Hey guys here's the next chapter thanks for the reviews.
Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own One Tree Hill, any of its plots or characters they all belong to the amazing Mark Schwahn and the WB/CW, I also don't own the initial idea for this story that belongs to Monica, I do own this all the plots though!
Enjoy reading…
With Honours
The fear that lay within
Chapter Two
"Mom! Dad! Hurry up! I'm gonna miss my flight!" Haley hollered from the bottom of the long winding staircase.
"Coming dear!" her mother called back.
Haley sighed. It would be a miracle if she didn't miss her flight.
Grudgingly she hauled her two suitcases out into her Dad's SUV before she walked back to the front of the house and stood there, her foot tapping impatiently against the hard ground.
She watched as her parents clambered down the stairs, her dad's shirt rumpled and half tucked in while her mother's hair looked like it has gone through the hedge and back.
The two adults quickly set out trying to eat and grab their suitcases, Haley watched them with tired amusement.
Looking at her family, Haley would definitely be seen as the parent figure while Jimmy and Lydia the two teenagers. Haley could hardly imagine how they managed to get to any of their meetings on time with the way they were.
"Have you got your passport dear?" Lydia mumbled while munching on a piece of toast.
"Yeah Mom!"
"See Jimmy? She's always one step further than us!"
"My responsible young daughter!" Jimmy exclaimed as he ran around trying to find his keys.
Haley pulled the keys from her pocket and waved them in front of his face. Jimmy plucking the keys from her daughter's hand and leaned in to give her a light kiss on the cheek. "My Haleybub!"
"Dad! Don't call me that!" Haley moaned, although secretly she loved the special name her family had given but she would die before she admitted it.
"Mum, Dad? If I'm the more responsible than you guys, why are you shipping me off to some crappy boarding school when I could just stay here?"
"Oh honey! I thought we'd gone through this already! We know you're a very responsible young girl-"
"Woman!" Haley cut in.
"Woman," Jimmy continued, "But you're only fifteen! You need a stable environment and living in a big empty house isn't that!"
"But-"
"No buts! Anyway you'll have a fantastic time. You'll get to experience the real world, gain some independence,"
"I hardly think going to some stuck up private boarding school is gonna give me any worldly knowledge or wisdom!"
"You'll get to meet new people."
Haley groaned. She didn't want to meet new people, she was just fine with the people she had! She loved her home and her life here, she was comfortable here and she knew how things worked. Going somewhere else she would have start all over again, make new friends and lead a new life.
Seeing Haley's sad expression Lydia's heart sunk, going over to her daughter she pulled her in for a warm hug.
"Hey my little Haleybub!" Lydia soothed. "If you really wanna stay then that's fine, your dad and I can put the trip off until you're older,"
"No!" Haley answered quickly.
As much as she wanted her parents to stay she couldn't let them. Travelling had always been a dream for them, the excitement and adventure of never staying in one place for too long. Though their worldly plans were disrupted when Lydia fell pregnant and they finally settled down to have kids. Now six kids later, Haley being the last one left, she always knew there would come a day when they would take flight.
Looking at her parents she wanted them to reclaim their dream and after many months of persuasion she had finally got them to go. She wasn't going to stop them from their dreams now!
"Its okay mom, anyway boarding school should be a great new experience."
"Are you sure honey?"
"Yep!" Haley said, fixing a wide grin on her face. "Now come on you guys or I'll miss my damn flight!"
The James family made their way out, clambering into the SUV. Once everyone was settled Jimmy started up the engine and switched on the soothing sounds of Janis Joplin. Haley smiled from the back seat as her parents started animatedly singing along with the CD.
She turned back to her childhood home which was slowly vanishing out of sight, a sense of loneliness and fear crept through her bones.
"Come on Haley!" Lydia exclaimed. Haley turned to her parents all her fear slowly vanishing away. She knew she'd made the right decision.
