Chapter Eight: When The Stars Go Blue

"That dress is totally hot!"

"Dude, it's just a dress."

"No, P. Sawyer. Not a dress. It is the dress."

I emerged from the dressing room with my best friend, Brooke, at my side the entire time, a large frown on my face. "I look ridiculous." I objected with a small snarl, unable to stop myself from looking to my left as Brooke did a spin in her own blood red colored dress. Of course Brooke just had to look a thousand times hotter, didn't she? Brooke had the curves and the hair and the body and the boobs and...Everything that I seemed to lack. It's not that I was jealous of my gorgeous best friend, but I always thought it ridiculous that we had to go shopping together now. We certainly didn't have the same styles in clothing, so what was the point?

Karen, who had been sifting through a rack of mini skirts with a look of disguist on her face lifted her head and smiled at us. "Well, you both look stunning." She promised, taking a step forward so that she could get a better look. "Who are the lucky boys?"

I spoke almost immediately, a bit too quickly for my own good. "Oh, I don't have a..." I paused, my eyes nervously scanning the room. "..Date.." I finally finished, a nervous tick in my throat.

I could feel Brooke's eyes on me but I ignored them to the best of my ability, dissapearing back into the dressing room without another word. I could still hear the muffled voices of my future step-mother and best friend as Brooke bragged about snagging the Captain of the basketball team or something of the sort. Was it really all that important? No, I honestly didn't care. As long as Lucas wasn't her date, I'd be happy.

See, tonight was the Homecoming dance and, as much as I was dreading it, I knew that I had to go. I was nominated for Homecoming Queen, of course, and couldn't miss the oppurtunity to do something else that would make me look like a total and complete kiss ass. In all actuality, those shallow little things made my dad happy, so they made me happy too.

Deciding that I'd spent enough time pretending to change, I came out of the dressing room, my black dress in my hands. "Let's just do this before I change my mind." I muttered with a quick roll of my eyes and a small smirk, making my way over to the counter. I handed the woman my credit card and waited for my recipt, signing it and grabbing my bag. I smiled somewhat at Karen while Brooke bought her own dress, not too sure I wanted to start up a conversation. It would be awkward, to say the least.

"So, who's Lucas going with?" I asked cooly, although I already knew the answer. We had mutually agreed to go solo tonight. He goes by himself, I go by myself and we meet up somewhere afterwards to have some 'couple' time.

Karen shrugged her shoulders, her eyebrows threaded together in thought. "Y'know, I don't think he has a date. He said he wanted to go by himself. He's probably just embarassed to bring his date home to meet me, right?" She asked with a small laugh.

I laughed along with the older woman, nodding my head. "Yeah, that must be it." I agreed with her, only a tiny hint of sarcasm dripping from my voice. Brooke took her bag and I bolted out of the store like a bolt of lightning, leaving the two brunettes behind me.

Two hours, five curling irons, three girls and a hairstylist later, I was ready. I slipped on my black stiletto shoe before standing up and looking at myself in the floor length mirror. I smiled slightly, but it wasn't because of my reflection. It was because I saw the person who'd just walked into my bedroom. Lucas. I spun around as he closed the door, my smile growing by the second.

"You look beautiful." He whispered, his tie carelessly hanging around his neck. I nodded my head, pulling him towards me. I began to fix his tie, focusing my attention on that as I spoke. "You look pretty good yourself, mister." I promised with a smirk, giving his chest a quick pat once I seemed to master the tie doing trick that my father had taught me when I was twelve.

I turned back around and stared at our reflections in the mirror, Lucas's arms snaking around my waist from behind. He rested his chin down on my shoulder, staring at our reflections as well. "Yeah, I do look pretty good, huh?" He joked with a sigh like laugh, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Don't push it." I warned, leaning in and kissing him loudly. Once our lips connected and the 'smack' was made, I pulled away before leaning back in and doing it again. Once our lips collided for the second time, I giggled, keeping myself in his grasp.

Footsteps could be heard near my door and a small frown fell onto my lips, Lucas pulling his arms away from me. He shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning in and kissing the side of my forehead softly. "I'll see you later, okay?" He questioned, leaving me to simply nod my head.

Lucas opened my bedroom door cautiously, checking both sides of the hallway before he walked out and into his own bedroom. I rolled my eyes and stared at my reflection once again, the vibrant and happy girl replaced with a sad and frowning one. Why couldn't we always just be together? This royally sucked.

Horny teenagers. Clothed sex. Spiked punch. That was exactly what the Homecoming Dances at Tree Hill High consisted of. Time after time, they played the same music with the same kids at the same place and, after a while, it just got old. I wasn't sure when, exactly, that started to happen, but probably around when I was twelve. I walked inside of the school gym, my arm linked with Brooke's and my eyes scanning the room for a familiar blonde haired boy.

