Disclaimer- I own nothing

Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews. Originally I made a quick video for the story (before I started writing again) and it was mainly for me, to watch and follow as I write. I decided to get a youtube account and post it for anyone else to watch. You can access it from my profile and I would appreciate any comments. Thank you all :)

-Lily

It had been 2 weeks since he last talked to her, last heard her laughter, exuberant and delighted. But he wanted to give her that time, to show that he heard her, gave her, her space. He allowed their emotions to cool, and he allowed his ideas to formulate. He would win her back, whether it would take a day, a month, a year, or a lifetime, in the end, he would win her back.

"Remember everyone, Winter Formal tickets went on sale yesterday afternoon," the announcer said, his voice bellowing through the speakers, his mouth too close to the microphone.

A smile appeared on Lucas's face. Winter Formal had always done him good, but he wasn't looking for sex on that night. No, he was looking for a certain girl to finally give him her heart, and trust that he wouldn't harm it.

It was a magical time of the year, the sky smelling of a familiar scent, hands bundled in mittens, ears covered with hats. January was always his favorite time. It was a time the earth cooled, peace settled on the surface as individual snowflakes danced from the sky.

His blue eyes glanced towards the clouds, hoping for snow, but knew it wasn't quite cold enough. The wind blustered around him, closing those eyes for a moment, his nose enjoying the smell of wood burning in the distance, with a smile on his face he made his way towards the one girl that could make his day even greater. The girl he hadn't stopped thinking about.

--

"Are you and my brother ever going to make up?" Lily asked, flipping onto her stomach as she read her magazine, marking the pages she would later revisit.

"We're not fighting," Brooke, said, her back to the blonde, putting mascara on as she looked at her face through the mirror.

"Then why hasn't he been around? You two were so close and now its like one of you has an infectious disease," Lily giggled, but her thought remained serious, she wanted the two to make up, for whatever reason they were fighting, it was stupid.

"Let's get this straight, if either of us had a disease, it would be him," Brooke smiled and Lily threw a pillow at her with a chuckle.

"Of course," Lily said sarcastically as Brooke ran a brush through her hair. "But if he had a terrible, terrible disease, would you be there for him?" she asked seriously her eyes delving into Brooke's. For a moment Brooke was silent, thoughts swarming in her head, all of them, however, were consistent. If Lucas had a disease, she would be there, holding his hand and telling him it would be okay. She would sit by his bed, get up with him at night when he wasn't feeling well, or simply just be there, whatever he needed. It was a question that forced her to reopen the wounds she tried to close, the regret of telling the blonde boy that she couldn't be his friend.

"I'd never leave," Brooke said softly, speaking to herself more than Lily. A shiver tickled her shoulders, walked down her forearms and slid to her fingers.

"Then make up," Lily said simply. She didn't know why the two weren't the same, she never asked. Brooke seemed different and she felt that if she wanted her to know, she'd say something, otherwise, it would be Brooke's secret and Lily would just be there, doing whatever she could do.

"He hasn't spoken to me in 2 weeks, you know," Brooke pointed out, folding her hands on her lap.

"You have his number," Lily reminded her, but she shook her head solemnly.

"I'm going to head out, I'll see you later," Brooke said and Lily just nodded with a sigh.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked curiously.

"Probably just go see Nate."

"Spending a lot of time with him. Oh Brooke, please tell me that's not what this whole thing is about?" Lily asked alarmed, knowing it would kill her brother if Brooke had fallen for Nathan. It was no secret to her how much Lucas cared about the brunette roommate.

"No, Lily. We're just friends," she said honestly, and turned her back to the inquisitive, but caring blonde.

--

The wind was brisk as she tightened her grip around her arms, trying to stay warm in the cold weather. Brooke would rather the summer, time for shorts and bathing suits, a sweet breeze rather than bitter wind. It wasn't that she didn't like the winter, warming by the fire or snowflakes resting on the windowsill, she just didn't like being outside during winter.

She wasn't sure how she should feel, Lucas not having talked to her in 2 weeks. She considered Lily's idea, calling him, but quickly disclosed it. She couldn't have told him that friendship was out of the question and then pop in for a quick visit. It would have been fickle. She was going to stand strong with her decision and be grateful that he seemed to have heard her, seemed to have understood. Maybe he was smarter than anyone gave him credit for.

She wondered what people thought of Lucas. If you took away basketball and looks, what were people's opinions on him? Did they know he was intelligent, so smart and deep that Brooke got chills thinking about it? Did they know that he was more caring than most people could only pray to be?

She smiled at the thought that maybe she knew more about Lucas than most girls did. Sure she was one of the only girls that had never slept with Lucas Scott, but then again, she was one of the only girls that actually knew him. He had opened up so much during the length of their friendship, and looking back, she rarely did.

She hadn't told him that she cried herself to sleep everyday when she was 7 years old because she thought her parents didn't love her, and then again when she was 9 and they divorced. She hadn't told him that her dream was to become a fashion designer, to be able to look at something she created and know that it was her, all her. She hadn't told him anything and yet here she was thinking that he couldn't be trusted.

It was relief when her face almost smacked into Nathan's door, having the ability to leave her train of thoughts behind her. It was nice to spend time with Nathan, having become closer to him than she ever thought she would.

"Brooke." Her name forced her head to spin around to catch the face; she smiled as the figure came towards her.

"Hey Jake," she greeted her brother, leaving Nathan's door as she approached him, the wind throwing her hair around her face.

"Cold," he pointed out, his breath being seen as it blew with the wind and Brooke nodded.

