So here is another story I have been working on. I have had this chapter written for months, just wasn't sure if I wanted to upload it or not. One Tree Hill has always been my favorite show even though Brucas didn't end up together. I have a tendency to like the couples that don't work out.

Anywho, I am moving Saturday, but school is done Friday so I should have a little more time to be writing.

Let me know what y'all think of this. It is very AU which I tend to like more than ones that stick to the show.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Easy

The truth is

That I miss lyin' in those arms of his

But I don't ever let it show

I laugh and I act like

I'm having the time of my life

as far as he knows

Brooke walked through the doors of her small high school taking a deep breath of the smell. As nerdy as it seemed, Brooke always loved the smell of school—to her they all held the same smell of books and cleaning products. Mixed together it made a combination that one would usually think would make a student's nose twist in disgust—except Brooke.

The smell took her back to every first day she had completed since Kindergarten—a day filled with snacks and fun time to now as a senior where she would spend her final days with a safety net of it being free. Who knows where she would be in a year?

Her dress swung around her body as she clumsily stepped around the crowded cafeteria. Her younger brother behind her— holding on to her deteriorating book bag as a way to not lose her in the crowd.

"You still there, Lassie?" Brooke smiled as she spoke over her shoulder only feeling a tug of her book bag as a response.

Once they made it to the outskirts of students, Silas let go and took to leaning against the corner of the hallway—closest to where students were released. Silas was never one for crowds. Though he was a rather outgoing smartass, he would rather get to his class before the stampede descended the halls.

Brooke pulled out her textbook turning to the first chapter that she was supposed to read before class began. Thankfully for her, the literature class would be her final class of the day giving her ample time to catch up.

"Brookie, are you taking that school store class again?" Silas asked. Brooke continued to read as she nodded at him.

"What period is that again?"

"Fourth and fifth."

"Why two periods?" Silas picked at the end of his book bag strap—frayed from years of his nervous tick.

"It usually isn't. I have a free period during fifth so I am taking Ms. Jones fashion class so I can work on the financial side of the store."

Her eyes never left the page as she gave him the explanation—a talent Silas had always admired. Though he hated reading—he had only read two books his whole life (a statistic he was rather proud of and a statistic that made Brooke roll her eyes)—his sister's ability to completely understand what she was reading while having a conversation always left him dumbfounded. And not only was she able to keep up conversation, but gave her attention so you never felt like she wasn't listening. Silas had absolutely no idea where her talent came from.

"I might get switched into the fourth period."

Brooke looked up from her book to give Silas a big smile. "Lassie, did you just want to spend more time with me?"

Silas chuckled as he shook his head. "I originally was taking my weight lifting during that time, but they changed it to be my seventh since I don't need to take Chemistry."

Brooke rolled her eyes at the administration in her school. "They were stupid to try to have you take Chemistry as a sophomore while simultaneously taking Physical Science."

"Do they even go hand in hand?"

Brooke shrugged. "Not really, but they have them in a sequence either way. They screwed up by putting you in Bio last year—so now you need to take Physical Science without confusing yourself by having Chemistry the same day."

Silas rolled his grey eyes at his big sister. He was pretty sure she understood the curriculum of their high school better than most of the teachers. She scoured over documents of class schedules every year—helping her friends get the best classes they could at the right time.

Silas had an inkling that Brooke would have taken his schedule in herself if they hadn't fixed it by this morning. She always wanted everyone to have the best education. It was a rather nice quirk for her to have. She was always quick to help him where he struggled and she always made sure he had the best classes.

"Are you nervous?"

Brooke shrugged.

"You want me to beat him up?"

Brooke giggled at her little brother's offer. "I will be fine, Silas. I am sure I will see him today and I will tell him I need to talk to him."

The bell signaled release and the students outpoured into the hall like bulls being released into an arena.

Brooke closed her book as she began to walk to her first class of the day and the most dreaded in her case— AP Human Geography. She figured it was best to get it out of the way earlier in the day than to take the late seventh period like most of her friends opted for. She knew taking your hardest class at the end of the day would end with skipping out and laziness.

"If he is an asshole, let me know."

Brooke rolled her eyes deciding she no longer wanted to talk about her frustrating ex-boyfriend.

