Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I updated. And I'm sorry for that. Those of you who have been with this story for a long time know that this isn't like me. A few of you already know but for those of you who don't, there was tornado that touched down on our town in June. Nobody was killed or severely hurt but there were several mobile homes destroyed and some overall destruction in town, not to mention some pretty shaky residents. After that (in July), I had family come down to stay with us for a few weeks. They have since gone and I miss them already. Then, just as I was ready to start updating again, my computer went and crashed. It's been up and running for over a week now and I've been trying to write and catch up on reading ever since. I still have a ways to go but I'm getting there. I thank you all for your understanding and apologize again for the long wait.

Also, I'm sorry to say that this chapter has had to be broken into two parts because there was just too much to happen and a lot of information to cram into one chapter. Because of that, the trial will be delayed by one chapter, however the updates should be back to my norm so the wait will be much shorter. As the poll stands now, over 60% of people want the trial to be partially written. I'm leaving it open for anyone else who wants to vote, but will close it when I post the next chapter. Sorry for this super long author's note. I'll get on with the actual chapter now. Hope you enjoy!

A

"Nathan!"

Hearing his name, Nathan sprung around, but turned away and rolled his eyes when he noticed who stood behind him.

"Nathan," she called out again. "Wait up a minute."

He sped up his steps, trying to ignore her, but she persisted to shout his name and trace his footsteps. He spun around, his expression pure ice. "Katie, what the hell do you want?" he nearly growled.

"Just to talk," she answered softly.

"Talk?" he scoffed in disbelief.

"Yes. Nate, I…I miss you."

"You miss me?" he balked contemptuously.

"Every minute of every day."

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" he stated snidely. "After all the shit you're pulling, you're gonna tell me you fucking miss me?"

"Yes," she answered. "We were supposed to have some classes together this semester," she told him. "I arranged my time table specifically so that we would, but you went and switched yours…"

"I didn't have a fucking choice, did I?" he raged. "You lied to the police and then filed an order of protection against me. Like you've ever been afraid of me," he said sarcastically.

"No," she said, shaking her head in denial. "I didn't do that. It was the D.A. who did it on her own. I never wanted that."

"Whatever," he mumbled. "It's still because of your bullshit," he added, turning away again.

"Nate…"

"Look, I'm not stupid, ok? I know what you're up to by following me around. You want me to breach the order so they'll throw more charges at me."

"No, that's not it," she denied. "I just don't want you to hate me, Nathan."

"Too late," he shot out bitingly.

"I can take back my statement," she offered desperately.

His hopeful gaze shot toward her, enticed by her words. After all, before her bogus statement the police hadn't had enough evidence to charge him. "If what?" he asked suspiciously, not trusting her.

"If we can be together again," she answered him.

He rolled his eyes. "Forget it. For the hundredth time, I'm back with Peyton now and I'm not fucking that up again."

"Seriously, Nate," came Brooke's raspy voice. "Why do you even bother repeating yourself to this obsessed psycho?"

"Especially when it just goes right over her head anyway?" Rachel piped up.

"Hey, don't underestimate her," Brooke returned. "She knows which one of them gets in trouble if they're caught interacting. And so does he," she added, turning to face Nathan. "Which makes him the idiot for doing it," she said pointedly.

Nathan glared at her but couldn't really argue. He knew better than to let Katie get to him but it was so much easier said than done.

"Go be with your fiancé, Nate," Rachel told him. "Brooke and I got this."

He gave the girls a small, appreciative smile, more than happy to leave Katie into their capable hands. He sauntered off to Peyton's car, where he'd been heading in the first place, to wait for his gorgeous girl.

Katie smirked at the two in front of her as though she had one up on them. "They're not engaged," she told them in a gloating tone. "She turned him down which I guess means she doesn't love him enough."

"Oh please," Brooke scoffed. "Turning him down was so last week's news. She totally changed her mind since then," she added, enjoyed the crestfallen expression on Katie's face.

"Isn't that last week's news too?" Rachel taunted. "Since it was the very next day?"

