Wishing

Chapter 6- Lunchtime Territory Markup

"All right," Nathan said, getting up from the bleachers after his second successful gym class, "Who wants lunch, cafeteria's serving pizza today."

They all looked at one another, and all nodded in agreement. Then Brooke spoke up, "But what about our old table, the one we all used to sit at… can we sit there?"

"I don't care," Nathan said, looking at the rest of them, who all agreed that they could sit there. He reached for his cane that was leaning against the bleachers next to him. "Ya'll better go get in line if you want food."

"Why don't you have to get in line," Peyton asked, walking closer to the door.

"Cause, I'm a teacher, and a cripple, I can't stand in a silly line," Nathan said chuckling, "You however are neither, and those lines get pretty darn long."

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They all finally got their food and sat down at the table outside, "Guys, this isn't our table." Brooke said, looking at it.

"Of course it is Brooke, we sat right in the middle of the courtyard," Lucas said, shaking his head like Brooke was crazy.

"No, it's not, remember freshman year Peyt? Me, you and Nathan here engraved our names in the tabletop to make it our table, then we forced Luke, Hales, and Jake to do it in Junior year… I'm sorry guys, but either I'm blind, or this isn't our table."

"Brooke, they got new tables last year, they look the same, but the old ones were falling apart. But it's in the same spot," Nathan said, he was the only one who knew, out of the group.

"Hey Luke… you got a pocket knife?"

"Yeah… why?"

"Can I borrow it?" Brooke asked in an innocent tone.

"Um… sure," he said, and reached into his pocket to get it for her.

She took it from his hand and looked at it funny, "Hey Luke… how do you get the knife part out?"

He took it back and opened it for her, and handed it back. She took it and started working on the table. "What are you doing?" Peyton asked, watching her.

"Engraving my name into the table, duh P. Sawyer," Brooke laughed. When she was done, she brushed her hand over it and marveled at her work. "Brooke Penelope Davis," she read from the table, "Peyt, your turn," Brooke said, and handed the knife to her best friend, "Gosh, it feels like were back in high school, and the bell will ring any minute to go back to Mr. Arnold's English class, where I could barely stay awake."

"Hey! I loved Mr. Arnold's class," Haley interjected, "It was always so interesting."

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer," Peyton read aloud, brushing over her name, and handed the knife to Nathan, "Sorry Hales, all the power to ya for getting something out of Mr. Arnold's class, but it was boring, I'm pretty sure I stared out the window every day, during his class, or at the clock waiting for it to be over."

"Nathan Scott… with two T's on Scott," Nathan said, and Brooke and Peyton laughed. It was a little thing of theirs. When Nathan engraved his name on the first table, Principal Turner caught him before he was done and he only had one T on Scott… so it was Nathan Scot. When they came back the next day, Brooke and Peyton laughed at him that he couldn't even spell his own name. He left it like that, it was sort of their thing. "Oh yeah, Mr. Arnold, that guy was out to get me from the start, remember how he'd like always ask me the answer to a question when he knew I didn't know it… I hated him," Nathan said, and passed the knife to Haley.

Haley stared at it, deciding what to engrave, when she did it in junior year, she engraved Haley James- Scott, but now, well, that didn't feel right. She started etching into the table, "Haley James," Haley said brushing a hand over her name, and slid the knife across the table to Jake. "Do you guys realize how much this table will be worth?" Haley asked, looking down at her own name.

"I never thought of that," Brooke said, looking at her own name.

"Oh well…" Peyton said laughing, " But I have a feeling after today… this will become everyone's table… or roped off as like a landmark or something."

"Yeah," Jake said, and looked at his name, all scrunched up and tiny, "Jake Jagielski," he said, following suit. Then engraving something under it, "#00."

"Hey that's a good idea," Nathan said, "Pass me that knife back," and Jake did. Nathan started etching something under his name, "#23," he said, and passed the knife to Lucas.

"Hey Luke, can I have that for a quick moment," Haley asked, and Luke passed it to her, and she wrote something under her name, "Tutor Girl."

"Hales, pass it to me," Brooke said, and Haley handed it to her, where she engraved something under her name, "Cheery, B. Davis, Tigger."

"All right, give me that," Peyton said, and engraved under her name, "P. Sawyer… I don't think I have anymore nicknames."

She passed the knife to Lucas, and he finished his engraving, "Lucas Eugene Scott… #3, Broody…" he said… then looked at Brooke.

"Luke give me your knife back… please," Brooke begged, and he handed it to her, and started drawing on the table, "Broody + Cheery, with a heart around it," Brooke announced. Then handed the knife to Peyton… who was doing some of the same, "P.S. + J.J. and yes Brooke, there's a heart around it."

Then Brooke and Peyton looked at Haley and Nathan, and Peyton passed her the knife. She took it and did what she knew she was supposed to do, "H.J. + N.S. with a heart and under it 'Always and Forever'" Haley said and slid the knife to Lucas. The school was not going to be happy about this… their new tables… all scratched up by a group of celebrities. Luke wrote one last thing in the middle of the table, really the only free spot left.

"THHS

class of '06

Brooke, Haley, Jake,

Lucas, Nathan, Peyton,

friends forever

11-15-2016," Luke said, when he finished engraving it in the middle of the table, "Now it really is ours," he said, and they all began to eat. Not exactly from their trays of food, but from everyone's. It was sort of their pact… they all get different things… so they all could share. It was great to be back in high school… for a day anyways. Life was good.