Chapter 2
Ok, here's chapter 2. Sorry it's taken so long, but I'm busy with school.
Peyton sat in her room later that day, fingering the small bag stuffed with white powder. She set it down on the bed, crawling down to the floor and sitting on the white carpet. It was still stained. She sat there for what seemed like forever and just stared at it. She just stared at what her life had become……stained. It used to be beautiful and white and pure…now it wasn't. With that, she took a puff from the whiteness wrapped in some yellow paper next to the bag. She loved doing this. When she did this, she felt something other than pain. It was the only time when she felt anything other than pain.
She was interrupted by a pounding on the door downstairs. She tried to shut it out, ignore it. But it wouldn't go away. It was pounding still. She walked over to her record player, picking up her The Ataris record, putting it on. She welcomed the distraction. After a few minutes, the pounding subsided.
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Straight after school, Lucas had jumped into Keith's truck, driving it over to Peyton's. He was still scared for her. He hated to admit it, but he was also worried about himself. She had lost herself to the darkness, what if she tried to pull him down too? No, he decided. I have to be there for her, like nobody has been. He told himself that it was because she was a good friend….lying to himself. Truthfully, he didn't know why. They had become attached, for sure. Even through all the times when they were apart, they still had a bond, an unbreakable bond. But what is the bond? Lucas asked himself. Is it love?
He knocked on the door, afraid that she wouldn't answer, but also scared that she would. What then? After a couple of minutes, he heard the faint music of 'The Saddest Song', one of Peyton's favorite songs from the Ataris. He had always seen how she loved that song. The way her face looked when she listened to it…it was as if it was speaking to her, willing words of comfort. He knew why she liked that song. Her father hadn't been around, and the song's lyrics are about a father left, the two generations talking to each other. She imagines that it's her dad talking to her, he thought. He rang the doorbell one more time, not really surprised when there was no answer. He just walked back to the truck, dead set on talking to her tomorrow. Tonight, he just had to be by himself. To sort these feelings out, he couldn't even begin to help her without being at peace himself. And I can't be at peace without knowing what these feelings are, he thought.
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Peyton was relieved when the pounding subsided. She really didn't feel like dealing with someone talking about some little problem that they had, asking her for answers. She laughed. Why do people come to me to talk? She thought, I'm the most messed up person out of all of them, yet they can't even seem to see it. She listened to the lyrics of the song playing – it was 'the saddest song.' Man, she loved this song. Its words echoed sweet remembrance, willing her to think of her father. Her father who left and lied to her, time and time again. But she still loved him. How do you figure that? The man left me, lied to me and I still call him my father? She sighed, not really wanting to deal with that right now. She just wanted to forget. That was her last thought as she took another puff, sending her mind into a serene mode where all she could think about was nothing. I want to forget.
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The next day, Peyton didn't bother to go to school, knowing that there was no real point. The only reason why she went before was to see him, his sandy blond hair sticking up everywhere, hazel eyes piercing her soul. But he was with Brooke now. It's better for him now, she thought. He deserves to be with someone who can love him back, who can make him feel complete. Not like me. She just sat there all day, blissful when it started to rain, tiny droplets of water forming on her cheeks. She had always loved the rain. She went over to her CD collection, picking out a song she thought was appropriate for today. It was 'Why does it always rain on me?' by Travis. She put it in, enjoying the calm peacefulness, tranquility about to be interrupted.
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Lucas had been worried sick when she didn't show up for school that day, thinking that, pardon the cliché, she was lying in a ditch dead somewhere. He knew that if she missed much more school, they would kick her out. So he went to the main office, politely explaining Peyton's absence over the past few months. Well, he obviously didn't tell the truth. He just said that she had had a family emergency, and had had no time to let the school know. Which is half – true, he thought, ridding is conscience of torment. He got into his car, trying to avoid Brooke as he walked out. Which was unsuccessful.
'Hey, boyfriend,' Greeted the perky brunette, pleased at seeing him at last. She didn't know where he had been lately. She missed everyone, Lucas was always avoiding her for some inane reason, and Peyton was nowhere to be found. She missed them.
'Hey yourself,' he replied, giving her a quick kiss. A kiss which had absolutely no fire in it, Brooke thought.
'Hey so you want to get together tonight?' She asked, knowing that he would say no, but wanting to try and get her boyfriend back.
He replied with a quick 'sorry, can't, gotta help mum,' before practically bolting out of the car park and running down the pathway. It was when he was about five minutes away that he realized he left the truck there.
'Shit!' He cursed, not wanting to go back and face Brooke. So he just kept walking, thinking of how to approach Peyton when he got to her house. He just settled for friendly, not wanting to overwhelm her with seeming too concerned. I just have to make her realize that she has someone here for her, he realized. So, he walked up the front steps, ringing the doorbell.
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Peyton had had a better day, just lying around, not really thinking too much. She had realized that thinking just made her feel worse, when just lying around made her feel free. She felt free right now, like she was floating above the world, watching everyone she loved pass her by, standing a silent salute to her. She shivered, feeling cold after her most recent puffs from the roll of white powder. Just when she was about to lose herself to the darkness she loved so munch, a shrill ringing sound met her ears. She just rolled over wanting it to go away. It didn't. She was feeling a mixture of anger and surprise. Anger at the person who kept her out of the dark, and surprise that someone actually seemed to be making an effort to see her. She walked to the sunlight window, looking out to see who was there. Lucas? What's he doing here? She thought, overwhelmed with surprise, yet still reeling from her drug of choice. She reluctantly walked up to the door, opening it slightly, peering out. Lucas turned, face set to concerned, asking to come in.
