She could feel someone staring at her from the porch.
She didn't mind though, she just tossed her hair back and smiled.
"Hi, Dylan." She said with a sly smile, when the blonde haired new boy appeared from his own porch.
"It's Derek." He corrected her smoothly, and she bit her lip.
"My mistake. Want to come inside?" She asked smoothly, and Derek looked thoughtful.
"No thanks, you aren't my type." With that slice of truth he sauntered off, leaving her lost for words.
That was a first.
--
"Hey, Brooke." Haley sat down on the bench next to her friend, who looked sad.
"Hi, Tutor Wife." She replied in her perkiest default, but it needed work, haley saw right through it.
"Is everything OK?" She asked gently, touching Brooke's arm. Brooke looked Haley directly in the eye.
"No, nothing is OK. Lucas treats me like I don't exist and..." She trailed off, not sure what else there was to say.
Haley gave her a reassuring smile.
"Hey, he'll sort things out, he just needs to make sure Peyton's gonna be alright." She said matter-of-factly.
Brooke looked down. "How is she?" She asked hesitantly, and Haley shrugged.
"She's gonna be alright, she's just leaning on Lucas at the moment. It's not like she's still into him, right?" Haley laughed at the prospect but stopped abruptly when she caught on to the look Brooke was giving her.
"No, Haley, she told me she has feelings for him." Brooke muttered angrily.
Haley looked bemused. "But she liked Pete... then Jake... what's going on in her head?" Haley wondered aloud.
"Don't get me started." Brooke replied in a low voice, as Peyton walked by. Thankfully she didn't notice them, or if she did, make any indications of it.
"So... you like Lucas, Peyton like Lucas... this feels like two years ago!" Haley joked, but Brooke didn't see the funny side.
"Yeah, well this time I won't let myself get hurt." She said determinedly, and Haley nodded in agreement.
But she looked at her friend out of the corner of the eye and knew Brooke wasn't as strong as she pretended.
--
Brooke stood beside her locker and leaned her head against the cool metal.
She had been lying to Haley. Hell, she had been lying to herself.
She would let herself get hurt.
If it meant Lucas would be hers.
Because she'd never felt more alive than when Lucas was with her.
He made her feel smart and funny.
And loved.
But now it was all over.
And she had instigated it!
She had caused the break up.
And now she was alone.
Miss Popular?
Not so much.
A/N Sorry this is quite short I just realized I hadn't updated, next chapter will be longer and more detailed. I just wanted to write how Brooke was feeling. Thanks to 1treehillcharmed for the suggestion )
