Okay, this is by far the worst and most difficult chapter to write because it all just fell apart and I just couldn't get into it. But it will get better. I promise. This is just like one of those filler episodes of One Tree Hill that are just random and don't really make sense but sets up some stuff.
And if you completely hate this chapter, then tell me. I love feedback. And then go and read 'The Closest Thing To Perfect' by Carissima, and then 'Summer Kiss' by Kelseylynn00 because they are just perfection.
Chapter Four: Greener Pastures
It had been ten days since Lucas and Brooke had begun traveling to and from school together and the former was still getting used to Brooke's ramblings about anything and everything: clothes, gossip in school and in the celebrity world.
Occasionally she might divulge some information about herself and her family but she never touched on it for long. Lucas noticed that she'd suddenly feel a little too self-conscious when she did and there'd be a brief silence before she opened her mouth and changed the subject to something else. He didn't it mind though. His journeys home used to be a time for him to quietly reflect on events but Brooke's recent presence made him realize that maybe he thought way too much.
While Peyton constantly joked about raising enough money for Brooke to get another car so that her boyfriend would be free to have his car to himself; Lucas actually looked forward to the mornings and after school. He had to admit that he had begun to get irritated with practice as that meant he'd have to wait an extra hour and a half until they could ride home – but at least Brooke wore her uniform home. Lucas had even offered to drive Brooke to and from basketball games, but in their game against Bear Creek a few days ago, she had opted to go with Bevin and then spent the night at Peyton's house.
Lucas couldn't help but feel a little disappointed but the second he pulled up at her house on Monday morning and she flashed him a bright smile; any grievance against her had immediately dispelled.
"Hey Luke, how was your weekend?" she asked as she climbed into his station wagon. She had been waiting for him outside on her front porch and had begun walking down the footpath just as he had arrived.
"Good, and yours?" he questioned as she sat down and fastened her seat belt. She shrugged.
"It was okay. I didn't get to go to the mall like I planned because I had no car but I did manage to get myself to the video store to rent out a few movies. Have you seen 'Tristan and Isolde'?" she asked, but he shook his head. "Oh, well it's a pretty good movie. I'm not much of a tragic, epic romance fan but it was kind of sweet."
"You know," Lucas began, "if you need a ride to the mall at the weekends, you can just call me and I'll take you."
"You'd do that for me?" she seemed genuinely surprised by his offer.
"Of course."
"No, I mean you'd actually give up your weekend to take me to the mall?"
"I doubt it would take all weekend…" he began but she cut him off with a small chuckle.
"Pfft. You have no idea."
Lucas chuckled too but made sure she knew the offer was still there; "Well, whenever you feel the urge for retail therapy, just let me know."
"Be careful what you wish for." Brooke sighed.
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For reasons unknown to him, Lucas ended up walking Brooke to her locker. Perhaps it was because he wanted to be in her company. Perhaps he wanted to know her theory on why Jessica and Nick broke up. Either way he'd ended up at her locker and holding all of her books.
However, her story was interrupted with the slamming of the locker next to her and a very angry Nathan was revealed.
"What's up with you?" Brooke frowned, clearly unimpressed with the interruption.
"He's just sulking because he was chosen to be on the dance committee this year," Haley explained as she sidled up next to her boyfriend.
"Brooke and I were picked too," Lucas told the pair, "So at least you're not the only one." Nathan just scowled.
"I'm sorry but props, tickets and glitter balls just don't mix with Nathan Scott. I'm not even planning to go to the stupid winter formal so I don't see why I have to waste my time planning it."
"Not even if I wanted to go?" Haley piped up.
"You want to go?"
It seemed to be news to her boyfriend. Haley dipped her head down and leant in closer to him, almost as if she was embarrassed that her best friend and the school's social queen had seen that she hadn't been asked yet.
"Well I was kind of hoping this would be the first dance I'd go to without having to go with Lucas or the guys from the Rivercourt. This is the first time I've had an actual date and it'd be our first dance together. Plus, it might be kind of romantic."
"See? You can't argue with that now, can you?" Brooke said disrupting the pair and giving Nathan a look that suggested he'd better agree. "Plus, who else besides Tim will spike the punch?"
"Fine, I'll go," he agreed but tried to make it seem he wasn't doing it reluctantly by placing a light kiss on her lips, "but if it blows, we're out of there."
"Well I guess it's our job to make sure it doesn't blow. Hopefully we can get away from that ridiculous 'Titanic' theme that we've had every year. How the hell are icebergs and lifesavers romantic? People like died on that boat. The only time there was ever sex was in that car and it looked a little cramped to me." Brooke muttered to nobody in particular. She was met by three people staring at her before Nathan decided to change the subject.
"Anyway, you guys can go to the meetings. Just tell them I'm at basketball practice," he shrugged before kissing Haley as the homeroom bell rang. "I'll see you in English." Nathan gave a nod to both Brooke and Lucas as he jogged off in the opposite direction.
"My boyfriend, ever the romantic," Haley sighed with a small roll of her eyes as she turned to the two.
