What The Future Holds - The Next Generation (One Tree Hill)

Chapter 9

House of the Baker's

Since the incident in the cafeteria the day before, I hadn't been able to get Lydia Scott out of my mind. But she was with my brother. Again and again I had prayed this sentence in the last 24 hours. And yet it brought nothing. Maybe because I had sensed that she wanted me the same way I wanted her. How I would have liked to kiss her as she had leaned over and had closed her eyes. But I had also known that fooling around in a public cafeteria with the girl who had actually been spoken for hadn't been the smartest idea. Never before had I envied Jude so much! I really had to get her out of my head. The question was just, how? I sat down at my desk, got my math stuff out of my school bag and started with my homework. I had just solved the first math problem when there was a knock on my door. "Yes, please!" I called without looking up.

"Hey, little brother! Do you have time to talk?"

I turned to the door and saw Justin entering my room. "Sure, for you always," I said with a grin and put my homework aside. I would miss our talks when he was in L.A. He was a good listener, and there was practically nothing that I couldn't confide to him. That's how it had been from the beginning. When Jude had a problem, he usually went to our mom. If Izzy had worries, she asked our dad for help. And if I had something to talk about I turned to Justin. The fact that he showed up here unrequested to talk showed me that he probably had sensed that I needed someone to talk to. I saw him sitting down on my bed and nervously ruffling his hair.

"Okay, I'll ask you one question and would like to get a straight answer," he began hesitantly.

I frowned. What a strange start for a conversation. But I was curious what he had to tell me, so I nodded.

"Is there anything going on between you and Lydia Scott?"

I felt my pulse quicken involuntarily and my mouth gone dry. "I... no," I managed with difficulty. "Why?"

"You were seen with her in the cafeteria," he said dryly. "And it seems like the rumor is going around now that there is something going on between the two of you." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "You know how fast gossip spreads."

I looked at him, startled. "Yeah... Did Jude hear about that, too?" I stammered.

Justin shrugged. "No idea. But Stacy Huntington told Jamie, and you know what a chatterbox she is. "

I sank back groaning. That couldn't be possible, that Stacy, of all people had watched me and Lydia in our 'intimate' moment! She was the editor of the school magazine and for that very reason already interested in gossip.

"Is there any truth in that rumor?"

I turned back to Justin. So far, we didn't have any secrets from each other. He knew about my 'girl-stories' and other things I never dared to reveal to Mom and Dad, because I knew I could trust him. But how could I explain something to him that I didn't really understand myself? "Lydia and I," I began hesitantly, "are just friends." The way he looked at me, I knew he didn't believe me.

"Davis Baker has female friends?" He asked skeptically, then grinned. "This is a memorable event to be noted in the calendar."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop it! If you don't even believe me, how should others do it?"

"Actually, I don't care with how many girls you have fun with, but Lydia is special," Justin pointed out. "She's Jamie's little sister and I'm sure he'll cut your balls off if you hurt her."

I swallowed hard. Not a nice mental cinema that he just had planted in my head. But I was far from hurting her. "I would never do that. She means a lot to me," I said in my defense. But as soon as I had uttered the sentence I knew that it had been a mistake to speak so frankly about my feelings, because Justin glared at me suspiciously.