The world's locked up in your head
you've been pouring it a concrete bed
your habits ossify
you don't realize you're fried
Concrete Bed-Nada Surf

She had gotten through 3 successful days of school without shedding a single tear in front of anyone and she had successfully avoided her friends. She barely went to her locker, she arrived at her classes just on time and exited as soon as the bell rang, and she was never around during lunchtime either. Basically she secluded herself—she even skipped cheer practice. She just didn't want to hear the series of questions she knew that they were all going to ask her, but the thing that got to her the most was that none of them had really gave it an effort to go talk to her. Maybe they thought she needed to be alone and as much as she would've liked that, she knew that that was the last thing she wanted to be.

It was a Friday, a cold and windy Friday and it was also the end of the day. Peyton couldn't wait to get out of school and just go home. She hadn't remembered the last time she wanted the week to be over so badly, but the point was that she did. She had just put the last book in her locker when she closed her it, turned to her right and spotted a cheerful Nathan and Haley walking her way. Maybe they didn't see her, yet. Hoping that they didn't, she prepared to turn the opposite direction, but when she did she saw Brooke and Lucas coming in the same direction. She had gone through three days without this happening and now at the very end of the last day of the week they both were coming towards her and she had no way out of it.

She sighed as she leaned the back of her head against her locker and just waited for both of the couples to come over to her. Damn the school system for having the lockers set up in alphabetical order!

"Hey Peyton!" Haley said cheerfully as she and Nathan reached her locker.

"Hey Haley… Nate." She acknowledged them and silently prayed that Lucas and Brooke would just turn the other way.

"Sorry about your mom." She heard Nathan say, which caused her head to shoot up.

"Nathan!" Haley hissed as she nudged him in his side.

"Ow! Haley I was just saying sorry." Nathan glared down at his wife.

"I know, but can we not do this in a crowded school hallway?" Haley asked trying to be considerate of her friend's feelings.

Peyton just stood there laughing at the sight before her. Nathan and Haley were truly meant to be and it just amused her when they would bicker.

"But Peyton doesn't mind." Nathan pointed out.

"Peyton you don't have to—"

"No it's fine, really. You two are funny when you argue."

"Well I'm glad it's funny to someone." Nathan mumbled, which caused the two girls to laugh, but the laughter stopped when another couple joined in.

"P Sawyer I'm so sorry!" Brooke practically pushed her way through Nathan and Haley and tightly embraced Peyton.

"And about a few days too late." Haley mumbled as she cast her sympathetic gaze on Peyton.

"Brooke it's okay," She said as she pulled out of the hug, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I know Ellie meant a lot to you."

Something about Brooke's comment made her kind of angry. She knew Ellie meant a lot to her? Did she really? After she went on the road trip with Lucas to find Ellie, Brooke, her own best friend had been nowhere to be found, so how could she possibly know?

"Yeah she still does." She whispered as she took her gaze off of Brooke and on to an out of place looking Lucas. She had actually missed him the most these past few days.

She looked over to her right and saw Brooke chatting with Nathan and Haley, so she moved over to where Lucas was standing and took the opportunity to talk to him.

"Hey." She said, as she stood right next to him.

"Well if it isn't the invisible girl," Luke joked, which made her laugh, "I haven't seen you around in days."

"Yeah well I've been around."

Lucas gave her a questioning glare.

"Okay… so I haven't really been around. I just didn't really want to see anyone… or have this happen." She confessed.

"Have what happen?"

She looked up at him, "You and Brooke and Nathan and Haley."

"Okay that can't be easy, but if you ever need someone to talk to you can always call me Peyt, you know that." He assured her and she nodded.

"Yeah." She said softly as she let her mind drift off to something else.

He sadly looked down at her. As many times as she would say she was okay, he just couldn't bring himself to believer her yet. Sometimes she just looked so broken and he wished that he could fix that.

"So how's everything holding up?"

"Honestly?" She asked knowing that there was no point in lying to him.

"Yeah."

"Not too great, but they're getting better."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"So you're gonna be okay?"

She laughed at all the repetitive questions he was asking; "I'll be fine Luke so you can stop worrying about me."

"But you know that you can call me if you need anything, right?"

"Luke!"

