Chapter 5: A Boyfriend

The week went by pretty fast with Lucas and Brooke becoming inseparable while she helped him adjust to life in Beaufort. Jessica had repeatedly told Brooke to cool it for a while, but Brooke ignored her friend, being too caught up in catching up with Lucas and making him feel more comfortable.

Plus, there hadn't been any trouble with Scarlett, who kept her usually snide comments to herself. Brooke had been worried Scarlett would try and get her claws into Lucas but it didn't seem that way. Sometimes she'd catch Scarlett looking at them but there were no bitchy remarks during practice, no eyelash batting and certainly none of the other tricks Scarlett was usually up to, which unnerved Brooke a little.

Brooke frowned when she saw Scarlett talking to one of the other basketball players, but it was lifted when she saw Lucas emerge from the changing rooms dressed in his Beaufort High jersey. She squealed in delight as she ran over to him.

"What do you think?" he asked, still unsure about the purple and yellow.

"I think you look great!" Brooke said as she checked out Lucas, "And 23… isn't that Nathan's number?"

"My number was already taken so I went for the next best thing."

"Well, be careful," Brooke told him, "Girls have a reputation for getting that number tattooed above their ass," she joked giving him a playful nudge.

"Hey, you're funny!" Lucas told her sarcastically before clearing his throat. "Guess where I'm going this weekend," Brooke shrugged, "Tree Hill. Want to tag along?"

"Duh!" Brooke said, "You didn't even need to ask."

"Cool. We'll leave Friday night, is that okay?" Brooke nodded as the coach blew the whistle to signify the start of practice, "I'll catch you later," he said as he ran off to join his new team.

Brooke looked over at the cheer squad, noticing the smile playing on Scarlett's lips. Brooke cleared her throat and tried to push it to the back of her mind, but halfway through practice Scarlett was still looking smug.

"Okay, I give up," Brooke said to her when they took a break, "What's so funny? Do I have lipstick on my teeth or something."

Scarlett looked at her, "Why would you assume something is up, Brooke?"

"Because you've been looking like the cat who got the cream, that's why. Something I should know?"

Scarlett shook her head, "No… not really. Although I'd be careful, if I were you. A weekend away with Lucas Scott? People might start getting the wrong idea."

"He's a friend, Scarlett. Something you probably wouldn't understand considering you sleep with anything in pants." Brooke knew she hit a nerve when Scarlett narrowed her eyes.

"Whatever, Brooke. But I'm not worried about my reputation. At least I sleep with one guy at a time."

"I'm not sleeping with Lucas," Brooke crossed her arms, "Why do you care so much?"

"Well, you've spent all of this week attached to his hip and you're taking a weekend away. And even if I don't care, I know someone who might," Scarlett motioned to the figure who had just walked into the gym. Brooke's eyes widened.

"This is going to be so good," she heard Scarlett remark to her friends.

There were whoops and cheers from the basketball team when they saw Jason Samuels stride confidently into the gym, fresh from his vacation. Lucas watched as they greeted him and then introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Lucas Scott."

"The new guy, right?" Lucas nodded, "I'm Jason Samuels. I heard you're good."

"I'm alright," Lucas said, pleased to have made an impression on the school's star basketball player.

"Are you playing?" Shawn asked Jason who gave a nod.

"Let me say hello to my girl and get kitted up," he said as he walked towards the cheerleaders.

"Who's he dating?" Lucas asked Shawn. Shawn looked at him quizzically.

"You mean you don't know?" Lucas shook his head and watched Jason with interest.

His mouth opened in surprise as Jason went up to Brooke and placed a big kiss on her lips before embracing her. Brooke looked embarrassed at the gesture and gave Lucas an apologetic look.

She could see that Lucas wasn't pleased and she greeted Jason as best she could. When Jason left to go to the changing rooms, Brooke tried to make her way to the court but Scarlett held her back.

"Oh, Brookie?" Scarlett almost sing-songed, "We have practice," she told her with a big grin.

