"It's really good Lucas. I think that it's a great love story. Definitely one for the ages. Once Peyton reads it, she will be running right back. Clap back at the editors, your voice deserves to be heard as your voice." Every word that Brooke uttered carried immense weight. Her voice got more hoarse and softer with each syllable. The last sentence was almost strained. However, what was she supposed to say? If the roles had been reversed and Lucas had written that love story about her, she would be jumping into his arms right then. Alas, she was the villain.
Lucas grew quiet hearing Brooke. It was true. No matter what he said, the literal last words in his book read, 'I was now, and would always be, in love with Peyton Sawyer.' Brooke had physical tangible proof of the words he had penned in memory of his girlfriend, his former girlfriend.
Brooke watched as Lucas struggled internally. He didn't know what to feel anymore. Peyton had declined his proposal and literally cut herself out of his life and all his friends' lives if he could say that. Neither Nathan or Haley had heard from her either. He didn't know how she was doing after the proposal and she had no idea that he was building a family with Brooke.
"I think you should call her and tell her, Luke. About the book I mean. Maybe you can email her a copy too?" Brooke suggested.
"What?" he asked, flabbergasted that Brooke was suggesting that.
"She is the deuteragonist in your novel. It would be really rude if the book hits the markets and that's how she learns about it, don't you think?" Brooke said, certain that that was the worst way to go.
"Peyton and I haven't spoken since I flew to LA," he mumbled. "Who knows if she will even answer me?"
"I know, but Luke, you can't spring a book professing your love for her. Call her," she said.
"Do you think we should tell her about this? The kids? Us?" he asked.
"Depends a lot on how she takes the book news. I actually don't know. The reason I hid was so you and her could have your happily ever after but now since you know, Leyton is screwed either way in terms of her having you all to yourself to build a family. We share Jamie and that is the raw honest truth," Brooke said.
"So, you want to tell her about you and Jamie?" Lucas asked, squinting his eyes to get to know the truth.
"No, I absolutely do not!" Brooke laughed, surprising Lucas with the brevity of her reply. He waited for Brooke to emphasise. She sighed and relented, "I don't want Peyton to hate me and blame me and I feel bad for cheating because what we did was wrong no matter the positive or negative skew you put around it. However, after the book, it is for a fact going to get complicated and I'm bracing myself for it."
"B, it's so evident how much you miss her. You're not fooling anybody. Well, at least not me," Lucas caught her dead to rights.
"Am I that transparent?" she asked, her voice faltered as she said the words.
"To me, you have always been. Ever since that night we took care of Peyton," Lucas said, looking Brooke dead in the eyes with his bright shiny baby blues.
After that, both the parents fell back into a deep silence as they ate their breakfast. Then, they took another shot at trying to wake up the kids and got them to get ready and fed. Brooke was grateful for the additional support and the amenities of the house. Having more than one bathroom was surely a delight and Lucas was getting better at getting the kids out of bed too.
Soon enough, they were driving to Andy's massive property. Sam smiled in the back of Lucas' mustang. Nobody drove in New York. She had never sat in a personal car for as long as her memory served her. It was a serene and random experience and for her to say that it was her dad's car, even more weird.
Sam and Jamie both spent time looking out of the car windows, still unused to the new town they would call home.
"You see that building at the corner of Front and Grace?" Lucas asked, pointing to a brick building.
"Yeah," both kids responded, following Lucas' finger. The building was under construction. Workers surrounded it wearing hard hats and the place was privy to quite a din.
"That's where Brooke's office is going to be. My mom owns the building. She had a cafe out there and then she moved to New Zealand so we closed it down, but kept the space. The workers are working to make the Headquarters of Clothes over Bro's," Lucas informed them.
"What? Really? Brooke! That's incredible!" Sam said, coming closer to the front seat to punch Brooke's arm.
"Ow! Yeah! I know. It truly is magical," she said with a smile. Tree Hill had been good to her so far. She hadn't paid for rent or food or any travel since Lucas and her friends seem to take care of all of it.
