Author's Note:Yes! An early chapter! I hope you enjoy! Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I own as much as a bum on a street…minus the crack.

Anyywhoo...

Here's the next chapter...

CHAPTER 18

Nathan heard the knock on his door and ran to answer it.

"Haley," he breathed out with a smile.

"Hi Nathan…listen we have to make this quick, I really want to see my sister," she explained.

"Okay," Nathan nodded understandably.

"So what is it?" Haley asked as she stood impatiently at his door.

"I need your help getting a ring for Brooke," he explained nervously.

"A promise ring?" Haley asked.

Nathan shook his head.

"Well it's not like you're gonna get her an engagement ring," Haley laughed, but then stopped when she saw the looked he made. "You're gonna ask her to marry you?!"

"I kinda already did," Nathan said uneasily.

Haley's eyes were wide. "And she said yes!?"

"Well…yeah," he nodded.

Haley was silent for a moment, and Nathan worried that she was mad.

"Hales?"

Haley looked up to see his nervous face and smiled. "I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks…so does that mean you'll help me?" he asked.

"Definitely," she nodded with a smile.

"Your awesome Haley," he smiled at her.

Haley nodded. "I guess…but I gotta get going,"

"Yeah…but can I ask for another favor?"

"What?" she said confused.

"Could you like…hang out with Brooke more often?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course…but why?" she asked as her eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Don't tell her I told you but…she's jealous of your friendship with Peyton…and she kinda feels that you're replacing her," he explained.

"What? That's crazy, I would never replace her," Haley said more to herself than him. "I guess I'm gonna have to fix this…listen…we could go for the ring tomorrow after school…and as for Brooke thinking that I'm replacing her…I'll figure something out."

"Okay, I'll see you later Hales," he said.

"Bye Nathan," she turned around and began to walk back to her house.

Yup, all these problems were going to drive her crazy.

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"Anna, I told you to leave me alone!" Felix yelled as he heard knocking on his door.

"Come on!" came her muffled reply. "Let me in!"

He sighed loudly, walked to his door, and unlocked it.

"Finally!" she exclaimed as she walked into his room. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Felix watched her as she sat on his bed.

"No," he said plainly.

"Come on," she whined. "Tell me."

"No," he said. "Stop being a chismosa and get out."

"Fine! I just wanted to help…but you don't seem to want it, so I'm gone," she said as she got up off the bed and walked into the hallway.

She heard him slam his door behind her and she muttered, "Estupido."

She shook her head and decided to go for a walk.

She felt like today was going to be a long day.

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Chase just got off the phone and decided to just chill out in his room.

He knew what he was going to do about Peyton.

He was going to act like nothing was wrong between him and Chris.

He was still going to try to get Peyton, he just wasn't going to make it known to his friend.

His phone interrupted his thoughts.

He looked at his phone.

Chris.

He answered it casually. "What's up?"

"Hey…I didn't think you were gonna answer," Chris admitted.

"Now why wouldn't I answer?" Chase asked as if he didn't know.

"Well you haven't been picking up my calls."

"Oh, it was just that I misplaced my phone," he explained, even though it was far from the truth. "I found it like a couple of minutes ago."

"Oh, cool," Chris said happily. "So I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"Yeah," Chase said. "Bye."

Chris said his goodbye and Chase hung up.

He laid back onto his bed and decided to go to sleep.

He had a feeling he was going to need it.

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"Honey I'm home!" Haley sang as she entered her house.

Taylor practically ran out of her room when she heard Haley. And when she saw her little sister standing in front of the door with a big smile she ran up to hug her.

"Whoa," Haley let out when Taylor got her in her embrace.

After a few minutes Taylor was still holding her.

"Tay…" Haley started. "Can you let me go now?"

"Oh right," Taylor said sheepishly as she pulled away and looked down a her sister. "So where have you been young lady?"

"Well…at first I was at my boyfriend's house, then I was going to come over here but then I got calls from four crazy people so yeah, they kinda held me up, then I had to go see Nathan, and…then I ended up here," Haley shrugged.

"Wait…if you were at your boyfriends house in the beginning, then why did out go again?" Taylor asked as she raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Haley asked.

"You said that you went to the Nathan's house, but you also said that you were at his house at first," Taylor explained, hiding the fact that she already knew what Haley was talking about.

"Oh…um…you see...um..." Haley stuttered.

Taylor laughed. "I'm just playing with you Hales…I know all about you and Jake."

Haley looked confused at first but then said knowingly, "Lucas."

"Yup, that boy sure is good for gossip," Taylor laughed. "I swear he's just like a girl."

Haley laughed at this as well. "Yeah well that 'girl' wants to know if you're doing anything next week,"

"Really?" Taylor asked giddily.

"Yup," Haley answered. "So you better call him big sister."

Haley gave Taylor one more big smile before smacking her butt as she ran past her and headed towards her room.

Taylor shook her head and laughed.

"Brat," she muttered good-naturedly before getting her cell phone out and calling Lucas.

Maybe she could get a date out of him earlier than expected.

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Peyton was in her kitchen looking for junk food.

Because when Peyton Sawyer was stressed out, she ate.

Her head was in the refrigerator when she heard at knocking at her door. She pulled her head out of the fridge in confusion. Then she walked to the door, expecting to see one of her friends and not a thirteen year old at her door.

"Can I help you?" Peyton asked nicely.

"A-re you Peyton S-sawyer?" the boy stuttered.

Peyton nodded confusedly.

"Th-this is for y-you," the boy said as he handed her a bouquet of roses. "There's a c-card inside."

"Thanks," Peyton said as she held the roses. "Who are they from?"

"M-my older b-brother," the boy said as if she knew who his older brother was. "Bye."

"But-" Peyton started but the boy was already gone.

She looked down at the card and pulled it out.

Peyton, I really like you and I understand if you don't want to but, would you go out with me?

-Chase Adams

You could take as long as you want to give me your answer…

Peyton still wasn't sure who to pick, but after reading Chase's card, she didn't think it was going to be hard to choose.

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"Peyton, Peyton, Peyton," Brooke muttered resentfully as she stared at her TV.

She was going crazy, Nathan hasn't called her, and Haley still hasn't hung out with her.

She was feeling really insignificant.

That was until her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered without checking who it was.

"Brooke?"

"Haley?!" Brooke asked happily.

"Yeah…I wanted to know if you were still up for that slumber party?"

"Hell yeah!" Brooke exclaimed but she couldn't help but add, "Is Peyton gonna come too?"

Haley frowned, Brooke really did think that Peyton was replacing her. "No Brooke…Jeez can't a girl spend some quality time with her best friend?"

"Of course!" Brooke said as she smiled at Haley's use of 'best friend.' "So when?"

"How about Friday?" Haley asked.

"Cool," Brooke said happily.

"Alright then…" Haley said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Brooke said as she nodded happily. "Bye."

Haley said her goodbye as well, then Brooke stared at her phone joyfully.

She got her best friend back.

The end of chapter 18

A.N: TA DA! Okay I realize my story is really lacking in the drama department so don't expect EVERYONE to be so dandy all the time, I plan to give Brathan another little problem, I don't really want to mess with Jake and Haley, but it's a high possibility. And Peyton…well she may just be a little bit happier. Okay that's enough out of me.

Please review! I'm just a squirrel trying to get a nut! Lol.