Chapter Thirteen

"The Cheer Conference"

The following Friday, it was three in the afternoon and Brooke was a wreck. They were heading out of town for the conference and she was trying to get everybody ready.

Brooke groaned, complaining to Peyton, "Where the hell is the bus?"

"Calm down. It will get here."

"When? Its five minutes late!"

"Brooke! Chill!"

Brooke constantly looked at her watch. "Go get the rest of the squad." They were in the gym.

Peyton obeyed and left for the gym. Teresa walked up soon after Peyton left. "The bus still not here?"

"No!"

Teresa held up her hands. "Woah. Just asking."

Ten minutes later, Brooke said, "I am calling the agency."

"Wait, just wait a few more minutes."

"Teresa, we have to be there by six!"

"How long does it take to get there?"

"Two and a half hours!"

"Yeah you better call."

Lucas and Nathan were standing off to the side, talking about basketball.

Ms. Baker ran out of the building. "Where is that bus?" She exclaimed. She took out her cell phone. "Brooke give me the number." Brooke gave it to her and waited anxiously while the teacher talked to the agency. Ms. Baker hung up the phone a few minutes later. "They over booked."

"What does that mean?"

"We have no bus."

"What?" Brooke wailed. "We can't miss this! We have to go to compete in Nationals next year."

Ms. Baker shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what to tell you."

Lucas walked up. "What happened?"

Brooke glared at him, as though it was his fault. "We have no way of getting to the conference, which we would have to leave in ten minutes to get to. Therefore, we are going to miss it!"

"I have an idea," Lucas said.

Ms Baker said, "We welcome them."

"Nate has an SUV, which can hold seven. I have a truck, which can hold all the luggage since I know girls have a lot," he said, looking pointedly at Brooke. She looked over at her three bags and made a face. "Peyton has a car that can hold four or five. We will drive up," he shrugged.

"But wouldn't that ruin your weekend? We were planning on staying through Sunday."

Lucas shrugged again. "Doesn't bother me, I would just have to ask my mom."

Nathan spoke up, "Same."

Ms Baker grinned. "Call your parents and ask. If this works, this would be the perfect solution."

Brooke sighed. She did not want Lucas coming, but what could she do. While Lucas and Nathan were on their cells, Peyton ran out.

"They are coming. Where's the bus?" Brooke explained what happened and what their new plan of action was. "You're kidding. Well at least we have a back up plan."

Lucas and Nathan said their parents didn't mind. They had extra clothes in their gym bags. Ms Baker clapped her hands, hugging them both. "You are both so wonderful! Thank you so much. I'm going to go get the other girls."

Brooke stared at Lucas, muttering, "Thanks."

"Sure."

Peyton grinned. "Nathan you are horrible! You just can't wait to have a car full of cheerleaders."

He grinned. "I'm a guy, what can I say?"

She hit him on the shoulder. "Does Haley know?"

"Damn it! I forgot to call her." He walked a little way away from them and started talking on his cell phone. After a few minutes, he walked back over. "She is coming with us. She can ride in my car with me. She will be here in ten minutes, she is grabbing some shirts for you and me," he said, talking to Lucas. They both had shirts at her house.

Lucas nodded. "Cool. But do we have enough room?"

Peyton counted on her fingers. "We have thirteen cheerleaders. Five in Nathan's car, one in Lucas', three in mine, and Ms Baker can hold three more. Exactly enough."

The rest of the cheerleaders came up, and Nathan and Lucas went to pull the car up. Once they got there, Ms Baker called to the group, "Okay pick a car! Five with Nathan, three with Peyton, one with Lucas, and one with me. Got it?"

Carson grinned. Only one could ride with Lucas, and she knew who that would be.

Brooke remembered she had one more bag to grab. "I'll be right back."

After Brooke went into the school, everyone started getting in cars. Teresa noticed Carson heading over to Lucas and ran over. "Luke, hey." She smirked at Carson. "Carson I guess you could ride with Peyton."

Carson looked at Peyton and back at Lucas. "No thanks. I'd rather ride with Ms Baker."

Lucas asked, "So you riding with me T?"

"Um, sure." She signaled Peyton over. She pulled her off to the side, "I want Brooke to ride with Lucas. Save me a spot in your car okay?"

"Sure."

Brooke ran into the school and by the time she got back everyone had put their bags in Lucas' truck and were in the cars. Teresa was with Peyton, and her car was full along with Ms Baker's car.

She sighed. 'Guess I get to ride with Nathan,' she inwardly groaned. She started getting in the front seat.

"Nope, Haley is sitting there."

Brooke turned to see Haley running up. "Right."

When she realized who she was stuck riding with, her stomach dropped. The trudged over to Lucas' truck and got in without saying a word.

Lucas said, "Are you kidding me?"

"Wish I was."

Ms Baker started off and everyone followed. Brooke wasn't talking at all. She wasn't sure if this was a coincidence or not, but she had a feeling Peyton had something to do with it.

"So..." Lucas started.

"Don't talk to me. Please." She leaned back. He shook his head and turned the radio up. This wasn't happening to her. It wasn't happening. She was starting to move on. It had been over a week.

Lucas was uncomfortable. When he agreed to do this, he figured he would be riding with Teresa or something. Haley, Carson, somebody. Anyone but Brooke.