Lucas drove through town until he came upon the backroads, reaching the road where Peyton's car had broken down. The memory of towing the comet was still so vivid in his mind. "First of all, you don't know me. Second of all, you don't know me." Lucas couldn't help but laugh as his car slowed down on that road. He had been so deeply smitten by her back then and he had been so bold. He went through the art in her car and then submitted it to Thud without consulting her. All he had to do when he attended that service call was fill the radiator. He could have done that on-site. But, he wanted to see her again, so he brought the car in and effortlessly, almost without anyone realising, he brought Peyton into his life.
Brooke had been a very conscious, very aware entry in his life. She had called it out herself, that everything was going to change. They both knew it. Peyton was a subtle entry in comparison. Both girls were so similar and yet so different.
Brooke was thinking about Peyton too. Just as they passed the lake, they drove across the bridge, the bridge where she and Peyton used to sit when her mom died. The bridge Peyton went to when Lucas and Haley were in the hospital after Dante hit her and Lucas had that heart attack. The bridge where Brooke struggled with her feelings as all she wanted to do was hold Peyton and take away the grief that she was feeling because the boy she loved was fighting for his life as well as be held by Peyton because the boy she loved was fighting for his life and the girl who had been her best friend had sustained head injuries and broken her leg. Peyton had asked her, begged her to be friends again and she had acquiesced. Yet, when Peyton asked her if they could go back to being like before, before Lucas entered their lives, Brooke wasn't sure. How could it? It was like the time capsule. It was out for everyone to see and no matter how hard she pretended that nobody had seen her naked, everyone had and that was the basic truth.
It was obvious that both Brooke and Lucas were in a deep state of reverie. Sam watched them quietly, wondering if they were thinking about the same thing. What was going on through their minds? She looked out at the streets, what stories could a bunch of plain roads flanked by trees and lakes hold? She did not understand, but she didn't dare ask.
Lucas turned and drove into Andy's driveway, exposising the Spanish bungalow complete with vines that Andy called his vacation home. The size had Sam gaping. The property was massive, immaculate, right out of a magazine. Sam could not believe this was the house of the guy she played air hockey with in New York, the person who was supposed to be her adoptive grandfather, potential father. She didn't even know the size of the yards behind the bungalow.
"Dude! What is this house!" Sam squeaked. Both Lucas and Brooke chuckled as Brooke unbuckled herself and got out of the car.
"Thanks Luke. Keep my kids safe. Bye babies!" she greeted and watched Lucas drive away.
"So where are we headed to now?" Sam asked.
"You can pick. Do you want to see Tree Hill or check my house? We are going to Nathan and Haley's in the afternoon once Haley returns from school," Lucas informed her.
"Can we go to your place? I mean after 2 mansions that you and your family owns, I wonder whether the third palace will be larger," Sam teased with an eyebrow raise.
"Oh, you'll be surprised," Lucas said and left the wealthy neighbourhood of Tree Hill to go to his humble home. When Lucas stopped his car in his driveway, Sam was surprised. The house looked modest. It could easily fit the size of Andy's master bedroom, she guessed.
"How come your house is tiny?" Sam blurted before she realised what she said. She covered her mouth, shocked at what she had let slip. "No, that is rude. Sorry!"
"Haha! Yeah, I know that my house doesn't hold a candle to Brooke's or Andy's or even Nathan and Haley's, but it's my home. My mom owns this house. This is where I grew up. It's not as large as the other houses, but it was perfect for my mom and I growing up. Come on in," he said, unbuckling Jamie's car seat and jumping up the steps of the porch to unlock the door. Sam took another look at the house and walked in. She could see the old timey vibe the place had. It had old blue and yellow wallpaper, but new black leather couches. It was evident that Karen must have picked the wallpaper but Lucas must have changed the couch. "Feel free to explore."
Sam walked into the kitchen before seeing the two bedrooms flanking the corridor. She saw the Master decorated in earthy shades of red and then the room which was clearly Lucas'. She saw the art on his wall showcasing car plates in the shape of USA and his laptop perched on his desk with a printed manuscript of his novel. Sam touched it, flipping pages to find Brooke's name.
"Sammy, can we play something?" Jamie asked, coming into the room and distracting Sam.
