I wrote myself into a corner.  I have a lot banking on this upcoming basketball game, but I know very little about playing the sport.  So, those readers who know a thing or two about basketball please excuse all my erroneous errors.  Also, I realized I messed up.  The first and second AIDS tests are supposed to be six months apart, not six weeks apart.  Don't know why I switched it in my mind. But I went back and made the corrections.

Usual disclaimers apply.

            Sweat was pouring down the top of Nathan's head, down to his basketball jersey.  The score was forty-three to thirty-six with the Ravens in the lead.  Nathan had scored thirty-three of the points and even though it was the last quarter; Nathan could taste victory.  For the first time he could remember, he didn't care if the team won or not, but he wanted to make sure that he scored at least ten more points.

            He could see Deb, Haley, Karen, and Keith sitting together in the third row of the bleachers.  They were clapping and cheering along with the other Tree Hill Raven fans.  Every so often, Haley would smile and wave.  Nathan hadn't missed Dan sitting by himself at the far end of the bleachers.  He had searched for Dan, was seeking him out, because when he scored his forty-third point he wanted to look over and see Dan's face.

            When the Cove City coach called a time out, Nathan walked over to the sidelines and wiped his face dry.  Lucas patted him on the back and said, "We're going to do this."

            "We are," Nathan agreed.  "What do you get out of this?"  He asked suddenly, realizing he had never asked Lucas what was his motivation.  Though he wasn't sure why he was asking now, when he was moments away from accomplishing his goal.

            "I want to see Dan's face when you beat his record.  I want to see his face when he realizes that you did this.  I want him to see us working together to best him.  I want him to see that despite him we decided we're brothers."

            Nathan raised his hand and Lucas slapped his palm.  "Let's do it."

            "Scotts," called Whitey, "Are you two finished bonding or can we discuss some strategy in the thirty seconds we have left?"

            But the whistle blew calling the team back to the court.  Whitey glared at them, waving them out to the floor.  But deep down he know the game was theirs and he didn't have reason to complain.

            Cove City had possession of the ball, but that quickly changed when Lucas managed to steal it from one of the players.  He ran back to their end of the court, dribbling the ball beside him.  Looking up, he didn't stop, but checked to see if Nathan was open.  He wasn't.  He moved towards the basket, hoping to distract the players so he could pass the ball.  It worked and Lucas passed the ball to his brother.  Nathan caught it and took the three point shot.  Thirty-nine points.  Three more points and he tied Dan's record.

            Jake caught the rebound and made the next basket, but this time Cove city took possession of the ball.  Lucas ran down court and tried to steal it back.  Two large players from the other team flanked him, leaving no room to get around them.  Nathan was also following the ball with no more success than his brother.  At least he thought, he might be able to steal the rebound.  But Lucas stole the ball before Cove City could score. 

            As soon as Nathan was open, Lucas passed him the ball.  He looked over to Brooke who was wearing her cropped cheerleading sweater and mini skirt.  He gave her a quick smile, but immediately turned his attention back to the game. 

            Once again, Nathan dribbled the ball, took aim and the ball smoothly sailed into the basket. 

            Lucas heard the announcer say, "And Nathan Scott scores again.  That makes forty one points for this talented basketball player, just one point shy from tying his father's scoring record that has not been broken to this day."

            Tim had an open shot, but passed the ball off to Nathan.  He gave his friend a reassuring nod and Nathan took aim again, scored one point and tied his father's scoring record, but Cove City took the ball and it didn't look like they were going to give it up.  The whistle blew and Whitey called a time out, their last one of the game.

            The front of Nathan's jersey was drenched with sweat.  Even more so than last month's game, when Nathan had been on the amphetamines.

"Listen up," Whitey said.  "Nathan, you can easily break Dan's record.  I hope you do, but don't lose site of the goal of this game.  We want to win."  The coach continued instructing the team on how they should get the ball back.  It didn't include giving Nathan the scoring shot.

As the whistle blew calling the team back to the court, Lucas slapped Nathan on the back and said, "Don't worry.  We're going to do it."

And they did.  With less than a minute left on the clock, Lucas found Nathan open and passed him the ball.  Nathan was the three-point line.  He took a deep breath, stared at the basket and visualized the ball going in and Dan's face.  He stole a glance at Dan and noticed his father was the edge of his seat.  It looked as if he was rooting for Nathan to make the basket, but Nathan knew better.

In the background the announcer was saying, "Nathan Scott has the ball.  He's either going to try and make the basket or he's going to pass the ball off.  With thirty seconds left on the clock, which will he choose?  If he makes this basket, Nathan Scott will have broken the eighteen-year old scoring record made by his very own father."  Mouth quietly spoke into the microphone which broadcasted live on his website.  "And here it goes boys and girls, Nathan Scott takes aim and –"

The ball went into the basket.  A roar went up in the crowd.  Nathan leapt up in the air, and Lucas met him up there.  The two brothers hugged on the court, forgetting there was still time left on the clock.  But the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the game and giving yet another win to the Ravens.

