Beautiful Mind, Tortured Soul

To love is to go quietly mad inside your own mind and then dive in again when the murky waters clear.

CM

x~X~x

Chapter 1: Begin Again

Sunlight filtered through the damp oak trees as morning made its presence known throughout the woods. From his position on the mossy undergrowth, Lucas looked up reflexively to greet the sun's glow with his usual nonchalant stare. Squinting, he gazed as long as he could at the fiery wake-up call before his eyes began to sting, a burning sensation creeping over them and tingling right to the corners. He turned and looked at the deer that lay beside him, eyes drained of any life much as its body had been of any blood. Lucas licked at his lips to remove any evidence of what had occurred here as he stood, the metal taste coating his tongue like a shot of ecstasy. Rolling his shoulders back and forth to ensure his black leather jacket remained intact; he scanned the woods for any further movement and considered the level of his hunger.

'The deer had been enough,' he thought to himself as he began to hide the limp evidence under thick, damp leaves. The warm colours seemed ironic in a way, covering his cold act with bursts of oranges, yellows and browns. Of course, the thought of killing would have repulsed a normal human being.

But Lucas was far from normal and had long ago ceased being anything that even resembled human.

Stepping forward, he set his sights east, walking to the edge of the woods in a matter of minutes. Speed was on his side, and as the sun began to peep over the tiny town that lay stretched out before him, he felt the same pang of power drawing him to it as it had done back in California. Although he enjoyed the fruits of his native home town, the very place in which he had met his creator Lindsay and begun his so-called new life, a sensation had washed over him a few weeks prior and had engulfed his entire being. The need to leave and find this small town was so strong it had left him struggling to comprehend it. 'Something had called to him' he had told Lindsay, his creator laughing at his notion as if it were the most foolish thing she had ever heard. She merely battered her eyelashes at him and sent him off to find their evening supper, before turning her attention back to the frightened maid who lay trembling in her grasp. For centuries he had roamed by Lindsay's side, faithfully protecting her with unwavering devotion. To say that he belonged elsewhere would have been considered the highest form of blasphemy. Yet here he was, staring at the tiny town now waking up to a brand new day, having abandoned Lindsay and the meal she was expecting to follow the urge within.

It was almost as bad as his tremendous urge to feed. Perhaps even stronger.

Jumping down from the rock he had perched himself on, Lucas straightened himself up and made his way down the green grass that sparkled with the morning's dew. As the sun rose he hurried towards his destination, eyes tense and jaw clenched with anticipation. He had always been a person who remained on time, even as a human, and now was no exception.

Lucas Scott was not going to be late for his first day at Tree Hill High.

x~X~x

Just breathe!

Staring at her own reflection in the mirror, Brooke Davis muttered those two words repeatedly under her breath in a heavy whisper. Strands of loosely-curled chocolate-colored hair hung magically around her shoulders as emerald eyes probed every inch of the perfectly made face gazing back at her. Grabbing the brush that lay on the oak wood dresser, she quickly slid it through the set bangs that tickled her cobalt eyelashes and took a deep breath. Even the fiercest of critics could not deny the beauty of Tree Hill High's most popular head girl. With silken legs that seemed to go on for days, a tight body that managed to hypnotize even the school's female staff and a smile that would break a million hearts, Brooke had long been the Queen of the quiet North Carolina town known as Tree Hill. Yet today she stood before the mirror with a stomach full of unyielding nerves.

This is ridiculous, she thought as she dropped the brush to the dresser with a thud. Since when did Brooke Penelope Davis have to worry about school? Since when had she been scared of anything? Head of the cheerleading squad, Brooke was known by all as the perennial fashion trendsetter who all the guys wanted to be with and whom all the girls just simply wanted to be. She had a long line of people begging to sit at her lunch table, to carry her books to class, and to have but five minutes of her time to witness her flashy smile up close. Tall, brunette and slender, she was a shoe-in for prom queen and likely to be a future senator's wife if her wealthy father had anything to do with it. Yes, Brooke Davis had everything she could possibly want. Everything other people would kill for.

