Wow! There were so many reviews! Thanks so much! I am so glad that everyone seemed to really enjoy that chapter, because I was pretty unsure about it. Anyway, enjoy and once again, please review! PS: Because I have to write another chapter to a different story, before my readers kill me, I will not be doing review responses, but I swear they will return next chapter.

This chapter is dedicated to BOB. You know who you are, buddy.

Only The Good Die Young

Chapter Twenty-Four: In An Attempt To Tip The Scales

Life was tiring.

Waking up in the morning the next day, Brooke could not help but feel so much depression and hurt inside of her. Lucas had saved her, but had not stuck around ot see if she'd be okay. Haley had hugged her, but then had left with Nathan to go 'talk'.

If she didn't know any better, Brooke would have said it was her that was getting her life stolen away from her, not the other way around. Haley was dying, but she was still there. Everyone still loved her, and treated her normally.

Brooke was quickly losing popularity. She was still very popular, yes. Girls still followed her around the halls, and tried copying the trends she set, but yet- no one wanted to be her anymore.

Before Haley's cancer, everyone had wanted to be Brooke Davis. She was beautiful, rich, and popular. She'd had a great twin sister, and an even greater boyfriend. Now, Haley was almost gone, and she wasn't with Lucas. Her sister was dying, and her boyfriend had moved on. Suddenly, her beauty didn't matter to people anymore, they just wanted to be nothing like her.

This was most heartbreaking to her.

Sighing, she heard her sister's footsteps, heading towards her room, and rolled out of bed, still not entirely ready to start a new day.

Nathan tied the laces of his sneakers at the bottom of the stairs, quickly slipping on his backpack, and standing up.

The sound of the doorbell annoyed him. He'd wanted to leave early so he could be with Brooke, and make sure she'd be okay for school. When nothing stirred in the house, and he assumed it would be him that would be forced to answer it, he finally did.

And then instantly regretted it.

Hilary stood at the other end. Her long red hair was curled, and she wore a pink tank top, with a tiny jean skirt, and long heels. This could have been something Brooke would have worn, and he personally thought the look suited her well. She didn't look as slutty when she wore clothes like this.

"Hi Nathan!" Hilary chirped, and Nathan rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Hi."

"What's up?"

"Well, I was leaving for school until you interrupted me." "You know you love me." She grinned.

"Actually, uh, no. I don't."

"Whatever you say, Nate!" She was trying to be Brooke, and he was almost entirely sure she wasn't trying to hide it either.

"Why did you call me Nate?"

"Because that's what Lucas calls you."

"Okay, well when you say it, it's weird. So don't."

"Got it, Nathan." She enunciated 'Nathan', and he once more fought the urge to roll his eyes. This girl was seriously annoying.

"So are you going to invite me in?" She looked past his shoulder, and Nathan shrugged.

"Nope."

Hilary made a face. "Okay then, can you get Lucas for me?"

"No. I'm going to be late for class. You can get him yourself." Nathan closed the door in her face, before heading towards the garage, where his car was parked.

Brooke, Haley, and Nathan walked through the hallways of Tree Hill High, attempting to avoid the looks they were receiving from the crowd of students.

Brooke was in-between Nathan and Haley, her hand clasped in Haley's, and her arm locked in Nathan's.

"This is so awkward." She murmured.

"Then don't let it be." Haley smiled encouragingly, and Brooke shot her a look.

"How do I do that?"

"Be yourself. Yourself before we found out about my cancer. Strut your stuff like you did before. Come on, Brooke. You rule this school."

"Or I did."

"No, you still can. Come on, Nathan and I have to get to class, but when we get out, we'll be expecting to see a change in Miss. Brooke Davis."

Brooke thought for a moment, biting her lip. "Okay Miss. Haley Davis. When you step outside, everything will be different."

"Can you promise me that?"

"No. But I won't let you down."

"Better not."

"Don't worry about it, Hales."

Brooke walked off, and Haley leaned into Nathan, smiling softly in the direction her sister had walked in.

"I won't if you won't." She mumbled to herself.

Brooke had tried hard to change, and walk up to someone to have a conversation with them. She had. She'd tried so hard. But it was different now. It was too weird.

She looked around the hallway for friends, but found no one. She couldn't even find Lucas, to thank him.

Then suddenly, she was knocked off of her feet. The second time in two days. That could only mean one thing. It was not coincidence. Which could only mean one other thing; Hilary Holden.

Gaps echoed around the hallway, and Brooke looked up with a frown on her face. Hilary smirked down at her. She wanted to cry. She felt so- so stupid. The bunt of the joke.

Haley's words echoed through her mind as Hilary spoke. "Damn Brooke. Why are you always on the floor these days? But please, don't start crying. It's too hard to keep from laughing."

Hilary giggled. Brooke lost it. She stood up, grabbing her spilled books, and supplies. Some eyebrows raised.

As Brooke stood up, she realized she was a good three inches shorter then Hilary even with heels on, but that did not stop her.

"Okay, fyi, I wasn't crying because your fat ass slammed me into the floor. I was crying because my sister, you know her? Haley? Yeah, she's got cancer. And I guess you could say it sort of hit me then."

Hilary looked shocked, but retaliated quickly. "Who are you calling fat?"

"I was speaking to you, wasn't I?"

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

"Well that's right. Because you're not me. Thank God, because I think I'd have to kill myself then."

"Listen Bitch, just because you're jealous that I'm with Lucas, doesn't-"

"I'm sorry. You think Lucas is the reason I hate you? You think Lucas is the reason everyone hates you? Yeah, well you're wrong. You're annoying and your red hair is a little too red to be natural. I'd say the same about your nose, but I already know that's fake."

"Kind of like your relationship with Lucas?"

"Oh you must mean yours. You know, I think it's pretty obvious you're only going out with him because you think it'll make people like you more. Make you more popular-"

"I am popular!"

"Sure, sweetheart. If that's what keeps you sleeping at night."

Hilary was speechless. She stared at Brooke for a few seconds before finally stomping off, defeated.

The hallway was silent for a few moments, before cheers were heard from all directions. People shouted out loud and even a couple, 'Go Brooke!'s and 'Long live Brooke Davis's were heard.

Brooke grinned as many slapped her hands, and gave her hugs, and encouraging words.

It seemed that Haley had been right.

All Brooke had needed was the right attitude, and she was back.

Even if she was a little more then dead inside.

Nathan smiled as he saw his brother approaching, and reached his hand out for a high five, but received a shove into his locker instead.

"Hello Lucas. How was your day?"

"What the fuck, Nathan?"

"Mine was great too, thanks."

"Cut the bullshit, Nate. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"What you said to Hilary today! She told me everything!"

"Okay, am I supposed to feel sorry about this little happening?"

"Yes! I want you to apologize to her."

"Sorry, not going to happen."

"Why not?" Lucas was seething. Nathan realized this, but he decided to dig the knife in a little deeper.

"Maybe because she's a bitch to Brooke, and a whore in general."

"You don't know her like I do."

"Dude, you don't know her either. In fact, I think all you know of her is the color of her bed sheets."

"Shut up. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Okay. I'm going to go."

"We're not done talking."

"Yeah, we are. Because until you realize that you're doing this to hurt Brooke, and what it's doing to her, we're done."

"Fine!" Lucas shouted off after his little brother.

"Great!" Was Nathan's response.

Angrily, Lucas's hand shot into the locker before him, leaving an obvious dent.