. Author’s Note: Here is my very first season 2 fic EVER! It has a little bit of season 1 in it just for the set up but it's prodominantly in the season 2 time frame, it's also mainly one long flashback in Joey's POV, you'll get it when you read it. Thanks in advance for reading and thank you Katie for the beautiful banner! Prologue

Crystal waters that she knew like the back of her hand, they ran through her veins, through every part of her soul. She had grown up on those waters and they had tied her to every part of home that she could know. They promised her safety, they promised her hope, they rowed her to her future.

But on one day, they betrayed her, led her to a fork in the stream. 

Of course the beaten path that she had traveled on for so many years before became the most appealing. She trusted it, knew every twist and turn, knew the ending as crystal clear as the water that flowed through it. 

But the other path was different, a little darker, a few more twists and turns, excitement radiating through the rolling waves. It would be a risk, it would surprise her, it would challenge her.

And so she rested her boat, lolling softly in the gentle waves staring at each path, both appealing in their own way, only one choice worth while.

"Wait, back up, back up," Renee threw down the transcript shuffling through her clutered desk in search of the box of cigarettes she had dropped there a good ten minutes ago. "What am I reading?" Her raspy voice was a strong one.

"Um, my story ma'am," Joey said shyly securing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"No what this is dear, is crap," she said, her brutal honesty catching the young writer off guard.

"Um, ex-excuse me?" She stammered her fingers nervously tucking her hair behind her ear again.

"It's obviously some prolonged symbolic mumbo-jumbo," Renee explained, the click of her lighter distracting Joey from her thoughts. Balancing the cigarette between her lips she lit it, blowing a large thick cloud in Joey's direction. "There's obvious a story in here," her frog like voice becoming terribly intimidating, "now tell it, Johnny."

"Joey," she corrected.

"Right," she nodded, "so this boat, what is it supposed to be?"

"Um, a boat," she smiled slightly.

"I was thinking it was your boyfriend and the paths were differing sexual positions," Renee shrugged, "now that would have been a story."

"Well it's up to interpretation, the reader can see it as they want it and it will become more appealing," Joey offered.

"People want to know what they're reading, they don't want to think, they want you to tell them," she explained. "Okay, so the water is that significant?"

"It's her heart, you know following your heart?"

Renee stared at her for a long moment, a slither of smoke passing through her lips as silence consumed them, "Oh dear I get it the water blood, kind of gross but creative."

"It's about a girl who has to choose between two guys, the safe choice, and the leap of faith."

"Now why didn't you just write that?" She asked dumbly, "that would make a great feature film, I'm sure the WB would be quick to pick that one up."

"A movie?" Joey arched a reluctant brow.

"Yeah like that Walk to Remember picture, with the dying singer."

"You want me to write a Nicholas Sparks novel?"

"Yeah the kids love it, and in the movie we'll cast that Lindsay Lohan girl, she seems pretty popular with the fellows, and the boys we'll need a bad boy. Any suggestions?"

Joey stared at her blankly.

"Who was that boy on the One Tree Hill, you know the one with the acne problems?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry I don't watch that one."

"It's a shame, they're all cute enough to eat."

"Could I just submit this as a short story like I intended too?" Joey asked shyly.

"No, no, we've got this idea, let's build on it."

"What idea?" She furrowed her brows.

"Okay so we have a girl and two guys. One's the boy next door of course and the other is new in town, right? A little ruggish, intense charmer that one is. You and the boy are best friends and he's head over heels in love with you but you're attracted to the bad boy because you of course want to take a ride on the wild side."

She blushed, "Not exactly, that's another triangle."

"No you're right, it's a little cliché," she took another drag from her cigarette. "Okay then, how does the story go?"

She ran a hand through her hair, "Um it's rather long actually."

"Don't worry I've got time," she sat back in her chair glancing at the clock by her computer, "anything to keep me away from my husband, you know what I'm saying," she let out an obnoxious roar.

She smiled uncomfortably, "It's kind of personal actually."

"In the writing industry," Renee said leaning onto her elbows, "nothing is personal."

She frowned moving her eyes over her desk before she took a deep breath, "Well I was fifteen years old…"