Title: Will You Fall for Me?
Author: Jayta
Rating: PG18 - however does contain some coarse language
Show: One Tree Hill
Pairing: Peyton/Jake
Chapter Four: Just Another High School Dance
Things seemed to have returned to their normal, slow, easy banter a few days after their 'conversation'. It had been a couple of weeks since their talk and they had fallen back into their routine. It had been partly a relief to Jake. He thought he wanted more, but after the weirdnessk, he had to agree with Peyton that maybe 'platonic friends' was the limits of their relationship. Besides that, he knew that they'd be graduating next year, and who knew where that would take either of them.
"Yeah it's better this way," Jake mumbled to himself, as he ran his dishcloth over the last used table of the night.
"What's better?" Lucas asked, sluggishly rolled into the cafe portion of the building. He slumped down onto one of the stools, as Jake slid his apron off and stuffed it on one of the shelves below.
"Nothin' man," he chuckled, dismissing the evening's ramblings. "I was just thinking out loud."
As much as he trusted Lucas and felt he could confide in the guy, Jake just felt uncomfortable talking to him about his relationship with Peyton. Lucas had seemed to have accepted Peyton's decision to end things before they started...after a few weeks. He had even noticed a 'mending of fences' - of sorts, between Brooke, Lucas, and Peyton. And it seemed to be with much relief on Peyton's end, from what he could gather from his conversations with her.
"O-kay." Lucas eyed him tiredly. "Are you planning on going to this Spring Formal that is coming up?" he asked, sounding not exactly enthused about the idea.
Jake laughed at his friend's obvious dilemma. "Don't know who to ask, huh?"
"Well, there's two girls from Tree Hill that I can strike off my list and...well, make that three," Lucas wagged his finger, "since Haley's going with Nathan, obviously." The pained tone in his voice said it all - Lucas never would be pleased at the concept of his best friend dating his half-brother. "But how about you?"
Jake crinkled his nose at the idea. Not only had he not given any thought to the event, but even if he had, he knew it wouldn't fly. "Nah," he replied casually, shrugging off one more thing to add to the list of things-he-had-to-give -p after his decision to keep Jenny. "I probably couldn't go anyway."
"Why not?" Lucas seemed to think that the idea wasn't wholly absurd. "You could find a sitter if your parents have to work."
"Who, since anyone old enough will be going?" He raised a skeptical brow. "Since you know how easily I trust people to take care of Jenny," he scoffed, walking into the backroom to grab his jacket. "And as if I'm going to ask Peyton to baby-sit that night!"
When Jake came out Lucas had this expression on his face that said, 'Get real, dude. I'm not that stupid.' "What?" He slipped on his jacket and felt around in his pocket for his keys.
"Obviously you can't ask Peyton to sit for you when you're planning on asking her to the dance," Lucas said knowingly.
"What?" Jake was confused. Had he mentioned Peyton's name out loud in the past few minutes of their conversation? He furrowed his brow trying to recall. Nope. "You're crazy man," he chuckled, waving him off dismissively. "We aren't like that."
"Like what?" Lucas smirked.
Jake leaned against the door to the entrance of the cafe. "L-like going out and stuff." He raised his hands, unsure of where this had all come from. Was he trying to make sure I don't like her? Jake closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was tired and didn't want to think about this teen angst.
It was contrary to his nature.
"Well, okay." Lucas seemed to realize when to back off. "I was just lettin' you know that I'm not bothered by it."
Jake had a hard time keeping his face straight. As much as Lucas was getting over his 'crush' on Peyton, there was no way that Lucas wouldn't prickle at the idea of anyone else dating her. He knew that much. "We're not like that," he repeated, pushing his weight into the door, causing a breeze to waft in from the slight opening. "Trust me. I know."
"Whatever man," Lucas said, playing it off as something of no consequence. "I was just suggesting..."
Jake waved a tired arm at him and shook his head. "Tell your mom I left okay?"
"Yeah. Sure," was the last thing Jake heard as he slipped out of the coffee shop.
--&--
Peyton had been humming and hawing over the idea Brooke had suggested: 'Why don't you go with Jake? He's looking available?'
First, the fact that Brooke had managed to speak to her civilly for a whole week had been unexpected in itself, let alone the sheer knowledge that she was seriously contemplating asking Jake. Actually the thought had crossed her mind when they began announcing the upcoming dance over the intercom system a couple of days ago. They were good friends and dances could be just as fun with a friend, especially when you didn't have to bother thinking about the arbitrary make-out session later in the evening.
Why not?
"Peyton!"
