Chapter Seven

Step Five- Deny, deny, deny. If the man of choice finds out about the bet everything could be over, but thanks to me, it won't be. Tell him you had heard that vicious rumor and who ever started it must really despise you. Tell him about much you care about him and maybe even make him some cookies. The way to a man's heart is through his mouth or something else...

The look on Lucas' face after he talked to Peyton is a face I will never forget. It kept playing over and over again in my head. He was hurt and his face showed a sense of repulsion. He was disgusted by what he had just heard. His face was a deep red, full of anger and embarrassment. I watched him look at me, shake his head, and then turn away. I had my dignity to uphold, I would never run after him. My heart was already running after him. It felt like it was trying to jump out of my chest.

The whole cafeteria was staring at me. I stood up and tugged at the asymmetrical hem of my blue Splatter Skirt. My shoulders were straight and pushed back so my posture was perfect. I slowly walked out of the lunch room with all eyes on me.

"I heard she was pregnant. That's what Lucas was so mad about." A freshman girl said.

"I don't believe that," said another freshman girl, "Look at her." She placed he head on her hand. "She is so perfect." The second girl was much prettier that the first. She had long blonde hair and was usually well dressed. She was thin and tan. The first girl had wavy brown hair and was pale compared to the other girl. She wore clothes that were to big for her and appeared to be from Wal Mart.

"If to be perfect you have to be a bitch," the first freshman said, "count me out. I would never be caught dead acting like Brooke Davis."

I turned around to look at them. They both lowered their heads. They wouldn't and couldn't be caught looking at me. They pretended like they had not just been talking about me. I sneered at them and continued walking out of the cafeteria.

Lucas was peeking around the corner. I caught him looking at me. "Hey." I quietly said walking in his direction. I felt my stomach churning. I couldn't decide if I was going to puke or not. I was so nervous. What had she told him?

He shook his head. "I should have known." He looked down at the tiled floor and threw his arms in the air. "Why did I trust you, Brooke, huh?"

"I don't know what you are talking about Lucas, really and sincerely don't know." I put my arms on his shoulders. He shrugged them off. "Lucas please... Peyton was just mad at me. I don't know what she said but, I didn't do anything."

"She told me that you are going on a date with some guy... Daniel? Is that true?" He finally looked up and was looking me right in the eyes.

I felt a sense of relief that Lucas was mad about Daniel. I thought Peyton had told him about the bet. I finally spoke, "No... yes, well Daniel called. He wanted me to go to his brother's wedding with him," I put my hands on Lucas face and leaned in close, "But I told him no." "And that is the truth... the whole truth, nothing but the truth so help you God?" He asked me putting his hands on my hips. I felt his cold fingers on my protruding hip bones.

My hand was out to give him a pinky sware, "I promise the whole truth. You have nothing to worry about." I kissed him on the cheek and took one of his hands from my hip. "Really."

He kissed me on the forehead. "I know how Peyton gets when she is pissed but I didn't think that was like her to lie like that. I am really disappointed in her." He led me back into the cafeteria.

I nodded at his comment and then smiled at the table of freshman girls who were gossiping about me earlier. "Great shirt." I said to the girl who was standing up for me earlier. A bright smile swept across her face. She was speechless. "Thanks. You're skirt is awesome." She finally said. I smiled back at her. "Maybe sometime I will give you the website of the place I got it off of." She nodded quickly.

I followed Lucas back to the lunch table I had been sitting at previously. "I can't believe Peyton would lie like that. Especially to you." Two could play the game that Peyton was playing. No one wants to get on Brooke Davis' bad side. I thought Peyton was smart enough to know that. "I know what it is Lucas!" I said sounding relieved.

He put his arm around my shoulder and tugged at the cap sleeve of my white ruched sleeve tee shirt. "Whats that?"

Leaning toward him I whispered in his ear, "She's still crazy about you and is just jealous." I leaned back. "That has to be it." I shrugged my shoulders. "She did sound mad when I called her to tell her that we were thinking about getting back together."

"That still isn't like Peyton. Even if she did still care about me, she wouldn't act like that toward you. Wait you did say she was mad about something from earlier right?"

I nodded, "Yeah, something about Hailey. I said it was nice about Hailey and Nathan and that hopefully they would start dating." I took a sip of water and continued the manipulation, "She said something like, "Well she isn't that bad looking." I rolled my eyes.

"That is so unlike her. I can't believe that. Come to think of it she has been acting weird lately around everyone."

The bell for lunch to be over rang and Lucas gave me a hug. He kept his arms around me and pulled his head away, "I will meet you outside after school." I nodded and gave him a kiss. "Thanks for telling me the truth Brooke, I really appreciate it."

"No problem Lucas. You know I am brutally honest." I leaned over next to my chair and picked up my white Jelly Bag. I watched him walk out of the lunch room and head off to his next class. I searched through it for my cell phone. Once I found it I dialed Peyton's cell phone. She didn't answer. I left her a message. "Peyton Sawyer. I thought you knew better than to mess with me. You are a smart girl but stupid move. You mess with me, I mess with you. Hope you hadn't planned on talking to Lucas anymore. Well have a nice day. Love ya." I closed the phone and threw it back into my bag.

She was playing a dirty game but I was ready to get a lot dirtier. I was still clean. I hadn't even gotten started yet. This was just warm ups. Now I was ready for the real game to begin.