Charlie woke up with a bright smile on his face. He was so excited to have his parents home again. He got out of bed and put a pair of jeans on and a white tshirt. He sat down on his bed and put his socks on and then a pair of sneakers. He shot up off his bed and headed down the stairs. He could hear his parents talking and it made him smile. He got down the stairs and noticed that there were a couple bags at the front door. The smile left his face. They just got home two days ago. He sighed and walked into the kitchen. His dad looked up from his phone.
"What's with the face, Charlie." George asked.
"Dad, your bags are at the front door. Where are you going now?" Charlie sighed. "You just got home…" He said as he sat down at the kitchen island.
"I have some business I need to handle overseas. I should be home around November." George said.
"NOVEMBER!" Charlie shouted. "Are you kidding me? Dad, that's like 5 weeks into my season. You said you wouldn't miss any games this year. You haven't seen me play a single game since being on varsity." He sighed.
"Son, I have some very important business to handle. You like the car out there in the driveway, and the games you play all night, and not to mention the three credit cards that you have. You know all those things cost money, right." George said as Charlie sighed.
"I get it." Charlie said as he got up to get a poptart. "I'm guessing mom will be with you too?" He asked as Linda walked into the kitchen.
"Yes mom is going too." George said.
"We are going to miss you honey. We always do." Linda said as she kissed her son's cheek.
"Yeah sure." Charlie said as he stormed out of the kitchen, and back up to his room. He slammed his door and flopped onto his bed. Linda and George looked up the stairs, just as Linda was about to go up the stairs the car arrived to take them to the airport. She sighed and grabbed her bags. They walked out to the car and got in. Charlie watched from his room and then sighed. He groaned as he got off his bed and walked to the bathroom to fix his hair for school.
Kieran leaned back in his chair while his English teacher went over their next reading assignment. He was listening, but not very engaged. He kept thinking about Clark, and Jason, and just how life would have been different, terrible, awful, the worst life ever, but still what could have been. While lost in his thoughts the class started clapping, so he clapped too.
"Stand up Kieran." Mrs. Bryant said as Kieran nervously stood up. He didn't know what was going on. "I just want to congratulate you on your paper you turned in. I sent it out for a constant and it's been chosen as a finalist." She said knowing that Kieran had not been paying attention.
"Thanks." Kieran said with a smile. Mrs. Bryant smiled and Kieran sat back down. Jenny tapped on his shoulder from behind him, and he turned around.
"Congrats Key!" Jenny whispered. "What did you write about?" She asked as Kieran sighed.
"Clark." Kieran said back and Jenny nodded a bit surprised. Kieran nodded back and then turned around in his seat and was listening to the end of the instructions. The bell rang and Kieran quickly got up and walked to his next class. He had his head down as he walked through the hallway. He walked into his next class which was Health. He walked to the back row and sat down, soon after Charlie and Jenny walked into the classroom and sat down next to him.
"Clark really?" Jenny said as Kieran shook his head as Charlie sat up in his chair.
"What about Clark?" Charlie asked.
"It's nothing." Kieran said. "Just a dumb essay." He said.
"Oh…I thought it was about you having his contact info." Charlie said.
"You what!" Jenny was shocked.
"Drop it." Kieran said as Lucas walked into the classroom.
"Sorry I'm late for class. Let's get started." Lucas said to his classroom. He started going over some different things about eating a healthy diet and how to maintain it. Jenny was looking at Kieran and he looked over at her.
"What." Kieran whispered.
"Why are you interested?" Jenny asked.
"I said drop it." Kieran whispered.
"I can't." Jenny replied. "I wanna know why."
"Fucking drop it Jenny." Kieran said a little too loud causing a disturbance in the classroom. Lily and Spencer both looked behind them at Kieran talking with his friends.
"Kieran Scott, hallway." Lucas said as Kieran sighed. He stood up and started to walk to the door. "Grab your things." He said as Kieran groaned. He walked back to his desk and looked at Jenny.