She glanced up to see Brooke waving her down, with a fluorescent colored paper in hand. "What's up?" Even though her relationship with her best friend was less strained after her declaration of independence from all men in general, she still could not help but feel that nothing was the same. "I heard Mr. Tortan sentenced you to an hour of detention after catching you practically doing a lap dance for Jason," she smirked, continuing towards her car, though slowing somewhat.
"Hey, I was just showing him our newest routine," Brooke declared haughtily. "I can't help it if Mr. Tortoise misconstrued the dance moves for something less than appropriate for school hours." She leaned in towards Peyton and a mischievous glint flashed in her brown eyes. "I always knew he probably frequented those bordello-type establishments back in the Stone Ages."
Rolling her eyes, Peyton nudged her with her shoulder and shook her head at Brooke's typical dirty, sarcastic humor. She sighed. She was one to talk.
"So did you duck out?" They arrived at her car; and as she held the door open, throwing her stuff onto the passenger seat, before turning to face Brooke. "And what's with the hot pink flyer?"
"Uh sale at Nieman Marcus?"
"That's what you came to tell me about?"
Brooke briefly looked confused. "Yeah, isn't that a good reason?" She stood there staring at Peyton with a straight face. She was serious.
"I don't have a reason to go," Peyton finally blurted out, putting one foot into the car.
"Uh, the formal?"
Peyton shrugged as she sat down in front of the steering wheel and started the engine. "Not a big deal if I don't go," she said lamely. "It's just a dance."
"Just. A. Dance."
She watched as Brooke's jaw dropped to the ground.
"Are you feeling well?"
"This is the Spring Formal!" Brooke began to pace back and forth. "Who are you and what have you done to the real Peyton?"
"What?" Peyton was amused at her overly melodramatic reaction to the thought of not attending the dance.
"You are going Peyton." Her tone was firm and from the expression on Brooke's face she wasn't going to hear of her not going to the dance. The short brunette jogged to the passenger side of the car and hopped it.
"Get in," she bellowed. "We have some shopping to do."
Peyton shook her head and slid into the driver side. She had learned over many years that there was no point in arguing with Brooke. "All right. Let's go."
--&--
"Hey Peyton." Jake was surprised to see Peyton on his doorstep. He hadn't asked her to baby-sit tonight; in fact, both he and his parents were home tonight. "What are you doing here?"
Peyton plastered a big smile on her face, walking past Jake, who held the door open, unable to look him in the face. She had never been this nervous before. Of course she had never asked a guy out before, they had always pursued her. "I just wanted to ask you something..." Before she could say anything else, Mrs. Jagielski walked into the living room.
"Hi Peyton, I didn't know you were coming over tonight?"
Peyton waved at Mrs. Jagielski awkwardly. She really did not want to ask Jake to the dance in front of an audience. "Oh, I just had to talk to Jake for a minute," she explained hurriedly. "I'll be out of your hair in just a minute."
"No problem."
Jake furrowed his brow at the odd behavior Peyton was displaying ever since she arrived on his doorstep. "Uh, do you want to talk outside?" he offered. Knowing if it was something important, Peyton probably did not want to talk about it in front of his parents.
"Sure." Peyton flashed a brief, but concentrated smile, before walking out the door again.
Just breathe, she told herself.
"So is something wrong, Peyton?" Jake reached out and rubbed her bare arms, in an attempt to comfort her and ease the worried expression on her face. "You seem frazzled."
"Uh, yeah," she mumbled, stuffing her hands into her jean pockets, as she began to pace back and forth on the porch.
Just ask him already.
"This isn't some big thing and if you have other plans or whatever," she said, glancing furtively up at Jake. "It's okay..."
Jake grabbed Peyton by the arm and stopped her pacing. "What?" he chuckled, not having a clue what she was talking about. He let her go and folded his arms across his chest. "Maybe you could start by asking whatever it is you want to ask?"
The thought crossed his mind that she could possibly have been referring to the upcoming Formal, but he pushed it into the back of his mind. He had heard rumors at school that she had been asked out by several of the senior football players. Though their school was focused more on basketball, there were several big name football jocks that he was sure Peyton wouldn't have minded going with.
She was probably tired of the run of basketball stars she had been going out with.
"Do you want to go to the Spring Formal with me?" Peyton managed to force herself to look up at Jake as she waited for a reply. Her stomach was in flip flopping and she wanted to run and tell him to forget about it; but she remained, cemented to the Jagielski's porch...waiting.
If Jake had been drinking something, he was sure he would have spit it out. Peyton Sawyer was asking him out? It took him a moment for her question to really register. "You're asking me to the Formal?" he said, his index finger pointing at himself and then towards her.
