Hard Times

3

"Stacie? Stacie? Can you hear me?" Aubrey asked frantically, trying to get the brunette to answer her.

Stacie could only manage a small groan in response, her eyelids heavy. She couldn't open them.

"Nathan, we need to go. Now!" Aubrey said, looking toward him. "I don't care who comes with us, but Stacie's hurt." She told him, already packing up her things. "We're coming Stacie, we're coming." She said into her phone.

Nathan raced towards his truck, abandoning the basketball game with his half brother.

Aubrey wasn't far behind him already being followed by Haley, Lucas, Brooke, Chloe, and Peyton.

"Quick, get in." Nathan demanded as he started the truck's engine.

Everyone was quick to get in the truck, a few of them having to get in the truck bed.

Nathan began driving, speeding slightly towards Stacie's house.

"Stacie, we're almost there." Aubrey said into the phone.

Stacie was silent on the other end of the line.

Nathan drove quickly up Stacie's street.

"Was that her brother on the sidewalk, walking towards her house?" Haley asked, pressing her face to the side window to get a better look.

"I think so." Aubrey said, having seen him as well.

"No." Stacie weakly said, she was starting to lose consciousness. "D-don't let him."

"Stacie, he's your brother, he should know." Aubrey said softly into the phone. "Just stay awake, please."

Nathan slammed on his breaks and parked the truck, throwing his door open, he ran toward the house.

"We're here Stace, we're here." Aubrey said softly, already right behind Nathan.

Everyone else ran up behind them.

"Shit, the door is locked." Nathan yelled, looking back toward Aubrey.

"I'll go get Taylor, he'll have the key." Lucas said, racing off in the direction they had just driven but on the sidewalk.

Taylor had his head down as he walked, nodding his head to the music playing through his walkmen. His mind was on his sister and Hayley and Benji, three of his friends suffering in ways he couldn't describe and he didn't know how to help them. He nearly fell when someone grabbed his arm. Pulling off his headset, he looked up to find Lucas Scott. "What the hell do you want?" He muttered.

"It's Stacie, she's hurt. But the door to your house is locked." Lucas said quickly, already turning to run back toward the house.

"Hurt? What the hell are you talking about?" Taylor asked, frowning at the blonde haired football and basketball player.

"Stacie is hurt!" Lucas yelled over his shoulder.

"And how the hell would you know? She's never spoken to you in her life!" Taylor asked. He hadn't moved, not believing this popular boy. It was a trick, it had to be.

Lucas stopped and turned to face him. "She called Bree, come on, we need your key!"

"The blonde head cheerleader? Why would she call her and not her friends?" Taylor asked, a guilt filled him and he looked down. She hadn't called them after what he and Beca had said and she wouldn't have wanted to bother Hayley and Benji.

"Look, we don't have time for this. Let's go!" Lucas said, going back to running toward the house where Nathan was trying to force the door open.

Taylor lifted his head and began to follow Lucas, running as fast as he could. He was a few minutes behind Lucas, red faced and puffing and panting. He definitely wasn't a runner and didn't feel fit, maybe it was because of the weed. He had his keys in his hand, he held them out to Nathan as he bent over, hands resting on his knees to catch his breath.