So why did she feel so out of place?

"Brooke, are you ready or are you still on Australian time?"

As if pulling her from the damning thoughts that threatened to take over Brooke's mind, Haley James' bubbly voice echoed up the stairwell with an underlying urgency that told the popular brunette one thing.

They were late.

Standing quickly, she took one last look at herself in the mirror and nodded her head. Moving towards the door, she stopped when a flash of silver caught her eye. Almost instinctively, she reached for the cross that lay dangling from her dresser mirror and fastened it around her neck. The silver felt cold on her skin, kissing her collarbone. It wasn't like she was astutely religious, but somehow she felt that the tiny chain had managed to almost calm her nerves.

"Brooke?"

Damn! Monolo heels clicked a rhythmic tune as Brooke made her way down the marbel staircase and into the arms of none other than her nerdy best friend. Flanking to her side, Haley kissed Brooke's cheek and held out her hand, urging the young girl forward.

"First day back. Are you sure you're ready for it, Tigger?"

It was a nickname the young tutor had given Brooke the first day they had met. Brooke had been drumming up support for the big upcoming game in her usual exuberant manner which in turn saw Haley accuse her of being akin to the energizer bunny on crack. She had adored her ever since.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Tutor Girl," Brooke replied, grabbing her satchel and sliding it over her right shoulder as they headed out the front door. As they walked, Haley filled Brooke in on what had happened in Tree Hill over the summer whilst she and her mother had been vacationing in a much colder Sydney.

"Well, everyone has been asking me if I've heard from you, especially Nathan."

Haley dropped his name slowly at the end of the sentence, almost as if she were afraid to speak it. It had been three long months since Brooke had even made contact with the sandy-haired basketball player and the silence on the topic had worried her best friend. Dating for twelve months, the Raven's star and his head girl were a picture perfect couple. Voted Snow King and Queen at the winter formal, their smiles and constant public displays of affection showed just how deeply both had fallen and that their relationship would last the distance. Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis seemed to be Tree Hill High's golden couple.

But nothing is ever as it seems.

"Brooke?" Haley asked nervously, unsure now if she should have even mentioned his name at all.

Brooke sighed, stopping before the corner to the school and looked her innocent friend in the eyes. With honey hair and big, hazel orbs, Haley James was beautiful in her own right. But it was her honesty and integrity that others admired in her and both were traits that Brooke had grown to depend on over the years.

"Hales, listen. I know this summer I kind of left you hanging, but really, I just needed a break from it all. I needed to get out and clear my head… to figure out exactly what I want."

Haley nodded her head in understanding, furrowing her eyebrows as she watched Brooke curiously.

"And what did you decide?"

Brooke did not even blink. "That Nathan Scott and Peyton Sawyer deserve each other, and as far as I'm concerned, they are dead to me."

Almost as if on cue, tires screeched around the corner and landed at the traffic lights with a slamming of the breaks. Brooke and Haley turned to see golden curls blowing in the fall breeze, dancing to the sound of Jack's Mannequin blasting from the stereo. The comet roared a little as Peyton glanced up, hazel eyes glaring at both girls before she rolled them and looked the other way.

What right does she have to be mad? Brooke thought angrily, images flashing back to her of Nathan and Peyton together in the library on the last day of school. She watched aghast as Peyton leaned in and whispered something in Nathan's ear, slender fingers running over his broad shoulders as she sank into his lap. From the stack behind, Brooke could see as their lips pressed together, shattering both her relationship with Nathan and her friendship with Peyton in one horrific kiss. She'd fled the scene, and the country, the following day.

"Come on," Haley whispered as she reached for Brooke's hand, the brunette allowing her best friend to drag her from the scene without a fuss. The cement below cracked loudly as they raced towards the school, Peyton's car zooming past them and into the school's parking lot. Silently, Brooke hoped to not have to see her face again.

At least until practice.

