Chapter Nineteen:
The cessation of the door knob jiggling brought some sort of peace to the five occupants in the house. The past hour Elliot stood looking out the large window that brought into view his mother calming her belongings from the front lawn. He wasn't the only one starring, the neighbors peeked through their curtains and some had the nerve to stand at their door's frame to see what they had assumed all along was the perfect example of a wife, but apparently they were wrong. The picture perfect wife who had everything obviously had nothing; succumbed to being on her hands and knees gathering the clothing from off the ground.
News travels fast, faster than the highest speed of internet available, when you live in a town as close knitted as Tree Hill. Before Lucas knew it his house phone was ringing, continuously, off the hook. He spoke to everyone he knew and to everyone who knew Lindsay; from his mother, to his brother's family, to his friends and her small amount of gathered girlfriends who yelled at him. How on earth had it spread faster than a wild fire in the California Mountains? 'Well, I heard it from Jane who heard it from Ashley, who heard it from Courtney, who heard it from Marybeth who happens to live right across the street from you' Haley had informed her best friend when she had called him to make sure what was being spread across the town was true or false.
"Okay, that's true, but Lindsay gave me no other choice."
Lucas mumbled into the phone's receiver and scoffed at what Haley had told him next.
"Well, from what I've heard so far is that you kicked Lindsay out and two seconds later you and Peyton were, uh, you know."
"No I don't know. How about you inform me, Hales."
"I can't believe I'm going to say this. God knows my minds just been tainted somehow." She took a deep breath and rushed out the sentence into one word. "Rumor is that you kicked your wife to the curve, which I disapprove of by the way, and not five minutes later you did the McDirty, the McNasty, the McSweaty, the McRated R with the McHottie, and then you and Peyton did the Mc whatever you want to call it again out on the balcony."
Haley's flushed face turned the brightest of red even though no one was there to see the apple red color of her flaming cheeks
"First of all, none of that happened. Secondly you really need to stop watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy. And thirdly, geez, this is even worse than that Star Magazine you read every week."
"Okay, what I'm wondering is that how do you know the name of that magazine in the first place?"
"Not the point. If this gets anymore out of hand than both mine and Peyton's reputations will be ruined."
"It's a good thing this isn't Los Angeles and people don't see you as Brangelina and Lindsay as Jen."
"No, but this is Tree Hill and they are Leyton. Plus Lindsay's like a really bad version of me or Jake. Oh, and I hope that you got the part where the McHottie is Peyton."
"Brooke is that you?"
"Yeah, she insisted on a three way conversation. Ignore her, but don't get off subject here, Luke."
"I'm confused? What subject is that? Are we talking about the rumors, a gossip magazine, or two people who make it their goal in life to adopt a kid from every country?"
"The rumors."
"They're just that. Rumors! Goodbye, Haley. Goodbye, Brooke."
Clicking the end button he could hear both women protesting begging for more answers that they weren't going to get.
***
"Why did Lucas kick Lindsay out in the first place?"
Brooke asked once it was just the two of them again. She had tried calling Peyton, but all calls had just gone straight to voicemail. You'd think after having your cell phone die about a billion times she'd learn how to keep it charged before it gave warning signs of low battery.
"Not a clue." Haley put her elbows on the island as she fidgeted in the stool, the sound of something banging another thing caught her off guard. "Chris don't you dare make holes in my walls." She screeched not bothering to check what her houseguest was doing to her home and brought her attention back to her friend on the other line. "That's what I was trying to figure out in the first place."
"How about we improvise? How about you tell me some juicy gossip on what the good people of Tree Hill are saying. Than I can tell you if it sounds believable or not."
"Brooke, maybe we should just wait and see."
"Well, that's no fun. My number one source at the moment is not to be heard from so that only leaves you."
"I really feel the love."
"Come on Haley, please."
Thinking for a moment on whether she should or shouldn't Haley finally gave in. There were already a couple of stories up in the air and some of them were just too bizarre; even Ripley's Believe It Or Not! would have a hard time to even take some of the tales into consideration.
"Next thing you know people are going to start believing that Lindsay herself is Big Foot."
Haley stated after spinning tales into Brooke's ears while she stood to answer the door. Yes, there were some very believable ones Brooke had agreed.
"Lindsay?"