A few hours later they arrived to their destination. Brooke was so happy to get out of that truck. She felt like she had been suffocating.

Lucas felt the same way. He long since stopped trying to make conversation.

They all parked and got their bags from the truck. Ms Baker had gone in to check into the hotel and to book an extra room for the guys. It was the least she could do.

She came back out and noticed how Haley, Nathan, Peyton, Brooke, and Teresa were all standing on one side, and the other cheerleaders, Carson, and Lucas were standing on the other side. She let it go.

"Okay, I have your room assignments!" She named the rooms and who was staying where. "Brooke, Teresa, Peyton, Carson. Room 207. Lucas, Nathan, room 209." The three girls started at Carson. They had to share a room with her? "Okay go unpack and meet in the lobby at six fifteen, no later. Got it?"

Haley grinned. "I just realized I have nowhere to stay."

Nathan said, "Our room is a double. Stay with us."

She looked at him. "Nathan..."

"It's not like we have to do anything. We can be mature and sleep in the same bed."

She nodded. "I guess you're right."

Lucas went over and helped with some of the girls' bags. They all went and found their rooms.

Brooke and Peyton plopped onto one of the beds. Teresa stared at them. "Nu-uh. I'm not sharing a bed with her!"

They grinned. "Yeah you are!"

Tereas groaned. "Bitches," she hissed.

Peyton stood up. "Check it out, we have a door connecting to some other room. Who's on our other side?"

Brooke shrugged. "Check it out." Peyton undid the lock and found Nathan and Lucas on the other side. Brooke yelled, "You have got to be kidding me!"

Peyton grinned and shut the door. "Sorry Brooke."

Carson walked in with her luggage. "I need a window side bed."

"Too bad. You should be a little quicker, because its mine," Brooke snapped.

"Wow this weekend is going to be fun," Carson said sarcastically.

Peyton said, "Just shut up and don't talk to us. Then it won't be bad and it won't be fun."

"Can do." She started putting some of her stuff in the closet as did Brooke. "I need those hangers!"

"So do I. Get your own!" Carson snatched them off the rack.

"I did."

Brooke rolled her eyes. She knocked on the door connecting to the guys' room. Lucas opened it.

"Yeah?"

"I need your hangers," she said, pushing past him and going straight to his closet. She grabbed half of them and then walked back into her room, slamming the door.

Teresa and Peyton were laughing. "You never cease to amaze us Brooke!"

She smiled, satisfied. "Thanks."

Carson groaned. "I am not putting up with this!"

"What other choice do you have Carson?"

"Maybe Haley will switch with me."

Brooke scoffed, "Yeah right. Not that we wouldn't mind having Haley staying her instead of you, but somebody has to keep the piece between the Scott brothers if you know what I mean. And I don't think you are that person. Sorry."

"And Haley is? She barely knows them!"

Peyton was shocked. "Her and Lucas have been best friends, like, forever, and she and Nathan are dating! How much more could she know?"

"Her and Nathan are dating? Since when?"

"Since yesterday! And before your blonde head came around he dated her for awhile. They have what we like to call history. So shut up because you don't know what you are talking about."

Brooke snapped her fingers. "Lets go we are going to be late!"

They left but Teresa poked her head in next door before going downstairs. "We are going to our cheer stuff, what are you doing while you're here?"

They shrugged. Haley said, "Probably just go eat dinner or something."

"Have fun!"

After all the cheerleaders went downstairs, Haley fell back onto the bed next to Lucas. "How was the car ride?"

"How do you think?"

She giggled. "Sorry. Did you guys not talk?"

"Not even close."

Nathan came out of the bathroom. "I'm starved."

Haley hopped up. "Me too. Luke, lets go eat."

He walked out with them, suddenly dreading this weekend.

They went out to eat and afterwards they went back to the hotel. They were headed towards the elevators when they heard laughter from a conference room. Lucas looked through the doorway and saw Brooke laughing, throwing her head back and letting her hair fall. She looked like she was having a good time. He hadn't seen her look like this in a long time. Peyton, on the other hand, looked bored to tears. When she looked up she saw Lucas watching them. She quietly snuck out.

"Hey!"

"Hey, having fun?" He joked.

"Totally. How was dinner?"

"Okay."

She looked around. "Where's Nathan and Haley?"

"They must have gone back up to the room."

Peyton nodded. "Sounds cool."

Brooke looked at the doorway and saw Lucas and Peyton talking. They had been good friends for awhile, but a twinge of jealousy shot through Brooke. Not the kind of jealousy she had towards Carson, but of Peyton's friendship with Lucas. She would never have that, and it made her sad.

Peyton made her way back to the table and took her seat next to Brooke.

Brooke asked carelessly, "What are they up to?"

Peyton grinned. "You mean Luke?"

"No! No, I mean all of them..."

"Sure. They just got back from dinner. Luke was bored."

Brooke nodded. "Too bad for him."

"Yeah I guess. He was going to watch a movie."

"Cool."

"You know Brooke, you can be friends with him if you want."

"That's just it Peyton. I don't want to be friends with him." Brooke looked at the now empty doorway, feeling sorry for herself.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. for those of you who are wondering, this is a brucas story so don't give up hope! thanks for all the reviews!

-Emilie-