"What? Yeah, sure. Can we in a little bit?" she said, afraid that she had been caught snooping. She left the manuscript at the table and walked back to the living room where Jamie and Lucas were playing catch with a ball Jamie.
"This place is sweet," Sam said, standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. Lucas gave her a knowing smile.
"It's the people that make a home, Sam. I mean, you must know that more than anybody. Even if you had to live in that heatless apartment for the rest of your life with Brooke, wouldn't you pick it over the mansion you live in now if you had parents who never remembered your existence? Brooke was more at home with you and Jamie in New York." As Lucas said that, the memory of the letter he had read the night before was fresh in his head. He was playing letter roulette and as fate would have it, the letter that he picked was the one Brooke had written on the day that Sam came to live with her.
'Dear Lucas,
So….. I did something crazy. I don't even know what I was thinking but what am I supposed to do? How does one turn their head and look away when the person in front of them is clearly in need of help? It's ridiculous, what I am about to do. It could go wrong so many ways, but my heart feels right doing this and I understand the situation that this girl is in. You don't abandon ship when things are tough, you simply get tougher. Ever since I found out that I was pregnant, that's all I have been doing anyway.
I am about to become a mom again! Unofficially. Don't worry, I am not pregnant. The idea of sleeping with anybody sounds absolutely absurd and ridiculous to me ever since I became pregnant and started working at the club. But, I am unofficially beginning to foster a teenager. Her name is Sam and she is 14. She is a foster child who has gone from one abusive home to another. She hasn't delved into her past yet, but it worries me, what this girl has gone through. I know first hand what it is like to have your parents give up on you and not want you. It hurts my heart that she has had to experience that. Nobody should. I know you have experienced it too, so maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from. She came to the club looking to work as a stripper so that she could earn some money to run away. Obviously, I wouldn't let her do it. She's a child!
I don't know, Luke. I saw her at the club, and she has a kind heart. Jamie was unwell and he would not stop crying. She helped me soothe our little boy and she is good with kids. I need a babysitter for the night anyway, so if she is at home with Jamie, I can finally stop bringing him to the club and keep him away and safe from this life. It sounds like a win-win, but of course, there is a catch because why not! There always is one! Everywhere, every single time. It wouldn't be real without one.
Sam is addicted to drugs. She uses heroin and I didn't need her to tell me that. A look at her arms and face and I can see it's lasting effects. I have to manage to get her clean before I take her in and that is going to be challenging and scary, especially considering how it is easy to tell that she has been abusing drugs for a while now. These kids get dragged into such fight or flight modes of life because they have to keep their survival instincts sharp. Every step they take is like a puddle of quicksand.
I know what must be playing in your mind, keep her away from Jamie. I obviously won't let her around him unless she gets clean, but I need her to trust me. It won't work unless she chooses to get clean which again, depends on her trust.
I am scared. This is big. I mean she is only 6 years younger than me. I am the age of her older sister, not her mom! I am literally faking and pretending that I have a hang of this mom thing with Jamie because let's face it, I really don't. I have no idea what I am doing. But, she needs someone. She needs love and care. So much would have been different for me if only I had my parents' affection. I wish that I could call you and ask you for advice. Your words always helped me when I was confused or struggling. It's days like this that really make me miss you but I know that keeping away is the right thing to do for you and Peyton. I just really hope that the two of you are happy together.
Anyway, wish me luck and all the patience you can call for from the universe. I hope that she accepts my love and agrees to clean up her act and go back to being a fourteen year old.
Love,
Brooke'
"Yeah, you got that right," Sam said, blushing lightly. "Umm, can I ask you for a favour?"
"Of course, what do you need?" Lucas asked, eager to help the teen with anything she could want.
"Brooke mentioned yearbooks. Do you have them for me to see?" she requested.
"Huh? Yearbooks from when I was in school with Brooke?" Lucas asked, again.
"Yeah," she replied.
Lucas left Sam and walked into his closet until he came across what Sam wanted to see. Lucas smiled a little as he felt the hard cover of the book that held priceless memories. He had met the most incredible people at school, forging friendships that would stay with him till the end of time. He hoped that Sam and Jamie got to experience that in Tree Hill too.
