Thanks so much for all your reviews! I realised I really stupidly named two characters 'Drake' and 'Dave', and also made them seem a little similar…woops. Anyway, they are in fact pretty different, as you will see in this chapter, but sorry if that caused any confusion. Here's the new part…
"So this party…" Lucas asked, as they were all heading to their rooms to get changed. "What should I wear?"
Toby chuckled. "Dress code's easy man: swimming trunks."
Lucas raised an eyebrow and Brooke grinned. "See you down there!"
Lucas and Freddie went through the doors into the basement, the swimming pool before them. It looked totally different from when Lucas had been there with Brooke.
The lights were dimmed but there were coloured lights in the corners and a big table set up on the poolside covered in food and drink. Big speakers were in the corners and there were even some NYU banners hanging from the walls.
"Wo!"
"Yeah, parties down here are pretty awesome. We should be getting music any minute now…"
They walked round to the side of the pool where the decking was widest, and where the tables were set up. Quite a few people were already down there, all in shorts or bikinis. Brett came up and hit Lucas on the back.
"Welcome to your first NYU pool party man! It seems pretty tame now but once we get some music…" he stopped and smiled. "Here it comes now."
The beat of Nelly's 'Hot in Here' could be heard from outside the door, and a second later they were flung open and Brooke and Carrie were silhouetted in the doorway holding a massive boom box; Carrie in a black bikini, Brooke in dark red.
Brooke threw her hands above her head. "Party's started people!" They headed over to the speakers and Carrie plugged it in so the music suddenly became ten times louder.
"Work that body Davis!" she catcalled, and she and Brooke started off the dancing, dropping to the floor and rising with their backs to each other.
Lucas chuckled and Toby grinned at him. "Come one man, I think they need some dance partners."
Brooke grinned as she saw the boys approaching.
"So Broody," Brooke said, slinging an arm round Carrie's waist. "First dance, take your pick."
"Or you can have us both if you want," Carrie added, shrugging.
Brooke looked at her and then shrugged. "Yeah, sure." The two dissolved into giggles and Lucas chuckled. "Right."
Dave stood next to him, mouth open. "Dude! You're not going to take that offer?"
"We were kidding Dave! We don't do that," Brooke added, meeting Lucas' eye.
"Yeah, I figured," he said, laughing.
"Have you guys ever made out?" Toby asked.
"No!"
"Have you ever made out with any girl?"
"Toby!" Carrie hit him on the chest.
"What," he smiled, "I'm just curious."
Brooke was dutifully avoiding Lucas' eye.
"Brooke has!" Toby said, noticing her look.
"How do you know?"
"Because you're totally staying quiet and you're never quiet! Lucas, has she?"
Lucas pulled an exaggerated shrug. "She may have done a couple of times."
"LUKE!"
"A couple of times, Wo! With who?"
"Peyton," Brooke muttered.
"You made out with Peyton?" Carrie asked. "Actually she does look kinda hot…"
Brooke shrugged, nodding along.
"I think I just died and went to heaven," Dave said.
"We were kidding!" The two girls said again in unison. "Jeez Dave, we're not gay!"
"You don't have to be so finite about it! It's a fluid concept…everybody experiments…"
They both just shook their heads at his attempts to persuade them.
"Come one Luke, lets go dance before dickhead here gets anymore ideas." Brooke grabbed his hand, chuckling at Dave's pout.
"Hey man," Drake greeted Dave as he went to get a drink.
"Oh hey Drake, hey nice game tonight man."
"Yeah you too. Hey, I've been meaning to ask you. What do you think of this new guy?"
Dave shrugged. "He seems pretty cool. I mean, I didn't really expect to like Brooke's ex-boyfriend," he chuckled, "but he's not too bad."
"Yeah…" Drake's expression was darker. "About that…are they like, still dating?"
"I dunno. Toby said they're not, like, officially, but…you know," he indicated his head towards the dance floor, where Brooke was grinding against Lucas, laughing as he slid his hands over her hips.
Drake nodded slowly. "So you think she's taken man?"
Dave gave him a sideways look. "Why?"
"I dunno, I thought otherwise I might hook up with her."
Dave continued to look at him, and then sighed and shrugged. "I don't know man, really. I mean, I personally wouldn't do anything, because I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that, but I guess technically she's fair game."
