Lucas Scott walked into school with his arm looped through Brooke's as she half leaned onto his shoulder as they walked through the hall. The school board probably thought it was good to give the students a chance to rest and calm down after the shooting. And some people did. But most people used it as an excuse to slack off and party all week. Lucas had spent most of the week with his new girlfriend. Well, she wasn't really new to him since they had been secretly seeing each other for almost two months but it was new to be out in public with her, especially at school.
He could feel some death glares coming from other students. The people who thought him and Brooke were horrible people for carrying on behind Nathan's back. And it was horrible but no one had the right to judge them. There were worse scandals than this but it was because that it was Brooke and Nathan that people were making such a big deal of it.
Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott had dated since the end of ninth grade and a lot of people had never seen it coming. Brooke was the popular, beautiful, but sweet cheerleader. She wasn't stuck up like the other cheerleaders. She was nice and caring. Nathan had been the all-around arrogant jock who went out with a girl once, had sex with them and then dumped them the morning after. And Brooke wasn't the type of girl that a guy would throw away. She was one that a guy had to treasure. Her beauty was overwhelming but she was smart too. That's why people had been shocked that she would agree to go out with Nathan. But she did and they became one of the most popular couples in the school. Nathan had changed for Brooke. He had become a good guy that Lucas always knew he could be given the right motivation. It just sucked that Lucas had fallen for her too. He loved his brother. Nathan and he had a bond that was irreplaceable and most people would agree that a girl wasn't worth throwing that away, but then, not many people recognized how special Brooke was.
"Luke," Brooke said softly. He looked at her questioningly and realized that she was staring at something. He followed his gaze to see Anna at her locker. She was in tears and Lucas felt like the biggest jerk in the world. He gave Brooke's shoulder a squeeze and untangled himself from her. He walked up to Anna's locker and leaned against the one beside it. Anna shot him a glare.
"Hey," he said. Anna looked at him incredulously and scoffed.
"Right," she said and viciously wiped her tears away.
"Anna," he started and she glared at him again, "I'm sorry. What do you want from me?"
"I want you to go to hell," she replied, slammed her locker door shut and walked away from him. Brooke came over and ran a hand across his cheek.
"She'll get over it. She just needs time," Brooke said.
"You think Nathan will?" he asked pointedly. Brooke looked down. Lucas softened.
"Nathan and I were over anyway, Lucas. If it hadn't been you, it would've been someone else. And if I hadn't found someone else, eventually Nathan would have. And I think he'll find someone now," she replied.
"I don't know. He loved you a lot. I don't think Nathan's ever really loved a girl before," he said.
"We all have first loves. Most of lose them," Brooke said casually.
"Was he yours?" Lucas asked. Brooke nodded.
"Was Anna yours?" she asked. He shrugged and Brooke looked at him for an explanation.
"It's complicated. Anna was the first one who loved me back, but I fell in love with you before I even met her," Lucas said. Brooke smiled. Then her smile faltered as she caught sight of Nathan. She nudged him and Lucas turned around to see Nathan walking in with Haley James.
"What are they doing together?" she asked.
"He has been hanging out with her ever since the shooting. I guess they bonded somehow in the tutoring centre," Lucas said with a shrug.
Haley was leaning on her crutches as Nathan handed her, her bag. "Thanks for giving me a ride. I don't think I could've made it all the way to my bus stop," she said with a laugh as they neared their lockers.
"No problem, Haley," Nathan said.
"So, um, I have to tell you something," Haley said. Nathan put his books in his locker and looked at her.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm not going to be able to study Saturday night," Haley said. Nathan kept the disappointment off his face and he nodded.
"Why not?" he asked, looking down at her. He hoped she didn't have a date and that's why she was blowing him off.
"I'm going to be knocked out," she replied.
"Excuse me?" he exclaimed. Some people turned their heads. Haley just laughed.
"I'm having surgery. Jeez," she said.
"Didn't you already have surgery?" he asked.
"Yeah but that was to put the little plate thing in my knee. This one is to take the bullets out," she said.
"They didn't do that when they put the plate in?" he asked. Haley shrugged.
"I kind of wished they had but they told me that if they removed the bullets so quickly after, it would cause more damage. My muscles were already damaged from the impact of the bullets. Removing them could've possibly torn the tissue because it was so weak," Haley said.
"So they waited until it healed more?" he asked.
"Yeah. Lucky me, eh? It's funny. I was in a car crash as I was about to be born and I didn't have to have any sort of procedure. But I get shot in the knee and I'm having two surgeries," she replied.
"You were in a car accident?" he asked. Haley looked down.
"My parents were hit by a car on the way to the hospital. My mom was in labour at the time," Haley replied. Nathan looked down and bit his lip.
"Sorry," he said. Haley smiled and shrugged it off.
"It's ok. You didn't know how they died," she said.
"I'm still sorry," he said. He glanced down the hallway and froze.
"Nathan?" she asked, fixing him with a confused look and waving her hand in front of his face. Nothing worked. So she followed his gaze and her heart broke for him. Not three feet away from them was Brooke and Lucas practically joined at the hip while walking down the hallway. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"So am I," she said softly.