Another Author's Note: (I wrote this one after the one below but just ignore it all!) Mwahhahaha!! I am so unbelievably hyper!! I just had eight marshmallow peeps and a baby bottle pop and it's eleven forty-five and I have school tomorrow for the first time in a week cause I've been on spring break baby!!!! Whoohoo!!! I'm am gonna be in so much trouble tomorrow!!! Actually, my friends are gonna be in even more trouble cause they're gonna have to deal with me!!! Mwahhahaha!!! (Sorry Lisa!) Sorry if this chapter is short but I haven't updated in a while and I haven't written in this for a while so I'm just gonna finish this chapter off and get a new one started cause I am so bored of this chapter! (for those of you who are scared right now: I only wrote the last couple of paragraphs under my hyperness even though I doubt you can tell the difference! the only difference is that I type a lot faster!!!)
Author's Note: Since I changed the story line (again), I had to change this chapter's song (again). Took me forever to find another one and that was actually pretty disappointing since I knew exactly what was gonna be in this chapter since I wrote the last one. Think I got the perfect song though!
Song: "Smile Like You Mean It" by The Killers
Save some face, you know you've only got one
Change your ways while you're young
Boy, one day you'll be a man
Oh girl, he'll help you understand
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Sure, Monday sucked. First day at a new school, he had no idea where he was going, he was the brand new kid so people kept giving him weird looks, plus it was a Monday and those always sucked. Now, it was Tuesday. It was a lot better than Monday because he had already found most of his classes, his teachers pretty much learned his name, and even his piers had quieted down the talking in front of him. He just wasn't in the mood though. He should have been grateful for all of that stuff, but he wasn't. He had gotten into a fight with his English teacher because, in the high level class of Tree Hill High sophomores, they were starting to read Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer! He read that book when he was ten! It's a book written for kids. How hard was that kind of book to understand? He eventually called the teacher and everyone else in that town and school dumb asses which was pretty appalling based on his broad vocabulary. He, right now, could think a few good synonyms. Those, though, would probably get him more than just sent down to the principal's office. The principal just let it go since it was only his second day there. The principal was going to "keep a close eye on him," though. He wasn't all that sure, but it sounded a little stalkerish to Luke.
It was reaching four and the cheerleaders broke apart to all head to wherever they were going. This town was going to be very predictable. The guys on the court were now playing a scrimmage. Luke was really into it. It didn't matter who was playing; if there was a basketball game going on, Luke was watching.
"Hey you," said a voice. Peyton.
"Hey."
"Waiting for Nathan again?" she asked, remembering what he had said the day before about his half-brother.
"Yup." He decided to keep his answers short. He still hadn't met anyone at the new school and thought that keeping his mouth shut would be the best way to not drive away his only chance as a friend.
"Do you want a ride home or anything?"
"No thanks. It's too weird going home to an empty house."
"I can totally get that." A lot of times she just drove for miles just so she wouldn't have to go home to a vacant house. "You really like basketball that much?" she asked noticing that he had already turned his attention back to the scrimmage, "or am I supposed to be talking a hint?" He laughed. At least she knew that answer. "Do you play basketball? Or are you the kind of watching from the sidelines type?"
"I play a little. I used to play at an old, abandoned court by my old house."
"Alone?"
"Never really had anyone to play with." That was when she figured it out. She knew the perfect place for him. The whole time talking to him the day before, she had been trying to think of somewhere where he could hang out. She couldn't even imagine how boring it would be having to sit on the bleachers for almost three hours having nothing to do but watch people who didn't like you play basketball.
"Hey, it must get pretty boring just sitting here. And it's still early meaning you would have another two hours of doing nothing."
"So?"
"So do you wanna go for a drive?" She really hoped that he would say yes. He looked like he really needed something in his life and she didn't think that sitting around alone doing nothing would quite cut it.
He looked around. Didn't look like anyone would miss him if he left. "Sure." He had already done all of his homework and since the dumb ass principal didn't give him detention, he was free to leave.
