Chapter Two: Pretty Dresses; Peyton Confesses

Peyton watched Jake throw his bowling ball down the alley and hit one pin. She couldn't suppress a giggle.

"Are you laughing at me?" Jake asked.

Peyton shook her head, but continued giggling. "It's just…I thought I was bad, but I usually manage to hit at least two."

"It was an unlucky throw. I'm actually a master at this."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "I don't think anyone who's a master at bowling can only knock down one pin."

"Well, maybe I did it on purpose to throw you off."

Peyton raised her eyebrows. "But you already said it was unlucky."

Jake suddenly remembered that this was true. "Well…that's not the point," he said flustered, causing Peyton to grin more. "Just watch a master at work."

"Yes, sir," Peyton said jokingly and walked up to stand next to him.

Jake picked up another ball and prepared his aim. With Peyton standing so close to him it was a little more difficult, but he finally released the ball and it rolled down the alley to knock down the nine remaining pins. He threw his arms up in celebration and smiled at her, "See?"

Peyton smiled back. "I saw." For a few moments neither of them said anything, they just kept smiling and staring at each other without realizing it. Finally, Peyton broke the spell as she reached over to pick up a ball.

Jake moved so that she could take her place in front of the alley. Peyton breathed in nervously and concentrated. No matter how many times she went bowling she never seemed to get better at it. She prayed that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of Jake. With one last final parting shot at God, 'He couldn't have picked miniature golf! No, you had to make him like bowling,' she threw her ball down the alley. It knocked down all the pins.

Peyton was speechless. Then, she shrieked. "Ah! My first ever strike."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Lucky shot."

Peyton smirked. "You're just jealous – who's the master now?"

"But, I thought that was your first ever strike?"

Peyton started laughing at the truth of his statement. As they laughed together their eyes met once more and the staring thing started again. But, this time neither tried to stop it. They didn't want to.

……………

"Okay, so what is it that you need to get from the mall?" Nathan asked as he and Haley walked in through the main entrance.

"A dress."

"Wh-Bu…" Nathan was confused. "Isn't that the kind of thing that Peyton can help you out with?"

"One of my sisters has decided to get engaged; again. Anyway, I need a dress for the engagement party which is going to be this Tuesday."

"And Peyton can't help you because…"

"She's not free before that," Haley explained. "I'm not really good at shopping – well, grocery shopping I can do, but not clothes – and I wanted an opinion."

"So you're asking me?"

"Yeah. Do you mind?" Haley added when she saw the look on Nathan's face. "I promise we'll do whatever you want after."

"Okay," Nathan grudgingly agreed, as he saw how much Haley wanted him to help her. "Let's go."

Haley stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, but just as Nathan was getting into the kiss she broke away. "Thank you," she said sweetly.

Nathan pouted. "That wasn't much of a thank you."

Haley giggled. "Don't worry; you'll get a much better one when we're done." She led the way to the dress store and found Nathan a chair to sit down on near to the changing rooms. "I'll be five minutes," she told him as she went to pick out some dresses to try on.

Nathan sighed and checked his watch again, before looking around. He was bored out of his mind – this was definitely not what he thought he and Haley would be doing tonight. As he shifted in his seat, Nathan felt like his foot trampled on something. He reached under his seat, and pulled out a magazine. It was still glossy, but the pages were bent from reading and the cover had come off. After flipping through it Nathan soon found out that not only was it a sports magazine, but also a classic edition, with reviews of some of the best games of practically every sport in the last fifty years. Nathan started reading the basketball section, and thanked the poor chump who had been dragged to the store by his girlfriend and left the magazine there for all the other guys who were to come after him.

Fifteen minutes later, Haley came back to the dressing room, her arms piled with dresses. "Are you carrying every evening dress available in the store?" Nathan wondered aloud.

"No, just a few of them." Haley went inside the changing room to try on the first dress.

Nathan became engrossed in his reading again, and so didn't notice when Haley had finished changing into the first dress.

"A-hem. Nathan? Earth to Nathan, hello?"

Out of the corner of his ear he heard her impatient hello and asked, "Yeah?" looking up at the same time.

"Well, what do you think?" Haley did a quick spin for him, causing the skirt of the dress to float around her.

"You look…" Nathan struggled to find his voice. "Great," he finally croaked out.

Haley gave him a brief smile before examining herself in the mirror. "Well, it's the right length, but maybe I shouldn't wear white. I mean, because the bride's supposed to wear white – although that might not matter since it's just the engagement party. What do you think? Nathan? Nathan!"

"Huh?"

"Did you listen to a word I said?"

"No," he admitted sheepishly.

"You're supposed to be helping," Haley pouted and put her hands on her hips.

"You said I had to come and see you in your dresses. That's what I was doing."

"And not reading your sports magazine?"

"Haley, baby, when you're wearing that, who cares about sports!"

Haley blushed. "I-I'm going to change into the next one," and she skipped into the changing room.

Nathan smirked as he returned to his magazine. The night was looking up.

