OH MY GOD! ONE TREE HILL! Sorry, I'm just so excited its back on! Wednesday was awesome. A little over the top and hilarious, but it was still great. I'm so psyched for next week. Fingers crossed for a fifth season. We should know by May 17th, when the CW discusses who will get renewed. I think it's pretty likely, though. We got great ratings on Wednesday, and now that Gilmore Girls is cancelled there's yet another open space in the lineup. I don't know what I''' do if OTH is cancelled.
I was going to update last night, after Spider-Man 3, but Spidey ended up being an hour and a half longer than I expected, not to mention tiring. I passed out the moment I got home. Today was my mom's birthday, so I couldn't update earlier. But no worries, there's an update now.
"Brooke! Brooke, come on, let me explain."
The next few minutes blurred past Peyton. One moment she and Lucas had been seated uncomfortably next to each other in the wake of silence Brooke had left behind. Now the door was wide open, Lucas right outside it, yelling at the top of his lungs, while Peyton sat with her knees curled to her chest, a sick feeling in her stomach.
Lucas continued to yell, and Peyton even heard his heavy footsteps descending down the two steps beside the door. He was completely unsuccessful in getting Brooke's attention- a second later Peyton heard a door slamming heavily and tires screeching as Brooke sped off.
It was suddenly silent again. Peyton pulled her knees closer, biting her lip to stop herself from throwing up. She felt suddenly very dizzy, like her brain was registering everything that was happening seconds too late, as though she was actually dreaming. She moved her unwrapped hand to her side, clenching the sheets to steady herself. Lucas came back into the room, breathing heavily, an unreadable expression on his face.
"I can't even-" he muttered. He ran a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly upset. "How did that happen?"
Peyton moved her hands back around her legs, even though it left her feeling like she was on a swaying boat. She swallowed heavily, forcing herself to look at Lucas, even though he was doing his best to avoid her eyes.
"Luke, I'm sorry," Peyton blurted out. "I'm so sorry. This is entirely my fault! I should've told Brooke the truth." She reached a hand up to scratch the back of her neck, feeling awkward. "I'm really sorry," she repeated breathlessly.
Lucas was already shaking his head firmly. "It's not your fault," he murmured, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly and still refusing to look at her. "I messed up. I never should have lied to her." He grabbed his cell phone off the dresser and began to dial.
Peyton jumped to her feet, feeling more out-of-place than ever. She hastily approached the door to the outside porch, tottering slightly, her vision blurred. She still felt sick to her stomach with the guilt and anxiety of what had just taken place.
Peyton's quick movements forced Lucas to look at her. He gave her raised eyebrows, one hand holding his cell phone to his ear. Peyton could hear Brooke's cheery voicemail on the other end. She signaled to Lucas that she was just going outside to get some air and let him be alone. He shrugged, and then turned away from her.
"Brooke, pick up the phone. Let me explain, okay?"
It was the last thing Peyton heard before she slammed the door, stepping into the cool air outside. She shivered slightly, pulling the gray sweatshirt tighter at the neck, her teeth chattering. The fresh air certainly made her feeling better: the sick feeling in her stomach subsided and her forehead felt less warm immediately.
Peyton collapsed on one of the steps, putting her face in her hand. She groaned loudly and took in a few deep breaths. Inside she heard Lucas let out an angry yell. It was obvious Brooke still wasn't picking up. Peyton threw her head back, staring up at the starry sky, her breath appearing in front of her.
She could clearly remember the last time she'd looked up at this same night sky. The last time she'd had the same empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been the night she had arrived in Tree Hill.
Shutting out the sounds of Lucas pleading with Brooke inside and the image of the star-strewn heavens, Peyton forced herself to think of that night. It was the only time in her life that she'd rather think about something having to do with Kyle than deal with what was going on around her. She drew in a deep breath, images and voices filling her mind. That night had been confused, frightening, and comforting all in a few hours. She was sure it was a night she'd never forget.
Peyton sat in the backseat of the yellow cab, flipping through the bills in her hand. She bit her lip, her blonde curls falling over her face. Glancing back up at the meter, she sighed.
"Can you stop the cab here?" she called to the driver, her voice small and feeble.
The driver looked at her in the rearview mirror, one eyebrow raised. "Lady, we're in the middle of nowhere. I can't drop you here," he said gruffly, with a surprisingly strong Boston accent.
Peyton looked back at him, her eyes sad and tired. "I haven't got enough money."
In a second the driver pressed down on the brakes heavily, causing the cab to screech to a halt. He reached back, his palm open, waiting for the money. Peyton handed it to him, with only two dollars left over for herself. She smiled at the driver, reaching for her backpack and throwing it over her shoulders. Sighing heavily, she pushed the door open and got out.
The driver didn't even wait for her to get safely off the road before speeding off. Peyton crossed her arms and spun in a circle, trying to identify where she was. She recognized the area immediately. She was about a mile and a half, maybe two miles, outside Tree Hill. It was only midnight, and she was sure if she walked quickly she could find a place to stay.
But she didn't want to walk. All she wanted to do was collapse right where she was. She was completely drained, both physically and emotionally. Her entire body ached- the blows she'd received from Kyle were finally starting to catch up with her. There was a sharp, unbearable pain in her ankle every time she put pressure on it. Tears permanently clouded her eyes. Her breathing felt restricted and shallow. She was quite shocked she was still standing.
Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Peyton hoisted her bag higher on her shoulders and began to walk. She winced slightly as she stepped with her left foot but pushed through the pain. If she wanted any help at all, she needed to keep going.