"Thanks." Kieran said to Jenny and she mouthed sorry. He nodded and walked out the door. He was standing in the hallway for about 15 minutes until Lucas joined him. "Dad, I'm sorry." He said as Lucas nodded.
"It's Coach Scott at school." Lucas said. "Care to explain yourself?" He asked. "If my calculations are correct this is your second time to be sent to the hallway this week."
"I'm sorry." Kieran said as he shrugged. "Jenny just wouldn't drop a topic and I was done."
"There's a lot better ways to handle that, than to cuss in a classroom, Kieran." Lucas said. "Maybe you can learn a different way in after school detention." He said as he handed Kieran a note to go to the principal's office. Kieran nodded.
"And I'm guessing I am grounded too…" Kieran sighed.
"Not this time. I think getting detention is enough." Lucas said as he nodded toward the office. Kieran nodded and walked towards the principal's office. Lucas walked back into the classroom and continued teaching and helping the students with their classwork. As the bell rang the students started to leave. Jenny walked past Lucas' desk. "Miss Jagielski, can I have a word." He said as Jenny nodded. She stopped in front of his desk.
"Yes sir?" Jenny said with a smile.
"A classroom isn't the place to get something out of a friend. If your friend asks you to drop it, maybe there's a reason as to why." Lucas said as she nodded.
"Yes sir." She sighed. "I'm sorry I disrupted your class today, Coach."
"It's okay Jenny. I just wanted to say whatever Kieran is going through I'm glad you are there to try and make him talk about it. But the classroom is just not the place." He said.
"Is that all?" She asked.
"Just one more thing. If anything is seriously wrong, please let me know. Okay?" He said as she nodded. She walked out the door and then down the hall to join her friends at their typical lunch table that is outside. She started to walk up and noticed Kieran already sitting there. She sighed and sat down.
"Thanks Jen. I have detention every day for a week." Kieran said.
"I'm not really that sorry." Jenny said as Kieran laughed.
"You never are." Kieran said, shaking his head.
Spencer turn back around as her hair flipped over her shoulder. Lily was eating her lunch and talking to Jamie.
"What do you think Kieran's outburst was about?" Spencer asked focusing her attention back on her friends.
"I don't know." Lily shrugged. "I mean I hear Kieran cuss all the time at home and my dad never says anything."
"Well I mean he can't let that slide in a classroom." Spencer said as she looked over at Jamie. "You're quiet." She said.
"I don't have anything to say I guess." Jamie said as he was watching Madison walk with some new friends to a bench. He sighed. He was really starting to miss her. Spencer followed Jamie's eyes and then noticed Travis sitting alone.
"Why is Travis always alone?" Spencer questioned as she got up and walked over to him. She asked him to come sit with her and he nodded. They walked back over to the table and Travis sat down next to the empty spot by Spencer. The four continued to talk Jamie and Travis mainly talking about basketball while Lily and Spencer were talking about clothes.
Lucas walked briskly through the bustling corridors of the school; his mind focused on the task at hand. The basketball season was just around the corner, and he couldn't be more excited to get this next season started. This was his 11th year to be the head coach at Tree Hill. This year will be incredible, he thought to himself. He walked into his office and sat down at his desk. Lucas turned in his chair to the printer that was behind him. As he did this, he heard someone walk into his office and pause behind him. Just as he was about to immerse himself in the task, the sound of the locker room door creaking open drew his attention. Lucas turned his head, expecting to see a fellow teacher or student, but his gaze fell upon his wife, Brooke. Her radiant smile filled the room, and Lucas felt his heart leap with joy.
"I thought you weren't going to be home for a couple more hours." Lucas said as he stood up and walked over to Brooke to hug her, and gave her a kiss.
"Well I took an earlier flight." Brooke said with a soft smile, and then held up the Karen's Cafe bag she was holding. "I brought lunch." She said and then sat down at the chair across from his desk. He smiled and walked back to his chair. He helped her unpack two sandwiches and two containers of soup. He smiled again.
