Hey everyone, thanks so much for the reviews! I just want to say right now that you don't have to worry about any of the characters (Carrie) being psychotic or stalkerish. I hated those storylines on the show, and I'm definitely not using them in my fics. I like to keep storylines as normal and believable as possible. Also, don't worry, Nathan will be making an appearance very soon. I hope you like this next chapter. Please read and continue to review! Thanks!

Secret No. 2: A little scheming never hurt anybody.

"Crap…crap…crap…crap…crap…"

"Brooke, come on. That last one wasn't bad," Haley complained as she watched her sister raid her closet.

"Crap," Brooke continued. "Tutor Girl, I thought we went over this. You have to stop buying T-shirts with weird cartoons and slogans on them."

"They're comfortable," Haley defended.

"No, they make you look too young. What happened to all those outfits you bought in California?"

"These are the outfits I bought in California."

Brooke sighed while shaking her head. "And I thought that we were making such progress."

Haley rolled her eyes. Jeez, so I want to be comfortable. Sue me, she mused.

"I'm sorry, but you cannot take these clothes to Duke with you. Especially if you want to impress Na- your new peers," Brooke quickly covered.

Damn, I really have to watch what comes out of my mouth, Brooke berated herself. She shot a look to her sister and was relieved to see that she hadn't picked up on her almost mistake. Instead, Haley pushed some of the clothes off of her bed and laid down.

"Tigger, I'm not going to buy a top at some stupid, overly-priced designer store when you can make me something twenty times better. And for free," she teased.

"You never know. I could start charging you," Brooke declared.

"You could. But you won't," Haley called her bluff with a confident smile.

"You're lucky I love you." Haley laughed as Brooke came to lie down next to her on the bed.

"So, have you started packing yet for when you move in next week?"

"A little. I'm saving my clothes and makeup for last, though," Brooke answered.

Haley wasn't surprised. Her sister had so much stuff it would probably take the rest of the week for her to sort through it all.

"I should probably do that, too, since I'm still using everything," she agreed.

"Well, when you do finally get around to it, let me know. I have come up with a foolproof method of folding clothes. I swear, you'll probably be able to fit ten more outfits in your suitcase."

"Only you, Brookie," Haley laughed.

Brooke playfully elbowed her in the side. "Trust me. You'll be thanking me later."

"You're probably right." Haley then flipped over so that she was lying on her stomach. "So, are you going to the concert this Friday with Lucas?"

"Of course. Peyton hooked us up with VIP passes," Brooke explained, excited. It was just one of the many perks she got from her sister being a music insider.

"That's cool," Haley commented.

Brooke frowned. "You're still coming, right?" Haley had started playing with her hair—a classic sign that she was thinking about something.

"Um, I don't know," she admitted.

"Tutor Girl, why not? Peyton worked really hard on this concert. You have to come," Brooke said. "Plus, everyone's going to be there."

"Exactly," Haley mumbled.

The concert at Tric would undoubtedly be the hottest show in Tree Hill of the summer. According to their mom, they were almost officially sold out. But it wasn't an oversized crowd that worried Haley. It was one person in particular.

Haley knew that Nathan would probably show up. His mother was part owner of the place, after all. And while she wanted nothing more than to see Nathan again, she was also afraid of what the outcome might be. The last time they'd spoken had been right before she left for Stanford. She'd tried to make things right with him, but it hadn't gone well. That night before she left Haley had cried herself to sleep.

Haley didn't know what would happen if they came into contact with one another again. For all she knew, the man she was in love with could've completely changed. There was a possibility that maybe he didn't even love her anymore. As much as it killed her to think about it, Nathan could already have a new girlfriend.

Sure, Haley had asked Lucas how Nathan was doing. They didn't stop being friends or brothers when she and Nathan broke up. Haley was happy about that—even though it did seem kind of surreal that Lucas now knew more about him than she did. But it wasn't like her best friend was with Nathan every second. Lucas couldn't possibly know what Nathan did or who he was with at Duke. But Haley did her best not to focus on that. She wanted Nathan back more than anything. She had to at least muster up her courage and give it one last try.

Brooke watched as her sister stared up at the ceiling and fiddled with a white gold ring that hung on a chain around her neck. It was the promise ring that Nathan had given to Haley three Christmases ago. Brooke sighed quietly as her usual concern for her baby sister began to resurface. She wanted nothing more than for Haley to be okay again.

