Author's Note: First off, I would like to thank everyone for all the amazing reviews. This chapter is pretty intense and filled with drama. This chapter is rated r. This chapter is the beginning of the end of this story, and I can promise you that it's going to be a bumpy ride. Please keep the reviews coming, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 22

"I'm Not Okay"

Nathan, Haley, and Brooke followed Lucas home. They had never seen him act like this before, and it scared them. When they entered the beach house it looked like it had been ransacked. There were things thrown on the ground and Dan's liquor cabinet had been broken into. They ran up the stairs when they heard a loud crash come from Lucas' room. They found that the room had been torn apart, and Lucas was sitting in the corner with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a packet of pills.

"What are you doing, man?" Nathan asked as he watched Lucas down three pills with the Jack.

"Did you come to join the party?" Lucas asked. "You can have some of the liquor, but the pills are all mine."

"Don't do this, Lucas," Nathan begged. "Give me the pills and we'll talk about it."

"What's there to talk about?" Lucas asked. "You found out my secret…"

Haley crouched down next to her friend and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "How long has it been going on, Lucas?" she asked in a soft tone.

Lucas felt tears coming to his eyes. "Since my mom died. I took the pills to feel numb. It felt so good. I started taking the pills whenever the times got hard. They helped me deal with the pain." He took a long sip of the Jack Daniels.

Brooke stepped closer to him. "Let us help you, Lucas," she said.

Lucas shook his head. "I don't need any help…I'm fine."

"You're not fine," Haley said. "You have a problem and you need help."

"You don't know what I need, Hales."

"What about basketball?" Nathan asked. "They're not going to let you play if you keep taking the pills."

"And what about us?" Brooke asked. "Can you tell me that you love me enough to admit that you have a problem?"

"I do love you, Brooke," Lucas cried.

"Then tell me that you have a problem…and that you need help."

"I have a problem," Lucas whispered. "I…I can't function without the pills." He wiped away a tear that slid down his cheek. "Will you help me?" he asked.

"Of course I'll help you."

Haley's heart broke as she heard her friend admit that he had a problem. She had noticed a change in him since he lost his mother, but she never would have guessed that he had a drug problem. Just like Lucas she was in denial. She didn't want to accept that her friend had an addiction. Now she had to face reality and do whatever she could to help her friend overcome his problem. "I want to help you too," Haley said as she took hold of his hand.

"Me too," Nathan said.

Lucas felt relief wash over him. He thought everyone would be ashamed of him if they found out about the pills. He never expected them to be supportive. He was beginning to realize just how much he meant to his friends, and it felt good to know that they cared about him that much. He knew that he'd be able to overcome his addiction with their help.

Dan returned home after a late night at the dealership and was shocked to find that the house had been ransacked. He looked through the living room, but nothing seemed to be missing. He went into his office and everything seemed to be in place. Then he noticed that his liquor cabinet was open; someone had broken the lock. As he looked through the cabinet he discovered that the only thing missing was a bottle of Jack Daniels. He became furious as he realized that Nathan or Lucas had to have stolen the bottle.

He could hear the boys upstairs, and he had to confront them, but he had to calm his nerves first. He pulled out a bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass as he tried to figure out which one of his boys would break into his cabinet. Nathan liked to party and have a good time, but he had never broken into that cabinet. Lucas, on the other hand, also had become quite the partier, but unlike Nathan he was pretty secretive. Dan poured himself another glass before heading up the stairs.

"Lucas, do you trust me?" Brooke asked as she held out her hand to him. Lucas simply nodded his head. "Then I need you to give me the pills."

Lucas held the remaining pills in his hand and stared at them. By giving the pills to Brooke he would be able to retake control of his life. He would be proving that he was stronger than a little pill. He started to hand them to her, but then heard someone running up the stairs.

"Lucas! Nathan!" Dan shouted in an angry tone from the top of the stairs.

Lucas panicked when he heard Dan. Unlike his friends he knew that Dan wouldn't be supportive of him. He quickly pulled his hand back. "Who the hell called him!" he shouted.

Nathan tried to calm him down. "No one called him, Lucas. He's home from work; that's all."

The tears started to form in Lucas' eyes again. "He's going to kill me."

"What the hell are you doing in there?" Dan shouted from just outside the door.

