A/N: Thanks for all the great feedback guys. I know things might be looking a little bleak now, but they'll get better I swear. Don't forget to keep telling me what you think!! And now on with the reading……

TOXIC

Chapter 10

I Go Back

Peyton skimmed through a pile of cd's as she stood inside of Red Cult, their town's pathetic version of a real underground record store. Most of the time Peyton considered Red Cult a music haven when compared to the million's of Sam Goodies and Virgin Records that roamed the Earth. Today, however, she wasn't coming across anything that peaked her interest.

She traveled a little further down the rows of scattered selections. The different genre's that were mixed together, only easily detectable to the trained eye.

Stopping when she saw a cover that intrigued her, Peyton flipped the cd over and began reading the song tracks on the back.

"Didn't figure you for a techno fan."

She heard a deep soft voice say.

Peyton's head shot up to see one Jake Jakelski standing on the other side of the waste high cd racks. A calm smile on his face.

"I like to mix it up every now and then," she smiled back at him.

"Is that right," he asked, thumbing through the music on his side.

"When the mood suits me. What have you got so far?"

Jake held up the cd he'd been holding for her too look at in clear view.

"Chingy?"

"Yep."

"Rap. Now why am I not surprised," she teased with a grin.

Jake watched Peyton's face light up as she smiled, forcing him to do the same. A nervous knot forming in his stomach. "So there's this thing tonight," he began, a little more shy this time. His eyes plastered to the plastic jewel case of his cd.

"Ok," Peyton said, watching him with interest.

"It's this party at Nathan's and Lucas's house. It should be pretty wild," he continued, finally looking up at her.

"And you wanna know if I'll come," she questioned, making eye contact finally, her demeanor more flirtatious than she intended for it to be.

Jake made another nervous attempt to smile. "It could be fun....if you're there."

Fun wasn't the exact word Peyton would have used to describe a Scott party. At least not the ones she remembered attending.  And inwardly she began debating whether or not she was ready to enter back into that world. Yes, at one time her and Brooke and even Theresa and Kelly had been at the top of that group. They'd been in every club, gone to every dance, cheered at every game. But the older they got, the more money had begun to divide them. Because unlike Theresa, Kelly, and the Scott Clan, Brooke and Peyton had never been rich.

The point made all to abundantly clear, when it came time to choose colleges. And that's when her and Brooke had decided to break away.

It was more of a choice, than an option being forced upon them. So they took the opportunity to be free of that group, and ran with it. The last two years spent creating their own new relationships. With Haley and others. Ones not built on money or prestige, or social standing.

Now that she'd had a chance to see the other side was she ready to step back into the madness?

Something about Jake's smiling face told her she could at least give it a try.

"What time should we be there?"

........................

"I'll pass," Haley told her two anxious friends. Their faces turning into identical twin frowns at her unenthusiastic response, to her invitation.

"What? Why," Peyton cried, following Haley as she went back and forth from the living room to the kitchen putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

"Because a Scott Brother's party sounds a little too crazy for my taste," she said, while trying to keep busy, under their scrutiny. Trying to do everything in her power not let them see the guilty vibe she was sure was radiating off of her.

"Lucas will be there too," Peyton offered, offhand. And Haley felt confused.

"Yeah? And?"

"And we saw you two lovebirds chatting it up at the bar the other night," Brooke said jokingly, watching Peyton follow Haley around the room, as she herself, sat comfortably on the living room sofa.

"Me and Lucas are friends. We always will be. That doesn't mean I want to go to this drunken, drugged out, sex orgy you keep referring to as a party," Haley declared, a handful of glasses in her arms.

"That only happened once, " Brooke waved her off with a laugh, "And besides we're all of age to drink now, so the cops aren't even an issue. Technically."

"Why does that information not fill me with relief?"

"Because you're too uptight?"

"Where as you on the other hand are nice and loose, so I here," she snapped back at her.

Brooke mocked hurt, and Haley rolled her eyes looking back to Peyton

"I'm not going alright. Just go by yourselves. You don't need me there anyway. I know the only reason you're going is too see Jake."

Peyton's mouth flew open, "THAT IS NOT .............ok, well maybe just a little. But still Hales, come on, it'll be good to see some old friends," she suggested.

"You forget, oh friend of mine.  That I hated these people in high-school. With a fiery passion. Not really up for rekindling past "relationships"."

"It won't be that bad Haley."

"Yes it will."

"You might have fun."

"I doubt it," she countered.

Brooke cut in before Peyton and Haley could continue the debate, her voice soft and calm. "Both of you shut-up and listen," She yelled looking pointedly to her friend. "Haley if you go there tonight, and show them how much you kick ass. How awesome you really are, their not going to have any option but to fall in line. I mean, ok, so yeah you didn't like them, nobody did. Not even me and Peyton. But maybe, just maybe they've changed too. Everyone deserves second chances right? And this way, you can show up on your own terms. You come and leave whenever you want. No job to keep you trapped."

Haley looked over at Brooke, ready to laugh out loud at the irony of her statement. Deciding now wasn't a good time. "Brooke I....."

"Nope, no buts. You're going with us tonight, end of story. You're going and you're gonna look hot, and we're all gonna have a good time. Understand," Brooke stated, her face full of resolve.

It's not so much that Haley couldn't continue to fight the matter, because she could. When she wanted Haley James could be the most stubborn person you ever met. The thing was, she had never been to one of Nathan's party's. Not even when her and Lucas had dated. They'd both agreed to keep that part of their relationship separate from his friends and family. And so she was curious to see what it would be like.  Even more so, she wanted to see Nathan. Needed to see Nathan.

Putting the rest of the glasses down in the kitchen counter, Haley opened the dishwasher, leaning down to put in the remaining dirty dishes.

"When do we leave," she finally surrendered.

Brooke and Peyton looked at each other with wide feline smiles. The word Victory, definitely coming to mind.