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: Seven. The Party Part II.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, WB does…damn them.

Musical Choices for this Chapter (download these if you can, I PROMISE these are the BEST songs ever! Especially if you like the stuff on One Tree Hill):

Savage by the Beastie Boys

Shut Up by Black Eyed Peas

Shoot the Moon by Norah Jones

Letters to God by Boxcar Racer

Rant (SPOILERS!!): Not much on the home front in terms of rants. I think I've said it all, and considering there won't be anymore new episodes till September (tear) I doubt I'll be ranting much anyway. So sit back and enjoy my story, even though it will never make it on the show anyway. Lots of jumping to conclusions in this chapter…I think that it stays true to One Tree Hill in that way.

Hats off, Mickey

'W-what?' Shane stuttered out, her mouth agape as she stared at a shamefaced Lucas. 'Haley?' He nodded, his eyes opening slowly to take in Shane's expression of complete and utter horror. 'So…do you?' she asked with a frown.

'I don't know.' He admitted, 'I don't think so. I guess when I left Tree Hill the least of my concerns was Peyton. But then when I got back and she wasn't here… I felt the void.' He shrugged.

'But Haley…Haley's still with Nathan.' Luke rolled his eyes. 'But you knew that, of course…' she wound a strand of hair around her index finger. 'But I thought Hales was just your best friend.'

'She was! Is! I don't know…' he struggled inside of himself, trying to find the words to express his feelings. 'I guess it all goes back to when we were younger. I always liked her. I knew she loved me. I just thought that if I ever wanted her that way…well I figured I had time.' He wiped his face with his hand. 'And then when I came over to Nathan's and she was there and they'd had sex and gotten married…it sort of clued me in that she wasn't all mine anymore…'

'Maybe you don't love her then.' He looked up at her, a frown firmly etched on his face. 'No, I mean, you love her, but you're not IN love with her.' The frown relaxed slightly, but he waited for her to continue. 'Maybe you were just afraid that because she and Nathan were married, that meant you wouldn't see her anymore.'

'Maybe.' He agreed, though he didn't look thoroughly convinced.

'What about Peyton?' Shane asked as she polished off the apple peel she'd been munching nervously. 'Are you in love with her?' Lucas' eyes shot up to meet Shay's.

'I…' he hesitated.

'Just answer.' Shane said throwing the uneaten apple to him. He caught it and looked down at it.

'Yes.' He admitted. 'I think I am.' The confession left his chest feeling lighter, if only for a few moments. 'But she just wants to be friends.' Suddenly the weight was intensified and his chest was heavy again.

'Give her time. She'll come around.'

'That's the thing, what if she doesn't? What if she can't ever love me again?' Silence. Shane's mouth opened but no sound came out. How could she promise him everything would be fine, when she didn't know for sure herself?

How much luck did she have in love? She'd never had a family that hadn't abandoned her. She'd never met anyone like Lucas who'd wanted to make thinks work so much. How could she promise him his heart wouldn't be broken?

'Shane, get out here!' The two of them looked up to see Haley beckoning the two of them to come out and party. 'You're wanted on the dance floor!'

'Okay.' Shane said, before Haley was tugged along by Nathan. Shane saw Lucas smile slightly, but she wondered if it wasn't a bitter smile. 'You never told me,' Lucas looked back at her, 'why Nathan and Hales didn't stay married.'

'Lots of things. Family issues. Plus Hales didn't know if she was really ready. But she was sure that she loved Nathan enough to wait for him, if he could wait for her.' He grimaced, setting the uneaten apple down on the counter. And that was when she understood.

'Don't worry Luke. It'll happen for you. That, I can promise you.' She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Peyton opened her eyes to see that Brad Coultrain was still going on and on about how it wasn't fair that basketball got more attention than soccer. But her eyes quickly shifted from Brad's dull brown eyes and even duller voice, to a scene that made her instantly tense.

