Chapter 3:
"Haley!" Eight year Jenny scrambled through the front door, dragging her father right behind her. "I have to talk to you!"
I smiled and dropped my pen down. "What's up, Munchkin?" Jenny was so cute. Her hair fell just below her shoulder blades, it's midnight color would stand out in a crowd. She had Jake's hazel eyes, that peered up at me adoringly.
"Maybe she'll talk to you." Jake whined. "She won't tell me because it's 'girly stuff' and I'm a boy."
I giggled. "Well, I'm a girl, so she'll talk to me." I pulled Jenny up onto the couch and shooed Jake away with a wave of my hand. "Now, let us talk peace. No boys allowed, they have cooties." I joked.
"Haha, very funny." Jake rolled his eyes. "Is Lucas coming up this weekend?"
"Yup, just called him about an hour ago." I nodded. "He's flying up tomorrow."
"Great. it'll be nice to have another guy around here." He shook his head and went for the door, before turning to shoot me a grateful look over his shoulder. "Thanks Hales."
"No problem." I replied sincerely. "You're saving me from paying me bills." Jake laughed and disappeared out the door. "So, what is it you want to talk to me about?" I asked, turning to Jenny, who was knawing on her lip thoughtfully.
"Boys!" She blurted out, her cheeks burned scarlet red. "I don't think they all have cooties."
I giggled at her adorable face. "Does someone have a crush?" I teased, ruffling her soft hair.
"No!" She said indiginantly, blushing even more furiously than before. "Um, maybe." She admitted looking at her hands.
"What's his name?" I asked, letting the teasing note leave my voice.
"Brett. He's really nice and I like hte way he looks." Jenny mumbled. "I don't think he likes me though."
"Then, I don't want you to like him because you shouldn't be liking dummies." I smiled down at her. "Have you tried being friends with him?"
"We share pencils and stuff." She looked up at me hopefully. "Weren't you best friends with a boy?"
"Yup, still am. You remember Uncle Lucas, right?" I began to braid her hair between my fingers. "He's my best friend."
"Oh. Did you ever have a crush on him?" She asked.
I chuckled. "A long, long time ago. I think I was about twelve, just the age when people started having their first boyfriends. lucas gave me my first kiss underneath the mistletoe. It was perfect."
"Was Lucas your first boyfriend?" Jenny peered up at me through inquisitive hazel eyes that were just underneath a curtian of long lashes.
"No, Lucas wasn't my first boyfriend. I didn't get my first boyfriend until years later and he ended up being Lucas's younger half brother." I smiled. "I don't think you remember your Uncle Nathan very well do you?"
"Not really. I've seen him in old pictures with my Daddy and Uncle Lucas." Jenny said, her cute little face scrunched up in thought. "Were you going to marry him?"
I laughed out loud. "Not then, no." I shook my head. "But, I loved him. The first boy I ever loved and the first boy who ever broke my heart."
"Did you cry?" Jenny asked.
"A lot." I nodded, tying her braid still. "I miss him sometimes, but I'm happy now and I've had a few boyfriends since him."
"Daddy sometimes says that you and Uncle Lucas should just get married and put us all out of our misery." Jenny enlightened me.
I laughed again. "Oh really." I smirked. "Well, you tell your Daddy that when he marriess Peyton then we'll discuss my love life."
Jenny giggled. "Okay."
"Well, it's my favorite girls." Brooke chimed cheerfully, as she walked into the apartment, carrying a bag of groceries.
"Brooke!" Jenny squealed, jumping off the couch and racing to give her a hug.
"Hey Muffin!" Brooke placed a kiss on Jenny's forehead. "How are you today?"
"I'm good. Haley and I were just talking about boys." Jenny puffed out proudly. "We talked about uncle Lucas and Uncle Nathan."
"Did you now?" Brooke shot me a knowing look. I smiled at her. Things had never been the same between Brooke, Peyton and Lucas. She had eventually forgiven them, but never really trusted them again, not enough to be their friend, like she used to. Brooke had instead turned to me and Nathan, which had been really odd for awhile, since I was firmly loyal to Lucas and pretty good friends with Peyton by then. However, after awhile, I began to welcome the female companionship of both girls right alongside with the male companionship.
