CHAPTER 10

Haley stood on the balcony looking out with a hot cup of coffee warming her hands, she loved standing here feeling the slight breeze flutter across her cheeks. It helped her to think and reflect, it held a certain calming effect. She felt someone stand next to her and looked over, to her surprise it was Rachel.

'Hey.' Haley said.

'Hey, Haley I just wanted to say that I'm sorry.'

Haley turned to look at her.

'I know you think I'm a bitch because of Nathan and everything but-'

'Rachel, I did think you were a bitch, but last night you proved me other wise.' Haley smiled. 'Water under the bridge?'

'Totally.' Rachel smiled. 'You've just gotta be glad your husband isn't the cheating type.'

Haley rolled her eyes, 'Why do you always have to ruin it?' But she was wearing a smile. Rachel smirked as Peyton and Brooke joined them, also nursing cups of coffee.

'So this has been pretty fun right?' Brooke asked looking at the other three.

'I, very surprisingly, agree.' Haley nodded.

'Hey, I only came to annoy tutor wife over here, but actually it's been pretty good.' Rachel nodded nudging Haley.

'Yeah, you know this might seem lame, but it actually was my first slumber party.' Peyton said taking a sip of coffee.

'What?!'

'My friends are more of the party type than the slumber party type. Most of them don't seem to think there's a point of hanging out with girls when they could be hanging out with guys and girls at a party instead. And anyway I've never really felt the need to have one. But I am surprised; you guys pretty much rocked my first slumber party.' Peyton smiled.

'Right, that's it! We are going to have one every week until Peyton goes home. Deal?' Brooke said holding out her hand. Haley put hers into it and Peyton followed. Rachel rolled her eyes,

'Well if everyone's doing it.' She said and placed her hand on top of the others.

'Right now that that's sorted, get your asses back in there and clean up my apartment!' Haley said and the other three groaned. 'Come on! Chop chop!'

Haley pushed them one by one back into the feather strewn apartment, the three yawning and grumbling.

Half an hour later and they had made little progress, due to the fact that Peyton, Brooke and Rachel seemed to mysteriously close their eyes whenever Haley looked away from them. And at the moment Haley was clearing up something else where so the three had abandoned picking up feathers and were slumped on the floor barely keeping their eyes open.

The front door opened and they raised their heads blearily as Nathan walked in. He laughed as he saw the three spread out on the floor.

'So I'm guessing all of you had a rough night, right?' He asked smirking.

Then Haley came walking down the hallway.

'Nathan, hey.' She said giving him a hug and a kiss. Then she looked around. 'Come on people! Didn't I say we needed to clear up! Get your big butts up, now!'

They stood rolling their eyes as Haley walked back down the hallway.

'I swear she's like a cleaning Nazi.' Peyton grumbled and Nathan laughed.

'Right, I'm going to go home. I really can't tidy up right now.' Brooke said groggily, grabbing her coat.

'Me too, see you later.' Rachel nodded also grabbing her coat.

'Guys! Don't leave me, she'll skin me alive.' Peyton protested. Nathan snorted and she hit him on the arm.

'Good luck.' Brooke called and with that the two were out of the house.

'Well if they're going…' Peyton said standing quickly.

'Oh no you don't.' Nathan said resting a hand on her shoulder. 'Haley's going to make me help clean up if you leave. And technically I haven't done anything so you are staying Sawyer.'

Before Peyton could protest Haley had returned exclaiming loudly about Brooke and Rachel's quick exits.

'Oh well Hales, at least Peyton's here to help!' Nathan smirked.

'I hate you.' Peyton muttered glaring at him and he chortled.

Peyton opened the door to Lucas' house, worn out. It had taken Haley and Peyton an hour to clear up and Nathan sitting at the counter watching but not lifting a finger did not help. Also him dropping hints to Peyton on where there were some feathers she'd missed when picking them up made her scowl at him but also smile somewhat at the same time.

No one was in the kitchen; she assumed Karen was again at the café. She walked down the hall and passed Lucas' bedroom, she stopped though when she saw him out of the corner of her eyes intending to say hey. She walked into the room and her eyes grew wide.

Lucas looked up quickly and his eyes went as wide as hers. He quickly stuffed the black pad under his duvet.

'Was that my drawing pad?' Peyton asked.

'Hey Peyton, how was-'

'Don't hey Peyton me. Was that or was that not my pad?'

Lucas cursed inwardly. He knew he shouldn't have looked at it but it had been so inviting. But just as he was flicking through last night Karen came home so he just put it in his room to look at later. He then promptly forgot about it for the night and noticed it again this morning. Taking the opportunity he spent at least an hour going through the pictures.

'Yeah. I'm sorry, it's just-'

'Luke, didn't I say my drawings were private?' Peyton whined. She was more upset that he'd gone behind her back than actually looked at them.

'I know and I'm sorry. It's just that-'

'So why did you look at them?'

Lucas gulped. To be nosy… probably not the right answer.

'Whatever can I just have the book back please.' Peyton said curtly.

Lucas guiltily took out the book and handed it over. Peyton snatched it back and stormed out of the room. Seconds later Lucas heard her bedroom door slam and he winced.

That night the two sat in stony silence, Karen made most of the conversation and the other two just gave one word answers. Guessing something was up she placed down her knife and fork.

