Chapter Two: A Lunch

Brooke stared at the person in front of her, unable to say anything. She half-wondered if he was genuinely standing in front of her, especially since he was the last person she'd thought she'd see.

"Brooke, anytime you want to start speaking would be okay with me," came a chuckle from him.

Brooke stammered, speechless for the first time since she could remember, "Uh… I'm sorry, I just… I just never thought I'd see you here."

"Well, are you going to stand there or give me a hug?" Lucas asked highly amused at Brooke's reaction.

Brooke grinned wider and pulled him into a tight hug, relishing the familiar feeling of being in his arms again.

"God, I've missed that," she said, "Seriously, what are you doing here?"

"I just transferred. I remembered you saying something about this school when you left and so when we moved, this seemed like the most logical school to go to."

"We?" Brooke questioned.

"Yeah, I'll fill you in. How about you give me a quick tour first?" he suggested. She nodded and dragged him out of the principal's office, still stunned that he was here.

"So, who else is here?"

"Oh, just my mom and Andy. Andy wanted to start a business here and so we all relocated."

"What's it like having a new step-dad?" Brooke asked, remembering that Andy and Karen had married about a month before Brooke left Tree Hill with her parents.

"It's great. Andy and I get on really well and it's nice to have a guy around the house. Plus, my mom is a lot happier too."

"That's great, I'm very happy for all of you. Want to check out the gym?" Brooke asked as she led Lucas through the school, "Are you going to be playing basketball?"

Lucas nodded as he surveyed the court, "Yeah. Is this bigger than the one at Tree Hill?" he questioned.

"It only looks like it is, trust me – so not bigger." Brooke commented, "They can only fit, what, about 200 in here? Tree Hill goes 250."

"I haven't spoken to the Coach yet but I've been told I can try out in a few days. The principal seemed impressed when he spoke to Whitey over the phone," Lucas explained before turning to Brooke, "Are you still going to be cheering me on?" he grinned.

"You can bet on it. Although I don't lead the team."

"You don't?" Lucas seemed genuinely shocked by that, "I don't think there's a better cheerleader than you out there."

"Oh there isn't, believe me. I just wanted to focus more on the Student President thing,"

"Look at you go."

"Yeah, I'm growing as a person." Brooke chuckled, "Come on, I'll show you the library."

"So Dan had no problem with you leaving Tree Hill? I would have thought he'd have locked you up in his basement or something." Brooke mused.

"He did have a problem. A huge one. At first anyway. He didn't want his eldest son leaving him like Nathan did."

"So what made him change his mind?"

"Well he took it up to the courts and eventually they came to an agreement. I'm allowed to live with my mom and Andy, but have to spend at least four days a month in Tree Hill with Dan,"

"That's not too bad, I guess. It's only… 48 days out of a year?"

"Yeah, that's right. You've been studying?"

"I try. My GPA is going up – slowly – but it's going up. I should get into a decent enough college. Things are definitely looking up." Brooke told him.

Lucas smiled. "I've missed you, you know," Brooke blushed. "Things were different after you left. Things changed, people changed. Not the same Tree Hill."

"I didn't really have a choice in the matter, Lucas. My parents moved up here and although Tree Hill was my life, it's in Beaufort now. I think it was a good move considering my parents don't argue as much. We even eat together as a family. We haven't done that since I was little."

"So it's a good change?"

"Yeah, I think so. I do miss Tree Hill sometimes but I guess we all have to move on," Brooke sighed, "Anyway, it's only been… six months since I left."

"A lot can change in six months." Lucas told her.

"Like what?"

Lucas was interrupted by the sound of the lunch bell going.

"Oh, that's lunchtime. I'll take you to the cafeteria." Brooke stood up from the chair she had been sitting in, holding out her hand.

"Uh, actually, I've got to go meet the Coach and talk to him. Do you mind if I catch up with you later?" Lucas excused himself. Though disappointed, Brooke nodded and agreed that she'd meet up with him later. She gave him her new cellphone number and took him to the Coach's office, before heading to the cafeteria.

Brooke, being fifteen minutes late for lunch, skipped the lunch line and headed straight for her table where all her friends were seated.

"Hey guys," she greeted as she sat down next to Jessica, holding out her hand for her sandwich, which her friend duly gave to her.

"Have a good time touring?" Jessica asked. Brooke broke out into a huge grin, "Oh, was he that cute?" she asked, knowing what that smile meant.

"Better." Brooke told her and her three other friends who were around the table. Just before she was going to tell them about Lucas, she was interrupted by overhearing a conversation from the next table.

"Oh my god, you guys!" came a screech, "You'll never guess who I just saw in Coach Roberts office. The cutest guy ever!"

