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Inside gym the cheerleaders are warming up while Hope sits on the bleachers watching her brothers and her friends.
"You could have told me Travis was a group." Brooke scoffs at her best friend in annoyance
"It's not like it's some big secret" Peyton stifles a laugh at the expression on her face.
"Yeah, how did you not know Travis was a group?" Hope scrunches her face at the brunette, genuinely baffled.
"Lucas gave me the weirdest look when I said that. I felt so stupid." She whines with a pout ignoring Hope in anger.
"You're not stupid. You guys just don't like the same things." Peyton reassures her friend with a kind smile.
"See that's the problem." Brooke exclaims throwing her hands open. "He brings up art and books and I've got nothing."
The whistle blows and the boys run out into the gym. Lucas runs past the girls and offers a greeting.
"Hey sis." He sends a smile to Hope that she returns earnestly. "Hey you." He greets Peyton before turning to Brooke for a final greeting. "And you."
Whitey blows whistle again. "Welcome back gentlemen. Lets see how soft you all got after that little hiatus. Suicides. Now." He orders as Jake jogs in with Jenny in a car seat. "Better be a basketball in that thing Jagielski."
"Come on Coach. It's either this or I miss practice." Jake send Whitey a pleading look a tilts the car seat so he can see her sleepy face making Hope coo.
"Alright well find her a spot with a good view so that she can watch her daddy throw up." Whitey allows making Jake smile in relief.
"We'll take her Jake." Peyton gestures to Jenny as Hope makes grabby hands behind her.
"Yeah? Thanks guys." Jake laughs at Hope's face once Jenny is directly in front of her.
"Glad to." Peyton replies laughing at her friend who is completely obsessed with the baby.
Whitey blows his whistle to get everyone's attention. "Alright, gather around. Where's Nathan? Tim, you're his girlfriend, where is he."
"I don't know coach. He was at school today." Tim shrugs making Whitey confused.
"Hope!" He yells at the girl who is unaware due to her playing with Jenny. "Hope Scott!" Her head snaps up and she looks around in confusion. "Your brother, where is he?"
"Right there." She points innocently at Lucas making everyone laugh and Lucas shake his head at her adorable nature.
"The other one." Coach sighs at the confused blonde.
"Oh, I don't know." She shrugs and returns her attention to the little baby gurgling in her car seat.
"Alright. I've got some offensive sets worked out here. Line up at the low stacks." Whitey announces drawing all the players attention away from Hope.
〰️〰️〰️ Jake walks to catch up with Peyton and Hope the next day as they make their way over to Peyton's car.
"Hey Peyton. Missing these!" He holds up a pair of keys that Hope instantly recognizes.
"Those are the keys to the squads equipment cabinet. I gave them to Jenny yesterday to play with. She was shaking them like a pom pom." Peyton admits laughing at the memory.
"It was the cutest thing I have ever seen." Hope adds with a laugh.
"Maybe she'll be a cheerleader." Jake jokes with the blonde.
"Or President." Peyton offers
"Yeah, You gotta think big." Hope smirks as they reach Peyton's car.
"Alright, you never know. Whatever makes her happy."
"You know I think its really amazing how committed to her you are." Peyton nods at Jake after the comment he makes.
"Well, its really not that hard. I mean, from the moment I saw her I was totally hooked. She's just so cute. And I think about watching her grow up. I couldn't imagine not being there." Jake admits with a soft smile as he thinks about his angel of a daughter.
"You know I bet you're a really great dad." Peyton compliments and Hope nods in agreement.
"I don't know. Some days I wonder." He admits making Hope frown and rest her hand on his arm.
"You are an amazing dad, she's really lucky to have you." Hope looks deep in his eyes to emphasize the comment making Jake begin to see her in a different light.
"Thank you, Hope. That means a lot, really." He places his hand over the one on his arm and squeezes it softly.
〰️〰️〰️
"We broke up." Riley announces as she barges into Hope's room where she lays moping on her bed after Peyton drops her home.
"I don't really know what to say." Hope sits up with a whisper and looks away, focusing on her sheets.
"Well you should, because we broke up because of you." Riley deadpans stepping closer to the blonde.
"I never asked you to do that." Hope face scrunches defensively.
"You didn't have to. I saw your face when you saw us together Hope. You were hurt." Riley looks close to tears as she looks at her friend.
"Riles-" Hope starts to move closer to her ready to comfort.
"No, I hurt you. We hurt you. We never want to make you feel like that again." Riley steps back and looks to the door where a sheepish Ethan stands with a box of chocolates.
"Can't we just go back to the way it was?" Ethan steps into her room. "We work better as a trio anyway." His hopeful smile coupled with Riley's earnest expression makes Hope involuntarily smile.
"I just want you guys to be happy." Hope sighs out not ready to accept their offers. "Even if that's without me."
"We're happy with you, okay?" Riley joins her on the bed, followed by a hesitant Ethan on her other side.
"Okay." She accepts and reaches for the box of chocolates biting into it with a smile as her two friends on either side of her laugh at the caramel that sticks to her lips.
Hope throws her head back in laughter and fails to notice the longing look that both her friends send her.
