Chapter 3
After studying for what seemed like hours Jake closed his book determined to get answers out of Haley. "Jake come on we aren't done studying yet. We still have another section to review. I thought you said you wanted to pass this test." Jake just smiled at her as he watched Luke and Peyton walking towards the Cafe. He knew that he could confirm his suspicions and get Haley to open up to him. Haley started to put her things in her backpack as well when she saw them enter. "You know what Jake your right I think we have studied enough. I need to be getting home anyways. Can you give me a ride?"
Jake grabbed his backpack and car keys, "Sure Haley come on let's go. But you have some explaining to do in the car, or I let Luke take you home." Haley glared at Jake, "Fine we'll talk let's just go. Haley and Jake headed to the door as Lucas and Peyton were walking in. Peyton smiled at them, "Hey guys where are you headed. We were hoping that we all could study together for the test. Luke figured you would be here since it is Jake's favorite place to eat." Jake just smiled at the situation, "Yeah the food is the best, but unfortunately we were just leaving. My mom called and she needs me at home so we have to go." Luke saw the moment to talk to Haley alone, "I can take Haley if you need to go Jake."
Haley turned pleading eyes to Jake looking for any kind of help. "It's alright Luke I need to be getting home. I have a paper to write. Jake you don't mind taking me now do you?" Jake shook his head, "Thanks for the offer Luke but it's on the way. Good luck on the studying. See ya guys." Luke watched as Haley and Jake walked out of the cafe and turned to Peyton. "Okay is it me or is Haley avoiding me."
"It's not just you," Peyton confirmed his suspicions. "I tried to tell you maybe she has something that she just can't talk to you about." "I don't understand how that is possible. We've known each other forever. We tell each other everything," Lucas insisted. "Girls never tell guys everything no matter what their relationship is," Peyton insisted. "What do you mean? What do you think she's keeping from me?" Lucas asked eager to get someone else's perspective on the situation. Haley certainly wasn't talking.
As soon as Haley closed her door Jake was looking at her pointedly. "What do you want me to say?" Haley asked. "The truth. You couldn't get out of there fast enough when you saw Lucas and Peyton walk through the door. You are obviously uncomfortable with spending time with Lucas right now. The question is why?" Haley sighed wishing she were a better actress so that she could find a way out of this conversation. She was almost sorry that she left the diner. Almost. "I just don't like being a third wheel around him and Peyton," Haley replied hoping Jake would accept that explanation. After all, it was partially true. "You wouldn't have been there alone with them. I was still there," Jake reminded her. "I know. I just didn't want Lucas to have a chance to ask me about why I've been avoiding him today. I didn't want to have to explain to him the third-wheel thing," she explained. "That is almost believable. Except Lucas wasn't with Peyton all day so I'm sure there was some time when you avoided him alone," Jake prodded. "I still just avoiding the same conversation," Haley insisted. Jake looked at Haley skeptically. He understood just how hard it was to put your feelings out there when you liked someone and he wasn't sure the best thing for Haley would be to push her. Then again she needed to talk to someone and she didn't exactly have a group of girlfriends she liked to confide in.
Haley motioned for Jake to come inside so they could study. After all she had promised to help him with the last section. After setting her books on the table she sat down and opened up her book to the last section. "Come on Jake let's get this over with. So we can finish studying. Jake didn't seem to think that arguing with her was a good idea so he sat down at the table and cracked open his book. "Fine if I can answer all your questions right out of this section you are going to tell me the truth. And I mean everything, I hate to break it to you Haley but you are a horrible liar." Haley started to quiz Jake hoping that he would get some wrong so her secret would be safe.
Back at the dinner, Lucas was searching for answers to his problem with Haley. "Peyton she acts like she can't even stand to be in the same room as me. I don't know what I could have possibly done to upset her. She is my best friend she knows that I would never intentionally hurt her. We have always been able to talk to each other." Peyton was in deep thought trying to help Lucas with his problem, "Maybe you hurt her feelings and she doesn't know how to talk to you about it. Why else would she be avoiding you?"
"I don't know," Lucas answered becoming frustrated with the entire situation. Things had always been so easy between him and Haley. If he did something stupid she let him know about it. He'd apologize and they'd move on. He wished they could be like that again. "Look, obviously this is really bothering you," Peyton stated, "so just force Haley to talk to you. Find a time when she can't avoid you. Like in the morning when she's opening the diner or something. She can't just leave the diner unattended." "I guess I don't really have any other choice," Lucas said with a sigh. Tomorrow morning he planned on making sure his mom couldn't be at the diner for a little while. He'd go under the pretense of making sure Haley didn't need any help and he'd convince her to talk to him. What other choice would she have?
Meanwhile, Haley was still trying to stump Jake in his little challenge. He'd been getting every answer. She didn't understand how he knew everything now. The entire afternoon he had trouble with some part of each section. Just her luck on the one that counted he'd get them all right. She figured it could be attributed to playing basketball. Athletes seemed to have this extra gear to go in when the game was on the line and apparently Jake felt like this was a championship game. "Face it. I know every detail of this section," Jake said with a laugh as Haley searched the book furiously for a tough question to ask. "I'm not ready to concede yet," Haley mumbled without looking up. "You're a lot like Lucas. He doesn't give up easily either," Jake said knowing that the mention of Lucas would get Haley's attention. Just as he'd expected Haley's head snapped up at the mention of her best friend. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Just that you are a lot like him. I guess it comes from spending so much time together," Jake answered easily. "So how long have you been in love with him?"
