For two weeks Brooke and Peyton ate lunch together. Peyton grew use to her laugh and the way she worded things. The numerous nicknames she used. Peyton became "Blondie", that girl in the poncho from the tutor center because "Tutor girl" and that blonde guy, who might be her boyfriend, became "Broody". Everything looked on the up and up until Brooke uttered the fatal sentence.

"So I tried out for the squad." The fork that had been fiddling in Peyton's salad looking for that damned crouton stilled.

"Please tell you are referring to a gun squad, clown squad, Nazi squad perhaps?"

"Haha P. Sawyer." There goes another one. She liked that one too.

"I was talking about the cheerleading squad." She wanted to shout what the hell were you thinking. She wanted to ask why. She knew why. She wanted normalcy, she wanted friends, she wanted normal friends. We weren't meant to be friends. I am just a placeholder Peyton thought.

"How do you think you did?"

"I think I did well. I mean who could resist this charm?" Brooke ended it with a wink. Peyton knew she wasn't one of those people that could resist. Moth meet flame. Flame meet Moth. The problem with being the moth is you always get burned. Always.

Brooke made the squad. She did a little jump in the hallway and squealed. She rushed into first period buzzing with excitement to tell her blonde friend. Brooke spilled the sentence out into one long word to Peyton. She smiled on the outside for her brunette friend but inside she was breaking. At Lunch, the brown haired girl told her friend that the cheerleaders had to eat lunch together for a week. The girl who had linked arms with Brooke to accompany her informed Peyton "It's like a bonding thing." During the week Peyton drove home to eat but, mostly draw. By Tuesday she had finished a drawing of a group of girls in cheerleading skirts and one in jeans. All the girls' backs had been turned on a girl with curly hair. It read "Welcome to the dark side."

Brooke realized on Thursday that she had not seen Peyton at lunch all week. So during their first period class she was going to inquire what her friend had been so busy with.

Hey, long time no see at lunch. What's up? Peyton was surprised to see a neatly folded note plopped on her desk especially with "READ ME" written on it.

I have been eating at home.

Oh. Sorry about the whole cheerleading lunch cult bond thing. Brooke threw this over certain it would get Peyton to crack a smile, apparently sure had a different definition than she thought because Peyton's lips did not even quiver to form a shape.

No big deal. As soon as she finish tossing it over, Peyton walked out as the bell rang. Not even so much as a second look in Brooke's direction.

The last bell of the day rang. Peyton walked with hands in her pocket bracing the cold and rain that had hit her as she left the building. She fiddled for her car keys in her bag. I really need to put less shit in here she thought to herself as they finally came into grasp. She entered her car and looked to the ground to find a cd to listen for the ride home. After she pulled out of the parking lot she noticed someone up ahead walking in the pouring rain. They were using their purse to cover their head. It was doing a poor job. Peyton spotted the purse and deduced it was a girl. She pulled up next to the girl. She rolled down her windows.

"Hey, you probably don't know me but do you need a ride?"

"I certainly don't know you. What's up Jekyll? Where ya been? I have only been seeing good ol' Hyde. Let me tell you she is a bitch and a half."

"Hi Brooke." Peyton mumbled out.

"Hi Brooke? Hi Brooke! That's what you say to me after cold shoulder fest?"

"Look, you want a ride or not?"

"You know I would be making a ridiculously speech about principles and such but, it is raining like a bitch." Brooke raced over to other side of the car and slid in. She lightly shook her hair out.

"What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know where you live. I'm not really sure which way to go."

"Oh. Just keep going straight." They rode in silence except for the moments where Brooke would direct her. They finally pulled up to her house.

"So."

"So."

"What's your deal?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean one day you are all super cool chick. Then the next you are all quiet McLameface."

"Nothing. Nothing's up"

"Okay. Now for the truth. Does this have to do with cheerleading?"

"No, it doesn't. I just… it just doesn't okay. Trust me." Peyton kept gripping the steering wheel hoping the sweat that had accumulated would go away.

"Fine. If you are so fine then you will be at the pep rally on Friday." They still have those damn things? Good lord. Peyton thought to herself.

"Sure. Yeah I'll be there."

"Good. With a smile on your face?"

"Now you're pushing it."

"You will be there and you will like it, P.Sawyer, trust me." With that Brooke left the car only to turn around into the window.

"By the way, thanks for the ride. I like Jekyll." With that she quickly ran into the house to avoid the rain. The funny thing about rain it's coming from everywhere, no matter how hard you try, it always hits you.

Peyton arrived at the Pep Rally totally confused. What am I doing here she kept asking herself. Peyton had an internal dilemma about where to sit. She first thought sit in the back but in the movies she had watched the loudest people sat in the back. The front row was completely empty. This is a sign. She was definitely supposed to sit here. Peyton sat down in the first row.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" A voice shrieked.

"Um sitting."
"This is reserved for cheerleaders and basketball players. What are you a pep rally virgin or something?" The girl with the obscenely large foam finger said.

"Whatever." Peyton left the reserved for gods row and found one more towards the middle.

All of sudden a rumbling of feet came out of the doors. She didn't stand up with the crowd of people. It was the squad she assumed. They were saying something about craving ravens which Peyton finds amusing. Come on craving ravens, eating crow. That's gold. She stands to get a better look. She immediately spots Brooke on the right wing doing some V-shaped maneuver. Her eyes were shifting through the crowd. Who was she looking for Peyton wondered. At this point she has probably made tons of friends that she all told to come support the team or some other crap. Brooke's eyes stop when they see Peyton standing there almost bobbing her head as if she was at a concert. Probably a knee-jerk reaction the cheerleader thought. She let out a large smile at seeing Peyton there. Peyton smiled back and let out a half-wave. This is what Pep rallies are all about. Peyton got it now.

Hook up with me, meet at the rally

Follow the shouting, I am longing for you

Hook up with me, meet at the rally I waited so long, I couldn't find a cause…

Don't you give me those

Shifty eyes pay attention

- Phoenix