1000 Reasons To Smile

Chapter 23: Unexpected Turn

"We should probably head back," I told Peyton. We'd been in the park for at least three hours now, playing No Rule's football and a bunch of other made up games. 

   "Yeah," Peyton agreed. "See you guys," She said waving bye to everyone. 

   "See ya," They all said back, and Kyle said, "Flynn, bro, you need to come and play with us some time. Some real football." He added, giving Peyton a playful look. 

   She snorted. "Don't lie, you guys loved my version of football," And I laughed when all the other guys agreed. 

   "Yeah, sure," I told Kyle. "How about next Saturday? Same time?" 

   "Sure," Kyle nodded, "Bring your girlfriend too, maybe we can teach her. She'd make an awesome running back." 

   Peyton rolled her eyes, "He's not my boyfriend, you idiot. And I don't play football." 

   For some reason, my mood dampened a little at her first statement. Stop being an idiot, I told myself. Of course you're not her boyfriend, she probably doesn't even like you. 

   Kyle rose an eyebrow at me, but I just shrugged. "Come on Pey," I said, putting an arm around her. 

   We walked to the car and started on our way home. Well, to my house, then Peyton would take her car back home. 

   "I really did have a good day, Flynn." Peyton said. "I would probably still be at home now watching reruns of Project Runaway if you hadn't picked me up." 

   "You needed it," I told her. "You needed to get out of the house. What happened last week wasn't your fault. No one blames you except yourself." 

   Peyton sighed. "I know, I just...I don't know. Maybe if I had just listened to Emma-" 

   "No," I cut her offs. "No maybe's, no what-if's, none of that. What happened happened, but it's over now. Don't let it hold you back from continuing on." 

   She looked at me weirdly. "Yeah...you're right." 

   "Of course I am," I joked, trying to ease the weird tension that was coming up. 

   "No, seriously Flynn." Peyton said, watching me carefully. "Ever since you moved back here, you've been different..." 

   I didn't like where this conversation was going.

   "What happened? Why did you move?" 

   "Peyton..." I sighed. 

   Peyton shook her head. "No. I want to know. I need to know. Everyone seems to know except me. Your best friend." When I didn't day anything, she continued. "You were gone. Just like that." She said. "I woke up one morning, ready to spend the day with you like I always do, and I go downstairs and...and I still remember everything so clearly. Mom was cooking breakfast and Dad was reading the morning paper, and everything looked so normal except I could feel that something was off.

   "I asked what was wrong and Mom told me to sit. She said that I couldn't see you anymore, and when I asked why, she said it was because you moved."

   Peyton looked right at me. "You. Moved. Without telling me, giving me any hints, or even saying goodbye. You just got up, packed your stuff, and left. Do you know what that did to me?" 

   I couldn't say anything, I didn't have anything to say. All I knew was that I wasn't ready to tell Peyton the reason why I had moved, and I wasn't sure if I ever would be ready. It was a topic I had hoped would stay in the shadows, something she'd just gradually forget. 

   Peyton shook her head. "No one would tell me anything. No one. I tried calling you, texting you, contacting you in every possible way, and every single time I was met with silence." She had tried to contact me? No one told me that... "For three years. Three entire years you just...just blocked me out of your life. Why, Flynn? You have to tell me why. Do you just...hate me? Were you just completely fed up with me? Is that it?" 

   "No, no..." I said, shaking my head. It wasn't that, in fact, it was the exact opposite. 

   "Then what, what was it?" Peyton cried, nearly in tears now. 

   Crap, I thought. This took an unexpected turn. I just wanted today to be a good day for her, and now...now she was about to cry, and my biggest secret was about to be exposed to the one person I cared for the most. 

   I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to say. 

   "Don't just ignore me, Flynn," She said, sounding almost angry now. "You've already done that for three years. I deserve an explanation, you know I do." 

   My hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly they'd turned white. We were almost to my house, maybe if I just stalled a bit...

   Suddenly, a dog ran in front of the car out of no where. I shouted in shock, and quickly spun the steering wheel, trying to avoid hitting the dog. The car jerked to the left and before I even knew what was happening, I saw a huge tree right in front of us, and we ran straight into it. 

   The impact blew me forwards, and I felt my seat belt jam forward so hard that I knew my chest was going to be bruised for a while now. Something exploded in my face, and I couldn't breath because of it. I felt a lot of heat, like there was a fire right beside me, and I heard screaming. Who was screaming? 

   My head was throbbing, but it was a numbing pain. I could feel something trickle down my face but my hands couldn't reach up to feel it. They wouldn't move. The person kept screaming, and I wanted to tell them to shut up, but my mouth couldn't move either. 

   Suddenly, a blast of cold air hit me in the face, and I felt myself being pulled out of the car. I couldn't feel anything, and though my eyes were opened, my vision was blurred. 

   Someone was kneeling over me, crying and saying my name over and over again, but I couldn't make out who it was. Peyton? 

   I heard sirens in the background, but that was it before darkness engulfed me. 

OMG two updates in one day!! Say whaaa? ALSOOOO, this chapter is dedicated to AwesomeAlexia for being the first vote and completely self boosting comment!! Thanks girl!!!;))

(PS I know this chapter doesn't seem all that good but I promise it gets better..:))