Sorry this one took so long to come up, but I wanted to outline the rest of the story first. There will only be 10 chapters since school starts soon and I want to focus on my other story, Back to the Life. Thanks for all of the reviews.
Chapter 7: Tennessee
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"Which do you think is her room?" Brooke whispered walking slowly up the stairs looking at the many doors.
"I don't know!" Haley whispered back harshly.
"Nathan said that it was up the stairs to the left." Brooke stopped and made L-shaped signs with her hands.
Haley rolled her eyes and sighed, "It's that one, Brooke."
"Obviously, Tutorgirl, hurry up." Brooke said rushing to the door a little before Haley.
Haley watched as Brooke reached to open the door. "No, you should knock first."
"Why?"
"You just walked through the front door; she doesn't even know that we are here."
"If she didn't want anyone to come in the door would be locked."
"I can hear you guys." A voice said from inside the door causing Brooke to walk right in.
"I told you, Tutorgirl. Anyways, P. Sawyer, we wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping with us."
Haley walked in also, but instead of jumping on the bed like Brooke did she just stood there. "We are going to buy homecoming dresses."
"I've heard about shopping with Brooke and they aren't good things." Peyton laughed earning a giggle from Haley and a loud gasp from Brooke.
"Hey, that's not fair! I am great to shop with!" Brooke said, Haley and Peyton just stared at her. "Okay, I'm a little hard to get used to. Who are you guys going to homecoming with anyways?"
Haley moved her gaze to Peyton and waited for her to talk, but when she didn't she answered. "I'm going with Jake."
"Oh, Jageilski is a total hottie." Brooke clapped.
"Who are you going with, Brooke?" Peyton asked.
"No one."
"You weren't asked by anyone?" Haley asked honestly shocked.
"Only seventeen, all but the one I wanted." Brooke answered playing with Peyton's blanket.
"I'm sorry my cousin didn't ask you." Haley said sadly sitting beside Brooke.
"Sorry, but Nathan can stick with Peyton. I am not the type to steal people's men."
"I meant my real cousin. You know Lucas Scott."
"Oh, you mean the geek; no we're… just friends." Brooke said as she noticed how quiet Peyton was. "Who are you going with, Goldilocks? Oh right… Nathan."
"Actually he hasn't asked me."
"What?" Both girls shouted confused. Brooke who was still confused added, "But it's Thursday and homecoming is Saturday."
"Thanks, that makes me feel even better." Peyton replied sarcastically.
"I'll his ass!" Brooke stood up and walked out the door followed closely by the other two girls.
"Brooke! Don't worry about it!" Peyton shouted as she got closer to Brooke and grabbed her arm.
"Are you sure because I can…"
"I'm sure."
"Well now that we are down here…shopping time!" Brooke squealed.
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Peyton walked through the hallway after practice with Brooke and Haley on Friday. When she had agreed to join the cheerleading squad she expected to practice with all of them, but according to Brooke they weren't good enough waste everyone else's time. Actually, it wasn't Brooke that said that, but Nazi Brooke, her alter ego o.k. the span of satin.
"Peyton!" Nathan called from behind her. Before she knew what she was doing she had turned around with a huge smile on her face.
"Hey, babe," Peyton walked up to him and kissed him passionately.
"Not that that wasn't great or anything, but we don't have time for that we have to go now."
"Where exactly are we going?" Peyton asked as she was being pulled to Nathan's car.
"It's a surprise."
"But…"
"I know, you hate surprises, but I promise that you'll love this one. Just trust me." Nathan interrupted as he started the car.
"I do."
After about thirty minutes they arrived at what looked to Peyton like and old shack. She saw how happy Nathan looked and realized that whatever it was must be good.
"Come on, we have to hurry." Nathan pulled her out and up to the door of the shack. He pulled the key out of his pocket and quickly opened the door closing it and locking it right after she walked in.
"Um, Nathan… What is this?" Peyton asked looking around at the empty building with nothing but dust.
"This is my place."
"What do you mean?"
Nathan took her hands in his and looked deep in her eyes. "I've never told anyone this, but I'm going to buy this place and turn it into a gym for anyone to play at. Upstairs I'll out some workout equipment and down here we can have areas for different sports. I know it doesn't seem like much, but this has been a dream forever and I'm telling you because I am completely certain that I want you by my side."
"Nathan…" Peyton responded speechless.
"God, I love you Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer."
"I… I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything, just come upstairs, I have to show you something." Nathan slowly and carefully walked her upstairs still holding her hand.
When they got up there Peyton was once again speechless. Right in front of her was her favorite band. "Nathan what is Fall Out Boy doing here?"
"I asked them to come here. They are going to give us a private performance while we eat dinner." Nathan responded as six waiters came out with different plates filled with everything from her favorite appeaser to her favorite dessert.
"You didn't have to do all of this." Peyton whispered as Nathan pulled out her seat and she slid in.
"I know, but I wanted this moment to be special." Nathan grabbed her hands across from the table.
"Exactly what moment is this?"
"Peyton, I know that I should have asked this earlier, but will you go to homecoming with me?" At that moment the band chose to stop playing and a banner with the same question fell from the ceiling behind her date.
"Of course, Nathan, did you think that I would say no?"