"I can't help it," He shrugged as she continued to laugh at him, "You know I love being that guy for you."

She smiled a little as she looked up at him again and added softly, "Yeah I bet you do."

"So boyfriend are you ready to go?" Brooke said with a hint of jealousy as she moved from where she was standing so that she was now in between Lucas and Peyton. She had tried her best to distract herself from their conversation, but once again her insecurities were getting the best of her.

"Um…"

"Nathan and Haley are coming with us, too." She added, but Lucas was still stalling.

"Peyton you should come with us." Haley offered. Peyton appreciated it, but it was the last thing she wanted any one of them to do.

"Yeah." Lucas chimed in and Nathan nodded, leaving all eyes on her.

What could she say? That she didn't want to feel like the fifth wheel? That she couldn't take seeing Brooke and Lucas together? That she just wanted to be alone? None of those excuses sounded like they were any good. What could she do?

"Hey Peyton." Everyone's eyes averted from Peyton to the voice that called her. They all looked over and saw Rachel.

"And Lucas, Nathan, Haley," She greeted before setting her gaze on Brooke, who was currently glaring her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Peyton as if Brooke didn't exist.

"I was wondering if you had the American History notes… I missed first period." Not even bothering to wait for Peyton to respond she pulled her over to where her locker was.

"What gives Rachel? We're not even in the same class!" She said once they were away from the others. Peyton folded her arms over her chest, as Rachel did nothing but smirk at her.

"I'd like to think that I was saving your ass. You didn't look too comfortable over there." She said as a matter of fact, which left Peyton silent.

"Listen I heard about what happened to your mom and—wait let me rephrase that. I made it sound like she died and I know she didn't, but—" Rachel abruptly stopped talking once she saw the weird look Peyton was giving her.

"Okay… as you can see I'm not really good with this type of thing and I was gonna say sorry, but now that I think about it that doesn't make much sense seeing as I don't know you well enough to be sorry… okay now I'm rambling, so I guess the only thing I have to offer right now is honesty."

"Honesty's good." Peyton didn't know much about Rachel, hell the only thing she knew about her was that they had the same taste in music, but that was it.

"Good." Despite that Peyton was Brooke's best friend Rachel thought that she was pretty cool. She just didn't understand why Peyton would consider Brooke her best friend in the first place. She hardly saw them hang out together, but maybe it went deeper than that.

"P Sawyer are you coming?" They both turned at the sound of Brooke's voice. Brooke, Lucas, Nathan, and Haley were almost on their way out of the doors.

She bit her lip and looked between Rachel and Brooke, "Uh… actually Rachel missed a really important lesson in American History today and if I don't explain it to her she'll be really behind so I think I'll just stay here and help her for awhile."

"You heard her Brooke." Rachel smirked.

Brooke frowned and glared at Rachel as she pretended to be nonchalant about what just happened, "Ok."

Haley and Nathan waved goodbye as they followed Brooke through the doors. Lucas was the last one out, but before he left he had a lingering gaze on Peyton.

"Hmm… I thought we weren't in the same class." She smirked.

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly in the mood to be the fifth wheel."

Rachel nodded, "No need to explain… so what was that I saw just a minute ago?"

"What was what?" Peyton asked as they started walking down the hallway.

"You and Lucas—he was staring at you before he left."

"No he wasn't."

"Uh yeah he was."

"Well nothing's going on if that's what you're getting at." She suddenly got defensive.

"I wasn't getting at anything," She said innocently, "Unless there was something going on."

"Okay I know what you're doing," They stopped walking once they got outside, "And I appreciate you getting me out of that rectangle plus one hell that was going on, but what does any of that have to do with me and Lucas?"

Rachel sighed. She remembered having a similar conversation with Lucas, who was still unbelievable clueless about his feelings for Peyton. She just hoped that Peyton wasn't the same way.

"Peyton you're a smart girl and since this is a pretty small town gossip travels fast… and I know you know that so I'm just gonna get to the point. It's pretty obvious that you have feelings Lucas and even though he's probably about the most oblivious person I've ever met he probably feels the same way about you, too."

Peyton shook her head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

She looked her directly in the eyes, "Yes you do. I can see it, Haley can see it, Nathan can see it, and whether she wants to admit it or not Brooke can see it, too. That's why she's always so insecure all of the time because she knows that you and Lucas share something that's deeper than anything she and Lucas could ever have."

