Alright, well soon the whole truth about Madison will come out, but I need to know something. Everyone hates her so should I kill her off or just send her to a mental institution. This one's on you guys so please let me know! Thanks for your reviews. They are loved! Enjoy this chapter and remember to review and help me make my decision how to end Madison!
"Jake are you okay?" Luke asked sitting down next to Jake at their lunch table.
"The lawyers think that Nikki has a good chance of getting custody." He buried his face in his hands, "Luke, I don't know if I can make it without her."
"Jake, you're the best father I've ever known. They won't take her away from you don't worry about that. Just focus your energy on winning the case. Make them see what a good father you are." Lucas was surprised that he was giving Jake advice on his daughter. Wasn't Jake the one who was supposed to be helping Lucas through this?
"I hope you're right." Jake's eyes were filling with tears at the thought of losing his daughter, the only girl he lived for anymore.
"Hey handsome." Brooke whispered in Lucas' ear as she sat down next to him, "What's the matter Jake?"
"It's Jenny," Jake didn't feel like explaining the whole case over again.
"Everything will work out." Even though Brooke was unsure what was happening with Jake and Jenny she wanted to be supportive.
"Thanks Brooke." Jake said and return to his depressed and deep thinking state.
"You feeling okay Brooke?" Lucas scanned Brooke's deathly pale face.
"Yeah, a little queasy though." Brooke gripped her stomach while talking to Lucas. Just seeing Lucas reminded her about the person that she was nursing in her stomach.
"I'm sorry you feel crappy." Lucas knew no matter how Brooke was feeing she wouldn't admit to feeling sick or crappy.
"Peyton!" Brooke yelled motioning towards Peyton, "Come sit here."
Peyton was timid at first. Things were still not smooth with Lucas although he had talked to her the night before. Then she remembered the only reason he talked to her was to get away from that psycho girl he was with. She obeyed Brooke's command just because Jake was there. Being around Jake made her happier than being around anyone lately.
"Hey Peyton." Jake said snapping out of his trance-like state.
"You okay Jake?" Peyton rustled his hair trying to cheer him up.
"Not really but I'm hanging in there." Jake squeaked out a slight smile hoping she would smile back. Peyton's smile could light up a room and he missed seeing it all the time. The only time he really saw was when they were alone because Peyton was supposed to be this tortured artist when others were around.
"How about you Brooke? You hanging in there too?" Peyton did not want to be hated because she left Brooke out.
"Of course!" Brooke replied sarcastically with a fake cheerleader smile pasted on her face
"I'm glad." Peyton said equally sarcastic and cheerleader-ish.
Haley and Nathan sat down together as if permanently attached at the hip.
"Hey guys!" Haley said cheerily.
"Hey Hales," Lucas smiled, "what's up?"
"Same old, same old." Haley squirmed as Nathan tickled her sides, "Nathan, stop it."
"Let's keep if G-rated guys." Brooke joked.
"We are, don't worry." Nathan replied defensively.
"Hey look the whole gang is back together again." Haley smiled widely.
"Hey Lucas," Madison appeared at the end of the table looking troubled, "Is it okay if I sit here?"
"Yeah sure you can." Lucas was uneasy at the fact that Madison and Brooke were meeting again, hopefully on better terms.
"Hey bar slut." Brooke said remembering the girl from the party.
"Brooke," Lucas whispered in her ear, "Be nice to her. She's not having such a nice time here. Please don't make it worse."
"Fine," She whispered back before turning to Madison, "I'm Brooke."
"I know who you are." Madison glared at Brooke. Why was she getting all hot at this stranger? Oh, maybe because Lucas has her arm around her.
"Guys, that's Madison," The meeting was not going the way Lucas planned but he tried to salvage what was left, "This is Peyton, Jake, Haley and Nathan."
"I know Peyton and Haley," Madison said a-matter-of-factly, "We met her at the Café the other night."
Brooke was confused. Why was Lucas at the café with the stranger when he was supposed to be with her?
"I have an idea," Haley smiled, saving Lucas from the awkward situation, "Now that's we're all friends again why don't we hang out tomorrow night?"
"I'm in," Nathan agreed, "We could hang at my place."
"I'll come," Brooke added while she finished her yogurt, one of the only things she could keep down.
"Count me in." Lucas said chugging the rest of his water.
"Yeah me too." Peyton chimed in while still drawing her picture.
"Jake, how about you?" Haley asked realizing he hadn't said yes or no.
"I don't know. This case is taking a lot of time from being with Jenny." Jake rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.
"Bring her with you. We could all have fun with her around." Haley suggested not wanting to leave Jake out just because he had a daughter to take care of.
"Well, I guess." Jake said standing up from the table, "I'll let you know if I change my mind."
"Sounds great." Haley was so excited for this party and Jake walked away.
"Can I come?" Madison spoke finally.
"Yeah sure; the more the merrier." Haley had forgotten she was still there.
"We've got to go." Nathan said helping Haley up, "See you guys later."
Then there were four left. Peyton was busy drawing a new column, Brooke was occupied with trying to keep her yogurt down, which left Lucas and Madison finishing up their lunches.
"Peyton," Jake reappeared speaking in a hurry, "can you baby-sit Jenny tonight? I have another meeting with my lawyer."
"No, I'm sorry Jake," Peyton looked up from her drawing, "I'm taking my dad out to dinner for his birthday. I was a tradition when my mom was alive so we still do it for her."
"We can do it." Brooke chimed in.
"We?" Lucas asked sarcastically.
"Did you have other plans?" Brooke retorted.
"You got me there." Lucas said in defeat.
"You guys sure?" Jake asked timidly, afraid that they'd change their minds and he'd be back to square one.
"Yeah man, anytime." Lucas reassured his friend.
"You guys are lifesavers." Jake walked hurriedly out the door.
"I'm going to go get a smoothie." Peyton announced closing her sketch book.
"Oh, that sounds good. I'm coming with you." Brooke said running to catch up to her.
"What's going on with you and Brooke?" Madison asked curiously once Peyton and Brooke were gone.
"We're together again." Lucas was nervous to tell Madison about Brooke.
"I thought she hated you." Madison slyly moved closer and closer to Lucas on the bench.
"Things changed." Lucas was getting uncomfortable and wished Brooke and Peyton would get back soon.
"At that party she hated you and that was what three days ago. What could've changed in the last few days?" Madison was getting defensive. Lucas was hers and no one was going to get in her way.
"A lot," Lucas replied, "Why do you care so much?"
"I just don't want to see you get hurt Lucas. I know what it's like to be betrayed by someone and it's not fun." Madison added carefully.
"Don't worry about me. Neither of us are going to betray each other." Lucas knew that there was nothing and no one that would come between him and Brooke again.
"This is so good Luke," Brooke sat back down, between Madison and Lucas, but she hadn't even realized they were sitting next to each other, sipping her strawberry smoothie.
"I'm glad you like it." He smiled. God, did she look beautiful, "So Peyt, what've you been drawing?"
"Just something for the column." Peyton shrugged. She never liked showing people her work until she was done with it.
"So how is the column coming?" Lucas only bought the magazine to see Peyton's column.
"It's pretty cool." She smiled at the thought of her very own column, "A dream come true.
Finally the bell rang and everyone dispersed from the lunch room. The smoothie had gotten to Brooke and she wasn't feeling too good anymore. She leaned on Lucas for support as they made their way out into the hallway and into their next class.
"Brooke, you better watch out," Madison whispered out loud to herself, "Lucas will be mine, sooner or later, he will be mine."