Picking up the four yearbooks from his High School days, he walked to Sam and placed them at the table in front of her. Sam eyed the book before opening it and going through the pages. It was a typical yearbook, showcasing different clubs and activities. She decided to make her way from back to front, beginning with their Senior year.
She went through the pages, noticing that the yearbook was filled with pictures of the people she had met at the party. Mouth was in the AV Club and Nathan and Lucas and Skills were in Raven's jerseys on the basketball team. She stopped at an image which showcased the cheerleaders posing with the school mascot. Yes, Brooke was in the picture, but it wasn't Brooke that she was looking at. This was the first time that Sam was looking at a picture of Peyton. She saw the petite blonde with wild blonde curls smile at the camera.
"So that's Peyton?" Sam asked Lucas. Jamie and Lucas were going through the yearbooks with her.
"Oh," Lucas said, realising that Sam had never seen her. Just heard about her. "Yeah, that's Peyton. I'm still surprised that you never saw an image of us. Brooke didn't have any on her phone?"
"No, she didn't," Sam replied, not wanting to fuel Lucas' sadness. She quickly flipped to the next page. Soon, the honour wall began and the first student to be honoured was none other than Brooke Davis. In fact, she had multiple spreads because one spread was not enough. That however was not what was stunning for Sam to see, it was the images that had made it into the yearbook. There was an image of Brooke on the floor laughing with a solo cup in her hand, too drunk to stand and a button besides it that said Brooke Davis, the easy choice. The image was nothing but a poster for her campaign as Student Body President.
"What? Brooke won using that!" Sam more or less screamed.
"Daddy, why is mom sleeping on the floor?" Jamie asked innocently.
Lucas couldn't help but laughing. It was hilarious for him to watch as his children learnt about Brooke. It was he who was the new entrant. They should have been learning about him, but it turned out that despite living with Brooke, they didn't know her all that much either. Tree Hill Brooke was a new person to them too.
Sam flipped the page and saw that the next was dedicated to cheerleading. Sam gawked a second time. Brooke was posing for the camera topless with two pom poms held in front of her chest. There were images of her holding up a trophy too, but Brooke seemed perfectly fine being topless in school.
"This is not, don't connect this to her job. Brooke, uhh," Lucas struggled to explain what Sam was seeing. Jamie was too young and innocent to realise anything but Sam was stunned.
"Brooke told me that her high school yearbooks would portray her as slutty. Yet, I did not imagine what I just saw.
"Okay, when Brooke was a freshman, she wasn't a very good person. I mean, sure, she was popular and dating seniors, but as a person, she was pretty lost and over the last four years, she had been forced to grow up. She stopped letting boys define her and started believing in herself and in her potential. And she ran for student council president, and she designed a clothing line, and somewhere along the way, the lost, little, party girl became the girl on the Wall of Honor. What you are seeing is the wall of honour and you still aren't done with the pages dedicated for Brooke."
Lucas was right. Sam flipped the page and came across a logo for Clothes over Bro's. There was Brooke smiling at the camera in a t-shirt which had a flaming heart with the number three on it.
"What you are seeing is the very first piece Brooke made for her Company," Lucas said with a smile, choosing to keep the additional details from Sam like how the flaming heart was Peyton's artwork or that the '3' was his jersey number.
Sam flipped the page again and was surprised to see that the next person to be honoured was none other than Peyton. "What is this?" she asked Lucas, seeing a really terrifying sketch of Peyton with dark angel wings.
"Peyton produced a benefit CD when we were in High School. Her birth mother had Cancer. Peyton was adopted, just like you. Her birth mother was a part of the music industry and an artist just like her. This was the artwork for the CD," Lucas explained.
Sam flipped the page again and was shocked to see Brooke naked again on a poster for a Friends with Benefit Concert at Tric.
"The proceeds supported Breast Cancer research. Brooke wanted to increase ticket sales and get as many funds," Lucas explained. He too had forgotten that Brooke had decided to use her Time Capsule mishap to do some public good.
