A/N: Thank you so much for the great reviews, I'm sorry I haven't updated this story in a while, I've just had a lot of school and a case of writers block but I hope you all still remember and continue to enjoy it. I made this chapter extra long to make up for weeks of no updates!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, any of its characters or storylines; they all belong to Mark Schwahn, his team of people and the WB/CW. I do own my own storyline and any original characters within the story.
Enjoy Reading…
Chapter Four
A Million Thoughts
In the background the sound of someone gently strumming a guitar could be heard as Haley walked into the large empty club. She loved the large expanse of area when it was like this, with the sunlight drifting in through the high windows and when it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Very much unlike the nights where a voice could be barely heard and everywhere artificial strobe lights flashed continuously to the beat of the blaring music.
Suddenly thoughts of the opening night of Tric entered her mind, even after a year had past the humiliating night still haunted her; it was like some huge barrier constantly stopping her from trying to be herself. Quickly pushing the thoughts away from her head she spotted a mass of blonde curls hunched up over a pile of records, smiling to herself Haley made her way over to her best friend.
"So tell me why, when Karen's Café is a mere two minutes away from this place, you specifically make me walk all the way here with your food?"
Peyton turned to look at her friend with a bright smile.
"I thought it was part of you're waitressing gig, you bring people's food!"
"To their table, in the café, not to their homes and work places I'm not a take out service!"
"Oh you know you wanted to get away anyway!"
"Maybe…but still!" Haley pouted as she placed the bag full of food on the table next to the stack of CDs.
"Ooh! What did you get me?" Peyton mused as she snatched the bag and started looking through the food.
"Your usual, I super sized it though,"
"Oh Hales you are a God!"
Haley gave her smirk before grabbing a fry.
"Anyway as much as I like hanging out with you and watching you eat on my lunch break, why am I here?"
"I feel hurt, I thought you would have wanted to spend some quality time with one of you're best friends!" Peyton exclaimed in mock horror.
"Oh you know I love you Peyt but you wanting to spend 'quality time' and a cheery face!" Haley shook her head slightly. "Sorry just not buying it."
Peyton gulped down the rest of her burger before sighing at Haley.
"Well uh actually there was kinda someone I wanted you to meet," Peyton mumbled.
Haley gave her a quizzical look.
Before Haley could open her mouth to utter single word, Peyton, grabbing the bag of food with one hand and Haley's arm with the other, started pulling the small girl along to the back of the club.
"Peyton!" Haley screeched trying to get out of the tall girls grasp.
Once they reached the back stage area Peyton quickly pushed open one of the doors and pulled Haley in.
Sitting there in front of them was Jake who was still strumming on the guitar. His mouth quickly formed a smiled when he noticed the two girls.
Peyton quickly plopped a surprised Haley onto a chair before she gave Jake a wink and headed out of the door.
Popping a fry into her mouth Peyton felt extremely pleased with herself, her plan had gone off to a great start.
Haley sat there bewildered; not knowing what the hell was going on, as Jake continued strumming his guitar.
She slowly opened her mouth to speak but once again she was interrupted by Jake's soulful voice as he started singing along to the sounds of his guitar.
At first she was stunned by how she had gone from delivering lunch to her friend to sitting in front of some guy playing a guitar but now, now her surprise took on a whole new level.
She watched astounded as Jake's voice filtered through the air, even without the audience and the speakers echoing his voice throughout the whole room she was mesmerised. She sat there for the next four minutes feeling like she was in the presence of one of her idols while Jake continued to sing.
When the song finally finished, Haley pulled out of her trance and greeted the young man with a smile.
"Wow, that was just amazing," She breathed out as she stood up.
Jake smiled back.
"Thanks,"
"You're just wow, you're so good, and the songs they're just amazing."
"Thanks, I think you've just made me blush!"
They both laughed but the cheerful sounds soon died down when they locked eyes upon other another and stood there transfixed.
Haley looked away first and quickly cleared her throat.
Jake moved his eyes away and started to take his guitar off.
