Summary: Both Lucas and Peyton knew how to function in a world where they didn't like each other. Hating simply seemed the right thing to do. What happens when all that starts changing though? And what if all that hate starts to seem unjustified? AU, LP.

AN: Hey everyone! I know, maybe I shouldn't post a new story when I still haven't updated "Back to You", but I have been working on this lately and I just wanted some feedback. I don't know when I'll post the next chapter, I can't promise weekly updates or something, but it's not like I won't post for weeks and weeks either. I'm just getting a bit excited about this and I'd love to know what you think of it.

The story is completely AU, everything you need to know will become clear in the chapters. Please let me know what you think! Hope you like it (:

Chapter 1. Breathe In, Breathe Out

"I hate him." Peyton exclaimed as she walked inside Brooke's bedroom and plopped herself down on the bed.

"No, you don't." Brooke told her matter-of-factly, looking up from the magazine she was reading.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"How would you know?" She asked maybe a tad frustrated at her best friend who didn't seem to listen to her.

"Well, if you really would hate him, I don't see why you keep spending time with him. Just stay away from him." Brooke explained and shot Peyton a cheeky smile.

"I do stay away from him!" Peyton refuted. "He's just there! Like all the time."

"Or maybe you are just there."

"Brooke, what are you trying to say here?"

"It kinda looks to me like you have this thing for Lucas." She told her and shifted her attention back to her magazine. However, Peyton didn't think so and snatched the magazine out of Brooke's hands before she could read some more.

"You are not saying things like that and then just go back to reading, Brooke Davis! I most definitely don't have a thing for Lucas!" She said, sending Brooke the best glare she could muster. It was one of those glares that would probably scare the hell out of other people, but unfortunately for Peyton, most of the time that didn't really work on Brooke. "And why do you even think so? In case you didn't notice, Lucas and I fight, like, constantly. That's not what I call 'having a thing for someone'." Peyton finished quite smugly.

"Oh, honey. I know you are kind of unaware of it, but the rest of the world can see your obvious attraction."

"Our what?" She cried and threw her hands up in the air. She usually didn't go all 'drama queen' about little things like that, but she really couldn't help it now. That Lucas guy most certainly got to her sometimes.

She had no idea how he could piss her off like that sometimes. Weirdest thing of all, he didn't even seem to actually have to do something to get her all fired up.

She was kind of a quiet person, always had been. She always minded her own business and even though most of the time she hung out with the popular crowd at school (that's what happens when you have Brooke Davis as a best friend), popularity had never really been her thing.

She loved Brooke though, and she knew there was a whole lot more than only popularity to her. So she sticked with Brooke, and the popular crowd. But she had other friends too though. There was Jake, and Haley. Unfortunately, with Haley came also Lucas.

Lucas had been Haley's best friend for as long as everyone could remember, kinda like her and Brooke. She didn't know why but ever since they had met there had been that weird thing (well not a thing, but you know) between them. It was as if they simply couldn't be around the other without having some fight or discussion.

It actually had soon become a well know fact that those two couldn't really function normally around each other.

That wouldn't really have been a big deal, they would just stay away from the other and problem would be solved, if it hadn't been for their mutual friend, Haley.

Haley was one of the nicest persons Peyton knew and she absolutely loved her. She was one of her very best friends and she wouldn't trade her for anything. She was also completely convinced that anyone could get along if they just tried hard enough.

So she made all the efforts in the world to get Lucas and Peyton to like each other. Or to just be able to have some normal conversation.

She also was one not to learn from her past mistakes. No matter how many times she had already planned something fun to do for the three of them and no matter how many times that so-called fun thing turned out to be a disaster because of the fighting between the two blondes, she always found something new and she always thought that new activity would bring them together and all the fighting would finally stop.

It didn't though.

"Your obvious attraction." Brooke repeated what she had said earlier. "I know you claim to hate him, but do you really believe that yourself? I actually get the impression you kinda like all the fighting."

"I do not!" Peyton cried out once again. "And there is no attraction! He's… I don't know, I just don't like him. He thinks he's all smart because he reads books and that he's all sportive just because he plays basketball. And he's… broody. You know, he can look at you with that broody look of him and it scares the crap out of me sometimes." She said and Brooke couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Just so you know, P. Sawyer, you're just as broody as him." She laughed, patting Peyton's shoulder lightly as she walked by and installed herself in front of her mirror. "And he actually is smart and sportive, but he's not one to brag about it."

"I didn't say he bragged about that."

"No, but you totally made it sound like that." Brooke answered and raised her eyebrow just a tad. "I think he's pretty great. I'd so go for him." She continued and this time it was Peyton who raised her eyebrow. "If I didn't have Julian already, of course. There is no one who can top Julian."

"Good save, B. Davis. But I still hate him." Peyton said and there might have even been a little pout on her face.

"Julian?"

"Brooke."

"Sorry." She apologized, not quite able not to chuckle. "Why is the hating for this time anyway? You usually don't feel this strong about him on a normal day."

"We're paired up for this English homework. I'm screwed." Peyton sighed heavily, letting herself fall onto the bed.

"Why?"

"Because I have to work with someone I don't like on something he's like, the master of. The guy rules English." She answered and sighed again while rolling onto her stomach and facing Brooke. "It's depressing."

"It's actually pretty good. I always hope to be paired up with someone smart. You know, he can do the work, you can get the good grades." Brooke said matter-of-factly, smiling widely.

