Chapter Twenty Three: Can't Stay Forever Like This

"Lucas!"

The yell resounded through the house as the young brunette marched through the halls of the Scott residence searching for her boyfriend.

"Lucas!" she repeated with a growl, "If you don't show your face in the next thirty seconds I swear I will-"

"Brooke?" Lucas said as he entered the house through the back gate, "I thought I heard you. What's wrong?" he asked.

Brooke marched up to him, still seething, and thrust a letter in front of his face, "What is this?"

"Uh, a letter addressed to you?" he said as he tried reading the information.

"It's a letter from my mom," Brooke told him. "Thanking me for sending her the, open quote; 'lovely muffin basket that brightened up the day', end quote."

Lucas gulped hard.

"Oh."

"Why is my mother receiving muffin baskets from me?" she asked crossing her arms. Lucas shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay, honey, before you completely freak out, you have to understand that I was just trying to look out for you and I thought it'd be nice to let them know you're thinking about them."

"Them?"

"I also sent one to your dad," he confessed. She growled and hit him.

"Why, Lucas? Why would you go behind my back and do that when I specifically told you not to?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, baby. I just thought-"

"You thought wrong. If you think I'm making a mistake, well then it's my mistake to make. I thought that you'd understand that," Brooke said as she began walking away.

"Brooke…" Lucas began as he followed her.

"Just leave it, Lucas, please," she told him as she grabbed her jacket from the coat stand.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Out," she replied, "I need to clear my head."

"Brooke, it's freezing," Lucas told her, "I was out there for ten minutes and my fingers went numb."

But his words fell on deaf ears as she slammed the door shut.

Lucas redialed her cellphone number again and heard it go to her voicemail. Again.

He sighed as he began his fourteenth message.

"Hey Brooke, it's me again. I'm really sorry for doing what I did. I should have asked you, I know that, but… just come home so we can talk about this? It's getting really cold and I'm getting worried. Call me back."

He stared at his own cellphone and checked the messages. There were none. He waited a few minutes to give her a chance to call, but the phone remained silent.

Lucas began dialing another number, which picked up on its fourth ring.

"Yo," Lucas heard Peyton's reply.

"Hey, Peyton. Is Brooke there?" Lucas asked.

"No, she's not. Why did you guys have an argument?" Peyton questioned.

"Yeah. She stormed out about two hours ago and she's still not back."

"I wouldn't worry. Did she take her car?" Peyton asked.

"Nope," he replied, "It's freezing out there and she only took her jacket. And not her winter one." He heard Peyton sigh.

"Well, she's not here. You should try calling her again or phone Haley. She might be there. If not, then I guess you should just wait for her to come home. If she turned up here, I'll give you a call, okay?" Peyton replied.

"Okay," Lucas said. "If you get a hold of her, tell her to give me a call."

"Sure thing," Peyton said, "And I wouldn't worry, Lucas. She couldn't have gone far. But if I were you, whatever you did to piss her off, you should try and undo. Or get a heck of an apology prepared cos you're going to need it."

"I know. Thanks, Peyton," Lucas said.

"No problem," Peyton replied as she hung up. Lucas stared down at the phone and wondered if he should call her again. Deciding against it, he dialed a different number.

"Haley speaking," Haley greeted as she picked up her phone, "Oh hey Luke… no, she's not here. What happened?"

Nathan looked up from his math homework and listened into the conversation. He heard Haley sighed heavily and shake her head.

"Luke, you shouldn't have done that! Maybe she overreacted but you know as well as I do that Brooke hates people going behind her back," Haley told her brother-in-law.

Nathan raised his eyebrows as he wondered what his older brother had done now.

"I'll call you if I hear from her, okay? Bye," Haley hung up the phone and turned to her husband.

"So what did Lucas do to piss Brooke off?" Nathan asked.

"He went behind her back and sent her parents muffin baskets for Christmas in her name – despite the fact Brooke made it clear she wanted nothing to do with them."

"Ow. So what happened?"

Haley shrugged, "She stormed out a couple of hours ago and hasn't been in touch since. He's getting worried, and to be honest, I'd be too."

"She'll be okay, Hales. She's probably at the mall or something. No-one would be stupid enough to stay outside in this weather," Nathan said shivering slightly as he glanced outside.

The doorbell rung several times and Haley rushed to open it, revealing a shivering and cold Brooke.

"Brooke!" she exclaimed as she ushered her friend in.

"Hey, Tutor Wife. Nathan," she greeted as she walked in, her hands clasped tightly together and her teeth chattering.

"Brooke, it's freezing outside. Where have you been?" Haley asked as she led Broke to the couch.

"Oh, Broody boy and I had a fight and I walked out. Kind of wishing I'd taken a bigger coat though," she said.

"I'm going to make you a hot chocolate. Nathan, could you put the fire on?" her husband dutifully obliged whilst Haley fixed the three some hot chocolate. Nathan sat on the coffee table, facing Brooke and handing her a blanket.