"Well, I think that you should go no matter what," Brooke spoke up. "And you know that I'll make you an outfit that any guy will drool over."

"I don't know," Haley said with a shrug.

Brooke flipped over on her stomach and faced her. "I promise. You'll have fun. And I have a feeling that something really great might actually happen." Brooke then reached over and gave Haley's hand an affectionate squeeze.

"And what would that be?" Haley asked.

"I don't know. You'll just have to come to find out."

"A little to the left. No, to the right. Okay, more to the left. Um, a little higher. Wait, lower…"

"Peyton!"

"That's perfect," Peyton declared. She was at Jake's apartment, helping him decorate the place.

For months his walls had been bare—except for a few drawings that Jenny had made. Peyton kept insisting that he had to spruce the place up. Eventually, she made some paintings of her own for him to have and hang up.

"You know, I could've fallen and broken my neck because of you," Jake teased as he stepped down from the ladder. He then came to stand next to her and look at the painting hanging up.

"Well, you've just got to man up, Jagielski," Peyton said before socking him in the arm.

"Ow," he muttered while rubbing it. "You are way too strong for your own good."

"I can't help it if I'm a bad ass."

He laughed. "Yeah right."

Peyton went to smack him again but he caught her wrist just in time. He pulled her to him and whispered in her ear, "As much as it turns me on that you can beat me up, you know I can still take you."

"Really?" Peyton challenged coyly.

"Mm hmm," Jake replied before pulling her tighter against him. He lowered his head and captured her lips in a hot, passionate kiss that Peyton felt all the way down to her toes. She wrapped her arms tighter around him as his hand became buried in her curly locks.

Jake then started to leave a trail of open-mouth kisses down her neck while his hand moved from her waist to up under her shirt. Peyton automatically felt her breathing become heavier as he drew circles with his thumb on the bare flesh of her back.

"Daddy!" Jenny's voice called from down the hall. "Come here!"

Jake groaned silently as he pulled away. "Sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay," Peyton stated. She was used to it. It was sometimes hard for them to find a moment to themselves when Jenny was around. But Peyton didn't mind. She loved that little girl, and the fact that Jake was such a dedicated father.

"I'll be right back," he promised. Jake then gave her one more quick peck on the lips before taking off to Jenny's room.

Meanwhile, Peyton picked up another one of the pictures she made for him. It was of Jake's guitar that he loved so much. She added some funky colors in the background to liven it up a little. To her surprise, it ended up being Peyton's favorite one to paint. She looked around the room to see where it could go.

"Peyton, can you come here for a second?" Jake called.

She put down the painting and walked down the hall to Jenny's room. "What's up?"

"Can you sit with her? I have to get some rubbing alcohol and a band aid for her," Jake stated.

She took a seat next to Jenny on the bed. "Sure." She heard the little girl sniffle. "What's the matter?" Peyton asked.

"I fell," Jenny answered while rubbing her eyes. Peyton noticed they were a little red from crying.

"Aw, I'm sorry. Did you get hurt?" Jenny nodded. "Where?"

"Here and here," she said while pointing to her knee and elbow.

Peyton looked them over and frowned when she saw the dark bruises that had formed. "Wow, you really did get hurt, huh?"

"I didn't fall that hard," she pouted.

"Well, then why are you crying?"

"Because they're ugly," Jenny explained.

Peyton rubbed her back soothingly. "They'll go away," she assured her. "And trust me, a couple of nasty bruises is not going to make a beautiful little girl like you ugly."

Jenny sniffled again before getting up to sit on Peyton's lap. She smiled as the four-year-old gave her a hug.

"Here we are," Jake declared, coming back into the room. He bent down in front of Jenny and wiped her bruises with the alcohol.

"Ouch!" she winced.

"It'll only sting for a couple of seconds," Peyton told her as Jake put the band aids on.

"See. You're as good as new," he announced.

"Dad, can I stay up a little longer? I want to watch the rest of Aladdin," Jenny requested.

"Just fifteen more minutes," Jake told her. "Then you have to go to bed."

"Okay." Jenny carefully crawled off of Peyton's lap and laid down on her bed. She looked at the small TV set that was on her dresser and began to watch the movie. "Will you come back and tuck me in?" she asked Peyton before she left.

She put a strand of Jenny's blonde hair behind her ear and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Of course, honey," Peyton promised. Afterward, she and Jake returned to the living room.