"It doesn't work like that, Brooke. You're supposed to be a team, do the work together, get the good grades together."

"Fine, then do this thing together. I still don't see the problem, it's not like you're dumb or something. You're actually pretty smart yourself, you can do the work too."

"Yes, I know, but the thing is that he'll think he's smarter than me. And he'll act like he's smarter than me." Peyton grumbled, sitting up again.

"And since when do you even care about things like that? See what this boy does to you?"

"As far as pissing me off, that boy does nothing to me."

"If that's your story." Brooke chuckled and sent Peyton a wink, which only led to more grumbling from the blonde.

"She's a bitch." Lucas stated as he took a seat next to Haley on his porch. "And how come you're here?"

"First, Peyton's not a bitch." Haley answered and showed him one of her most disapproving looks. "And second, I'm here because my parents are having one of their neighbor dinner things, so I thought I could spend some time with you instead."

"Good of you. How long have you been sitting here already? You know where the spare key is, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to sit in your house all alone." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Where you have been so long by the way?"

"Fighting with Peyton?" He suggested, receiving once again a disapproving look from his best friend. "River court. But seriously, she's a bitch."

"Stop saying that! She's my friend too, you know. And I honestly don't see why the two of you hate each other."

"I don't know, we just do." Lucas shrugged, avoiding Haley's eyes, knowing there was probably already another look ready for him. He knew Haley didn't exactly like the fact that he and Peyton couldn't get along, but, well that wasn't all his fault, was it? He didn't exactly deserve Haley's looks all the time.

"You don't just hate someone, Luke!" She exclaimed quite loudly.

"Maybe it's genetic?"

"Lucas."

"Fine." He grumbled. "I'm sorry I offended your friend." Haley sent him a thankful smile, but her face fell rather quickly when he continued. "She just… I don't know, she seems to think she's way better than we are, just because, what? She's best friends with Brooke Davis? Or because she used to be Nathan Scott's girlfriend? I'm sorry, that doesn't really impress me. And all her sarcastic comments, what is she trying to prove with that? That she's all high and mighty and smarter than us?"

"She doesn't think that! I don't even know where you even get the idea she thinks like that! She's one of the nicest persons I know, Luke." Haley defended her friend, but only received an eye roll from her best friend. "Okay, yes, she is snarky and you got to know her to see her great heart, but she does have one."

"I never said she didn't have a heart."

"You made it sound like that." Haley pouted, even crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I really hate how you two don't get along. She's great, Lucas! She's smart and funny and fine, she is sarcastic, but what is wrong with that? I can be sarcastic, too, but do you hate me?"

"I could never hate you, you knucklehead." He laughed at her antics and ruffled her hair a bit, although he knew that would probably piss her off. "The difference between the two of you is that you're not mean sarcastic, you know? You're actually a nice person who can be a bit sarcastic occasionally. She is a sarcastic person who can be a bit nice occasionally and even occasionally is too big a word to describe her nice moments."

"That's not true. You just don't know her like I do." Haley protested and held up her hand when Lucas wanted to say something. "Because you don't try to get to know her."

"Or because she doesn't try?" He suggested. "I have been there every single time you had planned something for us to do, haven't I?"

"So has she!" She cried out, holding up her hand once again when she saw that he was going to disagree with that. "That one time she cancelled because her dad had come home from work that day doesn't count, Luke! She hadn't seen him in weeks!"

"Okay, you have a point there."

"Why is she actually a bitch today? I mean, I know you don't particularly like her, but usually you don't use strong words like this every day." Haley asked, nudging him the side lightly.

"We got paired up in English today. I'm screwed." He answered, sighing deeply.

"Why?"

"Her name is Sawyer, mine is Scott." He explained, not noticing the eye roll Haley sent him.

He had known nothing good would come from it when their teacher had told them they would be paired up in alphabetical order for this new homework. Did her name really have to be Sawyer? Or did his mom really have to name him Scott? His name could've been Roe and then he wouldn't be paired up with her right now. He also wouldn't have had the same name as Nathan Scott and God knows that would've been a whole lot easier on him.

"Not that, you goof." Haley said, nudging him again. "I meant why are you screwed? You know she's smart, she'll be a great partner."

"That's just it! She'll think she's smarter than me, she'll act like she's smarter, too. On top of that, I still don't like her."

"She won't act like that, she's not that kind of person." Haley disagreed. "And maybe you can get to know each other better now and maybe you'll even become great friends." She continued, pleased with herself for pointing out yet another opportunity for the two blondes to get to know each other better.

"This is not some lame TV show or some romantic story where everything will be smiles and happy faces because we got paired up for something, Hales. Life doesn't work like that."

"How do you even know? Just give it a chance."

"I don't like Peyton. Peyton doesn't like me. That's just the way it is." Lucas said while getting up from the porch and heading for the door.

"But…" Haley tried to protest, trailing behind him.

"End of story, Haley."

"Fine." She grumbled as she got into the house and immediately went into the direction of the fridge. "I still think things are going to change now, though!"

AN: ... So? Any thoughts? (:

For the readers of "Back to You"; the new chapter is coming, I only don't know when it'll be done. I am working on it, but I think I needed a little break from it (hence the new story) so I could go back to it later and write better. I'm halfway done now, so it shouldn't take me super, super long anymore to update.