Sports Hall, Tree Hill High

When Lydia summoned us to a meeting I was probably the only one, except for Sawyer, of course, who knew what it was about. When we met shortly thereafter in the big sports hall, this time without the basketball team, everyone had gathered to hear what she had to tell us.

"Thank you for coming," she began, smiling. "As I already told you, there is no training today. Instead, I'd like to let you know that I'll quit and pass my leadership on to Sawyer."

There was mumbling and whispering and even some comments.

"Why are you quitting?" Erin asked in dismay.

"Because Davis Baker knocked her up!" Jennifer replied and raised her eyebrows knowingly. "That's true, isn't it?"

I quickly looked at Jennifer and gave her the evil eye. "Mind your own business!" I hissed at her. Lydia had gone very quiet and pale, making me want to kick that silly cow Jennifer in the butt!

"It's okay, Izzy," Lydia said calmly and then turned to Jennifer. "Yes, it's true. I'm pregnant," she admitted. "And since I won't come back after the holidays, I'm giving over my charge to Sawyer. She will take care of everything."

"Why don't you come back?" Erin asked cautiously.

"I'll have private lessons until the end of the year," Lydia said. "And from January I will take a break. I don't know yet how long that will take. But for the time being I will only take care of the baby."

I looked to the new girl in the team, who hadn't said a word. "Hey, Lydia! We have a newcomer here." I nudged the blonde girl slightly so she should take a step forward. "Introduce yourself," I asked her.

"Hi, I'm Tracy... Tracy Miller. Coach Scott sent me here because I want to join you," she said shyly.

"Welcome to the team!" Lydia said smiling. "We are always happy about new members. Are you new to the school?"

She nodded. "My parents moved here from Texas a few months ago because my dad got a job in the city. My brother and I were at a private school before."

"Then your parents must be very rich if you could go to a private school."

I rolled my eyes annoyed. Jennifer just couldn't hold her tongue. "Shut up!"

"Why do you want to be a cheerleader, Tracy?" Lydia asked, ignoring Jennifer's remark.

"I've been dancing since I was three," she said, smiling. "I asked the school secretary if there is something like that at this school. But there is no dance group. That's why the coach sent me here." She cleared her throat. "I don't want to appear tactless, but you mentioned Davis Baker earlier," she began hesitantly.

I fixed her with narrowed eyes. Please no, don't let that be one of his ex-girlfriends! Lydia wouldn't bear that. "He's my brother," I said quickly as I saw Lydia frowning. "What about him?"

"Nothing." She smiled slightly. "Does he have a twin brother named Jude?"

I looked at her in surprise and then nodded. "You know Jude? From where?"

"We got to know each other at the hospital when Davis was there," she said and shrugged. "He promised to call me. But he never did."

"Would you like to meet him? I could arrange something," I suggested and was amazed to see her blush.

"Um... I don't know," she stuttered. "Maybe you can tell him that I'm going to Tree Hill High in September. That'd be enough."

I looked at her more closely. It was the first time that a girl was interested in Jude. Usually the girls always wanted me to hook them up with Davis, which was hopefully a thing of the past. "I'll tell him," I nodded, turning back to Lydia. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now. I give tutoring lessons in physics and math to a student, and that starts right away."

"You can go." Lydia smiled. "We might talk about that later. Sawyer can take over for me now."

Before I left, I remembered something. "Hey Tracy! Do you have our address?" I asked her. When she shook her head, I walked to the corner in the sports hall, where there was a small table with a scribbling block and a pen on it. I wrote my address and phone number on a notepad and handed it to her. "Just because he didn't call you doesn't mean that you can't call him," I said to her and winked. She looked at me in surprise.

"Th-Thank you!" She stuttered and blushed again. "I'll call him."

I was in a really good mood when I finally said goodbye to everyone and then left the sports hall to go to my tutoring meeting.

House of the Bakers

Four weeks later

"Did you see that?"

