𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭

...🏀...

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓, 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟓

"Aren't you supposed to be talking to Lucas?" I asked into the phone, glancing at the clock on my wall. An hour had passed since Nathan said he would call me back.

"I'm checking in," Nathan explained, his voice steady.

"It's been an hour," I said, my tone softening as I heard a familiar squeal. I turned toward the crib and saw Leila reaching up, her tiny hands grasping at the air.

"I know," Nathan said. "A lot can happen in an hour."

I walked over to my daughter, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear as I lifted her into my arms. "Haley isn't here yet, and Brooke's somewhere in the house," I explained, adjusting Leila on my hip.

"Peyton?" Nathan asked, concern lacing his words.

"Finishing up at TRIC," I replied, holding the phone with one hand while steadying Leila with the other. "She should be here soon. Brooke thought a slumber party would be fun."

Leila grabbed the phone from my hand, squealing into it.

I laughed and placed the phone on speaker. "Someone misses you," I said.

"I can tell," Nathan chuckled.

The doorbell rang, echoing through the house. "I think that's Peyton," I said, going downstairs. "I'll call you before I put Leila down."

"Okay," Nathan promised, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

I tucked the phone into my back pocket as I approached the door, opening it to find Peyton standing there.

"Hi, Mylah," Peyton said, holding an ouija board.

"Haley's not here yet. Brooke's somewhere, though." I said.

A loud crash echoed through the house, and I whipped my head around.

"What the hell was that?" Peyton asked, setting her things down.

"I have no idea," I admitted, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my chest.

"Let's check it out," Peyton suggested.

Reluctantly, I followed Peyton upstairs. Horror movies flashed through my mind. The curious ones always ended up dead. I hesitated but continued after them. I ducked into my room, placing Leila back in her crib before backing out and closing the door behind me.

"Okay, on the count of three," Peyton whispered, holding a bat she must have grabbed from somewhere.

"Where the hell did you get a bat?" I asked, incredulous.

"Shh," Peyton hushed me. "From your dad's room."

I shook my head, listening as Peyton counted down.

"One...two...three," Peyton whispered.

Peyton pushed the door open and charged in, bat raised, screaming like a banshee.

A chorus of screams followed.

My eyes widened in horror as I saw Brooke, stark naked, in my brother's room.

With my brother.

"Brooke!" Peyton yelled, her voice filled with shock.

"Peyton!" Brooke screeched, fumbling to cover herself with the pale blue bed sheets.

"I did not need to see that," I muttered, placing a hand over my eyes.

"Mylah!" Alex shouted, just as mortified.

I lowered my hand to see Peyton turning away, heading downstairs. I grabbed the scattered clothes on the floor and threw them at Brooke and Alex.

"Hey!" Brooke complained as her shirt hit her in the face.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" I asked, feigning innocence. "Get dressed."

"Mylah," Brooke called out as I headed for the door.

"Don't want to hear it until you're dressed," I snapped, raising a hand to stop her from saying anything else.

The room was tense, filled with unspoken words and shared glances.

My brother, really, Brooke?

...🏀...

I sat at the kitchen counter, Leila finally asleep against my chest. Nathan's voice on the phone had been the magic touch. Leila couldn't get enough of him since he started staying with us. She'd refuse to sleep if he weren't holding her or she wasn't listening to his voice.

"You're sleeping with Alex? What about Felix?" she asked, rummaging through the cupboard for marshmallows.

Brooke sighed, shrugging as she used a blowtorch to roast a marshmallow on a metal rod. "It just kinda happened."

I arched an eyebrow. "So, you just happened to fall on my brother's dick."

Brooke gaped at me, her expression a mix of shock and embarrassment.

I pointed a finger at her, my voice hardening. "You slept with my brother. I have a right to be defensive."

"Yes, you do. But...he's hot," Brooke admitted with a smirk.

I cringed. "Gross."

The kitchen door opened again, and Haley walked in, shrugging off her jacket and draping it over the chair beside me. "Hey, you guys," she greeted.

I clenched my jaw, feeling the irritation bubbling up again. "Guess what I found in my brother's room."

Haley's eyes widened with concern. "Not another condom."

"Nope," I replied, turning to Brooke with a glare. "I found Brooke having sex with Alex."

Haley's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Brooke!"

Leila snapped her eyes open and started crying. I threw my head back in frustration. "Great."

"My bad," Haley mumbled, looking apologetic.

I sighed, glancing at my watch. "Nathan's probably at the game right now."

"Maybe this is a good thing," Brooke suggested weakly.

I shot her a death glare as I stood up, bouncing Leila against my chest to soothe her.

"Or maybe not," Brooke muttered, shrinking under my stare.

Haley looked between us, disbelief etched on her face. "I can't believe you slept with Alex. Didn't you say you wouldn't go near him with a ten-foot pole?"

