A/N: I'm SO sorry! It's taken me over two years to update. I don't know if anyone reads this anymore. But I promised I wouldn't give up on my stories so I'm trying to keep going and do better, update more often again. I don't know how often that will be but I'll do my best!
"Remember the Boy Toy Auction our junior year in High School?" Haley asked. They were lounging by the pool at Nathan and Haley's, enjoying the last moments of normal. In about an hour Nathan and Peyton would be starting a road-trip to Charlotte for a flight to New York. Julian had had a production emergency and couldn't join them, so it was just the five of them - friends all the way from high school.
It took a moment for anyone to react to Haley's sudden question. Lucas was the first one to lightly chuckle. Soon Peyton and Brooke were smiling, too. And finally Nathan nodded.
Brooke glanced quickly around to make sure the kids were still playing further along and baby Ellen was sleeping. Then she laughed and said "How could we ever forget that Nathan had painted 'Boy Toy' on his chest. The whole room smelled like sex so much you could feel it all the way to the registration."
Peyton smirked. Haley still looked as mortified as she had all those years ago and it seemed that was exactly what Brooke was aiming for. "That's what I said back then! But you weren't there, were you?"
"I got in just when it was over. But half the school had photos to show me so I feel like I was there." Brooke winked at her best friend.
"So what were you saying about it, Hales?" Nathan tried to come to his wife's rescue.
"Ah, never mind anymore. It just feels awkward now after getting to the lovely stunt you pulled." Haley smiled back at him, but everyone else was still looking at her eyebrows raised high, expecting an explanation. "I just.. I just thought back on the questions I was thinking back then. Would you ever have been able to imagine life as it turned out?"
It was a good question. It had been a long time ago. It felt like a lifetime... Actually it was.
Lucas chuckled slightly bitterly. "A failed marriage by the time you turn 30? I messed up pretty bad back then, but no I didn't imagine…" he stopped mid-sentence as his phone rang. He checked it and stood up. "It's Lindsey - I gotta take this. Excuse me."
"I actually think that's the night I got the first glimpse of the road ahead to This Life we're living now." Brooke told as they all followed Lucas's phone call from afar.
"What do you mean by that?" Haley was the first one to get back to their own conversation.
"I mean, I bought Mouth from the auction. It was the beginning of our friendship. That was a big deal."
"I get what you mean, Brooke. The new me got tested that night on my date with Peyton. Made me realize I didn't want to be the jerk that I had been. In some ways it was a big step towards marrying Haley." Nathan winked at his wife.
Brooke chuckled. "What'd you think about that P.?" But Peyton was not paying attention.
"That's close to how I came up with the topic actually." Haley took another sip of her sweet tea while checking out Lucas, who seemed confused standing there further away and talking on his phone. "I kind of decided that night I wouldn't want Nathan to take Peyton as his date ever again. And here we are.. About 14 years later and I'm happily sending you two off to New York together."
Nathan grinned, checked his watch and reached to peck his wife on the mouth. "You know you're amazing, right? See if you can get my date come back to us from the spell my brother cast. I'll go see the kids before we go." He purposely walked past Peyton breaking her line of sight to his brother waving his hand to catch the woman's attention. "Quit daydreaming.. You get to go to New York with the hotter Scott Brother. We should leave in 10."
Seven minutes later everything was packed into the car. Peyton had already said her goodbyes to everyone but Lucas who was still on the phone. Nathan was still finishing his rounds. Goodbyes took a lot longer when there was a pregnant wife to kiss. Actually, Peyton had learned a long time ago that Nathan and Haley did not need pregnancy hormones to make goodbyes take a long time.
"You're sure you don't want to go in my stead, Haley?"
"Nah, you should go. It'll do you both good."
They got into the car, waved good-byes and started driving toward Charlotte. Nathan was driving and Peyton scrolling through the radio channels trying to find something to listen to.
"So Sawyer, how do you think our trip will turn out?" Nathan asked.
The next station on the radio was playing Switchfoot's Dare You to Move -
"I dare you to move, I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.."
Peyton just smiled first, listening to the lyrics and letting them sink in properly. She had heard the song before, of course, but somehow in that moment it made sense of her world like never before. "I think my goal is this song."
Nathan raised his eyebrows at the answer. "What do you mean by that? Like sign Switchfoot to Red Bedroom?"
Peyton smiled even wider at the idea. "Of course I wouldn't mind that. But I think they'll manage without me.. No, it's this idea of being between who I am and who I should be and then daring to move and pick myself up off the floor. I don't know if I'm ready to be quite that brave and I'm not sure what it means in real life - in my life - outside the song, but I think I'll look for inspiration for it on this trip."
Nathan chuckled lightly "So this is what you meant by being a lyric girl? A simple question turns to song analysis and soul searching..?"
"Oh gosh, I didn't even remember my lyric girl theory anymore. How did you even know about it?"
Nathan shrugged "I listened to your podcasts in high school."
Peyton smiled at him. And for a moment they were both quiet. It felt nice to be reminded that Nathan had had her back for so long. He didn't always express the caring as eloquently as Lucas did but he was tuned in to what was going on in her life and he was there for her. Maybe he knew and understood more than he let on.
"You know Peyton, you're like the bravest person I know. Well, to think of everything I've put Haley through over the years, it might be a tie… But still." Nathan brought her back to the conversation they were having.
"I just don't feel that brave. There are so many days when I just want to curl up and hide away." Peyton admitted. "I'm pretty sure the only reason I don't do it is because I know Lydia would organize a search and rescue operation if I just vanished."
Nathan chuckled. "True. We'd find your hiding place and just start hanging out there. For better or worse - You're stuck with us, Sawyer."
Meanwhile back in Tree Hill Lucas was finally finishing his phone call. The kids hadn't returned to their games after Nathan and Peyton's departure but had started to circle around their uncle Lucas to get his attention. Noticing their mothers' watchful eyes on them Lydia and Brandon tried to be subtle about it at first but the mystery got too intriguing and it did not take long until Lucas had two little ones by his legs trying to listen in on the conversation and making funny faces to divert the man's attention.
"You really think it could work?" he asked for the third time in the phone call. "No, I'm ready. It's definitely worth the shot. I'll take a look at the papers, talk with mine and try to make it there as soon as I can. This is what you want, too? Right, Linds?"
Though she tried her hardest to figure out what was going on with her uncle, the conversation didn't make much sense Lydia. It also ended right after that so she just made of note of what she had heard - ready, papers, Lindsey - and delivered the news that Lucas had missed her aunt and daddy's departure.
Haley and Brooke were quick to make it to Lucas, too, though they had the courtesy to not eavesdrop while he was still on the phone.
"So what did Lindsey want?" "What's going on?"
Lucas looked at the women clearly pondering what to say. "Lindsey had some surprising news for me. I know you're dying to hear everything. But I need some time to figure things out by myself first."
"Not even a little hint?" Brooke asked showing with her fingers how little, like he'd be talking to Brandon.
"Is everything alright?" Haley was more worried than curious.
Lucas smiled and gave his best friend a hug. "Yes, everything is fine. I'll fill you in on everything soon. I just need a couple of days."
With that he said his goodbyes to his friends and nieces and nephews and drove away leaving two baffled women and their children waving at him. None of the adults noticed it, but little Lydia's eyes sparked up as she followed her uncle driving off and watched how confused her mama and aunt were by the turn of events.
A/N: If you're still reading, all I can say is Thank You for sticking with the story! I'd love to hear your thoughts, whatever they are. The next chapter should take us to New York with Nathan and Peyton and provide insights to what little Lydia is up to and what's going on with Lucas and Lindsey.