"Lucas, I'm boooored," Brooke whined as she flopped down on her couch next to her boyfriend. Lucas was watching an A&E special about John Steinback.

"Go do some cheering moves or whatever," Lucas replied, eyes glued to the TV.

"You know, most guys are addicted to porn. Not biographies on this dude." Brooke said as she stretched her legs across Lucas's lap.

Lucas looked shocked. "This 'dude' was one of the greatest American writers ever! "

Brooke laughed. "Whatever. We have the house all to ourselves." She said as she wiggled her eyebrows. Lucas sighed.

"Can we at least wait until a commercial?" Lucas asked as he turned the volume up. Brooke groaned and dramatically threw her head back on the couch.

"You're killing me, Broody!" Brooke whined.

"Who's killing you?" Came a man's voice from the stairs. Brooke turned around to see her brother, Mike, standing there. Mike and his girlfriend, Jen, took the girls in when they were just 14. He was in his last year of law school when his parents passed away. He owed it to his sisters to finish school. And now at 27, he was one of the top lawyers in Tree Hill, North Carolina.

"Hey Mike, how's it going?" Lucas said, getting up and shaking Mike's hand.

"Ah, can't complain. Work's been hell this whole week. I was just going down to the river court to shoot some hoops. You up for it?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I'm up for it."

Brooke's mouth fell open. "You shut off your stupid biography thing to go play basketball with my brother but you won't shut it off to make out with me?"

"Relax, Brooke. You're just jealous because your boyfriend likes me better." Mike said as Lucas laughed.

"I can't deny my feelings." Lucas said as he walked over to a sulking Brooke. "How about we go to the movies tonight? Keanu Reeve's has a new movie out."

Brooke thought about it and nodded. "Fine. But I just want you to know I'm only doing this to see Keanu, not you." Lucas gave her a hug and walked out the door with Mike.

About ten minutes later Haley came storming in, slamming the door behind her.

Brooke laughed. "You're a little late there, tutor girl. School got out like two hours ago."

"Look, Brooke I'm not in the mood." Haley said as she ran up the stairs, almost knocking into Jen on the way.

"What did you do to her now?" Jen asked as she joined Brooke on the couch.

Brooke's eyes widened. "Why is it that every time she's upset, everyone thinks it's some thing I did!"

Jen laughed. "Calm down, I was only kidding." Brooke rolled her eyes as Jen looked around the room. "Where's Lucas?"

"Oh well Lucas decided to ditch me and hang out with your boyfriend." Brooke said, flipping through the channels.

"Oh well, let the guys have their fun. We can do something."

Brooke looked around the room. "What are we going to do?"

Jen shrugged. "Well you think of something while I go check on your sister." Jen disappeared up the stairs as Brooke went into deep thought. Just then Mike and Lucas came in, Lucas holding his hand over his eye.

Brooke got up from her seat and ran over to him. "What are you trying to kill my boyfriend?"

"I did it by accident! I was about to take a shot and he walked behind me." Mike said as Lucas waved him off.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Brooke sighed and took his hand. "We better but some ice on it." She dragged him into the kitchen as Lucas turned around and smirked. Mike laughed. Jen came down the stairs and sighed.

"We have a problem." She said as Mike made a face.

"That's never good. What's wrong?"

"You better go ask your sister," Jen said as Mike raised his eyebrow.

"Jen, I have three sisters, you got to help me out here." Mike said, mentally eliminating Taylor, who was supposedly at school in South Carolina.

"It seems there's a girl at school who has a little problem with Haley. And after school they got into a little fight." Jen said, her voice trailing off.

"Well is she alright?" Mike said with wide eyes.

"She'll be fine, but I think you should go talk to her. She seems okay."

Mike ran up the stairs and gently knocked on Haley's door. He walked in and saw Haley sitting on the bed, staring at the wall.

"Hales? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, never been better." Haley said in a rush. Mike looked at her.

"Jen told me you got into a little fight."

Haley sighed. "Yeah well it's over. I'm fine really."

