Chapter Two
Lucas was usually fairly patient, and by now he really should have been used to Peyton being late to meet him, but he couldn't help but feel overly anxious. He had been stressing over what to buy Brooke for their six month anniversary, and even after a dozen conversations with her stating that whatever he got her Brooke would love, he had still come up with nothing. He couldn't help but think that it really shouldn't be that hard to get a gift for her. He knew Brooke. He knew exactly what type of perfume she wore, what jewellery she liked, really it should have been easy. He was putting too much pressure and importance on the gift, and not what really mattered, the fact that they had lasted six months, as Peyton had so kindly pointed out. He looked at his clock again and sighed, she was only half hour late, and in Peyton terms that was so bad. He laughed to himself and lay back on his bed, he couldn't help but find it funny that he was waiting for Peyton, so she could help him find a gift for Brooke.
After everything they had been through at the start of their friendship, it seemed strange now to think about how far they had come. The thing with Peyton was, she understood him in a way that no one else could, and he understood her the same, there was no describing the connection between them it was something that had just always been there, and now they were here, friends.
He remembered a time when he had watched from afar into a life that intrigued him so much. Everything about her seemed to draw him in. He would find himself watching her in class and she continued to sketch in her book, completely oblivious to him. Even after the first time they properly talked, he never imagined they would be here. There had been so many moments when he felt like she was letting him in, but just as he felt the closeness between them, she would run away. He couldn't deny that it had hurt him. That she had hurt him. After the night of the dreadful party at Dan's house, he could feel himself start to back away, putting himself out there only to receive constant rejection was too much for Lucas. He wanted to know her to be there for her, but sometimes it seemed like an impossible task.
He had almost resigned himself to the fact that the two of them were too different. Their worlds would never collide. There might always be something on the surface, but it would never go deeper. And then he got that call from Brooke. All he could hear were the faint sounds of Brooke's voice trembling as she spoke, telling him Peyton was in trouble. It was like something took him over inside and everything else that he had thought previously was out the window. All he could think about was getting there to her.
But the one thing that sticks out the most to him about that night was Brooke. He saw a side to her that he never thought existed. A genuine concern for her friend. There was no facade with Brooke. No hidden meanings, she was who she was, and Lucas couldn't help but be drawn to her. She opened up about her parents and her life, and he saw more to her than anyone else, except for Peyton probably knew there was to her.
He watched Peyton sleeping as Brooke spoke, he realised that things didn't always need to be so complicated, they already were so much in he's life, not that he saw Peyton as a complication, he knew he wanted to be in her life, but the feelings he had were changing, he wanted to protect Peyton, to be someone in her life that made things easier, not harder – and as he watched Brooke talk animatedly about something, he smiled. It was in that moment that he started to fall for Brooke Davis, she had something about her, a charm, that just seemed to pull people in.
Before he left that night he wanted to make sure Peyton was okay, that she had woken up, when she finally did they spoke briefly, and he watched the gratitude in her eyes, the genuine apology from her lips, and he saw in her someone who would always be in he's life, the feeling of anger and worry as she held her head as it pounded – all resurfacing, he never wanted to feel like this again so worried about someone else, he knew for that reason he would always be there for her.
And that is how they had all ended up here. Brooke his girlfriend, and Peyton his closest friend. She had slowly come to trust Lucas. She had slowly opened up to him. The two of them often going to concerts of bands that Brooke didn't like, and talking on the journey home about growing up, and friends and everything.
He lifted his head slightly off the pillow to look at the clock once more, Peyton was now 45 minutes late. Lucas pulled himself off the bed and searched around for his cell, he usually wouldn't bother calling, knowing what Peyton was like, but he was already nervous enough, and this seemed to be making it worse. He heard a knock on the door and laughed to himself, rushing over quickly to open it.
"It's about time Sawyer... oh hey Nate" He shook his head and let Nathan in, and quickly looked outside for any sign of Peyton.
"Peyton late again?"
"Peyton late? That never happens" The sarcasm in Lucas' voice was heavy and he laughed to himself as he shut the door. He threw his cell on his bed and sat down. Nathan had that look on his face where he wanted to talk to him about something, and he figured seeing as it looked as though, he would be going nowhere anytime soon, he may as well sit it out talking to Nathan, about whatever he had done wrong this week.
Something else that made him smile now, was that he actually gave a crap about Nathan Scott. If someone had told him that a year ago he would have laughed in their face, especially if they said that he was married to he's best friend too. But he wouldn't have taken it back for anything. He couldn't imagine his life without Nathan as a brother now.
"So what did you do?"
"What do you mean? What did I do?" Nathan looked at Lucas quizzically.
"Usually when you turn up here Nate, it means that you have pissed off Haley and you need to figure out what will fix it"
"You noticed that huh? Well that's not why I am here now. I was thinking, I really want to throw some kind of reception for Haley, you know for the wedding, I thought we could get everyone involved. Surprise her with it"
"That sounds like a really great idea. I know my Mum was really sad about not getting to be at the ceremony..."
