Hey I'm really glad you guys are enjoying it. Just a reminder this is AU so Haley and Nathan aren't anything. And remember Lucas and Nathan aren't anything but I gave Nathan the 'Scott' surname. If anything else is unclear just ask me!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you think you've read, heard or seen before...

Lucas was standing at his locker in the morning, trying to organise the books he would need for the first periods, when he felt someone put their hands over his eyes.

"Guess who?" Peyton called out chirpily. Lucas quickly removed her hands from his eyes as he returned to what he was doing without saying a word. Peyton stood there puzzled before moving so she was leaning on the locker next to his facing him.

"What's up with you today?" she asked.

"Nothing." Lucas was blunt and Peyton rolled her eyes at his tone.

"Right. That scowl shows me that absolutely nothing is wrong with you." She commented sarcastically.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it." Lucas told her as he finally glanced in her direction. Peyton shrugged, deciding to let it go as she saw Nathan approaching them. Peyton attempted to smile at him but felt the nerves building in her stomach. Nathan eventually joined them and wrapped an arm around Peyton's waist, pulling her to his side. Lucas was refusing to face them and Nathan took the opportunity to silently ask Peyton is what he was doing was okay. Peyton nodded slightly.

"Hi!" Peyton greeted him.

"Hey." Nathan smiled down at Peyton. "Hey Lucas, what's up man?"

"Obviously lots of things that I had no idea about." Lucas replied vaguely before slamming his locker shut. He glanced angrily, yet briefly, at the arm around Peyton's waist.

"I'll see you guys later." Lucas shook his head as he stormed away from the couple. Nathan glanced questioningly at Peyton before he removed his arm and turned to face her.

"Okay, did I miss something?" he asked. Peyton watched Lucas walk off and just shrugged.

"Peyton?" Nathan called trying to get her attention.

"Sorry." Peyton focused back on the boy standing next to her. "I have no idea. He was like that when I got here."

"Did anyone tell him about us, well at least pretend us, because if looks could kill." Nathan let his sentence trail off.

"I'm sorry Nathan, this whole idea is so stupid. I'd hate to see you two fight over something that isn't even real, you know? Maybe I shouldn't have listened to Haley's harebrained scheme."

"Look don't worry about me okay? Haley told you that Lucas would be jealous if he thought you and I were, well you know, and I think she was right." Nathan pointed in the direction Lucas had left. "I know that look, hell I've even given that look."

"Well, we've already started this so I guess we can always just see what happens. You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all. I get to have the hottest girl at school pretending to be my girlfriend." Peyton blushed slightly as Nathan pulled her into a sideways hug.

"May I walk you to class?" Nathan asked in a very formal tone. Peyton simply nodded as the two started walking down the hallway to class.

"Question." Nathan started as he suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Yeah?" Peyton asked as she stopped next to him.

"Okay, so this is really weird to say, but are we going to, you know, kiss?" Nathan grew shy at he asked his question.

"Did the great basketball player Nathan Scott just ask me if we were going to kiss?" Peyton teased.

"Hey this is all your idea remember, I'm just trying to keep up."

"Okay, one, this was all Haley's idea, and two, I suppose we could, if you wanted to." Peyton stumbled over her sentence.

"Well it would make it more believable." Nathan shrugged. Peyton nodded and before she could blink, Nathan leant over to lay a quick chaste kiss on her lips.

"Like that?" Nathan asked, not stopping the smirk that came after seeing Peyton's dazed expression. Peyton noticed the smirk and pushed him away as she grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards class.

"You're such a doofus. Just go with the flow and think of me as your real girlfriend, so if we kiss, we kiss. Deal?"

Nathan mock saluted as the two arrived in front of Peyton's first period classroom. Students started filtering in as the two stood at the doorway. Peyton saw Lucas approaching the classroom from over Nathan's shoulder.

"Okay, go with the flow." Peyton instructed quickly.

"Huh?" Nathan asked confused.

"Kiss me." Peyton demanded.

"Why?" Nathan queried.

"Lucas. Behind you." Was all Peyton said before Nathan leant down and engaged Peyton in a not so chaste open mouthed kiss. Lucas slipped in the door behind the couple, trying to avoid having to watch his best friend publicly making out.

Before the kiss could get any more R rated, Peyton pulled away.

"I'm going to class." Peyton laughed as she left Nathan at the door who couldn't help shaking his head in amusement.

Peyton headed towards her usual seat which was directly in front of Lucas. As she approached she looked at him questioningly be he refused to look at her so she simply sat down. A few minutes later, their teacher arrived and started droning on about some Shakespearean sonnet that she couldn't care less about. As Peyton tried her hardest to stay awake, she felt a kick on the back of her chair, causing her to sit upright. Curious, Peyton turned around and glared at Lucas, the obvious culprit of the kick, and saw he was holding a piece of paper in his hand. Subtly glancing to the front to make sure the teacher wasn't paying attention, Peyton reached behind her to take the note from him. Surprised, she opened the letter and read.