Peyton broke their eye contact. She didn't like it when the truth was shoved her in face like this.

"Can we change the subject?"

The reason's somewhere in the din
but it takes years 'til it sinks in
you've used up the easy streets
and you lost your taste for treats
so fried…

She sighed. Just when she thought she was finally getting somewhere Peyton had to go all soft on her.

"Fine… you know that friend of yours—if you still call her that can be a real bitch."

"Brooke?"

"Yeah." She said as they started walking again.

"Yeah well she isn't always like that."

"Are you sure about that? You're lucky you weren't there when she was running that sweatshop in her apartment."

Peyton let out a loud laugh, "What?"

"Yeah it's a long story," They stopped walking once they reached Peyton's car.

"What were you doing there?" She asked, still amazed at the thought of Brooke running a sweatshop.

"I didn't trust her, so I just went there to make my own dress, but I must admit there were some really good pieces from some sketches on some of the shirts. It almost made them look wearable."

"Yeah I let Brooke borrow some of my sketches."

"Borrow?" She raised her brow, but got no answer from Peyton, "Okay whatever… why do you let her do that?"

"Do what?"

Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. There was that oblivious nature that almost everyone in Tree Hill seemed to have.

"Peyton you're a pretty cool girl. You seem like the type to stand your ground and fight for what you believe in, but when it comes to Brooke you're always letting her push you around and that's not right. That isn't a friendship."

"You don't know what happened between us last year." She responded guiltily.

"You mean you and Lucas going behind her back when she knew that Lucas liked you to begin with and that you liked him, too? I told you Peyton gossip travels fast."

She knew most of the things Rachel was saying were right, but she didn't know how to respond to that.

"She was there for me when my mom died and that meant a lot."

Rachel saw the hurt in her eyes and decided to back off, "Okay… I'll stop now. You're so-called friendship with Brooke is non of my business, but on to happier notes I'm having a party tomorrow night and you're invited."

"Oh really?"

She shrugged, "Well yeah. I figured you probably want to blow off some steam after what's been going with you these past days and on top of that I think you kick ass Sawyer, so just be honored and stop by."

Peyton smiled, "All right!"

She laughed at Peyton's enthusiasm, "You know where I live right?"

"That big ass house on the corner of Maple Drive?"

Rachel laughed as she shook her head, "Yeah that's it. You can tell everyone you know… even Brooke."

"What?" She asked in shock.

"I'm feeling generous." She shrugged. They said their goodbyes and she just stood there watching Peyton drive off. The wheels were turning in her head already. She was going to get them to open their eyes tomorrow at her party, she was sure of it.

Peyton had been standing in her closet for the last hour looking for something to wear to Rachel's party tomorrow night. To tell you the truth she didn't really feel like partying, but Rachel seemed like a pretty cool person and she didn't want to decline her offer. Besides, maybe the party would help her take her mind off of Ellie. She was sick of worrying about her. She just wished that she knew where she was, she wanted a letter or a phone call or something, anything to know that she was all right, but that would be asking for too much.

She sighed as she looked through her closet and absent-mindedly began turning down any possible outfits she could wear. She was never really good at this sort of thing… maybe she should just do what she always used to do before parties, look for something to wear at the last minute that way she couldn't change her mind or think about it too much.

"Is it safe to come in?" She heard a voice shout. She turned around and saw Lucas trying to walk through her room, but his attempts were in vain because of all the clothes that were now sprawled all over the floor.

"Sorry Luke!" She shouted from her closet.

"It looks like the GAP just exploded in your room." He said with a slight laugh as he finally reached her closet.

Her eyes widened with amusement at his comment, "Shut up!"

"What the hell are you doing in here? I never knew you owned so many clothes." He looked down at the growing mess on the ground.

"Well we're not all like Lucas Scott who wears that gray hoodie or that red shirt everywhere he goes, now are we?"

"Ouch." He replied in defeat.

"I'm just joking," She laughed as she walked out of her closet and then added, "I love that red shirt—you wore it the day we had our first conversation—or when you picked me up, whatever you want to call it."

