Chapter Twelve
"Did you hear? That Nikki girl…"
"Threatened her with a knife!"
"Lucas Scott saved her."
"Her and Lucas? Again?"
"But what about Jake?"
"She looks fatter. Maybe she's pregnant. Maybe it's Lucas's!"
Whispers followed me all of the next day getting gradually more outrageous at my first day of Tree Hill High in weeks.
I hoped the sight of me and Jake together, my hand in his would help dispel the rumours but it only seemed to fuel them.
"You're not pregnant, right?" he asked, accompanied with a laugh.
"She's with Lucas now," said a cheerleader going past us. Surprising me, he laughed again.
"Come here," he said, I turned to him. I quickly realized what he had in mind.
As our bodies pressed together and he hit me with a passionate kiss all I could feel was guilt. I hadn't even planned on letting him kiss me until I figured out my feelings for him and for Lucas.
We kissed until the bell broke it off. I took his hand
"Are you happy now? Any questions?" he asked the staring hallway.
I could fell his stare on the back of my neck without turning around.
"God you guys are getting sickeningly cute. I am now officially horny and lonely. Why is there no one out there?" she asked.
"Hey Brooke," said Mouth as we passed them.
"Hey Mouth," she said.
"So there's no one," I said.
"Well Nathan and Jake are now married and I've already done Lucas and all the rest of the varsity guys are gross or so yesterday. We need to get to college," she said fiercely.
"Right, that's what I'm going to spend my time at college doing," I said, laughing. He squeezed my hand.
"You'd better not," he said. He turned to me, ready to kiss as we'd just done, but I gave him a peck and turned back to Brooke.
"You could date someone unpopular," I said. I hoped she'd take the hint.
"Or someone older!" she said excitedly. Had she even heard me?
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" asked Lucas, coming up behind us. Jake and I both turned around-Luke was looking at me. I nodded and tried to smile.
"Sure. I'll be right back," I promised Jake, dropping his hand.
"I think I'm still in love with you," he confessed when we were alone.
"Well, sucks to be you," I said. He looked at me and did his search.
"So you don't have any feelings for me?" he asked.
"You had sex with Nikki the night after I broke up with you!" I said in annoyance.
"Answer my question?" he said.
"Any feelings I have for you are only memories. People always say 'a girl never forgets her first love'. It doesn't mean she wants to be with him, or give up on her husband," I said, dropping my gaze.
"Oh, so you love Jake?" he asked.
"Why are you being like this?" I asked.
"Like an ass! Here's the deal: you forget, I forget, Jake never knows and you stop going crying to your mom," I said harshly, exiting.
Brooke and Jake were where I'd left them.
"What was that?" asked Jake amiably, taking my hand.
"Nothing," I said. Brooke glanced over. She noted my flushed cheeks and my façade of a calm look. Her eyes widened.
"Hey Brooke, I think I lost my lip gloss. Hey, let's go look for it," I said. Jake raised an eyebrow as I hauled her off.
"You kissed Lucas!" she exclaimed as soon as we were out of earshot.
"Just once," I said miserably. In my mind I calculated-she'd very likely tell Haley, who'd certainly tell Nathan who'd almost certainly tell Jake because of that weird solidarity thing.
"I can't believe you! You have a hottie like Jake and then you go and kiss your ex, who doesn't even have hair anymore?" she demanded. "Wow, did that ever come out wrong."
"It was a stupid mistake. I was all emotional and he'd just rescued me or whatever. And it just happened! It didn't mean anything!" I said.
"Do you remember what happened last time you let him in?" she asked.
"He broke my heart," I admitted.
"Yeah, he broke your heart. But first he broke mine. Then he broke yours, and then he went and broke yours again. This is why you stay with guys like Jake! He'll take care of your heart!" she said.
"Why can't you get together with a guy like that?" I asked spitefully.
"Shut up."
"Okay. So if you really think it's never going to happen again I won't tell Tutor-Wife, but please don't mess up what you have," she said, hugging me. "I love you, you know that?"
"Me too," I said. Arm in arm we went back to Jake who was beginning to look thoroughly mystified.
"It's all better now," I promised.
"Whitey and Jenny play ball," informed Jenny as I went to his office after school. I glanced at him for clarification.
"Jenny went to basketball practice with me. She's a natural," he claimed proudly.
"Thanks Whitey," I said. I turned to.
"Sit down, Mrs. Jagielski," he instructed. I sat on the chair across from him.
"How are you three doing?" he asked.
"It's hard," I admitted.
"The first year is hard. It's worth it though, to be able to share your life with someone you love," he said. I nodded.
"And that Mrs. Jagielski thing-I haven't even decided like that. I'm rather used to being Peyton Sawyer," I said.
