Tree Hill
(based on season 2)
Emma was in the basement playing the drums, the sound of Emma's drums echoing through the house. Peyton was in her room and turned down her own music for a moment, realizing how aggressively Emma was playing. Not that the music itself wasn't already, Emma was playing Limp Bizkit - Eat You Alive. Peyton didn't always get her sister's mood right based on the music she listened to or played, but she did get it right when she paid attention to the intensity Emma put into playing an instrument or singing. Peyton turned off her music.
Peyton went down to the basement and saw her sister stop playing, throwing the drumsticks into a corner almost in her direction.
"Hey, easy. Sister here." Peyton said, trying to joke with her sister.
"Sorry." Emma mumbled.
Emma ran a hand through her hair, pulling out a hair clip to tie it up, feeling hot. Emma stood up and walked over to her sister, who was holding a bottle of water for the girl.
"Is everything okay?" Peyton asked.
Emma nodded as she opened the bottle of water and took a sip, hearing her sister say.
"It's not what it looked like, Emm's."
"I just...." Emma pulled out her notebook where she wrote down her songs, opening to one of the pages.
"Everything I write doesn't seem to be good enough." Emma said, letting Peyton read her latest composition.
"Emm's, you're wonderful. You should believe in yourself a little more." Peyton said.
"I'm just a little frustrated, Peyton. Nothing that won't pass." Emma reassured her sister.
Emma finished her water and looked at her sister.
"By the way, have you talked to Karen about your idea for a night club or whatever for all ages?" Emma asked her sister.
"Not yet. Do you want to go with me?" Peyton asked.
"Will you just let me take a quick shower?" Emma asked back, and Peyton just patted her leg, telling her to hurry up.
Emma actually hurried to go with her sister to Karen's café to talk to her. Well, Peyton was going to talk, Emma was just going to support her sister.
The first thing Peyton said to Karen was that the girls were sorry that Karen and Larry didn't work out. For Emma, there was no problem. From all the stories and the way Ethan talks about the women, Emma hopes that Karen and Keith will get together soon. It's obvious that the girl is rooting for her father's happiness too.
Peyton told Karen her idea, and the woman encouraged Peyton to go for it.
Just as the girls were leaving, Peyton had one arm linked with her sister's and looked at her.
"Emm's, if I can make this crazy dream happen. Would you sing in the club?" Peyton asked.
"It would be my honor to sing at your club, sis." Emma said, looking at her sister with a smile.
[....]
When Emma arrived at school and saw Ethan talking to Nathan, she ran over to the two boys.
"My favorite Scott's boys." Emma said, smiling and linking her hand with Ethan's.
"I should be your only favorite Scott, Pompons." Ethan said, pulling his girlfriend with the hand that held the girl's.
"Get over, Ethan." Nathan said smiling. "You're my favorite Swayer, Emm's." Nathan muttered.
The three teenagers walked towards where Haley was talking to a guy none of them had seen before. The three teenagers greeted the boy. Nathan didn't seem to like the guy very much and left with Haley. Emma looked at her sister uncomprehendingly, while Ethan held the girl's hand.
"She's not pregnant, but they are married." Emma listened to Mouth explain to the new guy.
Felix looked Emma up and down, while Emma didn't seem to be paying attention to Felix, as she was looking at her sister trying to understand what she was trying to say, just moving her lips without a sound coming out, and before anything could come out of Felix's mouth.
"I think you'd better think carefully about what you're going to say if you want to keep having all your teeth in your mouth, new guy." Ethan said.
Ethan took the opportunity to leave with Emma by his side.
"Ethan, what was that?" Emma asked.
"Emma, he looked you up and down as if you were an exposed piece of meat." Ethan explained. "And I bet what was going to come out of his mouth was going to be something even more disrespectful." Ethan said.
"Emm's, I promise I'm not being a possessive freak. I just didn't like the way he looked at you." Ethan explained, stopping in front of the girl and running his hand through his own hair, messing it up.
"It's okay, E." Emma assured the boy. "I believe you."
[....]
