Don't Take Me for Granted

← S1		One Tree Hill Season 2					S3 →
01	The Desperate Kingdom of Love		09	The Trick Is to Keep Breathing		17	Something I Can Never Have
02	Truth Doesn't Make a Noise		10	Don't Take Me for Granted		18	The Lonesome Road
03	Near Wild Heaven		11	The Heart Brings You Back		19	I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
04	You Can't Always Get What You Want		12	Between Order and Randomness		20	Lifetime Piling Up
05	I Will Dare		13	The Hero Dies in This One		21	What Could Have Been
06	We Might as Well Be Strangers		14	The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows		22	The Tide That Left and Never Came Back
07	Let the Reigns Go Loose		15	Unopened Letter to the World		23	The Leavers Dance
08	Truth, Bitter Truth		16	Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking

"Don't Take Me for Granted"
General information
Written by	Mark Schwahn
Directed by	Lev L. Spiro
Cast
Episode images

"Don't Take Me For Granted" is the tenth episode and mid-season finale of the second season of One Tree Hill and the 32nd produced episode of the series. It was broadcasted on November 16, 2004. Concerned about his brother’s health, Nathan tells Karen Lucas did not take the heart test. Meanwhile, Keith accepts Dan's offer to continue working at the dealership as vice president. Peyton must confront rumors at school that she is a lesbian, which affects her friendship with Anna, while the gap between Nathan and Haley continues to grow.

Synopsis

Brooke finds her car windshield smashed

It's the morning after the formal and as Brooke sets off to go to school she finds her windshield has been smashed over night. As she thinks of who could have done it, Felix watches her from his house and she is soon to realize who her main culprit is. After a night away from Nathan, Haley calls Lucas and asks him if he has seen Nathan as she is worried about him. Lucas promises Haley he will be alright, but he doesn't know where he is. As he hangs up the phone, Nathan, who has been sleeping on his floor, thanks him for not telling Haley.

As they talk, Brooke walks in and tells the two boys what Felix has done to her car, she asks Lucas to walk to school with her, now they have established a relationship. Anna arrives home after spending the night at Peyton's. As she tells Felix where she has been, Felix is less than impressed and assumes that he'll be moving soon as she isn't stopping people talking around school.

As Keith arrives back to the dealership, Dan is sitting back at his desk. Congratulating him on his return, Keith is stunned when Dan offers him the position of vice president at the dealership.

As they walk to school, Brooke and Lucas talk like they used to, Brooke admits she misses it as they pass Felix and Mouth. Mouth, who is still not happy with Felix and the way he lied to Brooke, is shown by Felix that them two have been getting closer. Nathan gets home to find Haley skipping school, Haley apologizes and Nathan shows he is willing to accept, if she agrees never to see Chris Keller again. Haley refuses to do this as she knows he can help her with her music career, Nathan leaves annoyed at her reply.

At highschool, Brooke tells Peyton about her car, Peyton doesn't seem interested and shows Brooke her locker. Someone has spray painted 'DYKE' in red down her locker. Everyone is looking at Peyton and whispering behind her back. Brooke sees Felix at lunch break and gives him the costs it will take to prepare the windshield of her car. As she sits with Peyton, she tells Brooke how everyone is acting completely different around her. Brooke tries to show her the funny side of the situation but Peyton is still unimpressed, Brooke promises her real friends will still be there for her just as Anna walks past completely ignoring Peyton and going to sit with Felix.

Furious, Nathan goes to see Chris Keller, as Chris accuses him of not trusting Haley as Nathan asks him to leave Haley alone, Nathan loses his temper and throws Chris against the wall.

Nathan threatens Chris to stay away from Haley

He threatens to strangle him forcing him to leave Haley alone. Peyton skips school after lunch and tries to get through to her father, which she fails at. Lucas visits her to see if she is ok, but as he hugs her, Peyton lashes out at him saying they are no longer friends, the discovery of Peyton's ripped up picture of Jake and Jenny only escalates the situation between Peyton and Lucas and she forces him to leave.

Keith tells Jules that he intends to stay in Tree Hill, but Jules tries to persuade him other wise, to leave for Charleston. After discovering that Lucas had lied to her, via Karen, Haley storms into Lucas' room, she yells at him for lying about Nathan sleeping on the floor and as she continues to argue with him, Karen comes in the front door and yells Lucas' full name, Lucas Eugene Scott, which is a surprise to Haley.

