A trickle of sweat slid a windy path against her bare skin, pooling at the base of the brunettes back

Chapter 1.

Brooke sighed, exhaling an exaggerated breath to draw attention to her boredom and displeasure.

"I'm bored out of my mind." She vocalised, causing the two people sat opposite her to look up at the interruption. Peyton simply resumed sitting in silence, pouting and contemplating her hard done by life, used to Brooke's behaviour and ignoring it.

Nathan however took the distracted opportunity to take a look at his estranged half brother. He'd been aware of his brother's existence since birth but had ignored his being, living in near harmony up until Lucas had intruded his way into the visible inclusion of his life. He joined the tree hill ravens basketball team, taking his position on the team and attracting flirtatious behaviour from his two female friends. He was losing grip on his lifestyle and Lucas was gaining it. As far as Nathan could see, the only thing Lucas was at risk of losing was his virginity. The female population of tree hill high had taken to swarming around Luke like he was the new Nathan.

He dragged his curious gaze away from the blonde and focused it on the slight female who occupied the space beside him. Nathan took in her pure innocent appearance, and concluded that Lucas wouldn't be losing anything after all. At least not as long as she leeched off him he thought spitefully.

The twosome often frequented the halls, talking in their soft hushed tones about topics the other three residents of the room couldn't even begin to understand. He'd heard the gossip amongst the cheerleaders that Lucas was with the virginal tutor, but Nathan had been quietly watching his brother since middle school. She'd been in Luke's presence long before Nathan had even taken notice of the boys existence, and as far as he could recall, he'd never once witnessed them sharing an intimate moment or even an awkward kiss.

Nathan bit his lip and covertly studied their body language. Haley sat scribbling down notes on the essay they'd been instructed to write on the error of their ways, the only person actually carrying out the menial task. Her shoulders were hunched and her chair was at least a foots distance away from Lucas. Her hands were both visible and she didn't seem the type of girl to play a sexual game of footsie under the table. And then there was Lucas, he was oblivious to anything in the room beside Brooke Davis. Purely friends he decided with a visible nod.

Taking in Brooke's display of eyelash batting and lip licking and the way Luke was obviously falling for her charms made Nathan scrunch up his fist in frustration. Lucas was taking over every part of his life, his game, his school, his father's thoughts and now his best friend's attention. He couldn't help but feel a burning sense of betrayal.

And then, out of his peripheral vision, she caught his eye.

Haley James was watching him. Lucas' pure, virginal best friend was studying him.

Her wide brown eyes quickly darted back down onto the paper in front of her when his blue eyes locked with hers. His eyebrow quirked questioningly at her behaviour, his interest peaked by her own examinations.

She took another sneaky peek between the strands of her brown hair to see him still watching her. Feeling embarrassed and unsure, she looked up quickly to her right towards the handsome blonde, Lucas, checking to see he hadn't witnessed her moment of curiosity, but he was still busily distracted by the trail of Brooke Davis' tongue lazily running a trail across her lips, whilst she pretended to study the pages of a glossy European fashion magazine. Despite his own obvious display of attraction to one of the elite, she couldn't fight back the guilty expression displayed widely over her small features.

A light bulb brightened in Nathan's head when the realisation dawned on him. He took one more look between his flirtatious best friend and half brother, before focusing back on the girl in front of him. Haley was all Lucas had to lose and Haley as reluctantly fascinated to the image of Nathan Scott.

Lucas was about to lose Haley James to Nathan Scott, even if it was the last traitorous play he ever made.