Episode 12 Ch. 4 Letting Go

Chase was shooting around when pulled up in her car. He looked a little shocked to see her, but he was happy. He walked over towards her car as she got out. "Laura," he said.

"Hi," she said lowly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to apologize for jumping to conclusions," she told him. She felt bad for always giving him trouble.

"It's ok I have that kind of reputation," he said. He wasn't too happy with the person he had been in his past.

"Yeah but a lot of times people can change their reputation by being better."

He smiled, "Are you saying I have?"

"I'm saying you are working on it…" she trailed off.

"So"

"So you want to play one on one," she said taking the basketball from his hands.

"You don't want to play against me," he said with a cocky attitude.

"Oh it is so on," she told him.

"Fine I'll spot you a few points," he smiled.

"No points necessary I'm gonna kick your butt without help," she shoots a perfect shot and it goes in. "Oh yeah…you better watch out Mr. Davis…I'm definitely going to win."

"Well what do I get if I win?" he asked.

She shook her head, "You're not going to."

"Well what do you get if you win?"

She moved closer to him, "When I win," she said making sure he knew she was going to win. "I get you," she smiled.

"You are definitely going to win."

"I thought you would see it my way," she shot the ball again and it win in.

…………………………………

Noah and Ashton were at the beach when Elizabeth walked up to them. "Hey guys," she greeted them. "Noah, I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah we've just been hanging out waiting on you."

"Well here I am," she was actually happy to see him.

"So what did you have to do today?"

"Run some errands for my mom," she lied, but she didn't want him to know about Tyler.

"How did that go?" Ashton knew where she was, and she was wondering if anything had changed.

"You know just the same as usual," she responded.

Ashton nodded her head.

"Well I'm glad you are here now we can make sand angels," Noah said.

"No way I'm gonna get sand everywhere," she was shaking her head. She refused to get dirty.

"Chicken," he remarked.

"I'm not a chicken," she exclaimed.

"You so are," he said again.

She smiled, "Alright ok let's make sand angels, but I'm going to have the best one of all."

"Yeah I doubt it," he smiled at her. Ashton could tense the flirtation between the two of them.

………………………………………

Lucas was in his office looking at game tapes when he hears some noise coming from the gym. He gets up and walks to the gym where he sees Keith shooting around. "Aren't you supposed to be at home?"

Keith turns around and shrugs his shoulders, "I wanted to get out."

"Your mom is probably worried about you."

"It doesn't matter if I'm here or at home she's still going to worry about me," he told his dad. Lucas knew that was true. "You have to talk mom into letting me play. I can't lose basketball."

"I can't do that," he said shaking his head.

"Why? You of all people should know how I feel," Keith was trying to make Lucas feel bad, and it was working.

"Yeah I do Keith, and it sucks, but I also know what it feels like to have a heart attack. I never want you to know that feeling," Lucas tried to explain.

"I can handle it."

He raised his voice, "No you can't!" Lucas tried to calm himself. He knew that yelling wouldn't solve any problems. "I can't let you play, and I am so sorry that this happened to you. I am sorry that I gave you my heart condition, but I can't risk it. I won't risk your life."

Keith was furious, "This sucks." He took the ball he was playing with it and threw as hard as he could against the floor, "I HATE YOU and YOUR DAMN HEART," he screamed.

Those words killed Lucas. He never wanted his kids to feel that way about him. "Keith your coming home with me," he said walking closer to him. Keith pushed him away.

"NO…I'll see you later," he walked out of the gym leaving Lucas heartbroken and looking for answers he wasn't sure he would be able to find.

………………………………..

Laura and Chase were still shooting around. She shot and the ball went in. She did her arms up in the air to celebrate her victory. "I win…I told you I was going to win."

"You are really good," he noted.

"Thank you very much."

"So you said if you won you got me," he reminded her.

"Yeah…..I think we should take things really slow," she informed him.

"Ok…I could slowly walk up to you and kiss your beautiful lips," he said as he kept walking towards her.

She stepped back, "Or you could slowly ask me on date, and I could say yes"

"Your not gonna let me kiss you," he was disappointed.

"One step at a time…..What time are you going to pick me up?"

He smiled, "How about you never leave? I have an idea." He took her hand, and she had no idea what he had in store for her.

………………………………………………..

Lucas was still sitting in the gym when Nathan comes in. "Are you following me?" Lucas asked.

"I just thought you might need your brother today."

"Keith is a mess, Peyton's a mess, and I'm a mess," Lucas said sadly. This broke Nathan's heart. He never wanted his brother to be in pain, and he knew this was killing him.

"Why don't you go home and talk to your wife. You guys can come up with a plan. You love each other, and this is what a marriage is all about, handling all of the problems that are thrown your way."

"You sound like a broken record," Lucas told him.

"Well it's what you need to hear."

"I wish there was away to keep him on the team without endangering his life and worrying Peyton."

"I think I have an idea," Nathan said.

…………………

Jacey was at home when Keith came in. she runs up to him, and kisses him.

"I was worried about you. Your mom called looking for you," Jacey told him. She gave him another kiss.

"Yeah well I had to get out of that house…She was suffocating me," Keith sighed. "I'm not giving up basketball."

"What if you don't have a choice?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Um," she didn't know how to answer the question. "Maybe it is for the best."

"Best for who?"

"Quitting basketball may be good for you," she told him.

He wasn't happy with her, "Like hell this is good for me. I love basketball. It's all I have."

This disappointed her, "You have me Keith…you will always have me."

"You are supposed to agree with me. That's why I came here." He yelled at her.

"I don't have to agree with you, and this time I don't. I think you should go home and talk to your parents. They love you as much as I do, and together you guys can get through anything."

He shook his head, "We can't get through this."

………………………………………..

Chase and Laura were walking down the streets of Tree Hill eating ice cream. "This is a great first date," a smiling Laura told Chase.

"I agree, but I have to be honest with you," Chase said stopping her from walking.

"What?" she was worried about what he might say.

"All of those times we were together working on our project I pretended that we were on dates."

She smiled and hit him on his shoulder, "That is so lame."

"I know," he said admitting he is lame.

"Good thing I like lame."

They continued to eat their ice cream and walk down the street enjoying being together.

……………………………………………….

Peyton was sitting on the couch looking at pictures of Keith. "Hi," Lucas said as he walked in the house.

"In all of his pictures he is holding a basketball. He has been dreaming of being the star basketball player since before he was born, and now we have to take it from him. It isn't fair Luke," she told him. She had tears in her eyes.

"I know," he took her hand. "I know it's not, but I have a way he can still be apart of the team."

Peyton looked up at her husband for the first time because she finally had hope.