"Did Brooke always use her body to make money?"
"Hey, she is a CLOTHING Designer. She makes clothes more than she takes them off!" Lucas rebuked.
"Brooke is such a prude now. Makes sense since she was so slutty in High School. Are you on this list too?" she asked.
"Yeah, keep flipping. Next is Haley though. She not only recorded music for the Peyton's benefit CD, but also went on tour with the Wreckers and was the opening act," Lucas said and yes, as Sam flipped the page, the poster of Haley with some guy showed up.
"Who's the dude?" Peyton ask.
"Chris Keller, but never ever bring up his name in front of anybody in this town. He caused some damage, you could say," Lucas said.
"Aunt Haley looks so pretty in that dress," Jamie remarked.
"Your mom made that dress!" Lucas said with a smile.
"Wow!" Jamie was astonished.
Sam flipped the page again and saw Nathan's name. "All time leading scorer for the Tree Hill Ravens. Nice."
Flipping the page another time, she came across Lucas' page. It had a picture of a book. It was clearly for An Unkindness of Ravens. There were also images of him holding a basketball championship trophy.
"Great, so all over achievers," Sam remarked as she continued to flip pages. "Even Mouth had a podcast of his own!"
"We just dabbled in things. Like you said, Tree Hill is a small boring town. We had time on our hands," Lucas joked.
Next, Sam went to events. "Oh my God! Is that brooke winning Prom Queen after that stalker guy almost killed her! Oh my God! I can see her shaking!"
"Yeah, it was really scary. Peyton and Brooke were so scared after it, they couldn't stay alone and their parents didn't live here. Peyton refused to step into her house," Lucas shared.
"What does that mean?" Jamie asked.
"Oh, umm, there was a bad kid to hurt your mom and she was scared for a little while to live alone," Lucas tried to explain to his kid.
"So, then where did they stay?" Sam asked. Lucas nudged towards his bedroom, making Sam cackle.
"Seriously, that is gross. You all having threesomes or whatever."
"They were attacked and almost died! If they slept through the night without screaming and crying because of the nightmares, it was a good night," he filled her in.
"Sorry, that does sound awful. Yet, I have to ask. Karen was cool with that?"
"Sorta. I mean if she had a problem, she never said anything. Both the girls lived here." Lucas admitted.
Sam went through the other events. There was the basketball championship, a basketball awards banquet where the Coach got a lifetime achievement award and Lucas presented Nathan with the MVP award and some other events like theatre. Then, She finally came to the graduating class images.
The name Brooke Davis came pretty early. Sam traced the writing on the page.
'Brooke Penelope Davis
Cheerleading 1-4, Student Council President 3-4
DWnotl 3-4, Spirit Club 1-4, Clean Teens 4
Goal: To hear an Oscar winner tell Joan Rivers:
"I'm wearing Brooke Davis."'
"Clean Teens?" Sam questioned.
"I'd actually don't know everything about this. Peyton and I were together at this point and we had blocked out everybody in the outside world. Brooke was living with Rachel. I can't be sure, but Brooke was never a Clean Teen if my experience amounts to anything."
"Daddy, what's a Clean Teen?" Jamie piped in again.
"A Clean Teen is someone who never forgets to take their showers!" Lucas said, making up an excuse on the fly.
"Mama didn't shower?" Jamie asked, stunned.
"No, she did," Lucas said, getting even deeper in his lie.
"But you just said that Mama was never a Clean Teen!" he argued.
"Sorry, I made a mistake earlier," Lucas said, unable to keep up with his child.
"What's with this image though?" This does not look like your typical picture day what are all these writings?"
"Remember when I told you about the day I hung out with Glenda? The day our teacher gave us a very different yearbook picture assignment? This was Brooke's picture. Despite being the student council president, captain of the Cheerleaders and the most popular girl at school, Brooke was always worried about not being enough for people she was in relationships with. She was terrified of not being enough. Not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough. Regardless of her achievements, she was so insecure because no matter what she achieved, her parents never called or checked on her. Not a single call, or text, or email. She took it to mean that it said more about her than it did about them. So this for Brooke meant that People are gonna label you. It's how you overcome those labels that's what matters."