"Come on." He followed her out to her car and he was right; not one person even noticed him leaving. Sometimes he wondered if anyone would have noticed if he went to go live by himself in his old house. They got into her car and as soon as she turned on the car, Jack's Mannequin's "Dark Blue" came blasting out of the speakers. She quickly turned it down. She always did that. Habit from her dad. She always turned the music up really loud and then forgot to turn it down before she got out of the car.
"Sorry," she quickly apologized hoping that the sudden loudness hadn't popped his ear drum or anything.
"It's fine," he laughed. "I actually like this song." He smiled and turned the radio back up almost to the point where it was when they first entered the car. That was when Peyton saw it. His smile. It was the most amazing, genuine smile she had ever seen. She hoped that she could have a chance to see it a lot more.
Looking back at sunsets on the Eastside
We lost track of the time
Dreams aren't what they used to be
Some things slide by so carelessly
"So, we going anywhere in particular?" he asked once he turned down the radio after Concrete Blondes' "Joey" played. AudioSlave's "Be Yourself" was playing. They had been driving for about five minutes and they already realized what similar tastes in music they had.
"Sort of."
"And does this place in particular happen to be a cliff that you plan on pushing me off?" They both laughed.
"You have a really nice smile," she said openly. She usually wasn't that forward, but she had to say it. She instantly regretted it though once she saw how self-conscious he immediately became. What kind of a guy takes a compliment offensively?
"Here we are," she said, finally breaking the awkward silence. She pulled onto the grass next to a pond.
"So, you're going to drowned me instead of pushing me off a cliff since I caught onto your plan?" he asked without expression. Once she started laughing, he broke out into a smile too. "So where are we anyway?"
"River Court."
"What's River Court?" he asked as she stopped the car.
"It's a basketball court."
"Why did you bring me to a basketball court? Didn't I tell you why people never wanted to play with me? It's because I suck."
"I'm sure you're not that bad."
"You have no idea." Lucas knew that he was actually pretty good, but he knew that a bunch of guys that already had a game together wouldn't let some guy who's never played with anyone else before play. They got out of the car and walked towards the court. As they got closer they could see four guys playing an apparent two-on-two game. They were all pretty good; not as intense as it was in the school gym. Lucas guessed that he was probably good enough to play with them; if they would ever let them that is.
"Look, they already have a game together. They don't need me going in there to mess it up," he said hoping that she would just say 'you're right' and they could go back to the school. No luck on his part, though. She just kept walking towards them.
"Trust me. These guys are really cool. They'll be happy to have someone new play with them. They're nothing like the guys on the basketball team." As the finally approached, the game was over. One guy was jumping up and down evidently bragging; one was taking a drink from a water bottle; the third was sitting at a picnic table next to the court, trying to catch his breath; and the other was lying on the ground, saying that he couldn't breath.
"Believe me," she started again, "Mouth will be happy to get a replacement. Hey guys!"
"Hey!" came out of the mouths of the players, all at different times.
"Need some help, Mouth?" she asked advancing on the boy lying on the ground.
"No thanks. I think I'll just stay here for a while." Everybody laughed.
"Well, I think I found a replacement for you," she told him. "Guys, this is Lucas. Luke, this is Skills, Fergie, Junk, and Mouth."
"You wanna play a game, man?" Skills asked him.
"Umm…" he wasn't really sure what to say. What if he didn't play good enough?
"Please?" Mouth begged, desperately.
"Sure."
"Bless you!" yelled Mouth. They all laughed again.
"You can go in for Mouth. So you're on Junk's team."
"Alright." Peyton helped Mouth up and the two of them went to sit at the picnic bench to watch.
Within fifteen minutes of playing, Mouth decided that he never had to play basketball again; something he was very thankful for. Luke was not only good, but it seemed like he fit right in. They were joking and laughing and drenched in sweat by the time the game was over. They spent the next few hours joking, talking, and playing basketball.
