The bed was empty. That she was sure of. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering where he was.
"Derek?" She called, her normally confident voice faltering slightly.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and jumped up, wearing just a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. Though she was confused about where he was, she still stopped to check herself out in the mirror. Typical Rachel.
As she walked across the hallway she noticed how big the house was. OK, it was the same size as hers and Brooke's, but there was something off about it.
She stood, hands on hips and deep in thought, not quite able to put her finger on what was the matter.
Then the word came to her.
Lonely.
It seemed so big because there was no paint on the walls, barely any furniture, only a few photos hanging up.
The thought sent a small shiver over her, but she put it down to having little clothes on. Why should she be creeped out by Derek?
Granted, she had made a big deal out of it when he had spent more time with Brooke, and she had warned her best friend off him, and she even recalled mentioning a scenario involving a patio and a shovel, but that was before she actually knew him. It was more the fear of the unknown than actually being afraid of him.
Right?
-
Lucas was jogging again.
It had become somewhat of a routine recently, he always had trouble sleeping.
"Overactive mind", his mother called it, when he lay awake long after finishing his book.
He upped the pace, not minding that he was getting short of breath. He saw Brooke and Rachel's house up ahead and concentrated on passing by without thinking about Brooke.
"Luke?" Brooke asked from where she was sitting on the porch.
Damn.
He tried to act as if he hadn't meant to run past her house but ended up looking a bit dodgy. She stood up and walked towards him, pulling at her baby pink camisole and matching slouch pants.
"What are you doing out here so early?" He blurted out without even a 'hello'
She gave him an inquisitive look but it was softened by a small smile. "I could ask you the same thing" She retorted and he grinned.
"Just decided on a jog. Wakes me up, you know?" He replied, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.
She nodded, losing the uncomfortable edge she had when she first spotted him. He always made her feel at ease even without trying.
"Heard about the Naley party?" He asked when there was a moment of silence.
"Yeah, should be awesome. But I'm not inviting Nikki!" She joked, and they shared a forced laugh, both grimacing as they remembered the pain they both felt at that time at screwing up what they had.
"I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" He asked easily, barely realizing he'd said it until it was too late.
She looked sad for a moment, then covered it with one of her dimple smiles. "Well, Lucas Scott, everyone knows, it's not who you take to a party, it's who you take home..." She winked and turned round, ready to walk off.
"Pick me up at eight." She winked and walked back inside. Lucas let a laugh slip and turned and ran off down the road.
Lucas Scott was taking Brooke Davis to the Scott's house party.
It was going to be killer.
-
Time: 8:02
Place: Peyton Sawyer's room
Soundtrack: That's Entertainment by The Jam.
She was sitting in front of her computer screen, happily downloading some new tracks whilst updating her Ipod at the same time.
A loud knock on the front door interrupted this process and caused her to lower the volume of her music.
She stood up and made her way downstairs, feeling apprehensive to who it was: everyone who stopped by at her house knew that she kept the door unlocked and to walk right in. She didn't recognize the person through the mottled glass.
"Hello, Peyton." said a tall blonde stranger she had never laid eyes on before. She stood, visibly and mentally guarding him from her.
"Do I know you?" She asked, trying not to sound rude. He smiled slightly, his exceedingly white teeth on show.
"No, I live next door to Brooke and Rachel." He replied, and she frowned.
"What has that got to do with me?" She asked in the same guarded tone. He placed a hand on the framework, stopping her from being able to shut the door on him if needs be.
"I have to ask you a favor, and I know it's really rude of me when I don't know you, but I have a feeling you could help me with this."
All of her instincts were screaming at her to get rid of him, to shove him out the door and lock it behind him: Who on earth comes to someone they don't know to ask a favor?
But she saw something about him, maybe it was the look in his eyes or that half smile on his lips that made her change her mind.
She opened the door to let him go by, and as he passed she realized what it was about him.
He reminded her of Lucas.
-
"Nathan, breakfast!" Haley said gently, kissing him on the cheek as he lay in the bed. He blinked and half heartedly kissed her back.
