Chapter Two

"So is my hearing failing me or did I seriously hear that my best friend went to a party last night?"
"Don't be so shocked Hales," Lucas says looking over at her in the hallway as he places some of his books in his locker. "Besides it's by time one of us checked out the popular scene."
"I suppose, but it's just kind of weird to hear people talking about you so much."
"People are talking about me?"
"Yes," Haley says spotting Brooke watching them. "Apparently at least part of what they're saying is right too."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the fact that Brooke is looking over here must mean that what I heard about you following her upstairs to her room is true."
"Well technically I never went in her room," he says making sure not to look over where Brooke's standing as he closes his locker. Starting off down the hallway side by side, Haley looks over at him to see what he's thinking before she opens her mouth to talk.
"Nathan stepped in before than I'm supposing."
"You would be right about that."
"He's just worried about you Luke," she says knowing the reason why he's trying to avoid eye contact with Brooke is because he knows that Nathan probably will find out about anything he does at this point. Naturally he thought, the peons would go tell their leader about any developing news on the matter. "It's not like Brooke Davis is exactly the best person for you or even me to be hanging around. Nate's just looking out for you."
"Yeah, but Hales he won't let me do hardly anything without making sure that nothing will happen to me. Heck, I'm surprised he let me out of his sight at that party for as long as he did. Just because I was supposed to be a twin and our little sister died shortly after birth doesn't mean that he has to look after me as much as he does. Don't get me wrong I didn't mind it when we were younger, but nowadays it just gets tiring. I can't do anything without him sticking his nose in and trying to be the overprotective older brother."
"You have to understand though that from his point of view he lost a sibling, and he doesn't want to loose another. That's why he's so protective."
"Sorry to ask this Hales," Lucas says turning to face her. "But whose best friend are you, mine or his?"
"Yours, but I was just explaining it to you bud."
"Really because I could swear that you sounded like you were his."
"Luke," Haley says as he takes off down the hallway in a manner that told her that she shouldn't follow him unless she wanted to make him angrier. Looking around to see if anyone is watching she starts to head off to her class after realizing that everyone in the hallway was looking at her. At least she could escape from their stares at least a little when she went to class she thought.

"Are you looking for a ride?"
"Nate's supposed to be giving me one," Lucas says searching the parking lot for a sign of Nathan or his car.
"He must have forgotten, I saw him take off with the guys earlier."
"I know coach split the practice into two halves for today, but I didn't think Nate would forget to stick around until the second half was done."
"I'm sure he's just use to the two of you getting out at the same time. No biggie," Brooke says giving him a smile. "I can give you a ride home."
"Thanks, at least someone cares about me."

"Hey dawg, you don't look too good. Is something wrong?"
"Oh, Luke's just mad at me because I made it sound like I was taking Nate's side too much."
"Speaking of which, it looks like something's wrong," Skills says as he spots Nathan heading towards them.
"Have either one of you seen Luke lately?"
"Considering that he hasn't been speaking to me since the end of lunch, I think not."
"I'm of no help either. I haven't seen him since this morning," Skills says looking a little worried. "Even at that we couldn't talk that long because the bell was about to ring."

"Hey, I thought you were taking me home," Lucas says as they go past the street she should be turning up to get to his house. "I might not be old enough to drive yet, but I am old enough to know by now that you were supposed to turn onto that last street."
"No one ever said that I had to take you straight home."
Upon hearing that Lucas knew that Nathan was going to be pissed when he finally did get home. The only way his older brother isn't going to be pissed, he thought, is if somehow he could manage to get home before Nathan did. He knew that was as likely as a cow actually jumping over the moon though, especially considering how worried and overprotective Nathan usually was.

"Man, what up? You look all stressed out."
"Tim…," Nathan starts to say something, but doesn't feel like wasting his breathe. Instead he decides to just cut to the chase. "I can't find Lucas, and I'm supposed to be giving him a ride home."
"I just thought that maybe you finally pawned the responsibility onto someone else."
"Like who? None of his friends are old enough to drive."
"Actually," Tim says looking over at Nathan. "One of them is."

"See, now was that as scary as you thought it would be?"
"No," Lucas says looking down at her on the bed. "It helped that you were talking me through it."
"Don't fell bad, I was nervous my first time too."
"I guess I'm not that strange then."
"You're far from strange," Brooke says as they both hear some noise coming from downstairs. Looking around the room nervous Lucas only sees his clothes. "Just give me your jacket."
"Are you sure that'll be enough, I mean what if it's one of your parents?"
"Please it's too early for my parents to be coming home. You should make sure you're fully clothed though. At least that way it doesn't look as bad."
Hurrying to get dressed, Lucas hears footsteps coming up the stairs. Then just as he was about ready to pull his shirt over his head he hears them coming to the door. Hearing the doorknob turn, he hurried to pull his shirt down over his head. Smoothing it out a little as the door opened, he felt Brooke leaning up against him.
"Just what I thought," Nathan says coming into the room. "Get your butt out to the car now."
Looking back at Brooke, Lucas looks torn. "I'll give it back to you during school tomorrow." Nodding, Lucas turns and heads out of the bedroom before Nathan gets even angrier.