Chapter Twenty-One

"Hey, Peyton? Do you have a minute?"

Peyton looked over her shoulder at her best friend, who was now sitting down in front of the island in their kitchen. Closing the refrigerator door, Peyton went over to her. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

Haley twisted her hands nervously. "Well, I was wondering…did you ever…I mean…you talk to your students, right?"

"Er…well, yeah. Of course I talk to them."

"No, like, you talk to them just casually sometimes, not always about work."

"Sure." Peyton nodded. "They're aren't really that many people doing art so I end up talking to all of them, but the seniors more than the others since they're closer to our age."

"Right. Okay."

"That can't be what you wanted to ask me, Hales," Peyton said incredulously.

"Well, no, it's not…I…" Haley took a deep breath and prepared herself. "Did you ever feel that maybe…oneofyourstudentshadacrushonyou?"

Even in Haley's rush of words, Peyton caught what she said. "Oh my God! One of your students likes you!"

"I didn't say that –"

"Well, why else would you ask me, Hales? Whoa! Who is it?" Peyton asked eagerly.

"No one you know."

"Well, is he a senior? Oh – he's a he, right?"

"What! Yes, he's a he!" Haley exclaimed.

"Hey, it could have been a she. That's the age where you start to become more aware of your body and feelings and -"

"Peyton," Haley held up her hands to motion her to stop, "I don't need a lesson in understanding teenage homosexuality."

"Right. But, how do you know he likes you? Did he tell you?"

"No! No, I don't even know for sure; I just got that feeling."

"I see. So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing! He's my student, Peyton."

"If he's a senior, he won't be your student next year," Peyton pointed out.

"I don't like him!" Haley cried out.

"Why? Is he weird? Not good-looking? Although, after Keller you can't really say looks are a preference for you," she added.

"He's not weird or horrible to look at. He's a very nice boy, but that's the problem; he's a boy!" Haley stressed.

Peyton took a sip from her water bottle. "So, he's kind of childish?"

"Well…no, not really. He actually seems quite mature for his age – but none of that is the point! Even if I was attracted to him and there wasn't all this stuff with Chris, he's still my student. I'm not going to have an affair that could not only make me lose my job but go to jail as well! I just think he might have a small crush on me."

"And, you're telling me this because?" Peyton wondered.

"I…I guess because I needed someone to tell me I wasn't completely crazy."

"Of course you're not crazy! It's more than likely that this boy could like you."

"Really? Has it ever happened to you?"

"Well, not as far as I know, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. I remember when I was in school we had this really hot guy – and I mean really hot – teacher for Biology. All the girls swooned over him, including me. The same thing can happen with guys."

Haley was quiet for a minute. "You don't think I'm reading too much into it, then?"

"Haley, listen to me. You are attractive, you're friendly and you're a nice person. What's not to like? And, now," Peyton crossed her legs and picked up a bottle, "tell me what you think you're reading too much into."

"Huh? Oh, just stuff that's happened."

"So tell me the stuff that has happened with this boy that makes you think he likes you. He didn't try to grab your ass, did he? Because that's not a crush, that's sexual harassment."

"No! Nathan would never do that."

"So his name's Nathan, huh?"

Haley clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing her plan not to tell Peyton who it was had failed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Haley!" Peyton whined. "You're not even having a real relationship with this boy. At least tell me what made you first think he liked you."

Haley sighed. "Just little things!"

"Such as?" Peyton prompted.

"He was very nice to me when my Mom was in hospital," Haley said finally.

"Wasn't that the day of auditions?"

"I found out before they started, remember? Anyway, I was a mess and he kind of ran into me and he…" Haley slightly flushed at the memory, but decided she wouldn't tell Peyton the details. "He was just very nice."

"What an exciting description. Are you sure you're an English teacher?"

"Peyt!"

"Hey, auditions were on Friday - today's Friday. That was a week ago! You've been holding out on me all this time! Found yourself a new best friend, have you?"

"Of course not," Haley laughed. "I've just been dealing with work and preparations for the play and…well, Chris."

Peyton made a face. "Him. You know, that offer to go beat his ass still stands. I won't even have to ask Jake to do it – he's so scrawny I could manage it myself."

Haley smiled; glad she had Peyton through all of this. "Thank you again, but no."

"Okay. I just hate seeing you hurt."

"You know, I don't think I'm hurting as much anymore. I can finally see Chris for what he really is now, especially after Tuesday as well."

"Tuesday? What happened then?"

"Well, on Monday, Chris came to see me after a lesson, demanding we talk."

"What!"

"I was still with a student so I told him I'd speak to him later, but he wouldn't leave."

Peyton fumed. "The nerve! What did you do?"

"Well, I told him to go again, but in the end my student – Nathan, actually – kind of lied for me and said we were doing some really important work and got Chris to leave."

"I like this Nathan already. But, what happened on Tuesday?"

"We talked." Haley rolled her eyes before continuing, "Chris was annoyed about the fact that the whole school knew."

Peyton's eyes grew wide. "But that's his girlfriend's damn fault, not yours! She's the one who couldn't keep her trap shut! Why would you want everyone to know what happened!"

"That's exactly what I told him, but he didn't believe that all the gossip was Sarah's fault."

"Because she's so perfect?" Peyton said sarcastically. "She's what, nineteen? And she's sleeping with a man who's nearly thirty! Didn't you teach her last year when she was still in school?"

Haley nodded. "For one semester while her class's teacher was on maternity leave."

"God. Maybe you should have an affair with this Nathan. It could be an 'anything you can do, I can do better' sort of thing."

"I don't think so, Peyt."

"Well, then, why don't you come out with me and Jake tonight?"

"I don't want to ruin your date," Haley protested.

"Tonight's not even a real date. Jake loves basketball and he wanted to go the game tonight at the school gym," Peyton explained. "We can't do anything there."

"But, you two must be going somewhere afterwards."

"Yeah, we are. But I wasn't going to invite you to the 'after party'," Peyton winked.

"Okay, I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that last comment."

"Please come," Peyton pouted. "I'll feel bad if you're here all in your lonesome."

"That's not really very good grammar," Haley pointed.

Peyton jumped out of her seat. "That's my Tutor-girl!" she exclaimed, using Haley's college nickname. "Now, you go get changed 'cause Jake's gonna be here in half an hour. You should look nice in case a nice boy is there."

"Peyton! Nathan is my student!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Haley. I meant nice boys who have nice fathers, some of whom may be single so we can find you a new man. You have this boy on your brain!"

"I never should have told you!" Haley yelled at Peyton's back, as she was going to her room.

"Well, you did and you can't take it back. Ha!"