"She never stops talking about you, you know," Jake commented as they took a seat on the couch. "I think you're her new idol besides Annie."

"That's a scary thought," Peyton joked.

Jake smiled before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her in close. Peyton rested her head on his chest. Despite the fact that they'd been dating for almost three years, she never got tired of being close to him. She always felt so safe and protected in Jake's arms.

He gave her a tender kiss on the lips. "I don't think so."

"Thanks," Peyton replied softly. "So, um, do you know if you can come to the show on Friday?"

"Yeah, my parents said they can baby-sit Jenny for the night."

"Great. I'm going to need you there to keep me sane."

"How are the preparations going?" Jake questioned.

"It's okay. But we only have two days left so we really have to get our asses in gear if we're going to have everything ready."

"It'll be great. I'm sure you and the Three Musketeers can handle it."

Peyton rolled her eyes at Jake's nickname for Lydia, Karen, and Deb. "We can," she replied before checking her watch. "It's getting late. I'm going to go tuck in Jenny and head home."

"Or you can stay the night?" Jake proposed.

"I can't," Peyton stated. "I have to get up early tomorrow and be at Tric. And we both know that if I stay I won't be getting much sleep."

"Sleep is overrated," he dismissed as he pulled her in for a fiery kiss.

Damn it, how is it he always knows how to get me?

"Maybe I can stay one extra hour," Peyton compromised after they broke apart. He was just too adorable and sexy to resist.

"Now you're talking."

Early Thursday morning, Brooke drove to Lucas' house. She had to talk to him about something very important. She walked up to the side door in front of the house that led directly to his bedroom and knocked a few times. She smiled when she saw that he had finally gotten around to painting it red. It had originally been black, but she convinced him to paint it her favorite color. She was the one who had to look at it, since she visited him so much. It took a couple of minutes before the door swung open.

Brooke had to suppress a laugh. "What happened to you?"

"Huh?" Lucas asked confused as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"Your hair," Brooke elaborated. His shaggy blonde hair was sticking up like Alfalfa. His pajamas also seemed to be all twisted on his body. Lucas put his hand to his head and groaned.

"Here," she said while walking up to him and smoothing it over. Brooke also readjusted his shirt. She then gave him a mischievous look before sliding her hands down to his pants. As she set them right, Brooke's hands grazed a certain member of his anatomy.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack first thing in the morning?" he teased.

"You know you like it, Broody," she laughed before leaning to give him an affectionate kiss on the lips. "And speaking of heart attacks, did you take your HCM medication this morning?"

"Not yet."

"Lucas!" Brooke scolded. She was always worried that Lucas would forget to take his pills. After Dan's heart attack three years ago and her father's death, she wasn't going to let her boyfriend take any chances.

"Brooke, I was sleeping until you came here," he defended. She then gave him a look. "But I'll take it now if you want."

"Nothing would make me happier," Brooke commented as she entered his room and shut the door behind her. Lucas walked over to his dresser and grabbed his medication. She watched as he popped it in his mouth and swallowed.

Brooke shuddered. "Ugh, how do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Dry swallow a pill. I'd probably choke."

"I don't know. I guess I'm just gifted," he replied with a smile before sitting next to her on the bed.

She leaned in to give him another peck on the lips. "Well, I won't argue with you on that." She was about to pull away when Lucas deepened the kiss. It wasn't until they heard a loud clatter from the kitchen that they broke apart.

"What was that?" Brooke questioned.

"Probably Keith trying to cook breakfast," Lucas replied with a shake of his head. "He's not really good at it, but he tries."

"You know, Papa Sawyer is actually a wiz in the kitchen. He can make one hell of a cheese omelet."

"Well, the next time Keith cooks, I'm coming over your house," he joked.

"Please do," Brooke said with a beaming smile.

Lucas returned the gesture. "So, not that I'm not happy to see you or anything, but what exactly is the reason for this extremely early visit, Pretty Girl?"

"I sort of need your help with something."

"You're finally going to market your clothing line."

"Lucas," she warned. "Do you want to be back in the doghouse like on Monday?"

"No."

"Then please stop pressuring me."

"Brooke, I'm not trying to pressure you. I just think it's time that you put yourself out there again. So what things didn't go well at your internship in New York? You have talent. Those people were just bastards."

"Broody, believe me, I know. But I told you that I'll do it when I'm ready. I'm just not there yet. This time around I want things to be perfect and in my control. Can you please understand that and just drop it?" Brooke pled.

