Jake wandered the halls of Tree Hill High tired and very confused by the previous nights visit; Jenny had also woken up at least 5 more times before 6 am.

When he reached his locker it took him 4 tries to get it open, when he finally did he threw his backpack inside, grabbed his History textbook, leaned against the open door and fell asleep. "Jake, hey, Jake?" the exhausted brunette woke suddenly to Peyton poking him in the stomach.

"Hey Peyton." He mumbled tiredly before yawning and stretching slowly. "What's going on?"

"Not much." Jake nodded; this is how many of their conversations went. Not much was said, but there was a comfortable knowing between them. "Late night?"

"Jenny kept me up all night." He carefully avoided mentioning Brooke's visit; in his sleep deprived state of mind he wasn't entirely sure it had happened at all.

Peyton nodded sympathetically before veering off to her English class. "I'll see you later alright?"

Jake nodded again and continued down the hall. He was literally pulled off his feet and into a janitor's closet as he rounded the corner. "What the hell?"

"Shh. It's me."

"Brooke? What the hell are you doing? I'm going to be really late for History..."

"I needed to talk to you."

"There's a perfectly good hallway outside."

"I didn't want people to see me talking to you."

"Ashamed?" Jake asked jokingly.

"No, shut up, Jagielski." Jake smirked a bit in the dark, it was much easier to deal with Brooke when she was her regular impatient kiss-my-ass-I'm-hot-and-I-know-it self, rather than the vulnerable, insecure side she had showed him the night before. He wondered briefly if anyone had ever seen that side of her before. "Jake, are you listening to me?"

"What? No, not really."

Brooke sighed in her typical fashion. "Pay attention."

"Yes ma'am."

"I saw you with Peyton. You didn't say anything to her, did you?"

"Yes Brooke. I blurted out the entire story to her." Jake replied sarcastically. 'Who do you think I am, Brooke? You came to me in confidence, I'm assuming, seeing as you haven't even told Lucas yet, I wouldn't do that. You don't know me very well, do you?"

"It's just... I'm having trouble trusting people lately; especially cheerleaders and basketball players." The last part was added on quietly.

"Listen Brooke, I know something is going on, I'm not stupid. I'm not going to get in the middle though; I have my own problems to worry about." Brooke winced at that, it was her fault that Nicki was back in Jake and Jenny's lives. "Is there anything else you wanted to say, or can I go to class?"

"I just was wondering..."

"Wondering?"

"Could I maybe spend some time with you and Jenny? You know, 'cause I don't have much experience with kids and I-"

Jake considered her request carefully for a minute. "I have one condition." Brooke looked expectantly at him. "You have to tell Lucas."

"I-"

"It doesn't have to be right now, but you have to tell him."

As much as it pained Brooke to think about talking to Lucas she nodded. "Okay."

"Alright then." Jake said holding out a hand. Brooke smiled slightly and shook Jake's proffered hand. With his other hand Jake opened the closet door. "After school."

Brooke nodded again as they stepped into the light of the hallway. "Yeah."

"Tonight, Brooke. You know where I live." Brooke smiled as he ran down the hall towards his class. She then meandered slowly towards her own class, oblivious to the very confused Haley James standing in the hallway, gaping.