"Come to think of it, you're right, Rach," Brooke said, fixing Katie with a fake, sweet smile. "Guess she did love him enough after all. And imagine how much he must love her to even propose in the first place."

"My thoughts exactly," Rachel said agreeably. "You know, it doesn't matter how many girls he goes through, he always ends up back with Peyton. I suppose nobody quite measures up to her in his eyes."

"So true," Brooke agreed. "And it's so sad how some of these girls imagine that he actually has real feelings for them. I mean, hello, missing the obvious here. Can you be any more naïve?"

Rachel snickered. "Even worse are the ones who still hang on even after he's tossed them aside like yesterday's trash."

"I know, right? Pathetic."

"Degrading to the female gender if you ask me," Rachel returned.

Finally finding her voice again, Katie snickered. "Says the girl who dances on table tops for every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants a show."

Unperturbed, Rachel ran her tongue over her lips and smiled. "Key word being wants," she drawled. "But how stupid would I look to put on a show for a guy who didn't want one? Whatever would I do then? Oh, I know, run to the cops, tell them a little fib and get him arrested."

"Sounds about right," Brooke returned snidely.

"What's going on here?" Peyton asked as she came up on the girls. In her hands she juggled two sandwiches, a large salad and two sodas.

"Oh, just a friendly little chat with Nate's little stalker bitch," Brooke replied innocently. "You know she's been following him around all week?"

"You don't say," Peyton responded sarcastically, clearly having noticed that herself. "Well, go to it then," she said, shrugging her shoulders and turning to leave.

"Yes, run along now," Katie said viciously. Her problem really wasn't with Brooke or Rachel. It was with the smug, curly-haired blonde who had Nathan's heart. "Before he thinks you've changed your mind. Again."

"Ok, what does that mean?" Peyton asked evenly.

Katie shrugged. "Indecisiveness seems to be an issue with you. You dump him, you take him back, dump him again, take him back again, reject his proposal, accept his proposal. It's a vicious cycle that I'm sure Nathan will see through eventually. Oh, but since you have no rock on your finger, should I assume that you've already changed your mind again?"

"Oh there's a rock alright," Brooke huffed. "Attached to the necklace….another gorgeous gift from Nathan, I might add. Show her P. Sawyer."

"Umm," Peyton began, her mind focusing on one part of Katie's statement – something she'd have to ask Nathan about later.

Katie broke out with a bitter laugh before Peyton could form a response. "What's the matter?" she taunted. "Too ashamed to show it off in public? Afraid what people will say about you being engaged to a rapist?" Despite her previous offer to Nathan about retracting her statement, his attitude toward her and the news of the engagement renewed her hostility and her determination to make both Nathan and Peyton pay for her broken heart. Not a chance in hell she'd take it back now.

"We all know Nathan didn't rape anyone," Peyton said seething. "Least of all you."

Katie smiled evilly. "That may be true," she went so far as to admit. "But prove it, honey."

Blind rage overtaking her, Peyton took a step toward the other girl, but Brooke was quick to intervene.

"P. Sawyer, don't!" she ordered sternly. "Your hands are full," she added with a sly smile before turning on Katie herself with a right hook to the jaw. "Go be with your guy. He's waiting for you," she told Peyton as Katie fell to the ground with a satisfying thump.

The look Peyton sent her best friend was a cross between gratitude and annoyance. She was glad to see Katie go down, yet she would have loved to be the one to do it. However, she did as Brooke said, turning on her heels toward her car.

AAA

"Damn, I shoulda stuck around," Nathan said in amusement once Peyton joined him in her back seat and revealed what had just transpired.

"No, trust me, you shouldn't have," Peyton responded. "You need to stay as far away from her as possible."

"I'm trying to," he replied before taking a bite of his sandwich. "She's the one following me."

"I know," Peyton acknowledged. "Why is that anyway?"

"Because she's a freaking leech," he responded with a shrug.

"You're not…?" she began before trailing off.

He stared at her keenly, waiting for her to go on. "Not what?" he asked when she didn't.

She hesitated a moment and then asked, "Do you still…talk to her?"

"What?"

"Do you still talk to her?" she repeated irritably. "It's a simple question."