"I'm so happy you are back home. I missed you so much." He said. "It's been a very hectic time here without you." He laughed as she laughed too.
"Are the kids giving you a run for your money?" She joked.
"More than ever." He said a bit exhaustingly. "I never knew how much you did in the mornings. I am so grateful for you." He said with a soft smile.
"Oh god, the kids must have really been a lot for you these past few days." She said.
"Keith skipped out on studying for a test in his English class, Kieran keeps getting in trouble in class, had to send him to the hallway just last period. Davis likes this girl that Keith likes too and it has caused a bit of a rift with them, and Lily. God Lily. Brooke I don't even know where to begin with her. She has just been testing me this whole week, with her clothes, attitude, and to make it worse it's like she can't even talk to me about anything." He said and she laughed a bit. This was all pretty standard things the kids put her through, Lucas just doesn't know.
"Well Lily is getting older, Lucas. She's in high school, she isn't going to tell you everything like she used to." She said with a smile.
"I guess you're right. Enough about this, I wanna hear about your trip. How did the designs go?" He asked with a smile. She smiled and thought about her trip.
"Brooke." Lindsay said as she sat down at the table in the chair across from Brooke. She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at Brooke.
"Hi Lindsay." Brooke said with a soft smile. She took a sip of her red wine, and then offered to pour Lindsay a glass. Lindsay nodded and Brooke poured the wine into the glass on the table. "Thank you for meeting with me." She said as Lindsay took a sip of the wine.
"Well I really didn't have an option. You followed me all over the city today." Lindsay said as she took another sip of wine. Brooke nodded and took a sip as well.
"Yeah….I'm sorry about that. It must have felt super creepy. Brooke said as she sighed.
"Just a bit." Lindsay said. The two of them sat there looking at each other in awkward silence. They both took sips of wine to fill the silence. Finally Lindsay broke the silence. "I imagine you didn't just want to sit here and drink wine while we just look at each other. I imagine you invited me out to this dinner to discuss…" She said as Brooke cut her off.
"Your daughter…" Brooke said as Lindsay nodded. The silence filled their table again. Lindsay took a big gulp of her wine, and then finished the glass. She set the glass down on the table and then poured herself another glass, and finished that. She took a breath as she set her glass on the table.
"Right." Lindsay said as she took another deep breath. "Penny…she's uh Lucas' daughter." She said a tear fell from her cheek. "I've never said that aloud." She sighed. Brooke sat there in silence while she waited for Lindsay to continue. "I found out I was pregnant a couple weeks after leaving Tree Hill."
"And you didn't want to tell Lucas?" Brooke asked. "He has a right to know."
"Lucas had just ended things with me, to be with you Brooke. I couldn't face him when I found out." Lindsay said and then took a sip of her third glass of wine.
"So you just decided not to tell him? How could you do that to him." Brooke said with an upset tone of voice. "You've had eleven years to reach out to him. Why didn't you?" She asked.
"I came back to Tree Hill to tell him. I was eight months pregnant." Lindsay said. "I went to a basketball game, and saw you, pregnant." She sighed and then continued. "But that wasn't it. I saw Lily sitting next to you, and she was so happy. The happiest I've ever seen that little girl. I wanted to talk to Lucas after the game, but then I saw your son running up to you after the game. He was sitting on the bench next to Jamie and Nathan. I couldn't break up your family. I just couldn't live with myself knowing that Lucas might choose me and leave you pregnant with two kids. So I told myself I would be okay, and I put Lucas in my past. I didn't have any contact with him until a couple weeks ago I saw him in the coffee shop. I assume that's where you saw me first. He met Penny, and I worried that he may come around asking questions. I never thought the person I would be having this conversation with would be you." She said.
"Lindsay…" Brooke said.
"I don't want Lucas to know." Lindsay said.
"Lindsay I can't keep this from my husband." Brooke said and Lindsay laughed.