"Well it wasn't exactly planned. It was only because Haley insisted that you Brooke and Peyton were there"
"Oh thanks Nathan..." Lucas smiled at his brother.
"No you know what I mean, I wanted you guys there too. So, you think Karen would let us have the party at TRIC?"
"I can't see why not, but the opening is Friday, so maybe we should wait till next week to have it you know?"
"Okay that's fine"
Nathan moved across the room and picked Lucas basketball off his desk. Sometimes Lucas' did find it strange that he was close to Nathan now, but at the same time, he realised he was lucky that he had him in he's life, he looked at how Dan and Keith were with each other, and that was not a way he wanted to be with he's brother, and just because their parents had all this history that didn't mean it had to effect Nathan and Lucas' friendship.
"So you coming to rivercourt?"
"Nah, I can't. I got to wait for Peyton, if she ever decides to show up. I need her help deciding what to get Brooke for our six month anniversary"
Nathan smiled slightly "Peyton? She's helping you find a gift for Brooke?"
She's Brooke closest friend – who knows her better? Besides, I suck at stuff like this, I've been trying to think of something for the past week and..."
The smile grew wider on Nathan's face as Lucas continued talking "What?"
"Nothing. Its just weird that its you and Peyton. Buying a gift for Brooke"
Lucas shook his head at his brother "Its not me and Peyton – its me buying the gift, Peyton helping. Stop being weird"
"Sorry!" Nathan held his hands up "Its just you and Peyton... you know?"
"Nate, there is no me and Peyton. We're friends, she like one of my my best friends, And Brooke – I'm kinda crazy about her"
"I know you are. Its just..."
"You know you can be a pain in the ass?"
"Something else we have in common then?"
"Bye Nate"
Lucas smiled to himself as he made he's way over to he's closet pulling out he's jacket. Nathan always did this, he liked to make comments about how weird he found it that him, Brooke and Peyton were all friends, he didn't get why Nathan found it so weird, it had just been something that happened, it was inevitable, Brooke and Lucas were together and Peyton is Brooke's best friend, its not like him and Peyton could avoid each other. And why would he want to, he cared a lot about Peyton, and they were important in each others lives.
He threw his jacket on the bed. Nathan just liked to annoy him about it, an anytime he could bring it up he would. He glanced over at the clock again and the door swung open and slammed against the wall.
"I just met the biggest ass"
"Nice to see you too Peyton"
"Hey" Peyton threw herself down on the bed and sighed heavily "I just went to the record store, and I met the biggest jerk. It turns out Max has gone of on some kind of trip around Europe to find himself or whatever, and left the store in the hands of some dumb ass called Chris Keller"
"And why is this poor guy a dumb ass exactly?"
Peyton sat up quickly and glared at Lucas "Don't show any sympathy for him Lucas he was just totally rude to me. Seriously Luke, he took one look at the leaflet about under ages night and practically laughed in my face"
Lucas sat down next to her "So what did you do?"
"I just left"
"You left? That doesn't sound like the Peyton Sawyer I know and love. You should go back there and make him listen you, some jerk in a record store can't be any match to you. Besides you dated pod Nathan, if you can go through that then you can pretty much handle anything"
Peyton breathed out heavily and threw herself back onto the bed "Fine! But if I kill him, I am blaming you"
"I'm okay with that. Now... can we go? Seeing as you were already like an hour late, I don't have much time before the store closes and I have got to get Brooke a gift"
"Lucas are you still stressing over that? I told you, just get her that bracelet you saw, you know she'll love it"
Lucas sighed "I just, I wanted something perfect you know? Special"
"Whatever you get her she is going to love. So you take my advice, buy her the damn bracelet"
"Fine. But if she hates it, I am blaming you"
Peyton sat up again and smiled at Lucas "I'm okay with that"
Peyton jumped off the bed quickly and pulled her bag over her shoulder.
"Right you can drop me off at the store and then go see your jerk"
"What I have to go do that now?"
Lucas nodded "I'm doing what you say, so you do what I say"
Peyton smiled and opened the door "Thanks Lucas"
Lucas just smiled as he pulled on his coat and headed towards the door to stand by Peyton.
"You never let me give up"
As they started walking towards Peyton's car Lucas laughed slightly "That's cos I know what your like. I'm the same"
Lucas jumped in the car, as Peyton started to move away his mind wandered back to
Peyton's advice with the present for Brooke. Truth was he knew how excited Brooke was about it, she had been mentioning it all the time, and he wanted to make it special for her, and even though it was just a present, it meant something to him that she liked it.
He turned to look out of the window as the scenery flew by. He wished he could have the same excitement. The truth was he was putting all his effort into this gift, he hoped that if he could make it perfect, that if he could make things perfect just this one night between them, the thing that seemed missing would eventually be filled. Sometimes when he looked at Brooke, he felt like she was a million miles away and no matter how much he tried to reach her he couldn't seem to be able to.