Author's Notes: I really didn't think I'd be starting out with a One Tree Hill fic, but inspiration bit me in the butt last night and I pumped out a short chapter. It would have been longer, but it just felt appropriate to wrap it up where I did. This is a story about how an innocent invitation between friends can take life into completely unexpected places.
Revisited
Chapter One: An Invitation to Forget
Poetry in motion. His arm swung out in an arch, defying all laws of gravity in just one movement, daring science to challenge him. He caught the ball in midair, palm open and fingers outstretched like wings. The ball was trapped as if in a net, but only for a moment; soon it was on its way to the earth again. His legs worked, muscles straining under skin to keep him one step ahead of any opponent that might capture his orange-tinted, leather prize. It was him against the world, and every stride forward he took was on step closer to a two-point victory. The feet came together, battered shoes making only a breath of sound as the muscles in the calves curled for the spring. Cotton-clad arms bunched, ball balanced on spread palms. Sky-envious eyes measured up the distance between winning and losing miserably, and all the world paused with him in that half-second. The birds refrained from singing, the breeze halted its breath, the grass was as still as the upraised hairs on the back of his neck. This was the moment, that fine line between what was and what could be.
Lucas Scott took the shot, springing upward from his poised position with all the power in his athletic young body. His arms went up and out as if he could launch the earth into the heavens with ease. His legs powered this explosion of motion like pistons of pure steel. His hands released the ball at that crucial moment, while his eyes and ears waited for what he knew must come next. It was the truest form of music there was, the only thing that really mattered, the defining—
Swish.
And it was over, just like that. The ball dropped to the ground as if it was a bird that had forgotten how to fly, and in that moment Lucas felt the irrational fear of having no purpose or direction in life. He paused then, watching the ball bounce slowly away from him, toward the water of the river, and dragged his hand through his brutally short, burnished gold hair.
He shouldn't even be playing, or at least that's what everyone would tell him if they knew about his test results. Another gift from his father—a potentially fatal heart condition. What everyone failed to realize was the fact that basketball called to Lucas like a siren, and he was helpless to resist. Basketball was something he could control, something he could lose himself in. Peyton, he knew, would understand. In many ways, the two of them were like kindred souls. From the beginning, Luke had felt a connection with the sassy, broody Peyton Sawyer, which wasn't like anything he'd experienced before. Every now and then, when he was alone at night, he wondered about what might have been had things between them turned out differently.
Skeletons in the closet, one might call them. Lucas shook off that train of thought and trailed after his basketball, taking his time. He was in no rush, after all, to return to Dan Scott's house, and he couldn't very well face the accusing looks of his mother. That left him with the river court, which was really the one place in Tree Hill that he could truly be himself—here it was just a boy, a net and a ball. It was beautiful in its simplicity. And then there was a girl—not just any girl—added to the mix.
"You know, basketball is a team sport," she commented from behind him. Lucas whirled around at the sound of the unexpected, but familiar, voice.
Brooke Davis.
When he'd been stretched out in a hospital bed, she had been his guardian angel. When he'd been afraid to take life head-on, she showed him how to shake free of his bonds and find a completely different level of himself. In a few short months, Brooke had shown him how to push past everyone's limits—even his own. He hadn't realized how much she'd meant to him then, but looking at her now, he couldn't imagine what life would have been like without her. How had he ever been stupid enough to let her go? And how could he show her that he was ready to give her the love and appreciation she deserved now? It seemed impossible, especially when he took into consideration the fact that she was dating her neighbor, the suave, rich, oh-so-new kid named Felix.
"Teams," he told her with a somewhat wry smile, "can be overrated."
She wrinkled her nose at him, hazel eyes crinkling with amusement. "Broody's a glory-hog."
"Don't tell the rest of the guys." He scooped up the basketball and glanced away from her for a moment, wondering what came next. He was always on his toes when Brooke was around. He suspected she liked to keep it that way.
Being class president had done her good. She'd always been popular, but the office and its responsibilities had added a new luster to her. She simply looked more confident, healthier, more in control. Whether she'd like to think so or not, Brooke had changed. He wondered if she'd ever be the girl that showed up half-naked in almost-strangers' back seats anymore/
"Your secret's safe with me," she told him, hesitating only for a second before walking slowly over. One got the impression that everything Brooke did was calculated to have the maximum effect. It never failed to amaze Lucas how quickly she could cast a spell over everyone around her. It was one of the things he had come to love about her.
