Chapter Seven:
"Hello," Jake said wondering when he became so popular for phone conversations.
"Hey man, it's Lucas," Lucas replied in what he hoped was a casual tone. He still wasn't sure what possessed him to call Jake. He'd spent a little while shooting hoops after leaving Haley's but his shot was all over the place.
"Hey. What did you need?" Jake asked trying to think of a way to help out his friends.
"I'm not really sure," Lucas answered with a slight chuckle. "Haley is pretty angry with me and I don't know how to fix it," he confessed. "Since you two are spending time together I thought maybe you could help me out," Lucas said hoping he didn't sound too bitter.
"I'm actually on another call right now but I'd like to help you out. Will you be up for a while? I can give you a call when I'm finished talking to...the other person," Jake finished deciding not to tell Lucas he was speaking to Haley.
"Man, I'm sorry I interrupted. I shouldn't have called. Just forget about it," Lucas said feeling like the whole conversation was a bad idea.
"No, I'll call you in a bit. The other call shouldn't take too long," Jake replied determined to help Lucas and Haley.
"If you don't mind," Lucas trailed off.
"Ok...I'll talk to you in a bit," Jake said switching back over to the other line hoping that Haley was still there.
"Hey, sorry that took longer then I expected," Jake apologized.
"It's ok. Do you need to go?" Haley asked.
"No. Have you decided to talk to Lucas yet?" Jake asked getting to the point.
"I want to because this situation has got to end but I just don't know how," Haley said frustrated.
"I wish I could answer that for you but all I can suggest is to be honest," Jake said.
"I don't want to come off sounding like a brat. If I tell Lucas that I don't like him spending so much time with Peyton, he'll think I'm acting like a spoiled child," Haley responded.
"So don't tell him you don't like him spending time with Peyton. Tell him you miss spending time with him. Just the two of you. Try to keep Peyton out of the conversation because she's not really the issue anyways," Jake advised.
"She's a big part of the issue," Haley argued.
"No, she's just the unfortunate person who got thrown into the mix. This is about you and your feelings for Lucas. You see Peyton as an obstacle to your relationship with Lucas because she's there," Jake replied honestly.
Haley sighed hating that Jake was right. "So you think that I should just try to forget about Peyton all together? What about when Lucas brings her up? He's bound to. That's what stopped me from telling him tonight," Haley said.
"Maybe this time he won't," Jake said all the while thinking especially when I suggest he not bring her up either.
"I doubt that will happen but I'll try," Haley relented. "Thanks for being such a good friend to me, Jake."
"Don't mention it," Jake replied. "I'm sure things will work out for you and Lucas. You're too much a part of each other for it not to. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye."
Jake laid down on his bed and sighed in frustration. Haley was a great girl and he couldn't understand why Lucas didn't see what was right in front of him. Jake rolled onto his side and dialed Luke's number hoping that maybe Luke would get the point. "Hey Luke, its Jake. Sorry about having to let you go. What did you want to talk about?"
"Jake you know I wouldn't bother you with this if I could take care of it on my own. But I am so confused, Hales will barely speak to me. She is turning into a stranger. Tell me what I am doing wrong and I will fix it."
"Lucas come on man it can't be that bad. Maybe she just feels neglected. I mean Luke you spend almost all your time with Peyton. Maybe Haley feels like you are letting Peyton take her place. All I know is that you two need to work this out cause you are both miserable."
"Why should I have to chose Jake? She doesn't get mad when I spend time with the team. What is her problem with Peyton?"
Jake was about to wring Luke's neck. He could not possibly be that dumb. Jake started to try to reason with Lucas when he got another call. "Hold on Lucas I have another call." Jake switched over to once again hear Haley's worried voice. "Hey Jake sorry to call again but I just wanted to let you know that I decided that me and Lucas might be better off alone. Him with Peyton and well I think it is about time I start letting Lucas led his life and quit tagging along."
"Look Haley you are being irrational right now. You know he doesn't think of you as a tag along. But I have to call you back I am on the other line."
Jake switched back over to Luke. "Lucas man listen. Bottom line is when you spend all your time with Peyton you are neglecting other people that care about you. I have to get some sleep man we can talk about this tomorrow. Well we can talk about it Monday at school. Cause tomorrow I have that double date with Haley."
"So you really think that is a good idea, dating Haley?" Jake rolled his eyes at the obviousness in Luke's question. "Why would anyone not want to date her. She is gorgeous and she is one of the most caring people I know. Look we all know Haley is perfect I just don't know why no one else has snatched her away. Luke I have to go my other line is beeping again and it is getting late."
Luke hung up and fell into a fitful sleep trying to decide how to handle tomorrow night with Haley. Jake on the other hand was ready to go insane from all the phone calls. "Haley come on I want to go to bed."
"Jake?"