"Things changed," Brooke said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

I rolled my eyes.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Alex sauntered into the kitchen, wearing only basketball shorts and drying his hair with a towel. Rage surged through me, and I started for him, but Brooke grabbed my arms, stopping me.

"Think about Leila," Brooke reminded me, her grip firm. "She's in your arms, literally."

I gritted my teeth. "I am."

Alex looked sheepish. "I know I should apologize."

"That would be the right thing to do," Haley agreed, crossing her arms.

Alex glanced at Brooke before turning to me. "At least we used a condom."

Brooke dropped her head into her hands. I felt the last shred of my patience snap. "Alex...run."

He took off, but I was faster. I jumped onto his back, hitting him in the side of his neck and taking him to the ground. He let out a yelp as we tumbled to the floor.

"You little—" I started, landing a few solid hits as Brooke and Haley tried to pull me off him.

Alex squirmed under my grip, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Mylah, get off me!"

"Nope," I shot back, feeling the adrenaline course through me. "You deserve this."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" he yelled, trying to wiggle free.

I loosened my hold just enough to let him breathe as Brooke and Haley finally pulled me off of him. "Don't ever pull this crap again, Alex. Seriously."

Brooke and Haley held me, watching with amusement and concern.

Brooke sighed. "Feel better?"

I shoved off Brooke and Haley, still glaring at my brother. "No." I pointed a finger at him. "You're not off the hook. This isn't over."

He nodded, rubbing his neck. "Got it."

I turned back to Haley and Brooke, exhaling heavily, trying to rein in my emotions.

This was going to be a long night.

...🏀...

I sat at the piano, fingers drifting over the keys, lost in the melody. The studio was quiet, save for the soft notes that filled the room. My thoughts were scattered, thinking about Nathan and Leila.

"Mylah," a familiar voice called out.

I looked up to see River standing in the doorway.

"Hey," I greeted, a smile tugging at my lips.

"Have you sent in your application for Julliard yet?" River asked, stepping into the room.

My fingers stilled on the keys. "I'm not applying. I'm not a dancer anymore."

River raised an eyebrow, pulling out an application and handing it to me. "I never said anything about dancing."

I took the application and flipped through it. "I don't sing..."

River cut me off. "I heard you sing last week at TRIC."

Surprised, I looked at her as she sat beside me on the piano bench.

"You have a gift, Mylah. Why are you so hesitant to share it?"

I bit my lip, the old fears surfacing. "My parents, well, more like my dad..."

"Forget about your dad," River interrupted. "If there was one thing you wanted to do more than anything in this world, what would it be?"

A small smile crept onto my face. "Sing."

"Then sing, Mylah. Don't live life with regrets." She placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Also, I got an interesting call."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

River nodded a twinkle in her eye. "Beyoncé's agent called me."

My mouth dropped open. "Beyoncé?"

"Yep. She wants to know if you'd be interested in opening for her on tour this summer for her US dates."

I blinked, stunned. "You're serious?"

River pulled a small white business card from her pocket, handing it to me. "I told her agent that you'd think about it. Here's her number."

She stood up and headed for the door but paused, turning back to me with a smile. "One more thing. You have a visitor waiting for you on the stage."

Before I could ask anything, River slipped out of the room. I furrowed my brows, got to my feet, and left the studio, heading for the stage. My mind raced as I walked down the hallway, taking a couple of lefts and rights.

What was going on?

When I stepped into the auditorium, my eyes widened at the sight of emerald green and gold balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling. I walked down the aisle, smiling at every row lined with pictures of me and Nathan and those of Nathan, me, and Leila.

My gaze narrowed on Nathan, standing on the stage with one hand shoved in his pocket and blue hydrangea in his other hand. I walked up the stage toward him, taking the flower from his hand.

"Hey," Nathan said, a nervous smile on his lips.

"What's going on, Nathan?" I asked, my eyes widening as he dropped to one knee. "Oh my god."

"I'm not proposing," Nathan clarified quickly. My heart pounded in my ears as I waited for him to continue. "I'm asking you, Mylah Evans, will you be my date to the formal?"

I blinked, momentarily stunned. "I thought you didn't want to go because your parents are chaperoning."

"Yeah, but I'll have you there," Nathan explained. "Are you going to leave me down here?"

A smile broke across my face. "Yes, I'll go to the formal with you."

Nathan swept me up in his arms and twirled me around, my laughter filling the air.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Nathan set me down and pulled a small black ring box out of his pocket. "It's a promise ring."

I gasped as he opened the box to reveal a gold band with an emerald and three small white diamonds on each side. "It's beautiful."

Nathan took my left hand and slipped the ring onto my finger.

"You know my dad might kill you for real now, right?"

"I think I'll live," Nathan replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss, letting everything else fade away until it was just the two of us, lost in our own world.

...🏀...

