Chapter 4

"You alright Mom?" Sawyer asked as she entered her mother's office. Peyton was punching at her punching bag with fast, quick punches.

"I'm going to kill Chris," Peyton grunted, throwing one last punch at the bag before collapsing on the couch behind her.

"Wait, Chris Keller is in town?" Sawyer asked, confused. Chris had been somewhat friends with her parents and their friends in high school, even though he had almost broke up her aunt and uncle's marriage.

"He's the one that insisted on bringing Jonah in here. He found this kid playing on the street in New York and said he reminded him of himself when he was younger. And damn, was he right about that." Peyton shook her head. "The kid's a major asshole. He won't take any criticism or suggestions I give him, it's like talking to a wall."

"Well, where's Chris? Maybe he can talk to him and give you a hand."

"He flew the kid in by himself; Chris won't be here til right before the show Friday night so it's up to me to get Jonah performance ready." Peyton sighed.

"Maybe I can help, where's Jonah?" Sawyer asked, peeking into the empty recording studio and seeing no sight of the boy.

"I sent him out of my face for a 5 minute break so he's probably around Tric somewhere." Peyton said. "Hopefully that Evans kid didn't serve him any alcohol, the last thing I need right now is a drunk artist."

"Logan wouldn't do that, Mom." Sawyer said, surprising herself by how reassuring she sounded when defending Logan. "I'll go out there and take a look for him; maybe I can talk some sense into him."

"I guess it's worth a shot," Peyton shrugged, waving her daughter out the door. "He's the horribly attractive looking punk with the dark black hair."

Sawyer adventured back out into Tric and saw her cousin, Jamie, had joined Logan at the bar. Jamie's tall frame was sitting where she had been earlier, with a beer in front of him. He was still dressed in his Ravens practice clothes. He helped to coach the Ravens basketball team, along with his father and Uncle Lucas. "Hey Jamie, a little early for a beer, don't you think?"

"It's 5 o'clock somewhere, and that somewhere is here." Jamie smiled slightly. "You look like you're on a mission, cuz."

"Yeah I am, and there's my target." Sawyer said as she saw Jonah on the stage. "Hopefully I won't need backup."

"We've got your back!" Logan called after her as she walked onto the stage.

"Jonah Munson, right?" Sawyer asked him. The boy looked up from his guitar and his deep brown eyes met hers.

"I am, what's it to you?" Jonah asked, putting his guard up.

"Sawyer Scott," Sawyer put her hand out for the boy to shake. He grabbed it tightly and shook it, sending chills up Sawyer's spine.

"Ahh yeah you're Peyton's daughter, right?" Jonah asked her. "There are pictures of you all over Red Bedroom."

"Yeah I am, why are you being such an ass to my mom?" Sawyer asked, taking a seat next to him.

"I'm not; she just doesn't get what I want to with my music." Jonah explained. "We have different visions, that's all."

"Well you might want to listen to her; she actually knows what she's doing." Sawyer told him.

"I mean, obviously, look at you." Jonah said with a smirk. "You're a babe."

"Shut up," Sawyer snapped back, a little harshly. "I mean thanks."

"Will you be at the show on Friday?" Jonah asked, diverting the conversation away from him and Peyton's fight.

"Yeah of course, considering I'm throwing it with my cousin." Sawyer said. "I'm the reason you even have a show to play at."

"Well I owe you for that then; we should go out after the show. Maybe you can show me around Tree Hill?" Jonah suggested.

"I don't know, you're kind of too assholeish for my taste," Sawyer told him. He looked up her with his puppy dog brown eyes and smiled. "Fine, only if you agree to let my mom help you."

"Anything to spend Friday night with the hottest girl in Tree Hill." Jonah grinned, grabbing her arm before she walked away. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and scribbled his number on Sawyer's hand. "Call me."

"Ha, fat chance," Sawyer laughed as he hopped off the stage and headed back towards Red Bedroom. He passed Logan and Jamie at the bar and looked back at Sawyer.

"You see that girl on the stage? I've got a date with her Friday night." Jonah smirked at the boys, pumping his fist in the air as he went back into the recording studio.

"God, I thought Sawyer knew better." Jamie said shaking his head. "That kid's a walking Chris Keller look alike."

"She can do better," Logan said softly, glancing over at Sawyer as she walked past them and back into Red Bedroom. She was running her fingers over the number Jonah had just written on her arm and a slight smile was on her face.

"Were you just staring at my cousin?" Jamie asked, snapping Logan's attention back onto him.

"No, huh? What, no. That's just…weird." Logan stuttered, trying to think of something to change the subject. "Have you heard anything about the draft yet?"

"Nope, it's still a waiting game. I was hoping we'd have an idea on any interested teams but none so far." Jamie sighed. "Dad said that's normal but still, your dad and him are confident."

"I can't wait for you to be in the NBA, parties every night, my man." Logan said.

"I'm sure there will be many hearts of girls for you to break," Jamie smiled, hitting his cousin's shoulder. "Speaking of girls, I have a certain girl to meet for a date."

"Are you sure you're ready to tie yourself down to one girl for the rest of your life?" Logan asked.

"We're not getting married; I'm not my parents dude." Jamie defended. "But Madison's the one, I just know it."

"Well god I hope so, you've only been together since you were like 6." Logan laughed. "What is with you Scott's and dating your childhood sweethearts for, like ever?"

"We grew up in Tree Hill, we were practically raised to do that," Jamie smiled.