Show Me How to Live This Life

A&N: So what if Lucas and Keith had actually stayed in Charlotte after season one and Dan had never had his heart attack? What if Brooke had never been in Tree Hill after all? If she had just lived another life, not knowing the people or their problems. If she was originally from Charlotte all along.

Everything still happened in season one. Naley met and got married and Lucas/Peyton had a thing but it ended badly. Brooke however, was not there at all. Ask if any questions come up! Enjoy!

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Charlotte was nice.

It's not like he wasn't expecting it to be. The beach was right there; Keith's and his new apartment was pretty big and had a great view of the ocean. They had already made some new friends with the neighbors and Keith's job was just getting off to a good start.

And the best part was that no one knew him here. He had a whole new life to live. It would be great. Now he just had to get through the first day of school.

Being the new kid, again.

"Ready for your first day Luke?" Keith asked as he sat at their new kitchen table sipping coffee. Lucas was standing in front of the mirror trying to fix his blue tie. His new school was a private one, complete with uniforms and the best academic program in the state.

Keith said he wanted to send him to the best. He deserved it.

"Yeah I guess. I mean I'm just ready for a new start." He sighed. Keith chuckled as he grabbed his keys and jacket. "Well I better get going to work. The rent isn't going to pay itself."

Lucas nodded as his uncle slapped his back before heading out. He looked at himself in the mirror and hoped this year would be better than the last. He had shaved his head for a new summer do and the peach fuzz was still there.

He was ready for a new beginning.

Lucas grabbed his keys to the jeep his mom and uncle had chipped in for him and started off to school.

Brand new day on a brand new planet.

Waverly Academy.

The halls were covered with posters of homecoming ticket sales and sports events. Science fairs and class elections. The colors were a navy blue and rich gold. The home of the four-time state champion hornets.

Yes, Lucas would like it here.

He was already a member of the elite basketball team. As soon as they were moved in Keith had called the athletic board, saying he had a nephew who would guarantee be a winner for sure. Once Lucas had met the coach and staff he was in, they were proud to have a newcomer that showed great potential.

The academy was known for their sports and academics. The basketball here was a given. Everyone knew about it. Baseball was a close second while the girls cheerleading and field hockey were nationally ranked.

The school part dealt a lot with arts and literature. Lucas' specialty. Students mainly went to classes such as art history or the study of creative writing. And all athletes had a free block to get whatever training they needed done.

It was an amazing school. You graduate from here and you could get into anywhere. Just last year they had a quarter of the senior class accepted into Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.

But college wasn't on Lucas' mind at the moment. He just wanted to start his junior year right. And this was certainly the place to do it in.

After getting his schedule he found his way to the upper-classmen building. He followed some kids into the large wooden-carved door and saw the people he would be with for the next two years.

Guys were in the required uniform, like him. Dressed in white button-downs with blue ties and tan slacks. The little golden hornet logo on their sleeves.

Girls looked like something out of a prep school movie. They wore short tan skirts with navy sweaters and knee-high socks. Most either wore UGG's or boat shoes. Some liked to wear heels to accompany their long, tan legs.

He made his way over to his locker when someone bumped into him.

She looked like a goddess really. Nothing like the girls from Tree Hill who would just try to show off everything they had. She wasn't even like Peyton.

She had long dark hair that was parted up top in some sort of poof. She had the uniform on but somehow made it look more like a hot-school girl fantasy than a dowdy blouse and skirt.

Her lips were cherry red and her eyes were coated with golden shimmer. She wore a small diamond necklace and smelt of wildflowers and honey.

And this was only the description Lucas could think of in thirty seconds. He couldn't even imagine how he would describe her if he had an hour.

"Oh sorry I…" "Are the new kid I suggest?" She cut him off with a smile. He nodded while opening his locker and pulling out a book. "Brooke Davis." She answered while grabbing his hand to playfully shake it. "Lucas Scott."

"I know." Brooke answered. "Everyone's talking about the new kid who showed up to lead us to another," She paused and sighed, rolling her eyes.

"State championship." He finished for her as she nodded and smiled again.

Boy was that grin addicting.

"So you've heard about me I assume." He said lowering his head to her. "Oh yes, the halls are just whispering about you famous basketball boy." Brooke said suggestively. "Well than, let's give them something to talk about." Lucas said whispering in her ear. Brooke backed up and giggled.

"Come on Lucas Scott. We have first block to get to and you have it with me." She said tugging him along. "Okay then." Luke said while looking her up and down once more while walking to class.

He wanted to ask her what and how she's heard of him but decides to leave a little mystery to his day. What could go wrong?

His first block was a class on old-century literature. The focus was mainly on Shakespeare and others. The class was pretty easy and it helped that he was a natural-born reader. All he had to do was take notes and keep up on the power points and lectures and it would be golden.

He peeks over and sees Brooke studying the art image carefully that's posted up on the board. He notices how she pulls her hair back or bites her pen right before she answers a question. He also watches her look over at him and hitch her skirt up a notch.

