iris | one tree hill

13. hanging by a moment

When Lucas returned, Peyton ended up giving a few different excuses as to why they shouldn't continue cleaning her room. She said that they would do it the next night, as if she was trying to get rid of Brooke and Lucas.

As soon as Lucas and Brooke left, Emma turned to her sister.

"Peyton, are you going to tell me what's going on now or later?" Emma stared at her sister and Peyton sighed deeply. Peyton knew that she wouldn't be able to hide anything from her sister for long.

"I...." Peyton tried to speak, but it was as if she couldn't say it.

There's a list of things that Emma can't stand and won't tolerate in any way, here are some of the items: racist people, people who are prejudiced against LGBT people, lies, betrayal (be it in any form, betraying trust, or being unfaithful), disrespectful people.

The list is much longer, but Peyton remembered that he was fitting in with a few items. She was lying, she was betraying her best friend's trust, while she was staying with her best friend's boyfriend, in other words, Lucas was being unfaithful, and if Emma knew, in her view, Peyton and Lucas would be being disrespectful to Brooke.

"You're in love with Lucas." Emma said, snapping Peyton out of her thoughts. Peyton nodded and started to tear up.

"I swear I didn't want that to happen." Emma hugged her sister, wiping away the tears.

"I know, sis. Does Lucas know?" Peyton didn't want to lie to her sister.

"Yeah, I was going to tell Brooke but she's so in love with him that..." Emma interrupted her sister.

"Wait, Lucas knows, and you were going to tell Brooke?" Peyton nodded. "Peyton, does he like you too? Because if he does, he should tell her about his feelings, he's her boyfriend. Are you guys having something behind Brooke's back?" Emma asked her sister.

"No!" Peyton said.

"Okay. I'm here for you, Peyton. But don't let Lucas play with both of your feelings. Clear things up with Brooke." Emma asked, and Peyton agreed.

[....]

Emma and Peyton had gone to Karen's café, Emma saw Peyton going to talk to Haley, maybe ask for more advice. Emma saw Ethan grabbing a cup of coffee to leave and went over to the boy.

"Hey, Ethan." Emma spoke next to the boy, who was startled.

"Pompoms, watch my heart." Emma smiled at the boy who asked if they could walk together for a while, Emma nodded to Peyton signaling that she would go out with Ethan.

As they walked, Ethan told her how excited he was for Karen's return, and there was even a reason to be even more excited. Keith had told Ethan that he and Karen had kissed at the airport, before the woman boarded the plane.

"Is it silly of me to expect them to start a relationship soon?" Ethan asked.

"No, I don't think so, E. They've known each other for years, and you said that your father seems to have always been in love with Karen, maybe this is the beginning of their relationship." Emma said.

Emma thought it was the sweetest thing to see the way Ethan always talked about Karen, he treated the woman like his mother, and Karen perhaps acted like one without even realizing how important and meaningful it was to the boy.