"Oh my god." Brooke laughed on the other end. "Is she really there? Put her on will you? I want to ask if she enjoyed watching HBO's newest hit show Sex and the Balcony."
"Brooke!" Haley cried the mental image of both blondes playing more than just doctor fried into her brain. "I have to go."
Ending the call Haley looked Lindsay up and down; her pencil skirt was stained with grass, her hands filthy with mud, and her appearance as anything but fine.
"He kicked me out."
Still unsure of how everything had happened Haley opened her home to the woman she's known for so many years. The two walked into the living room where Haley's two youngest children stood on either side of a folded up banner.
"Alyssa and Brody don't let go until I say three." Mischievous looks were given to the man by the two teenagers. "Not that three this three." Brody let his hands slip a bit before catching the banner. "Okay, Dennis the menace, fun times over just wait till I count to three."
Chris stood in the middle of it all. Earlier he had muttered that Jamie could have more efficient if he wasn't at college already, but added that the two Naley children would do just fine. They were standing on top of ladders holding the folded sign that has yet to be unraveled.
"Hey Aunt Lindsay's here."
Chris turned around getting a glimpse of mommy dearest before turning back to the two adolescents.
"Three. Three. Three. Three. Three." He said, well shouted, but the banner hadn't been let go getting a 'We're not stupid' look from the brother and sister. "This is not a test." Chris conversed, Alyssa's hand instinctively placed on her hips. "Fine, have it your way. One. Two. Three. Drop it!" The banner was dropped two seconds. "Tah-Dah."
Chris extended his arms out to show off the prize, as if he was Vanna White. The long white sheet of construction paper wasn't large, but it got the message across. A large box with a red check mark inside it wasn't what caught their eyes; it was the big black letters that read Yes on Leyton.Underneath Chris' lousy attempt of cursive could be distinguished only as Lundsay Who?
***
Lucas didn't really have time to think about everything that had just happened. The only emotion that had been currently running through his blood during the whole Lindsay fiasco was anger. But now it was over, for the moment anyway, and now he could clearly process thoughts in the only room in his home that gave him the solace he needed, his study.
"The twins finally got Elliot to look somewhere other than out that window?"
Peyton made her way over towards Lucas who had just finished disconnecting the phone from the wall. He sat in the chair behind his desk and she couldn't as well as sit on his lap; that would be wrong on so many levels. So she opted for standing next to him, well more like leaning on the desk next to him. When he didn't respond Peyton spun the revolving chair so he could face her. She needed him to look at her because that was how she was able to see if he was truly okay since he didn't want to talk to her.
"How are you holding up, Luke?"
She was so close to him now, her legs grazed the size of his arms and yes her touch still sent a shiver down to the core of his every being. He didn't know where it was coming from or maybe it was just buried down deep enough where the aching would stop over time when she wasn't around, but not anymore the sucker was resurfacing and it wanted out. He held onto his composure and finally looked up at her.
"I don't really know."
Lucas answered her honestly not knowing what else to tell her because he himself wasn't too sure on how exactly he was 'holding up' as she put it. The palm of her hand naturally went for Lucas' bicep showing concern towards him and the whole situation.
"I want to tell you everything going to be okay-"
"But it won't be."
He cut her off their pool of iris' never leaving one another as they stood still while everything else moved on around them.
"No, not now anyway. But you'll have your son with you and you'll always have Pres and Elle on your team."
Standing from his chair Lucas brought Peyton into a warm embrace his arms holding onto her for dear life. She doesn't mention that she'll be by his side even though he wishes she could be, but she's already someone else's and that's what makes this all that much more harder. They could have had it all, they could have been it all, the envy of everyone in town, but now he's the only one who is envious and it isn't with her but with the guy she gets to go home to every night once this summer's over.
The whole gazing into each other's eyes is so very much cliché in Peyton's handbook, but when it comes to the man before her she can't help but to be exactly that. Look up the word and there pops a picture of the blonde haired beauty. It's way too intense for her, but she can't help herself to look away.
"Come on."
Peyton's not a big fan of silence lurking in the corners of every depth of a room that has been currently absorbing her and the only other occupant by her side. So, she grabs onto Lucas' hands leading him out of the room and into one of her favorite places, the kitchen. The girl loves to eat a whole lot, but you couldn't tell wondering where in the heck does she store it all?