Unfortunately, he was no where to be found. I attempted to hide my dissapointment behind a smile, but I was nearly positive that my eyes told the story that the rest of my face couldn't. At least that's what Lucas always says to me. He's constantly telling me when I'm lying or why I'm lying or why I'm sad. He's not supposed to know so much about me.. He can't...But he does. Although a huge part of me is scared to death, another part of me is ecstatic. I finally had someone who understood me. He didn't pretend and he didn't say anything, he just knew.

My eyes searched the room once again, but I still couldn't find him. With a small frown replacing the smile, I un-linked my arm from the bubbly brunette's. "Why don't you go find that stud you were tellin' me about?" I questioned, a small genuine smirk on my lips.

Brooke's eyes widened in delight and she began to look around as well. "Oh! Yes, you soo have to meet him. Brb." She said before bouncing away. Despite my best attempts, a small chuckle fell from my lips. I stood alone now by the consession table, watching Brooke flirt with the boy that I assumed to be her date. Before I knew what had happened, there was a tap on my shoulder.

Expecting it to be Lucas, I spun around, a smile on my lips. No, not Lucas, but...The kid who sits in front of me in Chem? My smile fell drastically but I attempted to keep it there to make him feel better, tilting my head to the side a bit. "Hey...Rob, right?" I asked, trying to make sure that I got his name right.

The boy nodded, pulling a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. "Yeah, but someone told me to give this to you. They said that someone told them to give it to someone else who told them to give it to me to give to you or something like that." The boy paused, obviously re-thinking what he'd just said. Did it really matter? Nah.

I nodded my head, taking the note from him. "Thanks...Rob." I said with a smile before turning on my heel and walking outside of the gym and by a set of lockers. I opened the note in a hurry, smiling as silver and gold stars fell out and onto the ground. "Meet me on the roof." I read aloud, a small laugh escaping my lips. I'd recognize that chicken scratch anywhere.

I folded the note back up, looking around the deserted hallway. Who the hell was going to catch me, right? I held the note in my hands tightly as I made my way outside by the parking lot. I looked around, having no idea how I was going to make it up onto the roof. Ah, as if on cue, I spotted a ladder tilted up the side of the building. Well, that was unexpected.

I shook my head in disbelief, making my way over to the ladder. After taking my shoes off, I made my way up the steps one by one, being extra cautious so that I wouldn't fall and break my neck. I finally reached the top and jumped up, my eyes widening in shock. There, on top of the roof, was Lucas.

A large blanket was laid out along with a ton of candles, two wine glasses and a bottle. My smile turned into a wide grin as my eyes surveyed the area before settling on Lucas. "Wh--" I managed out, shaking my head.

Lucas stood up and made his way over to me slowly, a small knowing smile on his lips. "Where do you think I've been since I left your room?" He questioned, taking my hand and leading me over to the blanket. I sat down on the blanket, making myself comfortable. "You're such a romantic." I joked, pinching his cheeks. Lucas laughed a bit, gently pulling his face out of my reach.

"Oh, please..This is nothing..You should see what I do when I really love a girl." He said, narrowing his eyes slightly with a knowing smile on his lips. I nodded, going along with him. "Oh, of course..What was I thinking?" I questioned, playfully rolling my eyes.

Lucas pulled me into his arms and I sat myself between his legs, my back resting comfortably against his chest. His chin once again found its way against my bare shoulder and I smiled to myself, perfectly content. What more could I ask for? I was looking out at the stars in the arms of the man that I love. Fairytales and romance novels have nothing on the real thing.

"Hey, Peyt..A shooting star.." He whispered into my ear, bringing his hand up and pointing to it. I looked up, my eyes lighting up in delight. "Oh! Make a wish..." I demanded quietly, closing my eyes. I made my wish before reopening my eyes and turning my head ever so slightly to look at him.

"What'd you wish for?"

"That we could stay like this forever. You?"

I nodded my head, looking back out at the stars. "Same.." Was all I said, my voice not daring to come out as anything above a whisper. I closed my eyes as Lucas continued to hold me, knowing damn well that we only got these kinds of oppurtunities once in a blue moon. "I wished that I could stay in your arms...Always.." I admitted finally, nodding my head.

"You can."

I turned to look at him, my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Of course I couldn't. Could I? "Wh--" I asked, but was cut off by Lucas, who had that look on his face. Narrowed eyes, rigid cheeekbones. He was most definately thinking about something.

"Marry me, Peyton."