Peyton comes back from summer break with a surprise. And that surprise has
decided to mix things up. Romance: P/L, N/H and Brooke is a surprise... Maybe
even Shane will find a little love?
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)
Rating: R (for later)
Chapter: Five. Lunch with Lucas. An old friend returns. And Shane gets a crush. Oh and the party's getting closer. P.S. I know I've neglected Nathan and Haley, so the next chapter they will play a major role in. Thanks!
Oh and I had Philosophy today last period... so if this chapter seems moody and sappy, well, blame my prof... It's extra long, so I'm hoping for some extra long reviews HINT HINT
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.
Musical Choices for this Chapter:
Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional
Here With Me by Dido
Letters to You by Finch
Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
Rant (SPOILERS!!): It's the countdown people (in half an hour), to the very last episode before a grueling summer of wondering, waiting and reruns of One Tree Hill. Okay, so Keith and Deb... I've had time to come to terms... but still I have my vomit bag handy.
Poor Nathan! Getting kicked off the team by your own dad is harsh! And Dan is pretty much a minion of the ANTI CHRIST... (aka Beelzebub) And Lucas is leaving, at least for the summer. Who bets he comes back September after someone on the show is either hospitalized or dies? Meh, we all know he's coming back so what's the big deal?
I hope Jake comes back. I love that guy! He's what makes us teenage angsties hold out for that one special guy who'll be different from all the rest. And as for Brooke getting all 'Peyton's got it coming, she'll get hers!'...get over it. It's high school, boyfriend swapping is the norm and its not like you're going to marry the guy.
I'll just be glad when it's all over and I have a diploma tightly clenched in my fist. Peace, Mickey
Peyton stood on the steps outside the home ec. classroom, the smell of freshly baked pastries mingling with the sent of nicotine and cigarette smoke. She took a short drag before blowing out the whispy white smoke. It tumble upwards, the wind carrying it upwards to the cloudy sky. She shivered involuntarily. Damn Carolina weather. The wind blew lightly enough but it cut through her, making her shiver again. She took another drag.
'I didn't know you smoked.' She turned at the sound of the male voice behind her. She smiled before letting the smoke trail from her thin pink lips.
'I don't. Usually. I just like the smell of them.' She looked down at the almost spent cigarette philosophically. 'It's funny. My mom used to smoke these all the time, and I'd tell her how gross they were, and how smelly she was. Now, its like all I have left of her.'
'So you're in one of those moods.' Jake said as he sat down on the step, and she followed suit, without even being asked. 'I guess things can't have changed that much if you're still as broody as ever.' He chuckled as he rubbed his large hands together. She smiled, taking the last breath of nicotine before letting it fall from her fingers.
'You must be mistaking me for Lucas.' He smiled even wider and nodded, his short shag bobbing with his head. 'So how long are you back for this time?' She always dreaded asking this question. Was it a week? A day? It always felt more like a moment...
'Actually I'm here for a month.' Peyton's head whirled at his answer as her eyes shot up to meet his, her hair swirling around her.
'A...a month?' she stuttered out. 'But what about Jenny? And Nikki?' He let out a heavy, troubled sigh, and clapped his hands together.
'You can't run from your problems forever Peyt. I've been away so long from my home. And there isn't a day that I don't miss Tree Hill, and my parents. And you.' Her green eyes blinked at this confession. He smiled. 'There aren't many friends like you Peyton Sawyer. And there are even fewer in Savannah.' She smiled, shying away from this compliment.
But he continued on, ignoring her suddenly coy demeanor. 'There's a hearing on Friday at around noon. My dad and me managed to scrape enough money together for a decent lawyer. He says that we might be able to get Nikki on a charge of abandonment. But then again, she could retaliate with kidnapping, so we're taking a chance.'
Peyton smiled, her hand reaching over and rubbing his as if as a sign of reassurance. 'You'll win. You're the most committed father I know.' He snorted.
'You live in a town with Dan Scott. That's not hard to believe.'
'Ha ha. All jokes aside, really, you will win. I know you will.' Their eyes connected and something passed between them. A mutual understanding that they would stick together through this difficult time. But almost as soon as it was recognized, it was pushed aside. 'Now enough of this sappy bullshit.' Peyton said as she stood, hopping down onto the pavement. He nodded, grinning at her in the handsome, boyish way that had instantly won her over.
'So you want to go out and grab a bite to eat?' He asked as he stood, cramming his hands into his pockets. Peyton smiled, but then suddenly grimaced.
'I can't. Luke and I are going out for lunch. We have to "talk" about some things.' He laughed at her less than enthusiastic tone. 'I'd ask you to save me, but I think I've put this off for too long already.'
'Understood. Understood.' He waved his hands, showing there was no harm done. 'Maybe some other time. I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself. My parents are taking Jenny out for a few days, you know, doing grandparent stuff.' He shrugged. 'Guess I'll just shoot some hoops or something.'
'PEYTON!' They both turned to see Shane walking their way, smiling broadly. Peyton rolled her eyes.
