Wow, I'm sorry for the Nathan/Haley thing being too quick. I hope I can redeem myself with this chapter. I know it's a bit short, but there's only one chapter left after this so enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you think you've read, heard or seen before...
"I'm not going!" Peyton exclaimed loudly into the phone causing Haley to pull it away from her ear temporarily so as not to go deaf.
"Yes you are." Haley told her calmly.
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not!" Peyton argued again as she fell backwards onto her bed. "Why do you need me to go with you anyway. I thought Nathan was taking you?"
"He is, but that's beside the point. We want to all go as a group. Look, do I have to call Lucas to get his butt over to your house and drag you kicking and screaming to prom?" Haley asked deadly serious. Peyton glanced down at her small sleep shorts and oversized ravens shirt.
"Based on what I'm wearing, I don't think that would make a good impression." Peyton commented. "Besides, Lucas wouldn't even notice if I was there or not. Haven't you heard about the oh so wonderful Brooke who he is accompanying to our prom."
"Okay we'll get to the Brooke situation, but in the meantime, we're talking about you."
"I noticed." Peyton interrupted moodily.
"Yes, and we're talking about how you cannot miss our prom for crying out loud! You're supposed to go regardless if the man of your dreams is with someone else or the guy you love doesn't even notice you. You just go and party and have fun! Now get your fat ass off of that bed and start getting ready."
"Says you who has an actual date to this thing. And I do not have a fat ass." Peyton protested.
"An actual date, yeah right. It's just Nathan. Look, it's four o'clock now and the prom starts at eight. Most of the girls are already half ready by now and you're still in your pyjamas. I don't have time to argue with you about this, just get ready."
"I'm not ready because I'm not going." Peyton declared as she hung up the phone. Two seconds later the phone rang and sure enough it was Haley calling.
"Yes?" Peyton answered sweetly.
"Okay first, don't ever hang up on me." Haley tried to be firm but was laughing. "And second, please just get ready and come. It will be fun and this time you can get drunk and have meaningless make out sessions without Lucas ruining your fun."
"I don't even have anything to wear." Peyton sighed, starting to give in.
"Yes you do. You already bought a prom dress and it's hanging in your wardrobe."
"Oh right." Peyton agreed. "Okay, well I don't have a date." She tried to come up with another excuse.
"No big deal." Haley waved it off. "I've already explained it to Nathan and he is more than happy for you to come with us. It will be great all hanging out again."
"Gee great, I'll be a third wheel, make that fifth wheel once you join up with Lucas and Brooke. And I don't think Nathan's plan was to make this a hanging out thing. He asked you remember, not me."
"Don't worry about it. It's not like we have to stick by your side all night. I'm sure Nathan and I can find a moment by ourselves." Haley commented suggestively.
"Ok, ew." Peyton decided to change the subject. "So I don't even have a way to get there."
"That's all taken care of." Haley suddenly seemed slightly nervous with this line of questioning.
"There wouldn't happen to be anything wrong with this mode of transport?" Peyton asked picking up on Haley's tone.
"No, no." Haley denied quickly. "I'll see you in half an hour."
"Why so early?"
"Well seeing as you've left everything to the last minute, I'm going to have to come over to do your hair and makeup."
"Yay." Peyton responded unenthused.
"None of that. After I'm done, no guy will be able to resist you."
"Except one." Peyton answered sadly, glancing at Lucas' darkened bedroom window across the lawn.
"Peyton, just don't okay? It's our prom!" Haley warned.
"Sorry, sorry." Peyton forced herself to look away. "I'll see you soon." Peyton hung up the phone and left it in the middle of her bed as she went in search of her prom dress.
Haley was standing in front of Peyton's full length mirror downstairs near the front door as she smoothed out her cream dress for the thousandth time.
"Don't you just love the invention of high heels? I swear I'm too short." Haley called up to Peyton who was putting on the last touches as she admired her strappy silver shoes. "Now are you coming downstairs, Nathan is going to be here with the limo any second." And Lucas and Brooke, Haley thought to herself, hoping Peyton wouldn't kill her when she found out.
"I'll just be a minute. I can't get these straps at the back even." Peyton yelled down, clear frustration in her voice.
"Hang on, I'm coming up." Haley responded but just as she set foot on the bottom step the doorbell rang announcing someone's presence.
"No it's okay, just get the door. I'll be right down."
Haley shrugged as she turned to open the door, revealing Nathan as expected but also Lucas who wasn't so expected.
"Hey.' Nathan greeted as he appraised what Haley was wearing and leant over to give her a not so chaste kiss on the cheek, presenting her with a small corsage which she gladly accepted. Lucas waited on the doorstep nervously as he watched the two exchange.
"Hey." Haley greeted cheerfully as she moved to Lucas for a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Where's Brooke? Did you finally come to your sense and ditch her in favour of us?" Haley joked to Lucas.
"She's waiting in the car." Lucas mumbled.
"Damn." Haley commented sarcastically, but deep down disappointed.
"So where's Peyton? Is she ready?" Nathan asked, glancing up the stairs.
"Who was at the door?" Peyton asked as she arrived at the top of the stairs. Lucas could have sworn his heart stopped beating in the moment. Sure he had always known Peyton was beautiful, but tonight she was indescribable. His eyes swept over her from top to bottom, taking in the long blonde curls she had left out to frame her face perfectly, to her white chiffon dress which she had paired with silver strappy heels similar to Haley's but had a very different effect on her long lean legs.
"Oh, hi." Peyton stopped when she saw Lucas standing beside Nathan. Lucas barely managed a nod while Nathan greeted her warmly.
"Nathan, how about we go wait in the car?" Haley suggested upon noticing the tension between the two friends. "Don't be long you two, we don't want to keep all of those guys waiting Peyton." Haley winked as she pulled Nathan out the door. Peyton started to slowly walk down the stairs, wary of tripping in her heels so she was looking down and didn't notice Lucas hadn't taken his eyes off of her. As she went to walk out the door, she brushed past Lucas who stopped her with a small kiss on her cheek.
"You look beautiful." Lucas whispered.
"No I don't." Peyton rolled her eyes as she tried to stop the blush from rising. Lucas laughed at her reaction.
"What?" Peyton asked self-consciously.
"You were never good at taking compliments." Peyton shrugged at his response. "Just say thank you." He suggested.
"Thank you." Peyton quietly spoke as the two stayed in an eye lock at the front door. Suddenly the two were broken from their daydream when the horn on the limo blared and Haley stuck her head out the window.
'Come on you two and Lucas, stop making her blush. She's turning all red and it doesn't go with her dress."
"Sorry." Lucas called back sarcastically as he led Peyton to the car with a hand on the small of her back. Before Peyton moved into the car, she whispered angrily but with a smile to Haley who still had her head sticking out of the window.
"You do realise you didn't get away with this at all, don't you?"
"Yes, but you love me anyway." Haley laughed as she watched Peyton gracefully move into the limo who was shaking her head and also laughing.