Ahh! What the hell! She thought as she joined in singing the old country song and laughing with her parents, secretly cherishing the last remnants of home she had.
Peyton lugged the suitcase down the stairs of her home, the loud clunking clearly resonating through the large house.
Putting her suitcase by the door Peyton walked into her front room expecting the lone figure of her father slumped in front of the T.V drinking away or sleeping in from his drunken nights out.
"Dad?" Her voice echoed through the living room
There was no one.
Worried Peyton turned back to the rest of the house, quickly checking the bathrooms and the dining area. Finding them empty, Peyton neared the kitchen. Childhood memories of her father and mother sometimes laughing and joking, cuddled up in a romantic moment consumed her.
The kitchen always had been the Sawyer family's main room. As far back as Peyton could remember everything significant almost always occurred around the kitchen; the thanksgiving meals, the constant fights over Peyton's current boyfriend, the teary farewells when her father left for many months on the drudging boat, the family reunions and the telephone call saying that Anna Sawyer was dead.
Peyton tried to push all the memories away, but the child in Peyton dared to hope that she would find her dad cooking her breakfast, bidding her farewell and telling her not to mess with boys till she was at least thirty!
She wanted her father back. The handsome man she had known and loved all her life, not the travelling faceless man with the drunken nights and the pot belly always slumped on the couch, anxiously waiting for his next job.
Peyton shook the thoughts away and carefully peered into the softly lit kitchen. It was empty.
"Dad?" she called out in a small voice, all her hopes crumbling away. Peyton sighed and turned to walk out of the room when her eyes landed on the small note sitting on the island.
Picking up the note her eyes gazed at the hastily scrawled message.
"Hey, just got called in last minute for a job. Don't bother with dinner, dad,"
The words kept running through her mind. She didn't know whether to feel happy and relieved that he had bothered to write a note or be angry and sad at the fact that he didn't even know she was leaving for school and probably didn't care.
She drew in a deep breath, willing herself not to cry. She took out her ipod and cranked up the volume so that 'Funeral' by A Band of Horses reverberated loudly into her head.
Dropping the note, she breezed through the house never once looking back. She grabbed her suitcase and made her way out onto the front yard.
Minutes rolled by as Peyton drowned herself to the sounds of her ipod. She wasn't upset, she shouldn't be upset. Not with the amount of times her father had flaked on her. It was a surprise he knew she was still alive.
"I hate farewells!" he would always say,
Well for someone who didn't like farewells he sure seemed to leave a whole lot.
A lone tear fell.
A yellow cab pulled up against the curb and honked, pulling Peyton away from her thoughts.
Jake motioning the driver to wait, climbed out of the cab and made his way warily to his cousin. Giving her a small smile he picked up her suitcase.
"I can get that myself!" She replied harshly. Peyton tried to grab the suitcase away from Jake, but the athletic figure thwarted her advances.
Finally giving up, they both stood there.
"Did-"
"No," Peyton replied hastily, her anger showing through her words.
They walked to the cab in silence and as Jake shoved the suitcase into the trunk Peyton climb into the back seat.
Jake got in beside her and they both gazed ahead as the cab peeled out onto the road, beginning their four hour journey to Tree Hill.
Peyton's mind was swimming with thoughts, wondering where her dad was at that moment. Did he know she was off to face another year away from home?
Tears slowly escaped trailing down her face. "He never said goodbye," she whispered.
Jake barely caught the words, but his heart clenched in sympathy for his cousin. "He'll come round Peyt."
Peyton couldn't look at him, her gaze was fixed out the window. She didn't want to see the pity in his eyes.
This had become a growing ritual for Peyton and Jake. She would for the briefest of moments bare her heart and all her true emotions and Jake, her cousin and best friend, would with his small words give her the glimmer of hope, keeping the child alive within her.
The child who had hidden away two years ago.
The little girl who was scared to let people all the way in.
The little girl who was scared to let go.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it, please review and tell me what you think, I welcome all constructive criticisms.