One Tree Hill- Taylor Scott

Chapter 18

*Two Months Later*

"I think that's the last of it." I fixed my ponytail and wiped some sweat off of my forehead. My emancipation had just recently been finalized and I was now moved into my very own apartment. I got a job that I'm actually happy with. After applying to what seemed like dozens of places, I got hired at a bar/restaurant. Obviously I'm not old enough to serve drinks, but I got hired to perform. It's also better money than I'd make anywhere else, and I get tips. Over the last two months Haley and I have become really good friends and I've also been getting to know Lucas more.

Nathan also decided he'd had enough of our family. His emancipation should be finalized at some point within the next week. And let me tell you, our parents were not happy. Nate was here earlier but he had to leave to take care of some paperwork for his emancipation.

Haley, Lucas, and I stood in my new living room of my new one bedroom apartment in a crappy building on the edge of town. Not that I was complaining. This was still a step up form the mansion of hell that I grew up in. 

Jake was also with us, but he was on his way up from the car, grabbing the last of my stuff. 

"No, this is the last of it," Jake groaned as he entered through the open door. "Jesus Taylor, can you even fit all of this stuff in here?" 

Jake set a gigantic box on the ground as carefully as he could. Him and Lucas had been doing all of the heavy lifting, so their shirts showed some marks of sweat. 

"I'll make it work," I quipped happily. Again, this place may not be much, but it was my new home. This was something that I made happen all on my own. 

Of course, I wouldn't have made it through these last couple of stressful months without my friends, brothers, and boyfriend. They all supported me completely and encouraged me when I wanted to just give up. Because there were times when I thought this would never work and couldn't see any point in trying. Dan and Deb fought against me the whole time. Before this, I had a good enough relationship with my mom. But she ruined that with all the awful things she said to me after finding out what I was planning on doing. What I have now actually done. 

"I can't believe this place is actually yours," Haley marveled. I knew how she felt. This all still didn't seem real to me. 

The entrance to the apartment led into the kitchen that was relatively good sized. For an apartment with just a couple of rooms, the rooms were surprisingly large. An empty doorway connected into the living room. So far all I had in there was a tv and a couch. I hadn't exactly gotten around to decorating yet. The living room had a small hallway connected to it. The hallway held the bathroom and a closet on one wall. I planned to use that closet for stuff like the vacuum, coats, etc. On the other side of the hallway was the bedroom which had a small walk-in closet. It wasn't much, but it was enough. 

"Thanks for all the help." I leaned into Jake and he wrapped an arm around me. "It really means a lot."

"Of course," Haley smiled at me. "We should probably get going soon though."

Lucas picked his keys up off my counter. I liked the sound pf that- 'my' counter. "Good luck unpacking all of this," he eyed my mounds of boxes. Even the dreadful task of unpacking all of it couldn't ruin my good mood. 

Lucas and Haley closed the door behind them and I was left with Jake. 

"I'm proud of you, you know," he spun me around to face him and I wrapped my arms around his neck. 

"Yeah? Why's that?" 

"You did this all on your own," Jake kissed my forehead. "You're finally standing up for yourself. Confidence is sexy on you."

He kissed my cheek, and then my neck. I chuckled and look up at him. "Let me guess, you're also grateful that we now have a place all to ourselves with no worry of interruption."

"That's certainly a perk." 

Everything seemed perfect. I was no longer forced to live with Dan, I had a job doing what I love. It seemed as though nothing could go wrong. And for a while everything was good. But I guess that's how it goes. Everything is good, until the day that it isn't. I got caught up in the moment. I wasn't worrying about the future.

************

The blaring alarm shocked me back to reality the next morning. Jake and I were up extremely late that night unpacking all of my belongings. I wanted to get it all done so he stayed to help. Now that I didn't have parents telling me what to do I had wanted him to stay the night, but his parents wanted him home. 

Due to the late night I did not want to get up for school. Nevertheless, I was still filled with joy over my newfound freedom. 

But there were already some downsides. Getting ready that first morning on my own felt so lonely, the apartment felt so empty. Up until now I had always had Nathan living just one room over from me. I found comfort in knowing that my brother was right there if I needed him. 

Aside from the lack of familiarity, there was something else the apartment was lacking. Of course I brought my guitars with me, because they are mine, but I wasn't able to bring my piano. When I tried, my mother forbid me from doing so, stating that it was a family instrument and I was not allowed to take it. If I wasn't going to be a part of the family then I wasn't going to be allowed to use 'family items'. That wasn't going to stop me though. It didn't stop me. 

It took me until I got to school and found Brooke hanging up posters that I remembered what tonight was. 

"Annual Boy Toy Auction," I read aloud over Brooke's shoulder. She smiled at me before returning to her task. 

"You didn't actually forget did you?" Brooke gasped. She looks forward to this event every year. It's her tradition to 'buy' a cute boy for the night and hook up with him. The auction is an annual event in which people literally bid money on the basketball players. Whoever bids the highest amount gets the player for the night. 

"Of course not," I lied. But I did forget. Now, however, I was thinking about how much money I was going to have to spend on Jake. I've only just started working so I haven't earned any money yet. I had a ton saved up but I spent most of it on the first and last for the apartment. All the rest of what I had, I knew that I needed to save for all of my new responsibilities. But surely I could scrounge up some money for this event. 

"Who are you going to bid on?" I asked Brooke as she finished with the last of the flyers. After admiring her work she picked up her bag and followed me into the school. 

"Whoever looks cute," she groaned. Her and Lucas were officially over, so now she was searching for a rebound. Personally, I disapproved of Brooke's healing methods. But if this was how she wanted to get over Lucas, so be it. "Enough about me, what are you going to do if someone else gets Jake?" 

"I trust him."

Brooke scoffed. "Well sure, Jake's a great guy and he loves you, but do you really trust all the girls in this school? In the end, Jake is a guy. But what if some girl tries to make a move on him?"

"That won't happen," I insist. Jake is my boyfriend. He loves me. He would never cheat on me, even if a girl makes a move. I trust him. 

But now Brooke had put the idea into my mind, the 'what if' scenario. She also made me sure that I absolutely had to bid the most money on Jake tonight at the boy toy auction.