Hey! Thank you so much for the reviews, even if there aren't that many. I do love feedback.
As always: Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill. Chad and Hilary would not be leaving if I did.
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Lilly took one more look at herself in the mirror. Brooke did her make-up and hair and picked out her clothes. Luckily, Lilly had been able to convince Brooke that she was not needed for the actual picking up. Lilly smiled at herself. Tonight was the night. She was finally going to get a boyfriend. She hadn't told Peyton because she didn't want Lucas to know and so far it had worked out. If Peyton thought he looked like a criminal, God only knows what Lucas would think of him.
Lilly walked out of her room, waiting by the door. If she could manage it, she would avoid Carter meeting Karen. It wouldn't be a good meeting. It was a good sign that Karen was busy with doing the payroll and all sorts of stuff for her bookstore in the kitchen. It was even better when Lilly saw Carter pull up, still surprised that he knew where she lived, and Karen hadn't even looked up.
"Okay, Mom," Lilly said tentatively, opening the door. "I'm leaving. See ya later, bye."
Karen waved and said a small goodbye and Lilly left. Carter drove an old navy blue cavalier. The door squeaked when she opened it, and the inside smelled like cigarettes, and when she looked around she saw a package of Malboro Lights lying on in between the seats. She shrugged. It wasn't what she was used to, but she wasn't exactly looking for what she was used to.
Carter just looked at her, didn't say anything. He gave a slight smile, well, what Lilly thought to be a smile and backed out of her driveway.
--
They were at a coffee shop. It was across town, close to the border. Lilly didn't know the name of it, nor did she have any desire to. The place was dimly lit, with people Lilly wouldn't normally associate herself with here and there. Carter had a show there. Lilly was surprised, she figured they would do the normal date thing: movie, dinner, yada yada. But, then again, this was Carter, and he wasn't like any other guy at school.
Carter was backstage, getting ready to go on and Lilly was sitting at a table, watching him. She had a green piece of paper wrapped around her wrist, signaling her age. She wished she could take it off, and just get a drink. She didn't though, and while waiting for Carter to come on stage, she took a sip of her Diet Coke.
Carter hadn't said much on the ride over. She tried to flirt with him a little, asking him where they were, smiling like Aunt Brooke had taught her, but, he just used the smallest answers. He watched the road, the only time he ever looked at her was when she got in the car the first time and when he held the doors open for her. It drove Lilly crazy. She wanted to know what was going on in his head, wondering what he thought of her. He hadn't shown a slice of emotion the entire time.
"Hey there, beautiful."
She turned to see some old guy smiling at her playfully. She smiled at him, seductively and leaned in. "I'm 17." He quickly turned and left and Lilly went back to watching the band on the small stage in the corner of the shop. They weren't that good, but she didn't care. She just liked being somewhere other than home. The song ended and the band left. Some guy walked up on stage and started talking. "And now, we have another one of our very own talents. Everyone, Carter Smith!"
Lilly straightened her back in excitement, leaning forward so she could hear better. He started singing. The song was one he had written himself. He sang quietly, not even the mic helping. But, Lilly picked up on the tone of the song and knew it was more angsty than she had anticipated.
He did one more song, one Lilly tried to listen to but couldn't get herself to pay attention. After that, he hopped off stage and walked over to her, sitting down across from her.
"That was really good." Lilly said after the waiter brought him a soda. "I'm impressed."
He raised an eyebrow. "Impressed, eh?"
Lilly smiled, sheepishly. "Yeah, I didn't expect this."
"I seem to surprise you a lot, don't I?"
She nodded, smiling. "Seems so."
"So," He said, leaning in. "Tell me about you. What's it like being Lucas Scott's sister?"
"Oh god." Lilly rolled her eyes, sighing. "Here we go."
"I take it you don't like it, then, huh?"
"Nope. Everyone just always assumes that I play basketball, or that I'm just as good at writing, or I'm just as good at pleasing everyone. It's like everyone just forgot he was human and assumes he's perfect and they can't possibly understand why I'm not the same."