'What now? Don't tell me...you beat the poor boy to death with a tennis racket?' She said sarcastically, and received a sly smile in response.
'Nah. It was a hockey stick.' Shane replied nonchalantly. Jake chuckled. Shane looked over at him, smiling. 'Whose this tall handsome fellah?' Peyton again could not keep her eyes from rolling.
'Uh, Shay this is Jake. Jake this is my sister Shane.' Jake did a double take at the information of Shane being Peyton's sister. 'I know, look it's a long story.' She said as she raked a hand through her hair.
'It's not really, it just stresses her out when people find out we're related.' Shane said, smiling before lightly elbowing Peyton, who couldn't help but smile back.
'Shut up, you know I love you, you brat.' She replied as she swung her arm around her and hugged her tightly.
'Please, save the mushy stuff for lunch. Luke was looking for you a minute ago out by the front.' Peyton eased her grip on Shane and gave Jake an apologetic look.
Jake smiled and looked back at Shane. He'd be lying if she hadn't intrigued him with her witticism (though he didn't entirely get it). She was gorgeous just like her sister. Thin. Long legs. Bright green eyes and golden hair. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a sucker for a beautiful girl.
'I'm sorry I've got to go so soon. But I'm having a party later, sort of to show off Shane. You should come.' Shane looked between the two worriedly. Was Peyton interested in this guy? To be honest he looked a little geeky. But he held a Tobey MaGuire quality to him that made him to be sort of the cute geek who every girl would go for. Boy, Luke was in trouble.
'For sure, I'll be there!' he said as he pulled her into a hug. Peyton wrapped her arms around him, wishing that she didn't have to face Luke. She felt so comfortable around Jake. He was her best friend, and when he'd left, there was a part of her that had wondered if there hadn't been more there...
'Um, sorry to break this up, but how the hell do you expect me to get home?' Peyton turned to see Shane eyeing the two of them. She shrugged.
'Walk?' she offered.
'You know I'll get lost! I haven't lived here in eight years. Expecting me to remember the bus routes may be a bit beyond me too.' Peyton sighed. Shit. The last thing she wanted was Luke AND Shane in the same car...she wasn't too happy about them being in the same zip code.
'Well I could give you a ride.' The two blondes turned to Jake. 'If you need one. It's kind of boring around here, with no job and all the kids in school.' He poked Peyton who gave him a friendly glare. 'So I'd be willing to be your chauffeur.'
'Watch it. She abuses power.' Peyton quipped. Shane placed her hands on her hips.
'Don't you have someone else to go pester?' she said before pointing at the school. 'Go get your man and get out of here!' Peyton's eyebrows rose at the 'your man' comment. Shane winked, before gently pushing her forward.
Jake chuckled. 'You know, now I can really see the resemblance.' He watched Peyton's retreating backside as she sauntered toward the school. Shane smiled, her cheeks tinted red, and Jake was surprised that her loud manner was quickly escaping her.
'So I have no plans, and since I am always good to the hired help, where is it you'd like to go?' Shane asked, quickly jumping back into confident, self assured mode. She hugged her small frame from the cold, her hair whipping in the light breeze, her countenance pale from the cold light of the sky. Jake shook himself from his reverie.
'Well, I'm kind of hungry. I could really go for some pizza right about now.' He motioned down the road. 'I you don't mind walking a little.' She laughed.
'Hey I thought we had wheels!' she smiled though and began walking beside him toward the main road that swept past Tree Hill High. 'Alright, as long as it's not a veggie pizza and the grease is as thick as the crust.' Jake chuckled.
'I can tell already that you're different from most girls.' He eyed her, his brown eyes reflecting the grey sky. Shane found this oddly appealing.
'I still say we should drive. It's fucking freezing out.' She pouted before shivering violently. She was from San Francisco. What did she know about cold fall weather? He grinned at her.
'You get what you pay for.' He said simply.
'But I'm not paying you.' She said with a raised eyebrow. He nodded.
'And there you go. See, I am worth every cent.' He answered smugly. She shook her head.
'You're the crappiest chauffeur I have ever commandeered.' She said quietly, but he heard her all the same and laughed. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself.
Peyton leaned against her locker watching Brooke pass her with a fellow cheerleader. Brooke nodded in her direction, but didn't stop to say anything before walking up to some faceless jock and taking his arm. She steered him toward the cafeteria, her mini skirt swaying tantalizingly behind her. Peyton sighed. Back to the silent treatment. Well this one wasn't going to last as long. She hoped...
'Peyt...' Peyton turned to stare up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She smiled nervously, as she anxiously readjusted her shoulder bag. 'I've been looking all over for you. You still on for lunch?' So he was giving her a way out. Nice, sweet, un-pressuring Luke. He always found away to try and take the heat off. But somehow it only served to fan the flame.
'For sure.' She said, looking him directly in the eye so he knew that she had every intention of having lunch with him and talking about things. 'Where to? Not Karen's...' The last thing she needed was Luke's mom hovering over them. She'd never taken a shine to Peyton, not like she had to Brooke.