……………

Peyton cringed as her bowling ball only knocked down 4 pins. Her game had been pretty much downhill after that first – and only – strike.

Jake grinned. "You know what that means - I win!"

"Well, you can't win them all," Peyton shrugged. "Plus, I suck so it's not like that was unexpected."

"You're a lot better at this than you give yourself credit for, Peyton," Jake told her.

"Thanks," she said as she sat down and started to untie her bowling shoes. "You're really good though.

Jake sat on the seat next to her and did the same. "When I was younger, my Dad and I used to come here and play every week. I can't wait to do something like that with Jenny."

Peyton smiled as she noticed the way Jake's eyes lit up when he said 'Jenny?' "You miss her already, huh?"

Jake nodded. "Sometimes I get Jenny withdrawal even at school."

"No, but you have to have some nights out. Just to relax a little."

"Especially when the company is so attractive," Jake winked. Peyton blushed and went back to concentrating on her shoes as Jake began to scold himself for sounding so cheesy. "So…did you used to bowl much?"

"Well…Brooke and I used to come here sometimes when we were kids. We haven't much lately though." Thoughts about her situation with Brooke flooded her brain and Peyton had to take a moment.

Jake noticed that Peyton was uncomfortable. "Do you wanna talk about it? Or," he added, seeing the uncertain look on her face "we could just talk about something else."

Peyton took a deep breath and sighed. She wanted to tell Jake the truth, but she also didn't. She was afraid of what he would think of her if he knew the truth, but she liked him a lot and she didn't want him to think she had lied to him. "Did Lucas tell you what happened?" she asked finally.

"All I know is Lucas and Brooke broke up. And that the two of you liked each other," Jake definitely did not like saying those words out loud, "but that was a problem with Brooke."

"Lucas and I cheated on Brooke," Peyton admitted. "Then Lucas broke up with Brooke, but I couldn't do that to her – even though I already had," Peyton gave a harsh laugh. "But then she found out."

Jake listened carefully as his friend's situation became plain to him. Cursing Lucas for being able to have both Peyton and Brooke – couldn't the guy be satisfied with just Brooke? – he sympathized with Peyton who was clearly still upset about her falling out with Brooke. "Brooke will be able to forgive you," he said kindly.

"I'm not so sure. I know I deserve it, I just…I guess I miss my friend."

"Well, if you ever need a friend you can always talk to me,' Jake told her.

"Thanks," Peyton said, brightening considerably.

"Just not about Lucas," he added.

Oh, if only he knew. When she was with Jake, Lucas was the last thing on her mind. "I don't think that'll be a problem," Peyton said between giggles.

Jake grinned.

……………

"How come you're in your normal clothes again?" Nathan asked confused when Haley came out of the dressing room wearing what she was wearing before.

"Because that was the last dress I just wore," she told him.

"Oh, so have you decided which one you're going to get for your sister's engagement?"

Haley nodded. "No, thanks to you, of course," she added, pretending to look angry.

Nathan stood up and walked over to her. "What do you mean? You asked me to comment on the dresses and I did."

"Nathan, you liked every single one!"

"But you looked hot in all of them, Hales. What else was I supposed to tell you?"

Haley blushed. "Never mind."

"So which one did you choose?"

"This yellow one," Haley held up the dress to show him. "What?" she asked, seeing the look on his face. "I thought you liked it."

"Well, it looked hot on you, on the hanger…not so much. What about that red one?"

Haley took the dress in question out of her pile and held it up, immediately understanding why Nathan liked it. "Nathan! You only like that one 'cause its kind of low at the front."

"Hey," Nathan protested, "I'm showing you one I liked more than the others; that was what you wanted, right?"

Haley shook her head at him. "I'll just go pay for the yellow one and come back."

A few minutes later, they were walking out of the shop. "So do you know where you want to go?" Haley asked Nathan.

"Yep. All the time you spent there gave me ample time to pick our next stop."

"Ample? There's a new word," Haley commented.

"Well, you make me smarter," Nathan pointed out and kissed her.

"Well, I am your tutor," Haley kissed him again. "So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Nathan informed her.

"Ooh, I love surprises!" Haley said excitedly.

"Good."

"So where are we going?"

"I can't tell you!"

"What? I hate being out of surprises."

Nathan rolled his eyes and laughed. "Hey – wasn't I supposed to get a much better 'thank you' when you finished in there?" Nathan wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Yes, I believe you were."

Nathan leaned forward, but Haley moved her head quickly and he ended up kissing the collar of her coat. "What was that for?"

"You not telling me where we're going!"

Nathan pouted at her, but Haley just pouted back. "Fine," he grumbled.

"So you'll tell me?" Haley grinned.

"No."

"But why not?" Haley whined.

"To teach you a lesson. You can't bribe me with kisses, Hales. So I won't tell you."

Haley pouted up at him, but Nathan looked away so he wouldn't give in. Finally, Haley gave up and let him take her to their next stop without any more arguing. But, Nathan was sure he heard her grumble, "The kissing bribe always worked before!"