Why didn't you tell me? Love Luke.

Peyton inwardly sighed as she wondered how she was exactly supposed to explain her sudden relationship with Nathan.

It was all very sudden and I didn't want to say anything earlier because I knew you would hassle me about it. Love Peyt.

Peyton passed the note behind her and felt Lucas grab it. After a few seconds, she could feel Lucas tapping on her chair again, signalling for her to grab the note.

How would I have hassled you? You should have told me.

Peyton felt bad reading his words. She could imagine the hurt he must have felt knowing she had kept something from him, but it wasn't the reaction that Haley had said she'd get. Lucas didn't seem jealous at all, just mad with the secrecy. Peyton tried to come up with something to write so she could get a sense of what he was feeling. If he cared that she was seeing someone else.

You always tease me about the guys I like. Why do you care anyway? Are you forgetting about your little shadow, Brooke? I can do what I want.

Reading over it, Peyton sensed it was a little harsh, but she shrugged off the feeling and quickly handed it back to Lucas. She waited for a signal to take the note, but after fifteen minutes, she realised he either had a lot to say or he wasn't writing back. Peyton figured the latter was probably more accurate and she decided not to wait for him and had no choice but to concentrate on the class.

Peyton was relieved when the bell for next period rang and since Lucas hadn't replied, she ignored him as she left the classroom and headed to Math class. Luckily Lucas wasn't in the class with her but Nathan was and she smiled at him as she entered and took the seat next to him.

"Hey. How was Lucas when you went into class?" Nathan asked, noting the frown on Peyton's face as she thought about it.

"That bad huh?"

Peyton nodded. "Worse. I'm guessing he's upset that I didn't say anything about the feelings we're supposed to have before we start dating. He was very surprised."

"Why?" Nathan looked on confused.

"Well, usually he can tell if I like someone and he end up getting all the juicy details out of me."

"But he didn't notice when you started liking him." Nathan pointed out. Peyton hit him none too lightly across the arm.

"Shh. Wanna say that a bit louder? And besides, he didn't notice because of Brooke, and now he would just assume I like you."

"So apart from being mad, is he jealous at all?"

"I don't know." Peyton sighed. "I'm hardly the most perceptive person when it comes to guys, but I did test him."

"Test him?" Nathan chuckled.

"Yeah but I think it was a bit harsh. He didn't write back."

"Passing notes huh?" Nathan laughed. "Very mature."

"Hey, he started it!" Peyton protested. "It was the only way we could talk."

"Okay, so what now?"

"We wait I guess." Peyton sighed. "Wait to see if he does anything, shows signs of jealousy or approval or joy, I don't know. But if he doesn't even talk to me because of this then there's no point in continuing, because I'll definitely lose him."

"And we definitely wouldn't want that." Nathan muttered and Peyton thought there was a hint of bitterness in the statement.

"Nathan, are you sure you're okay with this? If this is making you uncomfortable or used in any way, please tell me. I'd hate to lose another friend over Haley's stupid experiment." Peyton asked concerned. Nathan shook his head.

"No, it's nothing. But maybe, just for a little bit, we can forget all about Lucas and just have fun pretending to be a couple. Right?"

"Sure." Peyton agreed with a big smile as she leaned over to kiss Nathan's cheek, just as the teacher entered to start the class.

Finally, the end of the school day had arrived and Peyton was at her locker, emptying all of her books into her locker uncaring about whether she needed them or not. Nathan stood behind her, watching her actions amused. Shutting her locker, Peyton turned and leant her back on the cool metal, smiling up at Nathan as he waited for her.

"So we go home?" he asked like a little boy on Christmas morning.

"Of course.' Peyton laughed as she accepted the hand he offered and headed towards the school doors. Lucas suddenly appeared in front of them and Peyton immediately dropped Nathan's hand, a move that didn't go unnoticed by either of the boys. Lucas didn't look towards Nathan as he handed Peyton what looked like a letter that was at least a page long. Peyton took it and looked at Lucas for some indication of what he was thinking, only he was looking at his feet. Lucas eventually glanced up at Nathan.

"Look, I'm sorry for my reaction to, well you two, this morning. I'll see you around." And with that he was gone. Nathan sighed and looked down at Peyton.

"Well?" Peyton didn't answer as she stared between the letter in her hand and the direction Lucas had left. Nathan nudged her with his shoulder to get her attention.

"You okay?" Nathan asked when Peyton looked up.

"Of course, can we go?" Peyton attempted a smile as Nathan led her out of the school.