Walking into the school gates, Brooke was met with the familiarity of social dominance. She was surrounded instantly as she stepped into the grounds. She waded through the sea of lustful eyes, appreciative smiles and small waves and remembered who she was, and more importantly, that the new year was looming before her and ready for the taking.

No one tears Brooke Davis down, she thought to herself as she returned each acknowledgement with her own special brand of greeting. A smile here, a wave there, a wink for those who knew her well. Finally, she made her way to the usual front step gathering of the in crowd, all eyes turning to her as fellow cheerleaders Rachel Gattina and Bevin Mirskey stepped forward.

"Well, I see they let you out," Rachel replied, stepping in to give Brooke one of her signature devilish grins. "Wasn't sure the land down-under was actually going to let you go with the lack of emails you sent over the summer." Brooke turned and set tired eyes on her auburn-haired friend, the clambering of feet around them engulfing them in a brief moment of private small talk. "Are you okay?"

Brooke nodded her reply, Haley and Rachel being the only two aware of the events that occurred last June. Rachel's eyes narrowed like a curious cat, leaning in and whispering quietly between them.

"My offer to kill the bitch still stands."

Haley snorted beside them and Rachel winked, Brooke throwing them both appreciative glances. Of course it was characteristically-unthinking Bevin who halted the appreciation.

"Oh my god, is it possible that Nathan got even hotter over the summer?"

Haley's eyes darted up to peer over Brooke's shoulder, scanning the grounds for the elusive ravene-haired Scott as quickly as possible. Her eyes latched on as she caught sight of him, striding up the front path laughing happily. His aura was blinding, even to those who knew him better than most. He was, the team captain and a destined NBA star and he knew it. Brooke watched as he stood along with other various members of the State Champions basketball team. They walked with an air of arrogance, and they had every reason to, but it had seemed that the newly acquired team member was going to be different to the rest when he joined the team last year. Although he came from the same wealthy social standings as the rest, he didn't act as though he was better than anyone else. It was these qualities that captured Brooke's eye and caused her to give Nathan Scott her heart.

And these qualities he seemed to have abandoned when he cheated on her with her friend.

"Let's go… Rachel?" Haley grabbed Brooke's elbow and pulled her forward, Rachel grabbing a gushing Bevin as they made their way inside. Bevin complained as they edged towards their silver lockers, baby blues going wide as she gave Brooke a disapproving look. Her skin was flawless like Brooke's, and her perfectly plucked eyebrow was raised much in the same way as her beautiful captain when she was studying someone.

"What was that? We always hang on the front steps every morning and wait for Pey.."

Rachel nudged Bevin hard and the blonde gave a yelp, rubbing her upper arm where the girls' elbow had made contact. Before anyone could answer, the bell called out above them to signal it was time for class. Opening her locker, Brooke dumped her Chanel cardigan inside and turned to face Haley. The tutor handed her the class schedule she'd missed, and the brunette couldn't help but frown as she looked down at her first period subject.

Ugh, History, she groaned internally as the girls waved goodbye and went their separate ways. Brooke hurried down the quickly emptying hall and made her way into the classroom, silent chatter continuing around her as she entered. Familiar blonde locks greeted her with disdain, Peyton staring up from an intense conversation with Anna Taggaro to give Brooke a less-than-thrilled look. Anger welled within the brunette at Peyton's icy stare, Brooke clenching her fists into tiny balls and turning her knuckles white. Peyton smirked upon seeing this, turning her body to face Brooke as if to dare her forward.

So this is how we're gonna play it? Brooke thought as she stepped forward, her angry charge halted by the touch of a warm hand encircling her tiny wrist. She jumped a little at the touch, turning to see Nathan staring down at her, his face searching for some form of answers he'd been longing for all summer. The class grew silent, hushed whispers permeating the cemented classrooms walls that lay adorned with historical posters no student even cared about. Nathan shuffled in his position as he let go of Brooke's wrist, her angry stare enough to rattle his usually cool exterior.