'No, I was thinking we could just grab something and eat by the river.' Near the basketball courts. Well, every baby has to have their security blanket.
'Sounds good.' Peyton said, trying to offer up some sort of confident, easy going smile. And when he returned it, she felt oddly...comforted. As if their friendship had been presented to them again. 'Lead the way.'
And then he did something unexpected. He took her by the hand and began walking slowly down the hall. All Peyton could do was stare, and as shocked as she was by his move, she made no attempt to recoil. She merely walked beside him, watching him openly, while he stared ahead, too afraid that she might pull away.
They walked out into the cold air. Since when had North Carolina gotten so cold? It was only September after all. His hand felt oddly comforting and she squeezed it subconsciously, as a cold breeze bit through her. Luke noticed this and finally turned to look at her. Her eyes were closed and she shivered lightly, making him smile.
Peyton felt something heavy and warm encircle her small shoulders, forcing her eyes to open, though the breeze made them sting. She looked down at her body which was now covered by Luke's jacket. She looked up at him, and their eyes met again.
Yes Peyton felt awkward around him sometimes. And she always felt a small part of her churn whenever they're eyes met. But this feeling, her hand in his, his coat around her, his eyes locked with hers. There was something about that feeling that her feelings for Jake couldn't quite compare to.
'Don't want you to get sick.' Luke said quietly, though she'd not breathed a word. She nodded, her own thin smile forming. 'You know, because I kind of like you.' Peyton felt something inside of her flare. Part of her felt a tightening in her chest, some excitement surfacing at the thought that he cared. Another part of her was angry, because she was falling for Lucas Scott all over again. And she couldn't go through that again.
Shane grinned before taking another bite of her slice of pizza. 'So you've lived in San Francisco your whole life?' Jake asked as he absentmindedly stirred the ice cubes in his cola with his straw. Shane nodded.
'Mostly. As much as it pains me to say, Peyton was right when she said it's complicated.' Shane sighed, as she peeled a piece of pepperoni off her pizza.
'I used to live here. I can relate.' He said waggling his eyebrows. Shane smiled and nodded.
'So I've heard. But why'd you leave?' she asked, abandoning her food for a moment. Suddenly his body tensed and his face grew grave.
'A girl.' He answered stiffly, looking down at his hands. Shane winced, feeling suddenly like a huge anvil should have been dropped on her.
'I'm sorry. That seems to sort of be a recurring reason. People leave because love hurts them. The drama that is Tree Hill and all that.' He looked up at her as she fidgeted looking at him guiltily. He gave a weak smile.
'Yeah. I don't really know why I left. I was just running from my problems when I should have just turned right around and fought back.' He heaved a heavy sigh, pushing a hand through his ruffled hair. 'I guess I just realized it and now I'm back.' Shane bit her lip.
'So is this like with Peyton and Lucas?' He looked up at her quizzically. 'I mean, are you back to tell this girl that you're madly in love with her, would do anything for her, that you've both made mistakes and you need to move past them? Tell her that you can't live without her?' She stopped, and he was sure she must have run out of air, but she still didn't take a breath.
He shook his vehemently, laughing lightly under his breath. 'No. That will never happen. There's only one girl I can't live without.' He smiled to himself and Shay felt her stomach sink.
They'd been talking for about an hour about themselves and their interests, and she was seriously digging this guy. He was sweet, funny, and everything every other guy had never been to her. Fuck Shay, what the hell were you expecting?
'Oh? Is she back in Savannah?' Shane asked meekly. He shook his head, his stupid smile still plastered across his face dopily.
'No, she's with her grandparents today. Bonding and that kind of thing.'
'So what's her name?' Shane asked, each second losing the confidence to continue.
'Jenny. Jenny Jageilski.' Shane looked up into his face, frowning slightly.
'What?' she asked, clearly confused. 'Is she related?' Jake laughed, nodding as he leaned forward on the table.
'She's my daughter.' He said. Shane was shocked. He had a daughter? And he wasn't ashamed... that was odd for a teenage parent. Shane just gaped at him, but he didn't seem at all offended. 'The girl I was running from was her mother, who abandoned us a month after Jenny was born. She wants to take Jenny away from me.' He looked down at the table, his eyes unfocused. 'I was stupid and I ran, because I was so sure she'd win. But I'm back now and I won't let her take my baby away.' Shane's mouth twitched at this. He was so dedicated to his daughter. It only furthered her attraction to him, that he was so loving.
'You're brave.' She said without thinking. Jake looked up into her eyes which had softened after the initial shock. 'Jenny is very lucky.' It was Jake's turn to be surprised, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. He didn't know what he'd expected her to say, but this was not it. Then he smiled and their droopy eyed stare continued, neither saying anything. Suddenly they both became aware of what they were doing and they looked away, Shane going back to her now cold pizza and Jake picking at his garlic bread.
Peyton laid her head back down on the grassy hill, her golden hair splaying against the trunk of the large tree that was shading her from the sky which now looked as though it would open up and rain. Luke sat down next to her, looking at her as if for the first time. She seemed to be having an internal battle, the way wave after wave of emotions would cross her face.
