Peyton didn't hear from Jake for the rest of the weekend. She couldn't decide if it was a bad sign or that he was just busy. Peyton knew that Jake wasn't like other guys, but then again, he was a guy. She tried her very best to push it to the back of her mind and not think about it at all. Less thinking meant less over analyzing which hopefully would prevent jumping to conclusions. Haley called Sunday afternoon to invite Peyton over to hang out. Peyton didn't feel like staying home so she accepted.

"Where's Nathan? Work?" Peyton asked as she walked in.

"Nope, the guys are down at the River court. Despite the fact that it's like twenty degrees out they wanted to play."

"The guys as in?" Peyton couldn't help but ask.

"Luke, Tim, Jake, the usual. So, how was the big date?" Haley asked with a grin.

"How did you know about that?" Peyton was a little surprised.

"Jake told Luke, Luke told me. So?"

"We went to a movie, a bad movie as a matter of fact. No big deal."

"I don't care about what you did, I want to know how it went. Was it a friendly date or a date date?" Haley explained.

"Well, it wasn't a friend thing. I don't know. It was going really well, or at least I thought it was and then Nikki called and we had to cut it short and I haven't heard from him since. Do you think that's a bad sign?" Peyton asked.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. This is Jake we are talking about. He is the original nice guy."

"I know that." Peyton was quiet for moment. "It's just, he's got so many things going on his life maybe he's decided that he doesn't have time for this right now." So much for avoiding over analyzing.

"I seriously doubt that Pey. He's probably just been busy with Jenny." Haley offered.

"Yet he has time to play basketball..." Peyton drifted off. As soon as she realized what she said, her head snapped up. "Where the hell did that come from?" she grinned. "Since when am I the clingy, needy, constantly looking for reassurance girl?"

"I don't know," Haley laughed.

"Let's go to the mall. I could use some new CD's. Are you up for it?"

"Absolutely. Let me just leave a note for Nathan so he doesn't think I've run off and left him," Haley joked. She came back with her keys and coat and the girls headed off to the mall.

It was a productive afternoon for Peyton. She found some rare CD's that had been on her wish list for a while and Haley teased that it was like shopping with Lucas. Peyton had a good time and managed to shake off the funk she was feeling about Jake. When she dropped Haley off, she asked Peyton if she wanted to come in for supper with her and Nate, but Peyton declined. Although she was feeling better, she wasn't up to being a third wheel yet. She went straight home, hoping to catch her dad before he went out for dinner with Karen, but she missed him. She made a sandwich for herself and went to her room to listen to her new tunes. Nothing made her happier than hearing a new CD for the first time and she was even feeling inspired enough to start working on a new strip. She had been lost in her drawing and music for almost an hour when she heard her computer ping. She got up off her bed and went to check and see who it was.

Lucas: Are you there?

TA: Yep, how was basketball today?

Lucas: cold...don't know what we were thinking. What did you do?

TA: mall with Haley. Found some music I was looking for.

Lucas: Anything I would have heard of?

TA: Probably not.

Lucas: So are you weirded out about this whole dating thing?

TA: Why, what have you heard?

All she could think was that Lucas had spent the afternoon with Jake and maybe he had heard something.

Lucas: Nothing, that's why I am asking.

TA: Why would it be weird?

Lucas: Besides the obvious?

Peyton was a little lost.

TA: Obvious?

Lucas: We could end up as step siblings...don't you think that's a little weird considering our history?

Peyton actually sighed in relief. He was talking about their parents.

Lucas: What's that face for?

TA: No reason. What are you doing right now?

Lucas: Nothing. Why?

TA: Why don't you come over. I'll play the new disks for you.

Lucas: I'm on my way.

Peyton didn't want to be alone. She figured she might be tempted to call Jake and she didn't want to do that. Not yet anyway. He said he'd call and she needed to relax and believe that.

Lucas walked in the house fifteen minutes later. He came straight up to her room.

"So what's the new tunes you bought?" he asked, flopping down on her bed. She tossed him the three new CD's. "Hey, these are great. Where did you find them?"

"Haley took and I went to that place in the mall. Sometimes you can find some great stuff there." Peyton said, joining him on the bed. "So, you are bothered by this whole, my dad your mom thing huh?"

"Aren't you?" Luke asked.

"Not really. I mean, I like your mom. And you shouldn't worry, my dad's a good guy." Peyton offered.