She wasn't going to fall for the same tricks like she did in New York. She was going to be smart about things and take her time. And although Lucas was just trying to help, he was only increasing her anxiety.

"Alright," he agreed after a minute. "I won't mention it again."

"Thank you."

He lifted a hand to caress her cheek. "But just know that you're completely amazing, okay?"

"Please, I knew that the day I came out of the womb," Brooke joked, trying to lighten the mood again.

Lucas laughed. "Wow, that really wasn't an image I needed, Cheery."

"Whatever," she dismissed casually with a flick of her hand. "Now let's get to the reason why I originally came here."

"Which would be?"

"Is Nathan going to the show at Tric on Friday?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean that I don't know," he repeated with a chuckle.

"Broody, work with me here. You're really the only one of us who still has contact with him. I need details!" Brooke exclaimed.

"I remember him saying that he'd try to make it, but he wasn't sure. He has to be ready to move in at Duke by Monday," Lucas explained.

"Crap," Brooke muttered.

"I'm afraid to ask, but why are you so interested in Nathan all of a sudden?"

"I finally convinced Haley to go to the show Friday."

"I thought she was already going."

"She was thinking about skipping it until I talked to her. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you know that she's still in love with Nathan." Lucas nodded. "Well, I was thinking that maybe if you could convince Nathan to go on Friday, we could somehow make them 'bump' into each other."

"Brooke, as much as I'd love to see my best friend and brother back together again, I don't think it's such a good idea," Lucas advised.

"Why not?" she asked. "Lucas, Haley is hurting. I don't know about you, but I can't stand to see her like this anymore. Maybe if they just see each other again, they'll be able to talk and work things out."

"It's not that simple, though," Lucas pointed out. "Whatever happened was serious. You know how crazy they were about each other. I highly doubt that one run-in is going to fix everything. For all we know, it could make things worse. Nathan doesn't seem like he's ready to salvage the relationship any time soon."

"Yeah, but maybe if he just sees her, it'll be enough to rekindle something," Brooke explained.

She knew that her sister desperately wanted to have a second chance with Nathan. And if Nathan really loved her, then he'd want her back, too—whether he was ready to admit it or not. Brooke was positive that this was what they needed to start finding their way back to each other. "The heart wants what it wants, Luke. So are you going to help me or not?"

He stared at her for a few minutes, mulling it over.

Come on, Broody. Please don't let me down.

"Okay," he answered.

Brooke hugged him tightly. "Thank you!"

"But they can't find out that we set it up. First of all, they'll kill us. And second, if anything is going to happen, it has to be by their choice. We can't interfere."

"Fine. Just as long as we get both of them there. The rest can be up to them," she agreed.

"Good," Lucas stated. He then leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on the lips. "You and your matchmaker ways."

"Just part of me being amazing," she joked.

Lucas laughed, but his smile quickly faded when he heard Keith call him to breakfast.

"God help me," he muttered while running a hand through his hair.

"It can't be that bad."

"You wanna test that theory?" Lucas challenged.

Brooke hesitated for a minute. On the one hand, she didn't want to back down. On the other, she didn't want to chance getting food poisoning.

"Fine," Brooke declared, her pride getting the best of her.

Lucas smirked before getting up and holding his hand out for her to take.

"Alright then. Come on." Brooke let him pull her up and lead her into the kitchen.

"Hey, Brooke," Keith greeted. "I didn't know you were here."

"Only for a little while," she replied. "What smells good?"

I don't know what Lucas is talking about. If the food smells good, it couldn't possibly taste bad.

"Oh, those would be the waffles," Keith responded. "Did you want some?"

"Yes, thank you." Lucas pulled a seat out for her at the table.

"Did Mom leave for Tric already?" Lucas asked while taking the seat next to Brooke.

"Yeah," Keith answered as he brought a plate to Brooke and placed it in front of her.

"Thank you," she stated politely.

Keith nodded before going back over to the counter. Brooke picked up her fork and knife, acutely aware of Lucas staring at her the whole time. She started to stick her fork in the waffle but then stopped. It wouldn't go in. She tried again harder and ended up bending the little prongs. She looked over at Lucas. His hand was covering his mouth as he suppressed a laugh. Brooke turned her attention away from him and stared at the invincible waffles.

Oh crap, what have I gotten myself into?