Author's Note: Big chapter! Here, the stalker is revealed, and so are true feelings. Please review! Thanks for your support!

Our Recognition

Chapter 5: Open Your Eyes

Haley had had a long day at the café. Customers had been in and out for the past four hours, and she'd been out late with Brooke the night before. This time, they'd gone to a late movie instead of Tric. The last time they'd been to Tric was the night Stereophonics had played, a few days before. Brooke hadn't wanted to go since. When Haley asked her why, she always dodged the question.

Now that the flow of customers had almost completely died down in the café, Haley was cleaning up the tables and counters. It was twenty minutes to close, and she couldn't wait to sit down.

Hearing the bell on the door chime as her back was turned, she let out a quiet sigh and turned. "Hi, what can I get for y-…" she cut off mid-sentence when she realized who it was. She turned back to what she was doing and said simply, "We're closing soon."

Peyton walked up to the bar, looking heavy with guilt. "Haley, just hear me out."

"Why?" Haley demanded in a hostile tone, still feeling hurt. "You obviously don't think very much of us as friends, so why should I listen to what you have to say?" She continued to angrily stack dishes.

"Because I'm really sorry."

The words were so heartfelt and sincere that Haley was caught off-guard. She finished putting away the last dish, and slowly turned around. "You are?" she said quietly, in a hopeful voice.

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, I really am. I wasn't being fair, Haley, and I know that. But I was angry, and hurt, and I just wasn't sure how ready I was to open up. And lately, letting people in hasn't worked too well for me."

Haley came closer, leaning her elbows on the counter. "You should've known you could trust me, Peyton."

"I know," Peyton conceded. "I know that now, okay? But we can't get any further until you tell me if you forgive me or not."

Haley didn't have to think about it for long. "I forgive you. But what brought you here this late? I mean, it's almost 10:30."

Peyton hesitated. She was exposing herself to the core now, and she wasn't sure how it would go over. But Lucas had told her to let them in, and he was usually right. And right now, she didn't have anywhere else to turn.

"I just…" she started, getting comfortable. "I just have so many thoughts circling around my head right now, and no one to talk to about them. And I realized I'd pushed away the one person who probably would've listened."

Motioning to a nearby table, Haley brought over two cups of coffee and sat down. "I'm listening," she said plainly.

An appreciative smile formed on Peyton's features, and she traced a finger around the mouth of the cup. "First you need to tell me what Brooke has told you."

Haley appeared visibly frustrated at the mention of this. "Can't we just leave Brooke out of it?"

"No, because otherwise I can't tell you the rest."

Haley reluctantly gave in. "She told me you sprung the fact that you still have feelings for Lucas on her right before the wedding. And that she wanted nothing more to do with you because of it."

"Nothing else?" Peyton pushed.

There was more, but nothing Haley felt needed to be shared. Not only because parts of it would be hurtful for Peyton to hear, but also because she wanted to respect Brooke's trust. "That's pretty much it."

Peyton was quiet for a few long moments, sipping the coffee thoughtfully. She finally met Haley's gaze again and asked boldly, "Do you think she really loved him, Haley? I mean, you know what real love is. You know what it's supposed to be. Did they have it?"

Haley was puzzled. "Why? What difference would it make?"

This looked physically painful for Peyton to get out. "You were the only person who ever actually saw Lucas and me together. You know how I felt about him. You know I let him go for Brooke."

Haley nodded. "I know."

Peyton's stare turned to the window. "It hurt a lot to let him go. More than I was ever willing to admit. I…I hate to make our relationship sound empty, because it wasn't, but I hid from those feelings with Jake." Her eyes met Haley's again. "I couldn't hide them anymore. I still can't. I can't just be friends with Lucas, Haley. But if what he and Brooke had was love, I'll back off right now and never say another word."

Haley contemplated that for a moment, thinking over the past six months, and what she'd seen of Lucas and Peyton a year before that. She placed her arms on the table. "Want to know what I think?"

"What?"

Haley stared at her pointedly, then said, "I think you wouldn't have said anything in the first place if you didn't already know the answer to that question."

Peyton was surprised, but not by the response itself. She was more surprised that Haley would say it. She knew it was the truth, she just needed to hear it from someone else. "I didn't want this," she said quietly. "I just wanted to forget about it and move on. To bury it. But even Jake saw past that."