"Glad to hear it. What brings you to the river court?" he asked, lazily dribbling the ball to ward off any potential physical awkwardness.
Brooke ran her tongue over her lips as she considered, then tilted her head and gave him the patented Davis smile—the one designed to give men heart attacks. Lucas tried to ignore it, and might have succeeded if he could have managed to look anywhere but at her.
"I know I've said thank you, and I know you hate it when people make a big deal out of things—"
Lucas interrupted, sputtered in protest. "I do not hate it when people—"
She speared him with a pointed look, and grinning, he fell silent. With an elegant wave of her hand, she continued. "I just wanted to let you know that I really am grateful, and not just for your help with the campaign. You really pulled me through some difficult times. And it's not just me you've helped."
He tilted his head and looked at her quizzically, causing her to smile again.
"Mouth is really appreciative, too."
At that, Lucas immediately gave and embarrassed little wiggle that doubled as a shrug. "Mouth's a really good guy. We've been friends for as long as I can remember, and I owe him a couple."
Brooke's expression communicated her doubt, and she shoved him in the arm gently. "Whatever, Broody. That's beside the point, anyway. I came here to invite you over to dinner at my place. Now before you start launching a speech on inappropriately intimate settings for two friends—" she eyed him sharply at this— "let me add that the reason I'm inviting you there and not to a restaurant is that I want you to be my guinea pig."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, a slight, speculative smile curving his full lips. "Your guinea pig," he repeated. Brooke beamed at him and looped her arm through his, drawing him toward the river as they strolled.
"Right. I've been learning how to cook."
He did a double take and let out a surprised laugh. This was the last thing he'd expected to hear from her. She glared up at him playfully and smacked his arm.
"What's so funny?" she demanded. "I spend a lot of time on my own, so I decided it was high time I learned how to feed myself properly. It's a lot cheaper to eat in than it is to go out. Besides, Peyton's teaching me. She cooks for her and her dad all the time."
"I didn't know that, but I guess it makes sense." He glanced at her and smiled. "All right, Brooke, dinner sounds good."
She smiled up at him warmly, and turned her gaze to the water for a minute. "Great. And if I set the kitchen on fire, dinner's on you."
He laughed again. "Agreed."
They strolled in silence for a moment. Lucas had decided not to think about the position he was now in considering Brooke. If he were in Felix's shoes, he wouldn't have been thrilled to hear that his girlfriend was inviting her ex-boyfriend over for a home-cooked dinner for two. But then again, Brooke had clearly defined it as a meal between friends, more of a thank you than anything else. Surely that was innocent enough, right?
Right. Of course. Nothing to worry about. Which usually meant there was plenty to worry about.
After a long moment of reflection, Brooke broke the silence once more, avoiding his gaze. Her eyes skimmed over the opposite shore of the river as she slowly put together her words.
"It's been lonely for you since Tutor Gir—since Haley left, hasn't it?"
He paused for a moment in silent surprise. He'd been under the impression that his emotional reaction to Haley's sudden absence from Tree Hill, and subsequently his life, had been relatively well-controlled. His half-brother certainly didn't seem to think that her disappearance had bothered him. Peyton had expressed her sympathy, but she had her own ups and downs to deal with. She didn't seem to see how down he'd been. And yet Brooke was here, as intuitive to him as she'd ever been, and she knew. A knew wave of loneliness hit him then, a combined mixture of missing his best friend, and missing the girl right beside him.
"Yeah," he finally managed, scanning the horizon. "Haley has been a constant in my life since we were eight. Even when she started seeing Nathan, we were tight. When I found out she was gone, without even saying a word to me, I felt…"
Brooke squeezed his arm gently, bringing her gaze to his face. "Betrayed."
He looked down at her and nodded slowly. "Yeah. And hurt. And a little angry. But now I just miss her."
"I don't want to take her place—I can't take her place—but I hope I can at least make you feel a little less alone, Luke."
He smiled down at her then, stopping to wrap her in a warm hug. As her arms came around his neck in a tight embrace, he closed his eyes and for a moment forgot about where life had left him. He breathed in her scent and let peace surround him, remembering a time before things had gotten crazy in Tree Hill. He should have held her this way more, but he couldn't change the past no matter how hard he tried.
"Thanks, Brooke," he whispered in her ear, keeping her firmly pressed to his chest.
"Don't mention it, Broody," she replied, and gave him a squeeze. As they parted, she gave him a wink and backed slowly toward her car. "I'll see you tonight around six?"
"I'll be there," he assured her, and relished in her answering smile.
