Warnings: Lake slash, AU, begins during 'Life In A Glass House'…the basketball party thrown at the Scott's household

I don't own one tree hill...

Chapter One: Welcome to the Club

Jake watched as the blonde boy rushed out of the house, only after being stopped by a Brooke who was well on her way to ending her night in a state of drunken unawareness. He watched as Brooke shamelessly flirted, and Lucas pulled away to complete his escape. Jake had grown slightly worried when he saw Lucas' face, he knew that Lucas had been upstairs with Peyton and Nathan had at least gone up the stairs as well. Unfortunately, Jake's concern distracted him and he walked right into Brooke's line of fire.

"Jake, Jake, Jake." Brooke sing song, grabbing his tie. "I'm drunk. You'll do."

"Oh, Brooke, Brooke, Brooke…" He smiled to hide anxiousness, "I hate to disappoint you, but I've got somewhere I need to go."

She pouts, "First, Lucas turns me down, then you." Her faces grows as the thought grows in her head, "I know…You're both gay!"

He bit his lip, played along, "Yeah, Brooke that's it." He hoped he sounded sarcastic enough. He slid past her and left her behind to track down another, probably not so unsuspecting basketball player. By the time he got outside he found Lucas leaning against the tree.

"Nathan?"

Lucas shook his head no. Jake just continued, "Want to take a walk, get away from here?"

Lucas nodded and the two took off in the vague direction of the river court.

"You want to talk about what happened back there?" Jake asked, mostly out of pure concern…with a side of curiosity.

Lucas took a few moments answering, "I don't know."

"You don't know what happened? Or you don't know if you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know…" Lucas repeated, "I don't know…"

Jake let that answer satisfy him because just as he had suspected Lucas started again.

"Peyton had pulled me upstairs…into a bedroom, and I knew what direction we were going, but somewhere between undoing the seventh and eighth button I realized that there I was standing in front of Peyton Sawyer. Peyton is…beautiful, and there just something…something about…"

Jake interrupted, "Something about her true dark, tortured artist nature that hides behind this stereotypical shell of a cheerleader that you, a smart, quasi-loner, literature lover who is also forced to hide your true emotions because society sees you as a basketball player…and bastard child…somehow feels connected to her story…some unwritten bond."

"Uh," Lucas stutters at the accuracy of the statement, "Yeah."

"Trust me, been there." Jake pauses a moment, "No, wait…still there, welcome to the club…Well, not the quasi-loner, and bastard child parts, but…you know…"

Luke's face clicks in recognition of what Jake is referring to, and after a few moments of silent pondering. "How do you do it?"

"Do what? Because that question can lead us down quite a few paths, and some of them I don't think I want to travel." Lucas laughed as Jake tried to lighten the mood, something he knew he could always count on Jake to do for him.

"How do you do the pretending part?"

"Playing along." Jake answers instantly, simply. "Same as you…in your own role. The more you smile, make it seem like it doesn't bother you, make it seem more false, the more they are content in being blissfully unaware that it is in fact true. Because the instant you drop your act in this town, they're all over you. So, instead, you keep the upper hand…take the…"

"Higher road." Lucas finishes, and Jake can see Lucas' understanding flash across his face.

"I mean it's not like I plan to keep this act up forever, just until I can leave or until I just get so sick of hiding I won't mind what ever they throw my way."

Lucas was aware of Jake's noticeable movement towards him and yet he made no move away.

"I know."

"Well, there's a change…"

Lucas slowed down and let Jake, "I mean I know…I know."

He waited until Jake turned around to face him before he continued, "You didn't let me finish my story…I stood there undressing Peyton, and realized I didn't really want that…I just got so sick of convincing myself that she…for whatever reason, the bond, whatever attachment…wasn't what I wanted…and I couldn't do that anymore. So, I just left."

"I'm sure that doesn't give Peyton more of a complex than she may already have…" Jake laughed, "I'm teasing, Luke, but, just because you didn't want to have sex with Peyton doesn't mean your…"

Lucas leaned over and whispered in his ear, Jake listened to every word eyes raising occasionally, and as Lucas lingered near his face as he pulled away…Jake's cell phone ruined the moment.

He forced himself to look at the text that appeared on the screen.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I've got to go somewhere…" He didn't fail to see Lucas' disappoint, he sighed trying to make up for the interupption, but couldn't find anything to say...instead he settled for awkwardly mumbling, "So, I'll see you later."

Jake walked past the boy a few feet before turning around, "And Luke…" The blonde boy turned around,

"Yeah?"

"Welcome to the club."

Okay so first of all this is dedicated to all the fans of my Lake stories, especially L. Kerr whose review quasi-unknowingly provoked me into posting this…and as apart of that request this is going to me a multi-chapter story.

And this one also inspired a Jathan themed ideal in my head so we'll see what comes of that.

Enjoy and Review.

Until next time, this is me…signing out