Forever and A Day | one tree hill

six.

It was quiet in Tree Hill, something that Valentina wasn't used to. Especially after all the drama that had unfolded at the party. Nathan and Lucas were still at odds now more so than ever. Nathan had wrecked Peyton's Comet, leading to the end of their relationship. So, the fact that things were quiet in Tree Hill alarmed Valentina a bit.

"Thud Magazine?" her mother asks as she looks at the magazine that sat on the kitchen counter next to Valentina's unfinished homework and forgotten song lyrics.

Valentina looked over the back of the couch and then back at the TV, "Yeah, a friend of mine had their work published in it."

She hears her mom flip through the pages, "People always leave. That's a bit melodramatic, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Valentina mutters, "Then again you don't understand the inner workings of the teenage mind."

"Are you calling me old?"

Valentina turns and looks at her mother. Charlotte Castillo was the mother that many kids wanted. She was very open-minded and trusting, allowing Valentina free reign if she promised to check in from time to time. There was little that could be said or done to upset her.

Calling her old was one of those things.

Something that Valentina hated was when her peers mistook her and her mom as sisters, an occurrence that happened a lot when she was younger.

"No mom," Valentina says, "I'm saying that you're experienced at life. We're still figuring things out."

"Nice save," her mother tells her.

Valentina shakes her head as she continues watching her episode of Dawson's Creek. As a commercial comes on, Valentina stands from the couch and heads over to the counter to continue her homework. As she opens her notebook, she finds the letter that her pen pal wrote her and figures that it's time to respond.

She pulls out a page in her notebook and begins composing.

Tell me you aren't popular without telling me you're not popular.

(Kidding. I'm kidding. That was a joke. You'll come to learn that I'm really funny.)

But I agree. High school does suck, and I do hate the social labels that we place on ourselves. I think most of the problems that we face come from the way we divide ourselves. Maybe if jocks hung out with people that weren't jocks, then they wouldn't be such jerks. You ever met a nice jock? They're rarer than a four-leaf clover.

Valentina folds up the paper before averting her attention back to her actual homework. She can feel her mother's eyes on her, but she ignores them as she does her work.

"There was an article in the paper," her mother says and Valentina sighs as she looks up at her mom, "An article about you, Nathan, and Lucas."

"Dad's not gonna like that," Valentina mutters, "Did it at least mention how awesome I am?"

"In fact it did. Talked about how you were on track for breaking the state record for three-pointers and possibly the national record."

Valentina smiles, "Well as long as I'm awesome. Nathan and Lucas's drama doesn't matter to me."

"And why not?"

"Because Nathan is an asshole and Lucas deserves better," Valentina says, "There was a chance that we could have all gotten along, but Nathan ran over that chance in Peyton's Comet when he had that party at the beach house. So, I'm done playing both sides. From now on, Valentina is the only Scott that matters."