"First we need…" She quickly invades the freezer finding what she needs, pulling it out, and setting it in front of Lucas. "Vanilla ice cream. Check" She raids the kitchen's cabinets next finding two glass mugs, spoons, and a scooper. "Check, check, check. And last but not least." She pulls out a two liter bottle of soda from underneath her like magic and places it next to the gallon of ice cream. "Root beer. Check."
"I see your solution to everything is still a good ol' Root beer float."
The cheeky smile that's been hiding for the last twenty four hours behind those lips of his finally comes out. It's been a while since she's seen it, but she's glad nonetheless.
"Oh, Luke, root beer floats can fix about anything."
And he's never heard more sense around the globe then when those nine words fall out of her mouth making the opinion into a statement. Yes, root beer floats can fix about anything, but its mystical powers only seem to work when she's around.
After a couple minutes of letting the ice cream get drenched in the soda goodness they dig their spoons into the foam in search of the vanilla dessert. The conversation flows by much easier now than it did about twenty minutes ago. Lucas even tells Peyton about his conversation he had earlier with Haley about the crazy rumors flying through town. She laughs so hard she almost chocked on her ice cream.
"Only in Tree Hill."
"Yeah, well I didn't get to the part where people are saying that we did, now this is in Haley's words, the McNasty for the whole town to see."
"The Mc what?"
She asked chuckling her spoon slipping through her fingers and splashing perfectly back into the cup which earned her a slight red in the face Lucas.
"Haley's version of doing the deed out in the balcony; that girl watches way too much Grey's Anatomy."
Peyton's jaw could have dropped to the ground if she didn't find the whole thing just a tad bit humorous.
"Oh is that the show with the McGorgeous? No wait I think they called him McSteamy." Lucas groaned how on earth did Peyton know that? Oh, right, one person; Haley. "So we did the McNasty out on the terrace, huh? Sounds McSexy." She couldn't stop the fits of laughter escaping her mouth while her right elbow rested on the kitchen's counter top and her head was placed comfortably on the palm of her hand. "I guess I should thank you for the, uh, sex."
"Are you mocking me?" Lucas asked and Peyton shook her head up and down. "Great, I'm glad you're actually enjoying this, Peyt."
"It's pretty funny when you think about it."
"What's so funny?"
Preston asked walking into the kitchen. Peyton's face immediately sobered up. How do you tell your son there are lies going around town that his mother is sleeping with his father? Oh yeah, you don't.
"Awesome, root beer floats."
Thank heaven for little girls is all Peyton could think of now. Her daughter had come in strolling right behind her brother before Peyton could explain what had caused the laughter.
***
Seconds after the banner was exposed Lindsay jumped up to grab the paper crinkled it up, then tearing it into pieces, and lastly stomping on it. She was angry and the steam blowing from her ears was just like out of a cartoon.
"Aren't you supposed to be Team Julian or Team Pulian or something like that?"
She asked wanting to get any sort of reaction from him that came across as betrayal to two of his best friends.
"Sure I am."Her anger only rose with his response and not even with a streak of guiltiness. Of course he was? What the hell was that? If he was so loyal than how come he made a banner stating otherwise? "But this isn't my house it belongs to Nathan and Haley and they sure are on the Lucas and Peyton bandwagon."
A/N: Enjoy the chapter? I don't know if you did so there's always that fabulous green button :D On a more serious note now from my myspace blog:
Goodbye Lucas! But maybe we don't need to say Goodbye Peyton?
Current mood: optimistic
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Yes, I do know this is a long shot, but being a pessimist never got anyone nowhere. Come on people, be optimistic!
http: // petitionspot. com/ petitions/hbfors7oth
(I had to put spaces after http:, before petitionspot., before com/, and before petitions. If you wanna sign it. It didn't let me put the whole web site.)
P.S. I just want to say that if by any circumstances that Hilarie (My hero) wanted to leave OTH by her own choice and to better her career (Her Southern Gothic Productions company-check it out it's awesome) than I will ALWAYS support her 100%, but this petition is in hopes that what if it wasn't Hil's choice to leave my (along with everyone else's) fav show. What if by some small chance it was left by another excellent actor himself who wanted to leave and producers decided that Leyton needs a HAPPILY EVER AFTER so if he leaves than she leaves. Well than I also support this petition through and through. Support if for the right reasons, people