"Lucas, wake up" Karen said, shaking him lightly.

"What…mom" Lucas whined.

"You have to go to school, you know"

"Unfortunately" Lucas yawned, sitting up.

"You never told me how Homecoming was you came home and slept all day"

"It was…not the best time" Lucas sighed.

"Let me guess…Brooke" Karen said.

"Yeah, pretty much" Lucas said. "I mean, I went to the dance with Peyton and it was ok with her and everything, but it just isn't the same with her as it is with Brooke"

"Do you think Peyton likes you?"

"No, no…she's still not over Jake"

"Who's with Nikki?"

"Right"

"This is like a soap opera" Karen patted her son's back. "It'll be ok, Lucas. It's just high school and Brooke's just a girl" Karen said, getting up. "Breakfast will be ready in 10" she said, and left the room.

"But that's the problem…" Lucas said to himself. "She's not just a girl. She's my girl"

Over at Brooke and Haley's…

"So today I'm going to totally ignore Nathan" Haley said. "And see how he feels about that"

"Hales…" Brooke laughed.

"You don't seem the slightest bit sad that you and Felix are over"

"It's because I'm not" Brooke said. "I'm single and ready to mingle!"

"Same here" Haley said.

"Explains why you're still wearing your wedding ring" Brooke teased.

"Yeah, well…" Haley said. "Just because I'm single doesn't mean I'm enjoying it"

"Yeah…I'm just glad to be free of Felix and…"

"And now Lucas might wanna be with you?" Haley asked.

"NO. He clearly likes Peyton" Brooke said calmly, but Haley could see the sadness when she said that.

"He doesn't. He told me he only went with her because he wanted a date"

"Right"

"I'm serious, Brooke. Lucas and I are best friends. I know when he's lying and when he isn't"

"Yeah but that doesn't really matter, Haley. He isn't into me anymore and I'm totally ok with that"

"Not true, Tigger! He spent the entire summer moping"

"Mhmm…with Peyton to comfort him"

"Ok…but they didn't do anything!"

"I highly doubt that"

"Come on, Brooke…you and Lucas give me so much hope- that maybe someday I could find someone who loves me so much" Haley said.

"You already found him, Haley. You're just a little lost"

"Right, a little lost as in he wants a divorce"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah"

"I swear to God if I was a 300 pound man I would beat that boy up" Brooke said.

"Thanks girly"

"Mhmm…"

At school…

"Well, well, well…look who it is" Rachel said to Brooke.

"It's my favorite slut…we didn't hang out at ALL at the dance" Brooke said, hugging Rachel.

"I know…I'm sorry" Rachel pouted. "I was absorbed with my date"

"Mouth?" Brooke looked at Rachel and let out a loud laugh. "You and Mouth made out"

"Shhh…we're keeping it on the DL"

"Right, ok. Like Mouth's gonna be able to keep shut about making out with RACHEL GATINA"

"Well, what can I say…and dare I say? Are Felix and Brooke…over?"

"Oh shush don't give me that sarcasm Rachel" Brooke said. "And yes, happy to report. Brooke Davis is single and ready to-"

"Sleep with every guy within a 10 mile radius of the whore house downtown?" a nasty, oily voice retorted.

"Actually, Felix, I would- but I'm afraid that would force me to be near you, so no, I decided to pass up the whore house" Brooke cocked her head to the side and smirked. Felix rolled his eyes and walked away.

Haley and Rachel high fived Brooke. "She's still got it!"

"Still got what?" Peyton asked.

"The ability to make nasty comments on a moments notice" Brooke said, staring directly at Peyton.

"Oh" Peyton said. "Yeah…well I'm gonna head to History so I'll see you guys later…"

"Have fun cutting your wrists" Brooke mumbled. Rachel cackled and high fived Brooke again.

"Mean girls…" Haley laughed, shaking her head and following Peyton down the hallway.

"No, no. We're not mean. We're just…conventional" Rachel said thoughtfully.

"Amen, sister" Brooke giggled, hugging her friend. "I'm gonna head to Math, catch ya at lunch?"

"Later, slut"

"See you at the brothel, whore" Brooke turned around and ran straight into Lucas.

"Hey, Brooke"

"Hey, Luke…" Brooke said.

"Are you heading to Math?"

"Yeah…we have it same period, remember?" Brooke laughed.

"Right…well, it's early in the morning" Lucas smiled. Brooke couldn't help but notice how cute he looked with his backpack slung over one shoulder

"Yeah, that's true" Brooke laughed. "So, how've you been since we last saw each other, which was like…a day ago?"

"Good, good"

"Did you and Peyton have fun at the dance?" Brooke asked, and Lucas noted a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Look, I meant to talk to you about that" Lucas said.

"Why? Lucas, we're not together anymore. It's been almost a year"

"I know that, but some things never change, you know? I didn't know how you felt about seeing Peyton and I together again- I didn't know if it was gonna bring back bad memories"

"Look, Lucas" Brooke said, turning around. Now her eyes were flaming. "I'm long over you- I had a 6 month relationship with someone else and I could care LESS what you and Peyton do. Peyton and I aren't friends anymore and as far as I'm concerned, neither were you and I until you decided to attack me about you and Peyton, which I could care less about"

"Wait, all this time, you and I weren't friends?"