"No, I don't talk to her," he answered. "Except to tell her to get lost. Where is this coming from?"

"She knows I turned down your proposal at first. How would she know that unless you told her?"

"I didn't tell her," he replied. "She just kinda guessed."

"Just out of the blue?" she pressed suspiciously.

"Peyt…"

"Nathan, she couldn't have just guessed it without a prior conversation. Listen, I know you were upset that day so if you called her, looking for comfort…just say so."

"I didn't."

"I'm not gonna up and leave you, ok? I just want the truth."

He sighed and leaned back against the seat. "Ok," he conceded. "I did talk to her that day…"

"I knew it," Peyton said, shaking her head. "This is why she can't let you go."

"No Peyt. It's not like that. I didn't call her, she called me," Nathan told her.

"Even though I answered your phone and bitched her out a few days before?"

"Yes," he replied. "I told you she doesn't get it. She still thinks she has a shot so that's why I told her that I proposed to you."

"And you picked up her call because?"

"Because she used a different phone and I didn't recognize the number," he explained. "Look, I know this sounds like a bunch of bullshit," he added when she stared at him doubtfully. "But I swear it's not."

"Then why are you only telling me about it now that I'm asking?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I don't know. You changed your mind and I…I didn't think about it."

"So you never planned on filling me in," she said dully. "You were just gonna leave me in the dark forever?"

"It's not that, Peyton. I wasn't trying to hide it."

"No?"

"No, I just forgot about it, ok? Because it wasn't important."

"It's important to me."

"I'm sorry."

"I just want you to be honest with me, Nate."

"I know. I'm trying to be."

"About everything," she stressed. "Even if it doesn't seem important because when you're not…"

"I will," he cut her off before she could state her reason. He already knew the reason. She still didn't trust him. "Look, I'm sorry. Just don't be pissed at me, please. I really need your support right now."

"And you've got it, Nate," she assured him, touching his cheek gently. "No matter how pissed I get at you for other reasons. I thought you knew that."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, he admitted. "I'm sorry. I just…I love you so much and I couldn't get through this without you."

"Yeah you could," she contradicted. "If you had to."

He shook his head, denying her claim. "We both know that's not true," he said. "I'd be a wreck right now if it weren't for you."

"I don't think so, Nate, but the point is moot regardless, seeing as we're never gonna find out."

He smiled at her. "I never want to find out."

"Neither do I. We're in this together, ok?"

He nodded appreciatively and reached for her hand. "So, I guess, in the spirit of honesty," he began, "I should probably tell you what Katie said to me today before Brooke and Rachel took over."

Peyton quirked an eyebrow at him. "Yes, you might want to do that."

AAA

"Hey, whoa, whoa," Damien said as Katie charged at him, her fists tightly clenched. "Katie, what's up?" he asked, glancing around to ensure nobody spotted him talking to her.

"What's up?" she asked irritably. "Your stupid plan sucks, that's what's up! Nathan doesn't love me and he never will! He's all about Peyton and always has been! She's all he thinks about!"

"For now, but in time…"

"Well, I'm tired of waiting! If he wants to marry a girl who can never make up her mind instead of me, then the hell with him!"

"You don't mean that."

"Oh yeah, I do. Look, I don't know what your agenda is in all of this, but I'm done trying to win him over. All I want now is to make them suffer because I sure as hell am not gonna stand by while they live happily ever after! I can't have him, fine, but that blonde bimbo sure as fuck isn't gonna have him either!"

She stomped off in the same manner as she'd come and a slow smile spread across his face as he watched her go. Anger. Even better.

AAA

"Unbelievable," Peyton said once he'd told her. "She just doesn't give up, does she?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Yeah, but why? Why does she continue to believe she still has a chance? Is she that dense or did you say or do something to make her believe that?"

"Didn't we just go through this? Peyton, I've been straight with her, ok. I don't know why she keeps trying but it's definitely not because I'm sending mixed signals."

"Well maybe you should," she came out with, ignoring the confusion that crossed Nathan's features. "Or better yet," she went on. "Maybe you should tell her you love her."

"Come on," he said with a deep frown.