"Thanks," Brooke said giving him a small smile. She caught her reflection on the TV screen and grimaced. "Ew, I have chapped lips. Anybody got chap stick?" she questioned.

"I think you have bigger problems than worrying about your appearence," Haley said.

"Obviously you and I live in two very different worlds," Brooke said as Haley handed her a mug of hot chocolate. "Thank you, Tutor Wife."

"So, where have you been? Lucas has been worried sick about you!" Haley asked.

"I know. He called my cell, like, fifteen times. I got thrown out of the café I was in. That's how I ended up freezing my ass off."

"Why didn't you just go home?" Nathan asked.

"And face Lucas? No thanks. I'm pissed at him and so I'm going to let him stew for a while yet," Brooke explained.

"Well, you want me to call him and tell him you're safe?" Haley asked. Brooke shook her head.

"No, I'll just wait here for a while, if you don't mind," Brooke sighed as the feeling came back into her fingers and toes. "So what were you two doing?" she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Algebra."

"Please tell me that's some sort of code for a kinky game you guys play," Brooke pleaded.

"No, it's just algebra." Nathan replied, also sounding slightly disappointed.

"But you guys have it so sweet here. It's cold outside; you've got the fire running, just the two of you keeping each other warm. Have you not seen The Notebook?"

"Yeah, but Brooke, we have actual homework to do over Christmas break," Haley replied.

"So do we but Lucas and I still find time to-"

"Argh, too much information!" Nathan held his hands up to his ears, "I don't want to hear about my brother like that."

"Fine, I won't say anything," Brooke said as Nathan lowered his hands, "About his cute ass!" she giggled as Nathan put his hands back on his ears and fell off the coffee table.

It was a further two hours before Brooke returned, having been dropped off home by Nathan instead of having to walk the twenty minute journey.

Lucas opened the front door as soon as the car pulled up and greeted his girlfriend with open arms, giving a quick wave to Nathan before Nathan drove off.

Brooke pushed past Lucas and went straight into her room, Lucas following directly behind her. She left her door open and sat down on her bed, crossing her arms and looking at him.

"Well?" she asked. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I should have respected your wishes and never done what I did," he apologized. "If I'd known you would have been this mad, I never would have done it."

Brooke sighed, "I just wanted them to know what it felt like. Being ignored," she confessed.

"Sorry," he said.

"It's okay," she replied, "I know I overreacted a little bit."

"But to make up for it," Lucas quickly ran into his room, returning thirty seconds later and holding out a carefully wrapped package, "here."

"What is it?" Brooke asked as she took it into her hands.

"It's one of your Christmas presents. I figured you might as well open this one now."

"Lucas…"

"Go on," he urged, "You deserve it."

She grinned and unwrapped the box, gasping as she revealed a gorgeous heart shaped locket on a long chain.

"Lucas, it's beautiful."

"It's already got our pictures in it. It's also long enough to be hidden underneath your clothes so Dad or whoever aren't suspicious about who gave it to you." Lucas explained.

Brooke sighed as she looked at the pictures inside and gave Lucas a hug, "I love it. Thank you," she told him. "This is seriously the best present I've ever gotten. Honestly."

She smiled again and let him sit down next to her on her best. They lay there for a few moments in silence, their fingers intertwining as they thought.

"This was our first argument."

"No it wasn't." Lucas replied, hoping he wouldn't spark of another argument.

"Our first argument as a couple."

"Let's make another first."

"Huh?"

"Our first time having make-up sex."

"Why? Are you planning on pissing me off more?" she asked jokingly, "Anyway, what did you do while I was gone?" she asked; "Besides call me every other minute."

"Kicked myself for pissing you off, called Peyton and Haley, got worried…" he listed, "I played a little PlayStation."

"Nice," Brooke said sarcastically, "Nice to see that you were so concerned about my welfare that you played a game."

He paused, "I, uh, I started filling out applications. For college," he continued. He heard Brooke gulp hard and her hesitation.

"Oh," she replied.

"Yeah."

"Well, it's good, right? That you're getting it out of the way now, right?" she said, "All the hassle and stress."

"Right."

The two continued to sit in silence, Brooke playing with her new locket and realizing the true reason behind the gift.

In a few months, he was leaving, and all she really would have left is his gifts and the memories.

She sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder and relishing the time they had now.

To Be Continued…

That was the last update for about... well, until the end of the month. My exams start next week, and though I only have 6, I haven't actually picked up a book yet and considering my results decide whether I get into Uni or not, I think I'd better put this on the back-burner and study up.

Who knows, I may update sooner than that because I can't stay away from you guys! But July 1st is the preliminary date of the next feasible update.

So, I hope you enjoy this and let me know you haven't forgotten me by pressing that lovely purple button every once in a while. The exam blues are a bitch to have ;)

Tejal x