They'd been friends once. Years ago, when they were children.
He sat at the front of the class, still quite and intense, but more like a stranger to her dark brown eyes.
They'd been inseparable. Just the three of them, Lucas, Nathan and herself, Brooke Davis. Then Lucas had found a new friend in his advanced class, Haley James. He'd always been academically brighter than them. He'd expressed his fear to them the day they found out they were to be separated from him, so he could go learn with the smart kids and they were placed in remedial. He didn't think he could ever make other friends. He'd even pledged to be dumber so he could stay with them, but you couldn't hide the intelligence he held.
Then Haley started becoming more and more of a fixture, the two spent hours reading and writing and even doing homework. They tried to make it work, but then high school started.
Whilst Lucas' time was spent with books and foreign movies, Nathan and Brooke immersed themselves in basketball, cheerleading and parties. They became popular and Lucas didn't. It made it easier to justify the time they no longer spent together. At first it was days without communication, then weeks and for Brooke, weeks turned into months and then only scattered greetings and departures to him when she left the Scott abode.
Even for Nathan himself who lived with Luke, they barely uttered more than a few words to each other in a week, and when they did it was strained and uncomfortable,
They were brothers by genetics, but practically strangers in reality.
For Brooke it felt a lifetime away, not the mere three years it was in reality. She only attended this one class with Lucas, she often felt her gaze being drawn away from the boredom of economics to his form and relieving those old times in her memories.
"The reason I've asked you two to stay behind is because you're both at opposite ends of the spectrum." Brooke broke out of her daze to snap her focus onto her teacher.
Lucas and Brooke had been instructed to stay in their places when the bell had rang out signalling the start of lunch. Haley had tossed Lucas a helpless look before departing, whilst Peyton had just upped and left with the other cheerleaders without even a backwards glance.
Brooke released a heavy sigh, waiting for further explanation as she examined the purple coated varnish on her manicured fingers.
"Lucas." She addressed the blonde boy, staring at him with a great affection and a light smile gracing her lips. "You're the top of the class. You're grades are outstanding and your knowledge of the subject is substantial enough to rival my own." She chuckled and he smiled back politely but said no more.
"Brooke however." She cut her eyes sharply off Lucas and over to Brooke, who jerked up straighter at the attention. "You're grades in this class are abysmal, you haven't handed in a single assignment on time this year and you spend the whole hour chattering about useless topics."
Brooke scowled in return, not embarrassed by her failure but at the description of cheerleading as a useless topic.
So Lucas was the best, she was the worst. Was she supposed to care?
"Not to be rude or anything." Brooke tucked a stray hair behind her ear and fixed her teacher with a glare. "But is there a point to this? Because, I have the classics coming up and this time's vital for cheerleading practice." She explained. "And I am captain." She threw in as an afterthought.
Ms Matthews's eyes narrowed in irritation. "I don't care what extra circular activity you're involved in, your academics are more important than… Cheerleading." She spat in disgust.
"Cheer Nazi." Brooke muttered. She could always tell the teachers who'd been bullied by cheerleaders during their time in high school because they always took it out on her and her squad now.
"Now." She straightened up her jacket and regained her composure. "Lucas, I think it would be helpful if you were to tutor Ms Davis here in English."
"What!" Brooke exclaimed, as Luke coughed loudly to disguise his surprise.
"I think you'd benefit from Luke's assistance in this subject." She sniffed, perturbed by Brook's outrage. "Would you be willing to help Lucas?" She looked at the blonde, his reluctance displayed clearly over his face.
"Um." He tugged at the collar of tee. "Haley's the tutor. I'm…not." He offered weakly in return.
"I know that Luke." Ms Matthews placed a hand on her hip. "But your top of my class. Now what do you say?"
He sucked in a breath of regurgitated air as he turned around to look at the uncharacteristically quiet Brooke Davis, who'd offered no further objection to his assistance.
She was staring out at the quad below, watching her friends congregate over their usual two benches, throwing down their lunch and erupting into laughter. She didn't see the point in protesting since no one seemed to want her opinion on the whole matter.
Lucas hadn't looked at Brooke properly in a long time. He forgot how truly breathtakingly beautiful she was. When she passed him in the hallways he no longer stared after her as she walked, choosing purposely to focus his attention elsewhere. When she visited his home with the gang to see Nathan he'd go out or stay in his room and avoid them all.
She felt the force of his penetrating stare and snapped her brown eyes onto his crystal blues. It was a shared look that voiced more than any words could express a brief exchange of what they were. He felt compelled to answer immediately.
He broke their connection and turned back to face their teacher with a wary look on his masculine features.
"I'll tutor her." He announced. "If that's what she wants."
"Brooke?" Ms Matthews directed at her with a questionable raise to her eyebrow.
She tilted her head slightly in acceptance before staring back out at her friends though the window, painting a bored expression on her face. She didn't need to verbally express her answer because she knew deep down, Lucas already knew.
"I'll do it."