The last part of her sentence had slipped out by accident, and Haley was now intrigued by it. She cursed herself inwardly for saying it. "What do you mean?" Haley asked. "When did you see Jake?"

"Nevermind, it's not important. I just…"

"No, Peyton, it is important," Haley interrupted gently. "Did something happen with Jake that affected your feelings for Lucas?"

Peyton hesitated, not wanting anyone to know how she'd humiliated herself in front of Jake. But she knew Haley well enough to know that she wouldn't let something like this go. "Let's just say Jake knows who my heart is with. Without a doubt, he knows."

Haley wasn't sure what to make of that, but she figured it was all she was going to get. "So…where does that leave you?"

Peyton scoffed. "Basically? In a lose-lose situation."

Haley looked on at her in sympathy. She knew it couldn't be easy on Peyton by any means. She'd been in a situation where she had to choose between her best friend and the man she loved, and it wasn't an easy decision. "What did you want to talk about, then?"

Resting her chin in her hand, Peyton thought for a few moments, trying to sort her thoughts into coherent words. "It's just…we ran from our feelings once before, and look where it got us. I don't want to run again. Especially not now, when I have nothing standing in my way except…"

"Brooke?" Haley offered, but Peyton shook her head.

"Worse."

"Who?"

She swallowed hard. "Myself."

"You're worried he doesn't feel the same way."

"Isn't everyone? God, Haley, I pushed it so far away that I didn't even know how much I still loved him until Jake made me realized it himself. I'm happier than I've ever been when I'm with him. He's my best friend. He's always been the one who saves me. From shootings, from bad situations, and…really, he's always saved me from myself. How am I supposed to let that go?"

Haley was silent for a few moments after Peyton was finished. Honestly, she couldn't entirely see the dilemma anymore. If Peyton felt this strongly for Lucas, and Brooke wasn't a factor, why was she still hesitating? With a shrug, she told Peyton, "It's simple. You don't."

"But it's not that simple," Peyton insisted. "What if he doesn't feel the same way? I mean, I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"But what if he does feel the same way? And you said yourself that it's impossible for you to just be friends, so what do you have to worry about? Are you willing to risk not ever knowing what could've been? What if I had listened to everyone and never given Nathan a chance? I would've missed all the amazing parts of our relationship." She leaned closer to Peyton. "Are you willing to have this happiness you feel when you're with him be shadowed by your doubts?"

Peyton was transfixed by the words. Every word of it made perfect sense. As she mulled the words over, Haley then asked the question Peyton had been asking herself for weeks.

"Are you willing to throw away a future for the present?"

All was silent between Rachel and Brooke when Brooke walked in that night. Rachel got up from the couch, ready for whatever Brooke would do. She wasn't about to apologize for the things she'd said, but she was sorry for the way it had happened.

Slowly, Brooke walked over to the kitchen counter and sat at one of the barstools. "I give up," she said quietly, her chin down. "She wins. It's not worth fighting over anymore."

Rachel traveled a little closer. "Why have you always thought of it as a competition? You could literally have any guy you wanted. Why fight so hard for Lucas?"

"Because he's Lucas," Brooke replied, looking up now. "You don't find guys like him every day. And…what if I never find one like him again?"

All thoughts of an apology left Rachel's mind. It was clear that, given some time to think, Brooke had decided she was right. She took a seat next to her friend. "Brooke, we're in high school. Why does everyone think they're supposed to find 'the one' in high school? We're going to college next year, and there will be so many boys to choose from, you won't know where to start. There's so much more to our lives than high school. Lucas is just your first love."

Brooke had never thought of those things before. All she'd really been focused on the whole year was Lucas and making her senior year last as long as possible. Ultimately, she just didn't want to be alone. That was all she really cared about. After a long silence, she asked, "When did you become so all-knowing?"

Rachel looked somber when she answered, "There is more to me than money and boys. Just like there's more to you than all of that."

Brooke smiled a little. "Who knew?"

With a roll of her eyes, Rachel left the barstool and reach for cookies in the kitchen. Offering one to Brooke, she inquired, "So what made you change your mind? I mean, you were hell-bent on keeping them apart a few days ago."