Brooke would be the girl I could goof off with or party with and on rare occasions talk to. Peyton had been the girl I confided in when I couldn't talk to Lucas. I had felt like I had been the middle man between the two, until Brooke seemed to get over it and move on. She wasn't mad anymore, she sometimes hung out with me and Peyton, but she didn't run to her former best friend anymore, that soon became my job. Then Brooke seemed to move on completely and found herself a perfect match, someone who could be just as crazy as she was and at the same time more mellow. She fell head over heels for Nathan's best friend Tim. That had been a match made in heaven or so we thought. Tim's parents got a job transfer during Senior year and he was forced to move to Europe. Brooke had been devestated, but Tim called every week and sent her emails. They were still friends now, often communicating. Tim worked as a financer overin England and now visited a bit more regularly. If he ever planned on moving back to the states again, I've got this feeling that he and Brooke would be together again because the girl can't seem to settle with anyone else and according to her, neither can he.
Peyton had been a bit more complicated. After recieving Brooke's forgiveness and then asking for permission, she gave into her feelings for Lucas again, but he was having none of it. He had been sick of being used and abused by her time and time again. By that time he had been a slight headcase himself and didn't need to be involved with another one. Before Brooke, he would have been perfect for Peyton with his calm demeanor, but that never worked out. Jake had waited patiently and had been Peyton's rock during her time to get over Lucas and when she had finally been ready, their own romance had skyrocketed to this fairytale love type thing and it had been perfect, still lasting to this day.
After refusing Peyton, which had been hard for him, Lucas threw himself into getting better. He went through a month of physical therapy and returned to the game, as fresh and as sharp as ever. We began to hang out again and in turn, he and Nathan formed some sort of truce and before I knew it, without Dan's influence, they became friends. Since fixing himself, Lucas help me help Nathan with his emotional trauma, easily slipping into big brother mode and now they were the best of friends. Lucas didn't date much during the rest of highschool, a few girls here and there, but since the whole Peyton, Brooke fiasco, he basically stuck to the quiet, more reserved girls and even then I was the only woman in his life, besides his mother. In college he had dated a bit more, enjoying the free life and was still dating around today. Like Brooke and Tim, he couldn't seem to settle.
According to what Lucas and Skills tell me, Nathan dated around a lot in college, but never fully commited himself to a realtionship, like he had with me. It wasn't into he joined the NBA and settled with his life that he settled with someone. She's a model and a damn popular one too, her face is posted over a bazillion magazines. Nathan met her at a party of some sort and they immediately hit it off. Lucas says it's because she's like me in a lot of ways and that some osrt of a comfort to Nathan.
I, however, date the least out of our group. After the heartbreak that was Nathan, I threw myself into my school work, studying like a possess person. When I did go out, it was never with the same guy for more than two dates. They all seemed to be missing something and had the horrible expectations Nathan hanging over their heads. When Brooke waltzed back into my life once I reached Boston, I thought it would have been the end of me. Appalled that I hadn't even slept with anyone since the night I lost the virgin flag, she set me up on so many blind dates that it was hard to keep up. Fed up, I called it off, saying if I wanted to date, I would and that was that.
Sex is something that I take seriously. Nathan had been the only one to get even get a chance and he made my first and only time the most memorable that I ever could imagine, romance, love, passion, all wrapped up into a full package on the night before I left for Colby. I never had any regrets when it came to Nathan and I never would. Since sex had never been a big part of my life, I never craved it like Brooke does. I just want it to mean something and that's how it's going to be.
Okay, all of you who have not voted yet, please do, because the next chapter will decided who will win. So far, Lucas is ahead by four votes. For those of you Naley lovers, you need five or more for this fic to be a Naley. So vote please! Those of you who voted are listed below, so don't vote again.
Michelle
Allyse
Christina
C
Cinnapeach
Kay
Kat
Starryskyangel1
Ash
FiRe-n-IcE-62
Jess
Renee
Anonymous
Angelicin
"Haley!" Eight year Jenny scrambled through the front door, dragging her father right behind her. "I have to talk to you!"