After studying for what seemed like hours Jake closed his book determined to get answers out of Haley. "Jake come on we aren't done studying yet. We still have another section to review. I thought you said you wanted to pass this test." Jake just smiled at her as he watched Luke and Peyton walking towards the Cafe. He knew that he could confirm his suspicions and get Haley to open up to him. Haley started to put her things in her backpack as well when she saw them enter. "You know what Jake your right I think we have studied enough. I need to be getting home anyways. Can you give me a ride?"
Jake grabbed his backpack and car keys, "Sure Haley come on let's go. But you have some explaining to do in the car, or I let Luke take you home." Haley glared at Jake, "Fine we'll talk let's just go. Haley and Jake headed to the door as Lucas and Peyton were walking in. Peyton smiled at them, "Hey guys where are you headed. We were hoping that we all could study together for the test. Luke figured you would be here since it is Jake's favorite place to eat." Jake just smiled at the situation, "Yeah the food is the best, but unfortunately we were just leaving. My mom called and she needs me at home so we have to go." Luke saw the moment to talk to Haley alone, "I can take Haley if you need to go Jake."
Haley turned pleading eyes to Jake looking for any kind of help. "It's alright Luke I need to be getting home. I have a paper to write. Jake you don't mind taking me now do you?" Jake shook his head, "Thanks for the offer Luke but it's on the way. Good luck on the studying. See ya guys." Luke watched as Haley and Jake walked out of the cafe and turned to Peyton. "Okay is it me or is Haley avoiding me."
"It's not just you," Peyton confirmed his suspicions. "I tried to tell you maybe she has something that she just can't talk to you about." "I don't understand how that is possible. We've known each other forever. We tell each other everything," Lucas insisted. "Girls never tell guys everything no matter what their relationship is," Peyton insisted. "What do you mean? What do you think she's keeping from me?" Lucas asked eager to get someone else's perspective on the situation. Haley certainly wasn't talking.
As soon as Haley closed her door Jake was looking at her pointedly. "What do you want me to say?" Haley asked. "The truth. You couldn't get out of there fast enough when you saw Lucas and Peyton walk through the door. You are obviously uncomfortable with spending time with Lucas right now. The question is why?" Haley sighed wishing she were a better actress so that she could find a way out of this conversation. She was almost sorry that she left the diner. Almost. "I just don't like being a third wheel around him and Peyton," Haley replied hoping Jake would accept that explanation. After all, it was partially true. "You wouldn't have been there alone with them. I was still there," Jake reminded her. "I know. I just didn't want Lucas to have a chance to ask me about why I've been avoiding him today. I didn't want to have to explain to him the third-wheel thing," she explained. "That is almost believable. Except Lucas wasn't with Peyton all day so I'm sure there was some time when you avoided him alone," Jake prodded. "I still just avoiding the same conversation," Haley insisted. Jake looked at Haley skeptically. He understood just how hard it was to put your feelings out there when you liked someone and he wasn't sure the best thing for Haley would be to push her. Then again she needed to talk to someone and she didn't exactly have a group of girlfriends she liked to confide in.
Haley motioned for Jake to come inside so they could study. After all she had promised to help him with the last section. After setting her books on the table she sat down and opened up her book to the last section. "Come on Jake let's get this over with. So we can finish studying. Jake didn't seem to think that arguing with her was a good idea so he sat down at the table and cracked open his book. "Fine if I can answer all your questions right out of this section you are going to tell me the truth. And I mean everything, I hate to break it to you Haley but you are a horrible liar." Haley started to quiz Jake hoping that he would get some wrong so her secret would be safe.
Back at the dinner, Lucas was searching for answers to his problem with Haley. "Peyton she acts like she can't even stand to be in the same room as me. I don't know what I could have possibly done to upset her. She is my best friend she knows that I would never intentionally hurt her. We have always been able to talk to each other." Peyton was in deep thought trying to help Lucas with his problem, "Maybe you hurt her feelings and she doesn't know how to talk to you about it. Why else would she be avoiding you?"
"I don't know," Lucas answered becoming frustrated with the entire situation. Things had always been so easy between him and Haley. If he did something stupid she let him know about it. He'd apologize and they'd move on. He wished they could be like that again. "Look, obviously this is really bothering you," Peyton stated, "so just force Haley to talk to you. Find a time when she can't avoid you. Like in the morning when she's opening the diner or something. She can't just leave the diner unattended." "I guess I don't really have any other choice," Lucas said with a sigh. Tomorrow morning he planned on making sure his mom couldn't be at the diner for a little while. He'd go under the pretense of making sure Haley didn't need any help and he'd convince her to talk to him. What other choice would she have?
Meanwhile, Haley was still trying to stump Jake in his little challenge. He'd been getting every answer. She didn't understand how he knew everything now. The entire afternoon he had trouble with some part of each section. Just her luck on the one that counted he'd get them all right. She figured it could be attributed to playing basketball. Athletes seemed to have this extra gear to go in when the game was on the line and apparently Jake felt like this was a championship game. "Face it. I know every detail of this section," Jake said with a laugh as Haley searched the book furiously for a tough question to ask. "I'm not ready to concede yet," Haley mumbled without looking up. "You're a lot like Lucas. He doesn't give up easily either," Jake said knowing that the mention of Lucas would get Haley's attention. Just as he'd expected Haley's head snapped up at the mention of her best friend. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Just that you are a lot like him. I guess it comes from spending so much time together," Jake answered easily. "So how long have you been in love with him?"