Karen storms in Lucas' room and lets him know she has found out about the heart condition he might have, she tells him to pack his stuff as they are going to get the test, as Lucas refuses, Karen only gets more mad and bans him from playing basketball taking away his parental permission to play on the Ravens.

After his argument with his mother, Lucas goes to the river court aware he can get around his mom's rules by playing with Skills and his other friends. As he arrives, the boys stop playing basketball and refuse to let him play as his mom has already warned them that he can't. Back at Nathan's apartment, Haley is putting back on the bracelet Nathan first gave to her, as Nathan joins her in the room, Haley hugs him and checks he is clear of the heart condition, she is relieved to find he is and promises that she won't go and see Chris Keller again. Lucas goes to visit Dan to blame him for letting his mom know about his possible heart condition. Dan lets him know he never told her but is glad as his mom can't live without him, and neither can he. Anna visits Peyton who is still annoyed at her for ignoring her in school,

Peyton shows the principal her vandalized locker as she wears who t-shirt labeling her 'DYKE'

she apologizes and explains her reasons for ignoring her. There were rumors in her old school that she was a lesbian and due to the extent of the rumors, her parents were forced to leave town and come to Tree Hill.

She ignored her as she didn't want to rumors to start again. Peyton shows Anna a record of motivational lyrics, she tells her that she is going to make a stand as even though she could laugh it off, the next girl might not be able to, and she has to stop people doing what they done to her.

The following day, before highschool, Felix goes out to his car to find all his tires slashed, Brooke waves at him as she sips a drink on her porch. Haley goes to visit Chris Keller at his studio, as he is recording, Haley watches in awe for a minute and as the producer in the booth asks her if she wants to go in, she says she will see him later and leaves, avoiding breaking Nathan's rules. Keith tells Jules he has decided to stay and Jules seems less than happy to receive this news.

After taking Brooke's car to the garage, Lucas returns it to a delighted Brooke, as she thanks Lucas and hugs him, Anna greets them, kisses Lucas and then the two go to school, leaving Brooke to watch them go. In highschool, Peyton is walking down one of the corridors with everyone looking at her, she continues to walk and receive people's glares and whispers due to her wearing a shirt with 'DYKE' spray painted on the front. As the Principal catches up with her, he asks her to remove her shirt in the office and get a more acceptable one, at first refusing, the principal threatens her with suspension so Peyton removes her top, to reveal her bra in the middle of the corridor, the principal is forced to suspend her.

Haley kisses Chris

Mouth meets up with Lucas and asks to pay for Brooke's windshield, as it was him who wrecked her windshield. After seeing Brooke hook up with Felix again, when they actually broke up, Mouth got drunk and smashed her car up. Felix slides an envelope under Brooke's door and she catches him to see what it is, he has given her the money, even though unknown to her it wasn't him, and a picture of him and a girl, the girl he loved, he tells her she left him one day and he decided to be friends-with-benefits as it was easier and he was too afraid of a relationship. He also vows he never broke her windshield.

At the rivercourt, Nathan sees that Lucas' river court friends still won't play with him. Nathan tells Lucas it was him that told Karen and Lucas begins to yell at him claiming that he can't be trusted, the whole group attempt to persuade him to take the test and Lucas walks off annoyed at his friends. Peyton goes to see Brooke and cries as everything has gotten too much and misses everyone so much that she feels alone. She tells Brooke she's glad that she isn't seeing Felix anymore as she missed her friend, this happens just as Felix walks out the shower. Mortified, Peyton leaves them alone, much to Brooke's dislike and worry. Haley visits Chris and tells him that she won't work with him any more, Chris tells her it doesn't matter anyway as he is leaving to do a showcase in New York. The two hug and as she thanks Chris, he makes her kiss him, and Haley doesn't pull away. Chris tries to persuade Haley to go with him to New York as it will boost her music profile. Peyton cancels the house of freaks night and once again tells Anna to go home as she is again annoyed at her for not being there when she needed her, Anna apologizes but then is forced out and once she is gone, Peyton calls Rick to meet up.