Only when the sun started to fall did Lucas remember the events that led up to where he currently was. It was a while since he hadn't thought about his mom. Although he felt happy, a feeling he hadn't been experiencing lately, he felt a little guilty. It was like he was forgetting his mom. Then he thought about Dan and Nathan. Did they even notice that he wasn't there? Probably not. Nathan was probably home by now. Luke guessed that he would finally find out if anyone would really miss him if he was gone.
They said their good-byes and agreed to meet there again the next day after school. Then Luke followed Peyton back to the car.
"Hey, are you going to get in trouble or anything for not being there?" Peyton asked once they started on the street.
"I guess we'll find out."
And someone is calling my name
From the back of the restaurant
And someone is playing a game
In the house that I grew up in
And someone will drive her around
Down the same streets that I did
Down the same streets that I did
Peyton didn't want to get Lucas in trouble so she decided to take a short cut back to his house. It probably helped that she knew where he lived because of Nathan, because Luke really didn't seem to know where anything was in town. As Luke looked at his surroundings, he realized where they were. They were in his old neighborhood. He and his mother had lived in this neighborhood when he was younger. They had lived here until he was about five and had to go to school. He barely remembered living here but it all came back to him as he saw the house he once lived in. A pain hit him in his stomach. Why had his mother never told him that they used to live only a few miles away from his father? Did they really live there for that long without Dan even acknowledging his oldest son? It didn't help that when they drove right past his house, a family was moving in. Two teenagers. Both boys. They just stood there together, laughing at one of the movers who was making a complete ass of himself by pretending he could lift something that he probably couldn't even lift if he was twenty years younger. They looked happy together. Like they shared a bond. They looked like what Lucas knew that he and Nathan would never be. Then the mother came out of the house and started talking to them. They all laughed. Then the father came out and tossed a basketball unrepentantly at one of his sons. The boy almost toppled over and the other boy laughed. The red light turned green and Peyton had almost missed it. She was too busy watching Lucas' reaction to the family bond. As she pulled away from the house that was once his, the boys and their father started to play basketball; laughing and joking around with each other. The mother stood by and watched, laughing at the trash talk being thrown friendlily between father and sons.
"Hey, Luke?" He broke out of his trance. "You ok?" he nodded and she somehow knew that that was his house. Like a special bond the two shared. One feeling the other's pain. Or it could just be that the look on his face was a mixture of pain, want, need, and memories.
"Then smile," she said, wanting to see that beautiful smile of his once more before she dropped him off. He gave a weak not-even-trying-to-impress-you smile. "No, smile like you mean it."
He ignored her and fiddled with the tracks on the burned CD that was in her car. He gave a bitter laugh when he felt the irony of a song he immediately recognized and turned it up.
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Yet another Author's Note (you guys know you love them!): So it's twelve oh seven and I'm finishing up. I think in the next chapter I'll throw in some Whitey-Lucas, Dan-Lucas, maybe some Nathan-Lucas, probably some Brooke-Peyton, Lucas-the guys at River Court, and maybe I'll enter Haley. (Yeah, I over plan with lack of sleep). I think I might enter Keith in. I really want him in this story, but I don't know how he'd fit in. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!!!!!! Please! And I might throw a baby in. Not sure who's baby. Not sure when. But I usually get obsessed with a certain topic, action, character, characteristic, etc, and then throw it into all my stories (most not written down) and now I'm on babies. I just went to my cousin's baby's baptism today and saw my new lil cuz for the first time and she is so cute!!! Plus I was hanging out with my cuz who had the baby and she was talking about her first baby girl and showing me all the cute baby stuff and I think I'm gonna throw a baby into this story. (once again if anyone has any ideas how, please let me know) It'll probably be with someone I like but that's very vague seeing as how I change my like/hate characters daily. Good-night all! Please give me some ideas on how to enter Keith or a baby or anyone else that you think would be good in this story.