, what did you say? When did it happen? Nathan's got time off practice, we'll get down there as soon as we can."
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked Haley upon her re-entering the den, Emily close behind as she also wondered what was wrong.
"We need to drive down to Tree Hill.." Haley started.
"Hello? Love Shack's whore house, now serving number seventeen," Amber said into the apartment phone, panting. She had just entered the flat after a three mile run and had planned on collapsing from exhaustion, not really in the mood to chat. She giggled at the confusion evident on the callers voice and assured him that he hadn't accidentally called a whore house. "Who are you looking for?" Amber asked him. Waiting a few seconds for the caller to answer she sat the phone on the table and ran over to the bedroom she shared with Peyton and Liza, throwing the door open.
The blonde sat up quickly as the door slammed into the wall. "Trying to give someone a heart attack?" Peyton asked her friend. Rolling her eyes, Amber entered the room and threw herself on the bottom bunk bed.
"Some guy's on the phone for you. Are you hiding a boyfriend from us, Sawyer?" she questioned. After climbing down from the top bunk Peyton stuck her head in the lower to face Amber.
"Funny. No. And you know nothing stays secret in this house. We're all too nosy for our own good."
"This is very true," Amber agreed. Rolling her eyes, Peyton left the room and made a b-line for the phone.
"This is Peyton," she said, trying to think of who would be calling her. As far as she knew no one had the flat number except for doctors, lawyers and their land lord, the group all used their cell phones for personal calls. "Nathan? God, it's been like four months, how are you? How are Haley and Emily? What's up? Seriously? I'll be on the next flight out. Yeah, I still have the key for my dad's house, I can stay there. Nate? Thanks for calling."
"Brooke Davis," Brooke said, moving her latte over to her left hand, sliding the shopping bags that she had been holding on in her left hand down her wrist. She readjusted herself, moving her cell phone from its spot between her chin and shoulder into her right hand. "Hales!" she shouted excitedly into her phone once she recognized the callers voice.
Hailing a cab she tossed her bags into the back seat, nearly spilling her drink all over. "How's the other coast treating you? What? No way. You're sure? I'll be there as soon as I get back to my place. Well I need to get plane tickets. Expedia, duh. I thought you were the smart one in this friendship. Thanks for the offer, I know somewhere I can stay. Yeah, I'll see you in a few days," Brooke told Haley. Ending the call she quickly gave the driver directions to her apartment before dialing Mark and instructing him to charge a ticket to Tree Hill for her.