"Wow. That's art."
"What is your picture?" Sam asked, flipping pages.
Lucas Eugene Scott
Basketball 3-4, Honor Roll 3-4
Goal: To write the next Great American Novel,
and to find Bigfoot before Haley.
"Haha! Atleast one of it is coming true," Sam remarked when she read Lucas' goal.
"Hey, there is still time for part 2. It's not like Haley is any closer to finding Bigfoot than I am!" Lucas laughed.
"Daddy, what's Bigfoot?" Jamie chimed in yet again.
"Someone with big feet, Big Ears!" Lucas joked. Hey saw Jamie's facial expressions change as he moved his hands to his ears to size them and bring his little fingers in front of his eyes to measure.
"Okay, you have to explain Goth Lucas!"
"Glenda was a goth and she said that I would have made a great goth. A little tortured, a bit of a loner, but kind. Hence, the get up. High School is the best time to try different personalities anyway. An hour with a different person can change so much about your thoughts, perceptions and how you see the world."
"Yeah, I'm learning a lot about that since yesterday. So, what's your favourite spot in Tree Hill?"
"The River Court. You wanna go there?" Lucas asked.
"Show me what this town has to offer," Sam smiled.
"Jamie, ready to play? Go grab your ball. We are headed for the River Court. Then we'll go to Nathan and Haley's, eat lunch with them" Lucas instructed.
"Can we take this book to show Aunt Haley the dress? She looks so pretty in it," Jamie asked.
"Yeah, we should!" Lucas agreed. "But first, do you need to use the bathroom?" Jamie nodded his head, so Lucas went to help the little boy.
Sam sat with the yearbook in her lap. She went to the page where all the messages were written. She immediately caught Peyton's message. It was a long one professing her love for him. On further inspection, she identified them as song lyrics by the Cure.
'Whenever I'm alone with you, You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you,You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I'm alone with you, You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you, You make me feel like I am fun again
However far away, I will always love you
However long I stay, I will always love you
Whatever words I say, I will always love you
I will always love you - Peyton.'
She struggled to find Brooke's message in the sea of signatures, but she managed to find it before Lucas emerged again with Jamie.
'Dear Lucas,
Thanks for showing me what true love can feel like.
Love,
Brooke.'
It was so short. So simple. Yet, so profound. Sam wondered if Lucas had read Brooke's not or comprehended it. She wondered if she should ask Lucas about it, but chose to remain quiet that moment. She would have to tread more gently. For Brooke's one line confession, Peyton had penned down eight.
The three quickly left in Lucas' car for the River Court. They had the windows rolled down and Sam's hair was flying in every direction with the wind. Lucas was playing music and the three of them were truly vibing, having a great time.
Sam felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out. "Hey Brooke," Sam said with a smile on the phone. She saw Lucas get alert at the sound of Brooke's name as he sat more upright as he clutched the steering wheel more tightly.
"Hey, I was just calling to check in. What are you and the boys upto?" she asked.
"Nothing much. Lucas just made us some cocktails at his house which he and I shared and now we are to Tree Hill to vandalise the school, after we stop by some back alleys where he promised we could score some dope," Sam teased.
"Oh, so no strip clubs? How sad," Brooke said sassily, joining Sam's banter.
"Those are only fun at night. We'll git some after dark!" Sam laughed.
"It would be funny if I didn't know your history. Are you having a good time or Tree Hill has you bored already?" Brooke asked.
"No. So far, Tree Hill has been quite educational," Sam replied enigmatically.
"I can hear the wind. Are you guys headed to Nathan and Haley's already?" Brooke asked.
"No, first we are going to the River Court. Then we are heading over," she answered truthfully.
"Of course that's the first stop," Brooke chuckled. "Have fun."
"Yeah, thanks," Sam said and hung up the phone.
The River Court wasn't too far from his house, so they reached fairly quickly. Sam stepped out and she looved around. Yeah, as they name suggested, there was a basketball court in a park on the banks of a river. She failed to see the charm.
