The Beautiful Dance

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.

Authors Notes: The muse is on my side with this story right now. The ideas just keep coming. I'm still unsure about the length of this one, I want to start really concentrating on my sequel. I know you guys have been asking about it, and believe me it's coming.

Chapter 4

The closing credits began to roll several minutes later. Peyton and Lucas hung back as the theatre lights came on, illuminating the nearly vacant room. Peyton breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw Brooke and her date get up and leave shortly after the movie ended.

Lucas turned to Peyton. "Let's get out of here." She nodded, and he stood to stretch his cramped legs. He held out his hand and she took it.

They walked out of the theatre still holding hands. "So how's the movie the eleventh time around?" Lucas grinned.

"It's still just as good as the first. Although the eleventh time was just a little better."

He swung open the exit door and held it open for her. "And why was this time better, it wouldn't have anything to do with the company would it?"

"No not the company, I've never seen it on the big screen. It's definitely better in wide screen." She smirked as he gave her a mock look of hurt. "Oh the company wasn't half bad either."

He threw his head back and laughed. Peyton grinned and pulled him closer towards him. They stood still in the middle of the sidewalk, he brushed a strand of curly blonde hair from her face. She smiled at him and reached up to kiss him.

"Well if it isn't my former friends, boy and girl." Brooke's sudden presence caused the pair to pull away from each other quickly. The guy she was with in the movies hung back some distance behind her talking on his cell phone "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I mean please don't stop on my account, it certainly never stopped you two cheaters last time."

"It's nice to see you too Brooke." Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"So are you guys like on a date." She pointed at the two. "That's so very domestic." Brooke sneered.

"Now see Brooke if you were still my friend that may be your business. But you're not my friend and it's not your business." Peyton seethed. "Let's go Lucas." She grabbed his hand and began to pull him away.

"Enjoy it will you can Lucas, Peyton is only good for one thing, a good screw. Just ask all her other boyfriends, she doesn't know the meaning of commitment. Once she gets tired of you, she'll drop you faster than you can imagine." Brooke called out from behind them, loud enough for anyone passing by to hear. "She doesn't care about anyone but herself, and believe me, that's not a girl you take home to meet mom. Peyton Sawyer's been around the block more times than the mailman. She's nothing but a lying, cheating slut."

Lucas stopped walking. "Enough of this." He mumbled under his breath. Peyton wouldn't let go of his arm, she was silently pleading with him to keep walking. Her cheeks were crimson red, flushed with embarrassment.

"You have no right to talk about her like that." Lucas said angrily, he stood directly in front of Brooke staring down at her.

"It's all true isn't it." Brooke smirked.

"You of all people should be careful what you say about other people, you wouldn't want to come off as a hypocrite." He glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your reputation is pretty well known around town, so you don't have much room to talk." He didn't want to hurt her, but he had to protect Peyton.

"So what you come and insult me, and stick up for your girlfriend. Peyton needs a big strong man coming to her rescue?"

"I'm not going to sit by and let you say this shit about Peyton. I know that she's probably pissed at the fact that I'm defending her right now, but I have to." He glanced over his shoulder at Peyton, who was staring down at the ground.

He waited for some biting remark from Brooke but she remained silent. "There are certain things in life that we have no control over. I couldn't help who I had feelings for, or didn't have feelings for. As much as I tried to make myself love you, I just couldn't. You deserve to be with someone who loves you, and that's not something I could give you. That's why I ended things with you, it wasn't because of Peyton."

"A typical Lucas response I guess." Brooke rolled her eyes and tried to brush off Lucas' explanation. In her heart she knew what he said was true. She'd known early on in their relationship that Lucas never felt the same way about her, as she had for him. But she wanted him and Peyton to hurt for what they did. "Make up an excuse that leaves your image unscathed. You think you can make up some bullshit story and that'll make everything ok."

