Tree Hill, 2003
"Ethan Scott to inbound, pass to Jagielski who finds Tim Smith out top. We're under ten seconds now. They dump it down to Nathan Scott. He is double teamed, but he forces up a 7-footer. It kicks off the back of the rim. Ethan Scott with the rebound, under five seconds on the clock. It's out to Lucas Scott, he is behind the 3-point line. The Ravens are going to win or lose it right here.
The buzzer sounds trough the gym, while everyone sees the ball Lucas Scott throw make in the basket.
And the Tree Hill Ravens are still undefeated. And I tell you what, if you're going to play the Ravens this season, you better take note, there's a new Scott in town. And all the three are on fire this season."
When the game was finally over, Ethan and Lucas went straight to their parents. It was the first time Karen Roe was in the gym watching one of their games. While Keith went to congratulate Lucas, Ethan stopped at the side of Karen and gave the woman a kiss on the top of her head.
"Good game, Ethan." The boy smiled at her soft tone. Ethan always felt so comfortable talking with the woman, her soft voice, the gentle words.
"Thanks, but it's the other Scott who made the winning point." Ethan said nudging Lucas, while he smiled at his cousin. Lucas went a ramble about his mistakes, when Karen stopped the boy to praise him. The two boys went to say goodbye.
"See you guys, later." Both boys said at the same time and look at the other. "Jinx!" They said again together. "Shut up." Ethan pushed Lucas, while Lucas was laughing.
"Not too late, boys." Karen yelled at them.
While Lucas went to his truck, Ethan went to his motorcycle when he saw a pretty blonde in front of his vehicle. Ethan stopped his movements just to appreciate, she was looking at her side waving at some people. There was a light breeze who messes a little of her hair, he noticed that she undid her hair, during the game she was using a high ponytail with a blue bow in the top of her head, and now it was loose. She was wearing a flare jean, with her black converses, a Deftones shirt, and her jeans jacket, and he knew at the back of her jacket there was a drawing, a heart on fire, he just doesn't know if she was the one to draw. When Emma looked at the boy, she smiled, as he got close to the girl.
"Good game, Ethan." He smiled, every game she did the same thing, and every time he got goosebumps.
"Thanks." Ethan took a deep breath. "Want to see a place?" He saw the surprised in her eyes, but the girl just nodded her head and Ethan gave her the spare helmet.
Emma had sent a quick text to her sister, to not worry her. As she seated behind Ethan hugging him. "All good?" Ethan asked smiling to himself. "Yes, just don't kill me." He let a soft laugh escape.
When Ethan stopped the motorcycle, Emma saw they're in a spot in the bridge that went to River Court.
"Are you planning in murder me, Ethan?" Emma asked founding to weird the spot.
"No. I like here, during the nights. It's peaceful, and quiet." Ethan said while he seated, grabbing the girl hand softly and pulling him to his side.
"You come here a lot?" Emma asked looking at her feet, still feeling a little bit shy with the guy.
"I think so. Only when I feel my mind is driving me crazy." The blonde girl looked at Ethan. "What do you do? When you feel like your mind is driving you crazy..."
Emma didn't take her eyes of Ethan. "A lot of things. Sometimes I like to play drums, when I am feeling like too angry at the universe, other I play guitar when my mind goes to melodramatic, and there is sometimes I like to sing to just no think about anything anymore. To just concentrate in the moment of what I am doing, and not the problems or feelings." Ethan pays attention at every word the blonde girls say in front of him. "Does any of that makes sense?"
"Sure do. Didn't know you could sing." Emma smiled at the boy.
"Oh, I sing. Just don't think I am amazing or anything like that. I'm working on it." Ethan never heard the girl sing or played instruments, but he would bet anything that Emma was in fact amazing. In everything Emma put herself to do it, she was always incredible.
"Well, I hope one day you can sing or play for me." Emma whispered someday, thinking Ethan wouldn't hear. Ethan didn't say anything, he would wait for her to be ready. "Ok, I really need to know now. You know how to play at least two instruments, you can sing, you cheer. There is something you don't know to do?"
"Three." Ethan looked at the girl, as she was smiling. "Three instruments. Drum, guitar and acoustic guitar. I know how to play a bass too, but I'm not good."
Ethan looked surprise, but he smiled at the girl.
"What else, Supergirl?"
"Oh no, I can't spill all my secrets like that." Emma said picking her nails.
"Fair. I don't know how to do any of that. I only know how to play basketball" The blonde boy shared with her.
"Well, you're incredible playing." Emma bumped her shoulders with his.
"Thanks." Ethan never knew how to react to compliments, her thanks for then, but it's hard to believe then. "So, you know how to draw too?" Emma looked confused and he pointed the back of her jacket.
