Tree Hill Academy

Chapter 11: Tomorrow We May Just Feel the Same

I'm in love with the world

Through the eyes of a girl

Who's still around the morning after

Jake tightened his grip around Peyton as they lay together on her bed. She wore only a tank top and loose shirts, while he was shirtless. He glanced at the clock and the red lights blinked back at him that it was about four in the morning. He had no idea where Brooke was, but he didn't care. If it meant he got to spend all night holding Peyton, he wasn't complaining. She squirmed under his grasp and rolled over so her stomach was partially pressed against his.

"Hey," he whispered into her ear.

Her face broke into a smile and she placed her hands on his chest. "Hi."

"I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," she smiled again and brought her lips up to kiss him.

He twirled her girls with his finger and smiled up at her when she pulled away. "It's late," he murmured.

"Actually early," she joked.

"I'm sorry about last night," he said slightly embarrassed.

"Don't be. I don't want to rush this. I've never felt anything close to it before."

"So you don't think I'm a freak?"

"Nope," she said shaking her head slightly, "You're Jake Jagielski, my boyfriend."

He smiled and kissed her passionately. "One of these days…" he let his words trail off.

"I look forward to it," she murmured nestling her head into the crook of his shoulder blade.

"I really like you Peyt."

"I really like you too. And I love when you call me that."

"Good thing too, because I was planning on continuing."

Peyton yawned and Jake brought his arms around her once again. "Back to sleep?" he asked grinning softly.

"Yeah," she said dreamily.

He nodded and kissed her temple before they drifted away together into a peaceful harmony of quiet slumber.

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Felix toppled onto his bed alongside Brooke. He immediately started kissing her as she struggled to pull his shirt off. Finally managing to tug it off, Brooke smiled and began to kiss his stomach lightly, teasing him the best way she knew how.

"Did you lock the door?" she asked breathlessly, even though it was the middle of the night and Felix had his own room. She wasn't taking any chances with getting caught.

"Yeah," he said hurriedly attacking her earlobe with his mouth.

Brooke smiled and eased back onto the bed letting Felix's hands roam all over her. Let him think he had control for a minute, she thought deviously.

"God you are so hot," he murmured as he eased her shirt off her.

"Glad you think so," she mumbled before rolling on top of him. Felix looked at her surprised. She found her way to his jeans zipper and tickled her fingers against it until it was completely undone. She then discarded his pants to a heap on the floor.

"Damn you're forward," he said as she straddled him.

"What you don't like it?" Brooke asked coyly.

"I like it plenty," he said seizing her roughly and swiftly placing her under him once again.

Brooke squealed with delight, and Felix smiled before wiggling her out of her skirt.

"This was a great plan you had," he murmured as he sucked in every inch of skin on her neck.

Brooke moaned as the desire coursed through her, but she remained in control. She wasn't in love with him. This was just a hook-up and there was no way he was getting the better of her. "Yeah just remember our deal," she whispered.

"Oh I remember."

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Situations get fucked up and turned around sooner or later
And I could be another fool or an exception to the rule

Nathan yawned and buried his face in his pillow as the early morning light shone through the windows. He tried earnestly to fall back asleep but the knocking sound didn't seem to be going anywhere. "Yeah, yeah I'm coming asshole," he mumbled as he stood up to answer the door. He opened it and laid his face against the wood. Haley brown eyes stared back at him.

"Thanks for calling me an asshole," she said shooting him a look. Nathan simply grinned in response. He pulled the door open wider revealing his half naked body. Haley took a step back and her eyes seemed to bug out at the seemingly perfect muscles in front of her. Nathan smirked at his desired effect. All girls were the same.

"Did you want something?" he asked still smiling.

"No," she replied dazed before shaking her head violently and snapping out of her reverie. "Actually yes, I wanted to see Lucas."

"Yeah I heard you guys had a fight."

"He told you?"

"Yeah why wouldn't he?"

"Whatever," she murmured and stared at the hazardous room.

"Isn't it a bit strange? You coming here to see Lucas, and always running into me. Some people might call it fate."

"Or maybe just unluckiness," Haley shot back.

"Don't be like that James. I thought we got over this hatred."

"It is not my fault you treated me like shit the moment when everyone else is around."

"Oh please. I smiled at you and then got back to my lunch. Tell me what the crime was."

Haley huffed and looked away.

"See you don't have an answer," Nathan smiled cockily.

"Whatever."

"Wow, what a retort. Especially coming from the illustrious Haley James."

Haley turned to him angrily. "That's a big word for you. Did you accidentally do your English homework?" she asked caustically.

"See, now here's the side of you I like. Who needs friendship when I have blind hatred?"

"Are you always such an ass?"

"Are you always so uptight?"

"Maybe," Haley murmured looking away.

"Oh come on Haley, I was kidding," Nathan said moving closer to her sensing she was upset.

"It's nothing," she muttered moving away from him. "I guess I'm just upset over things with Lucas."

"You don't like him do you?" Nathan asked bracing himself for her to answer yes, and even worse to feel upset about it.