"Brooke you got him. You won. You got the big house, the big family, the loving husband, you got it all. I thought my future was with Lucas. I planned my life around him, and everything changed, everything fell apart the moment you returned to Tree Hill. I was engaged to Lucas. I was in a long term relationship with him. I watched Lily become an amazing little four year old girl, and loved her like she was mine. But none of that mattered when you returned. He was always in love with the girl behind the red door." Lindsay said and took a sip of wine. "All I am wanting is for you to keep this to yourself. Lucas does not need to know." She said as Brooke was a little nervous.
"Fine. I won't tell him." Brooke said and then sighed. She didn't know if she was lying or not yet. "Can I at least hear about Penny?" She asked as Lindsay smiled.
"She's amazing!" Lindsay said. "I am so happy to have her in my life. She is creative, smart, and so athletic. She is a shooting guard on her basketball team, and very active in her studies." She continued as Brooke could only think about how much she sounds like Lucas.
"The trip was really good! I was able to get a ton of designs approved, as well as some spreads for some upcoming ads." Brooke said.
"Did you do anything fun?" Lucas asked as Brooke smiled.
"I went to see Wicked again." She said and he grinned.
""Anything else?" He asked. She thought about what to say next and decided to lie.
"Nope. Just saw a show, got a couple of drinks after work and then did it all again the next day." She said and he nodded.
"Sounds like a busy business trip." He laughed as she shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Just because you're a dad, honey, doesn't mean you need to make all these jokes." She said with a smile and he laughed. "What else do you have planned for the day?" He asked.
"I need to stop by the store, and see how things are going, and then I think we have that dinner with Lily tonight?" She questioned.
"Yeah! I thought it would be nice to have the one on one time with Lily first. I think she could use it. She really missed you." He said as she smiled.
"I missed her too. I missed all the kids of course." She said as there was a knock on the door. Kieran was standing in the doorframe. Brooke turned around and saw her son. "Hi sweetie!" She said with a smile. She stood up to give him a hug. He smiled.
"Hi mom!" Kieran said as he hug her back tightly. "I missed you so much!"
"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked as Kieran sighed and handed Lucas a note from his teacher. Lucas grabbed it and started to read it over. "Were you cussing in this class too?" He asked.
"No she kicked me out as a precautionary…" Kieran sighed as Lucas kept reading the note.
"You gotta be kidding me." Lucas sighed. Brooke shook her head, and said her goodbyes. She knew that Lucas needed to go take care of some things. "Let's go." He said as Kieran followed his dad back to his classroom. Lucas didn't even knock at the door, he opened the classroom door and pointed at the empty desk. "Go sit back down. Tina a word." He said looking at Mrs. Collins. She nodded and followed Lucas out to the hallway.
"Yes Coach?" Tina said.
"Why did you kick Kieran out of class today. Your note says it just so you wouldn't have to later and for him to sit quietly in my office. Tina this is a bit ridiculous." Lucas said a bit angry.
"Well today is group work and Kieran always seems to get loud." Tina said.
"How is my kid suppose to get a good grade on a group assignment if you're booting him to my office anytime there's an assignment." Lucas argued back.
"Coach Scott, is this because Kieran is your son?" She said back.
"No. I would be here if you sent any of my players to my office, but this seems a bit personal. Is it because he's an athlete, or maybe because he's my son?" He asked.
"No I treat all my students the same." She said as he shook his head.
"No you are treating my son completely different. I have no problem going to the district about this, but I'm hoping we can work this out between us." He said.
"No there's no need for that." She said.
"So Kieran's trips to my office will stop?" He asked.
"If he can behave himself, than yes it will stop." She said.
"Behave himself? Tina the kid is a straight A student in three AP classes. He's a good kid, he can't remain on the Debate Team or the Decathlon team if he keeps getting kicked out of class." He said.
"Did you not send him to the office today yourself?" She asked as he scoffed.
"Alright. I will be going to the district." He said as she let out a sigh.
"Fine. It will stop. Now if you excuse me Coach, I need to get back to my class." She said as he nodded. He watched as Tina walked back into the classroom. Kieran looked at the door and then started working on the assignment.