Peyton had walked about a mile when the area began to look like an actual town. The first thing she saw was a bright neon sign reading, "All Night Diner". The light on the letter 'g' was out, and the rest of the words were blinking rapidly. Peyton could see a large semi in the parking lot. She hurried across the street, eager to get some coffee to keep awake.
She stepped inside the diner, a small bell ringing above her head. The waitress behind the counter, a plump woman with mousy brown hair, gave her a warm smile. Peyton attempted to smile back, walking to the counter and taking a seat. The man there was obviously the driver of the truck outside. He nodded at her gruffly, his five-o'clock shadow glowing brightly against his white and red cap.
The waitress moved her way down the counter to Peyton. Her nametag read, "Nancy," in large black letters. She was dressed in a pink blouse with a bright white apron around her waist. Nancy pulled a pad of paper and a pen out of her pocket, looking concernedly at Peyton.
"What can I get you, sweetheart?" she asked softly.
Peyton shrugged the green bag off her shoulders, dropping it to the floor next to her. She glanced at the waitress, pulling the two dollars out of her pocket and holding it over the counter. "How much is a cup of coffee?" she asked quietly.
Nancy smiled. "Just a dollar. I'll bring cream and sugar too."
Peyton sat in silence for a few minutes, her hands twisting and pulling at a napkin she'd grabbed from the dispenser. She was aware of the man next to her looking at her with concern, obviously noting the bruises on her wrist as well as the scratch on her cheek. She chose to ignore him, glancing in the opposite direction out the window, even though it was too dark to see anything.
She was shaken out of her stupor at the sound of a plate dropping in front of her. Turning back to the counter, she glanced down at a full plate with a large hamburger and fries, as well as a glass of soda and the cup of coffee she'd originally ordered.
"Oh, I didn't order this," Peyton murmured, pushing the plate away hastily. Nancy smiled at her, looking slightly sad.
"I know you didn't," she said kindly. "But it's on the house. All of it," she added, as Peyton held a dollar out to pay for the coffee. Peyton nodded awkwardly, giving a thankful smile as she shoved the money back in her pocket. Nancy placed creamer and a few sugar packets beside the mug. "Now you eat up and then get some rest, sweetie. You look like you've been to hell and back."
Peyton laughed and gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks," she said. Nancy nodded and stepped away, and Peyton immediately began to dig into her food, her stomach growling loudly.
Peyton reached into her bag and grabbed a pen, and then grabbed another napkin from the dispenser. As she ate she sketched on the napkin, feeling relaxed and comfortable. When she finished her meal, she placed the two dollars in her pocket on the counter, along with the napkin. Nancy was nowhere in sight, so Peyton slipped out of the diner as quietly as possible. As she reached the door, she glanced back at the counter. She could clearly see what was on the napkin: a picture of Nancy the waitress, smiling widely, along with a scribbled note, "Thank you so much for everything."
Peyton felt much more refreshed the rest of the journey. The next half a mile seemed like a short walk. Within no time she was back in Tree Hill for the first time in half a year.
Even at night the town looked exactly the same. The small, welcoming shops had clean windows and bright signs in them. Trees and bushes lined the streets, blocking the modest-sized houses from view. Even when it was pitch black the town screamed, "Welcome!" Peyton found herself smiling as she prowled the streets, still knowing them like the back of her hand.
It was ten minutes later that she found herself standing outside Lucas Scott's door. Her feet had automatically guided her to his house. She now stood hesitantly on the porch, shifting her weight to anxiously, her heart racing. What should I say? What is he going to say? Will he hate me? Will he even remember me? Millions of thoughts ran through her head as she stared at the screen door. Her heart was thumping so loudly against her ribcage she was shocked it didn't wake Lucas. Swallowing heavily, she felt her eyes filling with tears once more. She raised a shaky hand to the door, ready to knock.
"Here goes nothing," she murmured.
Peyton jumped as the door behind her creaked open. Lucas stepped out, closing the door softly behind him and rubbing his hands together for warmth. Peyton gave him a sad smile.
"Any luck with Brooke?" she asked in a small voice. Lucas shook his head, scratching the back of his neck. Peyton smiled sadly. "I'm really sorry," she said, for what felt like the millionth time that night.
Lucas sighed greatly and took a seat beside her. "Don't be sorry," he said in a tired voice. "It's not your fault. You didn't want Brooke to know and I wasn't going to betray that. It was just bad timing, that's all." He craned his neck back, staring at the indigo sky.
Peyton put her arms around her knees again, almost instinctively. "Well this sucks," she sighed. She felt Lucas nod beside her. Turning her head, she attempted to smile at him, but her lips refused to curl into a grin. "So what do you want to do?" she asked.
Lucas scratched his chin, looking more exhausted and confused than Peyton had seen him before. He seemed to be thinking for a moment before responding. "Go to bed, I guess. I'll take the floor." He pushed himself to his feet and held a hand out to help Peyton up. She grabbed it and stood also, pulling at the neck of her sweater.
They stared in opposite directions for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. But this time their thoughts weren't about Brooke. Lucas was the one to speak first, turning his eyes back to Peyton's face. "Look, Peyton, about earlier…before Brooke walked in," he began, reaching his hand subconsciously to the spot on his cheek where Peyton had kissed him.
Peyton felt her stomach drop again. She held up a hand to stop him, her body shaking from both the cold and the unease at what he was going to ask. "Just forget about it," she whispered sadly.
Lucas stared at her intently, confusion and hurt registering on his face. Peyton continued to stare at the ground, the sick feeling back. There were a few more moments of silence before Lucas gave a small, "Okay," in response.
Peyton shifted her weight uncomfortably, a new batch of tears forming in her eyes.