He laughs and shakes his head away while their professor rambles on.

That girl is trouble. He can sense it already. He knows when he first decided to come here that the last thing he wanted was trouble, but by the looks of this one. He couldn't help but want it now.

The day goes by fast and when he sees Brooke standing outside in the quad after the last bell rings he flashes a smile and she winks and gives one back. He wonders if she's gonna follow him to his car but when he sees her turn away to a group of girls he sighs with disappointment.

Brooke was a cool girl really and it seemed like she was his friend now, in some sort of way. He had met his teammates during his third block while touring the training room and gym. They were all cool guys and none of them judged him right off the bat because they didn't know his daddy situation.

He started his jeep and prepared to make his way home. Keith would be done by six so Lucas had a few hours to get his work done and maybe go to the beach. He exited the student lot while taking while last look at Brooke Davis.

"So what new guy has you blushing?" Lauren asked as she and Brooke made their way to the quad tables. School had let out but Brooke and her girlfriends always liked to hang after for a few, catching up on the day.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Brooke blushed and pulled out a mirror to check her make-up. The girls didn't know about her and Lucas' encounter yet. She didn't want them to think she liked him or anything I mean really that would be just crazy

Lauren was about to say something again when Zoe and Grace joined up with them. Their heels clicking away at the limestone and Chanel perfume left to linger in the late summer air.

"Hey guys!" Brooke said as the four sat down to began their gushing about the day. Brooke watched as her three best friends chat and gossip about their private prep school. She and they had been tight ever since freshman year when they all had arrived. They were the four queen bees of the small academy and she loved every second of it.

Lauren and she had met first. An accidental meeting at a local starbucks led them to discover they were enrolled in the same school because of their little wild streaks in the eighth grade. They both had mothers who didn't really care and were gone most of the time so that left room for a bunch of parties and sleepovers with discrete guys. Out of all of them, she considered Lauren her true best friend. It's not like she didn't love the others, it's just, she and Lauren felt the same pain or loneliness.

It was hard to find someone like you in this big wide world.

Zoe was this 5'9 goddess who had already been offered modeling trips but continued to turn them down so she could focus on her education. She wanted to be a writer at Columbia. Her parents were founders of some huge AIDS clinic in Africa and spent most of their time going around the world, trying to find cures for orphaned children.

Grace was a perfect blonde-haired, blue-eyed golden girl who had all-honors and was an all-state field hockey player. She was the main reason Brooke had joined sophomore year. Together on the field, they were unstoppable. Her parents were still married but acted more like divorced best friends then a couple. They spent their time in the Florida Keys promoting Gay rights in honor of her lesbian rock star sister.

This was the clique that ruled Waverly and Brooke wouldn't have had it any other way. This were the girls that kept her together. When her parents left her, or when Billy broke her heart at freshman prom, or when she lost her virginity to Scott. They were always there, no matter what.

"So Brooke have you heard about the new guy that showed up this morning?" Zoe asked as they all made their way to their cars, parked directly next to each other. No one dared to separate them.

"Yeah actually we have first block together, and we kinda flirted in the halls." Brooke answered as the girls whooped and hollered as she blushed once more.

"It's not like anything's going to happen." She proclaimed. Grace laughed while Lauren rolled her eyes. "Yeah yet." She snorted. "Oh come on Brookie have you seen him? I'd be mad at you if you didn't let anything happen." Zoe said.

The group all laughed once more before getting into their cars respectively. Brooke honked goodbye before promising to call them all later. She had to get home and get her art project done so she could get ready for field hockey practice tomorrow. They had another state championship to win.

Lucas sat at his desk later that night trying to focus on his advance American homework but all he could think about was Brooke and their meeting this morning. She was gorgeous, literally. But not in a showy way. Her attitude made him laugh for the first time in awhile and for once she didn't seem head to toe in issues unlike some other people he knew. Or, used to know was more like it.

Keith came in to say goodnight and saw his nephew smiling. "So I take it school went well then?" He asked, leaning up against the doorpost.

Lucas nodded. "It was great actually, the school's amazing Keith and the classes are just what I want to study and the…" He caught himself right before he said girls. He didn't want to keep anything away from Keith but the timing just didn't seem right, not yet at least.

"And basketball starts tomorrow?" His uncle asked. He nodded once more. "All fall sports start tomorrow. I'm pretty pumped. I met the team and saw the gym today." Keith grinned. "That's good Luke; just make sure to give me your game schedule so I know when to come."

He turned to go to bed when he added one more thing. "Oh and your mom called today, she wants to see how yours doing." Lucas looked at his cell phone and nodded once more.

"I'll call her tomorrow." "Kay, night Luke." Keith said.

"Night." Lucas turned to switch his light off when his phone buzzed.

He opened it to find one new text message from a contact he didn't have.

Hey Basketball boy, can't wait to see me tomorrow? I know you can't! Welcome to Waverly, its gonna be a fun year.

~Brooke

Lucas shook his head and chuckled. Charlotte really wasn't that bad.

It was going to be a fun year indeed.