"You are so enjoying this, aren't you?" Brooke muttered to her. Scarlett shrugged.

"Just a little bit. Okay, a lot," she admitted before facing the whole squad, "Positions, people!"

Brooke was distracted all though practice and kept glancing at both Jason and Lucas, the former was oblivious to it all, whereas the latter just ignored Brooke's pleading looks.

Once the final whistle went, Brooke practically ran up to Lucas once Jason had disappeared into the changing rooms.

"Lucas!" she called, "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. I totally forgot he was coming back today."

"Forget it, Brooke," Lucas told her, "I should have already assumed you'd be dating someone. It's my fault for not asking, right?" Lucas said almost coldly. Brooke sighed.

"Lucas! I'm really sorry. It just never came up and what was I supposed to say?"

Lucas shrugged, "I guess. Are we still on for Friday though? Just as friends?" Brooke nodded enthusiastically, pleased the offer was still open to her.

"Yeah, we are. I really do want to be friends, believe me." She insisted. Lucas nodded.

"I'm going to go change. See you later," he said as he left her.

Brooke sighed and gathered up her cheerleading stuff before leaving the gym, calling Jessica almost immediately.

"You are not going to believe what just happened," she told Jessica, "You were right, it blew up in my face."

"Jason found out?"

"No, Lucas found out about Jason. He's pissed, I think. Jason knows nothing."

"Are you going to tell Jason about Lucas?"

"There's nothing to tell except Lucas is my friend."

"And your ex-boyfriend."

"Stop saying that, Jess! That was eons ago and I doubt it even matters now. We're friends and that's it!" Brooke told her, "Anyway, Jason's here. Speak to you later," she said as she hung up.

"Hey, babe," Jason greeted Brooke with another kiss, "You want to go get a coffee or something?" Brooke nodded.

"Sure. Then you can tell me all about your vacation. Did you have a nice time?"

"Great, although I missed you," he told her wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I missed you too."

"Really? You looked kind of surprised when I showed up."

"Oh, I just forgot cos I was so swamped with being Student President. I'm glad you're back."

"So am I," he said sincerely. "I missed you a lot," Brooke could only smile back, realising that she hadn't given much thought to her boyfriend over the past week.

The next day, Jason entered the changing rooms, heading towards where Lucas and Shawn were changing.

"Hey," he greeted, setting his bag next to Lucas', "We didn't get a chance to talk properly yesterday," he told Lucas, "You played good."

"Thanks," Lucas said.

"So, where did you transfer in from?" Jason asked as he began to change into his kit.

"Tree Hill High."

"Sweet, my girlfriend used to go there. Brooke Davis, you know her?"

"Yeah," Lucas simply nodded, "We, uh, actually… we were friends… are friends," Lucas corrected himself, not knowing how much he wanted to reveal.

"So what was she like there? She hardly ever talks about her time there. At least not to me. Did she have any ex-boyfriends I need to worry about?" Jason chuckled. Lucas forced a smile and shrugged.

"A few, maybe. No-one really stands out though," Lucas said, only telling half a lie. Truthfully, most of Tree Hill knew Brooke was the 'a-guy-a-week' type of girl, and it had only been Lucas who had lasted the longest before he'd screwed it up.

"How close were you?" Jason asked.

"Uh… what?"

"Well, did she tell you stuff? Like confide in you?" Jason questioned, lowering his tone.

"Sometimes. Why?" Lucas started to get a little scared of the questioning.

"I just wanted to know how long this chastity thing has been going on for," Jason asked, slightly embarrassed to be bringing up the subject.

Lucas also turned a shade of red, "Uh… what?"

"Well, we've been going out for a while now but every time I want to take it a step up, she tells me she wants to wait until she's in love," Jason explained, "I just wanted to know if it's always been that way."

Lucas smiled to himself, pleased that Brooke was taking a little more responsibility than she used to.

"Guess so," Lucas told Jason even though he was almost bursting to tell him that he'd slept with Brooke many times before. He managed to hold his tongue because he knew that he couldn't do that to Brooke, despite how he hated the thought of her with somebody else. "It's her choice, Jason. Make sure you respect that," he half-warned. Jason nodded.