"No listen," she said, the wheels starting to turn in her head. "She's the main witness, right? And so-called victim too?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So without her statement, the police weren't able to charge you."

"Right, cuz they didn't have enough evidence."

"Yeah exactly. So you see where I'm going with this?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you're telling me to be with Katie."

"No, no, no, not be with her. Just let her think you want to."

"And then what?"

"Then she'll retract her statement, the charges will have to be dropped, and you and I can be together and get married when we're eighteen just like we planned."

"Sure," he said doubtfully. "Until she retracts her retraction. Then what?"

"Then she looks like the idiot she is, not to mention she'd be an unreliable witness so they probably wouldn't want to use her."

"I don't know, Peyt. I don't like it," he grumbled. "I can't even believe you're suggesting it."

"It's only to keep you out of prison, baby. Don't you want that?"

"Yeah, but I don't wanna have to say I love her."

"It's not like you'd mean it," she said. "Just look at it as some girl you're playing. Come on, Nate, you're the best player in all of Tree Hill."

"Was," he corrected sternly. "And even then I never told any girl I loved her. Except you because I do. "

"Alright, well, you don't have to go that far. Just make her believe you want her…you're upset."

He threw her a look to indicate she was right. "You know I'd have to bang her, right?"

"Well no, you wouldn't have to."

"All we ever did was fuck, Peyton. She's not gonna buy me wanting to be with her without it."

"Oh. Well I…I didn't think about that."

"Well think about it," he said irately.

"Ok, ok, forget I said anything," she conceded. "That was clearly a stupid, out of nowhere idea that I thought could maybe work but forget it because I definitely do not want your hands on her, or her paws on you."

He smiled now. "Good. You kinda had me worried there."

"But you at least need to tell your lawyer what she's been doing, ok," Peyton advised. "He could probably use it against her somehow."

He nodded. "I will," he said. "But how 'bout we talk about something else now?"

"Ok," she replied. " Something on your mind?"

"Did you submit a sketch this week?" he asked her.

"Oh, no, I uh, I haven't."

"It's Thursday," he told her. "Doesn't it have to be in by 4:00 today?"

"Yeah, supposed to be. But don't worry about that, ok," she said as she ran a hand over his chest. "You have enough on your plate," she said.

"I'm not worried about it," he said. "I'm just wondering. You gonna drop it off after school?" he asked.

"Not likely," she answered as she shifted position to straddle him. "But what do you say we forget about all this other stuff and just focus on what's important right now?" she said breathily as her mouth came down to nibble on his earlobe.

He groaned, but still asked, "Why is it not likely?"

"Because there's nothing to drop off," she said, as she continued her ministrations.

"How come?" he questioned through another grunt of pleasure.

"I didn't draw anything," she whispered in his ear, her hands reaching up to tousle his hair provocatively.

"Why not?"

Working the buttons of his shirt, she replied. "My head hasn't been into it."

"Why?"

She leaned back to look at him, a sensual smile on her face. "Baby, are we gonna play twenty questions? Cuz I'm kinda trying to make out here." With that she pressed her hips into him. "Or more."

His breath hitched in his throat at the sensation and she smiled as she felt the proof of his increasing desire beneath her. But still he managed to croak, "I just want to know why you haven't..."

"Because I just want to concentrate on us right now," she answered. "Ok? That's way more important than some stupid comic strip."

A pleased smile graced his lips before she took them with her own in a deep, heated kiss.

They heard the bell, indicating the end of lunch, go off, resounding all around them.

"Let's just skip," he suggested breathlessly, his hands creeping up her thighs.

"Now you're talkin'," she said agreeably, equally breathless, pushing his button down over his shoulders, revealing a wife beater underneath.

Their lips connected once more, their tongues dancing, hands exploring.

It was several minutes later, when he was massaging a firm breast, that, all of a sudden, both back doors swung open and they were pulled apart by two strong, uniformed policemen.

"What the hell?" Nathan shouted in protest as he was slammed against the back side of the car and held there.

"Caught you red-handed this time," the officer growled before looking over to Peyton who'd been set free from the younger officer's strong hold. "Maam, you're alright now. We got him."

