Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, I couldnt use the computer for religious purposes, and then the next day I chilled with friends.

First of all thanks for all your reviews and suggestions, they make me much happier about my work, So here is Chapter 4. Sorry not that much Breyton Im still trying to fit them in somehow. SO now chapter 4

"Well actually, that's why were here." Lucas said to her, looking at the guys the both nodded. "How would you like to join the Ravens?"

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Sarah just stared at them dumbfounded. Her mouth was open a little. Was she hearing them correctly? They wanted her, Sarah Beth Preston to play on the Ravens. Her mind was racing what was she going to do?

On one hand, she told everyone she wasn't playing any sports. She wasn't going to go back on her word. She said it and she meant it, No sports. She already backed down from soccer, lacrosse, track, any other team that actually has a girl's team at Tree Hill High School.

On the other hand, this was basketball. This was her favorite sport! And she had automatically made the team! She could play basketball for hours, and really enjoy playing it.

But….. she would be playing with all the arrogant basketball jerks who wouldn't want a girl on their team. They would all protest and ruin her experience on the team. Would it even be worth it?

She had made up her mind.

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Sarah looked at the guys and Jamie waiting there for her to say something.

"I know it isn't every day that you give people positions to play on the Ravens, and I know that its an honor to join. But I think Im going to have to decline your offer."

"But-"Lucas started but was interrupted.

" I don't know how much thought you put into this before hand, but did you ever think about how the other guys on the team would react to having a girl on the team? Plus playing in a guys league is very difficult. They wouldn't play fair. But the real reason I can't accept your offer is because I decided that I was dropping sports all together. I just can't to do it this year. So thanks again for the offer. I have to go. Nice to meet you guys. Jamie, work on that jump shot!"

With that she smiled and turned to walk home, leaving the guys confused.

Just as she was about to start jogging, Lucas called out to her.

"Hey Sarah!" She turned towards the voice. "Youre a really great player, better than some of the guys on our team don't doubt yourself okay?" She nodded. "Just think about it, the offer still stands." With that final note she turned to leave.

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Peyton set the table as Brooke put Maya down in the crib. They decided to have a big "family" dinner. Inviting all their friends over to their house for dinner, as a get together, just like they did when they were younger. So The Scotts, Nathan, Haley, Jamie, and Lucas, were coming. Along with Mouth, Millicent, and Skills. Together they would eat dinner and just chill. They hadn't had a real get together since the summer, when everyone was at the beach. Now was a perfect time.

Mouth and Millicent came first, then Haley, then last all the guys and Jamie. Jamie came in running to give Brooke a hug.

"Aunt Brooke, did you make dinner?" He asked his little blue eyes shining.

"No silly, you know I don't cook well I ordered in and got a special kids meal for you!"

"Yes!" The boy exclaimed.

Everyone laughed. Brooke Davis was a lot of things: smart, funny, witty, artistic, sneaky, beautiful, a great designer, and a great new mom. One thing that she couldn't do was cook. She was not to be trusted in a kitchen.

Soon everyone sat down and light dinner banter had begun, Brooke was talking about Maya. Haley and Peyton were discussing with everyone their new ideas with the album, and then the guys began telling everyone about the team. They soon came to discuss Sarah Preston.

"I don't believe she turned down our offer. I mean, who wouldn't want to be part of the Ravens." Lucas said truly confused.

"Well I wouldn't either if I would be the only girl on a team of 13 boys." Peyton interjected.

"Shes still hurting over her fathers death that's why she turned it down." Haley said quietly. Everyone turned to her. "I mean, I cant say exactly how she feels, but she used to be on five different teams at school, an all around athlete, and she just dropped all of them. Didn't go to any practices or tryouts. I heard her talking to one of her friends in the hall today saying she was dropping all sports because she just wasn't into it. I mean if she wants to she will do it, just don't pressure her."

The guys looked at her and nodded. Just then they heard a dull bouncing sound. It seemed like Jamie, who had left the table a while ago was playing ball.

Haley frowned. She had told Jamie so many times that he was not allowed to play ball inside the house. "Jamie!" she called. "Are you playing ball?"

Jamie came running when he heard his name. "No. Aunt Brooke and Aunt Peyton dont have any basketballs for me to play with."

"Oh okay. Sorry hunny, go back and play. Does any one else here that?" Haley asked.

