Chapter 17

General POV

Peyton woke the next morning to the smell of food. It was strange, the last time she woke up to that smell was when her mother use to cook breakfast every morning before school. It was a welcome smell as she stretched in her bed.

"Wait a minute," Peyton mumbled.

Last she checked she was alone, well except for Jack. Brooke had slept at her house last night, so who the hell was cooking?

Could it be Jack, Peyton wondered, opening her door to investigate. She didn't get very far when she saw the spare bedroom door open and watched as Jack walked out, half asleep.

The two stared at each other, both wondering what he hell was happening. Peyton, curious to know who was cooking, and Jack, wondering why Peyton was outside his room.

"Problem?" Jack yawned.

"Who's cooking?" Peyton whispered, a little nervous. She didn't even have time to appreciate her shirtless roommate.

Jack's eyes widened as he too realized something was wrong. Peyton was right, someone was downstairs, he could hear him or her moving about.

"Let's go," Peyton whispered, taking the lead. Together the two made there way down the stairs slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. "Am I being robbed?"

"Well unless they're cooking bacon and eggs for you, I don't think so," Jack whispered back.

Peyton rolled her eyes before rounding the corner to come face to face with three other people.

Lucas Nathan and Haley all sat comfortably in Peyton's kitchen eating without a care in the world. They heard the footsteps and turned to see a confused looking Peyton and Jack.

"What's going on around here?" Peyton demanded.

Haley smirked. "You guys come down at the same time together? That's cute."

Jack rolled his eyes, use to Haley's comment by now. "She thought you guys were thief's."

"Did not!"

"Anyways, we just came here to cook you a victory's breakfast," Lucas explained. He looked towards Haley. "She insisted."

"What!" Haley sounded defensive. "We didn't really win anything, so at least you guys could cook us breakfast."

Peyton eyed the food before sitting down. "Not that I'm complaining but why here?"

"Well we thought Brooke would be here too," Haley explained, noticing the lack of her bubbly friend. "Unless she's still sleeping?"

Peyton shook her head. "She crashed at home. I don't think she wanted to be in the same house as you know who."

The group turned to Jack who'd been eating quietly. Nobody had spoken too him about what had happened. He figured it'd be forgotten, but he saw the stares. They had so many questions.

Jack turned to Lucas first, feeling a little guilty. "I'm sorry huh, I know you guys used to date."

Waving it off, Lucas acted as if it were no big deal. "It's fine Jack, it's not like you knew it was going to happen. Besides, it was a game."

"Yeah a stupid game," Nathan repeated, a little annoyed. He was still getting texts about his skirt because Tim had to post it on Facebook. "I'm never going to live that night down."

"I thought you looked cute," Haley teased, pinching his cheek. "But not as cute as Jack and Brooke."

"She doesn't quit huh?" Jack asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"You have no idea," Lucas laughed.

Haley watched the two interact and smiled. It was good to see how comfortable everyone was starting to get with each other.

"Fine, if not Brooke, then someone else," Haley continued. She eyed Jack. "I have it on good authority that many Tree Hill girls are vying for your attention."

Nathan wolf whistled. "You don't know the half of it, Jessie De Marco in English class already asked Jack if he wanted to study together."

Jack glared at him. "I thought that was a secret."

"Whoops," Nathan laughed, seeing his face change color.

Racking her brain, Peyton tried to remember which girl they were talking about. "Is that the girl with the really big boobs?"

"Exactly," Nathan smirked. He felt a quick slap on his arm. "Sorry Hales."

Ignoring her husband, she turned to her newest friend. "Anything in the works Jackie?"

"No," He answered seriously, before grabbing his dish. "Not interested."

Without another word, Jack dumped his dish in the sink before heading upstairs. The others wondered if maybe they'd pushed too hard but thought against it. They were sure that was his normal self.

"How's he been Peyton?" Nathan asked, curious to know what his brother does when he's home.

"He's been fine," Peyton answered truthfully. "Been more then fine actually. It's nice to come home to a house that isn't empty. He cleans after himself, pays for food, isn't loud, and just acts normal. I mean I don't see him that often after school."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"Well, he usually gets home around 6:30, and after dinner, he'll go to his room and that's it. I guess he studies or just goes to bed really early."

"You think maybe he's bored?" Haley asked, a little worried.