"You have French right now, right?"

Silas, understanding his sister's need to talk about anything different, pulled up the picture on his phone and nodded. "How do you know my schedule better than me?"

"Just in case I need you for something." She gave a small shrug.

They continued to walk to their classes, both on the same hall. Brooke gave a kind smile to each person she made eye contact with, whether she knew them or not. Her mother had always told her someone might just need a smile and seeing a frown could be the worst thing for them.

Brooke said goodbye to Silas who had stopped to speak to a teammate as she continued to class. He yelled after her he would see her in fourth. She rolled her eyes at his loud voice knowing he only did it to draw attention to her.

She hated attention.

"Brookie, wait up!" Brooke stopped her walking to allow her best friend, Rachel, to catch up to her.

Rachel partly out of breath by the time she made it to the brunette.

"You alright?"

"I knew opting out of gym was a bad idea." Rachel wheezed pushing her auburn hair out of her face.

"Well you do have that knee injury."

"Oh, right."

Brooke grinned at Rachel feigning pain as though an administrator was keeping tabs on how badly her "knee injury" truly was. What started as a way to get out of running the mile back in freshman year, turned into Rachel using the excuse to get out of every gym class.

They finally made it to their destination taking their normal seat nears the back. Rachel had been sitting behind Brooke every class they ever had together (which was at least one since first grade). Rachel always had to have her back against the wall, a way to lean back and fall if asleep if time permitted.

"Did you see Johnny?" Rachel gasped.

"Hot as ever?"

Rachel gave a dreamy sigh thinking of the captain of the baseball team. She had been harboring a crush on the boy since third grade when he moved to their town and first day spilt juice all over her during snack time.

"He needs to accept we are meant to be."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "What happens if you two actually date and he finds a certain sign with his name on it in your room?"

Rachel's face turned scarlet at the thought. "It isn't like I stole the sign. Your mom did. She just happened to give it me. I can't just refuse a gift."

Brooke gave a loud laugh. Their sophomore year, Brooke's mom had seen a sign up in front of the school for all of the baseball players. They did it for whenever a team was in the playoffs—that year it just so happened to be the baseball team. Johnny's name painted on a cardboard sign, his number—27—clear as day for all to see. Brooke's mom figured no one would notice if it went missing and ended in the arms of Rachel.

"Very true."

"Have you seen Lucas yet?"

Brooke let out an agitated sigh. She knew her brother and best friend were just checking to make sure he hadn't thoroughly upset her, but she didn't want to have to think about the dreaded talk the whole entire day. Her nerves were through the roof as it is without everyone commenting on it every five minutes.

"Take that as a no."

They continued to talk about pretty much nothing for the next ten minutes as they waited for the rest of the class to file in. Soon, the class trickled, some really milking the no tardies on the first week.

The class held faces Brooke knew. It wasn't a big school. She had been seeing the same faces for twelve years. She knew about every senior even if they didn't know her. Plus, working in the school store, she managed to see many faces throughout the day. She wouldn't consider any of her other classmates close friends though at once she might have. It was what happened when you got to high school, friends slowly began to drift apart without ever realizing it had been weeks since you texted them. Brooke wouldn't consider herself a perpetual loner, she had many friends, but at the end of the day she had a small handful that she would be sad if she didn't speak to ever again.

"Holy shit. I am never going to pay attention." Rachel whispered into Brooke's ear when Johnny scrambled in at the last second, stepping right in front of the teacher with a lazy smile on his face. He took his seat at the only available desk which was next to Brooke.

Brooke had to clamp down on her lips to make sure she didn't laugh at the squeak that emerged from her usual calm and collected best friend.

"Hey Brooke. How was your summer?" Johnny asked, his dark eyes holding such warmth that Brooke couldn't help but smile at him.

"Great. Spent most of it with Rachel."

Brooke jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the wide-eyed Rachel.

"Hey Johnny. You are look dashing today."

Brooke did laugh then not being able to contain it any longer. Rachel was never one for subtle.

Johnny—thoroughly used to Rachel's shameless flirting—gave a wide grin. "Well thank you, Rachel. You don't look half bad yourself."

