CHAPTER 22

Thursday.

One day before Peyton's birthday and Lucas was beginning to feel the strain. Every other day had gone to plan, but today everything seemed to be falling apart. Firstly the cake had conveniently been forgotten so Karen was making one, spur of the moment style, then the decorations they were using had to be picked up but as Lucas was walking out of the store he snagged the corner of the banner and ripped it in half and to add insult to injury while sticking it back together he got glue everywhere and managed to somehow stick his fingers together which had him cursing at anything and everything no end. Nathan and Brooke had taken matters into their own hands and brought more banners but Lucas still had a permanent frown fixed upon his face and anyone who talked to him either got their head bitten off or a short answer that consisted of two or three extremely well chosen words.

'Pull it a little to the left!' Lucas shouted at Nathan and Brooke who were hanging up a 'Happy Birthday' banner in TRIC.

'If you don't stop shouting at us, I'll come over there a knock you into next week!' Nathan shouted back and Lucas breathed out a heavy sigh.

Hearing footsteps behind him he turned to see a man coming into the room.

'Excuse me.' Lucas said confused, as the man approached him.

'What are you doing?' The man asked, gesturing to the banner and the other decorations.

'What does it look like? We're organising a party, and what's it to you anyway?' Lucas said, narrowing his eyes to a squint.

'Is it tonight?' He asked.

'No, tomorrow why?'

'No it isn't. We have a gig in here tomorrow; you'll have to find another venue.'

Lucas' mouth fell open.

'No you don't. We booked this club! We booked it!'

' 'Fraid not.' The man smirked as an angry Lucas brought out his mobile, dialling a number and pressing it to his ear before saying, 'We'll see about that.'

'Ma, there's a guy here…'

'The name's Rick.' The man scowled.

'He's saying that they've booked TRIC for Friday… what!! Mom, you said we could use the club!!'

Rick smirked at how agitated Lucas was getting and when he closed the phone, furiously a couple of minutes later he said,

'See kid, the club's already booked tomorrow.'

'I get it!' Lucas said angrily, and shoved past Rick and out of the club. He strode to the balcony leaning his elbows on the railing and looking down at the car park before putting his head into his hands.

'Dude, what's up?'

Lucas looked around moments later to see that both Brooke and Nathan had joined him.

'That man just asked us to take the decorations down.' Brooke said confused.

'Yeah, my mom didn't think to check whether the club was actually booked and it turns out it is!'

'Oh.' Brooke said, not really knowing what to say without setting Lucas off.

'Where the hell are we meant to hold it now?' Lucas asked angrily, slamming his hand against the railing. 'You know what I'm just gonna go and have a little talk with that guy, fist meet face style.'

'Lucas, stop being a dick!' Nathan said holding his brother back. 'What has gotten into you? It isn't the end of the world! Anyway we could, if you're not too much of a jackass to even consider it, use the beach house.'

Lucas stared at Nathan as if he'd gone mad, but then it seemed to click as he flung his arm around his brothers' neck, 'Now I know why I call you my brother.' He smiled.

'Finally, reasonable Lucas returns. You know I was starting to really want to kick 'bad Lucas' ass!' Brooke said happily and the other two boys laughed.

'What are we doing standing around here, lets get over to that beach house! Come on, get moving!' Lucas said, opening the door to TRIC and hurrying them back inside.

'Bad Lucas is back.' Nathan muttered, Brooke laughed and Lucas said,

'Watch it Little Brother.' But for the first time in the last twenty four hours he bore a grin.

Peyton stirred her drink watching Haley look at hers apprehensively.

'Dude just try it.' Peyton laughed.

'Peyt, it's beer… and ice cream!'

'It's delicious is what it is.' Peyton said, placing her straw between her lips and slurping some up. She was sitting in Nathan and Haley's apartment on a stool at the breakfast bar in the kitchen/living room.

Haley frowned but resigned to trying some; she took a quick swig and swallowed frantically while Peyton watched with a smile.

'Ok, I might just have to give you that one P.' Haley said taking another slurp of her drink.

'See didn't I tell you!' Peyton smirked adding more beer to her float.

'It creates kind of a fuzzy feeling, and makes you feel kind of warm… despite the fact that its ice cream.'

'Just face it, its amazing.' Peyton smiled.

'When did you come up with this?'

Peyton sighed, 'Honestly…around the time I decided to let go of all my demons.'

