"I saw that." He teased, grabbing her arm to pull her back. "Subtlety's not your strong suit."
The teammate he'd previously been talking to mumbled a goodbye and took off in the opposite direction.
Peyton managed a smile. "You saw that?"
"Yep." Lucas nodded, popping the p. He let his locker door slam shut, leading the way towards their first class. "Peyton..."
"It's nothing."
She'd responded too quickly for his liking. He raised an eye brow, waiting for her to tell him the truth.
Brooke had met Felix more than two months before, and ever since then, his blonde friend was acting very strangely around the proclaimed bad boy. He tried to get a straight explanation out of her countless times before, she always gave him the same answer.
I'm fine, Luke.
"Peyton."
"I'm fine, Luke." Peyton snapped. "Can you please just drop it? If there was something wrong, I would tell you, alright?"
Lucas sighed, pulling on her arm to stop her again. "Promise?"
"I promise.' She replied weakly. "I'm sorry, Luke... I shouldn't have snapped at you, I just don't understand what she sees in him."
"You and me both, Blondie."
He groaned, throwing his arm around her shoulder as they made their way towards their first class. Nathan and Haley were already there. They had their desks pushed together, a newspaper spread across the two table tops.
"They're looking at apartments." Lucas explained, as they dropped down beside them. "I think they'd have a lot more luck if Haley wasn't so picky."
"I heard that." The newly married Haley James-Scott drew out. She turned to flick her best friend on the back of the head. "Shut up, Luke. You'd be picky too if you saw some of these places."
Nathan sighed. "More than half of these places are gonna cost more than most of what I make in two months."
"Welcome to married life." He slapped his little brother on the back. "When are you guys gonna go check some of these places out?"
"Tomorrow." Nathan replied, squeezing Haley's hand. "After school. Wanna come, Luke?"
Lucas's smile faltered. "I can't... I'm sorry, I have plans with Brooke."
"I'll go." Peyton offered. She didn't look up from her newest drawing. "I don't have plans tomorrow, and honestly, knowing you two, you're gonna need a second opinion when it comes to actually choosing your first apartment."
Haley stuck her tongue out at the blonde, and the Scott brothers chuckled. Whatever weird mood she'd been in was gone now, and she was back to her very sarcastic self.
"Hey, Hales, Nate, Luke." Brooke greeted, sliding into the seat beside Nathan. "P. Sawyer, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were avoiding me."
Lucas watched as Peyton forced a smile, rolling her eyes in response.
"I'd never avoid you, B. Davis." She promised, turning back to her drawing. "You have a good imagination."
He shot her a hard look, but she waved him off, just like she always did when she didn't want to talk about it.
Lucas knew whatever she was hiding had to do with Felix, he just needed to figure it out.
"Hey."
Nathan raised an eye brow, nudging Brooke with his elbow. She turned away from the two blondes to find none other than Julian Baker standing beside her desk.
"Hi." She replied.
He shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, unsure of what to say. "I... Umm... I'm sorry that I pretty much ran you over this morning... It was an accident."
Brooke surprised him by laughing. 'Don't worry about it, no harm, no foul. My boyfriend thinks he's trying to protect me, or whatever, but he's just really annoying."
The bell rang, and Julian grinned back at her before going to take a seat in the back. As their teacher drowned on and on, she turned her head slightly to stare at the new boy. In some ways, he reminded her of her friend, Mouth. He didn't wear jeans, and a t-shirt with a button up like Nathan and Lucas did. His hair was done up in a spiked style.
He was actually kind of cute.
