NOTE FROM AUTHOR/

Sorry it took me so long. I had serious writers block. I'm trying to write on hyper speed seeing as I have another camp tomorrow but looks like this will have to settle you down for a week.

cabot007: Thank you soooo much for the review and email. I hope to continue hearing from you! Without your email I probably wouldn't have the initiative to finish this.

Brucas4ever: Thank you so much! Hopefully this wasn't too long a wait!

Nathan'sRaven: I luff ya! I hope everything gets better for you because you are an awesome person who deserves it, thanks for being there!

Chapter 17

It takes Two

Lucas watched her walk across the room and join who ever Peyton was talking to. It was hard to believe, while watching the two girls interact, something had ever come between them, let alone Lucas. He watched Brooke dip her head with a laugh and from far across the room Lucas could hear the noise that haunted him in his dreams. He watched as she tugged at her hair and he knew her eyes were lighting up at something said. Even after all these years he still knew the small little movements and actions she did for each emotion, the little things he loved. Loved? Okay now he was getting a bit to sentimental. He had just re met Brooke; "love" didn't describe their relationship at all. She hated him, and here he was thinking about love.

Brooke looked over towards Lucas and caught his eyes on her. She zoned out of the conversation for a second but quickly got back on track, her eyes lingering back on his every now and then. As his thoughts escaped him he couldn't help but wonder if she still had that tattoo on her back they had gotten on graduation, the night that, without knowing it, he had ruined everything. Still oblivious to this small fact, he continue staring at Brooke, wondering where it all went wrong.

Brooke wasn't paying attention to the conversation between Erika and Peyton, she was lost in her own thoughts.

"How about you Brooke?"

"What?" Both girls smiled to each other at Brooke's reaction, unbeknownst to her. In a short matter of time both girls had put puzzle together. After all these years Lucas still had Brooke wrapped around his finger, and Lucas still was mesmerized by Brooke. Neither knew though, who knows what other disasters may arise from that? The sexual tension between the two was so thick. Why did the most perfect pair have to be so blind?

Peyton and Erika slowly backed away when Lucas walked over.

"Stalking me Scott?"

"After all these years they still can't figure it out!" Erika remarked while the two girls watched the pair argue. It was an amusing sight, the were obviously firing words at one another spitefully, each slander an octave louder, until people from all directions were staring at them.

"Yea….It make me wonder if the whole love triangle had never happened, maybe they would still be happy to this day, instead of tearing each others heads off…:" Peyton sighed wistfully as Erika turned to look at her.

"No one can blame you for not pushing away one of the Scott hotties. He wasn't happy at the time, wasn't the person he needed to be. He needed a wakeup call. Besides, it woke him up, for a time."

"By then Brooke had already shut him out. She was determined not to lose her heart again." Peyton finished. Across the room Brooke was about to pour her drink on him while he flashed her that Scott grin. "What I don't get is, he used to be the good boy. You know? The boy who tried to help everybody, fix everybody's problems, do the right thing. Now he's being the person he was when he cheated on her, arrogant, full of himself, cocky. It's obvious he wants her more then ever, but why is he being the one person he knows she doesn't want?"

Erika seemed to mull over this a couple minutes before responding. "He doesn't want to give too much of his heart away…..He wants to be in control."

"Little does he know how much it is costing him…" Peyton turned away from the scene and walked over to a seat to think.

Erika followed her and sat down, also in thought of her old friends. "Maybe we can help."

Peyton looked up with a soft smile. "Brooke's already under this bogus idea she is winning him over to get revenge."

"Do you think it's possible she could trip on her own trap?"

Peyton thought about this a couple seconds. "They are meant to be, but too blind to come to that conclusion. Somehow if it was ever going to happen for the two of them I can only assume it's Brooke's plan that will make it happen. So let's hope."

"But Brooke can't do it alone. What if I told you I had a plan?"

Peyton looked up at the hopeful face of Erika Marsh. "I would ever be in debt of you and do anything to assist. Do you?"

Erika nodded. "You know what? I think so!"

Brooke and Lucas were still arguing, so it went unnoticed when a stranger from the crowd came up and did a double take. So the rumors were right. He walked right up to Brooke and slung an arm around her.

"Hey hot stuff! Wanna share a reunion dance with me?"

Brooke looked at him in complete shock. "Tim? Dim Tim?" She looked up and down the old friend and reached the same conclusion when she looked into his familiar face. He was hot!

"You got it! I've missed seeing your face around here." He said, almost sincerely. "Oh, hey Lucas." He added as an afterthought. Lucas's blood was boiling. He saw the way Tim was checking Brooke out. He was just like he used to be, a player, and he wouldn't let Brooke get her heart crushed by him. Brooke looked across and noticed the way Lucas was practically fuming.

"Want to do yourself the honor of dancing with me Tim?"

Tim nodded and they went off to dance , leaving a steamed Lucas. He watched as she went from partner to partner, like a queen.

Later that Peyton watched Brooke sleep. Their plan was going right on par. When Tim and Mouth had shown up the girls begged them to ask everyone they knew to hit on Brooke. Peyton drifted off to sleep, her last thought was how funny Lucas's expression was. But little did she know the dream she was about to dream would be the one haunting her daily. And she wouldn't be the only one experiencing it. On practically the other side of the country Nathan would be tossing and turning in his own bed.