"Maybe if you were wearing more clothes," Brooke chuckled; Jake dressed in a flimsy sweatshirt.

"I left all my warm clothes at home, which is why I called you, actually. I am done my classes for the day and I was going to head over and get my winter jacket, you need anything?" Jake asked, not wanting to stay in the cold too long.

"Why can't mom just send it or something? It's too windy to drive anyways," Brooke pointed out, her bottom lip poking out from its place.

"There's no such thing as too much wind for driving," Jake chuckled. "So do you want me to grab something or not?"

"Hm, I don't think so, I'm pretty good. I brought all of my winter clothes," she said with a proud smile and he only chuckled.

"You're such a big girl Brooke," he teased.

"Thanks," she said, smiling big.

"All right well I'm going to head out, be good," Jake told her and she nodded. He was always looking out for her and she loved him for it.

--

"Hey, Lily," Lucas greeted her as he came through the unlocked door, a smile spread across his face.

"Hey," she said enthused, glad to see her brother.

"Where's uh, where's Brooke?" He asked, glancing around the room, seeing her stuff, but not seeing her.

"You come to see her and not me?" Lily asked feigning sadness. She really wasn't, however. It made her happy to know that he wanted to see her, maybe get over whatever it was. Brooke was stubborn and most times so was Lucas; neither of them was likely to admit a problem.

"I didn't say I came to see anyone, I just asked a simple question about the location of your roommate," Lucas pointed out. There was that stubbornness.

"Yeah, whatever. She went to go see, um I think she went to see a teacher for some extra credit," Lily told her brother, avoiding his gaze. She didn't want to tell him that Brooke had gone to hang out with Nathan, just like she had been doing for the last two weeks, ever since they had gotten back from the basketball tournament. She had believed Brooke when she had told her that they were simply friends, nothing more. But Lily didn't want to do that to her brother, she knew he would question the relationship and if there was one thing Lily wanted more than Brooke and Lucas to mend their problems, was that neither was hurt too badly, especially her own brother.

"Brooke, extra credit?" Lucas asked, knowing that his sister was not telling him the whole story, which means that she was hiding something. More over, that meant there was something to hide.

"Who knows? Maybe she wants to get good grades, I don't know," Lily, replied exasperated.

"Yeah, maybe," Lucas said, not believing it. Brooke was not exactly the most studious nor the most dedicated. There was no way that kicked in now.

"So want to hang out with me?" Lily suggested, tossing her magazine that she had finished, to the ground.

"Lily, you're a girl," Lucas pointed out, thinking.

"My own brother, a genius," Lily chuckled, pretending to be proud.

"Shut up," he laughed. "Since you're a girl, you can help me," he worded and she nodded.

"With what?" Lily offered, always lending a hand to Lucas, as long as she wouldn't get in some sort of trouble for it. She had never had that same inclination towards trouble as her brother.

"Never mind, just give this to Brooke, tell her to open the first one around 7 tonight," Lucas smiled, handing Lily a thin envelope.

"What's in it?" Lily asked, intrigued.

"Nothing, and I trust you not to peak," he said, knowing that if he had not added the last part, her curious eyes would leak into her finger tips, causing her to "accidentally" flip open the envelop flap, and "inadvertently" read the note card.

"Fine, but you owe me."

"Here's a piece of gum," Lucas smirked, handing her a rectangular piece of gum, wrapped in paper.

"Oh gee, thanks."

"Anytime," and with that, he walked out of the room; everything would work out the way he meant it to.

--

Brooke watched as Jake's figure blended in with everyone else's, watching as his face became blurred.

She debated on going to see Nathan like she had originally planned. He had been sweet, being there for her, and as much as she enjoyed their budding relationship, she didn't think it was right to rely on him for boosting her mood. She couldn't hide away from Lucas, refusing to even enter Nathan's room; only coming to his door when she knew the blonde roommate would be away. She had become similar to a coward, avoiding anywhere he would be. It wasn't because she didn't want to see him; actually, it was just the opposite. She wanted more badly than anything to see him, opening the door, as she stood flushed from the wind, in the hallway. But, she didn't deserve it.

Slowly she made her way back towards her own room.

Maybe, she thought, her thoughts could deviate from him, if there was someone else. Maybe she should see what she likes, date around. Yes, that's what she would do.

Winter formal was coming up and she would just let someone know she was available, not in a desperate way, definitely not. Maybe all she needed was another guy to remind her that Lucas was not the only fish in the sea.

Author's Note: This chapter is not my favorite; I just never found the right words or anything, which is why it really isn't very good and is pretty short. I'm sorry. I have everything planned for the next chapter, which I am actually pretty excited about writing and I think everyone will enjoy it. This chapter had no Brucas and is very much a filler but the next chapter, well it will have plenty :)

-Lily

Anonymous Review Thanks:

Sara: Thank you so much for the review. You take the time to tell me how you feel about each chapter and it means a lot. I am glad that you review my story since you say that you don't normally do so. I try to update as quick as I can, of course this took a bit longer but only because I was completely at a loss. I feel like not much could be done with this chapter without leaking into where I want to for the next one. Oh well, every story must have its occasional weak chapter :) I am thrilled you enjoyed the letter that Lucas wrote. I feel like it got all his feelings across, he is now sure what he wants and that is just one step closer towards a relationship. Although one character may take a step back, I think it is important, the large step forward the other character may take. That may or may not make sense but that's okay. I always write your thanks last because I add them to the end of the chapter and many times it is late when I finish writing so I can never adequately thank you. It is about 2:30 and I have to get to bed. One day I am going to thank you before it gets too late (or early).

-Lily