As Lydia held the newspaper with the movie program in my face, while we were sitting at the breakfast table, I stared in confusion at the film title. "'Back to the Future', Part 1-3?" I read and looked at her frowning. "So what? These are ancient movies from a time when our parents were still toddlers."

"That's a cult-series!" She raised her eyebrows meaningfully. "They are going to show the movies in the new Cineplex Theater during the movie night next Saturday."

I still didn't understand what she wanted to tell me with this remark. "So?" I asked.

"Can we get tickets? Please Davis!" She begged.

"I have the movies on DVD," I explained patiently. "Also, I wanted to meet with the boys for playing basketball on the River Court."

"At night?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "This is called 'movie night' because it starts at 9 o'clock and then lasts until the next morning. You certainly don't play basketball at night!"

Sighing, I pushed my empty cereal bowl aside. If Lydia had something taken into her head, then she could be really stubborn. "I've watched the movies so many times that I can speak the dialogues," I said, rolling my eyes. "My dad put me in front of the TV when I was barely walking."

"I thought we could do a double date," she said hesitantly.

"What 'double date'?" I asked confused.

"You and me and Jude and Tracy," she replied, grinning mischievously. "He still hasn't asked her for a date."

"Well, they talked to each other on the phone a couple of times," I said with a shrug. "That's a start at least."

"That's not enough. Trust me, girls expect a little more than 'a few phone calls' if they're interested in a boy," she said with a meaningful look. "He has to keep trying otherwise she loses interest."

"And you think you can help them by inviting them to a movie night together?" I asked amused.

She nodded eagerly. "I'd love to help her because I know she's just waiting for a sign from him. But he's so damn shy. And if they go with us, then it won't be forced."

"Fine with me," I sighed. "Then it's settled, we'll go to the movies." As she jumped up from her chair and hugged me, I couldn't help laughing.

"Thanks, Davis! Now all I have to do is find something I can wear. Almost all of my pants don't fit anymore," she sighed frustrated.

I pulled her closer to me and put my hands around her waist. In fact, she felt chubbier around the middle. "Just wear leggings," I suggested. "They are stretchy. And add a loose blouse to it."

"Yeah, that will work," she nodded. "Your mom promised me she would go shopping with me next week. I urgently need maternity clothes. "

I got up from the chair. "Will you arrange for the movie tickets and call Tracy?"

Lydia nodded. "And I tell her to invite Jude. She is much braver than he is. That'll be fun! I can't wait to tell her!"

When she hugged me once more and then ran out of the dining room, I had to smile involuntarily. Lydia wouldn't rest until she had hooked up Jude with Tracy. I already felt sorry for my brother, he had no choice but to come to the theater with us. Sighing, I began clearing the breakfast table when my sister entered the room.

"Was that Lydia who just ran past me?" She asked in surprise.

I nodded. "She wants to set up a date for Jude and Tracy," I told her.

"It's about time." Izzy rolled her eyes. "He has her address for months and yet he didn't have the courage to invite her to a date yet."

"And what about you and her brother... what was his name again?"

"Brandon. And I don't 'date' him, I give him private lessons in math and physics," she corrected annoyed. "He never will catch up on it 'til September. I wonder how he will manage it. They didn't do much at this private school." She rolled her eyes.

"So, your interest in him is purely 'job-related'?" I teased and raised my eyebrows as she blushed.

"He's too young for me," she replied quickly. "I don't have dates with boys who are younger than me."

"Too young?" I echoed smirking. "He's as old as you. He is 15."

"Yes, but I'll turn 16 in a few months. And then I'm older."

"Be glad he's not five years older than you," I muttered, referring to the situation between Sawyer and Justin. But Izzy didn't know about that.

"Sometimes you really talk in riddles." She reached into the breadbasket and pulled out a croissant that she put straight in her mouth.

"Hey, take a seat! It's not good for you when you're eating while standing!" I scolded her.

"Are you already practicing for your role as a dad?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm in a hurry. See you later!"

She ran out of the room and I continued with clearing the table.