Brooke rolled her eyes as she listened to Scarlett Whitmore go on about Lucas to the rest of her friends. Scarlett was the captain of the cheerleading squad and needless to say, both she and Brooke often came to loggerheads during practise and even outside of practise.

"Oh my god, spill!" one of Scarlett's friends demanded.

"Well, I think his name is Lou or Luke or something and he's trying out for the basketball team. Apparently he was one of the star basketball players in… whatever school he came from." Scarlett told her group, "I bet I can get him around my finger like that!" she snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Brooke let a small growl, much to the surprise of her friends.

"Brooke, you okay?" he friend, Rachel, inquired. Shawn, Rachel's boyfriend, waved his hand in front of Brooke's face to snap her out of the daze she seemed to be in.

"Oh my god, girls, there he is!" Scarlett exclaimed as Brooke followed her gaze to the entrance of the cafeteria. Just asScarlett got up to go over to him, Brooke decided to act quickly and stood up on her chair.

"Lucas!" she practically yelled, catching everybody's attention, "Over here." Lucas looked slightly embarrassed and quickly made his way to the table, whisking past a pouting Scarlett. Brooke gave her a smug look and got down off her chair once Lucas was near.

"What? You don't say hello anymore?" Lucas joked, still embarrassed from Brooke's actions.

"Sorry, but desperate times called for desperate measures," she said. "Gang, this is Lucas, a friend of mine from Tree Hill. Lucas, this is gang." She introduced.

"Pleased to meet you," Lucas shook each and every one of Brooke's friend's hands.

"So you're Lucas." Jessica said as she shook Lucas' hand. "We've heard a lot about you."

"All good, I hope?"

"More or less. I hear you and your brother were very much the stars of Tree Hill."

"Well, I wouldn't say we were the stars, but we were good. We managed to lead The Ravens to state championships twice. And this crazy girl we call Brooke Davis won a lot of cheerleading trophies." Brooke grinned.

"Really? Our team hasn't gone to any big championships. Maybe you could change all that. Are youjoining the team?" Shawn asked.

"I hope to. I'm trying out next week."

"Well, I'm on the team so I'll be sure to put a good word in for you," Shawn offered. Lucas thanked him and the gang talked until the bell for lessons rang.

"Okay, so I've got World History now – what about you, Lucas?" Brooke asked as she got up.

"The Principal told me I wouldn't have lessons today. I've got to go see the school councillor about my timetable and settling in and stuff,"

"Shawn and I have Study Hall so we're heading in that direction. We'll walk you," Rachel offered. Lucas nodded.

"Well I guess I'll see you at the end of the day?"

"Sure, that'd be good." Lucas said giving Brooke a quick kiss on the cheek, much to the chagrin of Scarlett who was just leaving her own table. Brooke watched in amusement as she stalked off with her friends.

Brooke, Lucas and her friends all went into their different directions and when the coast was clear, Jessica pulled Brooke closer to her and whispered,

"Okay, not that I don't mind you showing Scarlett Whitmore up, but what was all that about standing on chairs and yelling at him?"

"Jess, I was calling him over. The cafeteria is noisy and I was afraid he'd get lost or something."

"Yeah, right. Look, Brooke, I know about your history with Lucas and as glad I am that you have an old friend here now, you just can't get too close to him."

"Jess! He's my friend. Look it up."

"No, Brooke, he's your ex-boyfriend. Look that up."

"I don't understand the big deal,"

"Well it's going to be a big deal here, especially to a certain guy…" Jessica ventured. Brooke looked at her and sighed.

"Jason isn't even here."

"People talk, Brooke. Especially in this town. When Jason comes back from vacation next week, all he's going to hear is that you were draped around an ex-boyfriend of yours. And with your relationship with Jason already unstable… Look, I understand that you're pleased Lucas is here and you want to catch up with him but you've got a boyfriend – and I'm sure if I heard my significant other was hanging out with their ex, I'm going to jump to the wrong conclusion."

"Jason will understand," Brooke said, "Lucas is just a friend. Nothing more."

"Just be careful. I mean, you've already snagged the biggest hottie in the school, now a new one has come along and it turns out you're friends. There's someone whose not going to like that, and if she gets her claws into either of them… you'll have to watch out for flying pom-poms."

Jessica walked off, heading to her Calculus class, leaving Brooke alone to think about what she'd said.

When Brooke had arrived in Beaufort, she'd almost instantly stolen Scarlett's crown as homecoming queen, with her good looks and charm. She'd quickly gained a group of friends and proved the most popular choice for Student President. Jason Samuels, who had just broken up with Scarlett, was immediately taken away by Brooke, leavingScarlett seething.

And she'd been looking forward to getting Brooke back ever since.

Brooke let out a deep sigh.

Sometimes she wished she was back in Tree Hill again.

To Be Continued...