The team surrounded the Scott brothers, patting them on the back, slapping each other five.  Whitey came up to Nathan, stretched out his hand and said, "congratulations," to his young charge and then walked away. 

Lucas hung back after the initial excitement.  His eyes searched for his mother and Keith, but they were busy trying to congratulate Nathan.  Unwittingly, his eyes landed on Dan.  The elder Scott looked at his younger son longingly for a moment, but hastily retreated when he saw Lucas studying him.  Dan scurried out of the gym without congratulating or berating Nathan. 

Lucas had imagined satisfaction at seeing Dan retreat.  He imagined that all the rage inside of him, the contempt he felt for Dan would dissipate and that he could move on with his life.  But it hadn't.  Silently, he moved into the locker room and was the first one in the shower.  He let the hot water fall on his back like needles pricking him.  When would the hatred and sadness leave him?

He didn't tell anyone he was leaving, but just started to jog off the high school campus towards Riverside Park.  The crisp air hit him against the face, but Lucas didn't notice the chill running down his back because of his wet hair.  He was to wrapped around his own thoughts to notice.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a horn beeping behind him.  He turned around and saw Brooke waving to him from the driver's seat of her Volkswagen Beetle.

"Come on Luke," she called, "Put your butt in this car."

"I just need some alone time, Brooke."  He continued to run, but Brooke followed along in her car.

"Your mom, Keith, and Nathan were all worried about you.  I had to practically threaten everyone to stop them from looking for you."

That made Lucas stop.  "Thanks Brooke."

"You can pay me back by getting into the car.  We won't go anywhere you don't want to go."

Lucas sighed.  "And we won't do anything we really don't want to do?"

"Been there.  Done that.  Come on in, Scott.  I won't rape you."

With a laugh, Lucas walked over to the passenger side of the car and jumped into Brooke's convertible without opening the door.  "I was heading to Riverside Park," he informed her.

"That's where I was heading.  I was just lucky to meet you on the way."  They drove in silence.  "It was a good game."

"It was," he agreed.

"I thought you wanted Nathan to break the record.  Why'd you run off?  He thinks you're mad at him."

"I'm not."

"I know that.  But he doesn't know that."

"I know."

"You've got something good going between the two of you, it would be a shame to ruin it."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Not on purpose no."  Brooke pulled up to the basketball where Lucas loved to play.  It was dark, the lights that usually illuminated the court were out.  "What happened out there?"

"Nathan broke his dad's record."

"I was there.  I saw that."

"And I thought it would erase all those empty feelings I had.  For some reason, I thought it would erase the hate and empty feeling Dan left in me."

Brooke squeezed Lucas's knee.  "He's not going to change.  You can't keep expecting him to.  I keep thinking my parents will change, and that they'll pay more attention to me.  I thought that when we got in trouble that time in Whitey's office things would change.  They'd think I was out of control and in need of more supervision.  After five-minutes or so they lost interest again.  They brought me into this world and they can't be bothered to raise me.  I know it's not the same as what Dan has done to you, but there are some similarities."

"There are," he concurred.  "But I thought if I helped Nathan do this, I could cut whatever strings, however tenuous they are, that's binding us together.  And I can't.  I have the most wonderful father and friend a person can have in my uncle Keith and still I want Dan to acknowledge me."

Brooke didn't know what to say, so she reached over and hugged Lucas.

"Maybe one day, you'll get it.  For now," she finally said, "You have your mother, brother and uncle waiting for you.  Nathan wants to share this moment with you.  You should give it to him."

"Okay.  Let's do it."  He banged the side of the car with one hand and waved her on with other.  "To Karen's Café."

Gavin Degraw's CD was playing when they entered his mother's restaurant.  Tables were pushed aside and Nathan and Haley, along with some of the other members of the team and cheerleading squad were dancing in middle of the floor.  Deb and Karen were busy behind the counter, cutting cake and passing it around along with drinks from the soda fountain.  Whitey and Keith were unobtrusively sitting on the side.

Lucas went straight to his mother to apologize for running out on her, but she waved him away and motioned to Nathan.  So Lucas pushed his way to the middle of the dance floor and tapped Haley on the shoulder.  "May I cut in?" he asked.

"I don't swing that way," said Nathan.

"Then can we go talk somewhere?"

"You can say what you need to say right here."  There was an edge to Nathan's voice, one that Lucas hadn't heard directed at him in a long time.

Lucas took a deep breath.  "You did good tonight.  I'm sorry I ran out on you.  I needed some alone time to digest this."

"You didn't get what you needed from this, did you?" asked Nathan.

Lucas shook his head.  "That obvious?"

Nathan shrugged.  "I thought it would make me feel better than it did.  Though, I can't deny the satisfaction of doing what I set out to do without the help of drugs."

"I'm happy for you Nathan, I truly am."

"And I hope one day, you get what you need from Dan."

"I won't hold my breath."  They shook on it.  But Nathan pulled Lucas into an embrace. 

"I couldn't have done this without my big brother."