Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters!
Peyton's mind was reeling. She had no idea that Lucas would be chaperoning. Her freaked out reaction earlier in the parking lot had bought her some time, but she was sure that it wouldn't be enough. She was on the girls' bus, while Luke and Jake opted to ride with the basketball team. She was praying that Lucas had the presence of mind to realize that she hadn't broken things off with Jake yet.
"Mom, we're here!" Lauren called over her shoulder as the girls exited the bus. Peyton quickly got her things together and climbed off the bus. She hurried over to where Principal Adams and the coaches were standing. She was given the squad's room assignments and read over them quickly. She noted wryly that they were alphabetical, with Sawyer and Scott sharing a room. She went to the counter and retrieved the room keys for the squad and called them over and gave out their room assignments.
"Alright everyone, lets get to your rooms and get changed for the game tonight. You have 15 minutes till the Welcome assembly and we play first, so there won't be time afterwards." Coach Martin called out as she hurried the girls to the elevators. Peyton hung back, looking for Lucas. She saw him and Jake walk in, laughing together. She hoped that was a good sign, and headed towards them.
"Hey guys, good trip?" She asked, as she walked up to them.
"Oh yeah, bought back memories. I had to restrain Lucas though, thought he was going to knock some heads." Jake said with a chuckle.
"What for?" Peyton asked in confusion.
"Oh typical teenage boy stuff. They didn't realize he was Lauren and Charity's dad." Jake replied vaguely. Peyton nodded with a smile. She could only imagine what the boys had been saying.
"Well they know now don't they?" Lucas asked jokingly. Jake nodded, grinning.
"Well, I'm going to take this stuff upstairs. I'll meet you guys by the doors in twenty, ok?" Jake asked. He waited for them both to nod before taking off. Peyton watched him until he disappeared in the crowd before turning back to Lucas.
"So what was the deal in the parking lot earlier? You looked like you had seen a ghost." Lucas asked her curiously.
"I didn't know you were coming. I haven't really told Jake about us yet. I told him that I needed some space to sort things out, but I didn't tell him about you. I wanted to wait till after this weekend." Peyton explained slowly. She hoped Lucas wouldn't be too mad at her.
"So what, I'm supposed to play along and watch you guys be all over each other for two days? Thanks Peyton." Lucas snapped. Peyton rubbed her forehead, tiredly. This was exactly what she had been afraid of.
"No, Lucas. It won't be like that. I just thought that we could all hang out as friends before Jake ends up hating us." Peyton replied, shaking her head. Lucas sighed, glancing around the room. Peyton felt like she had disappointed him.
"Fine. You are going to tell him though, right?" Lucas asked her, his eyes drilling into hers.
"Yes Lucas. I will tell him, I promise." Peyton replied softly, leaning towards him. She softly brushed her lips against his. Lucas quickly pulled away, searching the room.
"We can't do that Peyton. What if Jake were to see us? I hate all this sneaking around." Lucas sighed. Peyton rolled her eyes. This conversation felt oddly familiar. It seemed like they were always sneaking around.
"Fine. I'll meet you back here in ten minutes." Peyton replied shortly, leaving Lucas standing by himself. Peyton fumed all the way up to her room. Honestly, what did he expect? Brooke was half-way around the world. He didn't have to see her everyday, see the hurt on her face every time he looked at her. If she had told Jake, this weekend would have been miserable. Why didn't he see that she was doing what was best for everyone? He was being selfish and it was irritating Peyton to no end.
She thought about skipping the game, but she didn't want to disappoint Lauren. So she quickly ran a brush through her hair, changed her shirt and headed back down to the lobby. Most of the squad was already in the lobby. Peyton quickly spotted Lauren and headed her way.
"Good luck tonight. I hope you guys have a great game." Peyton told her, giving her a quick hug.
"Thanks mom. I'm glad you're coming to watch us." Lauren replied, smiling.
"Okay ladies, it's quite a hike to the gym, lets get moving." Coach Martin said, hustling the girls out of the hotel.
"Yeah lady, lets get moving." Jake joked, coming up behind Peyton. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. Peyton smiled as he turned her around. He was leaning in to kiss her when she noticed Lucas walking towards them. She quickly darted around Jake, who looked at her questioningly.
"Hey Luke, ready to go?" She asked brightly, hoping he hadn't seen her and Jake.
"Oh yeah, beyond ready." Lucas replied coldly, giving her a pointed look. Peyton fought the urge to storm off. Forcing herself to smile, she followed Lucas and Jake out of the hotel. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long weekend.