Authors Note: Thankyou to those who reviewed last chapter (Chandler, arubagirl0926, stagediva23 & ObviouslyaDreamer) Your reviews mean the world. Here's the next chapter!
April 2025:
"Wakey wakey sleeping beauty," Peyton softly said before kissing Ella's blonde curls.
The teenager's eyes fluttered sleepily and then she rubbed them with her hands as she sat up.
"Morning birthday girl!"
"Morning mom."
"Your dad's already making your favourite and I've woke your sisters up. So shall I meet you downstairs?"
Ella nodded. "I'll just have a quick wash and be down soon."
Peyton left her daughter to wake up. The Scott family had the same routine every year when it came to birthdays. Lucas would wake up early to cook breakfast, making sure it was the favourite of whichever birthday girl it was, because each one of them was different. Sawyer liked pancakes with eggs and bacon, she was a skinny girl but boy did she eat. Ella favoured waffles with maple syrup, whilst Annie liked good ol' French toast. Peyton tended to go for everything these days and it really made Lucas think as to what their son would choose as his favourite breakfast dish.
Ella made her way downstairs to the voices of her sisters squabbling and Peyton laughing. Something's would never change. Dressed in her floral pyjamas, she joined everyone round the dining room table. Both Annie and Sawyer were dressed in their pyjamas also. Sawyer's hair was curling at all sorts of angles as she sat in an old band tee and checkered, flannel pants. She looked like she wanted to be back in bed; she had never been good with early mornings. Annie on the other hand was energetic at all times of the day. Usually she'd go for a run or shoot some hoops down at the rivercourt, but this morning she had opted to stay at home to celebrate her sister's birthday. Ella noticed that Annie looked like she'd made more of an effort than Sawyer as her hair was wet after showering and she sat in a New York Knicks basketball jersey and shorts.
"Finally, you're awake," Annie grinned. "Happy birthday Sis!"
"Happy birthday squirt!" Sawyer added with a smile. She wasn't big on emotion but Ella knew that she meant the comment.
"Thankyou."
She took a seat opposite Sawyer with Annie on her left. Her parents walked into the dining room carrying various plates and bowl filled with food. Peyton placed the tray of waffles in the centre of the table along with the jug of orange juice. Lucas put the plates in front of each chair at the table and placed the maple syrup in the centre of the table.
"Happy birthday Broody," Lucas wished his daughter and kissed her head.
"Thanks dad!"
Lucas and Peyton sat at the table, Peyton sitting next to Sawyer and Lucas at the head of the table.
"El, do you want your presents now or later?"
"Actually can I just open them tonight with everyone else's?"
"Are you sure baby?"
"Yeah, I can wait."
"Whatever you want El." Lucas confirmed and signalled for Ella to dig into the waffles.
After getting the get go from Elaine, Brooke and Julian put in an offer for the five bed roomed house that they had fallen in love with. And a week later, they were finally able to pick up the keys. Their offer had been accepted and they were now the proud owners of 4654 Pineview Drive, which was merely minutes away from Nathan and Haley's house, and only a ten-minute drive into Tree Hill centre and to the beach.
The drive leading up to the house was not too long but big enough to hold both Julian's Chevrolet truck and Brooke's SUV. The house had a white porch that came with a bench swing.
Julian pulled into the drive and turned off the engine. Both he and Brooke turned to look at Freddie who was sat in the back of Brooke's SUV.
"This is gonna be our new home now Freddie. Do you want to take a look around?"
"Juwian come too?" the little boy wondered.
"Of course I'm coming with you Fredster!"
The little family got out of the car, Brooke going ahead to open the red door of their new home as Julian carried Freddie in his arms. They entered the door of the unfurnished house, which opened out into the main living area, with the grand staircase of the three-storey house on the left. The hardwood floors shone beneath their feet as they continued moving through the house and into the dining room that was slightly smaller than the large living room but led into the kitchen. The kitchen was the only thing that seemed to be fully furnished with a bar counter and stools, along with a refrigerator. The back door in the kitchen led to the backyard, which they unlocked and walked out into. The yard was the house's best quality with a swimming pool, on one end and a grand oak tree at the other, with lots of space for Freddie to run around.
"See that tree over there?" Julian spoke to Freddie who nodded. "I was thinking we could build you a tree house. Would you like that?"
The child grinned and nodded vigorously. Brooke rubbed his back as she giggled at his happiness. She couldn't wait to move in.
"Do you want to see your room now?" she asked.
"My own room?"
"You betcha."
