Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill.
___
The bell rang as Lilly walked through the door of Clothes Over Bros, her Aunt Brooke's clothing store. Aunt Brooke was her favorite. She didn't compare Lilly to Lucas and often tried to make her the opposite. She was fun, even after having two kids and being married. Plus, she gave Lilly a discount on all the clothing there and even gave her stuff that wasn't in stores yet, which of course made all the girls at school jealous.
"Lillykins!" Brooke called from behind the counter, setting down the clothes she was folding and walking over to give Lilly a hug. "I assume they found you last night?"
Lilly laughed, surprised her mother had called so many people. "Yupp, unfortunately they did. I'm not even supposed to be here, but Mom's at work, so I figure she'll never know."
After Brooke took Karen's spot, Karen opened a bookstore a couple blocks down. Lilly tried to avoid the place as much as possible.
"How much trouble did you get in?" Brooke asked as they sat down on the couch.
"Grounded for two weeks. No phone, no friends, no life, yada yada yada. You know, the usual." Lilly shrugged.
"Well, that sucks. How are you going to get a boyfriend if you're grounded?"
"I didn't have a boyfriend before I got grounded, Aunt Brooke. None of the guys at school like me like that anyways."
"Oh, nonsense!" Brooke chided her. "When you get ungrounded, come see me and I will tell you everything you need to know about getting a boyfriend. But on one condition."
"What?"
"You don't tell Lucas, or Nathan for that matter. Alright?"
Lilly laughed. "Like telling Lucas something would be a problem."
Brooke made a sad face. "Look, Lillykins, I know life as Lucas Scott's sister isn't so magnificent, but just give him a chance? It's not his fault…"
"I know. But does he have to be so freaking perfect? God, Mom can barely stand having me and not Lucas."
"Hey, you want to know something? I grew up without a Mom, and so did Peyton. Only, I didn't have a mom because my mom chose not to be there. Peyton's didn't. I would kill to have had Karen for a mother back then. My mom never even wanted me."
"It's not like my mom wants me, she just wants another Lucas."
"That's not true, Lillykins and you know it."
"Do I? Lucas would never sneak out of the house, let alone hang out at Uncle Dans! Lucas would never get an F on an essay, or get detention for sshing a teacher! Lucas, Lucas Lucas!" Lilly exclaimed, her arms flying up in the air.
"But your mother cares enough to yell at you for it. She does this because she cares about you."Brooke said, placing an arm on Lilly's shoulder. "Karen just doesn't want you to turn out to be a spoiled rotten brat."
Lilly nodded. She knew Brookes heart was in the right place, trying to convince her otherwise and all, but somehow deep down, Lilly still felt as if her mother wished for another Lucas. Maybe Brooke is right, Lilly thought to herself, maybe I'm just paranoid.
--
Karen got home right as Lilly was eating her dinner. Karen often worked late, leaving Lilly to make her own dinner. Lilly didn't mind, though, she got to pick her own food rather than shove whatever her mother was forcing her to eat down her throat. Being alone was easier for Lilly anyways.
"Hi Mom," Lilly said as Karen walked into the kitchen. "How was work?"
"Hi Lilly, work was fine. How was school? Get anymore detention slips?"
Lilly rolled her eyes as her mother sat down across from her at the kitchen table. "No, but I got close."
Karen sighed. Lilly had made a game out of it. How long to get her mother to make that long, drawn out sigh. Her record was without even saying a word. Though, Karen never sighed when she was talking to Lucas. Funny, Lilly thought to herself. "Do you have any homework?"
"None that I want to do." Lilly replied, stabbing her hot dog with her fork.
"Lilly."
"Fine, I'll do it when I get done eating. Happy?"
"Joyous. Where's Andy?"
Lilly shrugged. "Probably at a pool house getting drunk with another woman."
"Lilly Roe-Scott!"
Lilly's hands shot up in the air as she tried really hard not to laugh. "It was a joke! I'm sorry! I was only kidding, sheesh."
And then Karen sighed again. Lilly slyly smiled to herself. Not bad, she thought. She finished eating the rest of her hot dog, putting her plate in the sink and turning the water on to wash off the ketchup on the plate.
"Have you thought about what you've done? Has grounding done anything for you?"
"Yes, Mother it has," Lilly answered. "It has made me for the first time in my life very appreciative of living in a small town where I can walk everywhere."
"Jesus, Lilly. Do you have to be so sarcastic all the time? Can't you for once-"
"Act like Lucas?" Lilly finished for her. She turned around, her arms propped up against the countertop behind her, looking her mother in the eye. "Nope, sorry, can't do."
Karen didn't say anything as Lilly walked to her room.
--
"She didn't even say anything, Jamie." Lilly said as she sat in the passenger seat of Jamie's Pontiac G6 coupe. "Not a word. It was wonderful."
Jamie turned the wheel after finding the perfect parking space, putting his car in park and turning off the ignition. "Don't you think you were a little harsh?"
Lilly made a face. "Harsh?"
"Yeah, I mean, you did sneak out of the house."
God, this kid is too much like Haley, Lilly thought quietly as she walked into school next to him. "But that's not the point."
"Then what is? You can't always expect that there won't be consequences to your actions, Lil. Even the kids with parents who don't compare them know that." Jamie said as they opened their lockers. Having the same last name meant being locker neighbors.
"Whatever, Jamie. I just thought you'd be on my side." Lilly shoved her backpack into her locker and stormed off. Turning the corner, she opened the bathroom door. Jesus, everyone was freaking against her! Jamie was her best friend and here he was telling her she was wrong. Well, she wasn't. And she was damn tired of everyone thinking she was. Looking at her watch, she resolved to not talk to him until she was done being pissed. Which, at this point, would be awhile. She opened the door and rounded the corner. Well, she was about to round the corner when she walked straight into someone.
"Oumf." She muttered as she fell backwards. Her arms flew out to stop her from falling and she was sure she was going to face-plant right in front of everyone, but two strong arms caught her before she did.
Straightening herself, she looked at him. His hair was long and dark, and looked like it hadn't been washed in a week. His eyes were darker than his hair, and hidden behind his curly locks. He was strong, his shirt showing off just enough to make Lilly want to see him without it. "Hi, um, I'm sorry. I didn't see you.."
"That's alright. Don't worry about it." He said before turning around and leaving.
Lilly turned, watching him walk away. She was a little taken aback. That's alright? Don't worry about it? And then he just walked off? He wouldn't even let her flirt with him a little? Damn, Brooke's not gonna be proud about this.
--
Reviews, please! Thank you!