Alright, some of you may have read this fanfic over at the WB fanfiction boards. I decided to move it over here since I'm rarely on the boards anymore, and I'm thinking of starting it up again. The couples are going to be mixed between Peyton and Nathan, Peyton and Lucas, and possibly Nathan and Haley or Nathan and Brooke. Mainly though, it'll be between Peyton, Nathan, and Lucas because I would love to see that triangle on the show to have BOTH Scott men pining for Peyt. So, once again, I wrote this a while ago, and I hope you enjoy.

Love, Emily

Coming home from the Rivercourt, his basketball bounced against the wet pavement. For the first time in a while, he actually could consider where he was going, "home." Home was no longer Dan Scott's hellhole, it was where he should've never doubted going in the first place. It was where he grew up, where his mom, the one person he could truly always count on, always was, and where he should've always been as well. Losing his place was now what Lucas related to over the past few months. He had screwed up with his mom, his half-brother, and had lost contact with friends who used to be inseparable to him. But, this summer was different. He was alone, with his mother in New Zealand. Now, whatever he wanted to do was what he did, whatever he wanted to say was what he said. The only part that hadn't changed is whatever he said, always came out wrong or without thorough thought.

"Peyton what are you doi-," he stopped in mid-sentence, glancing toward the box sitting at the edge of his bed as he walked in. "Where'd you get that?" he changed his subject, moving his attention from her being there to the box she was now rummaging through. His welcoming voice as he walked in was now tightened in anger, but mostly fear.

"With all the other shit you think of as mistakes," she snapped, continuing to tear through the box with her hands, ripping its contents when she had chance to. She could hear his footsteps walking toward her against the floor but still continued her work even as she saw his arm reach to stop her. With one slight extension, he clenched one of her wrists, desperate to have her look up at him.

"Peyt, stop…" his voice was soft, soothing as he reached for her other wrist.

"Let the fuck go of me, Lucas!" she screamed at him, trying to avoid eye contact. The moment her eyes gazed at his was the moment her tears would begin to fall. She wasn't going to cry in front of him. Her dignity was one thing he'd never have, something he would never have power over no matter how much he ripped away at her heart. Surprisingly, he loosened his grip, as if he was wanting her to see what was left in there. "Huh, stealing my art now?" she hissed, her hands capturing what she had drawn of the two at the night of Dan Scott's "money burn," as she called it. "And now we can have it…" she read aloud with sarcasm in her voice, "right…"

All he could do was watch in amazement as she tore the drawing in two, almost perfectly dividing the two of them as if she planned it that way. No words could explain what he was thinking, what was going through his mind. He just watched her demolish the only memories he had left of her. The only detail to snap him out of his thoughts was the sound of her now bitter, cold, harsh voice. "Here, I'll take my half, and you take yours…that way I can get rid of the mistake," handing him the half with himself drawn on it.

"Peyton! Come on! You weren't a mistake!" he had finally had enough. Her games were well past overdue for him, and he couldn't just let her leave thinking what she was thinking. Then again, he didn't know what he was thinking either.

"Then what Lucas?" she asked, throwing her hands up in confusion, "you lied to Brooke!"

"No…"

"Then you lied to me!" she screamed, not even caring anymore as tears poured down her cheeks. Never once in her life had she been so disappointed, mad, and upset at one person all at the same time. But then again, Lucas was always the one who pushed her to new limits, in good ways and bad.

"No…Peyton, I didn't," his voice still remained calm, trying to remain logical since him fighting with her wouldn't get anywhere.

"Then which is it Lucas! God! You lied to someone, and according to what you told Brooke, that someone was me!" she cried out, watching as he pulled his famous "I care about you" grin, trying to pull her into a hug. "No, no! Don't touch me Lucas! After all that crap we went through, after almost losing my best friend, and it was all a mistake! That's fuckking low Lucas, even for you!" her words stung harshly into him, going straight to his heart. "And to think that I actually thought rock bottom for you was sleeping with Nikki!" her tears poured down her cheeks at no sign of stopping. He hurt her, just the thought of him saying those words to Brooke stung more than she ever could've imagined. She was supposed to be stronger than this. "I guess the game's on me…"

"What was I supposed to say to Brooke, huh! She was LEAVING! You had Jake, and I had no one!" he finally raised his voice, getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

"And whose fault was it that you were alone, huh!" she snapped, "maybe if you'd just tell people the fuckking truth for once instead of trying to spare their heartbreak!" She had finally stood up, walking toward him as she pushed him back roughly.

"For once?" Lucas chuckled sarcastically, regaining his balance and composure, "you're kidding me right? Me? Not telling how I feel? Right…because if it's something you don't do, you'll never admit to it will yo-," he was cut off abruptly as her hand stung his cheek quickly, leaving a red imprint on impact.

"Don't even pretend that you know me, Lucas!" she screamed, wiping her tears away from her vision. "I gave up everything I had to be with you, you knew how I felt, that I loved you, and you have the nerve to turn this all on me! To tell MY insecurities, to point out each and every detail that doesn't go as easily as you want!" she was sobbing even more as she pounded her fists against his chest.

"Peyt…"

"No! No!" she screamed, flailing her arms away as he pulled her tightly to him. "Screw you Lucas, it's not always about ME and the person I am. It's about who you WANT to be, and if this is the kind of person you want to be, then I don't want to know you!"

"Peyton…plea-"

"Don't…say my name," her voice calm as she was now whispering, "just forget about me. Put your mistakes where they belong, in the trash, and good luck with Brooke," she whispered, avoiding eye contact as her final tear rolled down her cheek. He saw the hurt in her eyes, stinging his own as he formed his own tears.

"Pey-," he tried desperately, just to have her shake her head as she made her way toward his door, slamming it shut as she headed off into the pouring rain. He stood there, watching, dumbfounded, as he glanced over to his bed, noticing that she had left her half of the drawing sitting there. He gently picked it up, for the first time, noticing that she was smiling in the drawing. Setting it down, he picked up his half, seeing the same love-struck look on his face. Making his way toward his mirror, he ripped his half into pieces, glancing into his mirror once he got there. He was lost, inside himself, and he didn't know how to pull himself back to how things used to be. He had promised her change before he had left, but it ended up being for the worst. Her words circled through his head as he continued glancing in the mirror.

"Just forget about me."

With one last look in his mirror, he gently picked up Peyton's half of the drawing again. After carefully placing it on his dresser, he threw away the remains of himself. Peyton was right…he wasn't the same person, and it wasn't anyone's fault but his own.