"So I hear you've haven't got too bad a voice yourself," He finally broke the silence.
"Ahh I see you've been talking to Peyton," Haley replied shaking her head. "I'm not really into the whole music thing anymore; I mean I've got so much going on anyway."
Jake quietly nodded his head before breaking the silence once more.
"I remember the first time I played; it was at some open mic night down at a café in town, everyone was there, my family, my friends, my basket ball buddies, everyone. I hardly slept the night before and I was puking up in the alley behind the café about five minutes before I had to go on."
Jake smiled at Haley who chuckled at the story.
"What did you do?"
"I got up there and I sung, I let myself become one with the music and I realised well as long as I think I'm good I shouldn't care what anyone else thinks, in the end I was glad they thought I was good though!"
Haley gave a small chuckle.
"Peyton roped you into this huh?" Haley questioned at last.
Jake shrugged.
"Yeah, I mean from what she's been telling me, you're an amazing singer and you could really go places, and coming from Peyton you know she's not lying, she's like the God of music!"
Haley gave him a small smile.
"I love music. I do, but I don't want to go places, I'm perfectly fine sitting in my room, writing lyrics and singing to myself. I don't want to try build myself up and say I wanna to be a mega star and have platinum albums and world wide tours because I know it won't happen." Haley rambled on, "I mean do you how many people can sing? I bet it's more than double the amount of people who actually make it and go places. I don't wanna be one of those people, you know, the people who just don't have that extra bit, the people who's dreams come crashing down in an instant. Because I think the disappointment from not achieving my dreams that would crush me and that's not something I want to carry around with me all my life."
"Wow, I think you've just put me off music!" Jake smirked half in shock at how much the girl before him could ramble. "But singing at Tric, I mean it's not like you're going straight for the big time,"
"I just can't," Haley said quietly.
Silence ensued between them, each in their own little worlds.
"We've just had a heart to heart and I don't even know you're name," Haley eventually said breaking the peacefulness.
He gave a bright smile.
"I'm Jake,"
"I'm-"
"Haley yeah I know, Peyton told me plus I've seen you around school,"
Haley gave a small chuckle.
"I'm sorry she got you roped into all of this,"
"No, actually it was really good to meet you; you seem like a great person and I would really like to get to know you, I mean other than what I already know,"
"Yeah, me too,"
They stood there a moment once again as they're eyes locked once again.
"I uh should go; I think my lunch break has been over for quite a while now," She muttered looked at her watch.
"K, I'll cya around,"
"Yeah you too," Haley quickly said before she rushed out of the door.
"I thought I'd find you here," Lucas muttered as he walked into her bedroom and eyed her lying flat on her stomach on her bed, doodling on a white piece of paper.
At the sound of her boyfriend's voice Peyton quickly scribbled out one of the small doodles on the side of her paper before turning round to face him, a wide smile upon her face.
"I'm amazed Lucas, trying to hide away from you never works, you always seem to find me."
"I think you hide in places knowing that I will find you," Lucas muttered back before he leaned down and softly pressed his lips against hers.
"I think you're right," Peyton mumbled back as they pulled away a dreamy smile playing on her lips.
Lucas sat down on the bed and looked at the doodles as Peyton sat crossed legged from her previous position.
"Are you writing out our initials with hearts around them?" Lucas asked incredulously as he stared at the paper, a smirk playing on his face.
"No," Peyton quickly said though she moved the paper away from him as her cheeks coloured slightly red.
"Is my girlfriend blushing?" He asked in mock horror.
"Okay, maybe I was...can we drop it please!" She whined as she placed the piece of paper under her pillow.
"Fine, so anyway how was your day?" Lucas asked as he trailed a hand up on down arm a wide smirk still on his face.
"It wasn't too bad, I went to see Dad off in the morning and then I was at the club ever since, oh yeah and you know I was telling you about my secret plan to get Haley to perform," Lucas nodded with a smile, "Well that went of to a great start when I got Haley to come over on her lunch break while Jake was performing,"
"Well look at that, my girlfriend's a genius!"
