"Blisters and blood and the sun makes you blind, you don't let it eat till it can't help but be kind. 'Cause you know what's important with your back to the wall, you can break metal chains when your friends don't let you fall."

Fiction Plane, If Only

Effy was avoiding her family. Ever since Keith had brought her back a few hours her dad had stopped by the garage Effy had been going out of her way to avoid her family. Effy was as made as ever and she knew a confrontation was coming between her and her father given the makeover she had given to his car but she'd deal with him when she was good and ready. Then there was Nathan, Effy just didn't want to see him in general so Effy made sure she was up before everyone else and left as soon as possible to get to school, only returning late in the evening to head straight to bed. Over the last couple of days Effy was actually only ever in the house to sleep and shower, the only time that she had been in the same room as Dan and Nathan was at yesterday's basketball game and that was only because she was cheering. As soon as the game was over Effy left the gym as quickly as possible. No one batted an eyelid at any of this because the entire student body was aware that Effy and Nathan had a rather strained relationship at the best of time. But now Effy was super pissed off at Nathan as well as Dan as earlier today Nathan got into a fight with Lucas after he called Lucas, a bastard referring to how he was born out of wedlock. Effy could not believe that her brother had actually said that so she was waiting outside the gym for Nathan to come out after practice so she could confront him. Effy was so mad that she was ready to have it out with both Nathan and Dan today and let them know how she really felt. Effy had been outside the gym for about close to ten minutes when Nathan finally made an appearance with his apparent best friend and dimwit Tim and a few other teammates.

"What the hell is wrong with you Nathan? I cannot believe what you did today, that was so out of order on so many levels." Effy immediately began as Nathan had barely taken about five steps out of the gym. She was starting to think that her brother was really starting to turn into their father.

"For god sake Effy not you too." Nathan scoffed and Effy couldn't believe that her brother was dumb enough to think that she wouldn't say anything about this. But then again Effy did call Nathan the lunk head basketball boy behind his back given that Nathan's head was pretty much empty most of the time hence why Effy was considered the smart one in the family.

"Er… yeah me too, did you really not think I wouldn't here about the crap you pulled today? Usually I don't care what you did Nathan, you could do all the stupid things in the world and I wouldn't but an eyelid. But who the hell do you think you are going around talking to people like that?" Effy demanded not caring that she was giving her brother a dressing down in front of most of his team, well the ones who hadn't been suspended. Effy sometimes couldn't believe that Nathan was captain as he was probably setting the worst example for his teammates to follow.

"This has nothing to do worth you Effy, so keep out." Tim began.

"Shut up Tim, if I wanted you to speak I would have waved a sausage in your face." Effy snapped and almost immediately Tim shut up and bowed his head down, Effy had a bit of a fiery temper and was prone to going off on one when she was really mad. Everyone always said that Effy had a very sharp tongue as you were never quite sure what was going to come out of Effy's mouth most of the time, let alone when she was mad. Once she had dealt with Tim, Effy turned her attention back towards Nathan as she wasn't finished with him yet. "You know what? I'm glad Lucas kicked your ass because you know what Nate, you're an asshole. A real asshole and I'm embarrassed to be your sister!"

"Effy, get out of my way." Nathan firmly stated in an attempt to get Effy to move but she didn't budge, she didn't even bat an eyelid as Nathan had no authority over her. Nathan couldn't say jump and Effy would ask how high. That wasn't how things worked, Effy had her own mind and she liked using it.

"I'm not most of your team mates Nathan, I won't let you boss me around and tell me what to do or when I'm allowed to speak. You don't get to dictate any of that because you're not the boss of me, or anyone else here!" Effy retorted and Nathan looked surprised and somewhat embarrassed about the way Effy was addressing him in public, in front of his friends and teammates. "Has the great Nathan Scott finally realized that just because he may be king of the basketball court doesn't make him the king of the world? All of us don't live in your world Nathan, you live on this planet with about 6 billion other people and you had better start realizing it and cut this whole crap out. Because I'll tell you know Nathan no one likes a jackass!"