Peyton shook her head. "Na, I wouldn't worry too much about it. He isn't exactly scared to speak his mind. Anyways, thanks for breakfast, but I gotta head out."

"School doesn't start for another hour and a half," Nathan stated.

Grabbing her keys, Peyton smiled at her friends. "I gotta go check on Brooke, probably too embarrassed to leave her house."

Brooke POV

Brooke laid face forward on her bed staring at her ceiling. She'd been in the same position for the past 20 minutes, not once moving. The fact that she was up this earlier was an already alarming fact, but her current situation made it all the more real.

Millions of thoughts had crossed her mind since she'd woken up, and it annoyed her. She hated all the uncertainty of everything in her life.

That stupid dare night had just made things more complicated. She was just starting to get use to hanging out with Lucas and Peyton, going to school, and hoping for a regular year, but her neighbor had to go and ruin it.

Felix wanted her, she knew, and if she was being honest, she could admit she liked the attention. Most of it was crude attention, but the night of the cemetery he'd been honest with her.

He wasn't looking to settle down, or god forbid, get married, he just wanted to have fun. And at her age, she should be getting all the fun in the world because she didn't know how long it'd last in the not so distant future.

If that wasn't the worst of it, she'd gone further and screwed up yet again and kissed Jack. Of all the things she could have done, that was probably the dumbest.

At this point kissing Felix would have been an easier headache to deal with. She knew she had tried to hurt Lucas in the past, not her brightest moment, but the last thing she wanted was him thinking she was making a move on his new brother out of spite.

It wasn't fair to her, to Lucas, and even Jack.

Jack.

She barely knew the guy, which made sense cause the card did say stranger, but that didn't make her feel better. They'd hardly spoken since he'd been in Tree Hill. He had gotten comfortable with everyone but her.

She wasn't annoyed at that, in fact she was happy to see him begin a relationship with her friends. Lucas and Nathan got along with him, and Peyton hadn't complained once to her about kicking Jack out.

No it seemed like everyone got along with him.

Except her.

Besides a few hellos and that one car ride to school, she didn't know Jack. And now he probably thought one of two things; first that she was into him, or second she was nuts.

Either one spilled trouble.

"Brooke!"

Brooke sighed, hearing Peyton's outside her door. Her friend was here for one reason, and one reason only.

To drag her ass out of bed.

"What's the point of an alarm Peyton," Brooke whined. "You're always there to wake me up."

Brooke heard her friend laugh before she opened the door. She was already dressed and ready for school. She even noticed that Peyton had her cheerleading outfit in a bag over her shoulder.

"Oh man is that today?" Brooke asked, dreading the answer.

"Yup," Peyton smiled towards her friend sadly. She looked like a mess. "What's the matter Brooke? Is this about Jack?"

"Uh," Brooke moaned, throwing her head back. She didn't want to hear that name. "Can we talk about something else?"

"I don't see what the big deal is?"

"He probably thinks I'm nuts," Brooke muttered.

Peyton eyed her friend.

She'd seen her do some pretty questionable things in her life. Some things she isn't even comfortable speaking, but she couldn't remember a time where Brooke acted like this. She'd been pretty shaken when she found out she almost screwed up Nathan and Haley's relationship, and that made sense.

Yet this was different.

This was a kiss on the lips that lasted under 3 seconds. It shouldn't have been that big a deal. Brooke wasn't dating one, nor was Jack, and it wasn't like they were best friends.

Something was weird about this, but Peyton didn't want to push. She wasn't here to give her friend doubts; she wanted to make her feel better.

"He doesn't think you're nuts," Peyton reassured her. She watched her friend protest but she cut her down. "And no, he isn't some love struck idiot either. It was a dare, we get that, he gets that, and now you need to get that."

Brooke contemplated what her friend was saying before sighing. "Fine. I just don't want it to be weird."

"Jack's a big boy," Peyton teased. "Besides, he'll have options once he finds out you'll never love him."

"Ha ha," Brooke shot back. She did pick up on something though. "Options?"

Peyton rolled her eyes at Brooke's nose for gossip. "Apparently Jessie De Marco wants to jump Jacks bone. Or that's what Nathan says anyways."

Brooke's face scrunched up at the sound of the familiar name. "That slut with the fake blonde hair? God she's desperate."

"And that's catty," Peyton laughed, calling out her friend. "Oh by the way, ran into your neighbor on the way in. Asked about you. Wanted to know if you'd save him a dance this weekend at the party."