"Don't worry about it, Haley; at least he's going to the dance with you. Last year Peyton was all emo-ing about how he wasn't taking her to the dance even though she really didn't want to go either." Brooke said to the tutor. "So you should be thrilled. This is Nathan's first dance with an actual date."
"I guess that's something," Haley replied, feeling slightly embarrassed that her best friend's girlfriend's best friend was giving her advice on her own relationship.
"Well anyway, I've got homeroom too so I'll catch you at the first committee meeting this afternoon." She pointed a finger at Lucas who promptly handed over her books to her. She flashed him a smile as she went off in the same direction as Nathan just a few minutes earlier.
Lucas noted Haley's worried expression and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You heard Brooke; Nathan's going to the dance and he's going with you. I thought this is what you wanted."
"Yeah, I guess. I just wished he was a little more enthusiastic about it."
"Maybe he will get more excited about it by being on the committee. I know he seems against it now, but he might get into it." Lucas gave her a hopeful smile which she appreciated but didn't seem convinced by. "And if it helps, I'll try and get him more into the spirit."
"Really?" she seemed to brighten and looked relieved. "Thank you, Luke."
"Although if I am exempt from the dance committee because of 'basketball priorities' then I'm totally going for it." Lucas mused.
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Unfortunately for Nathan and Lucas, the head of the dance committee this year was none other than Whitey. And he was adamant that the committee meetings wouldn't clash with basketball practices.
"As for this year's theme," Whitey said as he addressed the fifteen random junior students picked for the committee in the school gym, "I want you all to write down an appropriate winter related theme on a piece of paper and put it in this hat." He took the cap off his head and waved it around for all to see. "I'll pick one out and we'll do it; no arguments."
As he began handing out scraps of paper to the students, Brooke turned to Nathan. "You're not still sulking, are you?" He glared at her.
"Haley wouldn't take my place and neither would Tim. I'm just stuck here for a month," he grumbled as she scribbled down his choice on the piece of paper. Brooke wrote down her choice and put it in the cap, wiping her hands down in disgust not soon after.
"Ew, I think I just got some of Whitey's sweat," she complained just low enough not to catch the old man's attention. "Besides, with that attitude, maybe Whitey will kick you off the committee before the dance."
"No, he'd keep me here to punish me. He's big on tough love." The brunette boy looked over at his blonde brother, "Why aren't you complaining?"
"I'm waiting to see you battle it out with glitter," he grinned, earning a laugh from Brooke. Nathan glared but before he could retort, Whitey garnered their attention again.
"Okay, so I have fifteen choices in here and the winner is…" Whitey pulled one of the pieces of paper out of the hat and read it out, his eyes squinting as he tried to make out the lazy scrawl. "'Ice, Ice Baby'?" Everybody began to mutter and look around for the culprit.
"I only wrote that for a joke!" Nathan exclaimed.
"Well, Mr. Scott, it seems your prank has earned the committee another 'Titanic' theme. I think we still have the icebergs in storage somewhere." There were several groans around the room before Brooke shot her hand up.
"How about we spice things up a little?" she questioned.
"No-one is going to go to the dance in their bathing suits, Miss Davis." Whitey warned.
"No, I meant that we actually go for the ice theme. Everybody can show up in white or baby blue colors and we can have snow cones and icicles on the ceilings and things." Her suggestion was met by a few impressed nods and murmurs and Whitey seemed to like the idea too.
"That sounds like a plan. At least we can keep the lifesavers and the boat props in storage." He seemed relieved, as were most of the other students. The Winter Formal wasn't exactly famous for being the most inventive.
Whitey split the students into five groups for three; music, food and drink, tickets, promotion, and decorations.
Brooke, Lucas and Nathan fell into the last category.
"Brooke, I really don't want this job," Nathan told the brunette.
"Yeah, I'm with Nathan on this one." Lucas added, grimacing at his task.
"But you promised!"
"I didn't think this is what we'd be doing. Can't we be on music or food detail?"
Brooke shook her head and held out two canisters. "Glitter and glue. Use them wisely." She advised handing one to each of them. When they groaned, she added, "You did agree to help with the decorating."
"How many banners do we have to make?" Lucas asked, slowly accepting his fate.
"Three: one for the gym, one for the main hallway, and one for outside of the school." She told them, counting them off one by one on her fingers. "Anyway, I'm gone."
They turned and looked at her. "Where are you going?" Lucas asked.
"I have to go buy a new glitter ball because we can't find one in storage," she explained before turning on her heel and making her way towards the gym exit. "Oh, Lucas, I'm taking your car!" she called holding up the keys she'd swiped from his jacket several minutes before. She didn't wait for his reaction or permission and before Lucas knew it, she was out of the gym and making her way to his car. Lucas looked from the gym doors to Nathan, who was smirking back at him.
"What?" Lucas asked but the young man declined to answer and just shook his head with a knowing smile. "What!"
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"That first 'ice' is too big," Nathan complained as he looked at the pencil outline of their banner.