"If you don't want to or have other plans then it's not a problem." Peyton folded her arms across her chest, not sure how else to respond to Jake's expression of surprise - or was it reluctance? "If someone's asked you already then it's not a big deal," she blurted out. "I just thought we might go as friends."
"I thought you'd go with Blake or Jensen," Jake admitted, still in shock. "I heard that they'd asked you last week."
Peyton laughed out loud. As much disappointment she had been having with basketball players, most of the football players in their school were much worse. "No," she replied in horror. "All they wanted was the trophy cheerleader on their arm to brag about."
"I don't know if they are that bad," Jake chuckled.
Peyton raised a questioning brow. "Yeah, right." She took a deep breath, able to relax somewhat now that the 'big question' had been asked. "I'm not exactly 'gung-ho' about the formal anyway," she said, walking over to the railing and leaning against it.
Jake cocked his head slightly, with a curious expression on his face.
"Brooke."
"Ah." Jake began to nod slowly, and joined her, sliding onto the wooden railing next to her. "She can be a little stubborn and pushy."
"A little?" Peyton scoffed softly. "She makes a Doberman pincher look like a fuzzy bunny."
They both chuckled at the imagery of how true that could be.
"So Peyton Sawyer is asking me out on a date?" Jake nudged her gently with his shoulder. "I think that could make Tree Hill headlines," he teased.
When Peyton had revealed it would be as friends, Jake chided himself for thinking it could have been as anything else. They were just friends. That was how it had always been and always would be.
"Okay, if that's what constitutes a story, then Tree Hill either has some really bad reporters or it's a slow news week."
"So what do I get for doing you this favor?"
"Favor?" she screeched, feigning disbelief and hitting him lightly on the arm. "What part of going to the dance with a popular cheerleader like me, constitutes me having to return a favor?" Peyton didn't know why she had been uptight about the whole thing. Jake was Jake. He would never make anything more of this 'date' if she told him it was as friends. Why had she doubted that?
"Hey!" Jake laughed, shrinking back from any more possible attacks. "No violence!"
Peyton turned around to face him seriously. "So do you think it would be too weird to go?" she sighed.
Jake averted his gaze, trying to imagine what the outcome might be. Though going to Spring Formal was not as huge as it would be next year, a lot could be assumed about the person from who they attended with. And he did not want Peyton to go through the hassle of having to fend off the rumors that they were an 'item', when they obviously were not. Plus, he did not know what he thought about going with a girl who he would actually want to go with as something more.
"Hello?" Peyton sang, as she waved a hand in front of him. "Anyone home?"
"Uh, sorry," he smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to zone out like that."
"Jake, really," she began to hedge, able to see he was hesitant about the proposition. "I can go stag. If it's too much of a hassle to find a babysitter or something..."
The idea of going stag would send Brooke into a tailspin, but she did not want to guilt Jake into going with her. She certainly wasn't that desperate.
"No." Jake shook his head fervently and smiled, as if he had suddenly come to a decision about something. "I can go." He nodded.
Peyton let out a soft sigh of relief. As much as she could handle the idea of going stag, she was glad that Jake wasn't making her do that. "Great," she grinned. "I'll talk to you tomorrow at school about the details, you know, where to meet or whether you'll pick me up, dinner plans and those kind of things?"
"Yeah sure." He could feel his heart rate speed up at the realization that he would be dancing with Peyton in three night's time. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said, pushing himself up from the railing.
Peyton stood up and took a step toward him. "It'll be fun." She winked at him and patted him on the chest. "I'm sure Brooke will see to that," she said knowingly, making her way down the porch steps.
"Yeah."
"See ya later." Peyton walked towards her car, her heart racing, though she hadn't the faintest idea why. It wasn't like she had run a marathon. Briefly glancing over the top of her car, she felt the corners of her lips curve upwards at the prospect of going to the Formal with Jake. She wondered if he was a good dancer. Sliding into her car, Peyton rolled her eyes at how fatally romantic and girly that flight of fancy was.
It's just another high school dance.
---Author's Notes:---
lenfaz: Thanks so much for actually being invested in my purdy story :D
aleah: Now why you should be here other than for the fact that this is my time to state how much I appreciate your loverly insights into my shipping habits...yeah right...
naija: Without your 'polite' nagging, I don't know if I would have gotten this done. hehe ;)
tiffany: Where would my life be without the pressure? I'd be a bum on the street and again doing nothing...
jewls: Again another opportunity to tell you how much I love you babe ;) You are wonderfully amazing...even if you do procrastinate sometimes when reviewing wink
Scar: See I'm updating my fic....something you should do with some of your stories winkwink