"It's all for you." Rachel grinned confidently. Just because the boy made her melt into her seat didn't change the fact she was Rachel Gatina and she would never be one to show she was flustered.

Brooke shook her head at her best friend.

Johnny mimicked Brooke's response before turning back to the front as the teacher began to hand out the syllabus.

Though the subject was going to be the one Brooke most struggled with, she was thankful that her teacher was none other than Rachel's dad. He was like a second father to her and he made time for all of his students—not just his daughter's friends.

"Good morning, class. As many of you know, I am Mr. Gatina. This is AP Human Geography. So if you think you are in the wrong class, now is your time to leave." Mr. Gatina gave a warm smile at the students and Brooke grinned widely.

"Maybe he won't say anything about me." Rachel whispered into Brooke's neck as she kept hidden behind Brooke.

Before Brooke could respond, Rachel's dad continued. "Also, I am sure you know my daughter, Rachel, who is currently hiding from me."

The class turned to see Rachel growl slightly at her father's words.

Mr. Gatina could only give a classic "dad" grin as he continued to go over her syllabus thankfully for Rachel never putting together that Johnny was "The Johnny."

The rest of the class went by without incident and soon the bell signaled Mr. Gatina's fifty minutes were up and it was time to head to the next class.

Brooke pulled her backpack across her shoulders, tugging at the bottom of her dress to make sure she would not be flashing anyone. It had always been an irrational fear of hers whenever she wore a dress—the small chance it got caught up in her book bag and her panties showcased for everyone to see.

She waited for Rachel to say goodbye to her dad and then they started to the next class—for Brooke, Art and for Rachel, Math. Stepping through the door she found Silas leaning against the lockers waiting for her.

"You don't have to wait for me, Silas. I am not going to break." Brooke grumbled as Rachel said she would catch up with her in fourth and started her way towards the math hallway.

"Maybe my class just happens to be next to yours."

"It isn't."

Silas rolled his eyes—once again bested by his sister's knowledge of his schedule and the lay out of the small school.

"I promised Dad that I would just keep an eye out today, okay?"

Brooke shook her head at the men in her family. They were so protective—afraid at one look from someone could break her. It wouldn't. She was a hell of a lot stronger than that.

Brooke placed a hand on her growling stomach hating that she skipped breakfast that morning. Brooke could almost feel Silas' want to check to make sure she was okay and she felt a flare of agitation.

"I will not speak to you the rest of the day if you ask me if I am okay."

Silas, knowing what was good for him, kept his mouth shut as they continued down the hallway. One turn led them to walk through the cafeteria. Brooke scoured the tables to see if there were any friends she had yet to say hello to. Instead, she caught the eyes of her ex-boyfriend himself.

Her breath slightly caught at seeing him sending her such a hateful glare. It was the first time she had seen him since their breakup a month before. Her heart pounded against her chest, trying to leap out and run back to where it thought it belonged. Her skin prickled under his glare like someone was taking needles so thin that it wouldn't cause pain, but enough irritation for Brooke to want to pull at her skin leaving scabs and scars in its place.

She thought she was ready to see him and speak to him about their situation, but one look at him and his group of friends had her wanting to run to the nearest classroom and stay until the day was over.

The larger part of her brain wanted to prove to Silas she didn't need him following her so she found all of the courage in her body, even the pieces that hid away in small crevices and allowed her Clark's heels to carry her to the table where the blond resided.

She watched confusion flit across his features when he realized she was walking towards him. She took a deep breath when she stopped at the table. She only had a few minutes until the tardy bell so she very quickly announced, "Lucas, I need to talk to you."

Lucas cocked an eyebrow and gave a humorless laugh. "We have nothing to talk about."

Brooke looked over her shoulder at her intimidating little brother. He looked years older than sixteen as he stood by the wall glaring daggers into Lucas's smirking form. If not for the tense conversation, Brooke would have laughed at the fact Silas had already pulled his long hair into a high bun as though he was anticipating fighting someone.

Brooke sighed turning back to the table where the group of students sat. She never was close to most of them, never running in the same circles. The only reason she knew them was because she dated Lucas—even then she couldn't handle the shallow comments and usually ignored them.

"I'm serious, Lucas."

"So am I. There is nothing I have to say to you, so scurry along back to whatever cave you came from."

