It had been a good day. Brooke had had the afternoon off and she had put her time to good use…shopping! It always had been and probably always would be a favorite past time of hers, yet it was a far cry from the "old" Brooke. She was the one that ordered thousands of dollars of clothes straight from the top designers, the one who'd buy ten pairs of the same shoe in different colors, the one who'd think nothing pf charging the most expensive art work and furniture just because it'd look nice in her living room.

Now a different Brooke Davis had emerged. She was content to browse the windows of the locally owned shops of the quaint little town and spend whatever she could afford, which was the little bit left after her waitressing earnings covered general living expenses. She quickly learned to have just as much fun sorting through the clearance racks during the weekly sales.

And with her newfound maturity came a new sense of selflessness. The only thing Brooke liked more than buying for herself was picking up something she knew Deb would like. The older blonde was a mother figure and a friend, Tree Hill's own version of a saint. The kind hearted, hard working soul appreciated the smallest of gestures and just seeing that mile wide smile was enough to make Brooke's day.

Boutique bags in hand, Brooke, exhausted but content after her day out, decided to make the short trip by foot down the block and over the bridge to the River Court. Something told her she'd probably run into Nathan or Lucas and just her luck, there was the latter bouncing the ball against the smooth pavement.

"Well, well, if isn't my new best friend", she smiled.

Lucas looked up. He was surprised but not particularly amused.

"Hey", he mumbled a greeting.

"What's up?"

"What are you doing here?"

Brooke shrugged.

"I was in the neighborhood", she held up her bags. "Spent the afternoon shopping and I decided to take a walk and this is where I ended up."

"Shopping, huh? That's constructive", he said sarcastically.

"For your information, I needed underwear."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

"Well, Brooke I hope your quest for lingerie was fulfilling."

"It was. Seven pairs of panties with matching lace bras all for the bargain price of forty bucks."

"Interesting."

His face was sullen, his body language stiff and his voice almost angry. He didn't look too thrilled to see her and for the most part ignored her as he continued shooting hoops.

"Somebody's in a good mood."

"I'm just busy, alright?" he snapped.

"I see what you're busy doing."

"Then why are you still hanging around?"

Brooke was taken aback. Maybe he wasn't joking after all.

"Um, I, I, came here to see if you wanted to maybe hang out later."

"With you?"

"Duh", she grinned. "Who else?"

Lucas wiped the sweat from his brow. Nathan was working at the Den and would be all night. No wonder Brooke was bored. She was looking for a back up to pass the time away while her little boyfriend was busy.

"Look, I don't know…"

"Oh it'll be fun. I have it all planned out. Care to know what we're doing? I know you do. So here's the plan. We'll catch a movie and I'll even be a sport and let you pick it out. Then I thought we could grab some food, then go down to that place a few blocks from Deb's where they have all these cool Arcade games and we could do that and play some pool and some foosball and even some darts. Don't mean to brag but I am very good. Sounds like a fun night, right? Are you with me?"

Sure it sounded like heaven until he had caught her a few nights prior all snugged up with his younger brother.

"I don't think so, Brooke."

She frowned. He wasn't supposed to turn her down.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm busy", he said as he sank another shot.

"Well, not this very instant. I meant later."

"I'm busy later."

"Doing what?" she had to laugh.

He gave her a mean look.

"I have to wash my hair, Brooke."

Ouch!

"Uh, Lucas, newsflash, but um…you don't have a whole lot of hair."

"You're right. So I guess I'll just go out with my boys and down some shots and get a few lap dances."

Brooke couldn't believe her ears.

"Luke, are you serious?"

"Serious as a heart attack. Does it look like I'm joking, Brooke?"

She just didn't get it. A week before, they had been the best of friends. In the blink of an eye, for some unknown reason, Lucas had undergone a complete and unexpected change.

"I don't get it."

"What's not to get?" he asked.

"All of this. You…"

He laughed.

"So this is my fault?"

Brooke made a face.

"It's not mine."

"Whatever."

"Look, if I did something to piss you off or you're mad at me…"

"Brooke!" he said in an utterly exasperated tone.

"Lucas, what is your deal?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. One minute you're an asshole, the next minute you're barely tolerable, after that you become this sweet and decent guy, now all of a sudden we're back to square one. What gives?"

"Nothing", he shrugged as if everything was completely normal.

"So all that stuff you said about being sorry and wanting to change was just bullshit?"

"Look…"

"It's okay, Lucas", she laughed bitterly. "Don't explain. You don't have to. I'm used to people not keeping their promises."

He looked her in the eye. Boy, did she have a hell of a nerve.

"Yeah, I know a thing or two about that myself."

She was so frustrated and confused that she was on the verge of tears.

"I guess I should have known better. It's pretty stupid of me to think you'd ever change."

He wasn't in the mood anymore. How dare she come down to his court and turn everything around on him when it was all her fault?

"Just drop it", he spat. "It's done now. Who cares? That's life, right? Welcome to the real world, Brooke. Things aren't always so nice. People aren't always so nice. Sometimes things change…and sometimes they don't."

She shook her head. That was the last straw. She was finished trying to figure out his bipolar personality.

"I am so done with you, Lucas Scott, it's not even funny. I really mean it this time."

He smirked. She was doing him a favor, he thought as he could see her eyes were filling with water.

"Don't cry about it or anything."

"Cry? You wish. I wouldn't dare waste a single tear of mine over your sorry ass. Believe that."

Lucas, seemingly unaffected, continued to fancily dribble the ball between his legs.

"You know, we can try to run from who we are but in the end we can never really hide."

"Is that so?" Brooke asked.

"You bet your ass it's so. You can run to all the small towns and diners and basements in the world but in the end, a rich girl is still a rich girl."

Now he was attacking her, taunting her. Brooke swallowed hard. He'd definitely struck a nerve but she couldn't let the pain show.

"Yeah? Well, maybe you're right, Lucas. Maybe you are, but you know something else?"

"What's that?"

"You can try to change, you can feed people your crap and you can spend all the time in the world chasing your lost dreams on some basketball court, but in the end, a prick is still a prick."

And with that, she walked off.