She Wants to Play Hearts

Peyton stands outside of the strip of stores that line the busy street in downtown Tree Hill. She looks at the people who are carelessly walking around, shopping bags in tow, and feels a pang in her chest. She wishes that she could be like them; easygoing, relaxed. These people aren't thinking about the burdens of life. No, today, these people are enjoying the moment; something Peyton hasn't been able to do in a long time.

Today is the first day of her new job. Peyton just finished college at UNC and she wasn't expecting to land her dream job the day she graduated. No, she had realistic expectations. She was going to snag one of the hundred of internships she had applied for, therefore, putting her feet in the water of the music industry. Peyton had plans to work for a record label and do all of the grunt work until finally she would catch a break, and get a more permanent position. She didn't dream too big but she had planned ahead. She ponders that maybe this is exactly what she deserves for planning, they say that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. And she was sure that God was indeed laughing.

So now, two months after graduation, with two degrees under her belt, she is beginning her job at a clothing store on the strip. Not even a clothing store that sells things she likes; a clothing store that sells prissy dresses and shoes so expensive that Peyton wouldn't even wear them to walk on the ground. She knows it's a recipe for disaster, to walk into a job that she already hates, on the first day. She just can't help it. This is not where she wants to be and nothing could change her mind.

Peyton looks down at her watch and notices that she has two minutes to make it inside the building and find her manager before she's late. That wouldn't make such a good first impression, she thinks, because even though she doesn't want this job she needs it to pay the bills. Four years of college can rack up quite the debt and not having a job just wasn't an option anymore, despite how hard she tried to believe it was. So she puts one combat boot clad foot in front of the other and walks into the store.

She's hit with the smell first, which seems to be a concoction of every single perfume the store sells, then the sound comes, with the lighting following. The music they have blaring is the worst pop music she has ever heard and that isn't even because she can be somewhat of a music snob, it's just honestly that terrible. The lights, or lack of, are ridiculous. Peyton feels that if she stuck out her hand in front of her face she wouldn't even be able to see it. She supposes this is a good tactic if the business was trying to distract shoppers of how much they were spending on such minimal amounts of fabric. Pushing aside her judgments, she looks around for the cash register or something resembling an office. Before she can identify where she should go, a slightly shorter, much perkier, brunette steps in front of her.

"Hi, welcome to Paisley&Co! Is there anything I can help you with?" The girl smiles at Peyton.

"Uhm, well actually, do you think you could find the manager? I need to speak to her." Peyton does her best to come off as friendly, but people have always said that has never been one of her strong suits.

"Was someone rude to you? I have told them over and over again, you cannot be short with costumers! But do they listen? No, of course not. I mean maybe they thought you were kidding since you don't really appear to like our clothes, but I mean still. They need to be nice!"

Peyton's eyes widened as she watched the girl start to shake her head a little faster with each word she said. She was now sort of just mumbling to herself about rules and guidelines and how to be friendly. Peyton figured she should stop her before the poor woman had a heart attack but she couldn't get a word in.

"Oh! How rude, you don't need to hear about my problems. Uhm just let me see if I can find Sherry for you. Sorry that I was rambling, it's just been one of those days, ya know?"

Peyton didn't say anything just smiled and nodded her head. She did know about those days. That was actually how Peyton felt most of the time. Like she was walking around with no purpose and not a clue what to do. The girl turns to walk away but stops on her heel, giving Peyton a quick glance.

"Are you sure no one was rude to you?"

"I promise, no one was rude." Peyton gives her another smile, feeling slightly off put. The way the girl looked at her made her feel like she genuinely cared, which isn't something you usually get from a sales person on a busy Saturday. The girl turns around and goes to find the manager.

Peyton awkwardly stands there with her hands shoved into the pockets of her worn in leather jacket. She didn't know if she should try and follow the girl or just stay there. She decided that she didn't want to try and navigate around the store right now, so she stuck with standing still. It wasn't but a few minutes when the girl came back, empty handed, and with a somewhat cartoon like pout on her face.

"Sherry isn't in today. I'm sorry, is there anything maybe I could help you with?"

"Well, today is my first day here. So I was just wondering what all I needed to do to get the ball rolling." Peyton wanted to smack herself as soon as she said that. Way to make a terrible first impression. No one normal talks like that, now your coworker is going to think you're a freak, she thought to herself.

"Oh my gosh, yes! Sherry told me you'd be in today. She left me your new employee packet back here and gave me the codes to log you into the system. That way we can get you set up and then I can show you how everything is done around here. Just follow me and I'll show you the break room." Brooke gave Peyton another smile, this time showing two deep dimples on her cheeks. Peyton was still surprised how happy this girl was.

"Okay, sounds good."

