Chapter three-Yin/Yang

'The Ravens trail by 2, their undefeated season at stake and Lucas Scott has the ball just outside the 3 point line, they're either going to win or lose it on the buzzer…And it's in, the Ravens win by 1 on the buzzer.' That was Lucas' second game as a Raven. He made the winning shot at a home game, and caught many admirers in the process. Not least of all Brooke Davis.

Brooke Davis is the captain of the cheerleaders, and Peyton's best friend. Lucas didn't know that yet. In fact he met her for the first time in the back of his car after that winning shot. She had stripped down to just her underwear before Lucas had even made it to the car, once he had made it and scared the living daylight out of him, she had removed her bra too.

Knock Knock

Whitey Durham knocked on the car window. Lucas wound it down as Brooke vanished from sight.

'That game wasn't horrible'

'Thanks coach'

'Well don't turn pro just yet, you drag your scrawny ass to the weight room twice a day starting now. Oh and by the way there's a half naked girl in the back of your car, I just thought you'd like to know.' Lucas laughed, and coach walked away. Brooke reappeared with more clothes on than before.

'You're in it now aren't you, when that last shot went through, did you feel it change?'

'Feel what change?' Lucas was confused as to why Brooke Davis was in the back of his car, and what the hell she was talking about.

'Everything, how many moments in life can you point to and say that's when it all changed? You just had one. But don't worry baby, the popularity thing's not so bad.' She was right, Lucas Scott's world had officially collided at full speed with Nathan's. Nathan did not like it one bit.

'The guy scores 12 measly points and they act like he's Iversen.'

Nathan was at his girlfriend's house, Peyton Sawyer. As usual he was moaning about his father, and he may not admit it, but he is feeling very threatened by Lucas. Peyton and Nathan's relationship is on a downward spiral, Nathan does not understand her at all, and piles his problems onto her. Peyton is too nice and cares too much to tell him that. But Nathan was pushing it now, he didn't even notice that Peyton had taken all of her sketches down. Peyton was pretty pissed at him.

Lucas entered the café and saw his beautiful best friend Haley James standing by the counter, Haley was the most thoughtful person Lucas knew and she had been there for him through everything.

'So how'd it go?'

'12 points 8 assists and I made the game winning shot.' Haley's eyes lit up, she was so happy for him, but also pretty annoyed she missed it as she had to work. She jumped up at him and hugged him.

'That is great right?'

'It's alright'

'I cant believe I had to work, tell me about it'

'Well the beginning wasn't so great, I ran into you know who.'

'Aw I'm sorry, you wanna talk about it?'

'Actually I was thinking about checking out the burning boat, you wanna come?'

'Well I suppose I could be seen with you' Haley joked, Lucas laughed.

'Let me call my mum and tell her not to wait up'

'Ok.' Haley picked up the phone and dialed.

'Hey mum it's Haley…Haley James…Your daughter. Listen I'm gonna go out after work, then I'll be home, ok? Alright, bye.'

'Is your mum drinking?' Lucas asked whilst laughing to himself

'No, I got the machine.' Lucas laughed again, Haley really could be a laugh sometimes.

'Hey this message is for Peyton, this is Jeff Nelsen calling from Thud magazine, your friend dropped off your sketches. And he was right, they're terrific, give me a call when you can, I'd like to talk to you about maybe doing a comic strip for the magazine, nice work Peyton, nice work.' Peyton deleted the message as soon as she had heard it, she knew Lucas had dropped her sketches off. She was happy that the magazine liked them, but pissed at him for submitting them without asking her.

Lucas and Haley went to the burning boat festival, and Brooke was right about everything, so many people who didn't even know Lucas, kept saying 'nice game' or 'great shot.' He was unsure what to think, he really had become one of the popular crowd, but did he want that? Haley had her own admirers, one of her tutee's came over to her and thanked her for helping him to get a B+ on his work. Haley was a miracle worker. She loved being a tutor, just like Lucas loved basketball, and she was good at it.

School began as normal, but soon became abnormal. The treatment continued, it was as if he was royalty. Until she came along

'Who do you think you are?' came Peyton's first words to Lucas.

'Someone you're pissed at'

'You submitted my sketches to Thud magazine'

'And they liked 'em didn't they?'

'If I wanted your help, I would ask for it' Peyton's smoldering look of anger was hot in Lucas' eyes, at least until Brooke appeared.