"It's the same size as the rest of the title of the dance. I don't see a difference!"
"I'm telling you it is too big. It reads 'ICE, Ice Baby'. You're not supposed to emphasize the first 'ice'. You're not supposed to emphasize any word."
"We'll just let Brooke decide about that," Lucas reasoned as she walked back into the gym with a glitter ball in her hands and made her way over.
"Hey, how's it goi—that 'ice' is too big." She made a face.
"Ha!" Nathan shot back at his elder brother, obviously very pleased that Brooke had sided with him. Lucas held his hands up and began rubbing it out to make it slightly smaller.
"Your car is out of gas, by the way," Brooke told him as she sat down next to them and passed him his car keys.
"And you didn't fill it up because…?" Lucas asked, hoping that she had enough sense to have filled it up.
"I didn't pass a gas station." She shrugged.
"Do we have enough gas to get to one?" Lucas prompted looking at her as if two horns had popped out of her head.
"Uh, no… and your car isn't in the parking lot either. It's like ten minutes from the school."
Lucas just stared at her before turning to Nathan for back-up.
"Hey, she's your carpool," he unhelpfully supplied.
"So it's just in the middle of the road?"
"No, I managed to pull over but I think I've got blisters or something." She groaned pulling off her heels and wiggling her toes.
"Brooke!" Lucas cried.
"What? It's totally safe. I know where it is."
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Twenty five minutes of walking and they still hadn't found his car.
"Brooke…" Lucas began, clearly tiring of walking around with no car in sight, "we should just give up and grab a cab or something. I'll explain it somehow to my mom."
"It's so weird, I could have sworn I parked it around here!" she sighed.
"Well it's not here. Look, let's just get home and tomorrow we'll get the bus to school. Maybe the police can find it." Lucas scratched his head and they began looking for a cab.
"Hey… where's your mom's café?" she asked. Lucas pointed in the opposite direction to what they'd been walking in.
"About two and a half miles that way. Why?"
She gave him a sweet smile and batted her eyelashes. "Now don't get mad…"
"Brooke…" he warned.
"But on the way back to school, I took a different route so I could drop by Bevin's house which is just by your mom's café and that's where I left the car."
Lucas' eyes widened in disbelief, "So you mean to tell me we've been walking for half an hour and three miles in the wrong direction?"
"Hey, I forgot. We usually come in this direction, so sue me if I forgot I came from the other this time." She told him. When he just glared at her, obviously a little tired from the walking and panicking because he had thought she'd lost the car. Sensing that he wasn't too pleased with her, she gave him a big smile. "Hey, look, you forgive me and I'll pay for more gas and I'll treat you to a hot chocolate. Come on, Lucas, this is funny!"
Lucas sighed and gradually began to see the funny side of it. "Okay, so let's just walk back to the car."
"You're not mad?"
"No, I'm not mad," he reassured her, "but I will hold you to that hot chocolate." Brooke sighed with relief and grinned as they began walking back to where Brooke had left the car. Less than five minutes later, Lucas noticed Brooke had started to limp. "Are you okay?"
"These shoes really aren't all that comfortable to walk in," she reminded him as she halted to a stop and slipped her shoes off. "Ew! I think I stepped in gum." She shuddered and held onto Lucas' arm to steady herself.
"Okay, get on my back?"
"What!"
"On my back. I'll carry you to the car." He bent down to allow her to jump on. Instead she just gave him a look.
"Lucas, I'm not jumping on your back. We're a little too old and platonic to be giving each other piggy-back rides." She said.
"But Brooke, we'll be here forever if you try crawling back to the car and so unless we do this, we'll just have to wait until your feet are better… and I really do think that was gum."
"Ewwww!" Brooke cried obviously realizing that Lucas' offer was the best choice for them both. "Fine, okay. But you drop me and I'm suing!" she muttered as she grabbed her shoes and climbed onto his back. He seemed a little unsteady at first and she gripped his t-shirt tightly.
"You okay?" he asked as they walked the first few tentative steps.
"Uh... yeah. Have you done this before?" she asked.
"I used to give Haley piggy-back rides all the time."
"But Haley's like pint-sized, okay? A grain of rice probably weighs more than her." Brooke huffed as Lucas stumbled slightly. "Don't drop me!" she warned.
"Brooke, I won't drop you!" Lucas chuckled.
"Stop laughing, you're going to fall over and drop me!" she hit him on the head.
"And whacking me over the head won't?" he questioned.
"Just carry on walking." She told him as she began to relax a little and feel safer in his arms.
By the time they'd got to Karen's Café, they were both in hysterics despite miraculously avoiding injury several times. Nathan spotted the two from across the street. At first he hadn't realized it was Lucas with Brooke, but once he had realized who the two were, he was more than a little confused.
As far as he knew Lucas was still dating Peyton… so why was he joking around with her best friend?
He knew the two were on good terms and he was driving her to and from school but he had no idea they were that close. Nathan made a mental note to ask Haley about it later before running off in the other direction.
To be continued…