author's note Yes, I've realized that I haven't posted in like forever. And this fic isn't going to make up for it. But whatever. Read, review if you like.

Chapter 2 Beginning of a New Relationship

She was new. From someplace like Tree Mountain or Bush Hill. It didn't really matter. As she tossed her brunette hair back, guys' mouths hung agape.

"Stop drooling!" Summer said sharply as she hit both Seth and Ryain in the stomach. Ryan merely shook his head at her immaturity and unrestricted anger, while Seth doubled over in pain.

"Sum...gasp...Sum...mer," Seth wheezed.

Summer threw a condescending look at Seth. "Stop being a drama queen." She stomped off in her strappy heels.

Seth and Ryan watched her walking away, her shoes clacking with the hallway floor.

Ryan patted Seth on the back. "Are you okay?"

Seth straightened his back. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sort of used to it now. Sort of."

The warning bell rang, and the two pseudo-brothers parted to their classes.

Ryan jogged up the steps to the second floor where his Latin class was. He sat down in one of the tiny seats that were squeaky and the table attached was too small to write on.

The final bell rang, and the new girl walked in conspicuously late.

"Sorry I'm late," she said as she gave Mr. Lavre a dazzling smile.

He looked up. "That's okay, just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Several students looked up in wonder. Mr. Lavre never let students in late. It didn't matter if they were disabled or they were on crutches and only had five minutes to walk up the long steps of stairs, they got detention.

"Aw man, that's not fair," a student complained.

Mr. Lavre silenced him with a look. He turned his attention back to her. "You may sit down."

She nodded and sat down to Ryan. Her sweet perfume drifted over to him. "Hey."

He acknowledged her with a nod. "Hey."

"I'm Brooke." She extended out a hand.

He shook it. "Ryan."

She spun in her seat. "Nice to meet you, Ryan."

Ryan didn't say anything.

Brooke closed her mouth. "Right, you don't like talking." She picked up the three papers that were handed out on the desk. "A project?" Brooke exclaimed in disbelief.

Ryan just regarded the papers with annoyance. This would seriously cut in with his soccer practice.

Brooke looked at him. "Partners?"

Ryan assented. He quickly scribbled the Cohen's address on her notebook.

"Alrighty. See you tonight." She smiled.


"She's coming? She coming! She coming, here!" Seth excitedly said as he bounced around the room.

"Yes, Seth, she is coming here," Ryan said tiredly as he rubbed his eyes.

"I can't believe that you're not slightly excited that she's coming. I mean Brooke Davis is coming!" Seth jumped up and down.

Sandy walked in the room, beer in hand. "What's up fellas?"

"The hottest girl in school is working with Ryan on a french project," Seth yelled as he drifted into somewhat of a daydream.

Sandy took a sip of his beer. "I didn't know Summer took Latin."

"She doesn't," Ryan said pointedly. He returned to his Physics textbook.

"Oh, so there's a new girl." Sandy looked at Seth all-knowingly.

Seth snapped out of his daydream. "Yup, her name is Brooke Davis. She moved from a town called Tree Hill in North Carolina. She has math first and science fifth."

"Seth. The stalking has got to stop."

The doorbell rang, and Ryan swore that Seth jumped up ten feet. "Seth, chill out." He jogged to the front door. The doorbell rang again when he was standing right at the door. Good lord, where was this girl's patience? He pulled the door open to reveal a crossed looking Brooke.

"My god, how long does it take to get to a door?" She pushed past him into the house.

Ryan ignored the comment, and followed Brooke into the kitchen where Seth and Sandy were sitting. "Sandy, Seth this was is Brooke. Brooke, this is Sandy and Seth."

Brooke took a seat. "Cool. Nice to meet you guys." She grabbed a pudding pack from the five that Seth had set out on the table. "Thanks," she said to a bewildered Seth.

"

pudding," he whimpered.

Sandy gathered his papers from the table. "I'll see you kids later."

"Bye." Brooke and Seth said simutaneously as they continued eating their pudding.

Ryan was really impatient with this girl. They had to work on a project, and god knows how much homework he still had to do after this. "Let's work in my room." He started towards the patio door.

Brooke was confused. "Wait, I thought we were going to work in your room."

"Yeah, I live in the poolhouse."

A devious smiled spread on Brooke's lips. "So you're the poolboy." She rememebered the time when she thought Felix was the poolboy. And that, certainly, had been fun. But Ryan, here, he didn't look like too much fun. In fact, he was just like Lucas - blond, bright blue-eyed, and terribly broody.

Seth took another spoonful of pudding. "Yup, he's my bitch."

"I am not your bitch, Seth." Ryan motioned to the poolhouse.

Brooke threw away her empty plastic container. "It was nice meeting you, Seth." She followed Ryan out the door.

Seth grinned. At least it wasn't a complete disaster. In fact, he thought their first meeting went rather well. There was lots of eye contact and talking. They actually talked. It was a good sign. A very good sign.

