Chapter Eight: Telling Me Lies Tonight

Lucas entered Brooke's room – without knocking as usual – and laid down on the bed beside Brooke, whowas flipping through a magazine.

Fresh from playing at the Rivercourt with Skills, Nathan, and the rest of his friends; Lucas was hot, sweaty and tired but still in the mood to have some fun.

Brooke, having become accustomed to Lucas' ways, merely glanced at him before investing herself back in her magazine.

"What are you reading?" he asked. Brooke showed him the cover, "Vogue, that's nice. Are you busy?" he asked. Brooke nodded.

"Very."

"I thought you and Haley were going shopping." Lucas asked. Brooke pointed to a pile of bags in the corner. "That was quick."

Brooke shrugged in reply.

"You look irritated. Are you irritated?" he asked her.

"No, I'm just busy reading my magazine," she told him.

"Why are you irritated?" he continued, "Did I irritate you?"

"I'm not irritated."

"What could I have done to irritate you?" he asked, ignoring all of her comments.

"You haven't irritated me," she said more forcefully.

"So who irritated you?"

"Nobody has irritated me!" she said again, getting annoyed with his questioning, although she tried not to show it.

"Mom!" he called, "Do you know why Brooke is irritated?"

"Karen isn't here, you doofus!"

"Why won't you tell me why you're irritated?"

"I am NOT irritated!" Brooke yelled at him. He looked stunned for a second before breaking out into a grin.

"Now you're irritated," he told her laughing. She hit him with her magazine.

"I hate you," she muttered under her breath.

"You know, my favorite thing in the whole wide world is annoying you."

"Well, my favorite thing in the whole wide world is throwing you out of my room," she told him, "Now go!"

Lucas just grinned, "Come on, you know you really love me," he winked playfully.

Brooke rolled her eyes before laughing, "You really are deluded," she told him, deciding that she may as well let him be.

"You want to go out for pizza?" he suggested. Brooke was about to reply when the phone began to ring and, as it was on Lucas' side, he picked it up.

"Brooke Davis' Room," he told the person on the other end of the phone. Brooke watched as his features clouded over and he clenched his jaw, "I'm sorry, she's already got a date to the formal," he told the person. Brooke's eyes widened and she attempted to grab the phone off him.

"No, I haven't. Give it to me! Lucas!" she started to say, climbing over him, but he managed to fend her off with one hand.

"Even if she didn't have a date, I doubt she'd want to go with you," Lucas continued, "Well, why don't you come up here and say that to my face!" he began to yell before Brooke finally regained control of her phone.

"Hello?" she spoke into it, "Felix," she cast a glance at a fuming Lucas, "Yeah, sorry. Lucas was just joking around. No, I don't have a date. Yeah, I'd love to go. Okay, that'd be great. Thanks," she said before she hung up the phone.

"Are you really going to the formal with him?" Brooke nodded and Lucas got up off the bed.

"Hey, what about pizza?" she questioned. He just scoffed and looked at her angrily.

"I just lost my appetite."

"Hey Tarago!" Lucas yelled across the school's car park as he pulled up the curb. Felix looked behind him to see Lucas coming at him.

"Lucas Scott. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I hear you're taking Brooke to the formal."

"So what of it?" he asked, "It's none of your business. She's her own woman, and as far as I can see, one fine woman."

"See, it is my business because Brooke lives with me and she's one of my friends. You even get close to hurting her, I break your arms."

Felix laughed and Lucas rolled his eyes, "You don't scare me," he said.

"Well I should. And just as collateral, I asked your sister to the formal." Lucas smirked while Felix suddenly became angry.

"She'd never go with you," he said.

"That's up to her. See, she's also her own fine woman. You hurt Brooke, and then your sister will be the one picking up the pieces. You got me?"

Felix sighed, but was determined not to let Lucas get the best of him and so stood his ground.

"Fine," he spat, "But don't think I won't break your legs if you hurt my sister."

"Whatever," Lucas said as he began to walk away, "Just so we're clear."

"You're taking Anna?" Brooke asked Lucas as she dug into her Chinese food.

"Yeah."

"To formal?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to," Lucas replied.

"Why?" Brooke questioned again. Lucas sighed.

"Aren't you tired of asking questions? I'm going to formal with Anna, you're going with… Felix. Whoop-de-do," he said dryly.

"You don't happen to be doing this because I agreed to go with Felix, do you?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but last time I checked, the world didn't revolve around you," Lucas shot back.

"Fine." Brooke said, "Hey, maybe we could all go together," she suggested but shut up when Lucas shot her a look, "or not."

"He's only asked you to annoy me," Lucas told her pointedly.

"You are so full of it, Lucas. Is it not possible that he asked me because, say, he actually likes me?" Brooked questioned really irritated with Lucas' constant Felix-bashing.

Lucas shook his head, "Fine, don't listen to me. I was just looking out for you, okay?"

