Hello everyone! It's Siren, formerly known as Cocoa Malfoy. I've moved out of the Harry Potter fandom so I decided to just go by my own name. I realise there was a different name starting with a K in my author's notes. That name is no longer what I go by.

I started writing this story when I was just 15 years old (I'm almost 23 now, the last time this was updated I was 19 years old) and I've realized that I left a lot to be desired with my writing then. The writing style might be a bit different from here on out, so I'm sorry if you've grown attached to the way the story was written. I personally dislike it.

I also noticed that I had written a bit of a Mary Sue, which I disliked at the time too and probably did without realizing it.

Without further adieu, I present to you, after over three years, Chapter 20.

A few days later, Rose walked into the school corridor where Lucas is standing, looking haunted. She sighed and approached him, thinking about how easy it would be to just avoid interacting with a seemingly troubled family member altogether. She could walk the other way, leave him in his reverie. But she was determined to make a change within herself, and she figured this was the best place to start.

"Hey," she said, which pulled him out of whatever trance he was in.

"Hey, Rose," Lucas said, sighing. His tone was frail, and Rose took this as a cue to check up on him. That's what good people do, right? She was still learning.

"So, your heart - how is it?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't expect to see you back so soon."

"The doctor said I was okay to come back to school, so here I am," Lucas said.

"Are you really okay, though?" Rose asked. "Like, mentally ready?"

"What's with all the questions?" Lucas asked as they began to walk together towards their classes. "You're not usually this…I don't know, caring?"

"Trying something new," Rose quipped, shrugging.

"Okay," Lucas said, but squinted a little, like he suspected Rose was up to something. Not that she blamed him. "Where's Jake, by the way?"

"He's sick today, so he stayed home. The babysitter's got Graycie," Rose said. She had trouble referring to her birth parents as Mom and Dad in a context that wasn't sarcastic. "I was going to take care of him, and give the sitter a break, but he insisted I come to school."

Lucas started to respond, but cut himself off at the sight of Brooke and Rachel down the corridor, who seemed to be arguing about something. Rose followed his gaze and sighed. "Still no progress on that front, huh?" she assumed.

"She still hasn't spoken to me since she found out about me and Peyton. I don't know what to do, Rose," Lucas sounded stressed, desperate almost.

"Sometimes you have to give things time to stop stinging," Rose said.

"I've given it so much time as it is, I…" he trailed off.

"Look, if I were you, I would table this. You've got so much else on your plate right now, man." Rose said. "You can save this for another time, right?"

"Sure, but-"

"Right?" she cut him off, emphasizing the word and signaling that she won't take anything except for yes as an answer.

"Yeah, I guess," Lucas said, if only to get her off his back.

"Good. Now, I have to go burden myself with the girls," Rose gestured to Brooke and Rachel. "I'll see you later."

They said their 'byes, and Rose headed toward the girls who seemed to still be engaged in a disagreement. But as soon as they heard Rose's heels clacking on the floor near them, they turned to greet her.

"Hey, Rose," Brooke said, a little too cheery. Rose cocked a brow in response.

"You good? This isn't an after-school special," she said. She noticed Rachel wasn't saying anything, but looked a little awkward. "Everything is alright over here? You seemed immersed in something before I walked up."

"You're such a mom," Brooke chuckled, sounding nervous. "We're fine."

Rose squinted a little at the comment. "Fine, I'll pretend to believe you," Rose said, not especially interested in whatever conflict Brooke and Rachel have meandered themselves into this time. "As long as it doesn't end in public humiliation, hospitalization, or jail time, I guess it's none of my business."

Brooke and Rachel laughed a little too hard at that, and Rose gave them a half-amused, half-perturbed look before turning heel and going to class, just before the bell rung.

In English, she wasn't paying much attention to what the teacher was saying. She figured she'd get notes from whoever later, and she was more worried about Lucas, who seemed to be in low spirits. She didn't want to push him, since he was mostly unresponsive earlier, but she couldn't bring herself to care about what was being taught, either. And she missed Jake.

Tim leaned over to speak to her. "Hey, girl Scott. You still with Jagielski?"

"Cut it out, Tim," Rose rolled her eyes. "Or do I need to tenderize your meat again?"

Tim winced. "Alright, calm down. I was just asking."

"I know what you were doing," she glared, "and I advise you to stop before you start."

