- T h r e e -
Peyton was on her way back to her place after another long day of working. Prolonged hours spent pretending to care that someone's steak was too over cooked for them or their coke had gone flat, not to mention the constant comments on the change in menu, had a tiring effect on the blonde. All she wanted to do now was crawl into bed and prey no one would find her.
With this in mind, she turned her stereo up and pushed harder on the accelerator, thankful for the lack of traffic due to the time.
Suddenly deciding to change the CD, Peyton reached across the passenger seat, trying to grasp a disc. Smirking triumphantly when she now had a firm grip on her music choice, she glanced back up on the road.
Panicked, Peyton slammed on her brakes as hard as she could before she rolled straight into the figure crossing the street.
Closing her eyes and gripping the steering wheel tightly, she took a large deep breath, especially as she noticed there had been no thud or screaming or general chaos.
Raising her head slowly, Peyton's expression changed from shocked and scared to aggravated, particularly as she watched the figure pull back the hood on their grey sweatshirt, revealing the blue eyes she was beginning to loathe.
He was dazed at the near miss and glanced from his knees to the edge of the bumper. Mere inches apart. Bringing his eyes back to the blonde that sat behind the wheel, he smirked lightly.
Having the hood of her car down, Peyton stood and then perched on the back of her seat, keeping a spiteful glare aimed at the blue eyes before her.
"Are you stalking me now?" she spat, not even being pleasant enough to dim her headlights.
Lucas laughed hollowly, looking at the night sky briefly. "Excuse me. You just almost ran me over." he stated incredulously, pointing at Peyton then himself, keeping a firm hold on the basketball, which was tucked under his right arm.
"Well, wherever I go, you seem to appear." she retorted, pointing at him to mirror his previous actions.
"Maybe it's fates way of saying you can't get rid of me, Blondie."
Peyton inwardly groaned as she watched the smug grin appear on his face once again. "Fate always did have a way of being a bitch." she stated with a false smile.
"But you gotta love her." Lucas responded with an even bigger grin, as he began to step backwards towards the path. "I'll be seeing ya." he smirked, before turning and heading in his original direction.
Peyton watched his retreating form and berated herself for braking. The boy is so aggravating, she vented silent.
Once he was out of sight, she groaned while falling semi-gracefully back into her seat with a huff.
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"I hate him. I hate him." Peyton yelled walking into her apartment, throwing her bag unceremoniously on to the couch.
"Bad day, Goldilocks." Brooke responded while walking out of the bathroom with a smile gracing her features. She really couldn't help it, sometimes pissed off Peyton was funny. Especially when it wasn't aimed at her.
"No it was normal…" Peyton replied, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge, finally slamming it shut with more force than required. "…until I meet that ass again. How did you get in, anyway?"
The brunette accepted the bottle that was held out to her. "Spare key you gave me encase of emergencies."
"And the emergency was…?" Peyton raised an eyebrow, quickly glancing around her surroundings.
"I was out of cookie dough…" Brooke explained with a sheepish smile as Peyton's expression turned to one of disbelieve. "…and my mum was on a mission to spend time with me, you know before she disappears again."
Peyton softened as she took the last part as the real reason her friend was here at that moment and relaxed slightly. "There better be some cookie dough left." she joked pointing a finger at the girl before her mockingly.
Brooke laughed softly. "So, who's the ass we are hating at the moment?"
"That guy from the party." the blonde replied, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice.
"Who? Mr Inappropriate?"
"No, not him. He doesn't have that God awful smug grin you wish you could just wipe of his face." Peyton answered, taking a gulp of her water before continuing. "You know what, I'm trying that next time."
Brooke gazed at her friend in confusion, listening to the somewhat crazy ramblings. "Trying what next time?"
"Wiping the smug grin of his face." Peyton answered as if it wasn't that hard to comprehend.
"Okay, Peyton.." Brooke began, placing two hands on her friends shoulders and looking her dead in the eyes, trying to get the blonde to focus. "..who are you talking about?"
"That Lucas guy." she stated, inwardly grimacing when a slow smile spread across Brooke's face and a soft chuckle escaped her lips.
Peyton groaned, pulling out of the other girl's grip. "Don't give me that look…or I'll wipe it off your face too." she glared.
Brooke raised her hands, pleading her innocence, although she was unable to remove the expression from her face. "Okay, so what did the handsome blonde do to get my P. Sawyer so hot and bothered?"
Peyton glared once again at Brooke's choice of words. "Not funny." she snapped back.
The brunette nodded twice and finally controlled her facial expression, knowing pushing Peyton too much would result in trouble. "Not funny." she repeated, her lip twitching slightly. "What did he do?"
"Well, he walked out in front of my car…"
"Oh my God. You didn't hit and run, did you?" Brooke asked panicked. Peyton's driving was not something you crossed…literally.
"Nooo. What do you think I am?" Peyton replied indignantly.
"You took him to the hospital then?"
"What?" Peyton snapped. "Brooke, I didn't hit him. Do you really think I would be pissed off with a guy I had just hit with my car?" At her friend's raised eyebrow, Peyton continued. "Don't answer that."
