Quick Author's Note: SO SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE…I had this chapter almost all done and just forgot about it and so I'm really sorry.
If you hadn't noticed yet or if you don't remember, Haley and Nathan's little boy is named Connor. Now I was stupid because I hadn't written in so long, that I forgot that that's what his name is and I went and named Ryan's younger brother Connor as well. I was going to change one of their names but I decided to leave it as is because it sounds better to me. Anyways I was just warning you in case there is a mix up!
Dialogue written improperly to enhance character.
"Remind me again why you decided it would be such a great idea to have this thing at my house?" Haley asked as she bent down to pick up Exercise Elmo, yet another one of her three year old's toys that had been left on the ground for Mommy to pick up.
"Because," Peyton replied from behind the bar in the kitchen. "You have the biggest house of all of us here in little ole' Podunk USA, and the nicest, and its just more convenient."
"Yeah convenient for you and your husband," Haley joked. "You don't have to be the one that gets embarrassed if her house isn't clean enough."
"Well true," Peyton agreed. "But at least I'm helping you out. You've got to give me some credit there."
"Oh don't worry I am," Haley smiled. "I hope Brooke and Ryan are satisfied with my house."
"What are you talking about?" Peyton inquired. "Why wouldn't they be satisfied?"
"Well they live a life of Hollywood glamour: state of the art clothing, houses, cars, you name it."
"Don't worry Haley," Peyton tried to insure her. "Your house looks great. If they think anything bad of it, then screw them."
Haley laughed. "God!" she exclaimed. "This is so much work!"
"Well our husband's seem to be enjoying themselves," Peyton said.
"Yeah," Haley answered. "Where is Nathan anyway?"
"Watching ESPN with Jake I presume," Peyton laughed.
Haley rolled her eyes. Of course he was watching sports. What else would the men be doing?
"Should I start setting these out?" Peyton asked after opening Nathan and Haley's refrigerator and peeking in to see the succulent appetizers Haley had prepared earlier that day.
"Sure," Haley responded. "How about you just put them on the bar? That's easy to get to."
"Alrighty then," Peyton said pulling out the first platter of hors d'oeuvres. "When is everybody else coming? I thought they were supposed to be here at two"
"Well I moved it to around 3:45-4:00ish," Haley said. "Because the flight from Philadelphia got delayed."
"Oh," Peyton replied. "When is Lucas coming?"
"They will probably get here when Brooke and Ryan do because they are coming from Pennsylvania too."
"They?" Peyton inquired.
"Oh didn't I tell you?" Haley asked. "Lucas has a date."
"From Pennsylvania? How the hell did he meet somebody from there?."
"Good question," Haley answered. "I couldn't answer that. Maybe he met her in college or something."
"Oh yeah probably," Peyton said.
"Mommy!" a high pitched squeaky voice piped in to the conversation.
"What Bud?" Haley said replying to the three year old little boy who walked down the stairs.
"Daddy wants me to give this to you," he said walking over to his mother and handing her an empty Coors bottle.
Peyton could barely resist the urge to burst into a fountain of laughter.
Haley bit her lip. What the hell was Nathan doing having their three year old bartend for him? But she had to admit it was kind of cute.
"Well thank you buddy," Haley replied snatching the glass container from the child.
"Daddy wants anutter one," the little boy said.
"Oh he does, does he?" Haley replied, a big grin spread across her face.
"Yeah!" The boy shook his head up and down enthusiastically.
"Well you tell him that if he is old enough to drink beer, then he is old enough to get his lazy booty down here to get it, and that you aren't his slave and he needs to get dressed."
"Okay," the child smiled revealing the most adorable dimples.
"Wanna make a bet?" Haley asked Peyton as Connor left the kitchen and made his way up the stairs.
"I don't know," Peyton said cautiously. "Depends on what it is."
"I'll bet you five bucks that within the next…oh… say thirty seconds, Nathan traipses down here, hair all mussed up, still in sweats and a tee shirt, and grabs another beer."
"How about not," Peyton chuckled. "I don't have enough money to pay you."
As if on cue, Nathan slowly sauntered down the stairway and made his way toward the fridge.
"Geez Nathan, don't be so friendly," Haley rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"Hey Peyton," Nathan said half-heartedly as he reached into the fridge for another Budweiser.
"You better get dressed," Haley hinted. "We're going to have company any minute. There's a polo tee and Dockers on the bed."
Nathan rolled his eyes playfully. "Yes Ma'am," he said popping the top off of the beer bottle and making his way out of the kitchen and into the bedroom.
Haley rolled her eyes.
"Connor's more grown up than Nathan," Peyton laughed lightly as she poured the can of crab legs Nathan had ordered onto a circular tray with dipping sauce in the middle.
"Yeah well let's just say he's not too excited about this whole ordeal," Haley answered.
"What do you mean?" Peyton inquired.
"Well Lucas has been having a hard time with the fact that Brooke has a new man. I mean he is obviously still in love with her or he wouldn't be so mad about this thing. When Lucas is sulking, Nathan is sulking. Put two bad moods together and you what do you get?"
"I don't know," Peyton giggled. "What do you get?"
"Empty beer cans strung all throughout the house and two men puking in the bathroom. And as you can see, Nathan's already well on his way to hangover city."
"Oh well isn't that just great?" Peyton remarked. "And lucky you get to deal with one of them the next day."
"Ha Ha," Haley replied in a monotone voice. "You got lucky. You got Jake, the one that doesn't get drunk."
Haley made light out of the information she had just relayed to Peyton. But deep down in her gut, she knew that once everybody arrived: Brooke, Ryan, Lucas, and his mystery date, the atmosphere in the room would be much different than light.