They'd walked down the street to a place called 'The Works' and gotten some clubs to bring down to the river. They had joked and been playful with each other, as if they'd never been separated. Peyton had laughed, trying to push her loving thoughts of Luke to the back of her head.
They were acting like friends, like they had the very day before Nikki had ruined all that. And for the first time Lucas felt a small part of him want to forget. There was a tiny voice that kept telling him to forget, all about last year and embrace Peyton the way she was as they made their way to the park. Playful, happy, laughing, joking, sweet. He didn't want to make that go away. But he had so many questions...
'I think we need to talk about last year.' He finally said. He'd put off his curiosity but now it had reached a fevered pitch, and he needed to know some things at least. Peyton sighed, breaking from her trance, and closed her eyes.
'I wish we didn't have to.' She admitted, though she knew she really had no choice. Luke nodded, letting his own eyes fall shut.
'It's hard. But I need to know what you feel Peyton. So that maybe I can set things right and put them the way they were. Maybe I can make things better-'
'You can't make things better Lucas.' Peyton interrupted, her voice harsh. This was it. A summer's worth of turmoil was about to come out, and she knew that the emotional tidal wave might drown them both. But she couldn't stop it if she'd wanted to. It was sink or swim...
'You can't fix what you did.' Her eyes opened, blearily with tears. 'You were with Brooke for all that time, being the happy couple. And I admit that was my fault. But after everything we felt for each other came out... and then we couldn't be together... that was hard enough. But no, then you slept with Nikki, at a time when I thought we meant more to each other. Not only that, but you never told me. I get my ass beaten only to find out that you fucked around with the whore that left Jenny and Jake. Then, you run away with Keith? That was just the icing on the cake. You never even told me you were going.' Her voice caught in her throat as she sat up violently, feeling her chest constrict painfully.
'After you left, I couldn't feel anymore. I didn't want to feel anymore. I just had to get the hell out of this hole, and get away from all this fucking drama. I needed to get away from the memory of you, because everywhere I went you haunted me. So I left, just like you did, I ran away, but it didn't fix anything. I always knew that when I got back, you'd be right here waiting. I knew you couldn't really stay away from Tree Hill. But you left, and that burned me.' She took a deep breath, her hands shaking with so much emotion that it scared her.
Luke sat there, helpless. He didn't feel that he had the audacity to reach out and hold her. She was right. Everything he'd done had been wrong and he didn't deserve her forgiveness. He wished he did though, more than anything.
'I missed you so damn much.' She was practically whimpering now. He hadn't known how much he'd affected her. 'When I got that call in July that I lost my dad, that he'd been stolen from me, I cried for weeks. But half the time I wasn't even thinking of daddy. I was thinking of you, and that night his boat had gone missing. I thought of your kisses and your gentleness and your tenderness. St. Luke and his love that I came so close to claiming for my own.' She knew she sounded pathetic and poetic, but she couldn't help it. She'd practiced what she was going to tell him, but that'd all been forgotten. All this came from her heart.
It took every ounce of restraint not to reach out and take her shoulder, not to lean over and kiss her senseless. It took all the control inside of him not to whisper in her ear how much he'd missed her too and how for that first month he'd been away, he couldn't sleep knowing that he wasn't going to see her face everyday in school. God he was in fucking Grade Twelve. What the hell was wrong with him, he was feeling things that he thought he'd never feel.
'But we can't go back to the way we were.' Peyton concluded, wiping her eyes, even though no tears had escaped them. 'The best we can hope for is friendship.' Lucas felt his heart tighten at the resignation in her voice. Friends. Friends. That was what they had left. That was all they had left.
'Friends.' Luke repeated, internally cringing. Peyton looked over at him for the first time during her entire speech. 'I think I can do that.' His hands were fisted but she couldn't see them. As much as he wished it, he wasn't transparent, and she couldn't see right through his façade. Peyton looked at him and he saw a trace of skepticism cross her face. 'If I can only be your friend, Peyt, then I'll take it. I'll do anything as long as I can still be around you.'
No. No, he wasn't supposed to accept. He was supposed to yell and blame her for all the stupid things she'd done, and god knows she'd done her fair share. He was supposed to chastise her about her decision to be 'just friends'.
This answer that he gave chipped her freshly iced heart. She'd been ready to try hating him again after recounting all his faults. But he was willing to be anything, do anything as long as he could be with her. Her defenses were temporarily down for the count.
'I've been a jerk, and I am so sorry. I missed you more than you know. Being your friend is better than not being anything to you at all.' He leaned forward finally, before she had the chance to move and encircled her in his arms, pulling her forward. He'd ached to do this since he'd first come to see her at her house.
At first Peyton was tense, but slowly she relaxed and let her arms slip over his broad, muscled shoulders, hugging him back. His head was buried in her neck. This wasn't generally how 'friends' hugged. They didn't cling desperately to one another, inhaling every scent as if it were the last time they'd smell it. But that was what they were. They were friends.
