Peyton wrapped her fingers around her cup of coffee, the hot liquid warming
her hands slightly. She shivered as she looked over at Jenny who was
comfortably sleeping in her stroller, bundled up in what Peyton guessed to
be about a million blankets. Sighing Peyton for the millionth time that
morning felt jealous of the baby. Putting down the coffee, Peyton picked
back up her sketch paper and pencil, and quietly began to draw Jenny again.
She looked up and glanced at Jake, he was fooling around at the basketball court. He took a shot from the free-throw line, made it and looked over at her, and smiled. She smiled back. These little meetings of there's had been going on since the day after they came home from the classic. She was driving by the basketball courts that morning on her way to Karen's Café when she spotted him and Jenny out there. She stopped the car and talked to him for a little, it turned out he came here almost every morning before school. Jenny would mostly just sleep and he would play on the court. And that was it, she started coming too every mourning. It wasn't something they even really talked about that much. Peyton mostly sat with Jenny, either drawing the baby or doing homework. Jake would be on the court doing his basketball thing. They only stayed for about an hour before Jake had to bring Jenny to her daycare. It wasn't really a big deal. But Peyton had come to really enjoy this time. It seemed like it was the only part of her day that wasn't filled with drama. The only part of the day were she could really relax and breathe.
Brooke still wasn't talking to her except when really needed. And Peyton had been trying to stay away from Lucas at all cost. Between trying to get Brooke to forgive her and avoiding Lucas, Peyton found herself exhausted by the end of the day.
'Hey, Peyton.' She looked up from her drawing to Jake. He was still standing at the court lighting dribbling the ball. 'Come down here.' He said.
Peyton got up from the top of the picnic table she was sitting on. Leaving her stuff and bring Jenny to the court.
'Put Jenny over there by the bleachers.' He said to her a smile forming on his face. Peyton knitted her eyebrows together and gave him a wondering smile.
'Alright.' She said playful suspicious voice. Coming back over to the court after putting Jenny's stroller down Peyton smiled and asked, 'What?'
He laughed. 'I have a new goal for you,'
'You do.'
'Yeah. You're going to learn how to play.' With that he tossed the ball over to her, she barley caught it.
Peyton gained grip on the ball and shock her head. 'What if I don't want to know how to play?'
Jake thought for a moment and then shrugged. 'You will. By next year you'll be on the girl's team.'
It was her turn to laugh. 'Jake...'
'Alright then we'll start.' He said cutting her off. Taking the ball from he hands he continued. 'Lesson number one: dribbling.' He began to dribble the ball. 'Learning to dribble is essential to being a good basketball player. When you're being guarded you're going to not only have to dribble but also control the ball. If you stop dribbling you have too options, pass or shoot. Do you know why?
Peyton laughed again, 'You got really bored out here didn't you?'
'Answer the question Peyton.' Jake responded, she could tell he was trying hard to not laugh himself.
'It's a foul. It's called traveling.'
Jake nodded. 'Very good. Now...' He stopped dribbling and passed the ball over to her. 'Dribble.'
Peyton looked down at the ball and then up at him. 'I'm really not good at this.' When Jake didn't say anything back she sighed and began to bounce the ball on the ground. It came back up faster and higher then she expected and flew up over her head. She quickly moved out of the way as the ball landed right were she was standing.
Jake grabbed the ball and began laughing.
'You see, I told you....' He continued to laugh. 'Stop laughing at me.' She said playfully and began laughing herself.
Jake stopped laughing but kept the same amused smile on his face. 'Alright I think were going to deal with that later. Let's move a head a few lessons. How are you a shooting?'
'Now I'm pretty good at that. Seven out of ten shots I'll make.' Peyton said.
'You've shot ten times before?' He joked.
'Hey if you're just going to make fun off me...' She began to turn around.
'No...' Jake took her arm. 'No more laughing I promise.'
She smiled. 'Fine then.'
Bringing her over to the free-throw line he stepped behind her. 'Shoot.' He said. Peyton nodded and tried to concentrate. Bring the ball to her eye length, she shot. The ball touched the tip of the rim and then fell.