"Thanks, man. You know, you're a good guy. I heard you threw a damn good pool party a few nights ago."

"Oh, well that was all Brooke's doing. She's one hell of a party planner," Lucas chuckled. Jason nodded.

"Yeah, you're telling me. Anyway, are you free Friday night? I'm having a party at my house. Since you're on the team, you're automatically invited," Jason offered.

"Uh, actually I'm not going to be able to go. I'm visiting my dad in Tree Hill this weekend," Lucas told him.

"Oh right. Well, if you change your mind. Maybe next time?"

"Sure," Lucas told him, "Hey, um, does Brooke know about your party?"

"Not yet, why?" Jason asked. Lucas shook his head.

"Doesn't matter," he said as the coach entered and told them to get their asses on the court.

Brooke sat in The Diner that night opposite Jason, listening to him talk about Florida and how great his vacation was.

"So, I was talking to Lucas," Jason said causing her to look up in alarm.

"What?"

"I was asking him about you and Tree Hill," he chuckled as he saw her expression, "Don't look so scared, there were no scandals that came out," Brooke forced a smile.

"So what did you ask him?"

"Just guy stuff."

"Guy stuff?"

"Yeah, like if you had any ex-boyfriends or anything."

"And what did he say?"

"Almost as much as you haven't. You don't really talk that much about Tree Hill. I mean, I was surprised you didn't tell me you and Lucas were friends yesterday."

Brooke shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "Well, you know, you'd just come home and I wanted to hear about your vacation. Plus, I prefer to keep my old life in the past. It's not worth talking about," she explained.

"That's fine, I respect that. Anyway, I'm going to need your party planning skills for Friday."

"Why?" Brooke looked up from her milkshake.

"Because I'm having a party at my house that night – a little welcome home thing. I invited Lucas but he said he's visiting his dad that weekend, but I guess he can come to the next one." Jason said, "Can you get the alcohol?" he asked Brooke.

"Uh, about that... I'm not going to be able to go," she said.

"Are you grounded?" Jason asked, but she shook her head.

"Not exactly. I'm not here this weekend," she began before Jason got the hint.

"Any chance you and Lucas are going to Tree Hill for the weekend?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm sorry, but he mentioned it before you came back and I already told him I'd go. Plus, I really want to see Tree Hill again."

"Well, for someone who is uncomfortable talking about Tree Hill, you seem awfully keen to go back," he said somewhat jealously. Brooke sighed.

"Come on, Jason, don't be like that. It's just something that I want to do and if you knew Lucas' dad, then he's going to need all the support he can get. Plus, with his brother and best friend out of town, it's going to be harder for him," she explained, referring to Nathan and Haley's absence. Jason nodded. "I get where you're coming from, Jason. I mean when my best friend and boyfriend went out of town, things didn't really go well. So I totally understand why you don't want me to spend the weekend with my ex-boyfriend," she said before she realised what she was saying.

"What?" Jason said trying to understand what had come out of Brooke's mouth.

"Uh, okay, so I forgot you didn't know that."

"You and Lucas dated?"

"Only for a little while."

"Well how come neither of you told me?"

"I don't know. I guess it wasn't important. That's the past," she tried to convince him. Jason sighed.

"I told you about me and Scarlett," Jason reminded her.

"Yeah, but that's different."

"Why?"

"Because… because I don't know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she reached over and held his hands, "I'm really, really sorry," she gave him the big puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, but you have told me everything about you and Lucas, right? All the nitty, gritty stuff that I won't like?" Brooke nodded, but regretted it the instant she did it.

She just had the opportunity to come clean with her boyfriend but instead she'd lied to him again. 'So much for the new and improved Brooke Davis' she thought to herself.

Jason smiled at her and leant over to kiss her.

"Then I'm fine with you going with Lucas," he told her, "I hope you have fun."

"Thanks," she smiled, "Me too."

To Be Continued…