Title: Monthiversary
Author: Joy
Email: Julianna@ziplip.com
Rating: PG-13
20.
Peyton Sawyer's video cam showed a blonde, brunette, and red head on her bed together goofing off as Lucas watched with enjoyment.
"Pick a color," Jake mocked over Luke's shoulder.
"I have thank you," Lucas stated a bit miffed.
"So…" Jake said looking at his fingers.
Luke swiveled in his chair to his friend, "So…"
"You wouldn't mind then if I say…"
"…asked Ms. Sawyer to the formal she doesn't have a date to because she keeps turning down guys in hopes that you will ask her or at least ask her to spend that evening baby-sitting your daughter with you?" the blonde basketball player finished.
Jake eyed him, "She's really turned down other guys hoping I'll ask her?"
Luke raised an eyebrow, "This is the conversation…and I quote, 'Lucas can you please get the unwed father to ask Peyton out before I hear one more time how she doesn't really think he likes her…' end quote."
"So how do you know about…" Jake asked before Lucas hit him with a pillow.
"I am a friend of hers. Hailey is friends with her. I watch as other guys come and ask. I watch other guys get shut down. I watch as Brooke and Haley console her on your idiocy so yeah I think I know."
"So…" Jake started. "I'll ask her after I leave here."
"Or you ask while you're waiting…one of the two."
"I cannot believe Tim bailed on me to go with another girl to the dance," Brooke complained as Peyton painted her toenails.
"Calm down," her best friend soothed. "Nathan offered to take you."
Haley lay on her stomach across Peyton's bed looking through one of Peyton sketch collections. "Yeah…he's been ultra nice lately." Both cheerleaders laughed. "What's so funny?"
Peyton smirked, "You're speaking with authority that you don't have…This is what Nathan was behaving like with you." Then she thought a moment, "When he wasn't being spastic or verbally abusive."
Haley chuckled. "But now I'm with Lucas," she chirped happily knocking her feet together in the air.
Both cheerleaders grinned at her. "It's nice to see you this happy," the blond commented.
"Yeah. We were beginning to think that scowl was going to be permanent," Brooke stated before blowing air at her wet toenails.
The telephone rang. "Peyton's house of horrors. You name the twisted fantasy, we provide the back drop," Brooke said in a jovial tone.
"I would like to talk to my girlfriend," Lucas said smoothly.
Brooke sat up, "How do you know she's here?"
"I can see her swinging her feet back and forth in the air on Peyton's bed," Lucas commented staring at his computer screen with Jake in the background laughing.
"Ha-lee," Brooke sing-songed. "Lu-cus wants ya."
Haley cracked up and took the phone. "Hey babe," she said twisting her body to look into the camera.
"Hey…just wanted to reach out and touch someone but you're there so I'm alone."
In the background she heard someone fuss, "What am I chopped liver?" The muffled response of, "Somehow I don't think you want me to reach out and touch you," Haley began to giggle. "Point taken," was retorted before Lucas came back to the phone.
"So…you coming over here later?" he asked nervously.
She tilted her head looking at the camera, "I hadn't planned on it. I thought I told you I was going to have a girl's night?"
"Yeah well the thing is…its kinda our anniversary…or monthiversary…" Lucas began.
"Give me a minute," Haley stated before setting the phone down, throwing a t-shirt over the camera, and looking at her friends.
"What's up tutor girl? You look ready to have an aneurysm…and with the head injury of late that ain't a good thing," Brooke said matter-of-factly.
"It sounds like Lucas wants to celebrate our one month anniversary," Haley commented with big eyes.
Peyton smirked, "Go. We can pine away for men alone."
"I mean you don't need to hear the saga of Jake again."
"Ya sure? I mean I really have been having a good time…I'm not trying to bail," the red head stated in concern.
"We don't think you're bailing on us. Just go…have a good time. Let us live vicariously through you," Brooke said sweetly.
"We're not bailing on you either Haley…so have a good time," Peyton encouraged. Brooke nodded too.
Haley picked the phone back up and uncovered the camera, "Okay…I'll be there soon."
"Oh good…good…that's good," Lucas sighed in relief. Employing Peyton and Brooke to help him distract Haley enough to set up his special dinner was still a bit weird due to how weird things had been between them. "I'll see you soon. Luv you."
"Luv you too," she responded.
Lucas hung up the phone breathing deeply while Jake sat strumming his guitar with his costume for the evening which was really just a nice suit lay next to him.