Brooke stepped out onto the patio. "Wow," she said as the blessed golden sun of Orange County hit her. First there was a gorgeous sparkling pool, and then there was that magnificent spread of blue ocean. Ryan stood next to her. "This is really pretty."

Ryan apprended the scene. "I know. It is. I was so awe-struck when I first got here. The grandeur."

Brooke waited for Ryan to go on, but he instead he stopped talking and looked in deep thought. Brooding, again. He suddenly spoke, breaking the silence filled with only waves, "We should work on it now."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah." She was miles and miles away from Tree Hill, she didn't need to think about it so much.


Brooke sat at the lunch table next to Marissa. She took a bite of her sandwich and frowned as the lettuce fell out.

Summer looked disdainly at Brooke. "Ew, there's mayo all over that."

What was wrong with mayo? "So what?" Brooke shrugged. She picked up the piece and popped it into her mouth.

"There's saturated fat. It has so much bad stuff in it.But I guess you're used to eating that kind of stuff, considering you're from hick town and everything.

Brooke gave Summer an evil look. "Bite me."

The other girls watched astonished. Nobody had ever stood up to Summer Roberts. Granted, that she was no Marissa-she was always second-man, but still.

"Guys..." Marissa warned.

Summer shut her mouth. The girls stopped listening and went back to picking at their salads.

When Marissa's back was turned, Brooke mouthed "bitch" to Summer. Summer couldn't do anything. Ah, getting the last word in was a great feeling of victory.


Brooke sat down in one of the big comfy chairs in the library.

A voice startled her. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Brooke sat up in surprise. She turned to see Seth. "You seriously just scared the shit out of me. I didn't see you."

Seth shrugged. "Most people don't. Anyways..what are you here for?"

Brooke leaned back in her chair. Wow, these leather chairs were rather comfy. "I have Social Committee, but the blonde girls were getting annoying. You?"

"I have a free period. I finished most of my courses early." Seth explained.

Brooke nodded. "Cool." She grabbed a Teen People magazine from her pink magazine and flipped to a random page. After awhile, she noticed Seth staring at her. "What?"

Seth stared at the picture of Ashlee Simpson on the cover.

Brooke blushed. "Guilty pleasure."

"Ah. I see." He plugged his iPod earpiece back in his ear, and continued listening to the music and sketching in a binded book.

Brooke continued watching him with some interest. He looked like the cutest dork ever. "What are you listening to?"

Seth looked up. "Oh, nothing, really, just some Bright Eyes."

Brooke's face crinkled in confusion. "Bright Eyes? Never heard of it."

Seth shook his head. "Typical. Have you heard of Iron and Wine? The Shins? Dashboard Confessional?" Seth tried desperately.

"Ooh! He's the really hot guy, right?" Brooke asked.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm a guy, I don't have opinions on that kind of stuff."

Brooke laughed in his efforts to be masculine. "It doesn't make you girly, if you think a guy is hot."

"Sure." Seth smiled as a Death Cab song came on. "Have you heard of Death Cab for Cutie?"

"No," Brooke answered.

Seth's mouth formed a perfect O. "Blasphemy! Here listen." He took of his headphones and handed them to Brooke.

"They're pretty good." Brooke said after awhile. She had listened to Peyton's punk her whole life, and she gotten used to it, although the music was still pretty bad. But now, this was more mellow, with the same underlying sadness, but slower and calmer.

Seth took the headphones that Brooke handed back to him. "I know. Death Cab is my favorite band... You should come over and listen to some of my music. I have tons of records."

Brooke smiled. "Okay. Where do you live?"

"You were just there, you worked with Ryan on the french project, didn't you?"

"Wait, you guys live in the same house?" Brooke asked in amazement.

Seth nodded, he thought Ryan had already covered this with her. Obviously not. "Yeah, didn't you see Sandy? That's my dad. I would've thought the Jew-ness, Jew-fro, and eyebrows would be a giveaway."

"Oh." Brooke couldn't think of a better word to say. "I'll have Marissa drop me off."

Now it was Seth's turn to be confused. "Marissa?" What did this new girl have to do with the anorexic step-aunt of his? Maybe she was trying to turn Brooke into one of those WASPs!

"She's my cousin."

Seth gaped. Too late, she was already a WASP. Wait, this also meant that she was related to him. Ew, how sick was this? Damn his grandfather for going after young, flamboyant, evil evil, gold digging Julie Cooper. Damn him.

Seeing how Seth was rendered speechless. "So I'll see you at seven-ish?" She smiled a brilliant smile.

Seth was about to stammer out the fact that they were related, when he realized that it might screw up his chances with her. "S-sure. I'll see you."

"Bye!" Brooke said as she skipped out of the room.

Seth's heart beat. He may have fallen in love again. With a girl named Brooke Davis.

author's note II hope you enjoyed the long chapter. Truthfully, it's one of the longest I've ever written.