Peyton stepped out of her house. It was a nice day the sun was out it was warm. She was going to go for a walk. She noticed her car was back, but no Brooke. "She's probably with Haley," Peyton thought out loud. Although Peyton and Brooke had patched up their broken friendship and had been living together for almost two years, they were never as close as they had been before Lucas. Peyton remembered the day she went to an unconscious Haley and begged her to wake up and be there for Brooke because she couldn't be. Haley and Brooke got really close the few weeks following but then the key incident happened and Haley took off and Peyton had thought she and Brooke could go back to the old way. It didn't happen though Brooke and Haley stayed in touch and stayed close. Haley and Brooke had never fought over a guy. Whenever Haley was around Peyton would get a little jealous. Peyton had been walking for a while now. She was just strolling along not really paying attention to where she was headed.
"Peyton," she heard a familiar voice call from behind her.
"Mouth," she said as she turned around.
"I'd know that curly blonde hair from anywhere," he said as he hugged her.
"How have you been," she asked as she hugged him back.
"I've been good," he said, "how about you? Brooke didn't tell me you were going to be home this summer." Brooke and Mouth stayed pretty close even though their schools weren't close. They called each other every couple of days. Sometimes if Mouth called the apartment and Peyton answered they would chat a little too.
"Yeah, it just kind of happened. My dad said he was going to be home most of the summer so I should come home. Brooke's here too," she said, "but I haven't seen much of her since we got here."
"Typical Brooke," Mouth said laughing. "So where ya headed?"
"Oh nowhere," she answered, "just walking."
"Well I was headed to the river court to meet Skills," he said. "Then we were gonna head to the café to see if Luke was there. Do you wanna tag along?"
"Um… yeah why not," she said. "It'll be good to see some old familiar faces." Her and Mouth continued to catch up as they walked to the river court. When they got there Skills was shooting around with Fergie.
"Hey guys," Mouth said.
"Well, well, what have we got here," Skills said. "Wake Forest's BMC, Big Mouth on Campus, and varsity hoops announcer. And he's with Goldie Locks."
Peyton just laughed, "Hey Skills," she paused, "Fergie. How've you guys been?"
They all took a couple of minutes to get reacquainted with each other and let each other know what was going on in their lives. Then Peyton said, "it's such a beautiful day, I'd hate to waste it sitting inside. Why don't I give Luke a call, see where his is and if he wants to meet us here? If that's cool with you guys," she asked. They all said that was cool so she took out her cell and dialed Lucas.
"Hey Peyt," Luke answered.
"Hey, what are you up to," she asked him.
"Just hanging out at the café," he answered. "Why what's up?"
"Oh, nothing," she said so nonchalantly. "I'm just hanging out at the river court with Mouth, Skills, and Fergie."
"What," he asked excitedly, "no way!"
"Yeah, we were wondering if you wanted to meet us," she asked him.
"Of course, I'll be right there," he answered.
"Hey Luke," she paused to make sure she still had his attention and he wasn't going to hang up. "Have you seen Brooke? The last time I saw her was yesterday when I left the café."
"Yeah she's here," he said with a laugh, "with Tim, Haley, Nathan, and Keith."
"What," Peyton said confused, "Tim's there? And Haley and Nathan are together?"
"Yeah, I'll let them explain when you see them," he said. "In fact I'll ask if they wanna come to the river court."
"Ok, see you in a few," Peyton said.
"Ok, see ya," Luke said.
Peyton hung up her phone, "so we might get a few more people then just Luke," she said. "It seems Brooke, Tim, Haley, and Nathan are all at the café too."
"That's cool," Mouth said.
"Yeah the more the merrier," Skills said.
Back at the café Lucas had just hung up with Peyton. He walked over to the table Brooke, Tim, Haley, Nathan, and Keith were at.
"Brooke, Tim," Lucas said as they turned around and Nathan and Haley looked up at him in shock, "I'm sorry about last night," he said. "Tim I had no idea you were Brooke's boyfriend."
"But you knew she had a boyfriend," he shot back in a very childish and jealous way.
"Yeah, you're right. No matter what I was wrong last night and shouldn't have kissed her, I'm sorry," Luke said.
"Damn straight," Tim said again, very childish and jealously he was fidgeting too now. "You shouldn't have kissed her and you should be sorry. Just because you're Lucas Scott king of Tree--."
"Whoa," Brooke said interrupting him, "I'm sorry too," she said aggravated looking from Lucas to Tim then back, "last night is water under the bridge, let's just forget it ok?"
"Sounds good," Lucas said, "so anyway, I just got off the phone with Peyton. She's down at the river court with Skills, Mouth, and Fergie. She wanted to know if we all wanted to meet them."
When they got to the River court Skills asked if they wanted to play.
"Hey Luke, you are still taking your pills right," Nathan asked jokingly.
"Ha-ha, very funny," he answered, "And yes I am by the way."
Peyton and Mouth had claimed the top left side of the bleachers. Nathan and Haley sat at the bottom right furthest from the action as they watched Keith in the grass play with Lucas' ball, he was unaware Skills had his. Brooke was behind the hoop, she had pulled Tim aside. "What was that all about back at the café," she asked him.
"I don't know," he said, "I guess I was jealous."
"Yeah well jealousy brings out the old Tim," she said. "I wasn't very fond of the old you, remember? I like who you are now," she said putting her arms around his neck. "So stop getting jealous. I'm all about you, the you now not the one from the past so let's leave him there," she said then kissed him. She then turned him toward the court and slapped his butt, "go get 'em tiger."
He turned back around, "you're amazing."
"I know," she said then winked at him. She then joined Peyton and Mouth. "Hey Peyt, sorry I haven't been around."
"It's ok," Peyton said.
"Well with Tim here now it'll probably be easier if we just stay with Haley, she's cool with it, are you," Brooke asked.
"Yeah, she's got more room and no dad who still thinks of us as little girls," she said laughing. She was a little jealous but she knew it made more sense, "just don't be a stranger, I'm used to having you close by."
"No worries P. Sawyer," Brooke said putting her arm around Peyton's shoulder.
Mouth called the game while the girls cheered for the guys occasionally throwing in a real cheer, making fun of their Raven days.
Nathan and Haley had gotten up and were walking behind Keith who kept throwing the basketball a few feet in front of him then running to pick it up and throw it again. They got to the swings and Nathan picked up Keith and put him in the baby swing and pushed him as Haley stood next to him.
"Lucas passes to Skills," mouth announced, "and he takes it to the hole. What a," he stops and his tone changes from excitement to subtle shock, "oh my God."
"What," Brooke asked looking to Mouth. She noticed he was staring off into the distance but she couldn't see what he was looking at. She got up and walked in the direction he was staring in, right through the guy's game, interrupting it. The glare of the sun wasn't in her eyes anymore and she found herself staring too. Everyone had crowded around her wondering what she was staring at, "oh my God," Brooke said with a smile, "they look so cute."
Nathan and Haley had been chatting about their respective lives the past two years, her about the tours and music, him about basketball and school. They were still at the swings pushing Keith. Haley looked up toward the court, "what are they staring at," she asked.
Nathan looked to see what she was looking at. He could see everyone standing at the edge of the court staring in their direction. He looked down at Haley and smiled, "I don't know," he shrugged then looked at his son then back to her, "maybe we look like a family," he said.
She smiled, "that's because we are," she said grabbing his hand that was closest to her.
Although they were a good distance away when Haley took Nathan's hand they both could hear the group go, "awe." Nathan and Haley just laughed as the group went back to what they had been doing.