Arrow's Daughter

Chapter 8

I had slept for an hour more than the night before. I awoke with a start again and sat on the window bench looking out. After being up for half an hour a knock came at my door. It was very soft that if I was still asleep I would have kept on sleeping but I heard it and went to open the door to my father.

"I figured you would be up." He said as I let him into my room.

"Yea, It's like clockwork every morning, some earlier, some later. You?" I said sitting on one edge of the bed.

"Everyday." He says. "You realise that you're the first person I've told this to or even shared this much with."

"Same."

We sat in quiet for several minutes, just sitting and thinking. I smirked and let out a quiet laugh.

"What?"

"Just thinking about everything that has changed in the past week."

"I've never asked how you've been with everything going on."

"I guess, I'm okay considering everything that's happened." I shifted over closer to Oliver and he pulled his arm around me. "I kinda want next week to come faster."

"Why?" He asked looking at me in the darkness.

"I can take my stitches out."

"I can see that would make it a happy day." He paused for a minute before talking. "We need to get you enrolled into school soon."

"Ugg, I hate people especially people my age." He laughed. "They are so stupid with their fads, and slang. Everything" He laughed even harder.

"We can find you a school." He says still laughing. "Public, Private, Boarding, Anything you want. You could even keep your mom's name."

"I would like that very much."

The clock changed to 5:30 and I stood up and went into my closet and pulled my 'Hakuna Matata' shirt from the shelf and a pair of Jeans. I went back into the room to go to the bathroom and found that Oliver had left. I went and cleaned my wounds and bandaged them before slipping on my new clothes and packing a change of clothes, bandages, and a few other things into my backpack. I grabbed my bag and walked to the dining room for breakfast. Thea was told the night before that we would be leaving at 6:45 so we could drive and get there before noon. I saw down and ate a little before curling up on the couch to read my book. Oliver had came to the dining room a few minutes after me but ate longer than I did. Thea came down eventually.

We were in the car and driving at exactly 6:40. It was a long car ride with music playing me and Thea talking and joking around before we arrived in Burley, California. It's a Medium small town with about 10 thousand people. I directed Oliver to my house in the suburbans. A silver cooper sat in the driveway with a Colorado license plate. I groaned and shoved my face as far as it could go into the passengers side headrest.

"Peyton, you okay there?" Oliver asked alarmed. I pointed to the car before grumbeling out a responce.

"My step-grandparents. Both of you warning they will most likely ask you a bunch of questions," I say falling back into my seat before unbuckling and getting out of the car with my backpack.

Oliver and Thea followed close behind me as I lead my way up the walk to the door and opened it without even knocking. Two people in their mid 60's, both with grey hair and slightly wrinkled faces looked up from their spot on the couch in the living room. Boxes were out in front of both open a few things packed inside.

"Peyton dear, you're okay?" Mary said jumping up and rushing over to me. "Where have you been? The crash was nearly a week ago and when we finally got here the hospital wouldn't tell us where you were." David came up behind his wife and rested one arm on her shoulder while his hand touched my shoulder.

"We were so worried."

"I'm fine really." I said assuring them.

"Who are these people?" Mary asked noticing the people standing a few feet behind me just in front of the door. "Where did they kidnap you to? We are your grandparents we deserve the right to have you before any foster family gets you." She said almost attacking Oliver and Thea.

"They didn't kidnap me Mary. Let's get something to eat at Sunny View and talk." I said guarding my dad and aunt. "Let's go there and talk like civilized people."

She agreed and I told Oliver and Thea to go back to the car and I followed climbing in the front seat and directing Oliver to the family owned diner that I used to work at on the weekends.

"Peyton, Why didn't you tell us you were coming back? I can go get my dad, he's in the back" Jacob greeted me when I walked through the door. I laughed at his craziness. Jacob was Brians's son who owned the diner. Jacob had his mother's pale complexion and ashy blond hair but his father's bright green eyes. His eyebrows were dark like his dad's. A lot of the girls at my school though he was hot but to me he was like a brother. Jacob ran around the counter and almost tackled me into a hug.

"Jacob! Sorry, I didn't tell you I was coming, or leaving but can we sit down first?" I say pulling him away.

"Yea sure how many?" he asked. I held up my hand with 5 fingers held up in the air and he grabbed 5 menus and rolls of silverware before leading my group to the table in the back for bigger groups than the usual 2-4. "Okay I'll be back in a few minutes with my dad and I'll take your orders." He was practically shaking with energy.

Oliver sat next to me Thea on the other side of me. Mary and David sat on the other side of the table.

"Stupid boy he should have let us order our drinks." Mary said looking at the menu.

"He isn't stupid, he is the valedictorian for his class. He is just excited. Also that stupid boy has a name, it's Jacob." I say glaring at her. She looks shocked that I talked to her like that. "His dad is the owner of the diner."

"Okay, Uh- Peyton what do you recommend here?"  Oliver asks attempting to clear the tension.

"Well, the hamburgers here are like heavenly. Basically anything you want that's here is really good. Breakfast is served all day, the soups are made every morning. I know because I've been here to get Jacob while they were making it." I say. Jacob comes back  over almost vibrating with excitement Brian his father wasn't so far behind his son.  I push back my chair and stand to greet my boss.

"Peyton, you're here." He says giving me a hug. Everyone that works here is like family.

"Hey Brian." I say smiling. "Um, Brian, Jacob this is my step-grandparents Mary and David and Oliver and Thea are my guardians."

"For the moment." I hear Mary say. It took so much restraint to not glare at the woman.
"Technically I am you guardian and Thea is just my sister." Oliver says and I smile at that.
"Well lets order I'll say goodbye before we leave." I promise giving Brian another hug before returning to my chair.
15 minutes later we were all eating our food. The three on my side of the table had hamburgers, Mary a salad, and David had lasagna. Once I finished my burger Mary began to speak.
"Oliver what do you do?" I looked nervously at my father.
"I am currently building a nightclub in our hometown." He says gesturing to himself and Thea.
"A nightclub is no place to raise a child." Mary said shoving a forkful of lettuce in her mouth. Just in time Olivers phone rang.
Groaning he set down his burger and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"Hello?" He said into the phone. "Yes this is Mr. Queen." At those words Mary's eyes widened in shock. "Tell him to call me tomorrow to talk about it. I'm at an event with Thea and Peyton." A few moments of someone else talking on the other side of the phone. "Thank you goodbye." He hung up the phone before turning it completely off and setting it back into his pocket.
"Queen? Oliver Queen?" Mary asks nearly dropping her fork.
"Mary, David this is Oliver and Thea Queen from Starling City. Oliver is my father." I said. Mary's fork completely fell from her hand and clattered onto the floor a chunk of lettuce and tomato still on the tines.