'Oh that sounds deep.' Haley said, in a futile attempt at humour. Peyton couldn't help but chuckle and Haley joined in.

'It doesn't matter.' Peyton said, looking at Haley. Haley smiled and nodded, resting a hand on her knee,

'All right, but if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here.'

'Thanks Hales.' Peyton answered with a smile. Haley smiled back and took another sip of her drink.

The silence stretched on until Peyton couldn't help but chuckle,

'Be quiet.'

'I didn't say anything!' Haley said indignantly.

'Yeah but your thinking really loud.' Peyton laughed and Haley joined in.

'I'm just curious-' Haley said slowly, as though weighing every word.

Peyton sighed, but didn't feel the usual bout of panic when it came to talking about her past. She'd only experienced this honesty with Lucas, she'd told him practically everything and she felt she could tell Haley too, well maybe not as much as she told Lucas, but the general picture.

'I made it a few years after my mom died.' She said, deciding to look at the float rather than at Haley. Haley didn't make any noise of surprise but her hand was back on Peyton's knee and was squeezing it tightly as though conveying a sort of surprise that she didn't want to convey out loud.

'That's awful.' Haley choked out a moment later.

Peyton shrugged, 'I've learnt to live with it.' Haley looked at her surprised, 'Not that I don't miss her. Hell, I do. Everyday, that ache never goes away. But you learn to live with it. It took- a while…'

'I'm so sorry-'

'Hales, don't worry about it.' Peyton replied, with something close to a smile. But Haley saw a different look in her eyes. A haunted, dead sort of look that she'd never seen before and supposed must have come with the death.

'I just- I don't know how you have the strength to go on after that.' Haley said and her voice was so close to awe that Peyton shook her head fervently, she didn't want Haley to be in awe of her, she'd been a mess!

'Oh I didn't, for a while I was the worst person I could have ever been. My dad had to get a job at sea just to get away!' Peyton's attempt at humour merely raised a smile to her lips and a grimace to Haley's. Not knowing what to do Haley pulled her into a hug and said,

'Have you talked to anyone else about this?'

'Lucas.' Peyton said and Haley smiled.

'Well if anyone could have helped it would have been him.'

'Yeah, it's a shame I didn't know you all back then.' Peyton smiled.

'It is.' Haley agreed. She was startled at the new information but also felt a weird sense of happiness that Peyton had been able to confide in her and the fact that Lucas and Peyton had learnt so much more about each other than any of them had cared to learn. Their whole relationship shed a different light for Haley now, they were obviously completely honest with each other and cared a whole lot about each other and the best of it was that nothing they'd told the other about their pasts had changed their opinions. They'd wanted to be together anyway and it truly warmed Haley's heart.

'All right, well as we're on the honest stretch at the moment, I want to admit something that I haven't to anyone else.' Haley said and Peyton looked up, both surprised and intrigued.

'Well you coming along this summer and getting to know you has made me realise that there's so much more out there... it's made me realise that for all of our lives Nathan, Brooke, Lucas and me been sheltered in Tree Hill and that maybe I'm missing out on something.'

'Like what?' Peyton asked, confused by Haley's sudden declaration of dreams.

'I don't know. I, just, yearn to go places and find out things and do something good for others, you know.'

'Hales your already doing that. Lucas told me you're a tutor at school right? Well if that isn't giving something back then I don't know what is.' Peyton smiled.

'I guess so. It's just getting to know you Peyt has opened up a can of dreams for me, how many more great people am I going to miss out on getting to know because I only live in Tree Hill?'

'Hey, stop with the 'only'. Tree Hill is a great place. Right let me put it into perspective for you, how many great friends do you have in Tree Hill? I count Lucas, Brooke and Nathan straight away but there's probably more. Although maybe not Rachel.' Peyton stated with a laugh and Haley couldn't help but laugh too.

'My point is that in LA, sure I'm in the centre of things and I'm living the city life, but I haven't got one friend as great as the people I've met here. Where you are doesn't matter Hales, it's the people your with that matters.'

Haley shrugged, 'Ok that sounds great and everything, but I feel as if something's… missing.'

'Oh you mean a husband, or a best friend… oh, wait, what about another good friend. Right, you have all those things.' Peyton smirked.

Haley smiled, 'Your right, I do love Nathan and Lucas, and Brooke.'