Just friends.
Author: Mickey (or Stokely)
Rating: R (for later)
Chapter: Five. Lunch with Lucas. An old friend returns. And Shane gets a crush. Oh and the party's getting closer. P.S. I know I've neglected Nathan and Haley, so the next chapter they will play a major role in. Thanks!
Oh and I had Philosophy today last period... so if this chapter seems moody and sappy, well, blame my prof... It's extra long, so I'm hoping for some extra long reviews HINT HINT
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does...damn them.
Musical Choices for this Chapter:
Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional
Here With Me by Dido
Letters to You by Finch
Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
Rant (SPOILERS!!): It's the countdown people (in half an hour), to the very last episode before a grueling summer of wondering, waiting and reruns of One Tree Hill. Okay, so Keith and Deb... I've had time to come to terms... but still I have my vomit bag handy.
Poor Nathan! Getting kicked off the team by your own dad is harsh! And Dan is pretty much a minion of the ANTI CHRIST... (aka Beelzebub) And Lucas is leaving, at least for the summer. Who bets he comes back September after someone on the show is either hospitalized or dies? Meh, we all know he's coming back so what's the big deal?
I hope Jake comes back. I love that guy! He's what makes us teenage angsties hold out for that one special guy who'll be different from all the rest. And as for Brooke getting all 'Peyton's got it coming, she'll get hers!'...get over it. It's high school, boyfriend swapping is the norm and its not like you're going to marry the guy.
I'll just be glad when it's all over and I have a diploma tightly clenched in my fist. Peace, Mickey
Peyton stood on the steps outside the home ec. classroom, the smell of freshly baked pastries mingling with the sent of nicotine and cigarette smoke. She took a short drag before blowing out the whispy white smoke. It tumble upwards, the wind carrying it upwards to the cloudy sky. She shivered involuntarily. Damn Carolina weather. The wind blew lightly enough but it cut through her, making her shiver again. She took another drag.
'I didn't know you smoked.' She turned at the sound of the male voice behind her. She smiled before letting the smoke trail from her thin pink lips.
'I don't. Usually. I just like the smell of them.' She looked down at the almost spent cigarette philosophically. 'It's funny. My mom used to smoke these all the time, and I'd tell her how gross they were, and how smelly she was. Now, its like all I have left of her.'
'So you're in one of those moods.' Jake said as he sat down on the step, and she followed suit, without even being asked. 'I guess things can't have changed that much if you're still as broody as ever.' He chuckled as he rubbed his large hands together. She smiled, taking the last breath of nicotine before letting it fall from her fingers.
'You must be mistaking me for Lucas.' He smiled even wider and nodded, his short shag bobbing with his head. 'So how long are you back for this time?' She always dreaded asking this question. Was it a week? A day? It always felt more like a moment...
'Actually I'm here for a month.' Peyton's head whirled at his answer as her eyes shot up to meet his, her hair swirling around her.
'A...a month?' she stuttered out. 'But what about Jenny? And Nikki?' He let out a heavy, troubled sigh, and clapped his hands together.
'You can't run from your problems forever Peyt. I've been away so long from my home. And there isn't a day that I don't miss Tree Hill, and my parents. And you.' Her green eyes blinked at this confession. He smiled. 'There aren't many friends like you Peyton Sawyer. And there are even fewer in Savannah.' She smiled, shying away from this compliment.
But he continued on, ignoring her suddenly coy demeanor. 'There's a hearing on Friday at around noon. My dad and me managed to scrape enough money together for a decent lawyer. He says that we might be able to get Nikki on a charge of abandonment. But then again, she could retaliate with kidnapping, so we're taking a chance.'
Peyton smiled, her hand reaching over and rubbing his as if as a sign of reassurance. 'You'll win. You're the most committed father I know.' He snorted.
'You live in a town with Dan Scott. That's not hard to believe.'
'Ha ha. All jokes aside, really, you will win. I know you will.' Their eyes connected and something passed between them. A mutual understanding that they would stick together through this difficult time. But almost as soon as it was recognized, it was pushed aside. 'Now enough of this sappy bullshit.' Peyton said as she stood, hopping down onto the pavement. He nodded, grinning at her in the handsome, boyish way that had instantly won her over.
'So you want to go out and grab a bite to eat?' He asked as he stood, cramming his hands into his pockets. Peyton smiled, but then suddenly grimaced.
'I can't. Luke and I are going out for lunch. We have to "talk" about some things.' He laughed at her less than enthusiastic tone. 'I'd ask you to save me, but I think I've put this off for too long already.'
'Understood. Understood.' He waved his hands, showing there was no harm done. 'Maybe some other time. I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself. My parents are taking Jenny out for a few days, you know, doing grandparent stuff.' He shrugged. 'Guess I'll just shoot some hoops or something.'
'PEYTON!' They both turned to see Shane walking their way, smiling broadly. Peyton rolled her eyes.
'What now? Don't tell me...you beat the poor boy to death with a tennis racket?' She said sarcastically, and received a sly smile in response.
