Beyond Good and Evil

Chapter Ten: This Is How A Heart Breaks

There was no place like North Carolina. It wasn't like Los Angeles. In that city, it was all steel and concrete. It wasn't a real city, where people bumped into each other all the time, the hustle and bustle contained by each individual. It wasn't even like New York, a city in every sense of the word. The James-Scott family had lived in both cities for a little while, but Haley had always found it difficult to sleep in the cities of neon and chrome. They had returned to their roots, to North Carolina, where the people were pleasant and the streets were slow.

Even as their limo slowly rolled down the main road, there was an aura of comfort and laziness about everyone walking. The flowers bloomed beautifully, the trees casting soft shadows on the pavement. Tiny downtown cafes were as full as could be, full of people with smiles, laughter bursting forth every once in a while. However there were two souls making their way through, as isolated as if they weren't there at all.

The black limousine slowed to a stop in front of Oakwood Preparatory School Dormitories, so glossy it could serve as a mirror. The dorms were for out of town students with no where to stay during the year. Naturally, Haley James and Lucas Scott were not among them, but kept rooms there as a tradition as to have somewhere to escape when their real home got to be a bit too much.

Lucas Scott had very selective hearing. He turned a deaf ear to his teachers and peers, but was far more intelligent that you would think. At this moment, he was thinking of a plant he had once heard of. It was a sort of ivy, pretty enough, and it grew alongside trees. As they grew older, the ivy wrapped around the tree. Eventually though, it began to strangle it, sucking from it the life it found so vital, the nutrients it so desperately needed. The ivy used the tree, climbing to new heights with it, and sucking it dry. The tree would die, crumbling to the ground and the ivy would move on to another tree. He could feel the thin arm comfortingly around his back, feel the faint outline of his beloved stepsister's gold charm bracelet. It was such a familiar feeling, but he couldn't squash the notion that the ivy was wrapping itself tighter.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her full pink lips.

"What? No!" Lucas scoffed, but faltered a bit as he looked up at the intimidating building. "Okay, maybe a little."

"It shouldn't be that hard for you. How have you broken up with all those other girls?" Haley sneered a bit at the mention of his conquests, but there was a light air about her. She seemed like a child on the night before Christmas, excited and anxious and happy. Haley was beautiful, she really was, but sometimes Lucas found it hard to look at her. Why couldn't she at least pretend she gave a damn about this whole thing?

Of course, Haley James cared far more than she would let anyone know. She had lain awake the night before, the princess restless in her room of ice. The midnight blue walls mocked her, the silver gleaming so brightly it seared through her closed eyelids. That made her almost grateful, though, because each time the lids slid closed above her honey brown eyes, all she could see was Lucas kissing Brooke Davis goodnight, smiling slightly long after her car had pulled away. This was for the best, she knew it was. She could feel it deep down inside, but anxiety gnawed at her, bubbling beneath her perfect façade.

"Screening calls," Lucas snickered a little, and he and Haley shared one of their infamous smirks. Looking around, his ice blue eyes caught the sunlight gleaming off a window, and he could feel his troubles crash down upon his shoulders once again. Of course, he had no way of knowing whether that was Brooke's room or not, but immense guilt was setting in. "Any suggestions?"

Haley's face grew ponderous for a moment. "Well, once I knew this guy, and he had a girlfriend and they were madly in looove. But she had this unfortunate weight problem. A very, very large problem. His friends used to taunt him about it all the time. "It's embarrassing for you to be seen with her" and "How can you breathe when…" well, you know. He just couldn't take it anymore, so he dumped her. She flew on the defensive, and he just kept saying "I'm completely fucked up" over and over again." Haley's face looked strangely sympathetic, softened by the emotion she had always said was only for the soft. "Poor fatty never had a chance."

Lucas rolled his eyes slightly. Of course Haley didn't actually care about the girl, or her feelings, or how the beauty of what those two had had going down in flames because of peer pressure. Then he shook his golden head, wondering exactly when he had become such a fucking pussy. Climbing out of the car, he steeled his resolve as he made his way towards the dorms, but Haley called him back. He had always been in love with the sound of her voice, even when cold and cruel. It was melodic and soft, and she could actually sing quite well, as few people knew. He was one of the only people who had seen her sing, as he was one of the only people who had really seen her, and probably the only to accept what he saw.