"Are we ever going to talk about this?"

Brooke frowned at his words, clearly expecting more from this moment than the basketball capatin was able to produce. Had he saved all his fancy lines for Peyton? Wasted countless poems on the very person who deserved them the least out of anyone Brooke knew? She stepped back and took her seat, Nathan sighing as he made his way to the desk beside her.

"No," she held out her hand, issuing him a stern warning. "I believe your girlfriend sits at the back of the class now. There's nothing for you here."

"Brooke," Nathan began to plead, eyes going soft as he implored her to see things differently. "If you would only let me…"

"Right," Mr Felstrick announced, standing up from his place behind the bland teacher's desk that never seemed to change no matter how many years it aged. "Welcome back, hope you had a lovely summer, yadda yadda yadda…" he twirled his hands in the air, his unwillingness to expense with the mundane pleasantries and excitement of the first day of school that seemed to spray out of every other teacher in the school on day one something Brooke always liked about him. "History. There's lots of it."

The class laughed as he sat on the front edge of his desk and crossed his ankles over one-another, folding his arms across his chest and laying his eyes on Nathan, who was still busy staring at Brooke.

"Mr. Scott, generally it's the teacher who allows you to learn, not the brunette sitting beside you."

The class giggled again as Payton turned in her seat and threw Brooke an angry glower, Nathan slinking back into his chair disheartened as Brooke refused to look at him. She could feel his sigh as he retreated and for a moment she felt a pang of sadness, wanting nothing more than to take him in her arms and wish away all the melancholy that they clearly both felt. But then her mind flashed with an image of her best friend wrapped up in his arms and the anger returned, fortifying her resolve to not even look in his direction. She pushed back the tears that threated to well in the corners of her eyes and forced down the lump that persisted in its attempt to climb up her throat.

"Right," Mr. Felstick began, a smile on his face as he glanced across the rows of students before him. "Welcome to US History, a place where we can learn from the mistakes of others and try to not repeat them. If you could open your books to page…"

He stopped mid-sentence as the classroom door shot open, all eyes falling on the young man who slid into the room. White sneakers moved silently across the linoleum floor, a body draped in darkened jeans and red, skin-tight t-shirt. He passed a white note into the hands of the man before him and waited, his eyes never wavering from the person before him, even though he must have felt the presence of the curious stares that watched him from their seats. He sighed quickly as the note was handed back, Mr. Felstick smiling at the class and holding his right hand out the introduce the boy beside him.

Boy. Somehow that tag didn't feel right to Brooke. She looked down at her paper and began to absent-mindedly draw, the curve of a dress taking form on the page before her.

"Lucas Scott," the teacher began, the newest member of Tree Hill High turning to face the inquisitive eyes of the classmates before him. "Another Scott, hey? Well, everyone…new kid. Make him feel welcome. Yadda, yadda, yadda."

It was as if he had set a fire of hormonal charge throughout the room. The boys looked at him as if he were a threat or an extra addition to their popular crew, whilst the girls looked at him as if he were a Hollywood movie star who only had to click his fingers and they were willing to do whatever he wanted. Whispers made their way throughout the room as Lucas stepped forward, eyes darting around the room as the stares beamed back at him. Suddenly his gaze stopped, landing on a tiny brunette who was so busy scribbling away on a white piece of parchment that she didn't even look at him. He could feel the tension of the blonde boy beside as he gazed at her and a small smirk entered the corners of his lips at the sensation. Sliding into the chair next to the brunette, he dropped his backpack on the floor and placed both hands on the desk before him, the teacher's voice ringing out over the classroom as the lesson began. Turning his head to the right, he breathed out slowly and watched at the hairs of the edge of her arm tingled, tiny bumps forming as she stopped her scrawling and slowly turned in his direction.

His gaze made Brooke tremble ever so slightly. It was a feeling she wasn't sure of.

"I'm Lucas," he announced, Brooke's breath catching in her throat as she looked at him, uncertainty mixed with curiosity forming in her gaze. She briefly glanced at him and then turned her attention back to her drawing, a small voice escaping her lips.