She was appalled and did little to hide it. "I was doing better before, thanks. Let him go," she commanded. "He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Maam, we're just here to protect you."

"I don't need protection from my fiancé. And what's with the maam? Do I look like an old lady?"

"Fiance?" the older cop jumped on, a baffled expression on his face even as he slightly eased his hold on Nathan. "Do you know what he's been charged with?"

"You mean, do I know about the bitches pretending to be victims for their own gain?" she asked cattily. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

"Well, engaged or not, I can still bring him in."

"For what?" Nathan scoffed.

"Violating bail conditions," he said.

"What?" Nathan hollered. "No, you guys got it wrong. All I told Katie was to fuck off and to quit following me around."

Officer Thompson chuckled. "Hey Emery," he addressed the younger cop. "Did you hear me say anything about a Katie?"

"No sir, I did not," Emery answered.

Both Nathan and Peyton glanced from one officer to the other uncertainly.

"Then what's this about?" Peyton asked. "You know he never left the inclusion zone or the tracking bracelet would have sent an alert."

"You, miss…?"

"Sawyer. Peyton Sawyer."

"Miss Sawyer, why don't you head in to class now," Thompson said. "Where you're supposed to be," he added.

She stared back haughtily, put off by the superior tone. "I have spare," she lied.

"Perhaps you do," he said doubtfully. "But that's not really my main concern. See, I know for a fact that your boyfriend here hasn't."

"So he skipped class. What's the big deal?"

"And found in a vehicle, giving us sufficient cause to suspect he was leaving the inclusion zone before the judge-appointed hour of 3:00 P.M."

Both Nathan and Peyton rolled their eyes. Was this guy serious?

"Oh come on, that's pathetic," Nathan complained.

"Be that as it may," Thompson said, throwing cuffs on Nathan. "We have no way of knowing what your intentions were."

"This is insane," Peyton cried out irately. "The car wasn't even on."

"Doesn't take much to turn a key."

"Or to pass detective school apparently," Nathan returned snidely.

"You want to smart off, you can do it from the station," Thompson said as he dragged Nathan over to the patrol car and shoved him in the back seat.

Peyton looked on in shock and even the young Emery, who'd assumed his partner was playing with scare tactics against the kids, wore a look of surprise on his face.

However he kept silent, knowing Thompson beat him in seniority, respect, and overall knowledge.

AAA

Nathan's lawyer, when informed, was nowhere near so silent. "Last I heard skipping class wasn't a crime," he said. "If it were we'd need bigger prisons," he joked.

"It is when you leave school property against bail restrictions," Lacey Brown, the District Attorney, stated.

"But he didn't leave school property. Had your officers checked the GPS signal, they'd know that. As far as I know there was no alert, nothing stating he'd left the premises."

"But what are they to believe when they find him in his girlfriend's vehicle?"

"Lacey, Lacey," Kowalski chuckled. "Don't you remember high school?"

"What? What are you getting at?"

"What do you think?" he said, still chuckling as he proceeded to tell her.

AAA

"Tell me he's lying," Lacey snapped as she stalked over the arresting officers. "Tell me they were not in the backseat when you found them!"

Thompson hesitated to reply, finally deciding it was best not to.

That was all the answer Lacey needed. "Oh now, that's just great!"

"Lacey, what difference does it make?" Thompson dared to ask. "He wasn't where he was supposed to be."

She ran a frustrated hand over her face. "The difference is I can't argue intention to leave school premises when clearly he had a different kind of ride in mind. One, I might add, that wasn't going to take him out of the parking lot!" she fumed. "Let him go!"

"Lacey…"

"Peter, I have to try this kid for rape on two different girls. Winning this is going to be difficult enough, and by taking him in for every minor infraction out there, you're making it that much harder. The last thing I need is for a judge to throw the entire case out of court because his lawyer argued police harassment and won!"

"Ok, ok," Thompson conceded. "What do you want me to do? Quit watching him?"

"No. Look, I want this kid as bad as you do, but unless he's in serious violation of the court order, I don't want to see him back here!"

"Well, what about talking to Katie Sanders? You consider that a serious enough violation?"

