Author's Note: sorry that this is such a short chapter everyone. I had little thought to work with, nor do I have much time and I didn't want to come back to it later because I don't like to do that at times (like now), but I'm content with it. 'Hope you all like what I give you, though.
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Don't think you're gonna look like an idiot to her, I mean, you will, but don't think about it, Lucas's words echoed in Nate's head as he put his bag over his shoulder on his way to see Haley for their study session. Of course he was going to look like an idiot, but his older brother's laughing face swam across his eyes. Luke was always so sure it seemed, always. He had known Haley for a while, so he could be sure about it, Nathan handed him that, but he hadn't. He had barely said a word to her and now he was stuck with her for an hour or more. He was debating calling it off now and that startled him. He had never dreamed of and would never call off a date with a hot girl, let alone a hot tutor.
At the two machines he took his time buying Funions, and two root beers only he hid one in his Raven's jacket pocket. It was barely noticeable if at all, and he had a so called grand idea. It was actually fairly stupid and pretty pointless, but he was hoping that Haley might share her soda with him and maybe even he could always surprise her with another one if she needed it. Of course there was room for error and there were already flaws, but he figured it was a nice attempt. He figured he was acting like a boy in fifth grade with a crush and he might as well have been. He had never felt this way before, so… He didn't even know the word. He thought, just another reason to get tutored.
She had told him to be there after basketball and be ready. There he was after basketball, all ready. He thought he heard footsteps but wasn't too sure. He turned his head to see Haley walking over to him, she didn't have anything with her and he wondered why. Were they suddenly off? She had her hands in her pockets and a smile across her face. "C'mon," she waved him over, "we're in room 207." He wondered why 207 and not the library, but it dawned on him that no food was allowed in the library, well there wasn't last year. He wasn't much of a rules guy when it came to things like that, but then he figured maybe tutors were assigned rooms as to not confuse things. He was just confusing himself.
In the room he saw that in the table in the corner were Haley's belongings. They walked over; he put his stuff down, and pulled out his book while placing the root beer and the Funions on the table. He opened to the chapter they were having the test on and told Haley, "teach me everything you know."
"Everything?" she questioned.
"Everything," he stated. Slowly, it seemed, he was going back to his old ways. Flirty and maybe hoping they could do more than just study books.
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"You know that's my car, right?" Peyton asked the boy who was looking at it closely. His back was to her and all she could see was his brown wavy hair and how tall he was, maybe around Nathan's height, the height she learned to like. She was shorter than him though, of course, by about seven inches standing at a proud five foot five inches.
The boy wheeled around, "hey…yeah, I know, I was actually waiting for you."
Peyton recognized him at once. He was on the Ravens' basketball team. His name was Jake, and whether she knew it or not, she had recently begun following him with her eyes and lingering on the words he spoke in the halls. "Oh hi Jake," she said with a smile. Truthfully she was a little curious as to why he was waiting for her. "You were waiting for me?" This little piece of information made her smile all the more. It was nice to hear that he was waiting for her and was willing to wait unlike a certain Nathan Scott who was impatient and would tell her more often than not that he wasn't going to wait all day. She checked her watch, from what she knew, he had waited all day. Actually, he had only waited an extra hour but that was a lot to be waiting out by a car when it was just becoming spring.
Jake looked a little nervous as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, umm, so you know how it's been going around that you and Nathan broke up?" he asked a bit timidly and Peyton didn't know why he'd wait to ask her that, couldn't he just text her or call her or something, he did have her number after all. She didn't even know if that was crucial, relevant information that would impact Jake's life.
"Yeah, he dumped me the day before yesterday," she told him, tilting her head in a 'why' kind of way. She wasn't trying to be cocky or appear to be mean and ready to smack him, but it might've seemed that way.
Jake nodded, his hands in his pocket, his weight shifting from one foot to the other, rocking on the balls of his feet. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that," and yet all Peyton could hear was I'm sorry I'm so polite. She didn't mind though. "But what do'ya say to maybe going out sometime?" He sounded so sure, so positive with his words like he had done this many times before, but Peyton knew he wasn't a bad boy, he was a genuine, polite, sane kind of guy. It kind of sounded like asking if they were broken up was just to make sure and he didn't really care, but Peyton didn't really care. If Nathan wanted it done, Peyton would show she didn't care either, and in all fairness, she didn't.
She smiled and nodded her head a little, her blonde curls bouncing. "That'd be nice I think," she said smiling, "what about Friday?"
Jake nodded, "Friday it is. I'll pick you up at seven."
It was so sudden, such a surprise. It was a lovely, bittersweet reality, and Peyton loved it. She was looking forward to Friday and couldn't wait until it finally came to see what was coming her way. She pictured them walking to his car, her phone shining seven o'clock, and out to dinner they would go, smiling, talking laughing. Jake was what she needed, it was a beautiful moment in time in her dreams. "I'll see you at seven," she smiled. Out of the sudden surprise, seven o'clock seemed so typical. At least a constant would be nice.
Getting in her car she asked him, "Hey do you need a ride?"
Jake shook his head, "no, my car's over there. Thanks though." He pointed to his car, gave a wave and walked away, his hands deep in his pockets walking away with that perfect walk. Very much a gentleman he was now despite how he might've been previously at the basketball parties.
Peyton waved her goodbye and turned the key in the ignition. Going slower than usual, she watched him in her rearview mirror walk away. He turned his head with a smile to himself that she could see, but he didn't know about. She too smiled to herself with a smile that he couldn't see, didn't know about.