"That's rich coming from Effy, at least I'm not–" Nathan began.

"At least I'm not? What? An actual somewhat decent human being?" Effy interrupted shutting Nathan down pretty quickly before giving him a shove. "I am so sick o your constant bullshit and you looking down at me and everyone else because you think your better than everyone else! Well let me tell you something Nathan Scott, if anyone is the bastard here then it is you!"

"Effy let it go. Just leave it he's not worth it, so let's go." Jake Jagielski, Effy's best friend and perhaps only truest friend said as he stepped in between her and Nathan.

"That's right Jagielski, go take her home or somewhere..." Nathan stated somewhat regaining his typical cocky and arrogant manner, acting like he hadn't just been embarrassed in front of his friends by his sister.

"I'm not doing this for her Nathan, I'm doing it for you. I'm stopping you from having your ass kicked by both your siblings." Jake tells Nathan with a smile before dragging Effy away by her wrist to the car park and once they were out of Nathan's earshot Jake really let into Effy. "What the hell were you thinking Elizabeth?"

Effy knew she was in serious trouble with Jake as he had just called her by her actual name in his angry voice, Jake was the only person who generally tended to Elizabeth. Since Effy had Effy as a nickname, Jake used Elizabeth as a general term of endearment with Effy and he was the only person she generally answered to if they called her Elizabeth. Jake would frequently call Effy by Elizabeth but generally he stuck to Eff or Effy unless she had done something wrong like now. Knowing she was in trouble Effy chose to ignore Jake's question. "I cannot believe I shared a uterus with that ignoramus for nine months! There is no way Nathan is my twin brother, I refuse to accept it!"

"Effy…"

"No it is not alright Jake, Nathan had no right to speak to Lucas like that and I am sick of it all. It so much crap, Nathan is full of it and he thinks that he can just get away with all of this because he's the captain of the team. Well it's not okay Jake, Nathan shouldn't be allowed to get away with any of this!" Effy angrily stated getting herself all worked up until Jake put his bag down and placed his hands on either side of Effy's shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"What is going on with you?" Jake asked and Effy couldn't help but snort in amusement as that was a funny notion, Nathan actually doing something for her? Pigs would sooner fly.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Effy lied.

"Elizabeth I know you and you are not fine, something is seriously up with you and this isn't about what happened today with Lucas and Nathan so talk to me Eff. That's what the two of us do, we talk about the real stuff, the things that actually mean something to us so talk to me Effy." Jake pleaded and Effy had to look away from Jake for a moment before she could actually tell him what had happened. Jake knew about none of that, her disappearing act or the fact that Effy frequently snuck out and went on late night all night trips around town. Jake was her best friend, perhaps one of the few people who truly knew Elizabeth Scott on the inside as well as the outside but even then he didn't know everything. Effy was hiding things from him too.

"The night that Lucas played Nathan at the river front to get on the team, I heard our father tell Nathan that he didn't want me, ne had never wanted me. I was standing right behind Dan when he said and I quote if I had wanted a daughter I would have adopted one." Effy revealed but this time she didn't get upset like she did at the garage with Lucas and Keith, as she was the past the sad and weepy phase. Effy was at the angry and majorly pissed of stage. So she couldn't cry even if she wanted to do.

"Effy…"

"Yeah I know it's fucked up Jake as what kind of parent says that? Well that's my dad, Dan Scott is the kind of parents who disowns one of his own sons and says that he never wanted his daughter. I have to live under the same room as that man, I had to hear that he never wanted me Jake and that sucked. I guess being an asshole tends to run in the family as Nathan has clearly inherited it from Dan." Effy spat out in disgust as she kicked a piece of the ground.

"What did Nathan do?" Jake asked.

"Nothing as per usual, Nathan would never do anything as that would mean he would actually have to care. I could die tomorrow and Nathan wouldn't care, he would just be annoyed that any attention would be off him for more than a minute. That's if he actually acknowledged it, him and Dan wouldn't probably even realize anything had happened." Effy grimily replied.