The sound was unmistakable to the crowd. It was the sound a ball makes when being bounced against the black top.

"I think its coming from outside." Lucas got up, and walked to the front window. Sure enough there it was. A girl, about 5"8, was dribbling the ball on her drive way, occasionally going up for the shot. Her form was unmistakable. "Holy. Crap. You guys are neighbors with Sarah Preston!"

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Sarah had gotten home, a little bit in a daze. Lucas Scott had asked her to join the team. Michelle was right. Holy Crap, that girl knew everything. She made a mental note to always listen to Michelle.

The house was dark when she came in. Once again her mom was not home, nor was her house keeper. She checked the messages. One new message. She pressed the play button.

"Hey Sarah sweetie, its Mommy. Just calling to tell you that I'm not going to be home till late tonight, maybe around ten. I'm on call in the hospital tonight. Just order some dinner, and leave a little for me. Use the credit card I left in your desk drawer. I hate to leave you all alone tonight maybe ask Michelle, or Mackenzie to come over. I know that it seems like every night I seem to be coming home late, but I'm trying to come home earlier from now on. Call me if you need anything."

Sarah sighed. Once again left at home alone tonight. It didn't used to be this way. Last year there was always at least one parent home. But ever since her fathers death, it seemed that her mom had been working much more.

She texted Mackenzie, who never answered back. She tried calling Michelle, but then realized that she had a date with Riley tonight. She was too fed up to try and find another friend to come over.

After ordering something to eat Sarah sat down at the kitchen table and opened Of Mice and Men. She had read the first few paragraphs five times. She didn't remember it being this boring, not when reading it with her dad. Frustrated she closed the book and slid it to the other end of the table.

Her mind was racing. She had been offered a position on the Tree Hill Ravens, and she had turned it down. What the hell was she thinking? This was her dream. She always wanted to play basketball. Maybe even go to Duke and be a Lady Blue Devil. But she wasn't going to get there if she wasn't on the team.

Her food came and she ate quickly. Her mind was still on over haul. All she could think of was Basketball. Finishing her food she went out to the driveway through the garage. Taking out her lacrosse stick she started throwing a ball against a special net. That soon got boring. She then took out a hockey stick and tried dribbling the ball around, that didn't satisfy her sudden need for activity either. She had gone through almost every piece of sporting equipment in the garage; her tennis racket, her soccer ball, a ribstick, a skate board, a jump rope were all lying scattered on her front lawn and drive way.

Soon enough she gave in to her conscience and went to the crate of basketballs. In the small crate were six balls, three mens balls and three womens balls. The mens basket balls had belonged to her father, and he had always wanted the best brand for his big hands. He always said that they made him play the best, even though everyone knows that it wasn't the actual ball you played with, it was the way you used the ball that counts.

She picked one up, hesitating. She knew that if she was to join the team she would only be using the bigger basket balls. So she took out another one and decided to start up her drills again.

She picked up the ball smacking it with her hands getting used to the feeling of the ball. Then bouncing it once she started running. Up and down the street she ran, just like she had done with her father long ago. She first started dribbling with her strongest hand, her left, and then with her right. Soon she starting doing crossovers, behind the back, through the legs. She then picked up an extra ball and started dribbling two balls. Up and down the court she ran, her head up, brow furrowed trying to concentrate. She then starting alternating the balls, while one was up the other was down. She created a soothing rhythm of the balls. She walked towards her driveway just dribbling two balls and thinking. Thinking about everything.

"Stop thinking." She told herself, she was driving herself nuts. Seriously, she hadn't done this much thinking since…since…since ever in her life. She dropped one of the balls and started shooting around in her driveway hoop.

She had been avoiding using this hoop in the driveway for a while. It held too many memories. The day they moved to Tree Hill after she found out that the high school didn't have a girls basketball team, she made her dad buy the best hoop the sporting goods store had. She played there with her dad all summer, spring, and fall. When ever the weather was nice they would have a friendly one-on-one. But then she got caught up in school, and boys, and sports, and her friends, and soon the one-on-ones became scarce. She couldn't even remember her last time she played with him.

She didn't even try and remember, it would just conjure up bad memories. So brushing aside her thoughts, she started to shoot.