Lucas could read the confusion on Sam's face but he gave her a few more minutes as he unbuckled Jamie from his car seat.
"What's so special about tarmac and poles?" Sam asked.
"Absolutely nothing," Lucas replied, making Sam gape at his confession.
"It isn't the place. It's the feeling. When I step on this court, I eperience freedom and power. I know that I am good. I know that when I play, it is art and poetry and it is beautiful. When I am here and when I have the ball in my hands, I am in complete and total sync with the world. So much so that I know, when this ball leaves my hands," he said, flinging the ball that he was holding, "it will go in." Lucas was right. The ball swished gracefully and effortlessly through the hoop, as if the ball was nothing but a ballerina and Lucas, the choreographer.
"My highs, my lows, my ups, my downs, my wins, my losses… I always find my way back heere. It's who I am. It's where I am from and it is always important to remember where you're from."
Suddenly, Lucas saw Sam's face crumble. He did not understand what had got the teen to suddenly become that sad. Then, he realised what he had let slip out of his mouth without realising the impact that his words could create. Sam did not know where she was from, well not exactly. She knew of her birth mom thanks to breaking into her social worker's files but she knew nothing more. What she did know was that she was unwanted there.
"Oh God, I am so sorry Sam. I did not mean it that way. I spoke without thinking. I really shouldn't have said that. I truly am sorry. What I meant was that even if you get big and successful and famous, don't forget the start of your journey. My start was here and I will always be grateful to this place. My brother, Nathan had trainers and a personal court. Yet, it didn't matter. When I joined the Varsity Football team Junior year, Nathan wasn't too pleased to have me on the team. Neither was Dan, my father for that matter. Nathan didn't know better. He played along Dan's hate, doing what he was asked to do by his father. He and I had a match at midnight on this court. If I lost, I would lose the team. If I won, I would get what he loved most. And I won. Only because I stayed grounded and loved the game for what it was. That is all I meant. You and Jamie are going to grow up and do big things in the world. I want you to always remember you starts. Be it here, in Tree Hill or back in the foster system in New York, because I assure you, from here on now, it only gets better."
"How can you say that? You had to give up basketball, right?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, but I still had another passion, writing. I had a third passion that I did not even know I had, raising a Family. Life is good," Lucas smiled as he dribbled the ball and made another shot. Just like the first, it went through the net without any resistance.
"Don't you want a girlfriend though?" Sam prodded, wiping her tears away. Her curiosity still got better of her sadness.
"Not today," Lucas replied, unsure about what to say. Yeah, a girlfriend would be great, but he was still learning the ropes at being a dad of two. He did not have time for a love life. "Today, I have all the family I need. Now, how about a game of horse. Jamie and I versus Sam?"
"Hey! No fair. I can't play against two champions!" Sam played along, making Jamie giggle.
"Also, I'm really sorry if I hurt you, Sampson. You do belong. You belong here, with us. Come here," he said and sat down. Can you see that faded spray paint? The writing on the court?
"Huh?" Sam asked, not noticing anything.
"It's been four years, but look, can you see that cursive B?" he asked and Sam focused. She could just make it out.
"That was spray painted Brooke," Lucas informed her. "On the night of our final day together, we came here as these are all our roots. This place is our home and it was open all night. We spray painted our names onto the court and painted 'We were here' in the middle. Nathan and I played one last one-on-one game against each other, this time as brothers and not bitter rivals and we made a vow to never forget where we came from."
"You guys vandalised a park!" Sam giggled.
"Okay, it was wrong, but it was meaningful. I don't have spray paint, but I do have a sharpie," Lucas said and ran to his car to get the marker.
"Pick a spot and build you roots, champ," he smiled.
Sam could't help but smile. She could now clearly identify the faded remnants of all the names. She picked the spot right between Lucas and Brooke's name and in the tiniest handwriting, scribbled her name on the court.
"Welcome to Tree Hill Sam. There is only one Tree Hill and it's your home."
"Who knew, that I was right when I told Brooke that you and I were on our way to vandalise public property!" she laughed before grabbing the ball to dribble and make a failed attempt at shooting the ball through the hoop.