"You only realised this now?" She countered back in mock anger.
"If I said sorry would you believe me?" Lucas smirked as he leaned down, his lips now only inches away from hers.
"Maybe," Peyton smirked back as she closed the distance between them in a sizzling kiss.
"Okay, I forgive you," She muttered, as they pulled away. "Anyway how was the movie night?"
"Huh?"
"You know two days ago?"
"Oh yeah, yeah it was okay,"
"Let me guess, Brooke tried to kill you didn't she?" Peyton smirked as she got up.
Suddenly the events of that night flooded through Lucas' mind.
"No," Lucas quickly said in reply wanting so badly to change the subject.
"Well that's a first, oh but I guess she was too busy with Nathan huh? I bet she was all over him for the whole night,"
"Uh, yeah, I just realised there's something I need to do, can I talk to you later?" Lucas asked quickly getting up.
"Yeah sure that's fine,"
"Okay," Lucas gave her a quick peck on the side of her face before he disappeared out of her room.
"Bye," Peyton said softly before she pulled out the piece of paper from under the pillow and looked at the small scribbled out doodle at the top of the page.
Under the scribbled black lines, you could barely make out the initials JP.
"Nathan! What are you doing here," Brooke exclaimed as she opened the front door to fine Nathan standing nervously on the doorstep.
"Is Haley here?" Nathan asked quietly.
"No, she's gone to work," Brooke said as she moved away from the door and gestured for Nathan to follow her in. "Why?"
"Thanks, Uh I just needed to speak to her,"
"Oh right well she'll be back soon, anything I can get you in the meantime?" Brooke asked with a hint of a smile.
Nathan looked at her, analysing her face. Gone was the hurt expression from the night before but her green eyes seemed to have lost their spark.
"Oh, uh no it's fine," Nathan said. "I wasn't interrupting anything was I?"
"Oh no, no," Brooke said quickly. "Do you wanna sit down or something?"
"Uh okay," He muttered before he launched himself onto a stool by the island.
Silence ensued as Brooke busied herself with making a snack.
"So…what's it like? Living here?" He eventually asked noting her unusual quiet nature.
"It's okay, I mean it's smaller and a bit cramped with me and my clothes and I'm sure Haley doesn't appreciate my wardrobe space and I hate all her music stuff lying around." Brooke cracked a smile at Nathan, "But its home and now I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."
"That's good,"
"Yeah, it is,"
"Brooke, what's going on?" Nathan asked softly.
"Nothing," Brooke replied back brightly keeping her eyes away from Nathan.
"Brooke, look I know we weren't that close before but in the past year I think I think you've become a good friend of mine."
"Yeah I know, I just-" Brooke stopped herself short and looked at Nathan before closing her eyes.
"Brooke you can tell me," Nathan said quietly.
"I don't know what I would have done without you Nate, the last year since everything that happened you've been by my side all the way through," She gave him a small smile. "I don't know what I would have done without you,"
"Well, it was good getting to know you and I'm glad we're close."
"Me too I mean, I had Haley but I couldn't tell her for such a long time, then you just came along and you let me talk, like really talk and I'm glad I managed to tell you all that."
"I'm glad too and you know I'll always be there for you,"
"I know," Brooke replied timidly.
"What happened that night?"
"Nothing, we started arguing and then he started apologising,"
"What did you say?"
"I couldn't say anything, I don't know why I find it so easy to forgive Peyton, I mean I don't want all this hate around the group but I just can't you know. He was meant to be my everything and it was like everything that we built together went tumbling down in an instant and it was all his fault,"
"I know Brooke, and you know you don't have to do anything you want to but maybe its time you start talking to Lucas, I'm not saying be best buddies but just be civilised. He suffered as well."
"You're right, I know I just can't do it," Brooke said meekly.
"You do what you have to do Brooke, just know that you have a lot of people behind you,"
"Thanks," Brooke quickly shook her head before putting on a bright smile, "Anyway enough of all the bad lets talk about the good, like how maybe I could reward you for being such a lovely guy, what do you say Hotshot? Ever had a girl dress up for you with fewer clothes than she had before?" She winked
Nathan shot her a small smile but remained silent.