"Oh, no. That's Peyton's talent. Sometimes, I ask her to personalize my clothes with her drawings." Emma said so proud of her sister talent, when a cold breeze hit then.
"Let's take you home, superpompons." Ethan began to rise and offered the girl his hands. Emma laughs at boy.
"Superpompons?" Emma asked thinking it was the silliest nickname ever.
"Yes. You do a bit of everything, and sometimes use pompons." Ethan said while helping Emma put the helmet, hearing the girl murmured silly and smiled.
[....]
Emma was walking through the corridors with Brooke, when they saw Peyton and Lucas in a heat talking. When Brooke stopped at Peyton's side and looked at Lucas.
"Hey, you didn't happen to find my, hmm..." Lucas didn't say anything he grabbed Brooke's bra with a finger. "Thank you, gorgeous." Brooke grabbed the bra, pulling Emma's hand.
Emma was holding her laugh, with Brooke smiling, when they felt Peyton in the other side of Brooke.
"Whatcha got there?"
"What?" Brooke pretends not knowing what Peyton was asking.
"You know what. The Brooke Davis leopard bra." Peyton says looking at Brooke.
"Everybody knows that the leopard bra is a welcoming mat, B. Davis." Emma says bumping softly at the brunet.
Peyton went to ask about Brooke being naked in Lucas's car, when Brooke explained she was partially naked, Coach Whithey interrupt them. Brooke told the girls that didn't happened anything, that Lucas was a gentleman with Brooke.
[...]
While Ethan and Lucas were in the locker room, Lucas saw all his things wet, while the rest of the team was laughing with Nathan. Jagielski offered Lucas clothes, when Jagielski was out of their sigh.
"Did huh.... Did Nthan bother you this much when you entered the team?" Lucas asked Ethan, a little embarrassed to ask his cousin about. Ethan never mentioned before about his games, or the team to him.
"No." Ethan said closing the locker.
"How?" Lucas was surprised, with Nathan being a grade A asshole.
"He pranked me once; I told him if he continued with that shit, I would break his hands or his knees and then he wouldn't lose his chance of making his daddy proud." Ethan told Lucas with an emotionless face. "Why? Want me to break his hands for you? For fifty bucks, cousin discount." Ethan smiled at Lucas, while Lucas was weird out.
"What? Ethan, no." Lucas's breath out.
"Jokes on you. I would do it for free." Ethan was smiling while Lucas started to laugh. "But I did threaten him."
While the boys were on the team practice, the girls were on their cheer practice. While Emma was stretching out with Peyton's help, and Brooke was barking orders. She saw Jagielski getting close to her.
"Emma." He called the girl to be a little far of the rest of the girls. They heard Coach yelling to Jake go back.
"A minute, Coach." Jake yelled back and look at the girl. "So, please tell me you're after practice."
"Why?" Emma looked at Jake confused.
"Because I need your help with two things. I have a pile of homework, and with that other stuff. My parents going to be home late." Jake started getting a little nervous.
While the two were talking, Ethan stopped doing his things and looked at Nathan who was closed to him.
"Since when Jake hangs out with Emma?" Ethan asked confused, never saw the two talking.
"A few months, she helps him with homework sometimes." Nathan said looking at how Ethan was getting red, and he was sure it wasn't because of the practice yet.
Ethan was glaring at how close Jake and Emma were, almost whispering.
"Jake, relax. I would be delighted to help you with the homework, and with that cute 'stuff'." Emma smiled at the boy.
"Thank God. Thank you so much, Emma." Jake kissed top of head and run to practice before Coach grabbed him by the ears.
Nathan thought that Ethan would have a syncope while saw Jagielski kiss Emma's head. Ethan was with a red face, scoffed when saw Jake got back. Nathan thought it was a little funny, since Emma has this huge crush on Ethan, but was afraid of rejection. He knows Emma helps Jake with homework, since the girl told him and Peyton once. Nathan even tried to scare Jake saying to not hurt Emma's feeling, and Jake assured they were just friends.
Ethan ended up close to Lucas and Jake, listening the two talking.
"What that was about?" Luke asked Jagielski.
"She helps me sometimes with homework, and I have a pile of then." Luke raised an eyebrow at the boy. "We are just friends, that's all. Besides, she already told me whom she has a crush." When Luke was ready to open his mouth, they all heard Coach yelling at them to stop gossiping.
When Emma got back to their cheer practice, Peyton asked what he wanted, and the girl just said, "homework problems". Peyton and Brooke were each on the girl's side.
"Emm's, you're not going to believe." Brooke said really hyped up.
"What?" She looked at Brooke and then at her sister.
"While you're talking with Jake, Ethan was green." Brooke told, and Emma never looked more confused.
"Ethan was jealous, Emm's. He was almost had a syncope when Jake kissed your head." Peyton explained, Emma laughs at the girls.