Lucas curiously followed her out of her closet. He was impressed. He didn't think she remembered that, honestly he didn't think she remembered much about their short time together, but she did and that made him happy.

"You remember that?" He sat on her bed as she began to pick up the clothes from the floor.

She stopped what she was doing to look at him, "Yeah… don't you?"

He rubbed the back of his head uneasily, "Of course I do. I just didn't think you did."

He watched her throw all of the clothes back in her closet and then walk out again.

"I'll clean that up later." She said as she closed up her closet doors and took a seat on her computer chair.

"What made you think I didn't remember? I remember a lot more then you think Luke."

"Oh yeah?" He playfully tilted his head upward, which made her laugh, "Try me."

She laughed, "How about we save that for another time, deal?"

He nodded, "Deal."

"So what brings you here, Scott?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing."

She nodded, "What? Did your double date go horribly wrong or something?"

"That's not the reason why I came by and if you must know we didn't go anywhere. Nathan and Haley wanted to be alone and I did, too so we all just went our separate ways."

"And Brooke didn't mind?"

"She was a little upset, but she said she had to work on her clothing line so I guess she's okay."

Peyton laughed at the clueless boy in front of her. Rachel was right; Lucas could be very oblivious at times.

"And you believed her? Lucas you are about the worse boyfriend ever!" She laughed as Lucas sat there in confusion.

"What? I just thought she'd be busy and she didn't really seem mad… okay you're right I am the worse boyfriend ever." He could mentally kick himself! Why was it so hard to read Brooke and so easy to understand Peyton? He never had this problem with her. He was always knew what she needed or wanted, with the exception of a couple times, but with Brooke he just didn't know. What was he doing? Was he really sitting here arguing with himself about Brooke and Peyton? He had to stop doing that—it wasn't right and it wasn't fair to them.

"It's all right Luke, I'm sure you'll get better at it, but on to more important things what's that in your hand?"

Luke snapped out of his thought and looked down at the book he had in his hand.

"Oh yeah this is for you," He got and handed her the book, "It's Dorian Gray."

She glanced at the book before opening it.

"It's a really good book." He said reluctantly, hoping that she'd like it.

"Eh… I'm not really into that whole sci-fi thing, but oh hey look! You dog-eared some pages for me and you underlined! Dude you shouldn't have!" She replied suddenly more interested in the book then she was a minute ago.

He stifled a laugh, "Yeah, all of the good parts are underlined, but the whole book is really good so I recommend reading the whole thing."

"You think every book is good Lucas." She said while she flipped through the pages. From what she had skimmed over so far this book seemed to be about art reflecting the soul. Lucas knew her all too well.

"Okay that may be true, but when I started reading this it made me think of you—"

"A boy who wants to stay young forever, but grows up to be a horrible person reminds you of me?" She joked.

"No not like that!" He said with an embarrassed tone, "Just look at the dog-eared pages and you'll get it."

She set the book over to the side, "Thanks Luke."

"No problem," He paused as he looked around the room, "So what was up with all the clothes on the ground?"

"I was trying to find something to wear for Rachel's party tomorrow. You going?"

"Probably."

"What about Nathan and Haley?"

"Almost the entire school is going, you know with the exception of Brooke."

"But she's invited."

"Yeah but you know how Brooke is."

"And she's letting you go?"

"I guess," He shrugged, "Why? Should it matter?"

"Well yeah. She hates it when we're even remotely near each other, did you see the way she got between us earlier at school, so you being around Rachel is probably going to make her really upset."

Lucas hadn't thought of that at all, but it didn't matter. He missed spending time with Peyton, and Nathan and Haley. Brooke had had him tied up so much that he wasn't "allowed" to be alone with Peyton he could barely talk to Nathan, and the only reason why he had time for Haley was because she lived with Brooke. His life seemed so crowded and hectic; maybe being in a relationship just wasn't good for him right now or maybe it was just being in one with Brooke...

To find someone you love
you've gotta call your own bluff

Okay that's the end of this chapter and maybe some of you are asking yourselves why the hell did you end this chapter like that and the reason for that is because there are big things for Lucas and Peyton coming up in the next few chapters. It's time to get the ball rolling and what better way to do so than at Rachel's party? Thanks for the reviews. I really enjoy reading the wonderful comments! Until next time…