Chapter Nine

"Speechless"

"Do you like 'Self Against City'?" Peyton asked Lucas walking up beside him in the hallway at school.

Lucas told her yes.

"Listen to these lyrics," Peyton told him handing him her head phones.

"Just when I, assume that everything's alright, you're gone again, I'm gonna spend my whole life wondering, why you give yourself away, to everyone and now there's nothing left of you, There will come a day, when everything will come right back down to you." Lucas listened.

"Speechless." She told him.

"That's a good song, but why are you playing it for me?"

"Because Jake's back." She smiled. "And it makes me think of him."

Lucas smiled and hugged her. "I'm glad you're happy," he told her. His smile faded when he saw Aubrey coming down the hall with Brooke.

"What's wrong?" Peyton asked.

Lucas nodded toward the two of them. "That. Aubrey thinks I still have feelings for Brooke because somebody told her about us being together when I was with Brooke."

"Sorry," Peyton sighed. "It was an accident. It's kind of strange that the two of them are together though don't you think?"

Lucas nodded. "It is kind of strange. I guess they're a lot alike though."

Peyton hit him in the side. "See ya later," she smiled walking into her classroom. Lucas just nodded. He was focused on Brooke and Aubrey.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Nathan watched Brooke sit down in a desk in front of him. She was late for class as usual. Only today, she was hoping she would be. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to her.

"Ms. Davis," the teacher said handing her a piece of paper. "That's your third tardy this week. I guess we'll be seeing you in detention."

"What?" Brooke exclaimed. "Are you kidding me? Come on Mr. Taylor I was thirty seconds late!"

"You're always thirty seconds late Brooke." He smiled. "See you after school."

Brooke pouted and laid her head down on the desk. She quickly jolted up when she remembered Nathan was sitting behind her. She turned around to face him. "Hey." She smiled.

"Hey," Nathan smiled back nervously.

"Sucks about detention, wanna join me?" she suggested playfully.

Nathan shook his head. "No thanks, I have practice after school."

"Shit! So do I!" she exclaimed loudly catching another look from the teacher. "Sorry," she said. She turned back around in her desk.

"Brooke," Nathan whispered trying to get her to turn back around. "I had fun last night."

"I did too," she smiled.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Nathan," a girl whispered as Nathan walked by the janitors closet. "Come here,"

Nathan turned around and felt himself being pulled into the closet. "Brooke?" he asked making sure it was her.

"No, it's Aubrey," she whispered.

"Um, okay. What do you want?" he asked. He had never really met her he just knew she was Lucas' girlfriend.

"You," she whispered in his ear. She kissed the back of his neck and bit his earlobe.

Nathan stood there unsure of what to do. His question was answered when he saw the door open and the principal standing in the doorway. "Mr. Scott, Ms. Miller." He smiled. "Look's like you'll both be in detention this afternoon."

Nathan looked at Aubrey with fire in his eyes. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed. "This is ridiculous." He walked out of the closet leaving Aubrey by himself and stormed down the hall.

"Nathan, wait up!" Peyton called to him. She was running all the way down the hall to catch up with him. "What's wrong?" she asked touching his arm.

Nathan moved away from her. "Everything," he said. He slammed the door of the classroom and sat down in a desk."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Brooke sat down in the back of the detention room and pulled out a magazine. "Hey Mrs. Write." She said to the teacher sitting in the front of the room.

"Brooke," she smiled. "Haven't seen you in over a week. Where have you been?"

"Oh you know," Brooke smiled. "I guess when you skip school you can't get detention."

Mrs. Write rolled her eyes. "Since you're the only one here anyway, why don't you just go home?"

Brooke smiled. "Well thank you gorgeous. You just made my day." As Brooke stood up to leave the room her smile faded when Nathan and Aubrey walked in.

"Sorry Brooke, look's like you're going to have to stay."

Brooke sat back down in the desk. "I could kill you both right now!" she muttered pulling her magazine back out. "What are you doing here Scott?"

Nathan sat down next to her and shook his head. "Don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," Brooke sighed. "What crawled up your ass and died?" Nathan motioned toward Aubrey. Brooke immediately jumped up. "What?"

"She pulled me into the janitors closet and tried to make out with me." He told her.

"Oh no she didn't!" Brooke exclaimed. She jumped up from her seat and grabbed Aubrey by the hair. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What?" Aubrey asked pushing Brooke away from her.

"For one thing, you're with Lucas, and for another thing, you're NOT with Nathan."

"Last I knew, you weren't either." She smiled at Nathan. "And the last time I talked to Lucas, he wanted you, not me."

Brooke looked at her with confusion and so did Nathan. "What?" she asked.

"Lucas freaked out when he saw you two on TV at that autograph signing. He wants you Brooke, not me."

Brooke closed her eyes. She could not believe what she was hearing. "Yeah, well, Lucas had his chance. I've moved on."

"To what?" Aubrey smiled.

Brooke looked at her with a dead stare. "Don't push me Aubrey."

Mrs. Write was watching from her desk but not speaking.

"Prove it." Aubrey told her. "Prove that you don't want Lucas too."

Brooke shook her head. She walked over to Nathan, bent down and kissed him. "Happy?" she asked.

Mrs. Write stood up now. "That's enough!" she cried. "This is detention!"

Brooke smiled at her. "Mrs. Write, do you mind if Nathan and I get out of here."

"Oh whatever," she said. "Don't tell anyone."