Chapter 15: Third Day

Disclaimer: I do not now nor did I ever own any of the One Tree Hill characters.

Kaiana groaned softly, feeling her muscles protesting as she bent to re-tie her shoelaces. Brooke had nearly killed her yesterday with the routine she had come up with. She was thankful for all the help, but she wished someone would have warned her that Brooke was a drill sergeant. That girl got too serious when it came to this squad stuff. Kaiana knew it was because Brooke was captain of their school's cheering squad. She sighed aloud, knowing that she would probably have another grueling practice tonight too. But she had to admit one thing, dancing like that had been so much fun. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed it. That was the main reason why she was even putting up with Brooke's stern behavior towards the practicing for try outs. If she didn't like dancing, there was no way she would put herself through this much pain.

Kaiana had just locked her locker back up when she saw Peyton and Brooke coming towards her. She smiled and waved at them. She frowned slightly, noticing that Peyton didn't smile back. Brooke was the first to come up on her, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "So you ready for practice tonight," she asked heartily. Kaiana grunted in answer, causing Brooke to chuckle lightly. "I'll take that as a yes," Brooke continued, her dimples flashing.

"Hey Peyton," Kaiana called out, her voice slightly tentative. Peyton only nodded in response, her eyes looking everywhere else but at Kaiana, her demeanor showing that she obviously didn't want to be where she was. "Everything alright Peyton," Kaiana asked carefully.

Peyton didn't answer. As a matter of fact, she didn't even act like she heard the question. Kaiana quirked an eyebrow, her eyes floating over to Brooke, silently asking what was up with Peyton. Brooke rolled her eyes and shrugged. She didn't know what was wrong with her friend either. She had been pissy like this since yesterday afternoon and Brooke was getting sick of her behavior. "So what are you planning to do after school," Brooke asked, trying to appear nonchalant. "Maybe hang out with Luke?"

Peyton snorted loudly and rolled her eyes, her reaction noticed by both girls. Brooke elbowed Peyton hard. "What the hell is your problem Brooke," Peyton bit out. She knew she was being a bitch, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She liked Kaiana, but this sudden thing with Lucas was annoying her for some reason.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing," Brooke fired back. "What is wrong with you? You've been acting like this since yesterday. If you've got a problem, just spit it out like a normal person instead of being a bitch to everybody else!"

Peyton's eyes narrowed. "Why don't I take my bitchy self home and leave you alone with your new friend then," she retorted coldly. She then hurried down the hallway, her books clenched tightly to her chest, ignoring Brooke's call for her to wait. She ran down the stairs and didn't stop until she got to her car. She dropped down onto the driver's seat, jamming her key in the ignition angrily. As she pulled out of the school's parking lot, she realized she was being very irrational, but she didn't care. She knew she was just really angry with herself for still caring about who Lucas dated. Her hand slammed down on the steering wheel, her anger seeming to grow with every second. An image of Jake popped into her mind for a moment, dimming her furious haze. How the hell could she be into Jake and still care about Lucas at the same time?

Brooke shook her head in amazement, not able to believe what had just transpired. Peyton was her best friend, with Haley following closely in second, but she was tired of dealing with her crap. Every time Peyton was upset about something, everyone had to deal with her attitude. Brooke knew she hadn't been exactly the best person to be around when she and Lucas had broken up, but still, that was different. Peyton was like this every other moment and it was really starting to grate on her nerves.

Brooke looked at Kaiana apologetically. "I'm sorry about that," she said softly, her hand gesturing to where Peyton stalked off. "She's gets like that when she's upset about something. We just have to give her time to sort out whatever it is that's bugging her and then she'll be back to herself."

Kaiana nodded, but she wasn't so sure. Peyton had been acting like that towards mostly her. She had seen her laughing with Haley earlier and talking pleasantly with Lucas, but whenever Kaiana came around, Peyton just clammed up. Kaiana had seen her in the hallway in between classes and had tried to start a friendly conversation with her, but Peyton just brushed her off, muttering that she had to go somewhere. She just couldn't understand how things could have changed between them so quickly. It seemed like now, Peyton didn't even like her.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Brooke told her. "Don't take it personal the way she's acting. She'll be back to normal soon." Brooke slung her arm through Kaiana's and led her through the main doors out into the sunshine. "Now as I was saying before, are you going to hang out with Luke today? You guys are supposed to be dating...remember."

Kaiana rolled her eyes as they headed towards her truck. "Yes I know that," she remarked sarcastically. "But you seem to have forgotten that it's only for pretend. We're not really dating." She opened her car door and flung her book bag in the back seat. She then climbed in and shut the driver's side door. "There's no reason for us to really hang out after school hours Brooke," she added quietly.