"Okay. Explain." Brooke instructed, feeling more confused than ever and trying desperately to get to the point.
"I left work. I was driving near the river and I lent over to change my CD, when I looked up he was there." Peyton replied but stopped when Brooke's face became thoughtful. "What?"
"So he didn't walk out in front of your car. You weren't paying attention again, were you?"
"Focus, Brooke." Peyton responded, knowing the truthful answer to the question and one glance at Brooke, she knew her friend had figured the answer too. "Anyway… I stopped, in time I might add and then he just starts rambling on about fate and how I can't get rid of him…with that grin permanently smothered across his face."
Brooke laughed softly, shaking her head as she took a seat on the sofa. "What's so bad about seeing him around?"
"Lots!" Peyton answers, falling beside her friend with a huff. Peyton lent her back against the arm rest, pulling her feet up onto the sofa.
"God, your so irrational about this." Brooke laughed, ignoring the glare she was on the receiving end off.
"Just because I don't like the guy, does not make me irrational. I'm agitated."
"More like sexually frustrated." Brooke mused with a smile.
"Brooke!"
The brunette shrugged slightly at the scolding, a look of indifference gracing her features. "What? He definitely has a thing for you so…"
Peyton gazed at her friend incredulously. "I don't even know him."
"Oh, please, like that's stopped you before." Brooke chuckled lightly, before receiving a light kick.
"So not the point." the blonde glared indignantly.
Brooke once again laughed lightly, before mirroring Peyton's position on the other side of the couch, one leg resting on the back of the couch, while the other was placed between the irritated blonde's. She tilted her head to her left and studied the expression on Peyton's face.
It were these moments, which made Brooke's curiosity increase. She had began to learn to read the girl by a mere look or the shift in her eyes. However Peyton could still be a mystery.
The brunette knocked her leg into the blonde's and watched as her head shot up in recognition, followed by a small smile.
"Where'd you go?"
Peyton shrugged, smiling a tiny bit brighter at the question. "Nowhere special." Brooke raised an eyebrow, showing that she knew this to be untrue. "So…" Peyton began, deciding to change the subject. "…what was mama Davis' master plan to lull you into a false sense of security before dragging you into the social scene of the rich and powerful they have been preening you for since your birth?"
Brooke laughed, shaking her head in amusement at Peyton's animated question. "And people say I'm dramatic."
"You are." the green eyed girl replied matter-of-factly. "I, on the other hand, am just worried that I'm going to lose you to the other side of the river, where life is full of grooming and manipulating the youth and future of America into miniature versions of their parents."
"Never going to happen P Sawyer." Brooke replied with a smile, knocking her friend's leg again playfully. "…but thank you for caring."
"Awe, that's the first time I've been thanked for being selfish." Peyton chuckled, nudging Brooke's slightly swaying leg. "So…mama Davis?"
Brooke was momentarily lost in the moment before finally hearing Peyton's words. "Oh, she wanted to go shopping then have a nice 'family' dinner."
Peyton suddenly dived forwarded, resting one arm over the tops of Brooke's knees and the other rested on the arm rest, effectively pinning the brunette in place. Peyton starred straight at Brooke, moving her head into various angles.
Brooke had a bemused look on her face, struggling to work out what Peyton was trying to do. "What?" she finally asked.
The blonde moved closer in, still keeping eye contact. "The dinner I can understand skipping out on…" she began answering, pulling back a little. "..the shopping though, that makes me worry. Are you sure your B Davis?"
"What? I can give up shopping for a day if it meant I wasn't in my mother's company."
"Wait. A day? How long have you been here?" Peyton questioned, her eyes forming a good-humoured glare.
Brooke grinned sheepishly. "Well, I did drive round and round for God knows how long and about four-ish I got so bored, I ended up here."
"You've been here almost 6 hours and there's nothing cooked?" the blonde returned, leaning back on her legs, while crossing her arms in front of herself.
"Hey, I'm a guest."
Peyton sighed dramatically, pushing herself of the coach with the help of Brooke's knee. "More like loiterer." she remarked, heading to the kitchen. "..and loiterers should cook for their great friends as a way of payment for their amazing hospitality."
The brunette laughed. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that blondie."
Peyton shut the cupboard door with a bang, before turning to her friend, who still lounged on the coach. "You wanna go out, especially as we both burn toast and I think the cheese in the fridge is reproducing."
"Ugh, I think I just lost my appetite." Brooke replied, covering her mouth to indicate her discomfort.
"Oh, come on. I promise to throw it out when we get back and I'll even let you drive." Peyton pleaded, grabbing Brooke's hand and pulling her from her slouched position.
"Considering your driving is harmful, I better agree."
"I'm not a bad driver." Peyton argued, watching as Brooke found her shoes then glanced up in disbelieve.
"Try telling that to Lucas."
More foundations I'm afraid but I promise...it should get better!
Thank you to those who are reviewing, it's more worthwhile when people actually let you know what they are thinking. Cheers pepods!
I'll try to have the next update mid-weekish...if your lucky/unlucky (depends on your opinion, huh?)