Lucas watches Brooke and Felix kiss as he backs out from asking Brooke out

Lucas knocks for Nathan and apologizes for the way he treated him it is just he doesn't want to feel as though there is something wrong with him, that his heart isn't complete. Nathan advises him that he already knows his heart isn't complete as he knows Lucas likes a girl and he needs to tell her. Brooke calls for Peyton but she doesn't answer as Felix offers Brooke to break the friends-with-benefits relationship and be in a proper relationship. Brooke doesn't know what to say. Deb goes to see Karen and tells her that she did sleep with Keith. Keith leaves a message to Jules to say he loves her, as she listens to it, Dan laughs from her room and tells her that their plan is working. Lucas knocks for Anna and breaks up with her as there is someone else he is in love with.

Peyton meets with Rick but is interrupted before she takes the drugs, by Jake. Nathan waits for Haley to return home to a romantic dinner but she meets Chris at the train station instead of going home.

Brooke agrees to be in a relationship with Felix as Lucas goes to ask her out himself, he doesn't knock when he sees the two together, kissing.

Memorable Quotes

"I used to destroy guys like you, daily"

Nathan Scott to Chris Keller.

"Ew! You two realize you're related right? Double ew if tutor wife is here too."

Brooke Davis as she finds Nathan Scott slept over Lucas Scott's

"Well, if you ask me, they did you a favor, boys loooove lesbians."

Brooke Davis to Peyton Sawyer after her locker brands her 'Dyke'

"Whatever you think, I really do care about you Peyton."

Lucas Scott

"Lucas Eugene Scott!"

"Eugene?"

Karen Roe yells for Lucas Scott as Haley James Scott realizes his middle name

"Do you really think I will put a game before your life?"

"I would"

"Oh grow up, that tragic hero crap only works in the movies and you know what they don't show you after they fade out? The hero's mother putting her foot up his ass"

Karen Roe finds out Lucas Scott may have a genetic heart disease and refused a test for it

"At my last school, there were some rumors about me, about a relationship I was having, with another girl. I tried to ignore it, but the stories just kept getting worse until finally my parents decided to move us here, and that's why Felix is so protective of me, he was really happy in our last town"

Anna Tagarro to Peyton Sawyer

"Anna, it's not about who I am, it's about who they are. They are people who hate and they divide and they feed off people that don't fight back. Yeah, I could laugh this off, but what about the girl who can't? Who's gonna help her? Silence only makes her stronger"

Peyton Sawyer about being called a 'dyke'

"No girlfriend. Haley fell for Nathan when he was a jerk, Brooke went for Felix. Lucas, you screwed up a lot this year and you've had a different girl every week. Sorry, I just try to be honest with Brooke and then she left with Felix anyway...all I knew was I was at another party where everyone had someone, except me"

Mouth explains to Lucas Scott about how he feels

"I guess Dan's not the only one I can trust"

A furious Lucas Scott lashes out at Nathan Scott for telling his mom about refusing the test

"Haley, you owe it to yourself, you owe it to your music, your dreams are bus ride away. I know you want this Haley"

Chris Keller offering Haley James Scott a chance at a music career

"Nice work Jules, just like we planned"

Dan Scott as Keith Scott calls Jules and asks her to move in

"I was on my way home, and I ended up here"

Haley James Scott arrives at the train station to go with Chris Keller away from Nathan Scott

Voiceover

"Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote: No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself -- and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true."

Lucas Scott (opening voiceover)

Music

• "How To Be Dead" - Snow Patrol
• "When It Comes" - Tyler Hilton
• "Life's A Disease" - Stutterfly
• "Sideways" - Citizen Cope
• "Shoot Your Gun" - 22-20's
• "Pills" - The Perishers
• "23" - Jimmy Eat World

This episode's title originated from the song Don't Take Me For Granted, originally sung by Social Distortion.

Trivia

• Whitey does not appear in this episode.
  • This is the first mid-season finale to not feature Whitey.
• This is One Tree Hill's second mid-season finale.

Episode References

Season 2 episodes

The Desperate Kingdom of Love • Truth Doesn't Make a Noise • Near Wild Heaven • You Can't Always Get What You Want • I Will Dare • We Might as Well Be Strangers • Let the Reigns Go Loose • Truth, Bitter Truth • The Trick Is to Keep Breathing • Don't Take Me for Granted • The Heart Brings You Back • Between Order and Randomness • The Hero Dies in This One • The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows • Unopened Letter to the World • Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking • Something I Can Never Have • The Lonesome Road • I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning • Lifetime Piling Up • What Could Have Been • The Tide That Left and Never Came Back • The Leavers Dance