Chapter 23- Together Again
Brooke and Peyton were cleaning up in the kitchen from dinner while Nathan, Lucas and Jake were hanging out in the living room talking and catching up. "So how did things go with Lucas?" Peyton had been wondering about it all day, dinner had not been uncomfortable so she figured that it had gone pretty well.
"It was good actually. I told him how the things he did really affected me and all that. I think that I just needed to say it to him, to tell him up front what it did to me, ya know? But once I said that all I was also able to tell him how in the end it made me a better person, a stronger person. And just getting it all out there, that was really all the closure I needed. Then we decided to just start from the beginning, try to be friends and all. I really do feel good about it." Since that morning, with Lucas, Brooke had felt like she had a new lease on life. The town that she had once loved but then ran from she could now enjoy again. All of her demons had been laid to rest.
"That's good, I am glad to hear it. I know that you needed to find some way to let it really be in the past." Peyton had seen Brooke try and deal with it all through the years, she was happy that her friend finally put it all behind her.
"Well, what do you say we finish the rest later, how about we go hang out with those really hot boyfriends of ours?" Brooke asked as she threw her dishtowel down on the counter. She held out her hand, "What do you say best friend?"
Peyton threw down her dishrag, "I say let's go." She took Brooke's hand and the two headed into the living room.
"So boys, did you miss us?" Brooke asked as she winked at Nathan.
"Absolutely, get over here." Nathan patted his lap, Brooke happily took the hint and sat down.
Just as Peyton headed toward the couch to take a seat next to Jake the doorbell ran, "I'll get that." Peyton headed towards the door. She opened it and everyone could hear her gasp, "Haley! Oh my god, is that really you?" Peyton couldn't believe it.
"Yeah, it is me. I saw Nathan today and he told me that you would all be here, I had to have dinner with my family but I wanted to stop by and hang out with you guys for a little while. If that is okay of course?"
"Obviously, come on in, we are all in the living room." Peyton led the way.
"Wow, this is a really adorable house Petyon."
"Thanks, Jake and I absolutely love it." Peyton entered the living room a little before Haley, "Well everyone, we have a surprise guest."
Peyton stepped aside and Haley walked into the room. "Hales." Lucas jumped off the couch and ran over and picked her up and swung her around. "How have you been buddy?" Lucas and Haley had been best friends for just about ever. Buddy was the pet name that they always used for one another.
"I am great Luke, it is really good to see you. How come you didn't tell me that you were coming into town?" Haley stepped back a little bit and playfully jabbed Lucas in his rock hard stomach.
"Oh yeah, turn it around on me, the phone works both ways there." Lucas said playfully.
"Okay there Scott, step aside, let me get at her." Brooke pushed Lucas away and pulled Haley into a huge hug, "Tutorgirl, I really missed you. It has been way too long!"
"I know, I know. You guys had better fill me in on everything." Haley looked towards Jake, she strolled over to give him a hug, "How are you Jake?"
"I am great Haley, thanks." Jake looked towards Peyton, "Really great. Things are really coming together for me."
"How is Jenny?" Haley had always loved the little girl, from the moment she saw her.
"She is great, getting so big. Can you believe she is 6 already? I wish you could have seen her, but after dinner I took her over to my parents' house. You should stop by and see her while you are home."
"I definitely will." Haley went and sat in the nearby recliner, "So, fill me in on everything."
"Well, I am working on my master's up at Chapel Hill right now. That is going good. I cannot wait for Christmas break though, I really need some time away from school, just doing nothing." Lucas started.
"I bet. How is your mom? I haven't been able to make it in to see her yet."
"She is doing great. Her and Keith are adjusting well to married life. It is kind of gross actually, lots of making out and stuff. Thank God I don't live there, I don't think I could deal with it all the time." As much as he loved his mom and uncle it grossed him out, it was just weird, seeing his mom make out with someone.
"That's good. So…any women in your life?" Haley hoped that this question wouldn't cause any angst with anyone in the room. It was clear that Peyton had moved on from Lucas, but she wasn't so sure about how things stood with Brooke and Lucas.
"Actually there aren't. I was dating a girl for a while, during undergrad, but then that ended shortly before we graduated. So for right now I have just been flying solo. It isn't that bad though. I am so busy with school and working to pay for my apartment, I wouldn't really have time." Lucas looked around the room, everyone was pretty quiet. They probably all knew that Lucas wanted to ask Haley what was going on with her, but was worried because he didn't want Haley to say anything that would upset Nathan. Or vice versa.
"Well, this tension could be cut with a knife." Nathan broke through the silence. "Haley and I ran into each other earlier. I told her about us all getting together. We talked and caught up, so it is okay, ask anything you want, don't worry about us."
"Yeah, we dished on it all. His relationship with Brooke, everything." Haley looked towards Brooke, "I am really happy for you guys. I am happy that you finally found someone you could trust your heart to. I can say first hand, it is safe with Nathan." Brooke nodded towards Haley.
"I know it is, I was reluctant to give it to him, but he proved to me over and over again that I had nothing to worry about." Brooke looked Nathan right in the eyes, "And since the day I gave it to him he has done nothing more than make me happy."
As Nathan and Brooke hat there sharing a moment together Peyton decided to break through the silence that had again fallen upon the room. "Haley, what are you up to these days? It seems you have caught up on all of us, so what about you?"
"Well, I got sick of the whole touring and recording thing so I am up at NYU working on my bachelor's. I hope to have it done in a few more years. It is great up there, big city and all."
"Damn Haley, it looks like we just missed each other up there. I am glad you like it though. I did too, to a point that is. But really, the small town girl in me couldn't stay there forever." Peyton smiled towards Jake.
"Yeah, that and Jake was waiting for you back here. I get it. You should come up and visit sometime though, show me around. I am still so new to the city I don't really know a lot of places. I do play at some restaurants and clubs and things, those are really the only places I know."
"I definitely will. Give me a few more months and I might definitely need a little vacation." Peyton laughed a little, as did Jake. He knew how hard it was on Peyton sometimes, seeing as how she had become a mother to Jenny almost overnight.
Brooke heard the word vacation and immediately snapped back to reality, "Oh, you guys know what? I have a seminar in New York City the third week in January. Why don't we go then? Peyton, you can stay at my hotel with me, my company doesn't mess around. I have seminars most of the day everyday, but they are almost always done by like 3. Then we could have the rest of the day to hang out, just us girls." Brooke clapped her hands and got all jumpy like a little kid, "Say that works for you, it would be incredible."
"Works for me." Peyton looked towards Jake who nodded in agreement.
"Works for me too. I start classes that week so I wont have any work or anything like that. It sounds perfect." Haley looked towards Brooke who was still bouncing up and down, just seeing her old friend acting like classic Brooke she jumped out of her seat to run over and hug her. Peyton joined it and the boys had to laugh. Sometimes these girls were so cheesy.
Once their three way hug broke up everyone sat back down, Lucas surveyed the crowd and had an idea. "What do you guys say we head down to the river court and shoot some hoops like old times." He looked towards he girls, "You guys can cheer us on."
Haley stood up first, "It sounds great. Let's go."
The friends all stood up and went to get their coats, they then filed out of the house in twos; Lucas with his arm around Haley, Brooke and Nathan holding hands, and Jake and Peyton right behind them, pausing in a little bit of a lip lock. As Jake started towards the door Peyton hung back for a minute, she looked over her friends and knew, it was all going to be okay, for all of them.