'Nah. It was a hockey stick.' Shane replied nonchalantly. Jake chuckled. Shane looked over at him, smiling. 'Whose this tall handsome fellah?' Peyton again could not keep her eyes from rolling.
'Uh, Shay this is Jake. Jake this is my sister Shane.' Jake did a double take at the information of Shane being Peyton's sister. 'I know, look it's a long story.' She said as she raked a hand through her hair.
'It's not really, it just stresses her out when people find out we're related.' Shane said, smiling before lightly elbowing Peyton, who couldn't help but smile back.
'Shut up, you know I love you, you brat.' She replied as she swung her arm around her and hugged her tightly.
'Please, save the mushy stuff for lunch. Luke was looking for you a minute ago out by the front.' Peyton eased her grip on Shane and gave Jake an apologetic look.
Jake smiled and looked back at Shane. He'd be lying if she hadn't intrigued him with her witticism (though he didn't entirely get it). She was gorgeous just like her sister. Thin. Long legs. Bright green eyes and golden hair. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a sucker for a beautiful girl.
'I'm sorry I've got to go so soon. But I'm having a party later, sort of to show off Shane. You should come.' Shane looked between the two worriedly. Was Peyton interested in this guy? To be honest he looked a little geeky. But he held a Tobey MaGuire quality to him that made him to be sort of the cute geek who every girl would go for. Boy, Luke was in trouble.
'For sure, I'll be there!' he said as he pulled her into a hug. Peyton wrapped her arms around him, wishing that she didn't have to face Luke. She felt so comfortable around Jake. He was her best friend, and when he'd left, there was a part of her that had wondered if there hadn't been more there...
'Um, sorry to break this up, but how the hell do you expect me to get home?' Peyton turned to see Shane eyeing the two of them. She shrugged.
'Walk?' she offered.
'You know I'll get lost! I haven't lived here in eight years. Expecting me to remember the bus routes may be a bit beyond me too.' Peyton sighed. Shit. The last thing she wanted was Luke AND Shane in the same car...she wasn't too happy about them being in the same zip code.
'Well I could give you a ride.' The two blondes turned to Jake. 'If you need one. It's kind of boring around here, with no job and all the kids in school.' He poked Peyton who gave him a friendly glare. 'So I'd be willing to be your chauffeur.'
'Watch it. She abuses power.' Peyton quipped. Shane placed her hands on her hips.
'Don't you have someone else to go pester?' she said before pointing at the school. 'Go get your man and get out of here!' Peyton's eyebrows rose at the 'your man' comment. Shane winked, before gently pushing her forward.
Jake chuckled. 'You know, now I can really see the resemblance.' He watched Peyton's retreating backside as she sauntered toward the school. Shane smiled, her cheeks tinted red, and Jake was surprised that her loud manner was quickly escaping her.
'So I have no plans, and since I am always good to the hired help, where is it you'd like to go?' Shane asked, quickly jumping back into confident, self assured mode. She hugged her small frame from the cold, her hair whipping in the light breeze, her countenance pale from the cold light of the sky. Jake shook himself from his reverie.
'Well, I'm kind of hungry. I could really go for some pizza right about now.' He motioned down the road. 'I you don't mind walking a little.' She laughed.
'Hey I thought we had wheels!' she smiled though and began walking beside him toward the main road that swept past Tree Hill High. 'Alright, as long as it's not a veggie pizza and the grease is as thick as the crust.' Jake chuckled.
'I can tell already that you're different from most girls.' He eyed her, his brown eyes reflecting the grey sky. Shane found this oddly appealing.
'I still say we should drive. It's fucking freezing out.' She pouted before shivering violently. She was from San Francisco. What did she know about cold fall weather? He grinned at her.
'You get what you pay for.' He said simply.
'But I'm not paying you.' She said with a raised eyebrow. He nodded.
'And there you go. See, I am worth every cent.' He answered smugly. She shook her head.
'You're the crappiest chauffeur I have ever commandeered.' She said quietly, but he heard her all the same and laughed. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself.
Peyton leaned against her locker watching Brooke pass her with a fellow cheerleader. Brooke nodded in her direction, but didn't stop to say anything before walking up to some faceless jock and taking his arm. She steered him toward the cafeteria, her mini skirt swaying tantalizingly behind her. Peyton sighed. Back to the silent treatment. Well this one wasn't going to last as long. She hoped...
'Peyt...' Peyton turned to stare up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She smiled nervously, as she anxiously readjusted her shoulder bag. 'I've been looking all over for you. You still on for lunch?' So he was giving her a way out. Nice, sweet, un-pressuring Luke. He always found away to try and take the heat off. But somehow it only served to fan the flame.
'For sure.' She said, looking him directly in the eye so he knew that she had every intention of having lunch with him and talking about things. 'Where to? Not Karen's...' The last thing she needed was Luke's mom hovering over them. She'd never taken a shine to Peyton, not like she had to Brooke.