"Is this why your hand is all banged up and why you weren't at school the other day." Jake questioned and Effy glanced down at her still bandaged hand

"Perhaps." Effy feebly admitted as she knew the skateboarding story wouldn't fly with Jake

"Hey… You know that what your dad said was a stupid thing to say and I'm guessing that must have hurt hearing that and Nathan should have done something. But I for one am glad you're here Effy as you matter to me, you know that right?" Jake stated and Effy slowly nodded her head, Jake was one of the few people that actually made Effy feel like she mattered. "I like you so much better than Nathan and your dad is incredibly stupid as who is he not to have wanted you?"

" That's funny, Lucas said the exact same thing." Effy replied, unable to stop herself from wearily laughing.

"Lucas, huh?" Jake questioned as he let go off Effy's shoulders and picked up his bag and the two of them made their way down the car park before stopping right by Effy's jeep. Effy had her own car but she only tended to drive to school and away cheerleading games as she preferred to travel via her skateboard. But the last couple of days she had found herself driving a lot more than usual as it meant she could leave Tree Hill for a while in order to spend less time at home.

"Yeah me and the oldest brother have been bonding over the fact that Dan never wanted either of us and that Nathan is a huge jerk. It's been nice getting to know him you know? I've always wondered what Lucas is like and know I'm starting to get to know him and I'm pretty certain I like him more than Nathan." Effy admitted as she wasn't afraid to say that she preferred one of her brothers over the other as her and Nathan hadn't got on in years and their relationship was just deteriorating over the years. Effy would be surprised if they kept in contact once they had both left for college.

"I'm happy for you Eff," Jake sincerely said.

"Yeah, Lucas seems to be the only decent member of the Scott family here in Tree Hill except for my Uncle Keith. A couple of days ago Keith brought me home and I know he chewed out Dad pretty bad about what had happened, from where I was eavesdropping it almost seemed like Dan felt guilty. But in reality he was only guilty that he had been caught. But that's the Scott family for you, we put the dysfunction in dysfunctional I guess…"

"Have you spoke to your dad about what he said?"

Effy shook her head. "No I haven't spoke to Dan, we haven't really seen each other since the whole he didn't want me thing as I've been avoiding him ever since. After t happened I needed sometime to get my head together before I talked to him as I was too upset to talk to him with out smashing all of my mom's fine china. But I'm going to do it now, I need to do it now. I have to confront Dan about this as we live under the same room and the man is my father, it's not going to be pretty though."

"You want me to come with you?" Jake offered and Effy couldn't help smile, her family drama and craziness never seemed to drive Jake away in the slightest. Any normal sane person would have run to the hill by now but since Jake was Effy's best friend he couldn't be the sanest person in the world or Tree Hill.

"Thanks for the offer but I've got to do this by myself however I'll be round later, no doubt I'll dramatically storm at the house later after Dan or Nathan says something to piss me off. So I'll bring my books over and we can do some studying or something cool with your mom…"

"Well you know I've always got your back Scott, so I'll catch you later." Jake chuckled as he gave Effy a small wave before walking off towards his car. Making her way over to the driver's side of her car, Effy opened the door and chucked her school bag over to the passenger front seat and just before she climbed in she noticed something on the windshield of her car, held down by the wipers. Shutting the door Effy reached over and found that it was a postcard on her windshield, it was a post card of Almond Blossoms, a painting by Vincent Van Gogh done in 1890 of an almond tree in blossom which just so happened to be one of Effy's favourite Van Gogh paintings. Turning the past card over Effy found something was written on it, writing in an all too familiar messy yet somehow neat scrawl the postcard said "And the tree was happy." Effy couldn't help but smile as she had no idea how Jake had the time to do this but he done it, he had made her feel happy for the first time in days. Now she had to go and see her father and have him make her unhappy again…