Brooke leads Peyton through the fog of people and tables with clothes spread out on them to the back of the store, where a grey door, that has the words Office Break written in huge bubble letters across the top, is. The letters were also hot pink. Peyton felt that she was being mocked by everything in this store. Almost all of the accents were of some shade of pink, a color Peyton hated more than anything. She felt like she was swimming around in a bottle of Pepto Bismol.

Brooke opens the office door up and Peyton was relieved to see that the pink theme died down in here. The walls were a soft cream color and the couch and chair were a light grey color. The room was tiny, but cozy, Peyton imagined herself coming in here for her break and never wanting to go back on the sales floor.

"I know its sort of tight in here, but if you just want to sit down, I'll go get the laptop and we can get your account set up. Oh, I'm Brooke by the way." She smiled at Peyton again and went to go get the computer.

Peyton sits down on the couch and starts thinking that maybe it won't be that bad here. Brooke is nice at least. So maybe she won't hate every person she's working with like she originally thought. Even though Brooke seems a bit perky and she also looks like a supermodel, which isn't very good for Peyton's self-confidence. Peyton catches herself doing it again, only thinking of the negative, which is something she has always suffered with. Maybe the reason things always seem to go badly for her is because she's always thinking about what's wrong and never what's right. Before Peyton could really delve into her thoughts, Brooke was back.

"I'm Peyton by the way."

"Peyton, that's a beautiful name." Brooke gave Peyton a look that she couldn't quite place before sitting down next to her and opening the laptop. "Alright, so basically all you have to do on here is set up a password that you will use to clock in and out and log onto the registers and our inventory system. Then we'll fill out the new employee packet and we can get started! It's really fun here. I think you're going to like it here, even if you do dress like a biker."

It took Peyton a second to realize Brooke was teasing her and not just being a bitch. Peyton had never met someone who seemed so comfortable around someone they just met. It was unsettling and refreshing all at the same time. Peyton didn't see herself being quite so nonchalant. She had trouble opening up to people. She liked people to have to guess at what she was thinking, instead of laying all of her cards out on the table. It was harder for people to disappoint you, when they never knew what you needed or wanted from them. And Peyton had had enough disappointment in her life.

It was around forty minutes later when Peyton and Brooke finished all of the necessary paper work. Peyton was ready to crawl back into bed since was the first day in about a month she had woken up before noon. It was beginning to take a toll on her. She was rubbing her temples when she noticed Brooke looking at her from the corner of her eye.

"Am I really that boring? I mean I know that paper work isn't fun but come on! I was giving you some of my best paper work jokes. I've been told I'm quite the entertainer." Brooke winked at Peyton. There it was again, that feeling that Peyton had known Brooke a lot longer than an hour.

"Oh yes, you're very entertaining." Peyton gave her a smirk and ran her hand up through her hair.

"You'll see, one day you'll love me." Brooke gets up from the couch and shuts the computer. She turns around and looks at Peyton.

"C'mon Goldilocks, I'm going to show you the ropes. There's a lot to learn." Peyton got up and followed Brooke through the door. Somehow, she felt that Brooke was exaggerating. I mean how hard could this job really be?

The answer was very hard. This job had really worn Peyton out today. She had never in her life dealt with so many teenage girls and sassy adults than she did in the seven hours she worked at Paisley&Co. She had never been more relieved than when Brooke had locked the door to the store and said 'that's it everybody! Good work today!' She went to the office to clock out with Brooke and the other two employees: Jenny and Adam.

Over the course of the day she had opened up a little more to Brooke, even if she still thought Brooke was one of the most over energized people she had ever met. She was more comfortable making small, lighthearted talk with her than when she first met her. Jenny and Adam were also really nice but she got the impression that they were weary of her. It was probably the way she was dressed, as Brooke had put it, like a biker. Tomorrow she would have to leave her leather jacket in her locker to fit in a little bit more. She was getting her purse off the floor when Brooke came over to her.

"So, we all usually go to this bar down the strip after work on Saturday's if you want to tag along, Blondie." Brooke flashes her one of her dimpled smiles.

"Well, I actually-"

"Oh c'mon! Please! We have to initiate you into the gang." Peyton gives Brooke a pointed stare.

"I don't really do drinks after work."

Frowning Brooke looks over at Jenny and Adam then to Peyton.

"They really aren't that bad. They're just made because they were both obsessed with the guy who worked here before you. They were infatuated with his rugged looks if you will. But they'll warm up to you. Please come have drinks." Brooke sticks her bottom lip out and tilts her head to the side.

"Uh, well, fine. Okay. I'll come. I'm only staying for one drink though."

Brooke squeals with excitement and loops her arm through Peyton's. Again, Peyton was shocked at Brooke forwardness but decided to let it go. Maybe this would be the start a nice friendship. Little did she know that Brooke was thinking this just might be the start of something a little more.