That's What She Thought

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

As she was heading to her last period class, Peyton stared at Brooke as she suddenly took stride alongside her.

"Hey!" Brooke squealed.  

"What's got you so excited, girl?" Peyton asked. 

"Nothing, just, nothing! Hahahaha oh my gosh!! Ok, I can't hide my excitement, can I?"Brooke cried happily. 

"Nope," Peyton giggled.  

"Ok...listen. Mike, it's, he's..." Brooke said uncontrollably.  

"He's...? Hey, you know, I always somehow find myself in the situation where I have to say, 'what, Brooke? Finish your thought!', and you always make me ask 'what' before you go on! So can't you just tell me what already??" Peyton asked, building up with sudden excitement too. 

"Alright," Brooke said, seemingly trying as best as she could to calm down. "Mike...is...going on vacation!!!" 

"And you get to go too? That's awesome!! I always thought it was so sweet when guys decide to take their girlfriends on a vacation with them, even if it's for family originally!" Peyton cried. 

"Well, no. Not exactly. He's going on his family vacay...but without me," Brooke still looked as if she were excited on the inside, but were now trying to hide it. 

"What? That's awful! Why is that good, then? You'll miss him so much! He'll be gone for...?" Peyton started. 

"A month!" Brooke finished. "A whole, entire, full-on month he'll be gone." 

"Won't you miss him though?" Peyton asked carefully. 

"Yeah, I guess it's not that great, is it?" Brooke added in. But she didn't really seem like she meant it at all. "I guess I was just happy that he...gets to go on his first vacation ever! I mean, he hasn't gone on one ever in his life!" 

"Well, yeah, that's exciting anyway I guess!" Peyton laughed as they rounded the corner to the senior wing.  

"And...about Josh earlier," Brooke started. Oh no, Peyton thought immediately. But strangely, she didn't feel like she had been recently-longing to kiss his beautiful face. She suddenly felt as she always had before she realized he was better looking than she thought.  

She felt...normal, like regular old Peyton. So she actually wasn't worried when their conversation about him continued. "Yeah, what about him?" she asked confidently. 

"Ok, so I know you're just going to deny when I say that having guys all over you, like Josh, is a good thing," said Brooke. "So I'll just say right now that it may not be a great thing at all times. But Josh is one example. Can you think of any others that bug you or, at times when guys are all over you, you're not really bothered?" 

And to be honest, Peyton couldn't. Other boys always followed her around, drooling all over her. They, too, asked her out constantly...but it wasn't like Josh asking her out. A couple of guys who totally obsessed over her, Jake Kahn, Trevor Presley, and Nick Hutchinson, always told her how incredibly beautiful she was. Whenever she thought about them asking her out like they did, the word "flattering" popped into her head. Not the words "revolting" or "irritating" she got when Josh did. There was something about him that made her say, "No thanks" every time.  

Was it his looks? Nope, she'd already established his appearance certainly wasn't ugly. Or what about his personality? He did seem like he could be a sweet guy. Really friendly, and certainly not at all shy. But him chasing after her seemed irritating. Why wasn't it annoying when Jake, Nick, or Trevor did? She said goodbye to Brooke, and walked into her English class.