Focusing on the countertop as she held the cookie in her hand, Brooke remembered the club. "We went to Tric one night, Haley and me. Some band was there, I think it was Stereophonics. I went to get us drinks, and…I saw them in the crowd, singing and dancing to the song. And some part of me knew that nobody else could ever make them feel that way. No one else can touch it. I just never wanted to admit it because I want it so much for myself."

Rachel was impressed. She hadn't expected that kind of response, but it made sense to her. Shrugging a little, she answered, "Doesn't everyone? Most people spend their lives looking for it."

"And maybe they've already found it. That's the part that sucks."

"So…do you still hate Peyton? Or no?"

"I don't know," Brooke replied honestly. She wanted to see them both happy, but it was so hard to let go. "The way she went about all of it is what still bothers me. But then…I told Lucas once that you can't control love. And I still believe that."

Rachel took a thoughtful bite of her cookie. "So what are you going to do?"

It was getting late that night, but Peyton knew she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. Haley's advice was still whirling around in her head, and it wouldn't let her rest.

Browsing iTunes, Peyton clicked on a song she'd been meaning to listen to for a while. As she listened, the band seemed to be singing her song. It was about love; about seizing it when it's right in front of you, because you finally realize you can't spend another second without them. Being physically unable to live without them. It was about so deeply knowing someone you love, you don't feel like anyone else could ever understand them so well. It was exactly how she felt.

Picking up her sketchbook, she started working on her latest drawing again. It was halfway finished, and she'd now found the perfect words to enhance it. The drawing showed Lucas and herself at Tric, looking at each other with happy expressions. She hadn't quite finished the faces yet, so she drew both Lucas and herself with closed eyes. Then she wrote the words, "Open Your Eyes" at the top. It was just what she'd been looking for to complete it.

Lost in her drawing and the music, Peyton heard a ding emit from the speakers and her head snapped up. She knew what that sound meant.

LUCAS: Hey you.

Peyton instantly felt at ease and let out a sigh of relief before smiling and typing back.

PEYTON: Hey, what's up?

LUCAS: I've found a way to repay you for the other night. Can I come over? I wasn't sure you'd be there, your webcam isn't on.

PEYTON: Yeah, it's been all out of whack. But you can come over. I can't wait to see what it is.

LUCAS: I think you'll like it. See you in a few.

PEYTON: K, bye.

LUCAS: Bye.

(LUCAS has signed off)

Putting the song on repeat, Peyton started listening to it again and closed her eyes, feeling more and more with every passing moment that this song was trying to tell her something. She needed to tell Lucas the truth. But those ugly doubts kept casting their shadows over her mind…

WATCHMEWATCHU: That's right, Peyton. Open your eyes. Open your eyes to the fact that you just might not get the guy this time.

The second ding that caught her attention was far less harmless. Especially when she thought about how she'd blocked this user already. How did they break through without changing their screen name?

WATCHMEWATCHU: Aww, did I hurt your feelings? So easily bruised for someone so angsty and broody. What if they all knew how weak you really are?

Suddenly, it all became clear. She knew who it was. Looking around the room, the IM window vanished and Peyton saw her dark angel self in the doorway, looking spiteful and cruel as ever.

"Missed me?" she asked sweetly. "You must've, to make up those crazy, creepy messages. Too bad it wasn't a homicidal psycho for Lucas to save you from, huh?"

Peyton placed her hands over her face and made a noise of aggravation. "I thought I got rid of you!" she exclaimed.

Her subconscious laughed dryly. "You thought nothing would ever bother you again? God knows poor Peyton can't be happy for more than five minutes."

Getting up from her chair, she crossed the room and stood across from her subconscious with her arms crossed. "So what do you want this time?"

"Oh, I think you know."

Remembering the first messages she'd received, she rolled her eyes. "Is this about Lucas? Because I've heard enough already."

"How long do you really think you have, Peyton? There are sixty-two days left of your senior year, before you all go your separate ways. Are you going to wait until it's too late, like you did with Ellie? Because that turned out so well."

"It's a bigger risk," Peyton defended weakly, feeling attacked.

"Why? Lucas doesn't have cancer." Her subconscious snapped her fingers and added mockingly, "Oh! But I think he does have that heart disease, HCM. Seems to be our luck, doesn't it?"

Setting her jaw, Peyton demanded, "Fine. What do I have to do to get rid of you this time?"

"Easy. Just open your eyes."

And Peyton did.