'No, I was thinking we could just grab something and eat by the river.' Near the basketball courts. Well, every baby has to have their security blanket.
'Sounds good.' Peyton said, trying to offer up some sort of confident, easy going smile. And when he returned it, she felt oddly...comforted. As if their friendship had been presented to them again. 'Lead the way.'
And then he did something unexpected. He took her by the hand and began walking slowly down the hall. All Peyton could do was stare, and as shocked as she was by his move, she made no attempt to recoil. She merely walked beside him, watching him openly, while he stared ahead, too afraid that she might pull away.
They walked out into the cold air. Since when had North Carolina gotten so cold? It was only September after all. His hand felt oddly comforting and she squeezed it subconsciously, as a cold breeze bit through her. Luke noticed this and finally turned to look at her. Her eyes were closed and she shivered lightly, making him smile.
Peyton felt something heavy and warm encircle her small shoulders, forcing her eyes to open, though the breeze made them sting. She looked down at her body which was now covered by Luke's jacket. She looked up at him, and their eyes met again.
Yes Peyton felt awkward around him sometimes. And she always felt a small part of her churn whenever they're eyes met. But this feeling, her hand in his, his coat around her, his eyes locked with hers. There was something about that feeling that her feelings for Jake couldn't quite compare to.
'Don't want you to get sick.' Luke said quietly, though she'd not breathed a word. She nodded, her own thin smile forming. 'You know, because I kind of like you.' Peyton felt something inside of her flare. Part of her felt a tightening in her chest, some excitement surfacing at the thought that he cared. Another part of her was angry, because she was falling for Lucas Scott all over again. And she couldn't go through that again.
Shane grinned before taking another bite of her slice of pizza. 'So you've lived in San Francisco your whole life?' Jake asked as he absentmindedly stirred the ice cubes in his cola with his straw. Shane nodded.
'Mostly. As much as it pains me to say, Peyton was right when she said it's complicated.' Shane sighed, as she peeled a piece of pepperoni off her pizza.
'I used to live here. I can relate.' He said waggling his eyebrows. Shane smiled and nodded.
'So I've heard. But why'd you leave?' she asked, abandoning her food for a moment. Suddenly his body tensed and his face grew grave.
'A girl.' He answered stiffly, looking down at his hands. Shane winced, feeling suddenly like a huge anvil should have been dropped on her.
'I'm sorry. That seems to sort of be a recurring reason. People leave because love hurts them. The drama that is Tree Hill and all that.' He looked up at her as she fidgeted looking at him guiltily. He gave a weak smile.
'Yeah. I don't really know why I left. I was just running from my problems when I should have just turned right around and fought back.' He heaved a heavy sigh, pushing a hand through his ruffled hair. 'I guess I just realized it and now I'm back.' Shane bit her lip.
'So is this like with Peyton and Lucas?' He looked up at her quizzically. 'I mean, are you back to tell this girl that you're madly in love with her, would do anything for her, that you've both made mistakes and you need to move past them? Tell her that you can't live without her?' She stopped, and he was sure she must have run out of air, but she still didn't take a breath.
He shook his vehemently, laughing lightly under his breath. 'No. That will never happen. There's only one girl I can't live without.' He smiled to himself and Shay felt her stomach sink.
They'd been talking for about an hour about themselves and their interests, and she was seriously digging this guy. He was sweet, funny, and everything every other guy had never been to her. Fuck Shay, what the hell were you expecting?
'Oh? Is she back in Savannah?' Shane asked meekly. He shook his head, his stupid smile still plastered across his face dopily.
'No, she's with her grandparents today. Bonding and that kind of thing.'
'So what's her name?' Shane asked, each second losing the confidence to continue.
'Jenny. Jenny Jageilski.' Shane looked up into his face, frowning slightly.
'What?' she asked, clearly confused. 'Is she related?' Jake laughed, nodding as he leaned forward on the table.
'She's my daughter.' He said. Shane was shocked. He had a daughter? And he wasn't ashamed... that was odd for a teenage parent. Shane just gaped at him, but he didn't seem at all offended. 'The girl I was running from was her mother, who abandoned us a month after Jenny was born. She wants to take Jenny away from me.' He looked down at the table, his eyes unfocused. 'I was stupid and I ran, because I was so sure she'd win. But I'm back now and I won't let her take my baby away.' Shane's mouth twitched at this. He was so dedicated to his daughter. It only furthered her attraction to him, that he was so loving.
'You're brave.' She said without thinking. Jake looked up into her eyes which had softened after the initial shock. 'Jenny is very lucky.' It was Jake's turn to be surprised, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. He didn't know what he'd expected her to say, but this was not it. Then he smiled and their droopy eyed stare continued, neither saying anything. Suddenly they both became aware of what they were doing and they looked away, Shane going back to her now cold pizza and Jake picking at his garlic bread.
Peyton laid her head back down on the grassy hill, her golden hair splaying against the trunk of the large tree that was shading her from the sky which now looked as though it would open up and rain. Luke sat down next to her, looking at her as if for the first time. She seemed to be having an internal battle, the way wave after wave of emotions would cross her face.