"Don't be weak, Lucas," she called from the window, her honey eyes both pleading and warning as the car pulled away.

That was it. Haley could call him whatever she pleased (and God knows she had, on more than one occasion), but Lucas Scott was not weak. Now, he'd just have to prove it.

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The room was standard. There was a full-sized bed of maple, a white down comforter, cream walls and plush carpeting. However, she had made it her own in the way only Brooke could. The walls were lined with photographs of her friends and family. The room was bursting at the seams with memories of things she had loved and things she had lost. Little bursts of color were added by pillows and throw blankets, and she was actually kind of in love with her room. It wasn't the James-Scott townhouse, but it was warm and cozy and much more her style.

"And this is my room," Brooke said breathlessly, eyes sparkling and cheeks rosy with the thrill of seeing him again. She had never been this affected by the presence of another human being, and was too caught up in her own thoughts and feelings to have her senses as acute as usual. The old Brooke Davis would've been able to sense that something was wrong. The real Brooke Davis would feel the betrayal oozing from his every pore. This love-struck edition of the beautiful brunette couldn't feel a thing.

"You must be Lucas! Brookie's told me some great things about you," a pretty redhead said from the computer, grinning as she looked him up and down. Naturally, she liked what she saw, but Lucas was too preoccupied to think of future conquests. All he could think about was the warm hand holding his own, and how much he'd like to keep holding on. "I'm going to go… next door," she continued, slipping past them with a thumbs-up at her friend. "Thanks for letting me use your printer, Brooke."

"Do you think we can be quiet?" Brooke giggled, face flushing at how brazen she was being. Lucas brought this out in her though.

She's not the only one.

They kissed for a moment, slowly and sweetly, but as Brooke's hands wandered to his belt, he pushed her away.

"This isn't working for me anymore," he said simply, waiting for her to pry her hands away from him. She would have to pull away, she would have to, because he couldn't imagine leaving the comfort that her soft presence brought him.

"Yeah, me neither," she laughed, her eyes dancing as she leaned back in. Oh, she thought he was joking. This wasn't how he anticipated it going at all. Finally, she noticed that he remained lifeless. "What's wrong?"

"It's not you, it's me," Lucas searched his mind listlessly for any pathetic excuse he could think of. Breaking up was hard to do, he had been told, and he was beginning to understand exactly why that was. The pain seeping in through cracks in the green of her eyes was starting to get to him. The tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes were too much for him to bear. To see someone he cared about so deeply in so much pain was almost impossible.

And you're dancing her dance, so you don't stand a chance.

Mouth's words echoed in his head, the truth pounding messages to his bewildered brain. This was Haley's plan, this was her game, this was her sick amusement. But this was more than just another maneuver in the endless chess game that made up their lives. They were playing with Brooke too, and Lucas loved her too much for that. He would end up hurting her in the long run, so he would bite the bullet right now and spare himself. "I'm completely fucked up."

"What are you saying?" she said slowly, the pain still searing in her eyes as she glanced desperately at her, waiting for him to say he was kidding. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he forged on.

"What aren't you understanding?"

"I-I love you," her voice shook as her lower lip quivered, and in that moment, he resented her. He hated her for being so beautiful, and so perfect, and so good and kind. He hated her for making him feel, and for making him feel bad right now. This was supposed to be easy, for him to just cut the cord, but she was making it so damn hard.

"I know," he sighed theatrically. "I know. I wish I felt the same. Unfortunately, I feel nothing. I think it was just the conquest. Sorry, I'm completely fucked up."

The dam broke, and tears flooded down her face with a large hiccup accompanying them. She was a mess right now, but an extraordinarily beautiful one, and she was the second girl in his entire life that he had ever wanted to comfort. Haley James being the first. But then again, she always was. The wedge between him and Brooke, the wench ruining his life. God, he hated her. God, he adored her.