'Damn right I'm right, Hales-' Peyton was cut off when she heard a song drift down the hallway, the voice that was singing sounded familiar and she frowned. But before she could question Haley, she'd jumped out of her seat and ran down the hallway, the song abruptly ended and she came back with Nathan's phone clutched in her hand,

'Nathan must have left his phone.'

'What was his ring tone?' Peyton asked with a small smile.

'N-nothing.' Haley laughed.

Peyton raised an eyebrow, 'Haley… come on. Was that you, singing? It was awesome.'

'You heard thirty seconds of it.' Haley protested.

'Well let me hear some more then.'

Haley laughed, 'Er…no.'

'Why? I promise I won't be mean…'

Before Haley could open her mouth to say anything Peyton had snatched the phone out of her hand and before she could protest anymore the sounds of Haley's voice were drifting through the apartment once more. Peyton nodded her head to the beat of the music and Haley waited nervously for the song to end.

'Maybe this is what's missing.' Peyton said in a whisper when the last few bars of the song had finished.

'What?'

'Music. Maybe that is what's missing. It's not place or people, it's your passion. Music, right?'

'I guess so… I mean when I write or play or sing, I get this rush that is so liberating-'

'That's a yes. Hales…this is what's missing.'

Peyton sounded so excited that Haley frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'Have you ever thought of… producing a record or writing your own songs properly?'

Haley couldn't help but laugh, 'Oh yeah, I've also thought of being the next Shakespeare.' Peyton raised her eyebrows but Haley said, 'What? It could happen.'

'Sure. What I'm saying is how about we give it a try?'

'What, you and me… record something.'

'Yeah or you know, write some stuff, for fun. I know it sounds out of the blue. But music in general is something that I love, shame I'm not at all musical but anyway as part time work I work at a label in LA. It isn't that big, I only got the chance to because the owner knows my dad and I'm only an assistant but three quarters the stuff we hear isn't half as good as the song I just heard then.'

'But… how?'

'Well all we would need is you, a guitar…and a pencil.' Peyton smirked. 'Oh and somewhere to work.'

'Oh and those are so easy to find…' Haley said with a smirk, but then she thought about it, 'Wait… TRIC.'

'You read my mind, Haley James.' Peyton smirked, before adding with a smirk, 'Scott.'

'So that actually worked out pretty well.' Lucas smiled as he looked around the beach house.

'All you gotta have big brother, is a little faith. Oh and Nathan Scott to help of course.' Nathan smirked.

'Yeah yeah. To be honest, this might be better.'

'Ahh thank you.' Nathan said a cocky smile on his face.

'Please, if your ego got any bigger your head would explode!' Brooke said walking out of the house.

'She has a point dude.' Lucas said to Nathan with a smirk and followed her out, Nathan in tow.

They stood side by side watching the sea crash against the sand, it held a calming effect and Lucas couldn't help but remember him and Peyton sitting on this sand looking out to sea, two months previously. He smiled at the memory, running a hand over the stubble on his chin and looking over at Nathan as he made a noise of surprise.

He was looking at a lamppost, and at first Lucas thought he'd gone crazy, but then he saw that a poster was taped onto it.

'There's a carnival, fair thing tomorrow downtown… lasting all day. How convenient is it that it's on Peyton's birthday!?'

'We should go!' Brooke said happily and they both looked at Lucas expectantly.

'I'm not so good with rides.' He said feebly.

'Oh come on bro, this is for Peyton.' Nathan smirked knowing that this line would persuade him no end.

'All right, i guess I can give it a try.'

'So, do you think we've done everything?' Lucas asked, in a worried tone.

'Luke, chill everything's going to be fine!' Nathan said.

'It's just... it's Peyton you know… I want everything to be perfect.' Lucas sighed, twiddling his fingers nervously.

'And it will be.'

'You have the location…' Brooke started.

'The helpers.' Nathan put in.

'The decorations.' Brooke suggested.

'The cake.'

'And the presents. It's going to be great.'

Far from calming Lucas down, this made him turn as white as a sheet and kick the fence in frustration, Brooke and Nathan looked on alarmed,

'Oh shit!' He said throwing his hands in the air.

'What?' Nathan asked startled.

'I forgot the present!!'

Nathan groaned. 'Dude how could you forget her present, that's…'

'… the most important thing ever!' Brooke shrieked.

'Seriously, what kind of boyfriend does this make me… ?' He said angrily.

