A/N: So, after I posted the first few chapters of this story I realized just how played out this fic is -- the whole Lucas-and-Peyton-as-best-friends storyline, so I apologize. I have an idea for the next few chapters, but I'm looking for A Big Twist and suggestions (via PMs) are totally welcome. Anyway, on with the chapter!
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Chapter 17
I walked into school on Monday morning with a smile on my face, but it quickly melted when I noticed the stares and whispers. Some girl who I'd never even spoken to before came up to me, "So are the rumors true?" I was taken back by her brash question. I wanted to wipe the smug smile off of her face. "You're going to have to be a little more specific..." I half encouraged with annoyance soaked in my words. "You know, you and Lucas," her face changed from smug to expectant. Just then I heard footsteps behind me running towards me, I turned to see Brooke almost run into me, "Oh my god, Peyton! I promise I didn't tell anyone!" "So then it's true?" I shifted my gaze from Brooke back to the girl. "Who are you," Brooke asked for me, "Don't you have some senior to serve, Freshmen Girl?" The girl's face changed from expectant back to smug, "I am serving a senior." She quickly ran off before we could ask any questions. "You do believe me, right? I didn't tell anyone. I mean, I know I have a big mouth and sometimes I can talk a lot, especially in situations of extreme pressure, but I didn't--" "Brooke, stop!" I smiled, "I know it wasn't you." I could tell by the mystified look on her face that she couldn't figure out who else might have told. "Meagan." I answered her question, "Meagan saw us this weekend." "Ohhh," Brooke looked at me knowingly, "So, I guess you could say that..." she hesitated, trying to do some final assessments on my mood, "I was right?" "Brooke!" I laughed, "Do you really think this is an appropriate time to be saying 'I told you so'?" "Hmm," she imitated deep thought, "Yes!" We laughed and Brooke noticed with some amusement, "Did it just get, like, quiet in the hall?" I started looking around so I could have a better answer for her question, and I noticed everyone was staring between me and a spot down the hall. I looked where everyone's eyes were pointed. Lucas. He'd just walked into the school, acting oblivious, entering the combination to his locker. He didn't need anyone to ask him any questions to know what was going on. Finally, he shoved his last schoolbook in his bag, grabbing one worn non-schoolbook to carry in his hands, and slammed his locker shut. When he started walking my direction, I immediately looked away and back to Brooke. "Any suggestions, Miss.-Know-It-All?" Brooke gave me a sympathetic look, "Don't wear that shade of lipstick anymore?" "What!" I laughed, grateful that she was lightening the mood. She stepped towards me and said in a hushed voice, "It'll come off on Lucas and everyone will know that you've been k-i-s-s-i-n-g." She spelled out the word. I let out a small chuckle as she walked away. Looking at my reflection in the warped mirror in my locker, I noticed that she was probably right so I hastily started to wipe away the lipstick.
I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I spun around. With the back of my hand to the corner of my mouth, I stopped mid-wipe and gaped, wide-eyed at Lucas standing in front of me. I looked around at everyone staring at us in shock. I dropped my hand. "Yes?" "Peyt, can we, um," Lucas looked around, too, "talk?" He held up his book, "Library? Lunch?"
I was looking at him, standing before me vulnerable and unsure. Everyone standing around us waiting for my answer. And I realized we had no real reason for not telling people about us. I mean, we'd been making up reasons for the past few weeks that I'd started to believe, but none were really valid explanations. I wondered why people even cared to know if we'd kissed. The unofficial best new basketball player on the team and the cheerleader was nothing short of cliché. I bit my lower lip, Lucas (and half the people in the hall) still waiting for an answer. "Peyt?" I stepped forward, looking down and playing with one of his belt loops. I looked up, then kissed him lightly, giving him a chance to pull away. Instead, he deepened the kiss and walked into me, until my back was against the lockers. Finally Lucas pulled away, "I thought we weren't going to tell anyone?" I shrugged weakly and looked down, "Why not?" He opened his mouth to answer me, but stopped. "I guess, I don't know." I looped my finger through his belt loop again and pulled him towards me. "So, are we OK? Do you mind that," I looked around, "people know?" He smiled and grabbed my hand, "Walk you to class?" Despite myself, I blushed and we held hands walking down the hall.
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Six Months Later...
"So, have you told Luke about your decision?" Brooke asked. We were sitting at a table by the window in Karen's Café. I poked at the foam on the top of my coffee with the end of the skinny straw. "No, not yet. I mean, we never talked about which colleges we were applying to, so I don't think he even knows that I applied to art school in California." "Peyt!" I shot her a look, "Sorry, Peyton! He's going to be devastated." "Whoa, don't you think you're overreacting?" I picked a loose hair off of my shoulder and watched it catch the light of the sun as it dropped to the ground. "We're not even going out," I added. "Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that... Seriously, what's going on?" "What do you mean?" "I mean," she let it draw out of her mouth, "you both act like you're dating--you spend all of your free time together, you have sex," she tilted her head downwards, though keeping eye contact to look at me accusingly, "it's like you're getting all of the benefits of going out without actually 'going out'." She made air quotes around the last two words. "I don't know, we're best friends." "So?" "So... so." I tried to quickly change the subject, "Hey want to go shopping? I need a new dress." "I'm onto your evading techniques, P. Sawyer, but sadly, shopping is my weakness so I'll humor you. Why do you need a new dress?" I stood up and walked over to grab a to-go lid for my coffee, when I came back I answered her, "Lucas and I are goi... I just need one." Brooke raised her eyebrows, "Mmhmm." "Bye Karen!" I yelled towards the counter when Brooke and I were walking out the door.
We only got halfway down the block before we ran into Lucas. "Hey, you," he kissed my temple, which was about the most public we'd ever displayed affection. We weren't hiding our relationship; we just weren't quite sure what it was. We knew what we didn't want to be and we knew what we had to be, but we couldn't find the happy medium. "And you," he looked over towards Brooke. "We're going shopping," Brooke smiled, "Wanna go?" Lucas looked over at me and then back to Brooke and chuckled, "Uh, no." "Actually," Brooke started, "I have to go--" "Brooke! My dress?" She pointed a finger in my direction and looked at Lucas, "And, Peyton, here... Has to talk to you about college. See you guys later!" Brooke strutted off. "I'm going to kill her," I muttered. "What was that?" "Nothing," I smiled weakly. "Hey, so we need to talk then? Tonight at your house?" He rested his forehead against mine. "Yeah, tonight." "OK, see ya then, Peyt." He patted my butt once, and then walked towards the café. "Brooke! Brooke! Wait up!"