"Oh but that's where you're wrong," Brooke interjected. "You have to look like a couple on and off campus. People have to see you guys together around town, you know holding hands and all that junk. Trust me. Justin will get suspicious if you guys don't up your game."

"Up our game," Kaiana repeated dumbly. "What do you mean?"

Brooke placed her hand on her hip dramatically. "Well for starters you could act a little more friendly in school," she commented. "You guys don't look comfortable together. You guys put on a great act yesterday in front of Justin, but today you guys seemed kind of cold to each other. You need to loosen up...act more natural."

"You want me to act more natural with my pretend boyfriend, notice the huge stress on the word pretend," Kaiana replied sarcastically. "How am I supposed to act when I'm suddenly in a relationship with a guy I barely know? Just tell me that Brooke."

"Yeah I know it's kind of weird, but just give it a chance," Brooke stated. "You guys are so attracted to each other. You could start out by admitting that. Then it will feel more natural. And don't try to deny anything, because you two are so obvious it would be disgusting if I didn't think you two look cute together."

Kaiana's mouth opened and then snapped shut, her face instantly flaming with heat. "Okay so what if that is true," she said warily. "What if I am attracted to him? It doesn't matter Brooke. I'm not ready to jump into any relationships right now. You know I'm dealing with a lot. I can't handle any more."

"Lucas is not something to handle," Brooke protested. "He's a wonderful guy who is totally into you. You think you're so alone, but really you're making yourself that way. You ever thought that maybe Lucas could be exactly what you need right now."

Kaiana blew out a breath of air, her gaze flitting over to the steps in front of the main doors, her eyes lighting up at seeing Haley. "There's Haley," she announced, sticking her arm out of the window to wave at the red-head.

"I know you're trying to avoid what I said," Brooke said gruffly. "Just think about it okay." Kaiana nodded. Brooke then turned to face Haley who had now reached where they were. "Hey tutor girl...what's going on," she greeted.

Haley pulled on Brooke's hair playfully. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that," Haley scolded. "I'm beginning to think you do it on purpose just to annoy me."

"Me...try to annoy one of my closest friends...never," Brooke replied in mock hurt. Haley raised a brow. "Okay so maybe I do it on purpose. So what? Isn't that what friends are for...to annoy each other?" Brooke grinned impishly at her friend.

Haley walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle and hopped in next to Kaiana. "You see what I have to deal with," she remarked wryly.

Kaiana looked at Brooke closely. "Yeah I'm getting the feeling," she muttered darkly, which earned her a mocking glare from Brooke. Kaiana turned on the car and both girls waved at Brooke, before they pulled out of the lot. "But you got to love her right," she added, turning to smile quickly at Haley.

Haley let out a rude noise. "Maybe you have to, but I don't," she remarked, making the driver release choking laugh. "No seriously, Brooke is a good friend. A lot of people think she's just wild and crazy, but she's a good person. She has a good heart."

"Believe me...I know," Kaiana said softly, remembering how Brooke had listened to her gripe about her problems the previous afternoon.

Kaiana parked by the curb, retrieved some money from her bag and her cell phone, before locking her truck. She walked slowly behind Haley into the diner, her eyes furtively scanning the café to see if she spotted a certain blonde, shaggy-haired teenage boy. She sighed in relief upon realizing that he wasn't there. She just wanted to eat in peace, maybe grab another one of those awesome frappacinos, and chill out for a moment. Haley gestured to the counter, indicating that Kaiana should take a seat, but she shook her head in refusal, choosing to sit at a table in the back of the diner close to the window.

She slid into the booth smoothly, a slight grimace passing across her face when she thought about the geometry homework she had to complete. If she wanted to go to bed at a decent hour tonight, she needed to get it over with now so that she could be free to practice with Brooke later. She had gotten to bed way to late last night because she had foolishly decided to do homework after Brooke left. She had just felt so depressed and tired and if not for Brooke's enthusiasm, she would have still been stuck in the funk she was in yesterday afternoon. She really should to do her geometry homework now, but she just couldn't muster up the energy to attempt it right now. She hated geometry with a passion, well all forms of math really. She knew she desperately needed help if she wanted to pass that class with a decent grade. Haley was a tutor. Maybe Haley could help her or at least recommend another tutor.