Her sister had Lucas by the hand and was saying something quietly to him. This is what caught her attention, but what made her mouth drop open was when Shane leaned up and pecked one handsomely angled cheek. Peyton felt a deep cold settle over her as she drew her arms closer around herself. The two exchanged small smiles before Shane turned and walked out into the living room toward Haley, Nathan, and a dancing crowd.

How could she do this? How could she hit on Lucas when she knew, when she KNEW that I'm in love with him?! Peyton thought wildly to herself. What if they're both into each other? And Lucas won't wait because I was so stupid and told him we're just friends… maybe Shane's taking advantage of that…

Peyton was so wrapped up in watching her sister incredulously, that she hadn't noticed that Brad had vacated his chair, and that someone else was now sitting in it.

'Hey, why so sour?' she looked back to Jake, who was now comfortably seated beside her.

'I'm not.' She said in a childish tone. Jake laughed as he put his arm around her. When he saw that she was glaring down at her knees, her arms tightly wound around her, his expression turned somber.

'Come on Peyt, you can talk to me.' His grip around her shoulder tightened and her eyes connected with his. She sighed quietly before standing up.

'Can we just go somewhere else?' He stood too, his expression one of confusion. 'Anywhere but here.' He nodded, following her obediently as she bulldozed her way through the crowd, toward her room. As they rounded a corner, out of sight, Shane looked on.

So that was it then. Not only was Peyton going to hurt Lucas, she wanted to hurt her only sister as well. Shane felt her heart exploding with the knowledge that the only person in the world who'd ever cared enough to call her was trying to break her heart.

FLASHBACK

'So I had a really great time. You're the best bad chauffeur I've ever had.' Jake grinned at this. It was six, and they'd spent the whole day together, talking and playing. He was surprised when they'd gone to the basketball courts and she'd put up a good fight, losing to him by only one basket. Something else he'd realized of her was that, as much as she had aspects of Peyton down to a T, she had a spirit of her own.

'Yeah. I'll definitely have to do this again.' He answered as he stared down at her softly glowing countenance. Her pearly white smile broke over her face as she shyly looked down at their feet. They were standing in her driveway and she could hear the soft insistent chirping of crickets beginning and the hum of streetlamps as they turned on.

'Well, I guess I better get inside. Peyton's going to kill me if I don't help her set up.' She really didn't want to go inside. Her and her big mouth setting up a stupid party.

'I should go get ready too, and I'll come right back.' He promised. Okay, maybe the party was looking a little better now.

'Sounds like a plan.' She said nodding her head. Their eyes met and they simply stood in silence. 'I-' Shane cleared her throat. 'I better get inside.' He nodded mutely as she turned her back to him and began walking toward her porch. Then suddenly she stopped and turned.

But he was already behind her, a few inches away, leaning down toward her. Her initial surprise faded as he brushed his lips against hers, and her eyes fell shut as she returned the chaste kiss. As he broke away, they both looked dreamily into each others faces.

'You have to go.' He said softly.

'Huh?'

'You have to go inside.' He said with a soft smirk, his brown eyes dancing with delight.

'Oh. Oh yeah. Right. I better…go…' but she had already placed her hands on his chest and was leaning up to kiss the side of his mouth, and then his bottom lip. His lips hummed against hers as a small moan drifted up from his chest. They broke apart again.

'I really need to go inside.'

'I know.' He leaned down and this time his arms found their way down to her hips as hers grasped the back of his neck. They had one last, long kiss, one that was deeper and more passionate than the last. This time they broke apart, and Shane was blushing furiously.

'Okay. I REALLY need to go get ready now.' He grinned down at her. 'I'll see you at the party though.' She added as she broke from his embrace and sauntered up the porch steps and into her house. He stared after her a few moments, an idiotic grin on his face.

END OF FLASHBACK

Shane bit her lip, as she continued to stare at the corner that Peyton and Jake had rounded together. Toward her room. God, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were doing. And that was what made Shane feel like she was being torn apart.