Lucas realized her had made some pretty awesome friends in the last few months by what they were willing to do on a whim for him. Peyton had hand made the menus for dinner. Brooke had volunteered a fancy dress that was now too small for her to be Haley's outfit for the evening. While both girls were happy to be the distraction while the house preparations were made. Karen had made Haley's favorite meal, as well as appetizers and dessert. Jake heard the plan and decided to get into the act by playing background music for the couple as they ate. Now all Lucas had to do was make it through the next half and hour and he would be fine.
"Man, quit it. You're making me nervous," Jake chastised his buddy who was pacing back and forth in his room.
"I feel like a girl," Lucas muttered shaking his hands out in front of him.
"Bet you've never put this much effort into a date before either?" his buddy asked.
"No…but Haley's worth it."
"Good."
"Hello?" Haley called beginning to push Lucas's bedroom door open before the blond basketball player pushed on the other side preventing her entrance and motioning Jake to remain against the wall. "Luke, what are you doing?" Haley fussed through the door.
"I forgot you would come in through my door…Go on to the front please," he muttered.
"You're being weird," she informed him.
Lucas knocked his head against the door, "Please…just go in the front."
"Fine."
"Brilliant," Jake scolded. "You're starting off on the wrong foot."
"Shut up," Lucas huffed and straightened his sleeves for the tenth time.
"It will be fine. I'll hang here until your mom gets me," Jake offered.
"Thanks man," Lucas responded.
"No big. Gives me a chance to snoop…joking…joking," the father said to his friend who looked suddenly concerned. "Your porno is safe with me."
Lucas rolled his eyes and tossed Jake a book. "Till we have faces by CS Lewis. You trying to tell me something?"
"Read the damn book or ask Peyton out…your choice," the blond said and left the room.
Haley came through the front door to see a table set up in the living room, all the other furniture was pushed out of the way, and the room was lit with only candles and Christmas tree lights. She smiled broadly at the sight.
Keith approached as the host of the private party in a suit and tie. "Madame…we were told you would be arriving. Your attire however is not smart enough for our establishment. Please adjourn to the chef's quarters where you will find an outfit worthy of our eatery," he said in a decidedly bad English accent. Haley raised an eyebrow but did as she was told.
In Karen's room there was a black dress that was sheer and simple. It had sleeveless thin straps, with black gauze-like material over a black slip dress. The shirt portion was shorter in the front reaching just above her knees and longer in the back, which hit her mid calf. Haley slipped the dress on and discovered immediately that this dress fit a little too well. It hugged her body the way it was designed to but it still made her a bit nervous. She had never worn a dress that forced her chest into a position that cleavage could be seen.
Haley found a pair of Karen's black pumps that she could borrow for the evening. She took her hair out of the ponytail it was in and brushed her auburn locks out. A little lip-gloss, eye shadow and blush later, Haley decided it was time to face herself in the mirror and she was dumbstruck. She had one of those epiphany moments that very few people are privileged enough to have. It is the moment where we can see ourselves the way others do. Her face was basically the same and so was her hair. She was showing off her body more than normal but in that moment the long held picture of herself at twelve with braids vanished. Haley saw the woman she was becoming and she smiled. This would be the new mental image of herself she would carry.
"Thanks, Lucas," Haley whispered and headed for the door.
Haley returned to the entry -way to see Keith turn back toward her and swallow his tongue for a moment before recovering. "Well, Madame," he said staring down, "You obviously found something appropriate to wear."
She was ready to poke fun at his fluster but let the matter drop when she saw that Lucas was now standing by the table waiting for her to join him.
Luke was wearing his dark suit with no tie with his hair perfectly gelled up. He was swallowing nervously and wringing his hands. Haley let her soft smile come through. Her baby was nervous.
Haley turned her attention back to the older man before her. "Thank you Keith. I see my party. Have a good evening," she said and walked confidently into the living room to face her boyfriend.
Lucas's eyes got wider the closer she approached. If he had known the dress would be that form fitting he would have requested a bigger dress. And by the conspicuous smirk appearing on Haley's face Luke began to wonder if the dress had magical properties that would allow Brooke to possess Haley. He shook his head and breathed deep… It was going to be a long and frustrating dinner…with eyestrain.
Haley practically strutted to Lucas's side knowing full well that her appearance was as much a surprise to Lucas as it had been to her. She wondered if he too always saw her as twelve with braids. All that mattered at that moment was that Lucas was looking at her the way he had Peyton and Brooke. He saw her as a real girl. While he may have shown an attraction to her at the hospital and never wavered in his attentions of her since she woke up this was the first time Haley could comprehend what he was seeing in her…This was going to be fun.
Tbc…
A/N: I decided to add some more chapters due to the favorable response. There will be at least one chapter for this dinner, one chapter pre-formal, one chapter at the formal, and most likely one chapter post formal. At least that is the plan for now.
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