She held the door open for him, allowing him access to her world. He followed her in, looking around the mess of a house. She hadn't done any cleaning for at least a month. She walked up the stairs, expecting him to follow her, surprised when he walked into the kitchen instead.
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There was one thing that Lucas noticed more than anything when she opened the door. It wasn't her empty, gaunt eyes or the tears that stained her face. It was her body. She was thin, too thin. She had already been a needle before, but now she was skinny, about half the size that she used to be.
So when she invited him in, making her was upstairs, he headed for the kitchen, intent on making her eat something. He looked around, noticing the mess, and the smell. The house literally looked like a tornado had hit it, smelling of month old dirty clothes. He opened the refrigerator, looking for something edible. All he found was some chocolate and some moldy cheese. The freezer was empty. He picked up the phone, dialing the number for a pizza place. He remembered her telling him once that she loved pizza. He ordered two mediums with everything on them. He thought that some remembrance of the food would help. Her father used to make them for her.
He noticed then that she was standing in the doorway. She wasn't looking at him, though. She didn't appear to be looking at anything, just staring set ahead, seeming lost and alone. He felt an overwhelming desire just to take her into his arms and tell her that everything would be ok. But he couldn't promise that, and even if he could, now was not the time. He just needed her to eat something.
So he forced her to sit on the couch, drinking a glass of tap water. He paid for the pizza when the ding – dong sounded, walking with the two brown boxes into the living room, where she was still sitting, just staring into space. It doesn't even seem like she's there, Lucas thought. He then looked deep into her eyes, setting down the pizza onto a coffee table. Her eyes were red, and not focusing.
Shit! He thought. The reason why she isn't responding is because she's high. With that, he quickly picked her up, her not moving a muscle, laying her down on the backseat of his car. He got into the drivers seat and pushed down hard on the accelerator, knowing it was not good that she was looking so pale, and her eyes unresponsive. He drove to the emergency room at such a fast pace he was surprised that they even made it unscathed. He picked her up, slammed the door and rushed up the steps to the ER, with her shivering in his arms. He ran over to the desk, shouting for help.
Two doctors in lab coats came rushing over, a gurney in between them. When they arrived, Lucas gently laid her down to rest on the table. Her eyes were closed, she was pale, shivering, sweating, her eyes clouded with mist. Foam was forming at the corner of her mouth.
Lucas listened to the doctors' shouting for various pieces of medical equipment in a serene state of mind, all he could think was: Peyton…..drugs….Peyton…..dying? He needed answers, rushing into the trauma room. He was immediately pushed out by a nurse, shouting for Peyton all the way.
Lucas couldn't believe this. Peyton could die. He started to shake uncontrollably, not crying, but shaking. Why aren't I crying? He thought. It was silly, he knew, but all he could feel was guilty because he wasn't crying. But he was in such pain. God, Peyton please stop me from feeling this pain, he thought. He knew he was being selfish, but he couldn't think of anything else. He needed her to be here, she wasn't, and he was in pain. The last thing he saw was the busy bustle of the ER before he fell into a deep, restless slumber.
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Peyton felt like she was floating in a white bubble, high above the world. Her soul was calm, her heart happy. She looked down and saw everyone she loved safe, warm and loved. She was happy once again. But she heard the cries for her. Cries from a masculine, sharp voice that she knew well, a voice that she savored. Lucas? What's happening to him? She wanted to shout for answers, but she couldn't speak, her mouth was moving, no words coming out. She sensed sudden pain, and then felt it all over her body as she left the light, white place and opened her eyes to find a bright light right in her eyes, blinding her.
'She's waking,' she heard an unfamiliar female voice shout. She tried to place the voice. It was warm, kind, and somewhat comforting, like her mother's used to be.
'Get the mask off,' Peyton heard another voice say, different this time, more gruff, more masculine and strong. The light was removed from her eyes as the doctor moved the torch away, preparing to take the mask from the ventilator off her face. She tried to see, tried to focus the images. She saw a woman in a ….blue, yes blue dress it seemed like standing to the right of her bed. Numerous black – shaped objects emitting beeping noises where scattered around the white room, and a man wearing a white, long coat with glasses and a stethoscope around his neck was standing to her left. She was confused, not remembering ever going into hospital. What the hell? She the thought, confused at the unfamiliar images.
But all of a sudden, the lady, or nurse, Peyton suspected, mentioned something about waking up the boy that came in with her. Peyton was shocked to hear this. Somebody came with me? Someone cared enough to come? She wanted to ask who the boy was or what he looked like, but found that, as in her dream, she couldn't speak. The doctor reassured her that it was normal, handing her a pad of paper and a ball – point pen.
Who was the boy who came in? What does he look like?
The nurse chuckled at her curiosity, yet seemed concerned that she didn't remember coming in. She said softly;
'Um, he has blonde hair, tall, hazel eyes, athletic looking.' She said unsurely. The boy had fallen asleep out in the waiting room about ten minutes after they brought her in. She had seen this often. Although it was obvious that he loved this girl, wanting to know how she was, he was so numb with emotional pain and exhausted that he didn't know what to think, and slipped into peaceful oblivion.
'Lucas?' Peyton thought, surprised. Why wasn't he out chasing Brooke instead of being her with me?
'He fell asleep about fifteen minutes after he brought you in. It was….moving, how he was shouting for you, not wanting to leave you. He was exhausted, though it was obvious that you're boyfriend loves you very much,' the nurse said, feeling the need to comfort this young girl.
Peyton was shocked once again…..she had no idea that he even cared, that anyone cared. I have to tell him……. Was her last thought before she fell into the darkness that wasn't so peaceful anymore.
So what you think? Please R+R!