She'd never opened up to a guy before. In her life, she'd made out with guys before, but she'd never hung out with them, and kissed them the way she had with Jake. She had feelings for him, as hard as it was to say why or how. But she cared for him. And he was with the only other person she loved in her life. Her sister.

She felt Haley tug on her arm as the crowd around her danced to the heavy bass beat of 'The Jump Off'. But Shane shrugged off Haley's grip and pushed her way out of the group, heading straight for the front door.

Hales watched bewildered as Shay raced to the door and flung it open, and closed it behind her. She scanned the crowd for any sign of Peyton, but when she saw no blonde curly head, she felt the pit of her stomach turn. She frowned deeply before she kissed Nathan on the cheek and whispered that she needed to talk to him for a second.

Nathan followed her off the 'dance floor' and over to the couch, where she sat them down and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. He nodded, his face grave, before standing again and walking into the kitchen, to find Lucas.

A few people had filtered into the kitchen and where sifting through the contents of the Sawyer fridge, as Lucas looked on. He had already downed the pitcher full of margaritas, and was chasing it with a beer. He wanted to be drunk. He wanted to forget everything. But he still felt so sober because the pain was still present in his heart.

'Hey man.' Nathan offered up as he came to stand next to Luke. 'Where's Peyton?' Luke shrugged in a defeated manner.

'Don't know. Don't care.' He knew he didn't mean it but it felt a bit better to let on that Peyton meant nothing to him.

'We have to find her. Shane just ran out of here and she looked upset.' Lucas looked up at this, and Nathan nodded. 'Hales is worried.'

'Maybe in her room.' Lucas said as he set his beer bottle down. Nathan nodded.

'I'll check the backyard. Do you want Hales to help you search the house?' Lucas winced inside. The fact that his brother trusted him so much with the girl he loved…it sort of hit home what a bastard he was for even considering telling Hales he loved her as more than a friend.

'Nah, she should stay and look after the party.' He knew she wouldn't want to, after Nathan's last year, but it was better than being alone with her when he was half drunk.

'Alright, we gotta find Peyton soon, I hope Shane's alright.' Lucas nodded and the two brother's headed off in different directions to search for Peyton.

'I just can't believe it Jake.' Peyton said, her voice cracking slightly as she confessed everything to him. 'I can't believe I was so stupid. I don't want to be 'just friends. I want to be with him.' Jake nodded, feeling so badly for Peyton. His eyes showed that his sympathy was true and she was silently grateful.

'Tell him.' He said simply. 'He'll understand. He's a good guy. Sometimes people make bad choices, and you did, but he knows what its like. He'd be a fool not to take you back.' She smiled at him, as he patted her knee.

'Thanks. Sometimes I wish that it had been us that had gotten together. You'd be the best boyfriend ever.' They both laughed. And then it was gone. That block, barrier, unidentified thing that had been in between them all this time. They loved each other. But they were just friends. That was it. All the time they'd wondered what it would be like to BE together…it was just a dream.

'Come here.' He grabbed her arm and pulled her over to him and they hugged each other, Peyton gently placing her head in the crook of his neck. 'I love you Peyt.'

'Love you too Jake.' She said smiling happily into his shoulder.

Luke watched this transpire and he felt himself go rigid, his muscles screaming as they clenched. He watched them hug and confess their love to each other. His jaw was tight and the dry walls of his throat stuck together. If he were any less of a man he would have broken down and cried. Instead he turned away, the sliver of light that slipped through the crack in Peyton's door illuminating the hard lines of his stiff back.

He walked dejectedly down the hall where Haley was waiting impatiently, her face one of worry, her arms folded tightly over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. When Lucas walked past her, she was incensed.

'Where's Peyton?' she asked grabbing his arm.

'Her room.' He answered softly. Haley let his arm go, and watched as he walked toward the door, opened it and didn't even bother to close it, as he walked down the porch steps and on to the wet lawn. A haze of green rain fell from the sky, and he felt a shiver rip through his body as he continued to walk down the street, ignoring Haley's calls from the front door of Peyton Sawyer's house.