"Back when I married Camilla women always did, but it's your choice, of course. Jake would like it. And this one, too," he said, indicating Jenny who was on his knee.
"Maybe," I said. He nodded as I stood up and Jenny came over to me.
The halls were still relatively full as we walked through them. People stopped and waved to Jenny, who waved back.
"Peyton!" said a high, cheery voice suddenly, stepping in front of me. Bevin, one of Brooke's cheerleaders.
"Bevin, hey," I said.
"Mommy!" ordered Jenny, tugging on my hand. Bevin glanced down at her as Theresa joined us.
"Guess you really like taking care of her!" said Bevin brightly. I frowned.
"Of course I do. But do you know what this is?" I asked, bringing a flat, square object out of my purse.
"It's called a condom, and it stops pregnancy. So will you please tell anyone who cares that I'm not pregnant?" I demanded.
"Obviously, seeing as you're pre-menstrual," said Brooke, coming up behind us.
We left together. As we reached her car, both of us burst into laughter.
"That is going to be everywhere before tomorrow," she said.
"Well at least it'll replace the rumours of my infidelity and pregnancy," I said.
"Which is crazy, seeing as you and Jake haven't done it yet," she said, backing out of her parking spot.
"Brooke!" I said, scandalized.
"What? It's obvious!" she said innocently. I rolled my eyes.
I was surprised when she stopped the car in front of Nathan's apartment. Nathan and Haley's apartment now.
"They're painting," she explained. "They were hoping we'd help."
We walked in without knocking. If they were painting we'd have seen the immediately-besides the bedroom and the bathroom, the apartment was one large room. Sheets lined the floor and tins of cream coloured paint were open atop the sheets.
"Haley?" I called. I heard a shriek from the bedroom, and a thump. Brooke and I exchanged wide-eyed looks as I picked up a frying pan from the kitchen counter and advanced to the bedroom.
"Peyton!" said Haley in exasperation as I burst through the door, frying pan in hand. Nathan quickly rolled off her and jumped up. Haley hastily covered herself in a sheet.
"I thought you were expecting us!" I said. "I thought you were being molested!" I said in my defense.
"Well, I wasn't. Nathan, cover up," she advised. I glanced at him and quickly glanced away.
"Whatever. Been there, done that. We'll meet you outside in five minutes," I said, backing out. Brooke was laughing and I cracked up as well.
"All I can say is that I'm glad I've already had sex with Nathan because if I hadn't, that would have been scaring," I said, walking over to the wall and picking up a paintbrush.
"You wouldn't believe the rumours at school," I said an hour later. Haley sent me a look.
"That you're pregnant? Yeah, I would," she said, glaring at Brooke.
"It made sense at the time!" said Brooke defensively.
"Well you can't be pregnant," said Haley. "Seeing as…"
"Haley!"
"Seeing as Jagielski isn't getting any?" asked Nathan, turning back to the wall he was painting.
"How did you know that?" asked Brooke.
"Brooke!"
"You should have seen him the next day! I was a lot happier the day after my wedding," he said.
"Nathan!" this time it was Haley who exclaimed his name.
"So I heard Lucas picked up a hooker," said Haley, abandoning the painting and jumping onto the counter.
"Nikki's a hooker. He pretended to pick her up and she pulled a knife on me and then we all went to the police office," I said, explaining the simplified version.
"And then you made out with Luke," said Haley innocently, swinging her hanging legs.
"Haley!" I cried.
"How did you know?" asked Brooke.
"How did you know?" asked Nathan and Haley at the same time.
"It was freakin' obvious."
"Well Luke told me and we tell each other everything," said Nathan. I made a frustrated noise.
"It doesn't matter," I said.
"Of course it matters. A kiss broke up our marriage," said Nathan.
"That was two kisses and no switch knives were involved," I said bitterly. Nathan rounded on Haley.
"Two?"
"Peyton shut up!" said Haley.
"TWO?"
"She came back, why does it matter?" asked Brooke. "And come on, we're getting you home so you can stop ruining people's marriages." She scooped up Jenny from the floor and led me outside.
"I can't believe you said that," she said.
"It just came out. Why am I being so horrible lately? And why are you guys putting up with me?" I asked her.
"Because we love you sweetie. And deep down, I think it might be possible that you love us right back."
Author's note: It is at this point that I must make a confession. It is Easter break which is why I am able to stay up into the wee small hours, adding chapters. I have to go back to school tomorrow (I'm in high school.) And I will continue to add chapters, but brace yourself for waits. But you know what will inspire me to add chapters? Reviews! You guys are incredible with that. There are maybe four or five more chapters left, and either a Naley spinoff or a sequel in plan. Preferences?
