The group spun around to see Lucas coming out from behind the trees. Haley tried to run interference and calm down her seemingly seething best friend.

"Luke, it was forever ago. Come on this is ridiculous!"

"Yeah right. Her life was falling to pieces and she just had to go and ruin mine too!"

Now it was Brooke's moment to step in and defend her curly haired friend.

"Luke she did nothing to you! She told me that she thought she was still in love with you and come on I was so insecure back then. She never said that you kissed that was all you and that was mostly what sent me over the edge! Please remember that it was my decision to break up with you and not Peyton who made me do it! It is stupid to say that! Yes I was pissed at her and we didn't talk and I made Rachel my new best friend but that is in the past! And to be totally exact she was always there for you!"

The others only silently observed while Brooke ranted. Lucas himself felt like he was about desk high and also he started to feel bad for being so obsessed with the past.

"Ok I admit I was … okay I am acting like a stupid hormonal teen and I am going to stop but I need to ask, Why did you never tell me about this before?" and he turns to Peyton expectantly. The blonde girl huffs and offers

"Did you really want to hear about that? What should I've said? Hey Luke you know I kinda made Brooke break up with you after my engagement to Jake dissolved in the matter of hours! Yeah that would've worked fantastic."

Lucas really can't say that he would've wanted that but admitting that out loud he couldn't either.

"I feel like a little kid. Can we drop this subject and go back to having fun and most of all eat! This is a barbecue and I am hungry!"

As if on cue Jamie and Jenny turn up by their sides begging for food too.

"Mama I want a burger! My tummy is making hunger noises!"

"Yes baby, daddy will fix you a plate!"

The rest of the barbecue was spent peaceful and all of them avoided the high school times or talking about relationships in general.

Over the next couple of weeks Peyton and Jake worked very hard to get the record ready and made an effort not to be seen together outside of the studio and with that the gossip died down slowly. Peyton sat in her office thinking about a perfect way to drop the album when her eyes wandered over her walls and she had a brilliant idea. She grabbed her cell and called Haley.

"Hey what's up?" the brunette woman answers the phone.

"Well I think I just figured out what to do with Jake's album release. What do you think about you and him playing TRIC at an open mic night?" Haley started to laugh softly.

"Yeah and you can scout new talent and get me back on stage in one night!"

"Oh come on Hales. You were a rock star and you need to go back on stage. You can record here and all! There is no reason for you not to do this."

After a couple of moments of silence, which felt like hours to Peyton Haley said

"OK I'll do it. Have you told Jake yet?"

"No but I am going to later. We are meeting soon to talk about cover art and this and tour and all the other important stuff."

Before Haley could ask if the tour bit was a given she heard the call getting disconnected. The young mother was worried for Jenny. What would happen with the little girl when her father was touring? After a while she shook her head to make herself stop mulling over something that wasn't exactly her concern.

Because of the strained friendship status between Lucas and Peyton and by proxy Brooke and Jake the group never really hung out all together anymore. And after two weeks of sitting between the chairs Haley couldn't take it anymore. She decided to grab Jamie and visit her husband and best friend 'at work'.

Well that was her excuse anyway but the real reason was to talk some sense into Lucas and maybe help her blond haired friends to redevelop their romantic relationship.