Kaiana slid out of the booth and walked over to the counter. She hopped up onto a stool, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched Haley concentrating on pouring coffee grounds into the machine. Haley finished her task, her eyes meeting Kaiana's, noting that the girl was staring at her. "O-kay what's up," Haley asked warily, leaning forward on the counter. "I can practically see the wheels in your head turning, plus you were sitting over there and now suddenly you're here at the counter. What gives?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you could tutor me in Geometry," Kaiana questioned hopefully. "I-hate-math and I need your help...please." She protruded her bottom lip in the way she used to as a little girl to get her way when she was little.

Haley let out a small giggle. "Sure no problem...you don't have to give me that look," she retorted. "One of my students just dropped out, so there's an open space. Apparently I'm such a fabulous tutor; he doesn't need my help anymore." She then turned around and grabbed a cup and began putting in the ingredients required for a mocha frappacino. "I hope I'm not jumping the gun here by making this for you. You do want one right?"

"Well aren't we modest," Kaiana commented sardonically, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Haley making the frozen coffee drink. "And yeah I do want one...thanks. And thanks for agreeing to help me out with this math."

Haley flashed her a bright smile. "I told you...no problem," she told her. "And you're lucky that I'm choosing to ignore that flippant comment you just made about me being modest."

"I would appreciate that oh 'great one'," Kaiana quipped. The bell on the front door chimed and Kaiana spun around on the stool to see who the new customers were. She inhaled sharply as two familiar teenage boys came walking towards her with an older blonde lady behind them. Lucas and Nathan. Seeing Nathan didn't cause the gasp, but seeing Lucas, well that was a whole other matter. His eyes met hers and her mouth instantly became dry. Nathan dropped down on the stool to her right, while Lucas took up residence on the stool to her left.

Nathan nudged her jokingly. "Hey what's up girl," he greeted brightly. His eyes then immediately fell on Haley, a wide smile coming on his face. And then his eyes went to his mom. "Oh this is my mom...Debra Scott," he announced, gesturing to the woman who had walked in the diner behind them.

Kaiana waved at the lady currently smiling at her, her eyes watching curiously as the woman tied an apron around her waist. "Hi," Kaiana called out cheerfully, holding her hand out to shake the hand outstretched towards her. "It's nice to meet you--," she trailed off not sure how to address Nathan's mom.

"Just call me Debra...and it's nice to meet you too," Debra replied warmly. "So Nathan tells me you're new in town. Everything okay...you know with school and the move? It must be hard to be in a new place."

Kaiana turned to look at Lucas, finding him watching her closely, and she smiled. "Well it is, but I made some new friends who are making it easier," she said softly, her eyes still holding his gaze. She broke out the trance and rested her eyes back on Mrs. Scott, her cheeks warming at the slight smirk on the woman's face. Haley came up to the counter just then and set her drink down in front of her. She then leaned over and met Nathan's lips with a lingering kiss.

Kaiana rolled her eyes. "Jeez...you guys kiss like that even in front of your mom Nathan," she said laughing. "Lord, I thought only us at school had to deal with seeing that."

"I try my best to ignore them," Debra retorted dryly, snapping Haley playfully with a towel, making the young girl pull away from her son. Haley smiled slyly and resumed her task of re-filling the coffee machine with the flavored grounds.

"We all do," Lucas said softly. Kaiana turned to look at him again, her eyes widening at the way he was looking at her. She pulled her eyes away and picked up her cup to take a huge gulp, hoping the frozen drink would cool down the heat she was feeling. "So are we ever going to talk about this," Lucas asked quietly.

Kaiana stiffened and then relaxed, her finger playing idly with her straw. "Talk about what," she replied nonchalantly, without looking at him.

"You know what," Lucas answered firmly, but his voice was still soft. "Playing dumb is not one of your strong points," he added with a small chuckle. She looked at him then. They did need to talk, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for that conversation. She knew he wanted to talk about them, specifically about her reactions to every time he tried to get close to her today. She had pulled away every time, feeling uncomfortable and scared of what she was feeling for him.

"Lucas, I'm not sure now is the right time for that talk," Kaiana said gently.

Lucas sighed loudly, ignoring the fact that everyone else could currently hear their conversation. "Look we need to get this settled," he said sternly. He jumped off the stool and took Kaiana's hand, pulling her off the stool. "We can go sit at a booth in the back and talk. Please." Kaiana stared into his blue eyes, feeling herself caving. She nodded wordlessly and he began leading her towards the back of the café when a tall broad shoulder man with dark hair entered the café, his demeanor screaming arrogance. Lucas pulled up short when he saw him. What the hell is he doing here?

Note: I'll stop it there, because the chapter was getting way too long. Finally I'm bringing Nathan's parents into it. Please review you guys!