"We never wanted to hurt you Brooke, you have to know that. We were going to tell you everything the night of my accident, but we obviously never got that far."

"So that's what you were trying to tell me that night in your room, that you and Lucas were together, isn't it Peyton?" Brooke looked past Lucas and glared at Peyton.

It was completely out of character for Peyton to sit by and let someone tear her apart. But for some reason she did with Brooke. Maybe it was out of pure embarrassment that she'd kept her mouth shut, how does she respond to someone calling her a slut in public? Maybe she'd just let Brooke guilt trip her because she thought she deserved it. Whatever the reason had been for her to keep quiet it was now forgotten and Peyton knew she had to defend herself.

"Yeah Brooke it's all true. That's what I was trying to tell you when Haley called, we didn't want to lie to you anymore. As much as you don't want to believe it I hated having to deceive you. You were my best friend, and it was never my intention to steal Lucas from you. But things happened, you didn't deserve to find out the way you did. I understand the fact that you were hurt and angry at me and Lucas." Peyton's voice was surprisingly calm.

Brooke seemed to calm down as she listened to what Peyton had to say.

"None of your apologies or your understanding attitude change what you did." Her once calm demeanor was shattered by the bitter tone her voice produced.

Peyton threw her hands up in the air, a look of disgust crossed her face. "I just, I can't do this anymore Brooke. This all happened months ago and if you want to hold onto this grudge forever than go right ahead. But I'm done with it. I've apologized a hundred times and I meant everyone. Accept that or not, I really don't care anymore. So call me a bitch and a slut all you want, I'm sure I deserve it. But I'm done giving a shit about what you think of me." Peyton turned on her heels and walked away passing Lucas without giving him a second glance. She walked quickly down the street, her hands shoved into her jacket pockets and gaze directed down at the passing ground beneath her.

He stood rooted to the ground for a second, watching Brooke walk away with her boyfriend in the opposite direction of Peyton. He finally snapped to attention and ran off to catch Peyton. She was halfway down the street by the time Lucas had made his way to her.

"Peyton where are you going?" He yelled after her. "Will you stop for a damn second." He finally reached her. "Peyton stop!" He said grabbing her gently by her arm. She whirled around at stared at him.

She jerked her arm from his grip. "Leave me alone Lucas." She started to walk away again, this time with Lucas right on her heels.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I need to be alone Lucas."

"Peyton what is going on? Why won't you talk to me?"

"I can't do this Lucas." She said.

"What? You can't do what?" He felt like all he was doing was asking question after question. For some reason she was shutting down again.

"I, I can't do this." She motioned at the space between them. "Brooke was my best friend for years. I hurt her worse than I have ever hurt anyone. I destroyed our friendship by cheating with her boyfriend. Us being together hurts her, and I've hurt her enough." Peyton covered her face with her hands.

"But that stuff you said to Brooke, about not caring about what she thought." He looked at her questioningly.

"Those are all the things I wish were true, I want to be able to forget about her and how she feels. I want to move on and not let what she says affect me anymore. But I just can't, I can't do that to her."

"So what are you saying Peyton? That this is over, you don't want to see me anymore?" The hurt was evident in his voice.

"No matter what I end up hurting someone I really care about. I don't want to hurt anyone." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared down at the toes of her black converse sneakers.

"Peyton, please look at me." He grabbed her face between his hands and stared into her eyes. "You can't live your life for other people. What does your heart tell you? You have to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some of the people you love."

"I know." She leaned forward and kissed him softly, pulling away she wiped away the gloss she left on his lips. "That's why I'm sorry I have to hurt you."

She turned and walked away leaving him standing in the middle of the sidewalk; Lucas could do nothing but stare after her completely dumbfounded. It was then that he felt as if the earth had opened up beneath him and swallowed him whole. Feeling as if he couldn't stand anymore, he sat on the curb and buried his face in his hands.

You know the drill. Please review, let me know how you liked it. I would totally appreciate it!