Author's Note: I deserve worse than having tomatoes thrown at me, let me tell you. If anyone's still reading, thanks. I hope you enjoy this one. I'll hopefully update again really, really soon. I doubt this story will be very long, but it's certainly fun to write.

Secret Love

Chapter Six

"Okay, Bevin, I'm sorry. But are you fucking retarded?"

The taller blonde gave me a shrug, shaking her head. "I just don't understand. Red and yellow is a really great combo."

"Yeah," I made a face. "If we're promoting Cheese-Fest 2006. Come on, Bev. Be reasonable."

We'd been working on the theme for the winter dance for nearly two hours now, and me, as social chair, had every right to tell her that her ideas, quite frankly, were crap.

"Well," Theresa piped up. I wanted her to shut up. She'd been quite a pest all day, and I really felt like slapping her straight across the face. "I think we should go with white and silver. Classic winter colors."

Uh-huh. And also the theme of last year's winter ball, dumbass.

I clenched my jaw. "Theresa-"

"How about blue and gold?" I knew his voice the second I heard it. Biting my lip, I turned to face the doorway of the gymnasium.

He stood with a confident smirk (which I don't he'd even known how to do until he met Nathan), and with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

I tried to speak, but found that I couldn't. After our little encounter at the game a month before, we'd hardly spoken. And now, here he was.

"Um, er, I.."

"That's a really good idea, Lucas!" Bevin screeched, clapping her hands together.

I closed my mouth. "Yeah."

He shrugged. "Glad I could help. But um, I guess I'm here to stay with you guys."

I stifled a gasp, gulping. "Oh?"

"Yeah, uh, apparently the basketball team needs to get involved in more of its 'social activities', so they stuck me here. I hope I'm not crashing your party."

"No," I shook my head feverishly. "Not at all."

Lucas smiled, walking hesitantly into the room, and taking a seat beside me.

Like a fool in love, I smiled shyly. "So, I really like the gold and blue idea."

"Thanks." He grinned.

I checked my watch, sighing regretfully. "So, um, we've run out of time, but we'll meet the same time tomorrow. Everyone needs to brainstorm tonight. What should our theme be, and what events should we have? Please," I narrowed my eyes at Theresa. "Don't suggest ideas that we've had in the previous years. We're going for a new dance this year, people."

As my fellow students stood, I couldn't help but feel like a teacher, which was not good. A teacher was the last thing I'd ever want to be. Give me hooker before that, even.

Lucas smiled at me as he stood. "Sorry for coming so late."

"It's fine." I could not have possibly been more pathetic. I knew this.

"So, uh, I'll walk you to your car?" Sounded oddly boyfriend-ish to me, but I knew not to get my hopes up. He was simply being nice. That's part of what attracted me to him so much; he was so nice.

"Um, okay. Thanks."

As we walked, no awkward silence filled the air. This was most likely because he would not let it. He talked about his classes, asked about mine, told me about the latest book he was reading, etcetera, etcetera. I loved our conversation. It was not remotely romantic. It probably didn't even mean anything to him. But it meant everything to me.

"How are you and Peyton?" And then I had to ruin it.

"We're good," He smiled. "Really good."

Ugh. So much more than I needed to know. A simple, 'fine, thanks' would have been perfectly acceptable.

"Good. That's, that's really good. Wonderful." How obvious could it have been that I was hating the fact that they were dating? And by the way, since when were people this dense? Since when were people this ignorant? It's time to start picking up on signs, people.

"Yeah, it is. I never would have thought we'd have lasted this long."

Do I care? "Great."

"What?" He drew back.

"Huh?"

"Uh, I don't know." He laughed.

"She really loves you, you know. What you two have is like, ten times better than what she and Nathan had." Why I just dug myself a deeper grave, I have no idea. I guess I'm just a really good friend.

"I love her too." He grinned, happiness shining through his eyes.

"I was afraid you'd say that." I said it softly, and with his mind so pre-occupied in his own happiness, he did not hear me.

"So, what about you, Brooke? Who are you likin' these days?" He nudged me, and electricity surged through my body.

"No one." I shrugged.

"No one at all? If it's someone on the team, I could probably hook you up. You know, since they're not hazing the hell out of me anymore."

I laughed despite myself. "Thanks, I'm good."

"Good. Things are nice when you're happy, Davis."

"You too, Scott." I over-exaggerated his name, fully teasing him.

We reached my car (was it just me or had that been the shortest walk of all time?), and he gave me a hug. He smelled like Axe and laundry detergent.

"Bye." I said weakly.

He smiled. "Bye."

I stared at him for a few moments before slowly turning towards my car. Tears filled my eyes as I got in, and I would not allow myself to look backwards as I drove away.