ᵖᵃᵖᵉʳ ʳⁱⁿᵍˢ, ᵒⁿᵉ ᵗʳᵉᵉ ʰⁱˡˡ

episode 2.

IT WAS the first game of the season for the Tree Hill Ravens, of course Charlie was going, her best friend beat his brother for a spot on the team, she was going. And then, her parents were making her go to this game to support her brother.

"Keith! Hey, you finally came to see your nephew play, huh, big brother?" Dan, Lucas's absent father came over to where her, Haley, and Keith were seated at a perfect view to watch Lucas play. "Yeah.. I guess you could say that." Keith said.

"Doucheeeebagggg..." Charlotte blew a raspberry as Haley did a slow whistle.

The game had finally started, Lucas was not doing his best. He was letting the opposing team score, a lot. And he was missing his shots, he was making Nathan look better than him.

Whitey finally took Lucas out the game and put him on the bench, it was definitely not his night.

It was the day after the game, Charlotte woke up to go to the River Front with Lucas so he could practice and have company, so she was a bit tired when she got into school. But she did end up shaking it off and still paid attention.

"You know, early in his career, Hemingway was.. he was frustrated. He was a good writer who wanted to be great. And eventually he discovered that less was more. Charlotte. Describe Nathan using just one word."

Everyone including Nathans head turned to look at her waiting for what she would say.

"Um, Arrogant."

Everyone responded in 'oohs'

"Nathan, care to respond and describe Charlotte?" Mr. Kelly asked the blue eyed boy.

"Geek."

And everyone this time laughed at his response.

"Okay, quiet, please." Mr Kelly pleaded to the class. "Peyton, describe Lucas using one word."

"Choke." She responded to the prompt as she tapped her pen against her desk.

"Lucas, care to respond to Peyton using one word?"

"Lonely."

Everyone murmured stuff under their breath until Nathan raised his hand, which didn't go unnoticed for Mr Kelly, "Yes, Nathan?"

"I can describe Lucas using one word."

"Bastard."

Charlotte pinched the bridge of her nose, she knew this was not going to end well. "Here we go again." She said in her head.

Lucas hopped out of his seat and pounced on top of Nathan dragging him onto the ground, several punches being thrown.

"Lucas, my gosh!" Charlotte yelled out to him.

*

Charlotte was walking beside Colin, he wasn't being bitchy, yet,  for once. "You done acting like you're a woman and on your period?" Causing him to flick her forehead. "Hey!" She pushed him back.

"Okay! I get Hannah broke up with you but that is no excuse to be a total dick to me, okay? Even though you're a total ass, you're still my brother! So treat me like your sister and not a piece of trash you picked off the street!" She fixed her hair that got flicked to the side of her face and rubbed her forehead gently.

"I broke up with her. She didn't dump me. I dumped her. You wanna know why? Because she cheated on me, yeah. I have feelings too, Charlotte. I'm not gonna be your tough big brother and act like he doesn't have an emotional side, because trust me.. I do. She cheated on me with Hayden Wingard, the geek with glasses. Apparently he's hot stuff without them." Charlotte laughed at the last part but still felt some sort of remorse for Colin.

"And when are you finally gonna get over Erik and get a new boyfriend, I mean literally, there's other fish in the sea. Literally." Colin stated as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they continued to walk down the streets of Tree Hill.

"Who would you want me to date then? There's nobody."

"Maybe Dim, oops did I say that out loud? I mean Tim."

"Ew, gross!"

The two laughed like they used to when Colin was actually happy, they were actual normal siblings for now.

*
The Murray siblings arrived back at their home, by the time they got back it was time for dinner which tonight was spaghetti night. And their mom made the best spaghetti ever, everyone knew that.

"Mom, dad! We're home!" Colin shouted out, and their parents were working on setting the table.

"What? Our kids? Home at the same time? Am I dreaming?" Dalton peaked around the corner to see both of his kids at the front door. "My babies!"

"Colin, no practice today?" Yasmine questioned his son, "No, no practice. Enough about me, how about we ask how Charlie's day was?" He looked over at his blonde sister and gave her a smile followed by a flick on her forehead.

Yasmine and Dalton looked at each other then back at Colin proudly, "Charlie, Honey, how was your day?" Yasmine asked her daughter.

The family walked to their dinner table, Dalton pulled the chairs out for the girls of his family and placed a kiss on Charlie's cheek and a kiss on Yasmine's lip causing both of the teens the cringe.

"Oh hush it and eat your food." Dalton said ruffling the hair of his son.

"So, Charlotte, what'd you do today?" Yasmine asked her.

"Oh nothing, just Mr. Kelly rambling about Hemingway. And.. Lucas got in a fight during class." Charlotte let out a sigh after finishing her sentence.

"A fight?" The older Murray man questioned.

"During class!" Yasmine exclaimed.

"With who?" They both asked at the same time.

"Nathan." Both Charlotte said at the same time.

"Oh dear." Both parents pinched the bridge of their nose like they were synchronized robots.

*

It was the next day, once again, Charlotte was tired as she got up early to help Lucas practice so he wouldn't be alone incase Tim and Nathan came to pick with him again.

She was seated in Mr. Kelly's class once again this time Lucas and Nathan were on different sides of the room.

"Okay, we're gonna try our little Hemingway project again. But in order to avoid a bar fight, we're gonna do it on paper. Now, you don't have to put your names on these, simply write one word, one single word to describe what you want most in your life right now.

Charlotte picked up her pencil and put some thought into it,

"CHANGE"

Was the word she wrote on her index card, she was proud of it and thought it suited her well. When she looked up, she thought she would be caught at her zoned out window, but instead caught eyes with Nathan. She gave him a forced smile then looked back down at her card to hand it to Mr. Kelly.

Was everything going to change for better or for worse?