Brooke was thankful Silas was far enough way to not hear the exchange. She knew she would have to this conversation with Lucas at some point, but she didn't have the time to argue with him.

Julian Baker, Lucas's best friend, gave Brooke an apologetic smile and Brooke sighed. "Whatever, Lucas."

She stepped away from the cackling table, Silas instantly falling into step beside her.

"How did you think that was going to go, Brooke?" Silas asked frustrated throwing a glare over his shoulder at the table deemed for only popular students.

"About like that."

Brooke thought only of Lucas the next two class periods. She barely listened to her teachers go over the curriculum for the year, only thinking of how she could get Lucas to listen to her for five minutes. She remembered the year before, Lucas had signed up for the school store class as a way to spend more time with Brooke saying as they never had classes together.

Lucas wasn't one to try in school where Brooke excelled in almost every subject save for English. She assumed he would have tried to transfer out, but then again school store was the easiest class a student could take. Why give up an easy A?
To any outsider, Brooke acted as though her break up with Lucas didn't affect her in the slightest. Silas being the only one that knew the pain Brooke felt every time his name was brought up. The sadness ate away at her every time she thought of the way he used to make her laugh and the happiness he made her feel.

It wasn't like she didn't care about him anymore so she left him. They were just too different. They wanted different things. They were in high school—relationships weren't meant to last. She figured she could either deal with a manageable amount of pain now or an unbearable amount of pain a year from now when she no longer could handle his wild ways.

She reminded herself countless times that this was for the best—they were never going to be able to succeed in this relationship. She wanted him to change and he never would, but that didn't make seeing him any easier. It didn't make her not ache for him to be near her and to have him smile at her quirky ways.

By the time Brooke made it to her fourth period, she had wanted to go home and deal with her problems tomorrow. She knew putting the inevitable off would just make it worse, but she just wanted a few more hours of peace.

Silas was already in the class, taking a seat at the long table near the back. Only Rachel being the other student, seated beside Silas asking him about the football team. Brooke stopped at the door trying to decide if she would have time to run to the vending machine when she felt a groan of what she could consider exasperation behind. So close she could feel their breath on the top of her head. She turned to look up at him.

"Will you please talk to me?"

Lucas placed his hands over his face and Brooke knew he was trying not to get angry. "No."

"Lucas, it is important."

Brooke felt pathetic almost begging him to speak to her, but the longer she went without telling him, the worse the fallout would be.

"Well, I stopped caring about what is important to you months ago."

Though Brooke was usually emotionally sound, the past few weeks she had been an emotional rollercoaster. She blamed the hormones for breaking through her usually calm exterior.

She bit her lip as she felt the emotions began to swirl around her mind.

"You don't get to be upset with me." He muttered at her threatening tears.

He moved roughly passed her, taking his seat the farthest corner away from Silas who was giving him a fierce glare.

Brooke felt glued to her spot, feeling humiliated at the turn of events. "You alright, Brooke?"

Brooke gave a jerky nod at Julian muttering low enough for only him to hear, "I forgot how much of an asshole your friend is."

She didn't wait for a response as she left to take her seat beside her glowering brother.

"I don't want to talk about it." Brooke cut off Rachel's comment ready lips, pulling out her phone to text her mom.

The class held twelve students, all from the class last year—the only addition being Silas. Because of this, instead of the usual syllabus spill, their teacher released half of them to the store in cafeteria and the other half to the store down the hall.

Brooke silently cursed her favorite teacher at placing Lucas, Julian and Lucas' brother Nathan with her, Silas, and Rachel. She put on a brave face not waiting for the rest of her group, grabbing the keys, and stalking away.

She thought about all of the times she watched her mom walk into a room and the confidence that seeped from her. With each click of her heels, Brooke's mom made her presence known. Brooke tried to execute herself in the same way, but her steps were too clumsy with inexperience and she was afraid with each step, her chunky heels would let everyone know she was terrified of the boy behind her.

She wasn't surprised to see he and his friends had run off to do God knows what. Rachel and Silas even decided no teacher meant free time and scurried off to roam the hallways together. It wasn't really shocking—Rachel had been around since Silas was only six, so there is no reason for them not to be rather close.