"It's the first I hear of it," she said. "Is this fact?"

"Must be," Thompson replied with a shrug. "He told me himself. Although…."

"That we can hold him on," she cut him off before he could tell her the rest. "I'll file a motion right away." And she was gone before he could say anything else.

AAA

"Your Honor," Mr. Kowalski argued. "My client has made every attempt to abide by the order but the girl is the one initiating contact."

Though she was caught off guard by that particular statement, Lacey did not falter. "Even if that's true, Your Honor, the order is not against her therefore she is under no legal obligation to follow it."

"She's right, Mr. Kowalski," the judge said. "It's up to your client to avoid Miss Sanders at all times."

"With all due respect, sir, he's tried. She refuses to listen. Short of briefly telling her to back off, how else was he to get her off his heels?"

"If that's the case, it's unfortunate," the judge returned. "However, he had options, one being to file a complaint with the police department. Did he do that?"

"No such complaint was filed, Judge," Lacey replied. "It was only brought to the attention of officers today as they arrested him."

"Convenient," the judge said.

"He's a minor oblivious of his rights, Your Honor."

"Ignorance is no excuse, Mr. Kowalski," the judge stated. "The boy poses a significant threat to one or more of the victims, therefore motion to revoke bail is granted," he added firmly.

"Judge…" Mr. Kowalski began complaintively.

"My judgment is final."

AAA

"You may have won this battle," Kowalski said to Lacey as they left the judge's quarters. "But you won't win the war."

"Don't bet on that, Mike."

"You know how many cases I've lost?"

"Including this one?"

"Touché. Guess I'll see you in court."

"You bet," she stated with more confidence than she felt. "And not juvenile court either. We're trying him as an adult so when the jury votes guilty, he can serve the max."

"You know he's not gonna get max."

"Don't count on that. He's got a recent prior for assault."

"As a minor."

She sighed and stopped in her tracks. "What do you want?"

"Sexual misconduct. He does no time."

"A misdemeanor?" she scoffed. "I've got two victims, both willing to testify against him."

"So make me an offer."

"Rape2. He serves the max."

"You're kidding."

"I'm being generous."

"You're being ambitious."

"Best offer."

"My client will never go for that and I'll certainly advise him against it."

"Fine. Offer stands for 24 hours. If my office doesn't hear back by then, we're proceeding with the trial," she said, walking away.

AAA

"Book him," she said when she got back to Thompson and Emery. "And question Katie Sanders," she added. "If it's true she's initiating contact, we've got a problem."

AAA

"Why are you trying to land a deal?" Dan thundered. "I said no deals."

"I'm obligated by law to inform your son of any offers made from the prosecution," Mr. Kowalski replied.

"I'm his parent," Dan returned with hostility. "I'm in charge, not him."

"Unfortunately being tried as an adult negates your rights as parent in this case. By law, it's his decision."

"That's ridiculous! That's too big a responsibility to put on a seventeen year old boy!"

"I agree with you, but the law is the law."

"Fine, fine," Dan conceded. "Nathan, tell him no deals."

Nathan sighed, wanting nothing more than to let his dad handle it, but he was also scared. And he wasn't half as confident as his father seemed to be.

Seeing the hesitation on his son's face, Dan pulled him off to the side, out of Mr. Kowalski' hearing.

"Dad, what do I do?" Nathan asked immediately.

"You do as I say and plead not guilty. No deals."

"But I could go away for a really long time, right?"

"If you're found guilty, yes. But if not, you walk away from this without a scratch," Dan stated. "You take this deal or any deal, you go to prison anyway and you wind up with a record. Guaranteed. You've got to be smart about this, son." Seeing his son was still unsure, he pressed harder. "Nathan, you have got to trust me on this. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Dad, I'm scared," Nathan admitted, not bothering to answer Dan's question.

"I know you're scared, but don't be," Dan said firmly. "Everything will be fine. You'll go to trial, get a not-guilty verdict, and eventually put all this behind you."

"What if it doesn't happen like that though?"

"Trust me," Dan repeated, and this time Nathan nodded agreeably.