Emma, Brooke and Haley were looking at clothes in a store while waiting for Peyton to come out of the fitting room. Emma and Brooke heard Haley say that Nathan had given her a keyboard as a present, but that they were saving the money for a car.
"But did you like the present, Hales?" Emma asked.
"Well, yes, but..." Haley began.
"No buts. He said the car wasn't worth it, believe him, Hales. He's helping you invest in your dream too." Emma patted Haley on the shoulder.
"Don't take his side, Emm's!" Haley complained.
"Impossible, Hales." Brooke said. "And Hales, boys are clueless."
Peyton came out of the fitting room wearing a dark blue blouse with stripes.
"Does this say, 'Let me promote an all-ages club night?'" Peyton questioned.
Emma didn't think the blouse flattered her sister, but before she could find the words to say it kindly, Brooke said.
"No. Not enough skin." Brooke said and then pulled out a blouse and threw it in Peyton's direction. "Try this."
Peyton walked back into the fitting room. Brooke did something unbelievable while they were waiting for Peyton, Brooke complained about the price of something.
Peyton returned from the fitting room, and finally Peyton's outfit was approved with Brooke joking with Peyton. Haley then even brought up the subject of the new guy, Felix.
"Yes, he is hot and totally vibing on you, married girl." Peyton said to Haley. "No wonder Nathan's jealous." Peyton continued.
Haley said that it was something totally new for her, but Brooke said that Felix couldn't make Nathan jealous because Felix was a woman repellent and that the boy had barely arrived in town and was already acting like he owned everything. The girls laughed.
"What?" Brooke asked the girls.
"Earth to Brooke. He's you in pants." Peyton explained.
Brooke denied it, but Haley agreed with Peyton.
"Emm's?" Brooke looked at the girl.
"No one could be as incredible as Brooke Davis."
"Thank you, Emm's. And I hate both of you." Brooke said, pointing in Haley and Peyton's direction.
[....]
Emma was waiting for Peyton to return from her meeting with a producer. As soon as Peyton returned, the two girls decided to go to Brooke's house. The two girls were noticing Brooke a little differently.
Brooke told the girls that her father was going bankrupt and that Brooke's mother might have to sell the house.
Emma moved to sit better next to Brooke on the girl's bed and hugged her, trying to provide some comfort.
Brooke even tried to stop talking about the situation and asked how Peyton's meeting went.
"It didn't work out." Peyton said.
"Sorry."
After spending some time with Brooke, the two girls left.
"Peyton." Emma caught her sister's eye when they arrived inside the house.
"Yeah, Emm's." Peyton looked at her sister.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, I know."
"Did something happen at your meeting?" Emma asked quietly.
Peyton took a deep breath, remembering how the producer had offered her cocaine.
"No, nothing happened, Emm's." Peyton said.
Emma couldn't explain it if she was asked, but Emma felt that Peyton wasn't well, and that something had happened that was upsetting her. For now, Emma would let Peyton know that she loved her and would be there for her, until Peyton felt well enough to talk.
[....]
Ethan was taking coffee to Keith at the car dealership, when Ethan arrived he saw his father teaching Nathan something.
Ethan didn't pay much attention to what his father was saying, but he noticed how happy Nathan was about this moment. Ethan imagined that Nathan didn't have many moments like this with Dan. Ethan had never felt uncomfortable sharing his father's attention with Luke, as Luke had never felt uncomfortable sharing Karen's attention with him.
Nathan noticed Ethan standing still and called out to him.
"For me?" Keith asked, pointing to the coffee in Ethan's hands.
The boy handed it to his father.
"Thanks."
Nathan explained to Keith and Ethan that perhaps he had screwed up his relationship with Haley by buying the keyboard, when Haley actually wanted a car. Keith offered to help, that they could get a car together. The car seemed to be falling apart. Nathan accepted, but then looked at Keith and then at Ethan.
"Do you want to help, Ethan?" Nathan asked.
Keith looked at the two boys and tried to contain his smile.
"Yeah, sure." Ethan agreed.
Nathan would perhaps never admit it out loud, but spending time like this with Keith and Ethan was something he had longed for ever since he had met Ethan when they were just children.