Episode 12: The Wind That Blew My Heart Away

"Peyton! Come on, it's a basketball game. We're cheerleaders. We kind of have to go."

Peyton shakes her head violently in her pillow, face down.

"I don't-" Peyton starts to say, but Brooke interrupts.

"P. Sawyer. I know you want to see him. You've been avoiding him like the plate."

Peyton laughs and says, "The plague, Brooke. I've been avoiding him like the plague."

Brooke rolls her eyes and flips her brunette hair out of her face.

"Whatever. You know I don't pay attention to history and crap. Chase is in there." Brooke's eyes twinkle at the mention of her boyfriend.

Peyton rolls her eyes and puts her head facedown in her pillow.

"Oh, Come on. Get dressed and I'll drive us to the gym. After we can go see a movie or something."

Peyton sits up again and looks at Brooke.

"I don't want to get dressed. I don't want you to drive us to the gym. I don't want to see my husband!" Peyton yells with tears running down her face.

Brooke, used to her best friend's mood swings, sits on the bed trying to comfort her.

"Peyton, you're going to have to see him eventually. He's your husband for crying out loud. I know he's a jerk for saying those things, but you still love him. I know he still loves you, too."

Peyton's tears slow down as she lays her head in Brooke's lap and asks quietly, "You think he still loves me?"

Brooke makes Peyton sit up. Brooke holds her by the shoulders and says, "I know so, P. Now get your lazy butt out of this bed and into that cheerleading uniform before we're late."

Peyton smiles and hugs Brooke.

"Thanks, Brooke. For everything.. I don't know what I would've done without you these past two weeks."

Brooke smiles and says, "I know what you would have done. You would get your butt out this bed!"

Peyton laughs and gets up.

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"Nathan, you can't be serious!" Haley yells.

Nathan looks at her and says, "and why can't I?"

Haley sighs and rolls her eyes at her boyfriend. Nathan smirks and pulls her into his arms.

"Nathan…" she starts again.

Nathan smiles and says, "Look, I know what I'm doing, okay? The doctor said if I fell well enough.."

"Are you feeling well enough to run all over a gym after a ball, Nathan?"

"Do you have something against basketball, Haley?" Nathan asks angrily.

Haley pulls away and says, "No! I have something against you passing out on the floor, though!"

Nathan rolls his eyes.

"I'll be fine, Haley."

"That's what everyone says and before you know it they're in the hospital on their death bed! I don't want.. I don't.." Haley stutters.

Nathan's eyes soften and pull her into his arms again.

"Hales, I'll sit on the sidelines, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Haley puts her head on his chest and says quietly, "Thank you."

Nathan kisses his head and whispers quietly, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Introducing your Tree Hill Ravens: Number Three Skills Taylor!" Mouth yells into his microphone.

The crowd erupts in cheers. Skills runs past the cheerleaders. He winks at Bevin before running towards the coaches. Peyton nervously looks toward the end of the line. Ignoring all of the other names, she just stares at Lucas.

Lucas looks around, trying hard to pay attention to whose turn it is to run past the cheerleaders. All he can see is her. Her green eyes locking with his blue eyes. She looks away from him, blushing. For the first time in the past two weeks, he smiles.

"and Number twenty-two Lucas Scott!"

Lucas runs past the cheerleaders, ignoring the cheers of the crowd. Ignoring him, Peyton pretends to be tying her shoes. Peyton sighs and gets back up slowly. Brooke just smiles at her as the cheerleaders stand on the sidelines to watch the game.

Karen Roe doesn't like phone calls. They usually entail something bad. Like tonight, she just received a phone call about Haley's father. Karen sits down trying to calm herself. She knows Seth James. He's a good man. He works hard. Obviously, he works too hard, Karen thinks to herself as she reaches for her car keys. Normally, she doesn't go to the basketball games, too many memories. Tonight, Karen Roe will step into the gym, facing Dan Scott and whoever else comes her way, to tell a teenager her father was involved in an accident. A car accident. Karen wipes away stray tears as she locks the door to her house, knowing tonight Haley James will remember for the rest of her life.