Jude opened the door to her house, pulling her key out of the lock at the same time. She took a few steps in and held the door open for Peyton to enter as well. Once they were both inside, she shut the door behind then and started into the living room. Jude tossed her backpack up against the back of them couch and told Peyton, "You can put your stuff here for now."
With a faint smile, Peyton nodded and set both her blue and white duffle bag and pinstriped messenger bag aside. She continued to follow Jude down the hallway and towards the kitchen. The silence was somewhat awkward, and she couldn't stand it much more. "This is a really nice house," Peyton offered to kill the silence.
"Thanks," Jude replied. She led Peyton to the kitchen and signaled for her to take a seat at the counter. "You want something to drink?"
Taking the seat, Peyton shook her head. "No thanks. I'm good." She pressed her lips together in a smile and glanced around the room. She hadn't seen a kitchen so quaint in a long time. Her own kitchen tended to just be suitable for a teenage girl, and sometimes a single father as well. It was nice to see a homely place for a change. "So, do you have a big family?"
After a large swallow of water, Jude instantly shook her head. "These days it's me, my mom, and my sister," she stated. She shrugged and added, "My dad used to be around, but things changed."
Peyton nodded her head, knowing what it was like to not have a parent, or even parents, around. "My dad isn't around much either," Peyton offered for solace. "He travels a lot for his job."
"My dad used to travel a lot for his job," Jude stated as she leaned over the counter, across from Peyton. It took her a minute as she started to think. "Well, I guess it wasn't really for his job. More like for his affair with a travel agent." She glanced up at Peyton and could tell she made the conversation awkward. "Sorry. That's the real reason he isn't around."
Nodding with her lips squeezed together tightly, Peyton let out a quick, "I'm sorry about that…" She hesitated to continue, but really needed to get something off of her chest about Jude's situation. "Jude, I did just lose a parent, I lost two mothers. Just be glad that your dad only made stupid choices. It didn't cost him his life."
Jude simply stared at Peyton for a minute. She felt so horrible for being angry at her dad when Peyton explained her own situation. Jude just felt stupid for thinking her own situation was so bad. "I'm really sorry, Peyton. I didn't even think--"
"It's okay," she interjected. Peyton had used the mom card a few times to make people feel a little better about their own personal struggles, even if it made herself feel bad. "Sometimes you just gotta remember that there could be worse things," she explained. Peyton shook her head, getting those thoughts out of her mind. "But it's fine. These things just make us who we are, you know?"
Jude nodded with a relieved look on her face. Even though she still felt badly, she was just glad that Peyton wasn't offended. "Yeah," Jude agreed. Jude swung around the counter a few steps to sit next to Peyton. "This is a pretty huge road trip just to line up some acts."
With a shrug, Peyton glanced over her shoulder at Jude. "It's not just for the benefit. I mean, yeah, I'm trying to get some support for the cause, but I kinda took off for myself too."
"Yourself?" Jude remarked curiously.
Peyton nodded with a faint smile on her face. "Things are kinda intense at home," she started to clarify. Peyton shifted her weight on the seat slightly to face Jude better. "I just thought that getting away from it all would be a nice way to clear my mind, to give me some time to think."
After another sip of water, Jude stated, "I wish I could take some time off for myself. Get away from this place for awhile."
"It's not all good," Peyton said with a strange expression on her face. "I mean, sometimes when you get that much time to yourself, and you actually get to think about things, that doesn't exactly mean you'll feel much better. Sometimes thinking about things just makes you feel worse about yourself."
Still curious, Jude watched Peyton. "What do you mean?" Jude questioned with a shrug.
Peyton took a deep breath, looking at Jude. She knew that Jude wouldn't understand where she was coming from if she didn't give her some pretty exact details. "Well, let's just say in Tree Hill, rarely do we have drama-less days."
The bitter tone in Peyton's last words was enough to tell Jude that it would be a long story. Jude angled herself to face Peyton, and she rested her head on her hand above the counter. She was ready to listen to what she had to say.