"We were friends for the sake of social appearance, Lucas. Friends don't cheat on each other, and its kind of a difficult thing to forgive. So therefore, the answer to that question is…no, we're not really friends"

"I'd like to change that" Lucas said. "Can we please just hang out some time, just you and me? Casually? In a public place?"

"We'll see"

"Cool" Lucas said, smiling, and walking to the other end of the room.


"He totally asked you out!" Haley said high fiving Rachel. "Our plan worked!"

"What plan?" Brooke asked.

"To get you and Luke back together"

"And what exactly did you do, may I ask?" Brooke asked, applying mascara.

"Nothing, really. We hoped?"

"Thanks, girls. But this is a friend thing since he freaked out when I said we weren't really friends"

"Nice line" Rachel said sarcastically.

"I totally mean it!" Brooke. "We're not anything but friends!"

"That's true" Rachel said, pointing a celery stick at her. "BUT you both are seeking to be more"

"Right, ok" Brooke rolled her eyes. The doorbell rang.

"He came to pick you UP? This is definitely a date" Haley called from the couch where she was hitting the Ben and Jerry hard.

"Hey, Brooke"

"Hey, Lucas" Brooke said. "Lemme go grab my purse"

"Ok" Lucas said. He watched her disappear into the room and turned to Haley, who gave him a thumbs up sign and Rachel, who winked.

"Ready?" Lucas said, rolling his eyes at Haley.

"Ready" Brooke said.

"So I thought we'd maybe go to dinner at the Square?"

"Sure" Brooke nodded, getting into the car.

"So, I wanna talk, Brooke. We haven't had a chance to catch up"

"Yeah…" Brooke said, smiling. Lucas caught his breath and then looked back at her.

"So how has life been treating you, Brooke Davis?"

"Okay, you?"

"Pretty good"

"How's your, you know…HCM?"

"You don't have to hesitate when you ask me, Brooke, its ok" Lucas laughed. It was chilly outside and he shrugged his jacket tighter around himself.

"I know, I thought it might've been a touchy subject"

"Nah…I'm ok with it"

"How's life without basketball?"

"It's kind of like I've lost an arm or a leg" Lucas said. "I mean, I still play it- but I can't do it on a team and 24/7 like I used to be able to…how is your designing going?"

"Good" Brooke smiled. She was surprising herself with how much she enjoyed talking with Lucas. She thought after he cheated on her and was so cozy with Peyton that she'd never like him as a person again, but that was beginning to change. The conversation between them flowed easily, and there weren't any awkward silences or lapses in it.

"I miss talking to you" Lucas said. "I hope we can start it up again"

"Yeah, me too" Brooke looked up at him and smiled, her eyes twinkling.

"Looks like we're here" Lucas smiled, holding the door open. "Reservations for two?"

"Right this way, Mr. Scott"

"I'm impressed" Brooke said, following Lucas to their table.

"Enjoy your meal"

"So, Ms. Davis" Lucas said. "Thanks for coming with me tonight…it really means a lot to me that you wanna be friends again"

"My pleasure" Brooke smiled. Randomly, "Kiss the Girl" from Little Mermaid played across Lucas's mind as he watched her hunt through her bag for something.

"So…what else have you been up to lately, Brooke?"

"Nothing, really. I just you know…I've been busy with DU not I duty and school and other stuff…"

"How're things with you and Peyton?"

"Of course" Brooke said tersely.

"What?"

"This whole thing was to see if Peyton and I were friends again so you could make a move on her?" Brooke asked.

"No, no…Brooke I was just asking" Lucas said. "That's totally not the reason"

"Right, ok" Brooke said.

"You just ruined it" Lucas said, shaking his head. "This was going to be a great night"

"I ruined it? Lucas, we've been beating around the bush for over 8 months now, and I keep telling myself and my friends that you and I don't like each other, but what's the point?"

"Well I wanted to pick that back up, Brooke! I wanna be with you!"

"But we CANT" Brooke said. "You don't understand. We don't work. We don't fit. We have raw passion and love for each other, but we're two very stubborn and ambitious people, we just don't work!"

"I know…but we can make it work…I want to be with you, Brooke. This wasn't a friend dinner I wanted it to move from here"

"I don't know if it will…" Brooke said softly. "I'm sorry, Lucas…I really like you, I do…but my heart is still aching and I don't trust you fully and…"

"I'm sorry you don't trust me, Brooke…I know what I did was wrong, but can't I have another chance?"

"I don't know…" Brooke sighed. "I really don't know"


"Nate! What are you doing here?" Haley asked, opening the door and letting him in.

"I came to talk to you"

"Yeah?" Haley asked.

"Are you pregnant?"

"Nate, I…"

"ARE YOU PREGNANT?"