Chapter 6: Time heals or forgets

Bart couldn't believe how well his stay in America was going. He had already made some friends, Andy was great and tonight he had a date with the girl who had made him believe in love at first sight. He tied his shoes as he got ready for his first basketball practice as a Tree Hill Raven.

"Ready for your first practice, B?" Nathan asked his new team mate. "I was born ready!" "Oh, nice 90's Reference!" they both laughed. "I thought you would appreciate that one. How about this ; you were so occupied with if you could, that you didn't think about if you should." "I don't know that one." "Nate come on, Jurassic park. The greatest movie ever made!" "Okay, normally when people say 'the greatest movie ever made' their talking about The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, West side story or something like that, you Jurassic park." Nathan looked at Bart amused. "That's because it's The greatest movie ever made!" "Sure whatever you say man." Nathan replied sarcastically.

Even though the young men's relationship had only contained of talking about sports, cars, old school hip hop and kicking his ass in NBA Live. Bart considered Nathan already a good friend.

"Now let's get in the gym before Whitey makes us run suicides." Both young men had only just entered the gym when Whitey blew his whistle.

The girl's cheer practice had just ended. Peyton, Brooke and Haley were sitting on the bleachers. Recuperating from practice and watching the basketball team which was really getting a hard time from Whitey.

"So have you talked to Lucas yet?" "Yes I have Peyton and it wasn't pretty, he didn't even look at me and the worst part was that I could see that he was hurting but as usual he was to stubborn to admit it." "Typical Lucas behavior, give him some time he'll turn around." "I hope your right Hales" Brooke looked at Lucas run sprints "I hope your right!"

"Okay different topic, I totally saw Peyton and Bart have a moment this morning!" "What? Spill P. Sawyer." Brooke said, while squealing in excitement. "Well, Monday I promised that I would check with him if he made the team. After he saw his name on the sheet he hugged me and he didn't let go, I was looking in his beautiful blue eyes. I still don't know why but I felled really save in his arms, it just felt good. It was perfect. I saw him move his lips towards mine. So I closed my eyes and did the same and then…" Peyton paused. "And then?!" Brooke asked. "And then Haley's idiot of a husband yelled at us about basketball and totally ruined the moment." Brooke immediately gave Haley a glare of death. "I said I was sorry and she was lucky I was there or those two would have still been talking about basketball. Like it or not Peyton those two are becoming friends." "I know Hales and it's not your fault, anyway after Mr. and Mrs. Scott had left I asked if he wanted to go to Tric tonight. He accepted and that's pretty much it."

Both Haley and Brooke were really happy for Peyton. They knew that it had taken her a long time to get over Jake.

The girls saw that the boy's had left the gym during their conversation so they decided to do the same.

"My legs are killing me!" Bart whined "I thought that Whitey was this sweet old southern gent when I met him." "Trust me dog, that was nothing. Wait until there's a game in the weekend." Skills said as the rest of the team nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to this party at Tric tonight Bart?" Lucas asked, at first he hadn't trusted Bart but as time went by the big lug had grown on him. "Yeah, Peyton asked if I wanted to go with her and I gladly accepted." "Oh you're going with Blondie, surprised to see her date a person without Scott in his last name." Skills was looking at Nathan and Lucas with a big grin on his face. "Ouch Skills, that's below the belt!" Lucas replied. Bart couldn't follow anymore and apparently was showing it as Lucas told him that he and Nathan had dated Peyton. "Don't listen to these two morons B, Peyton's a great girl. Just have fun tonight." "I will Nate, thanks."

"Bart could I ask you something embarrassing?" Nathan and Bart were the only two standing on the parking lot. "Sure Nate. Shoot!" "Well I told Haley that she could go home after cheer practice and that I would catch a ride with Luke. But he already left." "Sure I'll give you a ride, no problem." Bart interrupted. "Great!" Both young men got into Bart's car. After listening to Nathan mock his fuzzy dice, Bart drove of.

Bart was having dinner with Andy. "Andy I forgot to tell you, when I picked up your coffee Monday, Karen told me to say hi." "Did she?" "Yes, how do you know her if you don't mind me asking?" "I don't mind, when seven years ago, I moved to Tree Hill. We dated for a while but it didn't work out. A year later I met Catherine and I haven't talked to her since. Accept for the actionable hi when I picked up coffee at her place." The men ate in silence for a while.

"So you ready for your big date?" Andy asked. "Not really, I just want everything to go right. I know it's a little weird since I've only known her for 4 day's but she already means allot to me." "That's not weird Bart, that's called love at first sight." "Speak of the Devil." As Bart's cell was ringing, he excused himself to Andy.

"Hey Peyton." Bart's excitement grew when he heard her talk trough the phone. "Sure I'll pick you up, shall we say 9? All right see you then." He hung up his phone, helped Andy clean the table and went to his room to get ready.

Lucas was nervously waiting in front of the door he had just knocked. "Lucas what are you doing here?" Brooke asked, shocked to see Lucas. "Brooke I haven't been honest to you, when you came to talk to me this morning at my locker I was an ass and what I wanted to tell was that I have missed you all summer long. That since you've broken up with me I have felt like something was missing in my life, there was this big void. After a while I realized what was missing, it was my heart Brooke! You have had it with you all summer long. I know where I was wrong and I was hoping if you could give me another chance. Brooke Davis will you be my date tonight?" He pulled a single white rose from behind his back and handed it to her. Brooke took his rose, not being able to hold her tears of happiness back. She looked him in the eyes "Lucas Scott, I will be your date tonight!" Brooke hugged Lucas, Lucas was crying to. "But we have to take it easy you know, every time we get together and rush into things. Well we both know how that ends." Brooke said, Lucas nodded and embraced her again, smiling from ear to ear.