"Good for you."

He smirked at her and she could feel it, unable to explain how or why. Swallowing hard she had almost forgotten that Nathan was beside her, a note falling onto her desk from her right. Slowly she unopened it, the words before her written in the same scrawl that used to make her heart beat for a different reason than it did now.

I love you.

I'm sorry.

Please can we talk about this?

Nate xo

She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, willing every inch of her body to not react. To not show the pain that no amount of distance or days could evaporate. She was suddenly wishing for the cold days of Sydney, praying to remember what it felt like to smell the salty sea water in Circular Quay and watch the night glow from the bustling night activity of George Street. It was a place where she could get lost and not be the girl who was cheated on. Where she could disappear and not have to face the whispers and stories of how one head cheerleader had been betrayed by her best friend and her boyfriend. Where popularity didn't matter.

Where the idea of Brooke Davis didn't matter.

"So," a familiar southern voice cut through her melancholy like a bolt of lightning, Brooke's gaze whipping upwards to see Peyton Sawyer standing before the new boy, her eyes traipsing over his body as she stood with her usual air of confidence. Without even knowing it, the class was starting to disperse and the lesson was over. Brooke began to grab her books and bag, ignoring the brooding gaze from the boy beside her whilst trying her best to ignore the ex-best friend in front of her. Jesus, it was like being trapped with nowhere to turn. Where the hell was Haley when she needed her? She could have used a dose of her unwavering optimism in this moment.

"So, where have you come from?"

Lucas glanced up to meet the eyes of the curly blonde before him, now flanked by a gaggle of girls with eyes who were equally as intrigued. He stood to his feet, grabbing his backpack and sliding it effortlessly over his shoulder.

"Sydney," he replied, Brooke gazing up to meet his eyes as he smirked ever-so charmingly in her direction. It was a gaze that did not go unnoticed by Peyton, her eyes darting between them with a look of annoyance. "George Street."

Brooke's mouth opened slightly at his comment, their gaze holding one-another's as those that were remaining in the room stopped and stared. Lucas stood to his feet and made his way to Brooke's side, his obvious jealousy not going unnoticed by Peyton who silently seethed. To say the situation was tense was an understatement but in that moment Brooke didn't feel it. Instead, her eyes stayed latched to the dark orbs before her, as if something were pulling her towards this boy she hardly knew for a reason she couldn't explain.

"Anyway," Peyton interrupted, forcing a smile to her lips as she continued to urge Lucas' attention to her direction. "There's a back to school party tonight at the beach and I was thinking you should totally come."

Totally come? He'd forgotten how limited the vocabulary of high school students were. He held Brooke's gaze as he replied, not once looking at Peyton who stood in anticipation beside him.

"Will you be there?"

Brooke's eyelids flickered in curiosity as she gazed back, not able to form the words but replying 'yes' with a simple nod, much to Lucas's satisfaction. He pulled out a pair of shade from his jacket pocket and held them in his hand, twirling them with one finger in one swift, elegant movement. He smiled as he exhaled once more and made his way past the girls before him, stopping only to take one more glance at Brooke before sliding the shade over his magnetic eyes.

"See you there."

And then he as gone. The chatter of the room filled up her senses as Brooke reached for her notebook and sketches, unsure of what just happened but completely aware of the thumping of her heart within her chest. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. A feeling of thrilling uncertainty mixed with the fear of the unknown. She ignored the whispers and ominous looks of her peers as she made her way out of the classroom, a tiny white note falling from her book and floating to the floor.

Strong hands reached out and picked up her dropped note with a look that contained regret, longingness and anger all mixed together. Nathan breathed heavily as he held onto it, a look of sheer determination crossing is features as he scrunched the note up and slid it into his letterman jacket, darting out of the room as the bell rang out above them all.

x~X~x

New stuff. Not sure why.

It just appeared in my brain and needed to come out.

Please review.

Chrissy