Jake went after the ball. 'That wasn't so bad, but your stance is all off.' He handed her the ball again and moved behind her. 'You need to bend your knees a little.' She did. 'Alright, now bring your stomach in a little.' He softly moved to her side and placed one of his hands on her back and the other on her stomach. Peyton stiffed up in his unexpected closeness. 'Relax.' He said in a voice just barley above a whisper. She felt his breath on her neck and goose bumps ran down her back in response. She softly closed her eyes for a moment losing herself in his touch. 'Now when you shoot your going to bring your knees up to regular. Alright?' Recomposing herself, Peyton nodded .
He brought his hands away from her stomach and went back behind her. 'Alright shot.'
She did. The ball hit the backboard and then went perfectly into the net. 'I did it!' Peyton said happily, a huge smile coming to her face. She could feel herself let a giggle out and getting caught up in the moment she turned to Jake and warped her arms around his neck. She felt his hands touch her back. And then suddenly she realized what she had done. They both stood in silence for a few moments without breaking there embrace. 'She could feel his heart pounding though his chest and she knew hers was doing the same.
'Good job, Peyton.' He whispered into her ear, breaking the silence. Peyton felt everything move in slow motion as she began to break away from Jakes arms. Suddenly there were face to face, his eyes looking into hers. Looking into her. Both of there's breathing slowed and she could feel his lips moving closer to hers. She felt her body fill with anticipation for his kiss. She wanted him to kiss her, she wanted to kiss him. For that one moment she felt as if they were the only two people in the world. And then it happened he kissed her. It was soft, his lips barley touched hers, but she felt it. She leaned back into him, both ready to intensify the kiss, when suddenly his watch went off.
They both broke away from each other in a instant. Reality crushing down on the moment they had just shared. Peyton felt her feet back up a few feet from him, against her will.
'I've got to go....take Jenny to daycare.' He said still looking at his watch.
Peyton nodded, 'Yeah I should go too..'
'Alright. I'll see you at school.' He began to walk to Jenny, who was still sleeping.
Neither of them said anything else to each other. Peyton got into her car, he got into his. Just like they did everyday. But the kiss was still on her mind. And it would stay there for the rest of the day.
She looked up and glanced at Jake, he was fooling around at the basketball court. He took a shot from the free-throw line, made it and looked over at her, and smiled. She smiled back. These little meetings of there's had been going on since the day after they came home from the classic. She was driving by the basketball courts that morning on her way to Karen's Café when she spotted him and Jenny out there. She stopped the car and talked to him for a little, it turned out he came here almost every morning before school. Jenny would mostly just sleep and he would play on the court. And that was it, she started coming too every mourning. It wasn't something they even really talked about that much. Peyton mostly sat with Jenny, either drawing the baby or doing homework. Jake would be on the court doing his basketball thing. They only stayed for about an hour before Jake had to bring Jenny to her daycare. It wasn't really a big deal. But Peyton had come to really enjoy this time. It seemed like it was the only part of her day that wasn't filled with drama. The only part of the day were she could really relax and breathe.
Brooke still wasn't talking to her except when really needed. And Peyton had been trying to stay away from Lucas at all cost. Between trying to get Brooke to forgive her and avoiding Lucas, Peyton found herself exhausted by the end of the day.
'Hey, Peyton.' She looked up from her drawing to Jake. He was still standing at the court lighting dribbling the ball. 'Come down here.' He said.
Peyton got up from the top of the picnic table she was sitting on. Leaving her stuff and bring Jenny to the court.
'Put Jenny over there by the bleachers.' He said to her a smile forming on his face. Peyton knitted her eyebrows together and gave him a wondering smile.
'Alright.' She said playful suspicious voice. Coming back over to the court after putting Jenny's stroller down Peyton smiled and asked, 'What?'
He laughed. 'I have a new goal for you,'
'You do.'
'Yeah. You're going to learn how to play.' With that he tossed the ball over to her, she barley caught it.
Peyton gained grip on the ball and shock her head. 'What if I don't want to know how to play?'