I smiled and dropped my pen down. "What's up, Munchkin?" Jenny was so cute. Her hair fell just below her shoulder blades, it's midnight color would stand out in a crowd. She had Jake's hazel eyes, that peered up at me adoringly.
"Maybe she'll talk to you." Jake whined. "She won't tell me because it's 'girly stuff' and I'm a boy."
I giggled. "Well, I'm a girl, so she'll talk to me." I pulled Jenny up onto the couch and shooed Jake away with a wave of my hand. "Now, let us talk peace. No boys allowed, they have cooties." I joked.
"Haha, very funny." Jake rolled his eyes. "Is Lucas coming up this weekend?"
"Yup, just called him about an hour ago." I nodded. "He's flying up tomorrow."
"Great. it'll be nice to have another guy around here." He shook his head and went for the door, before turning to shoot me a grateful look over his shoulder. "Thanks Hales."
"No problem." I replied sincerely. "You're saving me from paying me bills." Jake laughed and disappeared out the door. "So, what is it you want to talk to me about?" I asked, turning to Jenny, who was knawing on her lip thoughtfully.
"Boys!" She blurted out, her cheeks burned scarlet red. "I don't think they all have cooties."
I giggled at her adorable face. "Does someone have a crush?" I teased, ruffling her soft hair.
"No!" She said indiginantly, blushing even more furiously than before. "Um, maybe." She admitted looking at her hands.
"What's his name?" I asked, letting the teasing note leave my voice.
"Brett. He's really nice and I like hte way he looks." Jenny mumbled. "I don't think he likes me though."
"Then, I don't want you to like him because you shouldn't be liking dummies." I smiled down at her. "Have you tried being friends with him?"
"We share pencils and stuff." She looked up at me hopefully. "Weren't you best friends with a boy?"
"Yup, still am. You remember Uncle Lucas, right?" I began to braid her hair between my fingers. "He's my best friend."
"Oh. Did you ever have a crush on him?" She asked.
I chuckled. "A long, long time ago. I think I was about twelve, just the age when people started having their first boyfriends. lucas gave me my first kiss underneath the mistletoe. It was perfect."
"Was Lucas your first boyfriend?" Jenny peered up at me through inquisitive hazel eyes that were just underneath a curtian of long lashes.
"No, Lucas wasn't my first boyfriend. I didn't get my first boyfriend until years later and he ended up being Lucas's younger half brother." I smiled. "I don't think you remember your Uncle Nathan very well do you?"
"Not really. I've seen him in old pictures with my Daddy and Uncle Lucas." Jenny said, her cute little face scrunched up in thought. "Were you going to marry him?"
I laughed out loud. "Not then, no." I shook my head. "But, I loved him. The first boy I ever loved and the first boy who ever broke my heart."
"Did you cry?" Jenny asked.
"A lot." I nodded, tying her braid still. "I miss him sometimes, but I'm happy now and I've had a few boyfriends since him."
"Daddy sometimes says that you and Uncle Lucas should just get married and put us all out of our misery." Jenny enlightened me.
I laughed again. "Oh really." I smirked. "Well, you tell your Daddy that when he marriess Peyton then we'll discuss my love life."
Jenny giggled. "Okay."
"Well, it's my favorite girls." Brooke chimed cheerfully, as she walked into the apartment, carrying a bag of groceries.
"Brooke!" Jenny squealed, jumping off the couch and racing to give her a hug.
"Hey Muffin!" Brooke placed a kiss on Jenny's forehead. "How are you today?"
"I'm good. Haley and I were just talking about boys." Jenny puffed out proudly. "We talked about uncle Lucas and Uncle Nathan."
"Did you now?" Brooke shot me a knowing look. I smiled at her. Things had never been the same between Brooke, Peyton and Lucas. She had eventually forgiven them, but never really trusted them again, not enough to be their friend, like she used to. Brooke had instead turned to me and Nathan, which had been really odd for awhile, since I was firmly loyal to Lucas and pretty good friends with Peyton by then. However, after awhile, I began to welcome the female companionship of both girls right alongside with the male companionship.
