Chapter 2 --

It was basketball season of my freshman year when I first noticed her. She was decked out in her skimpy varsity cheerleading uniform, and I stood with the guys during a break from pratice, admiring them. Most of us were more interested in her best friend, Brooke, but to me she was to normal, to much like all the other girls at our school, something about Peyton was different, perhaps in the way she looked as us all like she was to good for us. I wanted to be part of the select crowd that actually got to see her smile. Of course, I passed it off to the guys as I wanted to take her virginity. It's locker room talk, you have to be tough, especially as a freshman on the team. The guys smiled and wished me luck, and my chasing her became a running joke throughout the season.

Then summer came and so did that day...

Their day at the beach ended with the noise of Brooke's laugh as the pair approached them. Nathan and Peyton were sitting on the pier again, their feet dangling over the water, her hair still soaked from their little adventure. There was something between them now, they could both sense it. It's as if he'd knocked down one of the many walls to her true self, just with a kiss.

She let herself have fun with him. She knew she needed to. Somewhere along the lines her life became all about angst and sadness, and although Brooke was there to cheer her up, she knew she wanted a guy there to. As she smiled at him and they talked, she realized that he was more than she thought he was. Admiration hadn't clouded her view of his asshole side, she remembered the tough guy act he act he played at school, but for once, she began to wonder if there was a deeper part of him. It gave her an odd sense of pride that she could bring it out in him.

Once they were back in the car, Brooke exploded. "Wow, no way, you like him, don't you? I can totally tell. I told you, didn't I."

Peyton just smiled and blushed a bit, "Well... he's not half bad."

Brooke, "So you make a practice of making out with guys that are just 'not half bad'?" Brooke asked teasing, "What, do you think I couldn't tell?"

Peyton sighed, and launched into the details, knowing that Brooke would get them out of her anyways. Brooke was smiling the whole time. "This is going to be perfect," Brooke said, "you guys are going to make the best couple! I feel like such a little match-maker."

They next day Peyton lay stretched out in her bed, listening to music and drawing, inspiriation having found her again. "It's been a long time since I've drawn something happy," she said to herself, almost mocking her own change. Her sketch was of them falling into the water, and she wrote the word 'I'm full of surprises' in her light handwriting. She was proud of the picture, but folded up the sketchbook. She didn't really want anybody to know she was into him, she'd been bad mouthing him and his crush on her for weeks.

She reached over to change the song, and when she looked back up, Nathan was standing in her doorway.

"Wow, I'm sorry," he said, "I rang the doorbell, but I could hear the music.. so I just figured..."

"No, you're fine." she said, "Whats up?"

He laughed, "You mean what the hell are you doing here?"

She smiled lightly, "Well, that to..."

"I'm having a party out at my parents beach house tonight. I know you are this to good for high school drama kinda girl, but I'm willing to make a deal."

"Oh really," she said sexily as she looked at him.

"Yep, you show up, and you can pick the music." He smiled proudly at her, knowing that he'd said exactly the right thing.

"Well, it's a hard offer to resist. Then again, I mean, will there be any cute guys at this party, because you know that's a must," she teased.

"Hey, it's at my house, remember?" he said, cocking his head to the side, playing her game, "Be there at 7. See ya, Peyton."

He walked out and she sat in wonder for a minute. She was half afraid of what she was getting herself into, because she knew he had a reputation. Nevertheless she called Brooke and made plans to meet up at the party.

She sighed and got up to her closet, with a feeling that something big was coming in the pit of her stomach.