"Ok, no deals," Nathan said as he walked back over to the lawyer.

"You sure?"

He glanced once more at his dad, who nodded imperceptibly, before answering. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Ok, then, I'll let the prosecution know to prepare for trial."

"Can you not and say you did so they go into court unprepared?" Nathan asked, only half-joking.

Kowalski chuckled. "Wish I could," he admitted.

"Yeah, me too. So, when am I getting out of here?"

"I'm afraid the judge has ordered your bail revoked," Mr. Kowalski began, "so you'll be here pending trial."

"For three weeks?" Nathan lamented. "But why? I did everything the court order said."

"Except you spoke to Katie Sanders."

"I already told you why."

"And I argued that, but seeing as you didn't report it until today, the judge didn't care about reasons."

"Surely you can do something," Dan said.

"I'm afraid it's out of my hands now. The decision has already been made."

"This sucks," Nathan complained.

"It does," the lawyer agreed. "But we cannot get dragged down by this. We still have a case to make. Now tell me, how far have you gotten on that character witness list I asked for?"

Nathan sighed. "Nowhere," he said in frustration. "I told you I don't know anyone with a squeaky clean record and I suck with adults."

"All right," the lawyer said with a sigh of his own. "Let me see what I can do."

AAA

"Initiating contact?" Katie gasped with feigned indignity when the police questioned her on it later that day. "No, he's lying."

"Several witnesses spotted the two of you talking outside the school," Thompson said.

"Yeah, that was me telling him to leave me alone or I was calling the police."

"So he was trying to talk to you?"

"Yes."

"What did he say exactly?"

"That he wanted me back and that if I withdrew my statement against him, we could be together."

"And then what happened?"

"I told him to go to hell."

"I see you have a busted lip," Thompson pointed out. "Did he hit you?"

Her fingers came up to touch her broken lip. "Not himself, no," she said snidely. "He sent his three female goons to do his dirty work."

"And who may they be?"

Trying desperately to keep a satisfied smirk from appearing on her face, she answered, "Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, and Rachel Gatina."

AAA

"I'm sorry, you guys," Brooke apologized a while later as she buried her face in her hands. "If I knew we'd all get arrested for it, I never would have hit her."

Rachel glanced around the tiny cell and chuckled. "Actually," she said in amusement. "If we're all going down for it anyway, then we all should have hit her."

"I'm with Rach," Peyton agreed. "Make it worth it."

"So you guys aren't mad at me?"

"Only for getting to her before I could," Peyton replied with a shrug. "If anyone deserves to have someone mad at her, it's me."

"Why?" Brooke asked.

"Because I just today tried to convince Nathan to trick Katie into thinking he wanted to be with her," she revealed. "And then what happens? She accuses him of doing just that."

"Oh well, do you think he listened to you?" Rachel questioned.

"No," Peyton answered. "He pretty much freaked out when I brought it up," she explained. "And even if he hadn't, the police had already arrested him before he could have followed through with it."

"So then," Rachel asked curiously. "How is it your fault?"

"Don't you see?" Peyton choked. "I made it happen. I'm bad luck."

"P. Sawyer, get real," Brooke scoffed. "Because that is beyond ridiculous."

"Is it? I said it and then it happened. How do you explain that?"

"Coincidence," Rachel returned logically.

"Exactly," Brooke agreed. "Hon, you can't make something happen just by thinking it. Doesn't work that way."

Peyton sent her a look. "Didn't you hear me? I didn't just think it, I said it. Out loud."

"Loud enough that Katie could have overheard?"

"Well no, we were in the car, but…"

"There you go," Brooke said with finality. "Coincidence, hon," she added, discounting Peyton's irrational feelings of guilt.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Could be you and Katie just think alike."

"Oh, don't say that," Peyton replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I think I'd rather be jinxed."

"You girls want to know what I think?" Brooke asked, her features turning more serious.

"What?" Peyton and Rachel asked in unison as they both gazed at Brooke curiously.

"That it's a shame they left us in our street clothes cuz we would totally rock that orange jumpsuit, don't you think?"

The three erupted into giggles, momentarily forgetting the potential consequences they faced.