Every Night Is Another Story
Written by Mike Kelley
Directed by Jason Moore
October 28, 2003

What's the drama: Two very unlikely scenarios: Peyton and Haley cruising down the road together in a car, cranking the tunes and Nathan and Lucas attempting to start a car together, realizing that the car is stuck in the mud and then standing in the road waiting for a ride. The two scenarios come together and we're all wondering what kind of mixed-up world we're suddenly viewing.

12 Hours earlier we're at the high school and Peyton is presenting Lucas with a CD that she burned for him in order to thank him for getting her through her difficult week last week. And Nathan invites Haley to the game that evening, promising that it's worth the road trip.

Meanwhile, Deb and Dan prepare to depart for the annual Small Business League Dinner. Dan does so despite the fact that he'd rather be at the basketball game. Deb tells him that she's made reservations for them to spend the evening at a Bed & Breakfast because even though the dinner is a mere 30 minutes away, they could use a 48-hour stint without basketball. Dan unhappily agrees, no basketball. Guess he'll have to pay some attention to his really nice, hot wife for a change.

Karen agonizes over the perfect dress for the very same dinner. Unlike Dan, she's looking forward to going out like a grown up for a change and Lucas asks her if it's a date with Keith. She denies all, but Lucas tells her he wouldn't mind if those two crazy kids got together.

Later that night, at the game, a mid-court knock-down-drag-out gets the Scott brothers tossed out of the game and ends up injuring cheerleader Brooke as well. The team almost loses the game which really peeves Whitey, so on the way home, as a way to teach the boys the value of teamwork, the Coach kicks the Scott brothers off the team bus - no phone and no money. Hopefully they'll both make it the 30 miles back to town together. Oh that Whiteyhe's so wise.

What's up with Lucas and Nathan: As the boys begin their long walk back to town, thugs from the opposing (and losing) team pull up and offer them a ride. Lucas thinks it's a bad idea but Nathan takes it. Wrong move. They shove a gun in his face and tell Lucas to get in. He does and the boys (who call themselves Thing, Thing One and Thing Three) make Lucas and Nathan strip down to their skivvies and shop for hemorrhoid cream , feminine hygiene products and beer. This doesn't appear to be entertaining enough for the Thing thugs who then force the boys to play "Gladiator" and beat one another up. Lucas isn't up for it until Nathan sucker punches him and then it's go time. But always the crafty one, Nathan grabs the keys from the ignition mid-brawl and it's a game of clothes for keys in a trade-off that the thugs don't really enjoy. After the Scotts established that the gun was not real it was kind of all over for the Things. The boys end up getting most of their clothes back and when they realize that the Thing's car is stuck in the mud they are back on their feet again - this time, running.

What's up with Brooke: As she's getting her ankle taped in the locker room, Brooke uses her charms to sweet talk the resident college boy/team doctor to give her some really strong pain pills. Not sure what idiot would put their entire future on the line for a smile from a pretty girl but Brooke gets her way. She pops both pills, without water and is now in need of a ride home. Peyton offers to drive her car and when they spot Haley walking by a belligerent Brooke invites Haley along. At least Peyton will have someone to talk to on the way home as she clearly doesn't speak slur.

What's up with Peyton and Haley: The gals make some small talk on the way home but run out of gas before any real juice is spilled. They leave Brooke and her hobbled ankle back in the car as they begin the hike to go get gas. They both start to open up about their respective boys and finally Peyton simply asks if Haley "likes" Nathan. Haley tells her no - it would be tough on Lucas but Peyton tells her that Lucas wouldn't ask her if he wanted to ask her for a date. Hmmmlight bulb time for poor Haley. When the closest gas station is closed Haley figures out how to siphon gas from a parked truck and Peyton is so impressed she credits the girl with being the fourth Charlie's Angel. The two seem to be bonding a bit but back at the car Brooke brings it all back to reality telling the two they didn't expect to be friends at school the next daydid they?

Even if people really thought that - who would actually say something like that out loud? And how did Brooke get so sober so quick?

What's up with Dan and Deb: Somehow Dan and Deb end up at the same table as Karen and Keith. Typically ugly, Dan talks trash about Keith to the poor couple who happened to get stuck at the dysfunctional family/sordid history table. He credits Keith's failure for his own success. But Keith rebounds nicely with a little tell it like it is reality check - we all know that Deb is the reason for Dan's success, she bankrolled it.

Later, Deb catches up with a sulking Keith, buys him a few cocktails and tells him that he and Karen go nicely together. He tells her that Karen is amazing but a relationship would complicate things. He asks Deb how she puts up with a husband like Dan and she says that some days he's the man she married but others, she just hangs in there for Nathan. Touching.

How does it all wrap up: Back at the dinner, Keith returns to the table a little less sober and Dan makes sure to beat a dead horse. He starts in on Keith being there with Karen (his used goods) and Keith tells him to stop worrying about his relationship and start concentrating on his own. The brothers start smacking each other around at the table. Later Dan sips at his own cocktail at the B&B, worrying not so much that he humiliated his wife and himself at the Small Business League Dinner but because he's discovered that his son was thrown out of the basketball game earlier that evening. Deb declares their little "romantic evening" attempt over and departs to get their bags. They're going home.

Back at Karen's home, Keith gets a little first aid for his shiner. He apologizes for the disastrous evening. He wishes Karen could count on him. She tells him she does - more than he knows. She admits that Lucas called their evening a "date" and she believed it. Keith says he did too. Then, out of the blue he tells her he loves her and promptly falls asleep.

After some walking and some male bonding, Nathan tells Lucas that he should consider himself lucky sometimes that he doesn't have to deal with a dad like his. He tells Lucas about a time when he was pitching in Little League and he intentionally walked the best hitter on the opposing team. His father walked out to the mound, grabbed him by the arm and kicked him so hard he flew into the air. Then he benched him for the rest of the game. And Dan wasn't even coaching! Okay - that last part is not true. He was coaching. But the fact is, the man is clearly obsessed. Nathan tells Lucas to think about that little scenario the next time he starts feeling sorry for himself. Lucas brings up Haley and tries to get all protective and just as it seems the two will fight again. Nathan thanks Lucas for getting in the car with him earlier that evening. He didn't have to - especially after he warned him not to get in. The boys don't get too much farther before the girls come along and offer them a ride. The next day all relationships return to their old dysfunctional state.