I took a deep breath as Nathan and I entered the formal; the gym transformed into a twinkling wonderland. My long-sleeved emerald green dress shimmered under the lights, the open back and slit down the side adding a daring edge to my nerves.

"Phoenix and Psycho on your twenty," Tim whispered to Nathan, nodding towards his parents.

"Tim...just say my parents are here," Nathan sighed.

I squeezed Nathan's hand as Dan and Deb approached. I smiled at Deb, who returned it warmly but avoided looking at Dan.

"Nathan." Deb began, "Hi, Tim. You two look very handsome." She turned her gaze to me. "You look stunning, Mylah."

"Thank you," I replied.

"Thanks, mom." Nathan acknowledged before glancing at Dan, who stared at him with an unimpressed look. "Dad."

I brushed a curl out of my face, feeling Dan's eyes zero in on my hand.

"What the hell is on your finger?" Dan demanded.

"Dan," Deb warned.

"Please don't tell me you got engaged to the teen mother," Dan pleaded to his son.

A slow song began to play, and Nathan glared at his dad. "Sorry, I don't have time to answer dumb questions." He turned to me, his expression softening. "Want to dance?"

"Yes," I nodded, letting him lead me to the dance floor.

Nathan twirled me before pulling me close, my chest flush against his. I placed a hand on his shoulder and entwined my other hand with his as we swayed to the music.

I glanced into his eyes, feeling the weight of Dan's gaze on my back. "I don't think your parents will stop staring at us until you talk to them."

"The only person I plan to be with tonight is you," Nathan said firmly.

I smiled, though the weight of the stares didn't lessen. "How long do you think it will take before rumors of us getting engaged spread around the school?"

"Less than a week," Nathan joked.

I rested my head on his shoulder, letting my hand slide down his back. "Do you regret it?"

"Not for a second," he said, his voice a comforting rumble. "Do you?"

I pulled back to meet his eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity. "No."

"Hey, sis." Alex's voice cut in. "Sorry, Nathan, I need to borrow her."

Reluctantly, I let Alex pull me away from Nathan. As Alex took Nathan's place, we began to sway to the music.

"I'm sorry about Brooke," Alex said.

"I know." I sighed. "I guess I was shocked to see you guys sleeping together when you told me you didn't see Brooke like that."

"I don't," Alex insisted. "But she came over early, and we got into dad's liquor cabinet and..."

"One thing led to another," I finished for him.

"Yeah." Alex nodded. "It was a one-time thing. Plus, I still think she's in love with Lucas."

I stared at him. "You pay attention?"

Alex chuckled. "Like how I know how much Nathan makes you happy."

A smile tugged at my lips. "All I want is for you to be happy."

"I am happy, Alex."

He looked at me seriously. "I know, especially after everything."

My smile dimmed slightly.

"I wish you would tell me what happened," Alex said softly.

I blinked, not wanting to think about my monster of an ex-boyfriend. "One day...when I'm ready."

Alex pulled me into a hug. "I love you, Mya."

"I love you too, Alex," I murmured against his chest.

"Everybody, if you could gather around," Karen's voice boomed over the microphone as the music died down. "The votes are in for Tree Hill High's king and queen."

I pulled away from Alex, feeling a hand slip into mine. Nathan smiled down at me.

"As you know, over the last week, the student body was asked to vote for one king and one queen," Karen continued.

"This year, Tree Hill High's king and queen are... " Karen opened the envelope in her hand, silence filling the gym. "Nathan Scott and Mylah Evans."

Applause erupted as Nathan led me towards the stage.

I was dumbfounded. I hadn't expected this, especially after hearing everyone voted for Brooke.

"How?" I asked, shaking my head as we ascended the stage steps.

"It was all Brooke," Nathan whispered in my ear. "She felt bad for sleeping with Alex."

I glanced at Brooke in the crowd, who was cheering the loudest. "You know this is a stupid popularity contest, right?"

"Yeah, but now you are part of that stupid popularity contest," Nathan teased.

Karen placed the plastic tiara on my head and the crown on Nathan's.

"You're king and queen of Tree Hill High, everyone," Karen announced.

Nathan kissed my cheek as we descended the stage. We took our place in the center of the dance floor, wrapped in each other's arms for our solo dance as king and queen. I gazed into his eyes, a thought forming as I lost myself in his embrace.

I got a good one.

...🏀...

𝐀/𝐍: ANOTHER UPDATE!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 124K READS.

I have so much fun writing about Mylah and Alex's fight. If anyone has a sibling I think you would relate to that when you get into a fight with them. Also, I will keep the cute moments from the previous draft of Nathan and Mylah the same because I didn't feel like changing it.

THANK YOU TO 970 FOLLOWERS.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter.

𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒: What did you like about this chapter? How do you feel about Mylah's fight with her brother? What season of OTH is your favorite?

-𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑎𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