Lucas could hear him opening the door and before anyone could react he popped the remaining pills in his mouth and swallowed them with a sip of the Jack Daniels. "He's not going to hurt me again," Lucas whispered as Dan came bursting through the door.

Dan gasped when he saw the mess that Lucas had made of his room. Nathan, Haley, and Brooke jumped to their feet when Dan came barging in, but Lucas remained seated against the wall. Dan saw red when he saw Lucas clutching the bottle in his hands. His anger got the best of him as he grabbed hold of Lucas' shoulders and pulled him rudely to his feet. He pinned Lucas to the wall as he shouted, "What the hell are you doing?"

"You weren't invited to this party," Lucas slurred.

"Who do you think you are breaking into my cabinet and making a mess of my house?" Dan demanded. "You have no business drinking!"

Lucas looked Dan in the eye as he smirked. "I guess I'm following in my father's footsteps." Before he had a chance to react he was met with the back of Dan's hand across his face.

"Don't you dare compare yourself to me," Dan drawled.

"Let him go, Dan," Nathan commanded as he tried to pull his father off of Lucas.

"This is none of your business, Nathan," Dan responded.

"You don't know the whole story; Lucas needs help."

Dan let go of Lucas and turned to face Nathan. Lucas, meanwhile, coughed a couple of times and ran out of the room with Brooke and Haley following him. "What are you talking about?" Dan asked as Nathan stopped him from going after Lucas.

"Lucas has a drug problem; he's been taking pills since his mother died."

"Move out of the way, Nathan, so I can discipline him."

"He needs help, Dad…you have to help him."

Dan refused to believe that one of his sons had a drug problem. He shook his head. "Stop making excuses for your brother."

Nathan was growing frustrated with Dan. He wanted to shake him until he accepted the truth. He owed that much to Lucas. "You're in denial, Dad. You have to accept the truth so that you can help Lucas. He needs you, Dad."

"This is all my fault," Dan admitted. "I pushed him away since the day he was born. I wasn't there when he needed me the most. I drove to take the pills."

Nathan put a reassuring hand on Dan's shoulder. "Now's your chance to make it up to him and be the father he needs."

Brooke and Haley followed Lucas down the stairs and into the living room. Brooke gasped when she saw Lucas grab his car keys. He was swaying on his feet and was in no condition to go anywhere; let alone drive a car. "Where are you going, Lucas?" she asked in a soft tone.

"I have to get out of here," Lucas slurred.

"Where are you going to go?" Brooke asked.

"Anywhere but here."

Haley stepped forward. There was no way she was going to let her friend hurt himself anymore than he already had. I need you to stay here with me," she said as she stroked his arm.

Lucas looked at her with tear filled eyes. "I really screwed up, Hales…I don't know what to do."

Haley pulled her friend into a hug. "We'll get through this together."

Lucas was still wrapped up in Haley's arms when he heard Nathan and Dan coming down the stairs. He quickly pulled free of her and glared at Dan. Dan tried to approach him but Lucas took a step back as he put up his hand to stop him. "Stay away from me," he slurred.

"I just want to help you," Dan said in a soft tone.

Lucas shook his head. "No, you don't give a damn about me; you said so yourself."

"I didn't mean it, Lucas. I was upset, and I took my anger out on you."

Dan tried to get closer to Lucas, but Lucas grabbed a letter opener off a nearby table and pointed it at Dan like a weapon. "I said stay the hell away from me!"

Dan took a step back as he tried to reason with his oldest son. "Lucas, put that down. Let me help you." He extended his hand to Lucas. "I'm not mad at you. I only want to help you."

Lucas' head was spinning from all the pills and the alcohol. He couldn't see straight and he was getting scared. He had to make the pain go away so turned the letter opener to his wrist, and watched as the blood began to seep through the wound. Brooke had to turn her head; she couldn't bear to see what Lucas was doing to himself. Haley cried as she and Nathan took comfort in each others' arms. Dan realized that he had to act fast to save his son. He rushed to Lucas' side and ripped the letter opener out of his hand.

"Call an ambulance!" Dan shouted as he sank to the floor with Lucas. He held Luca's head in his lap as he applied pressure to the wound. "Everything's going to be okay," he whispered. Dan felt tears stinging his eyes as Lucas lost consciousness.

This chapter is titled after the song "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" By My Chemical Romance.