"You made me breakfast in bed?" He asked, stating the absolute obvious as she balanced the tray on the bedside cabinet whilst pouring him a glass of juice.
She gave him a devilish smile. "You need all the stamina you can manage today, Mister." She told him mock-sternly. He raised his eyebrows, completely taking the bait.
"Oh yes?" He asked wolfishly. She nodded eagerly.
"We've got a party to plan, baby!" She revealed with a laugh, enhanced by the way his face dropped.
"Hales, it's teacher conference day, we get that twice every year, must we do this today?" He asked, pulling her on top of him and kissing her along her neck.
She sat up, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Yes, the party is next weekend and we have to buy drinks, food, music..." She listed on her fingers, turning back to him to find he had already fallen back asleep.
She rolled her eyes and gently got up and made her way to the bathroom. She stepped onto the scales and wished she hadn't.
OK, she was supposed to be gaining weight being 6 months pregnant and all, but she wasn't too happy looking like a beached whale.
Looked over to her husband lying asleep on the bed, she smiled to herself. Nathan loved her as she was.
As long as they were all happy and healthy they were ok.
-
Rachel breezed back into the house with a smile and a sway of her hips.
Brooke was sitting on the sofa, staring at some crappy cable channel and barely taking it in.
"What's up, slagathor?" Rachel asked, bumping her so she could sit down next to her. Brooke slapped her lightly on the arm.
"Not much, where have you been?" She enquired.
Rachel shrugged. "Here and there." She replied with a wan smile. Brooke sighed.
"OK, this time try telling me the truth." Brooke said slowly, looking her friend straight in the eye.
"Fine, I got wasted at a frat party across town and ended up underneath some semi-cute college kid." Rachel downright lied, but it was a believable one.
"And you didn't want to tell me that because..." Brooke asked. Rachel bit her lip and toyed with her hair.
"Well, I should probably do some growing up since we're graduating soon. Everyone else I know is" She shrugged, and Brooke put her manicured hand on her friends forearm.
"Rachel, you shouldn't have to change for other people. If you're happy being a drunken wreck with probably twelve kids and a smack habit by the time your twenty five then by all means, go for it." Brooke deadpanned, making Rachel crack into a smile.
"Speaking of a drunken state, are you going to Nathan and his fatso's party?" She changed subject. Brooke stifled a giggle.
"Firstly, Haley is pregnant, so it's allowed, and neither of them has a smack habit or anything I just listed." She replied, as confused as ever.
Rachel leaned nearer to deliver her perfectly timed punchline
"Go and visit them in five years"
Brooke laughed at this, though she wanted to be loyal to one of her best friends, she couldn't help but admit Rachel's cutting retorts were amusing.
"Yes, I am going to Nathan and Haley's party, are you?" Brooke replied demurely. Rachel shrugged.
"I'm thinking about it..." She answered mysteriously.
"You're one of my best friends, right?" Brooke asked sweetly, and Rachel pulled a yuk face. "I wouldn't go that far." She muttered under her breathe.
Brooke pointedly ignored this remark. "Lucas asked to take me, and I want to know if that's a dumb idea." Brooke said in one breathe, then braced herself for the reaction.
Rachel smiled slightly. "Well, Brooke, he broke your heart twice, he puts other people in front of you and doesn't fight for you. But wow is he hot. I'd say dumb move, sugar plum." She said, being brutally honest.
"But I-" Brooke tried to inteject, but Rachel wasn't finished.
"Just, don't give him everything Brooke, because he always manages to hurt you." Rachel said in a hollow voice, and Brooke nodded, knowing that though her roommate was often sarcastic and sometimes unkind, she had Brooke's best interests at heart.
"I won't" She promised with a smile.
Secretly, she wondered if she could actually keep that promise: with Lucas, all bets were off.
Sorry, it was a fairly short update and it is quite a filler chapter, but the Brucas interaction was needed (I can't wait to write about what happens to them at the party!) and the Peyton thing will become clearer and very significant.
Reviews welcome, I know it took a while to upload but I arrived back this morning and have been working on this and the next few chapters nonstop. Well, it beats unpacking!