"Sure." They looked at Emma.
"Nathan can prove, Ethan even asked him something." Brooke told; Emma was still not believing. Why Ethan would be jealous of her and Jake talking? Emma was sure Ethan still didn't even consider the girl a friend.
[....]
Emma waited for Jake outside of the gym. When he showed up, he thanked the girl a few more times.
"Jake, it's no bother. I promise, you." The boy smiled at the girl.
While Emma was putting her seatbelt and laughing with Jake inside the car. Ethan could see the two, and the blonde boy hated the feelings. He was jealous and anger, and he didn't even have the right to feel that way.
The first thing Emma did when she got to Jake's house, was to pick Jenny and play with the baby. Jake looked at the girl with his baby. Jake and Emma weren't to close before, a few months ago Emma was doing her mourning running and saw Jake in front of his house playing to a little girl, the boy needed someone to vent and talk. Emma swore secret and didn't tell anyone about Jake's daughter. She knows that when Jake feels ready, he is going to introduce Emma to everyone.
It didn't take too long for Jenny fall sleep, and while the baby was taking her nap. Emma was helping Jake with his pile of homework. The pile of homework took them some time, when Jake was almost finishing, Jenny woke up.
"You're going to finish, and I can take care of her." And Emma did it.
She picked the baby and was rocking her softly in her arms, and when Jenny was a little calmer, she went to feed. Jake stopped for a second, and look at his friend helping him, and how Emma only asked once about Jenny's mother, and the question was "is she in Jenny's life?" the answer was no, and Emma never asked again.
"Ok. I'm finally done." Jake told the blonde girl and picked his stuff up. He picked Jenny of Emma's arms, and the blonde girl went to make sandwiches for them.
"Jake, go eat." Emma had put the plate with the sandwich in front of him. He could even protest since she was already putting Emma in her lap to play with the baby.
[....]
When the night came, Emma entered her sister room and fall in her bed.
"Hey, Emm's. How did it go with Jake?" Peyton turned her chair to look at the other blonde.
"Good. He had a lot of homework, so when we finished, we eat sandwiches and now I'm here." Peyton smiled at the girl; she knew Emma wasn't hooking up with Jake. But she knows that her sister is holding a secret, and Peyton is sure that when she is ready, she is going to tell.
Peyton talk about the comics for the Thud magazine, Emma had let a little yelp and jump around her sister, hugging her.
"See, I'm not the only one who sees how talent and incredible you're." Peyton smiled at how caring her sister always is it her.
"Yeah, but they want me to change a few things and-'' Emma cut Peyton off.
"Peyton, if you don't want to change anything, then don't. Show them your art, the art that has a meaning to you, that says who you're and done. And if they still don't like, screw them." Peyton knew her sister was right.
Peyton proceed telling her sister how the River Court was trashed, and the possibility that Nathan was the one behind. Emma started thinking about Ethan, wanting to know how he is and say she is sorry, even if it's not her fault. Emma didn't have Ethan's phone number, but she knew the place where he sometimes goes.
"Hey, can I use the car for a bit?" Emma asked Peyton, the girl just nodded, already having the feeling that Emma is going after Ethan.
Emma didn't find Ethan in the bridge, but she found him in the River Court. Emma had parked the car, and silently sit down in Ethan side in the bench.
"I'm sorry, Ethan." Ethan was finishing his cig, when he dropped in the floor and step on. He looked at Emma, the blonde boy gave a nod and stayed quiet looking around. Ethan and Lucas had already cleaned up a bit.
"I know you didn't do anything, Emma." Ethan had sat down in the girl side. "I know it was Nathan and part of the team to mess with Luke. It's just..." Ethan had stopped talking, Emma put her hand in his shoulder and gave a light squeeze, Ethan put his hands over the blonde girl.
"I don't know if Nathan is dumb or if he just an asshole. But when he messes with Luke like this, he is messing with me." Ethan had stand up. "I don't even know why he is putting me in the middle of his little war with Luke. We're fine coexisting."
Ethan didn't need advice, or someone analyzing the situation. Emma didn't have words to comfort the boy, so she hugged the blonde boy.
"I'm sorry that you ended up in the middle of their shit show, Ethan." Emma went to separate from the boy, but he just hugged her a little stronger.
"Not yet." Ethan mumbled with his head on top of Emma's head.
"Ok."
[....]
After Coach Whitey speech, Emma and Peyton were together when Ethan and Lucas had shown up. They stopped in front of Nathan throwing him a spray can. Lucas had giving one more thing to Nathan, when Luke left, Ethan and Nathan were looking at each other. Ethan shakes his head and goes to Emma's side.
"Thank you, for the other day." He whispered in her ear. "See ya."