Brooke, never one to break the rules, found herself alone for the first time that day and released a long sigh of relief. She cracked the door behind her for the small chance someone needed her and stepped into the small room. Though this time last year, she was terrified of the thought of running a small business, this year she was excited. She had finally decided that all of the financial aspects of a business are what excited her and what she wanted to do in her future—rather it is as an accountant or running a clothing business herself.

This was her safe place. Quiet—the only noise being the loud buzzing coming from the fridge.

A creak of the door made Brooke glare at roof. She just wanted a few minutes alone. She was surprised to find Julian closing the door behind him.

"What do you want, Julian?"

Julian glared at the tired girl. He could tell by the droopiness of her eyes and the fact her skin was crusted over in certain spots showed the exhaustion she felt. Brooke was usually very careful to hide her skin disorder and the fact she wasn't taking care of it showed she was stressed.

"What do you want? You can't break up with the guy then get mad he doesn't want to talk to you."

Julian rarely was angry with Brooke and it caught her slightly off guard. They had known each other for years, only becoming friends within the last two. It was no secret Brooke had some rather strong feelings for the brunette back in the day—of course, that was before she met Lucas.

"I just need to talk to him."

"About what? What is so important you can't just send a text?"

"It's private."

Julian rolled his eyes at the girl who played with the ends of her hair which was back to its natural brown. Last year, she had dyed it a blonde that she pulled off effortlessly, the year before that, it was pink. He had never met a person could pull any color she wanted but Brooke could.

The sadness in her voice made him feel bad for the harshness in his words before.

"Please, Julian. Please tell him I just need five minutes."

"Leave him alone, Brooke."

Brooke glared at him, her usual warm hazel eyes hardening at the boy in front of her. "I would love nothing more than to have nothing to do with him, but I can't. I need to talk to him and it is serious."

"Why are you being so cryptic?"

"Leave it alone, Julian. This is between me and Lucas."

"What, are you pregnant?" It came out a joking tone, Julian never thinking someone as pure as Brooke could even think about sex, let alone be stupid enough to get pregnant. But at the quick intake of breath from the small girl, Julian felt as though his whole world turned upside down. "Brooke."

"You can't tell him, Julian." She whispered staring at the ground and Julian was sure if her voice was any higher, it would have probably come out as a sob.

"I won't."

"I just need to get him alone."

Julian nodded, his eyes glazed over in shock. It wasn't that he was carrying a torch for him and Brooke, but the lingering feelings he held—the sliver he felt for her, the sliver that thought maybe if Lucas wasn't around they would be good together— went up in flames knowing she was carrying his best friend's kid.

Julian stepped away from her, not sure what he was supposed to do. It was a rare occurrence Julian Baker was unsure of himself, but what eighteen year old knew how to handle this situation?

"I will talk to him. I will let him know you need to talk to him."

"Thank you."

He turned away, but a thought stopped his feet from taking their much wanted exit. "Is that why you broke up with him?"

Brooke shook her head, not wanting to air her and Lucas's issues around for others to see.

"Figured I would ask. He doesn't really say much about it."

He left her alone then. Alone to think about her future and not knowing what the hell she was doing. Everything was so much simpler a month ago.

We broke up
yeah, it's tough
most guys would've been crushed
Wastin' their time
Wonderin' where they went wrong
No way, not me
Hey, I'm doing just fine
I'm not afraid of movin' on

It's easy going out on a Friday night
Easy every time I see her out
I can smile, live it up
The way a single guy does
But what she, what she don't know
Is how hard it is to make it look so
Easy

[Natasha Bedingfield]

The truth is
That I miss lyin' in those arms of his
But I don't ever let it show
I laugh and I act like
I'm having the time of my life
as far as he knows

It's easy goin' out on a Friday night
Easy, everytime I see him out
I can smile, live it up
The way a single girl does
But, what he, what he don't know
is how hard it is to make it look so
Easy
Oh, it's easy

Oh, it's easy goin' out on a Friday night
Oh, it's easy every time I see him out
I can smile, live it up
Forget about the way it was
But what she
Oh, what he don't know
What she don't know
Is how hard it is to make it look so
Easy
Look so easy

By: Rascal Flatts

Review Please!