'Hey girl, Hey. You didn't happen to find my..' Brooke began as Lucas dangled the bra she let in his car in front of her. 'Thank you gorgeous' she finished. Brooke walked away, but Peyton stayed. The look of anger was still on her face, she glared at him before turning and following Brooke.

'You're welcome' Lucas called after her.

Peyton caught up with Brooke, and questioned Brooke about the nudity in Lucas' car. Brooke was very excited by the prospect of adding another conquest to her list. When Peyton asked specifically what happened, Brooke explained that Lucas was very sweet, drove her home, and waited for her to get inside. It was all about sex for Brooke, but Peyton was falling for him. If only Brooke could see it.

Later that day, the team began their hazing of Lucas Scott. Every member gets it, but this became personal. Firstly they took his towel after he had showered. Secondly they soaked his clothes before practice. Keith told Lucas to roll with it and show the team what he was made of, but it soon became personal. Lucas was definitely the best at space making and shot making in the team, so coach moved him to shooting guard, which was Nathan's position. Nathan moved to small forward, meaning Lucas would be making more of the shots. He was clearly unhappy with this and the hazing became worse.

Dan had told Nathan that Lucas was no longer a teammate; he had taken his position and therefore was the enemy. But what Dan Scott didn't realize was that a team game, required everyone in the team to play as a team, if that meant sacrificing your position because there is a better man for the job, then so be it. He did not understand that, and neither did Nathan.

Lucas had things tough, but at least Jake had his back.

Things were going well for Peyton too, at least with her artwork. She had been into Thud magazine's office and they told her to do a trial comic strip. They asked her to change her style, but she disapproved of what they wanted her to do, she had a decision to make. She was in the driving seat at least.

She was on the other hand, trying hard to deal with her developing feelings for Lucas, she was with Nathan but couldn't help her feelings toward Lucas, he understood her and was caring, all the things Nathan wasn't. Brooke was also a major factor here, Peyton was hiding her feelings from Brooke, because she seemed to be going after him too, and she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her friendship.

Karen was dealing with a lot of things from the past, old school friends that she had recently become acquainted with due to Lucas' place on the Ravens. She had been asked to turn up to a meeting of all the players' mothers, they called themselves the boosters. Karen had turned up when she was asked to, only to be ridiculed in front of everyone. Karen, who would not normally stoop to their level, was goaded into it, and ended up storming out of the meeting after calling the woman in charge a bitch.

School only got weirder for Lucas, and even for Haley. Lucas had Brooke constantly flirting with him, and people who acted as if he'd known them for years saying hi to him and trying to start a conversation. He wasn't too keen on the whole popularity thing for now. Nathan on the other hand, was chasing down Haley, it was his back up plan to the hazing that Lucas was being given. If it failed, then Haley would be plan B. Haley did not want to tutor him, but he was failing. She was at a loss what to do.

When school ended, Lucas made his way to the river court like usual, only to find that the teams hazing had become personal, the court had been torn apart. Now the hazing was affecting more than just him. His friends were also being tampered with and Lucas was at the end of his tether. He was cleaning the backboard when Peyton turned up. Lucas was pretty pissed.

'Hey I heard about this, I hoped it wasn't true.'

'What are you doing here Peyton?' Lucas responded, with more malice than he intended, Peyton understood though.

'I just wanted to tell you I'm not doing the comic strip'

'That's a mistake'

'Yeah well maybe some people aren't ready to expose themselves to the world like you and your basketball'

'Well maybe you are ready, but you're just scared.' Peyton knew he was right, why did he have to be right about her all the time?

'Well did you at least meet with them?'

'Yeah, yeah I mean the editor loved my stuff. He just wanted me to change it to something totally different. Its really not that big of a deal, I guess I just wanna say thanks.' This surprised even Lucas.

'Wow, did Peyton Sawyer just say thank you?' Peyton smiled, she knew she hadn't been very nice to him and he still persisted to be nice to her, but he had gotten through to her and it seemed to Lucas this was the first time she had thanked him and meant it.

'Look if Nathan did this then I'm sorry'

'Why do you stay with him anyway?' Peyton raised an eyebrow, good question she thought. One she had asked herself a million times.

'Sometimes its good, sometimes there's no-one else.' Peyton turned around to leave. As soon as she had spoken that sentence, I think she knew, there was somebody else, and he was standing right in front of her.

'Hey Peyton, that editor's wrong.' Peyton turned back to him and smiled, he always knew what to say to make her feel better. She knew her art mattered, it meant something to at least one person, Lucas. He gave her something to believe in, just like she had done for him.