"I don't need anyone looking out for me. I've managed to survive sixteen years with parents who probably wouldn't notice if I set myself on fire. I think I can handle one dance," Brooke shot back.

Brooke and Lucas continued to eat their lunch in silence, each preferring to busy themselves in reading magazines, books or watching TV. Anything but discussing the formal or their respective dates.

That was until Nathan and Haley arrived.

"Hey, Nick and Jess," Brooke said as she let them inside, "what's up?"

"Haley wants me to go to this stupid dance," Nathan complained as he sat down next to Lucas on the couch.

"It's not a stupid dance!" Haley told him, "What is wrong with wanting to get all dressed up and spending time with my husband?" she questioned.

"Well, I would love to do that but we don't need a dance…"

"But this is the first time we're going as a married couple. Plus, my first dance where I've actually got a date," Haley said. Nathan groaned.

"Okay, fine, but I am not wearing a tux."

"Oh, you so are. Thank you, baby, I love you," Haley kissed him excitedly.

"Okay, PDA outside, please!" Brooke told them.

"We're not in public, Brooke," Haley said. Brooke gestured to herself and Lucas.

"We are your public; now unattach yourselves from each other before I get the hose," she warned. Haley and Nathan did so.

"So who are your dates?" Haley asked. Brooke looked up at Lucas, who didn't reply.

"Lucas never has a date. He has a motto, 'it's not who you go with, it's who you go home with', isn't that right?" Nathan asked his elder brother.

"Actually, I'm going with Anna," he said. Haley and Nathan exchanged a look.

"Anna Tarago?" Lucas nodded.

"Um, Brooke?" Haley ventured, "What about you?"

"I'm going with Felix," she announced brightly. The two newlyweds exchanged another look.

"So, Lucas is going with Anna, and Brooke is going with her brother?" Nathan questioned. They nodded, "huh, how did that one work out?"

"Ask your brother." Brooke said as she got up and left the living room. Haley followed after her.

Nathan faced his brother, "What is up with this arrangement? Does Felix know you're taking his sister?"

"Yup."

"Didn't he, I don't know, hit the ceiling?" Nathan questioned, "You hate the guy, and he hates you so why would he let you take out his sister?"

Lucas shrugged, "He didn't let me. I just told him I was and that was it."

Nathan thought for a little bit, "This isn't because Felix asked Brooke out, is it?"

"Maybe a little." Lucas admitted, "Felix may have asked Brooke to the dance, so I asked Anna out."

"Is Anna aware that you're only doing this to make Felix mad and Brooke jealous?" Lucas put down his book and looked at his brother.

"Look, I admit I'm doing this to make sure Brooke is safe in Felix's hands, but I'm certainly not doing it to make Brooke jealous," Lucas told him firmly. Nathan grinned.

"You like her."

"Who?"

"Brooke."

"No, I don't!"

"You do. Why else would you be going with Felix Tarago's sister?"

"Gee, I don't know, maybe because Anna is Felix's one weakness. Now he knows that if he even tried messing with Brooke, his sister will get the same treatment."

"Okay, you cannot be that cold," Nathan said, "You honestly wouldn't hurt an innocent girl like that to get back at Felix, would you?"

"It's a threat, Nathan. I wouldn't do anything to Anna, but if Felix even had one doubt that I would hurt her, then he'd leave Brooke alone. I just want to look out for her," Lucas said. Nathan smiled.

"That's kinda nice," Nathan said. Lucas gave an indifferent shrug.

"Whatever," Lucas replied.

"Okay, Felix, seriously?" Haley asked once they were safely inside Brooke's room.

"What is everybody's obsession with who I go to the dance with?" Brooke questioned.

"Because it's Felix. I'm sure you've heard that Lucas and Felix hate each other – we warned you the day he asked you out."

"Yeah, and I had fun with him. So when he asked me to the dance, I figured I may as well seeing as he wasn't all bad," Brooke reasoned.

"Didn't you get grounded after your last date with him?" Haley reminded Brooke.

"That was just once," she said, "plus, it's Lucas who has a problem with Felix, not me."

"But do you really want to be put in the middle of it all? I'm in a freakin' family drama, Brooke. You have no idea what it's like to know that the man you love is virtually unwelcome in his own home because he wanted to marry you. We have had to give up everything we love just so we can be together and whatever problems Nathan and Dan had before are now because of me. It's not fun being in the cross-fire." Haley confessed.

"Haley, I had no idea…" Brooke began, humbled at the young woman's outburst.

"Forget about me," Haley laughed, suddenly very embarrassed, "just be careful and make sure Felix treats you right. If you thought Lucas was a Lothario, you have no idea what Felix is like," Haley smiled.

"I'll be fine." Brooke reassured, "plus, this is supposed to be a fun dance," she said putting an arm around Brooke.

"Yeah, let's hope," Haley commented.

To Be Continued…