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The guys were the first to hop up from the table including Mouth. They stood kneeling on Brooke and Peyton's couch. It was quite a funny sight for the girls who walked in a second later. They got close to the window. Sarah Preston was standing in the middle of the street dribbling two balls. Soon enough she stopped and threw one ball into her front yard which was littered with balls, and hockey sticks. Kicking her skateboard aside she started to shoot around.

"Watch." Said Lucas.

And there she was, just shooting around for the second time in a day, not knowing she was being watched.

"Wow." Said Mouth. "She's good. I don't think I've ever seen a girl play like that. Ever."

"Dude." Nathan said not taking his eyes off the girl. "I said the same thing."

"The girl is good." Peyton said also watching Sarah sink another jump-shot. "I don't think I've ever seen a girl in Tree Hill play basketball. I feel like it was always the guys thing."

"That's because girls never actually cared about the sport, just the guys who played it." Said Brooke smirking.

Haley just quietly watched Sarah enjoy herself. She was good, no doubt about it. But was this pressure that her husband and her best friend were putting on this girl right? She didn't want Sarah to regret her choices.

"Okay enough staring at this basketball chick!" Brooke exclaimed, making everyone jump. "You guys are getting kind of stalkerish."

Reluctantly everyone peeled away from the window, and helped Brooke clean up.

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"Bye!" called Jamie, walking out the door. Dinner was over, and everything was cleaned up. The Scotts were the last to go.

Lucas was getting a ride from the his brother, and went to the car which was parked across the street. Right next to Sarah Prestons house.

Sarah had lay down in the grass tossing the ball up and down. She was thinking again, she couldn't get her mind to stop. She was making a mental pros and cons list to joining the team. She was deep in thought when she heard her name being called.

"Hey Sarah!" she looked up and saw it was Jamie. She smiled, a little confused. What was he doing at her house?

She looked up and saw Lucas, Haley and Nathan who all smiled at her.

"Hey what are you doing here champ?" She asked Jamie, sitting up.

"You live across from my Aunt Peyton and Aunt Brooke. We went there for dinner, even though we ate take out." He said matter of factly.

"You seem to be in all the places were going tonight." Lucas said laughing a little. He really hoped that this girl didn't think he was stalking her.

Sarah nodded. "What are all these toys?" Jamie asked eyeing the skateboard.

She chuckled, now fully standing up and pick up her lacrosse stick with a well mastered spin. "I was bored, so I took everything out of my garage. It wasn't the best idea because now I have to clean everything up." Looking around she didn't realize how big a mess she had made. "If someone was to look in my garage they would think that a family with three boys lived here, when really its just me."

"Are you home alone?" Haley asked. She was curious why Sarah had been in the dark all alone.

"Yeah, my moms at the hospital." She said kicking the soccer ball into the garage.

"Hospital? Is everything all right." Nathan asked concerned.

"Oh no, its not a bad thing. My moms a doctor shes on call tonight, shes usually in the hospital late." Sarah said calmly, picking up the skateboard and putting it in the flower beds.

"Oh okay." Lucas said. "Have you thought at all about my offer before?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound too hopeful.

Haley quickly interjected. "Lucas, leave her alone, let her decide on her own."

"Actually I kinda made up my mind." Said Sarah softly. "My dad died exactly three months ago from tomorrow. If I was given this offer during the time when he was alive he would have pressed me to do what I want, follow my heart. He probably wouldn't approve what I'm doing right now, dropping all my sports and everything. He would want me to move on, and sports would be perfect way. But I know that though he would have never pressured me to say yes, or to do anything I wasn't sure of, like joining the team. But I know if I did, he would have been so proud. So in his memory, im going to accept your offer. I'll join the Ravens."

Sarah smiled. She was glad she said yes. She was proud, and felt that it needed to be shared.

Lucas, Nathan, and Haley were moved. They didn't expect that.

Lucas was the first to speak. "Thanks Sarah, that means a lot. I know that your dad must be really proud of you. You're going to be great. Welcome to the team." He said smiling.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah welcome. We'll see you at practice tomorrow." He said, scooping up Jamie who was tired and clinging to his leg.

"Good night Sarah, see you first period." Said Haley smiling. She was moved almost to tears by Sarah's little speech. With that the Scotts got in their car and drove off.

Satisfied and happy, Sarah plopped down on the grass smiling.

Hope you liked it. The drama will start once she joins the team.

please leave a review they really make me more confident about my work, and help me update faster. Hope to update soon!