At the café, Haley answered the phone and almost instantly put it down. Nathan had phoned her and she wasn't about to tutor him, not whilst he was hazing her best friend.

Later that night, Lucas was working with Keith. Keith apologized to him, for saying not to take the hazing personally. It was personal, at least now anyway. Jake dropped by to see Lucas, he was fast becoming one of two people Lucas wanted to get to know in this crazy new world he'd been thrown into.

'I heard about the court.' Jake began, Lucas just cast him a frosty glare before responding.

'Heard about it or you were there?'

'Hey I don't buy into that nonsense, alright. I play defence, I live my life, that's it.'

'What about the rest of the team?'

'Look Luke, the guys in the team are in a tough spot, because of the suspension most of these guys are younger and they're not going to stand up to Nathan. It's not right but that's the way it is.'

'Yeah well the way it is doesn't work for me, and it doesn't work for my friends.'

'Yeah I know, that's kinda why I came here.' Jake paused. 'This thing could get really messy if somebody doesn't take the high road, I know this is not my place to ask, but I was just hoping that you could rise above it.'

'I don't think I can do that'

'Ok, just know that if you do, the teams gonna come around, they'll see you're a good guy and a hell of a player.'

'And if I can't?'

'Then I got your back.'

That night Lucas told Haley all about the hazing he was getting, and Haley almost revealed that Nathan had been to the tutor centre looking for her, but decided not to. Maybe she could help if the hazing didn't stop?

Believe it or not, the next day was uneventful, Lucas continued cleaning the court up, Nathan continued to fail at everything academic, and get jealous of Lucas' relationship with Whitey, he had fast become the star player. Haley continued to wonder what she could do to help Lucas, and in a way help Nathan. Peyton continued to think about her artwork, and indirectly Lucas. Brooke continued to think about how she could get Lucas into bed.

That night was when everything took a turn for the worse, or maybe for the better as it turns out.

Haley was at the cinema waiting for Lucas, who was walking down an alley on his way there. He was kidnapped by the team and dumped in a swamp. Nathan was his normal arrogant self, Lucas had had enough. He was going to fight back. He made it home, and Karen was still up. He spoke with her about it and really wanted to take the high road, but he had tried that and just couldn't any longer.

The next day dawned and school was the same. The team continued to be complete jerks to Lucas, but Jake kept his word and had his back. Lucas was playing like a man possessed in training, he was scoring freely and was easily the best player there…when the team would give him the ball.

After school, he met up with Haley who was acting a little weirdly. Lucas didn't question her why, he just thought it was because she hated to see what the team was doing to him. Little did he know Haley went straight from seeing him, to Nathan's house and so it began.

Haley began tutoring Nathan. It started at the dock the next morning at 7am. Nathan tried to work his charm on her. He gave her a bracelet and followed it up with

'Don't say I never gave you anything' but Haley is mature for her age and did not take to any of it. Nathan had to accept that.

Peyton had finally decided she would take her test comic strip art into Thud and tell them to take her strip or leave it, she wasn't changing it for them.

That night at the burning boat ceremony, Brooke caught up with Lucas.

'So you my date tonight Luke?'

'You know Brooke you don't have to act like this'

'I know that, but you're the first guy to ever say it…You do your thing and try to resist, its actually kinda cute.' Lucas sighed to himself, ''I wonder who she is underneath?''

Lucas pulled his bag onto his shoulder and made his way over to where Nathan was. He threw the spray paint can that he found on the river court to him.

'You left that at the court.'

'I dunno what you're talking about'

'Then call it a gift, besides you're gonna need it to paint over you're scoring title in the gym cause I'm taking it.' Tim smith laughed to himself and muttered something in the background, but he was a small fish in this pond. Neither Lucas nor Nathan heard him.

'I don't care what you do to me, whatever you got you better bring it, cos I'm not going anywhere.' Lucas handed Nathan the rope and shirt he was wearing when he got flung into the swamp.

'Burn these for me would ya.'

Lucas made his way to where Haley was sat, and noticed the bracelet Nathan had given her.

'Nice bracelet.' Haley didn't reply.

'Hey, where were you this morning?'

'Tutoring'

'Anyone I know?'

'No.' Haley smiled at him before looking away. She couldn't bring herself to tell him she was tutoring Nathan.

Life comes at us from out of the darkness. And at times we can struggle to find the courage to face it.