Tim scoffed, but moved away from Rose.

Rose spent the rest of the class thinking about everything that has happened since she appeared in Tree Hill. She wondered if things had always been this crazy or if her presence had something to do with all of this. Wow, I need therapy. She thought to herself. Of course it's not all about me.

Later on, Nathan had called Rose and Lucas to come see him, and that he had something to tell them. They arrived, and Nathan confessed that it was him that beat up the loan shark, Daunte, and not Dan. And that Dan took the fall, but he was not guilty.

"I don't understand," Rose said. "Dan does not just take the fall for people. This has got to be part of some kind of scheme of his. Something to hang over your head." Something felt off about the situation.

"I don't know what it is," Nathan confessed, "I am just as confused as you are. But I know it's my fault and I am asking you two to help me turn myself in."

"Nate, man, the charges were dropped. Dan was let out and made a speech," Lucas said, which seemed to bring Nathan some relief.

Lucas then offered to speak to Haley for Nathan, and Nathan thought that was a good idea. Nathan apologized for everything.

"This situation," Rose said as they all stood up from where they sat, "God…it's just one thing after another in this town. It's like it's cursed."

The next day, Rose and Jake were walking from Jake's car to the school.

"Are you feeling any better?" Rose asked Jake, who was still looking a bit piqued.

"I will be okay, darling," Jake said. "Woah, get a load of those two." He gestured to Brooke and Rachel who were sporting Clean Teen shirts.

"No way," Rose said, amusement colouring her tone and expression. "Brooke and Rachel - clean teens? That's insane. I must ask them about that later." Her amusement was heightened as she watched them go sit with the Clean Teens. She turned to Jake. "Hey, you think I should join that club?" she joked.

"I can see it now: Rosaline Scott, the born-again virgin from Manhattan," Jake joked back. He grabbed Rose's hand as they walked, which gave her a surprising feeling of warmth. That or he still had a fever. She didn't know which.

What she did know was that she'd been feeling deeper things than an innocent infatuation for Jake for the past little while, but she hadn't known how to go about telling him. It had been so long since she told someone she loved them and the last time she did, she lost him. What if she lost Jake, too? What would she do? Would she ever try again? She didn't think so.

She had to find out, one way or another. Maybe not now, though she was tired of always procrastinating the big moments due to her anxiety. She had even tried (and failed) to postpone giving birth to Graycie because that scared her to death. Well, she thought, that turned out well enough, given the obstacles. Maybe it would not be so bad if I told him I love him. But not now, not at school.

—-

Rose was in the library, studying, when Brooke and Rachel came to sit with her. She looked up. She noticed the Clean Teen shirt on Rachel but not on Brooke. "The irony isn't lost on me," Rose commented before turning back to her studies. "Why did you two join Clean Teens?"

"We're turning over a new leaf," Brooke shrugged, and Rachel nodded in agreement.

"Uh-huh…" Rose said absently. "Somehow, I know that's a lie."

"It's the truth!" Rachel said defensively. "Not all of us want to be teen mothers like you and Haley."

That remark offended Rose for both her and Haley, and she glared at Rachel. "You want to go there, Rachel? Here? I'm from New York. I will throw a table at you." She took a moment to pause and sighed. "I suppose I see your point."

Shelley, the club leader of the Clean Teens, approached the table. She was always so bright, and bubbly, and everything that none of these three girls were. Rose squinted as the girl approached. After a quick glance of disdain at the plunging neck of Rose's tank top, Shelley turned to Rachel and Brooke. "Hey, Brooke, I noticed you're not wearing your shirt! That's okay, I have an extra one." She handed Brooke the sweater and as she did, Brooke seemed to see someone she liked and immediately slipped the sweater on, raising Rose's suspicions. She could not figure out why these two notoriously promiscuous girls were suddenly so abstinent, but Rose figured it might have something to do with the boy across the room that Brooke was looking at.

Rachel and Brooke left to join the Clean Teens and Rose muttered to herself, "Just seems like I'm just sitting here reacting to everyone else's lives at this point. Maybe it's time to do something with mine."

The thought of confessing to Jake how she feels about him popped into her head again. She groaned to herself. Okay, so it was clear that this was something that she had to do. But how? And how would she ever alleviate herself of the fear that plagued her regarding the situation? Would she just have to get it over with? She put her face in her hands. She'd figure it out later.