AN: So just so you know I'm leaving for three weeks in two days so hopefully I'll find a computer there to update on, but otherwise, I'll update when I get back! So sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for reviewing to: brucas622, OTH.daddy'sgurl.06, jeytonlover, and the only sweet catastrophe.

Chapter 4

Peyton's POV

"This seat taken?" Jake asked when he walked over to me. I have to admit I noticed him the second he arrived at the pool, but I acted like I didn't even notice he was coming over until he was actually there, standing in front of me. From experience of having boys always just stare at my chest while I talked to them, and the fact that I hated that, I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea to just stare at his very well-toned body. It didn't mean I couldn't sneak a peak once in a while. Because man, that boy had a nice body. When did he ever find the time to work out? I wondered... But then I realized that I should probably answer the question.

"Oh, well yeah, but the person who's chair it is is busy frolicking in a pool with your daughter and friend." I said, figuring after I said it that a simple 'no' could have been better. I gestured for him to sit down.

"Thanks," He said as he sat down.

We sat in silence for a minute, but some how it wasn't too awkward. It was like we were getting to know each other, without talking. Like we were just comfortable just sitting there in silence.

"So, mind if I ask you a question?" I asked breaking the silence. Hey, one of us had to.

"No, sure. Shoot," He said looking at me.

"What's the deal with... Jenny's mother..." I said hesitantly. I didn't want to pry or for him to get mad or anything, but I was just curious.

Jake sighed and waited a while before answering, "She's uh..."

"It's Okay, you don't have to tell me. I probably shouldn't have said anything," I said fast, feeling a little foolish. It was his business. Hey, we had only known each other for like two days, why would he tell me something like that.

"Well, it's just, I don't really like talking about it. She's... well, she's out of the picture now, so..." Jake said looking uncomfortable. I could have killed myself right there. Me and my big mouth.

"Sorry," I said, although I could tell that he wasn't mad or anything. He didn't seem like the type that really got mad.

"So, what's your major?" Jake asked, changing the subject and I felt my stomach drop. What did he just say? Oh, no, this is when I needed Brooke here. He thinks I'm in college, he thinks I have major!

"Theater," I said off the top of my head and then once more I felt like I could have killed myself. What was I saying? I knew nothing about Theater, that was totally and completely random. Oh, well, I'll have to stick with that lie now.

"Oh, cool." Jake said casually. All of a sudden it struck me: This was so stupid. Why did I need to pretend I was in college? I hate liars, and now I'm one of them. And I'm not even lying about something important. I mean, Jake didn't seem like he would care if I told him I was seventeen. And if he did care about that sort of thing, than maybe I didn't want to be with him in the first place...

"Look, Jake, I need to tell you some-" I started to say, but was interrupted.

"Hey! Goldilocks and Daddy-Dearest, are you guys coming in or what?" Brooke yelled from the pool. Next to her was Lucas, who had Jenny on his shoulders.

Jake and I looked at each other. "Maybe we should..." Jake said and I nodded.

"I'll race you," I said getting up and running to the pool and diving in, followed closely by Jake who flipped into the pool. Wow, I couldn't help but think how incredibly hot that was... OK, I'll just have to tell him I'm seventeen some other time...

xXxXxXx

Jake's POV

"Dude, what's up with you and Brooke?" I asked Lucas when we got back to the cabins. Jenny was in the day-care center because she had already made friends and wanted to play with them there. That didn't bother me, because there were like ten guys supervising. Lucas and I were both towel-drying our hair.

"What'd you mean?" Lucas asked averting his eyes. Gosh, it was so obvious. I only wished I wasn't like that with Peyton.

"Don't play dumb, man, you know what I mean." I said as I sat down on my bed. Lucas sighed and became very interested in the pattern of the bed sheets.

"I don't know, man." He said, "I mean, she's not like any girl I've ever met before. I mean, she's sexy, and funny, but she's also smart and I can talk to her. I mean, actually really talk to her about stuff that matters. I feel like there should be a catch or something, but there isn't. She's like... perfect, dude." Lucas said, and I thought, wow, he just described how I feel about Peyton.

"Yeah, yeah, I get what you mean," I said staring off to space and then I'm in total Peyton-land. I hope that she didn't take it personally or anything that I didn't want to talk about Nikki. I mean, Lucas and my parents are the only people who know the whole Nikki story and although I feel completely comfortable talking to Peyton about anything, I felt like it was a little too soon to talk about this with her.

I don't mean to have like this double-life or anything, but it's just I've only known Peyton a couple days and she might be weirded out if I tell her the Nikki story. It's probably not at all what she would expect.

When I get back to reality, I notice that Lucas in on the phone. I didn't even notice that there was a phone in here before. But there is, and Lucas is on it.

"Who're you talking to?" I ask. He mouths 'Brooke' and I think, of course, who else would he be on the phone with? Then something came to me, Brooke is probably staying in the same cabin as Peyton. OK, so I just saw Peyton a minute ago, but I felt like talking to her again.

"Hey, Luke?" I asked, and he looked at me, annoyed that I had interrupted his conversation with Brooke.

"Hold on one second," He said into the phone and then looked up at me, "Yeah?"

"When you're done can you pass me the phone? I want to talk to Peyton," I said, trying to sound casual about it so he wouldn't make fun of me or something. He smiled knowingly and said that he would pass me the phone when he was done, then went back to talking to Brooke.

xXxXxXx

A couple minutes later, Lucas handed me the phone. Ah, finally. "Hello?" I said into it.

"Hey, Jake, what's up?" I heard Peyton's voice say on the other end.

"Nothing, you?" I asked.

"Nothing," She said and then there was one of those awkward silences. I hate those. "So... you wanted to talk to me?" She said and I immediately felt very very stupid.

"Oh, I just wanted to hear your voice," Wait, did I just say that? Oh, God... I wanted to just hang up the phone and just knock myself on the head with it to death. "I mean," I said trying to recover, "I just wanted to, uh... see how you were doing." I said fumbling with my words as Lucas was sitting across from me laughing at me. I threw a pillow at him.

Peyton laughed a little, and I couldn't tell if she was laughing at me or if it was just friendly laughter. Either way I felt like crawling into a cave and dying there, I was so embarrassed. But oh well, what's said is said, might as well make the best of it, I thought.

"So, okay, I should probably go and bang my head against a wall or something," I joked. This time I recognized her laughter as actually laughing at my joke. She thought I was funny! Yes! OK, so it's not a big deal, but whatever, at the moment it felt great. "See you tomorrow, Peyton." I said.

"Bye Jake," She said in a tone that was like I could just see her smiling on the other end. It was nice. And then we hung up.

I hung up the phone and looked up at Lucas, who was still laughing at me. He looked like he was dying to make fun of me.

"Dude, don't say a word," I said and I fell backwards on my bed. This dating thing was tougher than I remembered, and Peyton and I weren't even dating. Yet.

xXxXxXx

AN: OK, sorry if it was kinda short. anyway I hope you liked it. Next up is the first day of the dating games! Please Review and tell me what you thought! thanks!