"Why are you trying to hurt me?" she demanded, but instead of sounding strong and intimidating like she planned, she sounded childish. It was as if Lucas had stepped on her dolly instead of her heart.

"I'm just being honest," Lucas shrugged. "I just wanted to see what you were like in bed."

Something broke in her electric green eyes, something much stronger than a dam of tears. It entranced him, looking so familiar to him but so foreign in Brooke. She lunged for him, fists flying wildly, but he caught them and restrained her easily. Pushing her up against the wall, he held her in place with his body. She would accept it, even now, for him to call it off and tell her it was just a joke. If he could just lean forward and kiss her, they could work everything out later. For a second, she thought he just might, but what happened was so much worse.

Lips centimeters from her own, he whispered, "Calm down. I don't think you want your dorm mates thinking you're a psychopath. Assault could look pretty bad on your permanent record."

The fight drained from her then, and she slid to the floor as he walked away as if he had not a care in the world. Brooke Davis would have been content to sit there, stewing in her heartache for all of eternity. The infamous Davis pride interrupted even this.

"You don't know how to love," she whispered coldly.

"You don't even know me!" Lucas whirled around, glaring at her in a way she hadn't known a human being was capable of, nevertheless someone she loved so dearly. "The truth of the matter is, there is someone I love. She's smarter, prettier… you don't even compare. The reason I'm here is because she wants us to be exclusive."

Lucas lied through his teeth, anything to take the triumphant glow out of those eyes he adored. No one won anything with Lucas Scott, and even though he broke her heart first, she wouldn't let her take his in return. Yet as these words left his lips, images of long blonde hair and honey brown eyes floated through his mind, and he found the words coming easier and easier.

"But you knew this was important to me," said Brooke, and her voice sounded as if a new wave of tears was about to break forth. It was one thing to be dumped because he was "fucked up", but if there was someone else, she didn't know how she would go on.

"What, your virginity?" he asked sardonically, a little smile curling his lips. "Well, that's over now."

Clutching her stomach, Brooke Davis keeled over and knew she was at her lowest moment. She didn't know this man, the one she loved so dearly, the one she had given everything to. He was cold and cruel and in love with someone else, leaving her with only dreams of the days before that made her wonder if she had imagined the whole thing.

He would leave now. Lucas Scott was striding confidently towards the door, knowing that if he just left, things would be over for him and Brooke forever. Chancing a glance at the large mirror on his way out, he saw the beautiful brunette in all her devastation, and without thinking, took a step towards her.

"Please go," she whispered, seeing the slight movement in her peripheral vision. Brooke refused to look at him, especially not in the eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes had told her lies before, weaved a fantasy world she was dying to live in. She wouldn't do that, not anymore. Not again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and she had to strain her ears to catch the words. He looked sincere. He looked as if he meant it. But Lucas Scott had seemed sincere before, and now her heart was bleeding because of it. "I'm completely fucked up."

The door slid closed, as did her eyes. She reopened them when sure he was gone. Grabbing the nearest object, she hurled it at the door after her. Glass vase. The flower petals scattered, the water splashed all over the walls, the fine glass shattered and fell to floor. She rather liked that…

Two hours later, a broken Brooke Davis sat on the floor in her dorm room, with only the fragments of many of her possessions surrounding her. It was the calm after the storm, she thought. This was the time in between, the only time where she'd be able to breathe. Tonight, when she lay her head back down, the pain would come back full force of the boy she had loved more than anything who had thrown her and their memories and her morals away. Right now, she would sit on the floor and just breathe.

"It's done, Brooke. It's done," she muttered as she could feel herself getting worked up again.

Yet even as the calm descended upon beauty, she couldn't help but think that she and Lucas were far from done.

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Lol guys, this is my first challenge story. It may be my last, if they're all as excruciating as this one! I'm killing myself to finish this story by TOMORROW. Thanks for the reviews! It's so exciting to get them in the one day between updates.

Thanks for reading, guys!

Xo Sam

P.S. - There are about two more chapters. Why the hell would I spoil my fun and drive away certain reviews by revealing the pairings? Hahah. Just be patient guys.