'A pretty lousy-'

'I didn't need an actual answer Brooke.' Lucas said cutting her off and making Nathan smile slightly. 'What am I going to do?' He placed his elbows on the fence again, shoulders slumping dejectedly.

'It's okay, we need Haley.' Nathan said.

'Haley?' Lucas asked.

'Yes! She's the best with presents.'

'Hmhm.' Brooke coughed dejectedly.

'And Brooke of course, take Haley and Brooke shopping. Now.'

'Haley's with Peyton.' Lucas groaned.

'I'll hang out with Peyton, let's just go.' Nathan suggested and they were driving back to Nathan's place less than five minutes later.

'You know what Peyt, I'm gonna miss you.' Haley said.

'What are these even called?' Haley asked, taking another slurp of her beer and ice cream.

'You know what; I never gave them a name.' Peyton answered.

'Well let's call it, Paley.'

'Paley?' Peyton asked raising her eyebrows.

'You know, Peyton and Haley.' Haley said as Peyton snorted with laughter, 'Look, it's either Paley or… Heyton…your choice.'

'Ohh Paley, definitely.'

At that point the door opened and Nathan came rushing breathlessly in,

'Hales, Lucas wants you.' He said trying to sound inconspicuous.

Peyton looked from one to the other suspiciously, but a secret message seemed to have passed between them because the next second Haley was saying,

'All right. Well, Peyt, I hate to slurp and run…' Peyton laughed as Haley took another drink of her 'Paley'. 'Seriously… so good. Anyway we'll talk later.'

She sent Peyton a wave, her husband a small kiss and then was out of the door, shutting it behind her. Nathan smiled at Peyton and came to sit down on the stool Haley had vacated.

'What's up with Lucas?' Peyton asked.

'Oh nothing. He just wanted Haley's help with something.' Nathan said not looking Peyton in the eyes and instead looking at the glass of ice cream and the bottle of beer, 'What were you two doing?'

'Please, don't tell me you haven't tried it either. You people in Tree Hill have never lived.' Peyton said and Nathan chortled,

'Show me what you got then Sawyer.'

'What about this?' Lucas turned and seeing the black lingerie in Brooke's hands raised his eyebrows.

'Brooke you're really not helping.' Haley sighed.

'What? If my boyfriend got me these then I'd thank him for his good taste.' Brooke shrugged.

'Well, I don't think it's entirely appropriate.' Haley said with a shake of her head.

'It's not you that matters though is it. What do you think, Luke?'

'Well, I do think that Peyton would look incredibly hot in those…' He smirked and both Haley and Brooke could tell he was picturing it so they slapped his arm. 'Ow. What? You asked for my opinion… I'm a guy, what do you expect?'

Brooke and Haley rolled their eyes,

'But would you buy them?'

'No, Brooke, I'm sorry but I'm with Haley on this one.' Lucas agreed.

'Fine, let 'perfect-little-step ford-wife' over there get the perfect little present. But don't come crying to me…' Brooke scoffed.

'Brooke, anyone else would find that insulting that their boyfriend of a month bought them lingerie!' Haley scowled.

'Whatever…'

'Girls, girls.' Lucas smirked holding up his hands, 'This really isn't helping.'

'Do it yourself then!' Brooke stormed.

'Just come up with an idea please? Everything we suggest you say it isn't good enough.' Haley countered.

'Well that's because it isn't. It isn't personal enough all right.'

'Give her a lock of your hair then! That's personal!' Brooke moaned.

'Too personal… and freaky.' Lucas chuckled.

'Lucas please, I'm tired of this… we've been here for hours!'

Lucas let out a breath and thought, what could he buy Peyton that was casual but also showed how much she meant to him? He was at a loss, why was this so hard? What did she like most in the world? A few minutes later he smiled,

'I've got it.'

'Finally!' Brooke and Haley said at the same time as he pulled them away quickly.

This is the longest chapter of the story!! I had so much to fit in before Peyton's party lol!! And probably because Christmas is two days away i won't be updating very soon, or at least until after then. :(

I hoped you liked this chapter, i personally enjoyed writing it and has been one of my favourite chapters... for some unknown reason! Haha, however there wasn't much if any LP in this chapter :\ Which sucked, butttt the fair and Peyton's party will have LP galore and that's all to come next chapter!

I say this every chapter but the sincerity is always there, thank you so so much for the reviews that i'm getting! They are exceedingly appreciated and i hope this chapter warrented any that are thrown my way :D

Have a great Christmas!! :D