Drake took a sip of his drink. "Cool."
Dave frowned. "Lucas is a good guy though - "
Drake cut him off with a look.
"What? He is."
"Don't you think it's a bit…I don't know. This new guy just coming in; getting shooting guard. Brett already seems pretty chummy with him."
"Well he's been picked up by the Knicks practically. I mean, you saw him tonight, he's pretty good!"
Drake shrugged.
"Hey man," Dave chuckled, "Don't worry, I think your position as captain next year is pretty safe. I mean, he's only a sophomore, you're a junior. It's cool."
"Yeah…" Drake's expression was still sour. "Anyway man thanks for the info." He headed off, and Dave was left looking after him, frowning to himself.
Brooke was having a total blast on the dance floor. She'd forgotten how much fun dancing with Lucas was; god she'd missed this.
He caught her eye and she smiled, biting her lip a little. Lucas felt his heart skip a beat; how had he forgotten how sexy she was? Well, actually, he hadn't. But still, he had forgotten exactly what she did to him.
"Now, I know you guys are totally hot for each other etc etc," Carrie said, approaching them holding a drink, "But you can't hog the new guy all night Brooke. The other cheerleaders are getting bitchy," she joked.
Brooke chuckled and stepped back a little from Lucas.
"Here," Carrie said, holding out a cup to her.
"Thanks," Brooke accepted it, and Carrie turned to Lucas. "What do you want? We've got…pretty much everything," she chuckled.
"I'm good thanks."
"You're not getting wasted either? Jeez, first Brooke tells me earlier she's not drinking too much tonight, and now her toyboy too…"
Brooke glared at her and Carrie chuckled. "Kidding! I don't usually drink too much either, but I got a paper back today that really didn't go too well and - "
"Oh which one?" Brooke asked, sympathetically.
"That one on 'The Crucible'," Carrie said, waving it off, "Drama major," she added turning to Lucas, "No idea why I'm doing it."
"Because you're great at it!" Brooke cut in, "and that paper was great too, Weinbaum didn't like it?"
Carrie shrugged. "I guess not. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm going to forget about it with a little help from some Screwdrivers," she grinned. "Anyway, I'm gonna go find Toby. And you guys" she pointed a finger between the two of them, "quit the hogging, or get a room." She winked, and headed off.
Lucas chuckled and shook his head. Brooke grinned too and then frowned a little. "Hey Luke, if you see her later with a drink in her hand, can you just…try and make her not drink it?" she asked tentatively. "She gets a little stressed about work although she hates to show it, and she can go a little over the edge with drinking sometimes."
Lucas nodded. "Sure."
Brooke smiled. "Thanks Broody. Okay, well I guess we'd better mix it up a little before Stacy comes over here and literally drags you away!"
Lucas chuckled. "Yeah, sure. I'm gonna go get a drink actually. Oh and, quick question: are Toby and Carrie…"
Brooke grinned. "No, but they're totally hot for each other! I've been trying to get them together ever since - "
Lucas held up a hand to stop her flow. "I see this is a long story, tell me about it later, okay?"
Brooke nodded, smiling. "Kay, but I'm gonna need your help on this one another time – stealth mission."
Lucas nodded and saluted. "Got it Watson."
Brooke grinned and Lucas headed off. She caught sight of Dave and decided to go make his night by dancing with him.
Brooke danced with Dave for a little while and then went to get a drink. People were piling into the pool by now, and she giggled as a few of the cheerleaders splashed her from the side.
"Molly! Quit it this bikini is not made for swimming!"
The freckled cheerleader giggled. "And you think this one is? We need to go shopping for new bikinis next week Brooke!"
Brooke gave her a thumbs up and Molly swam off. Brooke finished her drink and set it down, heading back to the dance floor.
She caught sight of Lucas with a friend of hers, Isabel. They were dancing, but not too close or anything. For some reason this calmed the tiny stab of jealousy Brooke felt within her. She breathed out slowly. It was perfectly natural to feel a little protective over her ex-boyfriend; didn't mean a thing. Yeah right.
Brooke shook herself, running a hand through her hair. Not the time or the place to analyse deep feelings.
She felt a hand on her arm and turned round.
"Hey Brooke."
"Drake, hey."
"You wanna dance?"