"Oh come on Hotshot, I need someone to check if my new lingerie fits in all the right places," Brooke placed a hand on his shoulder, "What do you say Nate?"
Brooke stood there waiting for her reply, a smirk playing on her lips while Nathan sat there staring intently into her eyes before he placed her hand back on the table and broke the silence.
"I say you don't have to try this hard Brooke, you don't need to do this act," Nathan said softly. "Do you know how many guys will fall flat on their faces just to be with you?"
Brooke gave him a small smile but before she could open her mouth to speak the door flew open and Haley bustled in with wind swept hair.
"Oh hi," Haley said awkwardly when she spotted the two in the kitchen. Nathan jerked his head towards her, almost in shock while Brooke turned and greeted her with a wide smile. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She finished keeping her focus strictly on Brooke.
Nathan kept staring at her, waiting for her to look at him.
"Oh no, it's okay I was just about to give my Mr. Hotshot here a reward he's never seen before," Brooke said with a wink.
Haley face immediately drained of colour as she stood there looking at the two.
"Oh uh…I was…uh just going to go to my room," Haley said quickly before jetting off.
But Haley wasn't quick enough as Brooke quickly grabbed her arm stopping her mid sprint.
"I'm sure you can join, you just needed to ask," She said with an easy smile.
"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed as her cheeks reddened, at the far end of the kitchen Nathan himself couldn't stop blushing as he watched the scene.
"No I'm joking you know that, now come tell me how your day was," Brooke smiled brightly as she dragged Haley back towards the island.
"It was fine," she exclaimed meekly as she clambered onto one of the stools that was furthest away from Nathan, which didn't go unnoticed by him.
His furrowed his eyebrows at her questioningly but she kept her eyes away from his face.
"What about when Peyton made you go to Tric?" Brooke asked excitedly.
"Was this some sort of plan you all devised together to bring me down?" Haley countered back with narrowed eyes.
"Oh come on girly, you now as well I do that you need to be up there on the stage singing your heart out to the world, not watching other people live out your dream!"
Haley gave Brooke a small smile, as Nathan stared intently at Haley.
"Yeah it was good, Jake was really sweet, and he told me about the first time he performed,"
"Really? Oh wow Jake really is a sweetheart and ain't he damn fine too!"
Haley blushed and stared down.
"Oh come on Hales! Admit it! Jake is so fine!"
"Okay maybe a little bit,"
"Oh my god I can totally see it now! Jake and Haley! You guys can be Jaley and have like this intense music connection!" Brooke squealed in glee.
"Brooke, come on stop dreaming!" Haley exclaimed.
"Oh come on girly, you know you like the idea of him and you cosying up together with a guitar, singing to each other as you make love,"
"Brooke!" Haley gasped now her cheeks flamed.
"Oh I bet it's bound to happen, what do you think Nathan?" Brooke said suddenly turning to face Nathan.
Nathan, whose stare hadn't wavered since Haley had walked into the room kept his eyes fixed on her.
"Yeah, they seem like the match made in heaven," He said quietly.
"See!" Brooke exclaimed grabbing Haley's hand. "Now all we need to do is fix you up, have your hair curled maybe you could put that top that I bought last week on and then voila! You can knock Jake off his feet, he'll be practically begging for you by the end"
"Broo-" Haley started.
"Haley doesn't go with guys who beg," Nathan muttered under his breath but the words echoed clearly to Haley who quickly turned to face him.
"What did you say Nate?" Brooke asked in confusion.
"Uh, nothing, I have to go…I'll talk to you later Brooke," He said quickly before he made his way out not once looking at Haley.
"Oh boys, they're all whole other species if you ask me!" Brooke muttered before going to her bedroom.
Haley sat there silently gazing at the front door, a million thoughts running through her head.
Thank you for reading please review and let me know what you think, whether you liked it, hated it, or thought it could improve. All constructive criticisms are welcomed.