The three walked back into the house and up the stairs to the first floor. This was where most of the bedrooms were, three to be exact. The other two were on the second floor, but Brooke and Julian were thinking of turning them into an office and home cinema.
Brooke and Julian had already decided that they were to take the master bedroom with ensuite, whereas Freddie could have the next biggest room, next to theirs, opposite the bathroom. The other bedroom on the first floor they planned to turn into a guest bedroom for when one of their many nieces and nephews visited.
As they walked into Freddie's new room, Julian placed him on the floor so he could look around. They watched Freddie walk around the empty room, taking everything in before climbing up onto the window seat to look outside. He had a view of the tree in the backyard and a bit further in the distance, the beach.
"What do you think little man?" Brooke asked. She and Julian stood hand in hand next to the window seat, waiting for the little boy's approval.
"This be awl mine?" he wondered with that familiar puzzled look on his face that Brooke simply adored.
"All yours if you want it?"
"Yes Pwease!" he accepted.
"We were hoping you'd say that," Julian laughed.
"I was thinking that me and you could go shopping today and buy you all new toys and a new bed. Then we could paint it what ever colour you like."
"No Juwian?"
"Not today I'm afraid buddy. I've got to work but you and Brooke are gonna have tonnes of fun, okay?"
Freddie considered what Julian said and after a few moments, agreed.
At the age of fifteen, Ella didn't feel much different to when she was fourteen. Everything was pretty much the same as the day before. A few people in the tutor centre had wished her a happy birthday but she was yet to see her best friend.
She stood at her locker, swapping her algebra book for her history book when two hands covered her eyes.
"Guess who?"
She didn't even have to hear his voice to know that it was him.
"Hey Lanny!"
He pulled his hands away from her eyes and she turned around to see his face beaming back at her.
"Happy birthday best friend!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks. My mom wants to know if you're still coming tonight?"
"Of course. I'll bring your present too."
"Lan, I told you not to get me anything."
"You're my best friend Ella, I wasn't not gonna get you anything so quit your complaining and just accept it."
"Fine, thanks. We've still got that project to do so do you want to come straight home with me afterschool. Everyone else is getting there around seven. So it'll give us a few hours."
Lanny rolled his eyes. "Do you hear yourself right now? It's your birthday and you're still thinking about work."
"Just because it's my birthday, doesn't mean I'm not gonna do homework."
As Lanny laughed, the two friends were joined by Lydia.
"Happy birthday Ella," she hugged her cousin and then kissed her boyfriend. "Morning you."
"Morning. I thought you were in the studio today?" Lanny questioned.
"My mom doesn't want me to miss too much school so she's cutting down on studio time and Peyton agrees. She doesn't think I have enough songs for an album so she wants me to get inspired," Lydia sighed.
"Good, it means more time with me," Lanny concluded before leaning in to kiss his dark haired girlfriend.
Ella tried to look everywhere but at them, talk about third wheel. She slammed her locker door.
"Well I'm gonna go. I'll see you both later."
Lanny and Lydia were both confused as they watched Ella walk down the hallway, blending into the crowd.
"So Freddie, what colour do you want to paint your room?" Brooke asked as she walked hand in hand with the little boy. She had left his stroller in her car. The little boy shrugged. "Well me and Julian are painting ours purple because we like that colour so why don't you choose a colour that's your favourite?"
"I wike green."
"Green? Okay, I think the green paint is a few aisles down."
They both headed in the direction of the green paint, Freddie clinging to the zebra teddy in his hand. Earlier that day, they had gone to the mall for toys and books to fill Freddie's room. Brooke had definitely gone overboard but she didn't care.
The only thing that Freddie seemed to be interested in having was the zebra stuffed toy in his hand and a lego set. So Brooke bought him both, plus many books and educational toys. She'd also ordered a trampoline and jungle gym for their yard. They wouldn't be moving into the house until they had finished decorating it. Julian suggested that they get decorators to decorate every room in the house but Freddie's so that they could do his as a family. The decorators were in the house whilst Brooke shopped.
"This green is nice," she thought as she picked up a tin and showed it to Freddie who shook his head. "No, okay. Do you want a darker green?"
Freddie nodded and pointed to a forest/hunter green.
"You like that one huh? So do I. I was thinking that we could paint your room like a jungle and have zebras painted on your walls?"
She had already asked Peyton to help with the room but only to paint the zebras. The rest of the walls would be painted a mixture of blue and green.
After choosing the appropriate colours and picked up some glow in the dark stars, they went to pay, both happy with the purchases of the day.