She smiled and he took her hand towards the dance floor.
It took only a few seconds for Brooke to start to feel uncomfortable. This was not like dancing with Dave…or Lucas dancing with Isabel. Drake clearly had something else on his mind, and it was not something she was in the mood for, at least, not with Drake.
She moved back a little, but felt his arms tight on her hips.
"Drake," she muttered. "I'm not really - "
She felt a finger on her lips and rolled her eyes. Okay, so she'd have to be a little more forceful.
She shoved his hands off her, and moved back.
"Fuck Brooke, what?"
"I'm not in the mood Drake."
"To what? Dance?"
"No, you know."
"I'm just dancing Brooke."
"With your hand on my ass?"
Drake scoffed and Brooke rolled her eyes. "You know, just dance with someone else. There's plenty of willing girls here Drake, but I'm not one of them."
She walked off, and Drake glared after her. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath, and stalked off, shaking his head.
"You ready to get out of here?"
Lucas turned from the drinks table to see Brooke behind him. He took one of her hands in here. "You wanna leave?"
"Only if you want to," she said quickly. "I mean, you can stay if you want…"
"No, it's cool," he said.
"I don't really need someone to walk me upstairs," she chuckled, "But I was just wondering if - "
"Yeah, it's fine." He smiled at her and headed towards the doors, slinging an arm loosely round her shoulders and they walked. Her skin against his sent a shiver up his spine, and he felt her fingers flinch against his side. He could tell she'd felt it too.
They started heading up the stairs and then Brooke stopped. "Do you think I should get Carrie?" she asked.
"Oh um, if you want. I saw her dancing, I'm sure she'll be okay."
"Yeah, you're right. Was she dancing with Freddie?"
"No, I think it was Drake."
"Ok right…" Brooke nodded slowly. "Oh well…I'm sure Freddie will find her. He'll look after her."
"Yeah, I don't think she'd had too much to drink."
Brooke nodded, yeah, she'd be fine.
They reached Brooke's room and she turned to face him. "You want to hang out here for a bit?"
"Yeah sure, I'm just going to get some clothes though."
Brooke chuckled. "Right! Okay, see you in a minute."
She headed into her room, and changed out of her bikini into a tank top and shorts. Lucas came in a little later in sweatpants and a T-shirt.
Brooke was lying on her bed, watching the little TV she and Carrie shared.
"Is there anything on at this hour?" Lucas asked incredulously.
"Nothing except old Dawson's Creek DVDs."
Lucas groaned and Brooke chuckled. "Sorry Broody, it's all we got! Well, except the Notebook, but…"
"No freakin way! That movie is way too sad. I'd need like a whole ESPN marathon after that thing just to regain the lost testosterone."
Brooke giggled and Lucas smiled.
"Dawson's Creek it is then."
Lucas resigned himself and flopped down on the bed next to her. Brooke moved over and propped herself up on one arm. "So in this episode - "
"Yeah I know it already: you've made me watch these enough times. This one's not too bad actually: Joey was hot when she was in the band."
"Hey!" Brooke hit him on the chest.
"What!"
She hesitated. "Actually I have no right to complain, do I?"
"Nope. You gave up your girlfriend rights Cheery."
Brooke narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I can still hit you though."
Lucas chuckled. "Okay, I'll shut up."
There was silence for a second and then Brooke's whined, "You're not even going to tell me I'm prettier?"
"Sorry, that was all part of girlfriend rights." He shook his head.
"Ugh! Those rules suck."
"I'm kidding. You're way prettier."
"Good." She pouted at him and snuggled against his shoulder. "Now shut up cause we're missing it."
Lucas gesticulated wordlessly. "You were the one talking!"
Brooke put a finger to her lips and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sorry."
Brooke woke up to light coming through her window. She blinked a little, rubbing her eyes, and realised she had never shut her blinds. She looked over at the other bed, and saw that it was still empty: Carrie had not been back last night.
She heard a groan and looked down. Vaguely remembering the events of the previous night she flopped back down on Lucas chest and pulled the duvet over her head. He made another incomprehensible side, and turned on his side away from the window, wrapping an arm further round her.
"Do we have to get up?" he mumbled into Brooke's hair.
He felt her shake her head. "Good."
Please review! I'll try and update soon!