"Nikki?"
"Hello," Jake said wondering when he became so popular for phone conversations.
"Hey man, it's Lucas," Lucas replied in what he hoped was a casual tone. He still wasn't sure what possessed him to call Jake. He'd spent a little while shooting hoops after leaving Haley's but his shot was all over the place.
"Hey. What did you need?" Jake asked trying to think of a way to help out his friends.
"I'm not really sure," Lucas answered with a slight chuckle. "Haley is pretty angry with me and I don't know how to fix it," he confessed. "Since you two are spending time together I thought maybe you could help me out," Lucas said hoping he didn't sound too bitter.
"I'm actually on another call right now but I'd like to help you out. Will you be up for a while? I can give you a call when I'm finished talking to...the other person," Jake finished deciding not to tell Lucas he was speaking to Haley.
"Man, I'm sorry I interrupted. I shouldn't have called. Just forget about it," Lucas said feeling like the whole conversation was a bad idea.
"No, I'll call you in a bit. The other call shouldn't take too long," Jake replied determined to help Lucas and Haley.
"If you don't mind," Lucas trailed off.
"Ok...I'll talk to you in a bit," Jake said switching back over to the other line hoping that Haley was still there.
"Hey, sorry that took longer then I expected," Jake apologized.
"It's ok. Do you need to go?" Haley asked.
"No. Have you decided to talk to Lucas yet?" Jake asked getting to the point.
"I want to because this situation has got to end but I just don't know how," Haley said frustrated.
"I wish I could answer that for you but all I can suggest is to be honest," Jake said.
"I don't want to come off sounding like a brat. If I tell Lucas that I don't like him spending so much time with Peyton, he'll think I'm acting like a spoiled child," Haley responded.
"So don't tell him you don't like him spending time with Peyton. Tell him you miss spending time with him. Just the two of you. Try to keep Peyton out of the conversation because she's not really the issue anyways," Jake advised.
"She's a big part of the issue," Haley argued.
"No, she's just the unfortunate person who got thrown into the mix. This is about you and your feelings for Lucas. You see Peyton as an obstacle to your relationship with Lucas because she's there," Jake replied honestly.
Haley sighed hating that Jake was right. "So you think that I should just try to forget about Peyton all together? What about when Lucas brings her up? He's bound to. That's what stopped me from telling him tonight," Haley said.
"Maybe this time he won't," Jake said all the while thinking especially when I suggest he not bring her up either.
"I doubt that will happen but I'll try," Haley relented. "Thanks for being such a good friend to me, Jake."
"Don't mention it," Jake replied. "I'm sure things will work out for you and Lucas. You're too much a part of each other for it not to. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye."
Jake laid down on his bed and sighed in frustration. Haley was a great girl and he couldn't understand why Lucas didn't see what was right in front of him. Jake rolled onto his side and dialed Luke's number hoping that maybe Luke would get the point. "Hey Luke, its Jake. Sorry about having to let you go. What did you want to talk about?"
"Jake you know I wouldn't bother you with this if I could take care of it on my own. But I am so confused, Hales will barely speak to me. She is turning into a stranger. Tell me what I am doing wrong and I will fix it."
"Lucas come on man it can't be that bad. Maybe she just feels neglected. I mean Luke you spend almost all your time with Peyton. Maybe Haley feels like you are letting Peyton take her place. All I know is that you two need to work this out cause you are both miserable."
"Why should I have to chose Jake? She doesn't get mad when I spend time with the team. What is her problem with Peyton?"
Jake was about to wring Luke's neck. He could not possibly be that dumb. Jake started to try to reason with Lucas when he got another call. "Hold on Lucas I have another call." Jake switched over to once again hear Haley's worried voice. "Hey Jake sorry to call again but I just wanted to let you know that I decided that me and Lucas might be better off alone. Him with Peyton and well I think it is about time I start letting Lucas led his life and quit tagging along."
"Look Haley you are being irrational right now. You know he doesn't think of you as a tag along. But I have to call you back I am on the other line."
Jake switched back over to Luke. "Lucas man listen. Bottom line is when you spend all your time with Peyton you are neglecting other people that care about you. I have to get some sleep man we can talk about this tomorrow. Well we can talk about it Monday at school. Cause tomorrow I have that double date with Haley."
"So you really think that is a good idea, dating Haley?" Jake rolled his eyes at the obviousness in Luke's question. "Why would anyone not want to date her. She is gorgeous and she is one of the most caring people I know. Look we all know Haley is perfect I just don't know why no one else has snatched her away. Luke I have to go my other line is beeping again and it is getting late."
Luke hung up and fell into a fitful sleep trying to decide how to handle tomorrow night with Haley. Jake on the other hand was ready to go insane from all the phone calls. "Haley come on I want to go to bed."
"Jake?"
"Nikki?"