"I don't know if I told you this but I chose for the concert to benefit depression awareness because of a school shooting that happened last year. I was shot in the leg by a nice guy…" Peyton could see the look of confusion in Jude's eyes. She didn't exactly understand it herself, but that's just how she saw the facts. "He was a good guy before he hit this depressed streak. I mean, I didn't know him personally, but he was friends with some of the best guys I've ever met, and I don't think they would've been close if he was a jerk."
With a shrug and a shake of the head, Peyton decided to get her story back on track. "So, that incident turned a lot of things around. Some of my friends stopped fighting. Two of my friends renewed their vows. But me being Peyton, the biggest downer in the world, some of my friends wouldn't really consider themselves my friends anymore."
Jude's eyes went wide. From what she could tell, she liked Peyton. Sure, some things the girl would say and do contradicted how Jude would describe Peyton's personality, but she just considered it part of not knowing her so well yet. "What happened?" Jude muttered quietly, trying not to disrupt the mood of their conversation.
"A lot happened…" Peyton answered. "I had this meaningless fling with Pete from Fall Out Boy, and that made me realized I missed my ex-boyfriend, Jake, and his daughter, Jenny. So, I went to visit him, and on that trip, I realized that I'm in love with one of my best friends, Lucas…" Peyton shook he head once more, now completely avoiding eye contact with Jude. "Well, I guess that's not true, because I actually told him I loved him in the school during the shooting stuff. But then, I guess I never really stopped loving him—I don't know." Peyton exhaled deeply and ran her fingers through her hair.
Still staring with wide eyes, Jude was amazed. She knew that Peyton said things were intense, but she didn't think it could really be as bad as she had just described. "So you're in love with your best friend..?"
Peyton shook her head silently. It took her a second before she found her words again and stated, "We're not really best friends anymore… See, he was dating my best friend, Brooke. Brooke has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. The only time that we were ever angry at each other was when Lucas came between us the first time…"
"The first time," Jude repeated, catching the hint that there was more to that story.
Nodding, Peyton continued, "Lucas is like this amazing guy. And I guess Brooke and I are so much alike and different at the same time that together we'd probably make Luke's amazing girl… You know? I mean, it's like he's in love with Brooke. She's beautiful and fun and his girlfriend. But at the same time, I'm his best friend and we talk and talk and whenever I need him, he's saving me from whatever dumbass move I make."
Starting to nod, Jude knew where Peyton was coming from.
Sighing, Peyton calmed herself slightly. "But he chose Brooke. He wants to be with Brooke. And me being the horrible best friend I am, I told Brooke that I still have feelings for Lucas. Brooke completely freaked out on me, even though I said I wouldn't do anything about it. I mean, I want Lucas, but I would never try and take him from her. I just, I know we hurt her really bad the first time, and she's probably just trying to protect herself. But she was just so angry at me, and then she got angry at him…"
"And then he got angry at you," Jude stated as if she knew.
"Exactly," Peyton stated. "Brooke moved back to living with her parents, which means away from Tree Hill. All Lucas knew was that she did it because she was mad at me, so then he blamed me for her leaving him…" Peyton shrugged with a bad feeling in her stomach. "But since it is my fault, he does have a reason to be mad."
Jude started shaking her head as she sat up. "It is not your fault, Peyton. You shouldn't feel guilty for falling for someone."
Peyton shrugged once more. "I shouldn't, but I do," she stated simply.
"You're not alone, if that helps," Jude offered with a shrug as well.
Nodding, Peyton did feel a little better to get her story off of her chest and not be judged. "Maybe that should be next year's benefit. 'Friends with Benefit' for the lovesick," she joked with a faint smile.
Jude let out a chuckle. "I'll definitely help you with that one!" she teased.
"Have you ever fallen for you best friend?" Peyton asked with a grin on her face. She was glad she was getting along with Jude.
Instantly, Jude rolled her eyes. She played with her water glass in her hands, looking away from Peyton. "Let's not go there," she finally stated.
Peyton let out a faint laugh and nodded with her lips pressed together. She couldn't help but smile to herself. It was nice to know that she really wasn't alone. And knowing that there were very few others to make her feel that way, Peyton started to like Jude more and more. "Fine by me," Peyton replied softly.