Bart was waiting for Peyton as she walked towards his car. She was wearing a green dress matching her eyes with an open back, the bottom just below her knees. Bart was frozen in his seat. She opened the door and got in. Bart was still staring at her not being able to speak. "What?" "Nothing it's just that you look so beautiful." "Thank you, you clean up nice too." Peyton teasingly said. "Thanks I guess, oh I almost forgot. I've got you something." Bart leaned over her lap and took something out of the glove compartment. "What's this?" Peyton accepted the gift blushing and unwrapped it, to find a CD with the greatest hip hop hits on it. Bart saw her looking at the cover. "When I dropped you of here Monday, the first song on the radio was the Sugarhill gang with Rapper's delight, this was the only CD that had that song on it." "I know this is great Bart! Thank you!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Bart popped it in the CD player and drove off. Both singing along with the songs.

Nathan and Haley had just entered Tric. They saw Peyton and Bart already go at it on the dance floor. They both laughed, Bart was a terrible dancer but he seemed to enjoy himself. "That guy's crazy." "Oh Nathan you are in no position to judge. I've seen you dance and believe me compared to you he's the best dancer in the world!" Haley laughed. "You know what's worst Hales? You have to dance with me!" As he dragged her on the dance floor and started doing 'the robot'. Haley busted out in laughter when she saw her husband make a complete idiot out of himself but to her surprise it caught on and soon everybody on the floor was doing 'the robot'. "Copycats!" Nathan grunted as he took Haley in his arms. "Baby I know you're the original!" Nathan laughed and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

They had just let go of each other when Bart and Peyton approached them. "Hey Nate, Haley." Bart shouted over the music. Both couples greeted each other. "I was going to the Bar, you guys want something?" "Sure." They both replied. "I'll help you carry." Nathan offered as the boys went over to the bar.

"So how's the 'big date' going?" Nathan asked. "Great man, I'm having a blast and Peyton's just amazing." "Yeah, do you like feel something for her? I've seen the way you look at her. I'm not that clueless!" "At the risk of sounding unmanly. Yes I do have feelings for her, strong feelings! It's when I'm with her everything else doesn't matter. Everything is just perfect." "I know what you mean B, Haley makes me feel the same way and love is never unmanly." Nathan gently hit him on the shoulder and took the drinks for the girls.

"Here you go ladies." "To bad we can't get you guys drunk." Nathan joked. Quickly feeling Haley's elbow hitting his side.

Brooke and Lucas had spent the whole evening tucked away in a corner. They had seen Nathan and Bart make asses of themselves on the dance floor. But they didn't really care. Tonight was about them. They could talk with their friends later. "Brooke I'm so happy that you wanted to go with me tonight." "And I'm happy that you've asked me." They spend the rest of the night sitting there. Talking and looking in each other's eyes.

After dancing the night away Bart drove onto Peyton's driveway. He turned his car of and got out to walk Peyton to the door. "I've had a great time Bart." She took his hand into hers to walk the last couple of steps. "Me too!" He looked at her hand which perfectly fit into his. They approached the front door and faced each other. She moved closer and put her head on his chest "we have to do this again" while she felt his chest rise with every breath he took. He lifted her head so he could look into her beautiful eyes. "I'd like that" as he put his hand on her cheek and slowly moved his head closer to hers. When their lips met each other. They felt as if the world had stopped turning. He gently opened his mouth and was glad to feel her do the same. As their tongues intertwined with each other. She pulled away gasping for air. "I should get inside." Bart nodded as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Bye" "Goodnight Peyton." Bart was still trying to gather his thoughts. He danced his way towards the car and pulled out of her driveway.

Peyton walked up the stairs as if she was walking on clouds. She entered her room and switched the light on, almost having a heart attack seeing a figure sit on her bed. "Hello Peyton. How have you been?"

Bart had been driving for five minutes, he turned his car radio on. When the sugarhill gang came busting out of his speakers, he realized that Peyton had forgotten her CD. He made a turn, back in Peyton's direction.

"Hello Peyton. How have you been?"

"Jake, what are you doing here?" she looked at Jake and still couldn't believe that he was in her room. "Peyton I need to talk to you." Jake looked at the floor trying to gather the courage to continue. "I still love you Peyton, I was wrong to break up with you over something you said in your sleep. I've realized that I need you. I can't live without you."

Peyton looked at Jake, tears ran down her face. "Jake I can't do this anymore, I loved you and that you had to leave for Jenny was the right thing to do and I don't blame you for that but it hurt, it hurt allot. Then we seem to be happy again and you sent me away for something stupid as talking in my sleep. I've spend the last months crying. I finally got everything together and I don't want to risk that. What I'm trying to say is that I've moved on and I hope you can do the same."

"Peyton you forgot your CD." Bart walked in and saw Peyton and Jake, both were crying now. "Peyton are you okay?" She nodded. "What's going on?" "Jake looked at Bart and the way he was looking at Peyton and the way she was looking at him. "Uhm, nothing. I was about to leave. I'm sorry Peyton." He walked out of the room heartbroken. From the moment he saw her look at Bart, he knew that she had moved on. She had never looked at him like that. He realized that it really was over, he felt tears run down his face.

"Are you okay?" Bart asked, really worried about Peyton. "I'm fine. That was Jake my ex boyfriend. He just needed to get closure." "Do you still need closure?" Bart asked worried that the girl that already meant so much to him would leave. "No, it's just seeing him brought up allot of old emotions." Peyton wiped the tears from her face. Bart took her in his arms. "Bart, could you spend the night here? I don't want to be alone tonight." "Sure I'll stay, but I'm sleeping on the floor. I don't want to get shot by your dad when he sees me lying in your bed."

Bart was glad to hear her sweet laugh again.