"So, you resent him."
Shrugging, Lilly played with the straw in her drink. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't know. I just…" She stopped, looking around the coffee shop. "I wish I didn't have such big shoes to fill. Lucas is always trying to be the big brother, but I don't want anything to do with him."
"It's not really his fault everyone loves him."
"Yeah, I guess not."
__
Carter and Lilly continued to talk for another hour. Well, Lilly talking and Carter asked questions. Carter didn't say much about his family, or his life, and while Lilly worried about the reason but was too preoccupied thinking of good answers to his questions to really fret about it. After they finished talking, they went to get ice cream and walked along the beach and Carter took Lilly home. There weren't any lights on when Lilly got home, so she stayed in the car for another twenty minutes, 'getting to know him' better.
Lilly opened the door quietly, tip-toeing in and tentatively pushing the door closed.
"Well?"
Lilly jumped ten straight feet in the air from shock at the sound of Lucas's voice. "Jesus, Lucas! What the hell?"
He was sitting on the couch, a book in his hands. He set the book down on the side table and stood up. He glanced out the front window and back to Lilly. "Why didn't you tell me you had a date with the creepy criminal?"
Lilly rolled her eyes at Peytons nickname and set her purse on the chair in front of her. "Goodnight, Lucas." Lilly said, turning to go to her bedroom.
"Whoa, wait up there speedy gonzalas." Lucas said, stepping in front of her. "Who is this guy?"
"He's just a guy. No big deal."
"Peyton said he looks like a criminal. You can't go out with a guy who looks like a criminal."
"Says who?"
"I'm telling Mom."
"Oh, very mature, Lucas."
"When are you going out again?"
"Who says we're going out again?"
"I'm meeting him."
"No, you're not. Now, I am tired so I am going to sleep. See ya later."
___
Today was Tuesday. Carter had called her a couple of times, just talking with her. She loved having a boyfriend. She had successfully kept him from meeting Lucas. He would have a cow if he saw what Carter looked like. And, then, of course, Lilly would yell at him for being so overprotective when he had no right to be and it would just turn out to be knock-down-dragged-out fight that Lilly didn't feel like having.
She was in English, now. They had just gotten to the part where Nathan had crashed Peyton's car when Mrs. Schultz finally realized that Lilly was sleeping. Lilly opened her eyes when Mrs. Schultz yelled at her.
"What?" Lilly whined. "I already know what happens. Nathan and Lucas get in a huge fight, Lucas takes the car back to Uncle Keiths, who by the way is my father, so the car can get fixed, Keith is apprehensive about the whole situation, Peyton is mad about her car…"
"Lilly! You do not need to tell us what happens." Mrs. Schultz scolded, filling out a detention slip.
"Oh, come on Mrs. Schultz, this isn't fair!"
---
"You got detention." Karen stated blankly after Lilly told her.
They were sitting in the kitchen. Karen had just got home when Lilly told her. Karen didn't seem surprised, and Lilly didn't care.
"Mom, it was so unfair." Lilly whined. "She's making me read Lucas' book. I already know what happens!"
Not everything, Karen quietly thought to herself as she looked down at the pink slip in front of her. Standing up, she walked to the spot in front of the kitchen sink, looking out the window. "Look, Lil, why don't you just go to your room for now, okay?"
Lilly stared at her, wondering what had happened. "Is that it? You're not gonna yell? Nothing?"
Karen closed her eyes, leaning against the countertop. "Just go, will ya?"
Lilly didn't say anything as she left.
Karen waited until she was gone to pick up the phone and call Lucas. "Hello?" He answered.
"Hey Luke, we have a problem."
"What is it, Mom? What's wrong?"
"Lilly is reading your book in class."
"Oh."
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Okay, there is more coming soon. The real drama of the story will be coming. I probably should've made this chapter longer, but I was at a loss for what should come next, so I'll deal with it in the next one. Ideas are always, always welcome! Be sure to click the green button and tell me what you think, or if you have any predictions, questions, anything really.