Mike noticed the large bruise on Haley's arm. It was black and blue and went around her whole wrist. He then noticed a smaller bruise on Haley's left cheek. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, Mike, I'm fine. It was just a little fight."

"With who? Mike Tyson! Haley look at the bruise on your arm, your face too! Who is this girl?"

"I'm fine! God, just leave me alone okay?" Haley yelled as Mike nodded.

"Fine, but I'm calling Principal Turner tomorrow." Mike said as he left the room. Haley sighed and buried her face into her pillow.

Brooke fished through the freezer for some ice when she felt Lucas' arms wrap around her waist. "Luke, I'm trying to find some ice for you." She said as Lucas kissed her neck.

"Brooke, look at me." Lucas said as Brooke turned around. He was smiling. His eye was perfectly fine.

"I thought you had a black eye! You had me playing nurse for nothing?"

Lucas nodded and kissed her again. "No offense, but your brother plays basketball like a girl. I had to get out of there somehow."

Brooke smiled and kissed him back. Mike walked in, not noticing Lucas' eye.

"Brooke, do you know anything about Haley getting into a fight?"

Brooke slipped away from Lucas' grip and shook her head. "Well there was this thing at lunch, but it wasn't physical."

"Are you sure?" Mike asked. "Because she said she got into a fight after school. Whoever it was with got her pretty good. Do you have any idea who it could be?"

It didn't take Brooke long to figure out who it was with. It was obvious that it was Claire who Haley got into the fight with. "Yeah, I know who exactly it could be."

Brooke ran up the stairs and into her sister's room. "What the hell did she do to you?" She asked, rolling Haley over so she could face her.

Haley rolled back over. "Nothing, alright? Just leave me alone. I don't need you to come to stick up for me."

Brooke sat on the bed. "That's not what you said today. Look, did Claire hit you? Because I will hit her back if she did."

Haley sat up and faced her sister. "That's the thing! Everyone made fun of me today because you came and stuck up for me. All your stupid cheerleaders were saying they're too afraid to talk to me because you might beat them up. God, Brooke, how are you friends with people like that? People that make fun of me."

Brooke looked at her. "Well I'm sorry I came and helped you out. Next time I'll help Claire kick your ass."

"I'm not saying that!"

"Then what are you saying, Haley?" Brooke asked as Haley shrugged.

"I don't know what I'm saying. I just hate it."

"Hate what?"

"I just hate being in your shadow," Haley said as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. "Do you know what people call me? 'Little Brooke', Tutor Girl and Brooke James' little sister. Never once have they called me Haley. All your enemies are my enemies because people automatically assume I'm just like you."

"Haley-" Brooke began but Haley went on.

"I hate being made fun of behind my back. I hate how you don't acknowledge me and how you're embarrassed by me. I hate how Nathan Scott constantly harasses me and how him and his stupid teammates throw things at me in class. I hate how I have to risk my life just to talk to the one guy I like because his sister hates my guts. But you know what I hate the most?"

"What?" Brooke whispered.

"I hate myself the most, Brooke. I hate the person I am, and I hate the person I'll never be. Might as well be like everyone else and hate myself."

Brooke stared at her sister in disbelief. She had no idea that her sister felt like this at all.

"Do you hate me Brooke?" Haley asked as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Go on say it, say you hate me, Brooke. I know you do."

At that point, tears began to roll down Brooke's face too. "Haley. I don't hate you! I love you." Brooke sighed. There, she said it. She loved her sister more then anyone thought she did.

Haley wiped her eyes. "Yeah well you've got a funny way of showing it. After mom and dad died you-"

Brooke put her hand up. "Can we not bring them into this?"

"Fine," Haley mumbled. "Okay well now that I've told you everything you can go I guess. Go back to hating me."

Brooke was getting annoyed. "Haley, for the last time I don't hate you."

"Yeah, right. Is that why you made up the nickname tutor girl? Is that why you ignore me in the hallway? Is that why Peyton made you stick up for me?"

Brooke got off the bed. She had enough of her sister. "Do you want me to hate you? Because that's how I feel about you right now." She stormed out of the room as Haley fell back into her pillow, fresh tears forming in her eyes.