"I knew you would say yes, how could you not, I'm irresistible." The drummer hit a few notes as if what Nathan said was a joke. "Hey! I am!"
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It was now Saturday and Brooke and Peyton were sitting at Lucas and Haley's house waiting for Haley to get dressed so that they could go to the hair stylist. After about an hour of waiting and watching The Real World, Brooke decided that she would go get her.
"Hey, Mrs. Scott, where is Haley?" Brooke asked finding Karen instead of Haley.
"Yeah, she is taking a shower."
"Thank you!" Brooke said as she got an idea.
"Did you find her?" Peyton asked from behind her.
"Just one minute!" Brooke spotted a bathroom across from Lucas' bedroom.
She walked to it and opened the door, which was conveniently unlocked. All she could see was steam, at least until she got closer to the shower. "Lucas!"
"Brooke!" Lucas stumbled trying to cover up.
"You have a clear shower curtain?" Brooke laughed not realizing how uncomfortable Lucas was.
"Can you laugh about this later, like when I'm not naked?" Lucas asked causing Brooke to finally notice the situation that they were in and run out.
When Brooke got outside she found Haley and Peyton laughing and pointed at them, "Not a word! Not one word!"
"Brooke!" A now fully dressed Lucas shouted.
"Wow, you dress fast." Peyton laughed, "Too bad it doesn't run in the family, huh, Haley?"
"Can you two just go somewhere? I need to talk to Brooke alone." Lucas asked impatiently.
"Okay…" Haley and Peyton said as they walked into Haley's room.
"Brooke…"
"Don't, Lucas, it's no big deal, I just feel bad."
"For what?" Lucas asked as he watched her stand up with a noticeably fake smile on her face.
"Well I don't want us to be uncomfortable seeing that we are friends."
Lucas frowned at the word friends, but before Brooke could notice he put a smile on his face. "I need to ask you something?"
"What is it, Broody?"
He knew what he wanted to asked her, he just didn't know if he could. "Are you going to homecoming?"
"Who isn't?" Brooke asked not sure if she liked where this was going after what just happened.
"Would you… maybe… want to go with me?"
"I… I can't. I'm going with someone else." Brooke hated saying that as much as she hated to see his sad face afterwards.
"Oh, um, who?"
"Tim. He asked me and seeing that I had turned down the other 21, I had to say yes to someone."
"Right, well save a dance for your friend, okay?" Lucas said as he stated walking out of the room.
"Okay."
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Haley sat in the house watching Lucas brood. Brooke had told her what had happened as well as cried. Something about how Lucas looked like crap made her believe that he had done the same. Fortunately for her, Jake was due to be there any second.
Knock, Knock
Haley went to the door and opened it to find Tim. "Hello? Can I help you?"
"Can I talk to Lucas?"
Haley saw Jake pull up so she quickly showed Tim where Lucas was and waited for Jake to get to the door.
"Hey, Beautiful," Jake said as he walked up to Haley and smiled.
"Hey, Handsome," Haley responded as Jake pulled her close to him and kissed her. "I'm so glad that we are together."
"I've been waiting for this all day."
"Me too," Haley said as she pulled him in for another kiss.
"So, I know that you are wondering why I asked you to be ready an hour early, but I have reservations for this restaurant that we have to make."
"Well, we don't have to."
"No, but I have something for you that I want to give you somewhere special."
"Okay, but lets go, both Brooke's date and the guy who wants to be Brooke's date are in the same room and I doubt that they will both survive." Haley laughed letting Jake take her hand and lead her to the car.
When they got to the restaurant Haley was in awe. Throughout the car ride Jake held her hand with his free hand and told her how happy he was that she was with him. She wasn't ready to admit it to herself but she knew that she was falling in love with him.
"Jageilski for two," Jake broke her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"
"Yeah, perfect."
"Well let's sit down."
Haley stared at their intertwined hands and smiled; she had never been in love before. 'Wait; don't get a head of yourself.' Haley thought.
"You sure that you're okay?" Jake asked holding the chair for Haley.
"Yeah, don't worry."
"Okay, so, I'm just going to go out and say this; I think I'm falling in love with you." Jake said nervously.
"Really?"
"Yeah…"
"I think I'm falling in love with you, too." Haley smiled.
A grin broke out on Jake's face and he pulled something out of his pocket. "I got you something, I know that it's not great but it's something to show how much you mean to me."
Haley looked at the plastic ring and let the tears fall. "Jake…"
"I know that it was only 50 cents, but…"
"It's perfect!" Haley said as she leaned forward and kissed him with less passion but more love.
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Brooke sat on her bed crying like she had since Peyton had dropped her off at home. It was so unfair that Lucas had to ask her after she had given up hope on him. Now she was stuck in a dress that said 'take me' and a date that wished he could take anybody.
After about ten more minutes of sitting in self pity she realized that she had to clean up so that she was ready for her date. She let a couple more tears fall until she heard a car pull up. She whipped them away and made sure that her hair was perfect.
Knock, Knock
'Here goes nothing.' Brooke thought as she opened the door.
"Hey…" She heard the man in front of her say.
"Luke…"
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I have the next chapter ready, so if I get enough reviews I'll update today or tomorrow.