Nathan waited for Julian to shout action. He was currently stood on a set version of Tree Hill High's basketball court. It seemed like he was always on this court, whether he was co-ordinating the cast for the Ravens film or coaching the actual Ravens team, but he was happy with the way life had gone for him and his family.
"Action!" Julian shouted and Nathan watched the actors whose characters were basketball players run round the court in their right positions, the ones that he had taught them. He was merely on set today to make sure that they played the game correctly. The scene was the game in which he collapsed after taking performance enhancers. It was only a small scene as it was only a small part of the film. They had already filmed most basketball scenes. Julian wanted to get them out of the way so had filmed them out of sequence. The only ones left after today was State Championship, Nathan and Lucas' first game out on the rivercourt and their last high school game out on the river court.
He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket so he pulled it from his jeans to read the message that had been sent to him. It was from Jamie.
Dad, I was thinking of coming to stay for a weekend soon. When is everyone free? I was gonna bring Megan
Nathan couldn't help but smile. Jamie was growing up nicely. He had a great job, an apartment and a girlfriend that they had yet to meet. It was killing Haley, Nathan could tell. He texted his son back.
Sounds great son, can't wait to meet her. How's next weekend?
He couldn't wait to tell Haley.
The Scott house was bustling, people in every room and silence just wasn't an option on this night. It was like this on every birthday. Ella was currently sat in the living room on the floor next to the table that was filled with presents and cards. Peyton was trying to gather all of their guests in one room, which was proving difficult when Alex and Brooke were trying to get their sons to stay in one place, the guys were drinking beers in the kitchen and Sawyer refused to leave her room.
After twenty more minutes, everyone was finally in one place and Ella was able to open her presents. First was the present of Chase, Alex, Avery and Caleb. Chase and Alex still weren't a couple but they were good friends who had decided to get the present together.
Ella tore away the pink tissue paper to reveal a pair of light denim jeans and a light blue t-shirt with Dashboard Confessional wrote on the front. She said her thankyou and moved onto her next presents. In all, she got the clothes off Chase and Alex, a selection of expensive pens to go with two notepads off Nathan, Haley, Jamie, Lydia and Quinley, Brooke, Julian and Freddie bought her a pair of earrings with her birthstone in, her parents had bought her a new ipod with a bigger memory because she had managed to fill her old one. Sawyer and Annie had given her some new books by various authors and she was currently opening the one that Lanny had got her.
"The smaller one is off me and the larger one is from my family, mainly my mom," Lanny explained, sat next to Ella on the floor with Lydia on his other side.
Ella had met Lanny's mom several times but his dad had been out of town since they moved there so she had yet to meet him. She began with the larger present, pulling the blue and white polka dot paper away she found an edition of Wuthering Heights that she didn't have yet. Ever since she first read the novel, she had been collecting different editions and had four copies of it so far. This one was one that she had not yet seen.
"Wow," she gasped. "How did your mom know?"
"I found it and I was going to give it to you as a present from me. But my mom said that she'd like to get you something so I just suggested she use this."
"Wuthering Heights editions as old as this are hard to find. How did you-"
"The internet is a wonderful thing," he smirked although he knew it was a big deal and so did Ella. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a friendly embrace, which didn't go unnoticed by Lydia.
After letting Lanny go, Ella reached for his present. It was her favourite wrapping paper by far, he knew her too well. Wrapped in black paper with stars imprinted on it, was a small box. She opened it up to find a charm bracelet inside. Ella heard Brooke gasp at the beauty of the bracelet as she held it up to the light.
"You said that you wanted one a few weeks ago and I saw this in an old vintage shop and thought it would suit you."
He was right, she thought. It was only a plain silver bracelet but plain and simple is what she liked best.
"I only got a few charms because I figured you could get more when you want them. That one," he said indicating to the book shaped charm. "That's because you love books. The letter E is obvious and I also put a best friend charm on there."
Ella admired the bracelet. It was beautiful. The charm that he had called a best friend charm was simply a star that had their initials engraved and B.F.F underneath. They had always laughed at how they hated the term but it would always make her think of him.
"I love it thankyou. I love all of my presents. Thankyou for all coming and thanks mom and dad for cooking dinner tonight. I couldn't imagine spending my birthday any other way."
Authors Note: I'm currently writing the next chapter so it may take a little longer to update than usual. But next chapter will be quite Avery centred!
Also for those who read WGHWY, that will be updated by Friday :') Please leave reviews!