They'd walked down the street to a place called 'The Works' and gotten some clubs to bring down to the river. They had joked and been playful with each other, as if they'd never been separated. Peyton had laughed, trying to push her loving thoughts of Luke to the back of her head.
They were acting like friends, like they had the very day before Nikki had ruined all that. And for the first time Lucas felt a small part of him want to forget. There was a tiny voice that kept telling him to forget, all about last year and embrace Peyton the way she was as they made their way to the park. Playful, happy, laughing, joking, sweet. He didn't want to make that go away. But he had so many questions...
'I think we need to talk about last year.' He finally said. He'd put off his curiosity but now it had reached a fevered pitch, and he needed to know some things at least. Peyton sighed, breaking from her trance, and closed her eyes.
'I wish we didn't have to.' She admitted, though she knew she really had no choice. Luke nodded, letting his own eyes fall shut.
'It's hard. But I need to know what you feel Peyton. So that maybe I can set things right and put them the way they were. Maybe I can make things better-'
'You can't make things better Lucas.' Peyton interrupted, her voice harsh. This was it. A summer's worth of turmoil was about to come out, and she knew that the emotional tidal wave might drown them both. But she couldn't stop it if she'd wanted to. It was sink or swim...
'You can't fix what you did.' Her eyes opened, blearily with tears. 'You were with Brooke for all that time, being the happy couple. And I admit that was my fault. But after everything we felt for each other came out... and then we couldn't be together... that was hard enough. But no, then you slept with Nikki, at a time when I thought we meant more to each other. Not only that, but you never told me. I get my ass beaten only to find out that you fucked around with the whore that left Jenny and Jake. Then, you run away with Keith? That was just the icing on the cake. You never even told me you were going.' Her voice caught in her throat as she sat up violently, feeling her chest constrict painfully.
'After you left, I couldn't feel anymore. I didn't want to feel anymore. I just had to get the hell out of this hole, and get away from all this fucking drama. I needed to get away from the memory of you, because everywhere I went you haunted me. So I left, just like you did, I ran away, but it didn't fix anything. I always knew that when I got back, you'd be right here waiting. I knew you couldn't really stay away from Tree Hill. But you left, and that burned me.' She took a deep breath, her hands shaking with so much emotion that it scared her.
Luke sat there, helpless. He didn't feel that he had the audacity to reach out and hold her. She was right. Everything he'd done had been wrong and he didn't deserve her forgiveness. He wished he did though, more than anything.
'I missed you so damn much.' She was practically whimpering now. He hadn't known how much he'd affected her. 'When I got that call in July that I lost my dad, that he'd been stolen from me, I cried for weeks. But half the time I wasn't even thinking of daddy. I was thinking of you, and that night his boat had gone missing. I thought of your kisses and your gentleness and your tenderness. St. Luke and his love that I came so close to claiming for my own.' She knew she sounded pathetic and poetic, but she couldn't help it. She'd practiced what she was going to tell him, but that'd all been forgotten. All this came from her heart.
It took every ounce of restraint not to reach out and take her shoulder, not to lean over and kiss her senseless. It took all the control inside of him not to whisper in her ear how much he'd missed her too and how for that first month he'd been away, he couldn't sleep knowing that he wasn't going to see her face everyday in school. God he was in fucking Grade Twelve. What the hell was wrong with him, he was feeling things that he thought he'd never feel.
'But we can't go back to the way we were.' Peyton concluded, wiping her eyes, even though no tears had escaped them. 'The best we can hope for is friendship.' Lucas felt his heart tighten at the resignation in her voice. Friends. Friends. That was what they had left. That was all they had left.
'Friends.' Luke repeated, internally cringing. Peyton looked over at him for the first time during her entire speech. 'I think I can do that.' His hands were fisted but she couldn't see them. As much as he wished it, he wasn't transparent, and she couldn't see right through his façade. Peyton looked at him and he saw a trace of skepticism cross her face. 'If I can only be your friend, Peyt, then I'll take it. I'll do anything as long as I can still be around you.'
No. No, he wasn't supposed to accept. He was supposed to yell and blame her for all the stupid things she'd done, and god knows she'd done her fair share. He was supposed to chastise her about her decision to be 'just friends'.
This answer that he gave chipped her freshly iced heart. She'd been ready to try hating him again after recounting all his faults. But he was willing to be anything, do anything as long as he could be with her. Her defenses were temporarily down for the count.
'I've been a jerk, and I am so sorry. I missed you more than you know. Being your friend is better than not being anything to you at all.' He leaned forward finally, before she had the chance to move and encircled her in his arms, pulling her forward. He'd ached to do this since he'd first come to see her at her house.
At first Peyton was tense, but slowly she relaxed and let her arms slip over his broad, muscled shoulders, hugging him back. His head was buried in her neck. This wasn't generally how 'friends' hugged. They didn't cling desperately to one another, inhaling every scent as if it were the last time they'd smell it. But that was what they were. They were friends.
Just friends.