Brooke would be the girl I could goof off with or party with and on rare occasions talk to. Peyton had been the girl I confided in when I couldn't talk to Lucas. I had felt like I had been the middle man between the two, until Brooke seemed to get over it and move on. She wasn't mad anymore, she sometimes hung out with me and Peyton, but she didn't run to her former best friend anymore, that soon became my job. Then Brooke seemed to move on completely and found herself a perfect match, someone who could be just as crazy as she was and at the same time more mellow. She fell head over heels for Nathan's best friend Tim. That had been a match made in heaven or so we thought. Tim's parents got a job transfer during Senior year and he was forced to move to Europe. Brooke had been devestated, but Tim called every week and sent her emails. They were still friends now, often communicating. Tim worked as a financer overin England and now visited a bit more regularly. If he ever planned on moving back to the states again, I've got this feeling that he and Brooke would be together again because the girl can't seem to settle with anyone else and according to her, neither can he.
Peyton had been a bit more complicated. After recieving Brooke's forgiveness and then asking for permission, she gave into her feelings for Lucas again, but he was having none of it. He had been sick of being used and abused by her time and time again. By that time he had been a slight headcase himself and didn't need to be involved with another one. Before Brooke, he would have been perfect for Peyton with his calm demeanor, but that never worked out. Jake had waited patiently and had been Peyton's rock during her time to get over Lucas and when she had finally been ready, their own romance had skyrocketed to this fairytale love type thing and it had been perfect, still lasting to this day.
After refusing Peyton, which had been hard for him, Lucas threw himself into getting better. He went through a month of physical therapy and returned to the game, as fresh and as sharp as ever. We began to hang out again and in turn, he and Nathan formed some sort of truce and before I knew it, without Dan's influence, they became friends. Since fixing himself, Lucas help me help Nathan with his emotional trauma, easily slipping into big brother mode and now they were the best of friends. Lucas didn't date much during the rest of highschool, a few girls here and there, but since the whole Peyton, Brooke fiasco, he basically stuck to the quiet, more reserved girls and even then I was the only woman in his life, besides his mother. In college he had dated a bit more, enjoying the free life and was still dating around today. Like Brooke and Tim, he couldn't seem to settle.
According to what Lucas and Skills tell me, Nathan dated around a lot in college, but never fully commited himself to a realtionship, like he had with me. It wasn't into he joined the NBA and settled with his life that he settled with someone. She's a model and a damn popular one too, her face is posted over a bazillion magazines. Nathan met her at a party of some sort and they immediately hit it off. Lucas says it's because she's like me in a lot of ways and that some osrt of a comfort to Nathan.
I, however, date the least out of our group. After the heartbreak that was Nathan, I threw myself into my school work, studying like a possess person. When I did go out, it was never with the same guy for more than two dates. They all seemed to be missing something and had the horrible expectations Nathan hanging over their heads. When Brooke waltzed back into my life once I reached Boston, I thought it would have been the end of me. Appalled that I hadn't even slept with anyone since the night I lost the virgin flag, she set me up on so many blind dates that it was hard to keep up. Fed up, I called it off, saying if I wanted to date, I would and that was that.
Sex is something that I take seriously. Nathan had been the only one to get even get a chance and he made my first and only time the most memorable that I ever could imagine, romance, love, passion, all wrapped up into a full package on the night before I left for Colby. I never had any regrets when it came to Nathan and I never would. Since sex had never been a big part of my life, I never craved it like Brooke does. I just want it to mean something and that's how it's going to be.
Okay, all of you who have not voted yet, please do, because the next chapter will decided who will win. So far, Lucas is ahead by four votes. For those of you Naley lovers, you need five or more for this fic to be a Naley. So vote please! Those of you who voted are listed below, so don't vote again.
Michelle
Allyse
Christina
C
Cinnapeach
Kay
Kat
Starryskyangel1
Ash
FiRe-n-IcE-62
Jess
Renee
Anonymous
Angelicin