"No I don't. God people can just be friends without romantic entanglements."

"Like you and me?" Nathan asked raising his eyebrow trying to gauge her feelings.

Haley blushed deeply. "I don't like to think of us as friends. More like people who like to banter."

Nathan shrugged. "Sounds like friends to me." He shot her one more smirk before climbing back into bed and falling back to sleep.

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Lucas had fallen asleep at his secret spot near the lake and when he woke up he was freezing, even though it had risen to 75 degrees. He bunched up his arms and stood up brushing stray dust and dirt off his clothes. All he remembered was leaving the party after Anna had brushed him off. He didn't even try to recall what she had said since it seemed displayed prominently in front of his face in the open air. He shivered slightly before walking up the small hill to his house, hoping that his houseparent, who coincidentally was his coach, hadn't noticed he hadn't slept in his bed. He sighed as he pulled open the door, and instead of going to his room, he skipped the few steps over to Jake's door, so they could sulk together.

But instead of finding a moody Jake, which is what he'd been seeing for the past few days, Jake was smiling as he and another pair of long legs rested on his bed. He heard the feminine giggle emanate in the room and he coughed to make his presence known. Jake turned his head and grinned up at Lucas.

"Hey man," he said as Peyton shifted over and also smiled at Lucas, "You know Peyton, my girlfriend." Peyton smiled even wider and pulled Jake into a lingering kiss.

"Well if I didn't, I know now," Lucas said disgustedly but cracked a smile.

Jake laughed. "So what's up?

Lucas looked around uncomfortably and Peyton got the message and stood up. "You know I think I'll go do some stuff. Jake, I'll find you later." She gave him a peck on the lips before grabbing her leather jacket and whizzing out the door. "Bye guys," she called out after her.

"Well I'm glad things worked out with you," Lucas said sighing and replacing Peyton's spot on the bed.

"I take it not with you."

"Anna told me to leave her alone."

"That sucks. Are you going to do it?"

"I want to respect her wishes. I don't know what poison her brother injected into her brain about me, but it seems to be working."

"Don't brood so much Luke," Jake laughed.

"Right. Coming from the guy who was mooning over my brother's girlfriend for a week, before finally coming to his senses and talking to her."

"My girlfriend now," Jake corrected.

"Yeah yeah," Lucas mumbled as he lay down on his back staring up at the ceiling.

"Does this bad mood also possibly have something to do with a certain girl named Haley James?"

"I don't like Haley as I think I've made clear."

Jake laughed heartily. "Dude, we've been best friends for 2 years, I think I'd know if you did. All I'm saying is maybe this fight is getting to you."

"She's the one who didn't support me at all, after everything with Felix."

"Ok first of all, she didn't know anything about that since you didn't tell her. And second, wasn't she just proved a teensy bit right. Anna did really hurt you, as you can see."

"Yeah but Haley didn't have to be such a bitch about it. Plus she clearly doesn't want to talk to me. She said so herself. And I quote 'The next time I see you, I won't talk to you'"

Jake winced. "Damn that's harsh."

"And totally undeserving."

Jake smiled. "What," Lucas asked grumpily.

"Well maybe a little deserving."

"Oh shove it Jake," Lucas said but with a smile on his face.

"Only speaking the truth Luke. Only speaking the truth."

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Brooke covertly glanced out of Felix's doorway. Unfortunately for her, his room was in the back of the hallway meaning she hand a long trek to get out of the house without being caught. There was co-ed visitation for upperclassmen so she wasn't worried about that, especially since she could flirt her way out of any situation. No, the real reason was she didn't want the horny boys in the house to know about her and Felix's situation. Normally she was totally open, but right now she didn't feel like sharing this whole friend with benefit thing. It was new, and she knew how fast the rumor mill could get started at the school. She turned her head back and grinned slyly at Felix.

"All clear," she whispered to him, "I'm out."

"So soon?" he smirked.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving now. Thanks, bye."

"It was lovely snookums," Felix called after her, and Brooke couldn't help but laugh as she walked out the door. Almost as soon as she was fully removed from the room the bathroom door opened and out walked Mouth.

"Hey Brooke," he said shyly but excited to see her.

"Hi," Brooke smiled flirtatiously. She was afraid of being found out but Mouth was so infatuated with her that she could probably get away with murder as he'd cover for her.

"What brings you here on a Saturday morning?"

Brooke smiled. "Just looking for you friend."

"Oh wow, do you wanna maybe hang out?"

Brooke laughed and appraised him. She didn't have anything else planned and she wasn't really in the mood to sit with morose and brooding Peyton all day. Not to mention Haley who was still upset about the whole Lucas thing. Unless Peyton and Jake had finally talked, in which case Brooke reasoned they would probably be making out somewhere. A devilish grin spread over her face.

"Is that a yes?" he asked a bit uncertainly.

"That's a hell yes."

Mouth's face turned upward. "Great, so what do you want to do?"

"We'll think of something," Brooke smiled naughtily and dragged him off.