"I know that. And I want her to have her own life, I just kinda always thought it would be with Keith, you know?" Lucas said.

"Maybe she doesn't think of Keith that way."

"That's what she says, but..."

"Quit worrying dumbass, your mom's a big girl." Peyton teased. It was so much easier talking about someone else's worries than thinking about her own. "So how was your Christmas?"

"It was good. I even went by and saw Dan."

"What the hell for?" Peyton was a little surprised.

"Sucker for punishment I guess. I was feeling bad because Keith and Deb were at our place and I knew that Nathan and Haley had gone to her grandparents place. I didn't want him to be all alone so I went by in the afternoon before dinner."

"And how did that go?" Peyton asked.

"About as well as can be expected. For a while I really thought he was changing but I am now realizing it was probably a temporary condition. He was asking me if I had started thinking about college, and where I wanted to play ball."

"Why is that strange? Dan only knows how to relate to you and Nathan if it involves basketball." Peyton pointed out.

"I know, but it was more like he was fishing for information. He wanted to know if Nathan had told me where he was going."

"College is like a year and a half away. Why does it matter now?"

"There have been a couple of scouts at some of our games already this year." Lucas said.

"Really?"

"Ya, but I'm like you. I figure I've got at least another six months before I need to make that decision."

"Are you and Nate going to go to the same school?" Peyton asked.

"We'll see. We are both going to need scholarships so I guess it will depend on if we both get offered deals from the same school."

"Do you have a preference?"

"Probably Duke. It's close enough to home that I won't feel like I've abandoned Mom. But then maybe she'll have your dad to take care of her by then," He attempted to joke.

"Maybe," she grinned.

"So, anything new to tell me about?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing that I can think of. Why?" Peyton knew he was asking about the date but she felt a little awkward talking to him about it. If Jake wanted to tell him that was his business, but Peyton didn't feel like talking about her love life with Lucas.

"Heard about your date." Lucas apparently wasn't going to let it go.

"Really?"

"Ya,"

"So then why are you asking me? I mean if you've heard all about it then there is nothing for me to tell you," she said sassily. She smiled to let him know she wasn't angry about his question.

"I want to hear your side," he returned the smile.

"Luke, we're friends right?" Peyton asked.

"Of course."

"And you and Jake are friends," Peyton continued.

"Yes." Luke didn't know where she was going.

"I just don't want to put you or anyone in the middle. I don't know what's going on with me and Jake, but I don't want it to be me, Jake, you, Haley, Nate, Brooke etc. OK?" Peyton explained.

"Sure. Do you want to know what he said?" Luke grinned.

"Sometimes you are just like a girl, you know that?" She laughed.

"I get that a lot. I should head home. See you tomorrow at school?" Luke asked as he stood up.

"I'll be there."

"Later," and he left.

Peyton was glad Lucas had come over. It got her mind off the no-phone call situation for a little while. She decided that she'd just play it cool at school the next day and pretend like it really didn't bother her. Maybe if she focused on that hard enough she would actually feel it too.

The next day at school, Jake was waiting for her in the parking lot when she drove in. She saw him immediately, took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face as she got out of her car.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself." She replied very casually. "How was your weekend?"

"I didn't not call." He said quickly.

"What?" Peyton said.

"I know that I said I'd call and I didn't, but it wasn't on purpose." He explained.

"No big deal."

"No, it is. Things just got all screwed up and there wasn't any time."

"It's fine Jake, really. I get that you were busy. Don't worry about it." Peyton reassured him.

"After Nikki brought Jenny back on Friday night, we were up with her most of the night and then Nikki had to work on Saturday so she came back on Sunday to take her for the day. I went to the River court in the afternoon with the guys and then I was going to call you to see if you wanted to go for supper but when I got home Nikki was there because Jenny was still fussy and...."

"It's OK Jake, relax." She interrupted his long run on sentence. "Why don't you and Jenny and I go to the park tonight?" Peyton offered.

"Well, she's still a little under the weather, so how about you just come over to my place? You pick up a movie and I'll provide supper." He replied.

"Sounds great." She smiled.

"So is it too soon to kiss you at school?" he grinned.

Peyton just laughed in response as they walked into the school.

A/N Thank you for the wonderful reviews - they really help with the writers block. Let me know your thoughts/suggestions. Always - Carys