Jake thought for a moment and then shrugged. 'You will. By next year you'll be on the girl's team.'
It was her turn to laugh. 'Jake...'
'Alright then we'll start.' He said cutting her off. Taking the ball from he hands he continued. 'Lesson number one: dribbling.' He began to dribble the ball. 'Learning to dribble is essential to being a good basketball player. When you're being guarded you're going to not only have to dribble but also control the ball. If you stop dribbling you have too options, pass or shoot. Do you know why?
Peyton laughed again, 'You got really bored out here didn't you?'
'Answer the question Peyton.' Jake responded, she could tell he was trying hard to not laugh himself.
'It's a foul. It's called traveling.'
Jake nodded. 'Very good. Now...' He stopped dribbling and passed the ball over to her. 'Dribble.'
Peyton looked down at the ball and then up at him. 'I'm really not good at this.' When Jake didn't say anything back she sighed and began to bounce the ball on the ground. It came back up faster and higher then she expected and flew up over her head. She quickly moved out of the way as the ball landed right were she was standing.
Jake grabbed the ball and began laughing.
'You see, I told you....' He continued to laugh. 'Stop laughing at me.' She said playfully and began laughing herself.
Jake stopped laughing but kept the same amused smile on his face. 'Alright I think were going to deal with that later. Let's move a head a few lessons. How are you a shooting?'
'Now I'm pretty good at that. Seven out of ten shots I'll make.' Peyton said.
'You've shot ten times before?' He joked.
'Hey if you're just going to make fun off me...' She began to turn around.
'No...' Jake took her arm. 'No more laughing I promise.'
She smiled. 'Fine then.'
Bringing her over to the free-throw line he stepped behind her. 'Shoot.' He said. Peyton nodded and tried to concentrate. Bring the ball to her eye length, she shot. The ball touched the tip of the rim and then fell.
Jake went after the ball. 'That wasn't so bad, but your stance is all off.' He handed her the ball again and moved behind her. 'You need to bend your knees a little.' She did. 'Alright, now bring your stomach in a little.' He softly moved to her side and placed one of his hands on her back and the other on her stomach. Peyton stiffed up in his unexpected closeness. 'Relax.' He said in a voice just barley above a whisper. She felt his breath on her neck and goose bumps ran down her back in response. She softly closed her eyes for a moment losing herself in his touch. 'Now when you shoot your going to bring your knees up to regular. Alright?' Recomposing herself, Peyton nodded .
He brought his hands away from her stomach and went back behind her. 'Alright shot.'
She did. The ball hit the backboard and then went perfectly into the net. 'I did it!' Peyton said happily, a huge smile coming to her face. She could feel herself let a giggle out and getting caught up in the moment she turned to Jake and warped her arms around his neck. She felt his hands touch her back. And then suddenly she realized what she had done. They both stood in silence for a few moments without breaking there embrace. 'She could feel his heart pounding though his chest and she knew hers was doing the same.
'Good job, Peyton.' He whispered into her ear, breaking the silence. Peyton felt everything move in slow motion as she began to break away from Jakes arms. Suddenly there were face to face, his eyes looking into hers. Looking into her. Both of there's breathing slowed and she could feel his lips moving closer to hers. She felt her body fill with anticipation for his kiss. She wanted him to kiss her, she wanted to kiss him. For that one moment she felt as if they were the only two people in the world. And then it happened he kissed her. It was soft, his lips barley touched hers, but she felt it. She leaned back into him, both ready to intensify the kiss, when suddenly his watch went off.
They both broke away from each other in a instant. Reality crushing down on the moment they had just shared. Peyton felt her feet back up a few feet from him, against her will.
'I've got to go....take Jenny to daycare.' He said still looking at his watch.
Peyton nodded, 'Yeah I should go too..'
'Alright. I'll see you at school.' He began to walk to Jenny, who was still sleeping.
Neither of them said anything else to each other. Peyton got into her car, he got into his. Just like they did everyday. But the kiss was still on her mind. And it would stay there for the rest of the day.