Little White Lies

The Hardest Person To Know Is Yourself

Peyton

Well, this is awkward. Nathan is sat on the chair in the Scott Home staring at us, and we're staring anywhere but back at him. I can't wait to see Haley and everything, but I'm so glad that she's not here.

"You're jerks, you know that right?" Nathan says, and my mouth drops onto the ground. Lucas narrows his eyes and grits his teeth, and even Jake looks confused.

"Oh yeah," I say. "We're the jerks."

Nathan gives a sarcastic laugh and shakes his head, staring right at me. I look away. "You know, not a single one of you rang for my side of the story? I tell you, what a bunch of great friends I have. Really, you're the best."

Lucas gets to his feet and glares at Nathan. "What, you expected us to believe that Haley was lying? Is that it? I mean, it's not as if you've never cheated on anyone before Nathan. I'm sure Peyton can testify to that."

Nathan opens his mouth to say something, but he closes it quick and looks at me again. The truth is, Nathan did cheat on me a lot when we were dating. I just kind of got used to it, it was part of who he was, he was never going to change. Only, he did change, at least, we thought he had. Hearing that he had cheated on Haley was a blow to us all. I wouldn't say we lost faith in love exactly, but that faith was severely dented. If I was acting on my urges, I would have swung for Nathan right now, but he looks so forlorn and pathetic that I can't. I want to but I can't.

"I'm sorry for putting you through all of my crap," he says in a soft voice, still seeking out my eyes. I continue to look away.

"That's great Nathan. Is that how you apologised to Haley too? If you even apologised to Haley?" I ask, risking a glance at Nathan. He's looks down at his hands.

"I'm sorry that…" Nathan starts, but he's interrupted as Dan Scott walks into the room.

"Nathan," he greets with his cocky little smirk, completely ignoring the rest of us. "I'm glad that you're back son. Hopefully we'll be able to have a few training sessions over the next couple of weeks, make sure that you don't get rusty for Duke."

Nathan takes a deep breath and rubs his nose. "Sounds great Dad. I don't think I'll be doing much else over these holidays." With that he gets to his feet and storms up the stairs.

"Haley James!" I shriek, throwing my arms around my best friend. She's just knocked on my door with Brooke and some guy is carrying her luggage. Oh, it's Sam Cooper, he used to go to our school.

"It's Haley S…" Haley says, and then with widened eyes she clamps her mouth shut.

"What?" I ask, wondering why she's just told me that it's her, when I can clearly see that it is her.

"What?" She repeats, raising her eyebrows like she finds me amusing.

"What did you just say?"

"What did you just say?"

"I… what?" I ask, getting really confused now.

"Oh ignore her P. Sawyer, Brooke says, pushing past me. "She's been acting weird ever since I picked her up. I mean, she was actually sticking up for Nathan earlier. Can you believe it?"

Haley gives a weak little smile and then follows Brooke as Sam struggles up the steps to my porch with bags.

"Hey Sam," I greet, hoping that at least he will act normal. "You want a hand?"

"Oh, no thanks. I've got to be going now anyway. Uh, would you thank Brooke for inviting me for coffee? And tell Haley I'll pick her up tomorrow at seven? I mean, I already told her, but…"

"I'll pass it on Sam," I say, taking the bags off him and dropping them inside the door. He gives a grateful smile and then heads off.

"You've got a date with Sam?" I ask Haley as soon as I walk into the kitchen, where Brooke is clanging open cupboards in her quest to make a snack.

Haley groans and pulls herself up onto a breakfast bar stool. "Brooke organised it. I didn't get much of a say in the matter."

Brooke pulls bread out of the larder and empties a few slices onto three plates. "Hello? She needs to move on. Nathan obviously has. Speaking of, you seen him yet?"

I look uneasily at Haley who's eyes have glazed over. "Yeah. Me and Jake were over at his and Luke's earlier."

"How is he?" Haley asks suddenly, seeming to reanimate and come to life. Me and Brooke look at her with raised eyebrows.

"See what I mean," Brooke asks, opening the fridge door. "Weird."

Haley gives an awkward shrug. "Well, you can't just um… turn your feelings on and off like a tap. I'm in… I was in love with Nathan. I can't help but get a little concerned about him every now and then."

Yeah, there's something weird going on here. I mean, yeah what Haley said is true and all, but I thought that I loved Nathan, and when we split I was far from caring and considerate. In fact, if a pick axe had been to hand I would have happily lunged at him with it. Oh well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

"Pey, you got any Pickle for the cheese?" Brooke asks, still head-first in the fridge.

"No. But there's some lettuce and tomatoes in the vegetable crisper. Go for those."

I can't believe we're actually still discussing food when my best friend's life has crashed around her ears. I turn to Haley and put on my best sympathetic face. "So, Nathan really screwed you over, huh?"

"P. Sawyer!" Brooke exclaims, heading away from the refrigerator with a handful of sandwich ingredients I don't even want to guess. "That's so insensitive!"

Haley looks like she's about to burst out laughing, so I guess she didn't think so. Besides, I was just stating the facts. What's so insensitive about that? Right, quiz time. I'm not usually one for gossip, but Nathan and Haley were the it couple of Tree Hill High. Even more so that Brooke and Lucas, and they were pretty hot. Are pretty hot. Not everyone's relationship has fell apart yet. Look at me and Jake. We're as happy as ever.

Thankfuly, I don't have to start the dissecting session because Brooke has approached the bench with a plate full of door step sandwiches.

"Tuck in. So Haley, now begins the obligatory autopsy of the relationship. The tissues are… uh… here," Brooke reaches over for a box of tissues from beside me. "If at any point it gets too hard… then tough. We need to so this sweetie. We need to get your feelings out there."

Haley looks like a deer caught in the headlights.

Thankfully she's saved by the bell. My cell phone, to be more exact.

"Uh, I'll just go get this," I say, already halfway out of the kitchen.

"We should wait for Peyton before we start," I hear Haley saying in an understandably relieved tone. Going through memories is harsh.

"Hello," I say when I finally answer the phone.

"Hey babe," comes the voice of Jake Jagielski. My lovah. I've always secretly wanted to say that. It sounds so cool. I want to take a lovah. But yeah, anyway. Moving on.

"Jake! What are you doing?"

"Well, I don't know if you're going to like this…"

"What?"

"Uh… I'm shooting hoops with Nathan."

"What?"

"Oh come on Peyton. The guy looked distraught earlier on, and he's right. None of us asked him his side of the story."

"So, what are you going to do? Let him cry on your shoulder? Jeez, Haley would flip if she knew that your giving Nathan preferential treatment." Actually, I'm not entirely sure that this is true. Seems to me that Haley might just thank Jake for being nice to Nathan, weird girl that she is.

"I'm not giving him preferential treatment! I'm just… I'm being a friend Pey. They guy made a mistake. We all make mistakes."

"Not huge gaping great ones like cheating on Haley!"

"Well, we don't all get the chance to, being that we don't date Haley to begin with…"

"Oh don't get funny with me Jake."

"I'm sorry. Look, will you just… will you not be mad at me? I'll take you out for dinner tonight, okay?"

"It had better be an expensive dinner."

"You know it baby."