Lucas had been at school almost two weeks and things definitely weren't getting any easier. He had four hard classes and had to work extra just to make up for the time he had been hospitalized. It was a long road but that was his ultimate goal…to graduate on time with the rest of his class.

He looked around at his fellow students, laughing and talking, walking around as if they didn't have a care in the world. He remembered when life had been that way for him. College life wasn't the same and it was no longer fun. Lucas had become self-conscious and withdrawn but most of all, he missed basketball. He missed practicing and playing with the team. He missed the wild parties. He missed the girls. And as if life couldn't get worse, he had an appointment coming up again with Dr. Gellar.

Lucas wheeled his chair around to the other side of the shelf of the school library. He needed one more reference for a paper he had due. Just his luck, the book was on a shelf too high to reach from a sitting position. Upon entrance to the library there was a sign that read "Assistance for the handicapped upon request". Lucas hated that. He hated needing help and he hated being referred to as "handicap". He had to fight the urge to take a red marker and replace "handicap" with "injured".

Pressing on, Lucas studied his reference materials carefully as he tried to transfer most of the info onto index cards. The weather had turned out rather warm and he had dressed for chillier conditions. He was hot and uncomfortable. As far as he was concerned, it was just another day…

MEANWHILE…

Brooke felt like she was in a bad episode of The Pink Panther. She felt silly sneaking around the college campus like a common thief. She had been able to obtain Luke's class schedule so she could have a decent idea of his whereabouts. Donning a pair of sunglasses to keep from being recognized, Brooke made her way to where Luke's Sociology 3 class was letting out.

She waited patiently but nonetheless nervously outside the door and watched as everyone filed out. Everyone except Lucas.

"Excuse me", she said to a guy who was the last person to leave the auditorium.

"Yeah?"

"Um, do you know Lucas Scott? He's supposed to be in this class."

"Yeah, try the library over at Arnold Hall. He said something about cutting out early to go over there."

"Thank you", Brooke gratefully said as she pulled out her campus map and made her way there.

Finally she found the library she had been directed to. It was pretty big so she wondered around for a while looking for Lucas but trying not seem suspicious. After fifteen minutes she was losing hope…maybe he was already gone. Hungry, she decided to go grab a bite to eat and figure out the rest of the day. As she was on her way to the exit she noticed a young man struggling to free his wheelchair from a table it had somehow gotten stuck under.

"You okay? I'll help you with that", she offered as she gently pulled it back.

"Thanks but I can do it myself", the man said in a harsh tone.

"Sorry", Brooke apologized. "I was just trying to help."

The boy wheeled around and for the first time the two strangers made eye contact. Luke felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. Even with the jeans and Gap sweatshirt, baseball cap and no make up, Lucas would recognize her anywhere.

"Brooke?"

"Oh my God! You…you're Lucas."

They stared for a while both parties too shocked to speak. Brooke looked at the wheelchair, then at Lucas. Was this why he had been hiding? Was this the reason he had never agreed to meet? Brooke could not take his gaze away as their eyes locked. He was even more handsome in person.

"Hey", she began to stammer. "Um, hi. I…I'm Brooke Davis."

Tears of anger clouded Luke's eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you find me?"

Brooke nervously laughed in spite of herself.

"It took a lot, trust me. You're a hard person to find."

"Maybe that's because I didn't want to be found", he shot back as she quickly tried to wheel away.

Brooke was taken off guard. The intent had been to surprise him, not make him angry. His reaction was the welcome she had been expecting or wanting.

"Wait!" Brooke called as she went after him. "Lucas, I…I hope you're not pissed at me. This probably looks totally creepy with me tracking you down and coming all this way to see you without any warning or notice and I swear I'm not crazy but I…I just really wanted to meet you. Can we talk...please?"

Lucas stared at the ground desperately trying to control all the emotions swirling inside him. He felt anger, fear, confusion, and humiliation all at the same time. What the hell was Brooke's problem? She was a rich, famous actress in New York and he was just a normal kid in North Carolina. Their paths had crossed in the land of cyber space by chance. An e-friendship consisting of harmless chatting and e-mail exchange had ensued but why had she taken it that far? What right did she have? And didn't she have better things to do with her time? How dare this woman invade his privacy? She had literally stalked and hunted him down like an animal.

"You shouldn't have come here" he managed to yell in voice shakier than he meant to sound. "This…this is crazy! You went way too far."

"What? Why?" Brooke asked, obviously confused. "Lucas, I know it's a shock but I wanted to surprise you. I thought we were friends. I don't see what the problem is."

"Yeah, there's a big problem here. Look, just leave me alone!" he spat.

"Lucas, I don't understand. Why are you acting like this way? I just wanted to see you. Yeah, I knew you'd be shocked and maybe a little weirded out but I thought you'd be excited to finally meet me, too. I'm sorry if I upset you because that was never my intention. Can you just let me know what the big deal is about us meeting face to face?"

"Look, just go away, alright? I already told you..."

Tears formed in Brooke's eyes and Lucas himself was so flushed he could barely speak.

"Please, Lucas, what's the matter? We've talked about so much already. You can tell me why you are so upset."

Lucas made eye contact with her again then looked down at his chair. He didn't know what to say or do. He wished he could just run away or that the ground would open up and swallow him.

"Brooke…"

"Is this what's wrong?" she questioned softly, motioning with her eyes to his wheelchair.

"What do you want me to say, Brooke? What do you want to hear? The truth? Well, the truth is, I didn't want you to come here and I damn sure never invited you. Look, I'm in a goddamned wheelchair and I'm 21 years old. I can't walk, I can't drive, I can't feel my legs…I can't do any of the things I used to do. I don't know if I'll ever be able to walk again and I'm embarrassed, okay? I didn't want to see you in person because I didn't want you to see me like this!"

"It's okay", she said, trying her best to reassure him. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Lucas, I'd never judge you. We are friends, remember?"

"I can't do this right now, right here with you. I'm sorry but you shouldn't have come. It was a crappy idea."

"Lucas…"

"I don't want to see you! Don't you get that? Please leave", he said in a quiet whisper.

The tears, which had been forming, were now more than visible. Brooke felt like she had been punched in the gut. Plain and simple it had been a bad idea and Lucas wanted nothing to do with her.

"Okay", she said, softly. "I'm sorry."

Hurt, Brooke reluctantly complied with Luke's wishes.