Lucas pulled into the driveway and parked his car. Davis and Keith both got out of the car and ran inside. Lucas grabbed his backpack out of the trunk and then slammed it shut. He walked inside and set his bag down on the kitchen counter. He yawned as he walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He could hear his two sons running up the stairs and into their shared room. Lucas smiled and then sat down at the kitchen table. Teddy came up to him and he started to pet him. Soon Keith came down the stairs.
"Dad can we play a game of horse?" Keith said holding a basketball. Lucas nodded as he got up.
"Sure thing kid." Lucas said as he followed his son out the back door. He continued to sip on his beer. Davis soon joined them outside and they started to shoot around. "How was school today guys? Did you get those test back?" He asked.
"School was great!" Davis said. "I got an A on that english test. It was super easy." He said with a smile.
"Keith what about you?" Lucas asked.
"I got an A too!" Keith said with a smile, and Davis half smiled.
"Well that's great, but just because it worked out in your favor this time doesn't mean you can get by without studying, okay bud." Lucas said as he shot a fade away and it went in.
"Yes sir." Keith said as they continued to play. Not to long into the game, Kieran came home. He walked through the house and saw his dad and brothers outside play horse. He walked outside and Lucas looked up with a smile.
"Hey Key." Lucas said with a smile. "How was detention?" He laughed just a bit.
"Ha ha." Kieran said. "It was with the drama teacher so I got to watch Lily read some of her first lines while painting sets." He said as Lucas smiled.
"Yeah?" Lucas said. "How did Lily sound? Did she seem comfortable on stage?" He asked as Keith and Davis both laughed.
"Lily was born for a stage." Davis said with a laugh.
"Yeah she sounded pretty good." Kieran shrugged as he put his hands out to receive the ball. Davis passed the ball to Kieran and he took the shot. Swoosh. He made it.
"Nice shot!" Keith said as Kieran smiled at his little brother.
"So other than detention how was school?" Lucas asked as Kieran shrugged.
"My english teacher, Mrs. Bryant said that my essay was so good she sent it off to an essay competition." Kieran said with a smile.
"That's great son!" Lucas said with a huge smile. "You think I can read it?" He asked.
"Yeah sure….there's just one thing though…" Kieran sighed.
"What is it bud?" Lucas asked.
"I wrote about Clark…" Kieran said as Davis and Keith minded their own business and shot around together. "...I hope that's okay…?" He said as Lucas nodded and then motioned his head towards the table outside. Kieran followed his dad and they sat down together. Lucas looked over his son's shoulder at his other boys playing. He was keeping an eye on them since lately they had gotten into fights on the court. "Are you mad I wrote about Clark?" He asked. Lucas pulled his attention back to Kieran.
"Oh god no son." Lucas said as he put his hand on Kieran's knee. "Are you good?" He asked.
"Yeah it felt really good." Kieran said.
"What did you write about?" Lucas asked.
"You can read it, it's in your inbox." Kieran said.
"Okay, but I wanna know know now." Lucas said as Kieran nodded.
"It was about the day Clark was arrested." Kieran said as Lucas nodded.
"Oh…I don't think we've talked about that before." Lucas said.
"We haven't." Kieraan sighed and looked behind him at his little brothers. "But dad, I really don't want to." He said looking back at Lucas. "I just kinda wanna go play with my brothers." He said with a smile as Lucas smiled back.
"Go, have fun." Lucas said as Kieran stood up. "But Key…" He said.
"I know dad. If I need someone to talk to, you are here for me." Kieran said with a smile. "Just like you always are."
Lucas parked the car at the pier and the three of them got out of the car and walked towards a cozy little restaurant that sits on the water. The aroma of delicious food filled the air, making their stomachs rumble with anticipation. Brooke glanced at Lucas and exchanged a knowing smile, silently affirming the importance of this one-on-one time with Lily.
"So, Lily," Lucas began, his eyes sparkling with pride. "We are so proud that you landed the role of Sophie in Mamma Mia! I knew you would get a big role."