"What no way! I am not dancing with him. Or anyone. Hell no," Brooke ranted before noticing Peyton's failed attempt to hold back a laugh. "Your joking aren't you?"

"And your denial is strong for every guy," Peyton laughed as she left the room. "Come on B. Davis or I'll leave you with Felix as a lift."

General POV

Lucas sat comfortably in the back of class waiting for class to start. He'd been having an okay day so far and was looking forward to the end. After class would be the start of training for the team and he'd get a look at all the new members trying out.

He'd watched the tapes with Nathan and Tim over the last few days, but it hadn't gotten far. As much as they loved the sport, they didn't want to spend 3 hours a night watching basketball when they could be playing it.

Brooke entered her last class, spotting her ex boy friend right away. It was the one class they shared and her eyes always seemed to find him. As friendly as they were, it still hurt sometimes to see him.

Sighing she took her seat and waited for class to start as well. Her tryouts were being held today, just like the basketball team, so she just wanted this class over so she could get this stupid thing going.

There was a time where she loved tryouts, but today she'd been in a foul mood. Maybe she was tired, cranky, sexually frustrated, sick, she didn't know, but it was annoying her.

To make matters worse, she forgot who also shared this class when the boy she made a fool in front of walked into class.

Jack spotted Lucas in his usual seat. Like Nathan, he too only had one class with his other brother. He quickly found that Lucas was the brother who excelled when it came to school.

He wasn't saying Nathan was an idiot, but everyone had their strengths, and school was one of Lucas's.

"Hey man," Lucas greeted, watching as Jack sat next to him. "You look tired."

"Not even finished my first month and I'm beat," Jack admitted.

Lucas felt for him. He'd gotten use to seeing him but he still had to remember where they found Jack two weeks ago. Alone, homeless, out of school, and without a family.

He had them all now, but what that did to someone's head couldn't have been easy.

"You know, Haley's a tutor," Lucas mentioned. "If you ever need any help, she wouldn't hesitate. Even Nathan was tutored by her. That's how they met."

Jack thought about it. "Yeah I might have to take that offer."

"Hey have you spoken to Ed and Jennifer?" Lucas asked, curious to see if Jack was still checking in,

"Yeah. Actually going look at a place this weekend," Jack answered. Ed had called him yesterday to tell him the good news. As much as he enjoyed his stay at Peyton's he couldn't keep imposing like he was. "So there's that."

"That's awesome man," Lucas said happily. At the mention of the weekend, Lucas remembered something. "Speaking of the weekend, tomorrow we're throwing Haley and Nate a surprise wedding party. Nobody ever had the chance se we thought it'd be cool. You should definitely come."

Jack had heard Peyton and Brooke discussing the party the other night, so it wasn't really news to him. But he hadn't been invited until now. It was nice that everyone was planning a celebration for them. It wasn't every day people got married.

He remembered the parties growing up Ed and Jen use to throw for their anniversary. They use to say that marriage was usually a one-time thing in life; best celebrate every chance you got.

So it was nice to see Lucas planning it for them. All their families and friends would go to celebrate and probably have a great night.

On the outside, it seemed like fun, but Jack wasn't sure it was his thing. It'd be the first time he'd meet some of Nathan's and Lucas's family, and being the third son neither family knew about would be odd.

Then add all their friends, who some Jack knew, but still never really hung out with. He wanted to be there for Nathan and Haley, they'd done so much for him, but maybe he'd find a better way to congratulate them.

"I'll…" Jack started, trying to find he right words. "I'll think about it?"

Lucas nodded. "I get it man, gonna be a lot of people. No pressure though okay."

"Thanks," Jack appreciated the gesture.

Jack POV

Avoiding someone had been a mastered by Brooke, Jack noticed. The night after dare night, he'd planned on talking to her about what had happened at home, but she never showed.

It made sense, and he didn't blame her. It was probably for the best actually, she didn't have to endure Haley's constant teasing that morning after.

Still once they got to school he tried tracking her down but to no avail. Every time he'd seen her she'd either turn the other way or find someone to talk too. He'd been ignored for a good portion of his life, so he could read the signs well.

If he was being honest, he found it a little amusing. From the little he knew of Brooke, he caught on quickly that she was confident, or appeared to be. It was easy to fake confidence; he'd done so as well.