'Ok, what's up with the both of you?'

'Ask Peyton.' Lucas said moodily.

'I haven't done anything wrong, ask Lucas.'

Lucas snorted.

'What?' Peyton said turning to face him. 'It was you rooting through other people's stuff.'

Karen watched the two with a slight smirk on her face; their banter was quite amusing really, but her smirk was replaced by a reproachful look at Peyton's words.

'Lucas did you look through Peyton's things?' Karen asked a little sternly.

'No!' Lucas said indignantly.

Peyton snorted this time and not having a comeback Lucas mimicked her.

'What are you, five?' Peyton asked rolling her eyes.

'All I did was look through her sketch book, okay I know I shouldn't have done it and I said sorry.'

Karen watched as Peyton gave Lucas a cold look.

'Lucas say sorry to Peyton properly.' Karen said feeling as though she was talking to two five year olds but also finding it oddly…cute.

Lucas rolled his eyes and then said, 'I'm sorry.' Then he added. 'Your highness.'

Peyton made a non committal noise and rolled her eyes again.

'Right that's it, your both on clearing up duty. No excuses and no arguments.' Karen said as Lucas started to protest, then she walked out of the kitchen leaving the two alone.

Lucas and Peyton stood at the sink. Lucas was washing the dishes and Peyton was drying them.

'All you fault Scott.' Peyton said smirking slightly.

'All you fault Scott.' Lucas mimicked in Peyton's voice.

'Ok first that sounds absolutely nothing like me and second, again, are you five? Get your own comebacks.'

Lucas smirked and flicked water at Peyton.

'Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you.' Peyton warned. Lucas' grin grew wide as he flicked a larger amount of water at her.

Peyton stood for a moment then went back to drying the dishes, Lucas, slightly disappointed, went back to washing until Peyton scooped up a lot more water than he'd used and threw it over his face. He spluttered as the soap went into his mouth and Peyton laughed.

'I win!' She said in a sing song voice.

Lucas put down the plate he was holding and scooped two hands worth of water, throwing it over Peyton.

Soon there was water being thrown everywhere. Karen walked in after the hearing the yells from the kitchen and shook her head, half amused half exasperated at a wet looking Lucas and an equally wet looking Peyton. She didn't say anything, she just handed Lucas a mop and walked out of the kitchen still shaking her head.

'Am I forgiven?' Lucas asked sticking his lip out.

'Mop up and I might just forgive you.' Peyton said seriously and walked out of the kitchen.

'Hey, you're leaving me to clear up this mess! Where are you going?' Lucas called after her.

'For a shower, mop boy!' Peyton called back. Lucas rolled his eyes and looked around. The floor was splattered with water and they'd hardly got any of the washing and drying up done. He shook his head smirking slightly and set back to work.

Peyton lay in bed staring at the ceiling, it was pretty late but she was thinking over the days events. The slumber party had opened her eyes completely to what having a friendship with Brooke, Haley and Rachel would truly mean to her. For no apparent reason she found herself wondering what it'd be like to stay in Tree Hill and go to school with Brooke, Haley, Nathan and Lucas. Lucas. God, to say her feelings had grown would be an understatement. She'd been thinking about their kiss a lot lately and wondering if Lucas felt the same way she did, or if he ever would. Ever being the next two and a bit months that is. She wondered how she'd feel when she had to leave the friends she'd made. It was safe to say she was not looking forward to that day…

Suddenly her door opened slowly, just an inch and she looked over to it curiously. She saw sandy blonde hair and relaxed slightly, then she was met with a pair of blue eyes. Talk of the devil She thought.

'Sorry, I couldn't sleep and I just wanted to say-'

Peyton patted the space next to her in bed and Lucas smiled shutting her door and sitting down on her bed.

'I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for looking at your sketch pad.' Lucas said lying down next to her.

'Don't worry about it, it's just back in LA no one really gets my need to draw and it's kind of weird that you are interested in it.' Peyton shrugged.

'I suppose it's because I've never come across anyone with so much talent for it, someone who can just draw all of their thoughts. You really are talented.'

Lucas looked at her and smirked to see that even in the dim light coming from the window she was blushing.

'Way to make someone blush, you do seem to have a way with words.'

'Ahh it's a gift.' Lucas said smirking.

'And clearly you are very modest about it.' Peyton smirked rolling her eyes and Lucas laughed.

They talked and talked for what seemed like hours, about everything and anything that came to mind. Peyton was happy but not all that surprised at how easy Lucas was to talk to, they had so much in common but shared just the right amount of differences to strike up banter as well. It was a perfect combination and she felt herself liking him even more. They fell asleep together, shoulder to shoulder in Peyton's bed and Lucas found himself thinking just before he dozed off that maybe, just maybe he'd tell Peyton how he felt… tomorrow…

I had the urge to update and plus this chapter was already written i just had to fine tune it so voila! ...It's really not surprising i failed French :P Anyways i want to say thank you for those who keep reading, reviewing, story alerting, author alerting etc... i don't think i left anything out, but yeah thank you...it really means a whole lot! I also would like to say thank you to jubileelove98 and Lostand1TreeHillfan for wishing me a belated birthday :D!

Next chapter... hmm :P