Lily's face lit up with a mixture of joy and nerves. "I can't believe it, Dad! I'm thrilled and a little scared. It's a big responsibility, but I think it'll be an amazing experience. I'll work hard to do justice to the character and the story."
Brooke beamed at her daughter's enthusiasm. "We know you'll shine, Lily. Your dedication and talent will take you far. We're here to support you every step of the way, whether it's rehearsing lines or cheering you on from the audience. And don't worry we will be at every show."
Lily's smile widened, her excitement now mingling with a sense of comfort and reassurance. She realized that no matter what challenges lay ahead, her parents were always there to offer guidance and encouragement.
Their conversation shifted to another aspect of Lily's life—cheerleading. Brooke took a sip of her drink before addressing the topic. "Lily, cheerleading season is just around the corner. Are you so excited?"
Lily nodded eagerly. "Absolutely, Mom! Cheering is so much fun!"
Lucas chimed in, his voice filled with pride. "I'm glad you enjoy cheering. Follow in your mom's footsteps."
As they continued to enjoy their meal, the conversation naturally flowed to Lily's approaching milestone—the learner's permit test. Brooke leaned forward, her eyes filled with concern. "Sweetie, have you been studying for your learner's permit? Do you feel prepared for the test?"
Lily nodded confidently, though a hint of nervousness flickered across her face. "I've been studying hard, Mom. I've reviewed all the traffic rules and signs, and I've even taken some practice tests online. I think I'm ready, but I can't help feeling a bit anxious about it."
Brooke reached across the table, gently squeezing Lily's hand. "It's natural to feel a bit nervous, but you've put in the effort, and we believe in you, Lily. Trust in your abilities, and remember that learning to drive is a gradual process. We'll be right there by your side, helping you become a responsible and confident driver." Little did they know that this dinner would become a cherished memory, a testament to their unbreakable bond as a family. Regardless of the challenges that lay ahead, they were ready to face them together, supporting and encouraging one another every step of the way.
"Once you get that permit test taken care of, we can talk about you driving me to school in the morning." Lucas said with a smile, as he paid for the meal.
"Really?" Lily questioned.
"Yes sure! That's what I let Kieran do once he got his." Lucas said.
"Any idea what kind of car you might want?" Brooke asked as Lily shrugged. "You know I had the cutest car. A little 2005 baby blue convertible bug." She said as Lucas smiled thinking about Brooke driving it all around town.
"Oh I loved that car!" Lucas said. "We could probably find a bug if that's what you want. They are good cars, easy to learn how to drive." He said with a smile.
"Convertibale too?" Lily asked as Lucas sighed.
"Yeah we could probably do that. Any specific color?" Lucas asked.
"Pink?" Lily asked as Brooke smile.
"Well Lils I don't know if they make pink bugs." Lucas said. "I haven't seen a pink one on the road in some time." He laughed.
"But we can always look." Brooke said.
"You know Kieran got a new car, so we'll look for what is in the price range around what we spent on Kieran's car, okay?" Lucas said.
"Thank you!" Lily said with a big smile.
"Well I think it's time to head home to see what your brothers are up to." Lucas said as they both nodded. The three of them stood up and walked out to the car. They got in and Lucas started to drive home. They got to the house and pulled in. Lily got out followed by Brooke and Lucas. The three walked up to the front door where they could hearing yelling and laughing. Lucas opened the door and saw Kieran, Davis and Keith cilmibing across the furniture playing the floor is lava. Lucas, Brooke and joined in the fun and soon they were all climbing over the furniture laughing and enjoying themselves.
– I hope you enjoy this update! The next update will be a time jump to the night before the first basketball game of the season! Let me know how you liked this update, and some things you would like to see happen, and maybe I can work them into it. In true Tree Hill fashion some drama is just around the corner for all the the residents in Tree Hill.
Also shoutout to seagee7! I hope you like this update! :) and OneTreeHillforlife thanks for finding my fanfic!