But she knew what she wanted and from the few stories he heard, usually got what she wanted. He wasn't stupid to not see the appeal. Everyone regarded her as the most popular girl and the prettiest one.

The only thing he knew for certain was the latter of the two. Behind the caution, and angry outbursts, and a occasional self-doubt, Jack could see how attractive she was.

It didn't change anything for him; he just wanted to clear the air. He wasn't some sad puppy walking around seeking attention like some of the guys he noticed.

His best chance to confront her had been the one class they shared, but as time went on, he never had the chance. Him and Lucas sat a few seats away, and since the start of the semester, she'd shown little interest in joining them.

Still, he was set on talking to her, and made his move once class was over. He watched her hurry out the door but he soon followed swiftly.

"Hey Brooke," He called out. He watched as she continued to walk, not once looking back. Rolling his eyes, he ran to her side. "Hey."

He watched as she turned to him, a little slowly.

"Hey," She answered simply.

People surrounded him as he tried to find the right words. He was all for a talk, but did it have to be in the middle of the hallway when everyone was getting ready to leave.

"Can we talk?" Jack asked, pointing towards an empty classroom.

Brooke shuffled back and forth contemplating. She knew this was coming; she'd spotted him all day trying to make a move. It was a little funny to be honest, watching him nervously pick a spot.

Still, as funny as it may be, this wasn't a talk she wanted to have, but had to happen.

"Sure," Brooke followed him into the classroom and watched as he closed the door. "You're not gonna kidnap me are you?"

"Not today," Jack joked, smiling a little. He saw her serious face and dropped the smile. "Okay then, no jokes."

The two stared at each other, not really sure what to say. Jack was wondering why they even needed to clear the air; it wasn't like they spoke often. And Brooke was wondering why his face had to heal so cleanly. Underneath all the cuts and bruises was someone she found attractive, and that wasn't a good thing.

"I'm sorry," They both said.

Jack smiled, gesturing for her to continue. "Go ahead."

"Wait why are you sorry?" Brooke asked confused. "I kissed you."

"But you didn't want to," Jack explained, knowing it was true. "You probably didn't want to do any of it. The dare, the whole game, the kiss."

Brooke thought about it for a second before scrunching her face. "Wait, so you're apologizing for me being in that situation?"

When she put it like that, it sounded stupid. "Uh, I guess?"

"You guess?"

Throwing his hands in the air in frustration, he spoke. "I don't know, I just…I just felt like I had to say sorry. For putting you in that spot, or for just being there. But I do know you didn't want to be kissing a stranger, at least not me, and for that I'm sorry."

It would have been easier if he stopped with 'I guess', but Brooke smiled nevertheless. "Thank you. It's a little confusing what you're trying to apologize for, but it's sweet."

Jack nodded his head, happy to get his point across. "Good. Well uh, I leave you to it. Have a good one Brooke."

Brooke watched he slowly left the room. Again her mind was racing but only one thing stuck out.

"Wait!" She called out, stopping his hand from opening the door. He didn't move, but turned towards her. "I'm sorry too, for putting you in the awkward position. I know you're trying to start a relationship with Lucas and it couldn't have been easy kissing his ex girlfriend."

"That part was easy," Jack joked, finally seeing the girl smile. "But I get it. And we're cool. But thank you."

He turned to leave one last time but heard her call his name once more.

"I just wanted to say," Brooke started, feeling the tension drop. "I know the card said stranger, I just wanted to let you know I don't see you as that anymore."

Jack turned towards her as the too shared a smile. It'd taken awhile, but the two had come to an agreement, it was the start of a friendship.

Author Note: Just to clear some things up, no Tim will not be a recurring character, I just didn't want to exile him without any reason. He'll slowly start to fade away in the story the further it goes. Also, brace yourself because it won't be 24/7 happiness for Nathan and Haley. It just doesn't do much to the story if they're off in the corner being happy all the time while the others are dealing with things. I'm not saying what happened in season two and a little of season 3 will happen to them, just saying they're going to be tested. Also, Brooke and Jack are not going to be jumping into a relationship anytime soon. If it does happen, that will be waaaay down the line, and that's if. She'll see other people in the mean time and you'll soon find out why Jack wants nothing to do with relationships. But they will form a strong bond, kind of like Lucas and Haley, so hopefully you like seeing them interact because it will happen more often. And lastly, most importantly, thank you for all the great reviews and everyone else who is just reading the story.