Author Notes: Two in a row...yes indeed I am on a streak...ok. Maybe not...Remember kids, feedback good or bad is welcome. I can take it lol. On with the show...

Chapter 7 – The last time I had a lunch like this…well it was a little less uncomfortable…

Haley sat at lunch table all alone. The other "neat" side effect of going on a national tour is that when you get back to school, everybody treats you like a leper. Or they constantly whisper behind your back. So far she had managed to take the high road and showed no reaction to any of the taunts.

However at lunchtime, the entire student body had agreed that ignoring Haley James Scott was the "In" thing to do. She had been sitting there for a couple of minutes when she noticed Devon walk out onto the courtyard. He had a couple of the Ravens walking with him and they seemed to be talking about whatever basketball players talk about. Her eyes darted around from player to player. It was almost like she was trying to avoid looking at the person who had managed to distract her from constantly thinking about Nathan.

She reached in her pocket and took the piece of notebook paper out. Haley let her fingertips gently trace the words and numbers on the paper. He didn't give her his number out of pity or anything. He just wanted her to know that he was there for her. She smiled and let her mind wander. What if she did call him? What would she say to him?

"How was your day?" Haley whispered as she answered her own question.

"Interesting, Thanks for asking. What's that?" Lucas Scott asked he sat down at the table with Haley.

"Oh, it's nothing. Why aren't you sitting with the team?" Haley asked as she quickly shoved the paper back into her pocket. Hopefully Lucas didn't notice.

"Well, my best friend always comes first and I decided to spend my lunch hour with my favorite person in Tree Hill." Lucas looked over in Devon's direction and Haley noticed that he had that look on his face that was usually reserved for Chris Keller or Felix or Nathan.

He turned back to Haley and asked, "So have you met the new kid yet?"

"Yeah, He came into the tutoring center the other day. Said he needed a tutor. Seemed like a nice guy for the 10 minutes I spent talking to him." Haley said. Apparently, Devon had broken the record for getting on the Lucas Scott shit list.

"And what does your gut say about him?" Lucas asked.

Haley didn't know what Lucas was trying to ask but at the same time she didn't really feel like being the cause of yet another Tree Hill Ravens civil war so, she left out the part about her being is new tutor. She looked over at the table where Devon was sitting and this time she actually managed to catch him looking at her. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds and Haley got lost in his gaze. Her eyes finally looked away from his where she saw the notebook that Devon was holding up. He had written in black marker:

You might want to answer Lucas before he turns redder.

"Haley did you hear me?" Lucas asked again sounding a little concerned.

"Sorry I spaced out." Haley looked over towards the table one more time.

"Unbelievable…." Lucas groaned and got up from his seat.

"Luke, what's wrong…oh. That's new." Haley said as she watched Peyton Sawyer take a seat at the table with Devon. The Ravens that were sitting with Devon had scattered once Peyton sat down. She didn't really know what to think. Why was Peyton sitting with him? And the better question was why she was feeling a pang of jealousy from seeing them sitting together?

****

"Hey." Peyton said as she sat down at the table with Devon.

"Hey, I thought we were going to meet up later?" Devon said, and then to not sound ungrateful for her sitting with him added "Not that I mind any chance to sit next to a pretty lady and talk for a while"

"Smooth, Mr. Sharp."

She reached in her bag and pulled out a tape and handed it to him. "I hope you like it there are some pretty good songs on there."

"You made me a tape." Devon said. There is something special when someone makes you a mix tape and instead of burning a CD, they take the time and record you a tape. That sort of thing is only reserved for crushes or boyfriends. It meant that she had put some time and thought into it.

"Yeah, I thought you would like the old school vibe of having it on tape." Peyton got up from her seat and started to leave.

"So I am not so big on crowds these days so I am going to skip out on the rest of school. But maybe we can meet up at the record shop later."

Devon smiled at her and nodded. "I was just going to say that. I have basketball practice after school so; maybe we can meet up after then?"

"After practice it is." Peyton took his pen and started to write down her number on it.

"This is my number, you can call me whenever."

Devon took out his phone and dialed the number. He heard Peyton's phone ring and hung up.

"Now you have mine. I'll be seeing you soon Ms. Sawyer."

Peyton smiled back at him. "You better."

Devon kept watching her until she was out of sight. Then he noticed that Haley had been watching them the whole time. He got up to go over to talk to her but Haley just gave him a look and then quickly got up and walked towards class. He wanted to go after but he figured it might be best to give her some space. Devon sighed. He didn't want to upset Haley but maybe seeing him with Peyton…he quickly dismissed that line of thinking.

He was actually worried about seeing Brooke again. After the thing in the broom closet, she vanished. He was starting to think that maybe he had imagined the whole thing. Especially the part where he turned down her offer of kinky broom closet sex; but he knew that he did the right thing. At least he hoped he did. What if Brooke took it the wrong way and never spoke to him again? Who would turn down Brooke Davis?

"My dumb ass that's who…" Devon muttered.

"Dumb ass is right."

Devon looked from his notebook and saw that Lucas Scott was sitting at the table and glaring at him for some reason. "What did you say to me?"

Lucas crossed his arms and asked with a certain air of hostility "So, what's going on with you and Brooke?"

"Nothing, Is there a problem?" Devon asked. For some reason Lucas was pissed at him and even though he wasn't scared of Lucas, he didn't really want to get into fight two days into the school year.

"Look, Brooke is my ex-girlfriend and we are trying to work some things out. So maybe, you could back off." Lucas kept his arms crossed and continued his glaring at him.

Devon took a sip of his water and placed it back on the table. He could understand that Brooke and Lucas might have been an item in the past; but he was pretty sure that Brooke was fair game.

"So, what if I said, no way and you are the dumb ass?"

Lucas smirked. "Ok, if you want to play it that way. How long do you think you would last here at Tree Hill if you got on my bad side?"

"Is that a threat?"

"More like a warning." Lucas got up from the table and leaned over so his face was a few inches away from Devon's.

"When it's a threat, you'll know."

Then he walked away from the table leaving Devon sitting there.

"I knew I should have skipped lunch…" Devon mumbled.

More to follow.......