Chapter Two:
Lucas and Brooke got to class and sat down next to each other, "God, I can't believe her… thinking she can just crawl back into my life like that after what she's done," said Brooke, as she screwed her face up, she almost instantly straightened her face when she noticed that her boyfriend was staring blankly at the front of the classroom.
"What's up boyfriend?" Brooke asked, realizing that it was probably something related to their little argument with Peyton.
"What?" said Lucas, coming out of his daydream.
"Is this about Peyton… because if it is…well…I've never seen you act like that towards anyone before," said Brooke.
"No it's not about Peyton…well, yeah actually it kind of is… but I think it's better off this way, besides I love you, not her and she just keeps getting in the way of us," said Lucas, slightly distracted with something else obviously on his mind.
"Oh… I love you too Luke… but if it's not Peyton that's got you looking so worried, then what has?" Brooke asked, looking a little worried herself.
"What makes you think that I'm worried about anything," said Lucas.
"Well, you've got that look that you always get when you're worried about something really serious," replied Brooke.
"Alright, well it's just this championship game tonight, I don't think that I'm completely ready," said Lucas.
"Is that what you're worried about… don't be ridiculous Lucas, you're as ready as you'll ever be, trust me," said Brooke.
"Yeah, I don't know… I guess I should be grateful that I get to play 15 minutes a game, right?" asked Lucas, "…but hey, it doesn't really matter how long I play tonight, cause my game sucks anyway, and we all know why that is."
"Luke, the medication is there for a reason, to keep you alive, so please… just let it do its job," said Brooke, sympathetically.
"Yeah…yeah I know," replied Lucas, not really listening to what Brooke had just said.
Lucas kissed her on the lips, just has Peyton happened to be walking into the classroom and past them to take a seat in the back row. After, possibly several minutes, she got up and walked up to Lucas, she momentarily looked at Brooke, but she was, very fortunately facing the opposite direction, talking to Bevin, a cheerleader on the Tree Hill Ravens squad.
"Lucas?" she said softly.
Lucas looked up from his books and when he saw that the voice had belonged to non other than Peyton, he replied with a simple, "Peyton, please stop this?"
"No this isn't like you at all, to completely freeze me out like this, just because you're dating Brooke, I thought that we would always be friends, no matter what Luke," said Peyton, in response to Lucas' cruelty.
"Look it's really simple, I love Brooke and I nearly lost her because you had to tell her that you love me and the fact that you kissed me Peyton, when you knew that I was with Brooke, I think that its just logic that we not speak to each other anymore, it's for the best…I don't want to ever come that close to losing her again," Lucas said harshly to Peyton.
"But… Lucas…"
"No, I'm sorry, but that's just the way it has to be from now on Peyton… I'm sorry," said Lucas. He then turned away from Peyton and looked at Brooke, who was looking at one of her books. Peyton was, for the second time that day left completely overwhelmed and stunning by what had just happened, this wasn't the Lucas Scott that she knew, not at all, she thought to herself.
She sat through the entire class, staring at the back of Lucas, when the bell rang, he and Brooke got up from their seats and left the classroom. As they went through the door, Brooke looked back at Peyton and gave her a look of hatred, like she had overheard the entire conversation that she had with Lucas, and suddenly she got the felling that something bad was going to happen, she wasn't sure what exactly, she just knew that with every passing minute Brooke hated even more than she already did, and she was taking Lucas along with her, making him hate her just as much.
Out in the crowded hallway, Lucas heard Nathan call has name from behind him, he turned around to find Nathan at the other end of the hall, waving at him. When they got closer Lucas spoke first.
"Hey Nate."
"Hey, what's up Luke," replied Nathan.
"Huh…not much," said Lucas, in a not very caring tone.
"What…so that back there was nothing…" began Nathan, but suddenly stopped as Peyton quickly walked past, not even looking at Lucas, or acknowledging the fact that either of them were standing there, "…okay, then what the hell was that, what's going on man, you and Peyton have always been friends, what did she do for you to blow her off like that?"
"It's a really long story," replied Lucas to Nathan's question.
"Alright man, but ah… we got lunchtime practice you comin'?"
"Yeah, I'll catch up," said Lucas, as he walked up to Brooke, who was talking to Bevin to the hall.
"Hey, I'm heading off to practice, I'll see you later okay," said Lucas as he kissed Brooke on the forehead.
"Okay, but…you'll be careful, right Luke?" asked Brooke, sounding worried again.
"Yes, I'll be careful, I won't overdo it…" said Luke, "…see ya."
Lucas walked into the gym, as the rest of the team was running out of the locker room, they were sprinting to the centre of the court to where Coach Durham was standing. As the door slammed shut behind him, Coach Durham turned around and looked in Lucas' direction.
"Scott, you're late!" yelled Whitey.
"I know Coach, but…" began Lucas, but Whitey just spoke over the top of him.
"Scott…get changed…now, go!"
"Yes sir," said Lucas with authority, as he ran into the change rooms and quickly changed into his practice uniform, swallowed 2 pills, which was medication for his heart condition, then ran back out on to the court.
"Alright…now that we have everyone, let's play some ball."
The practice lasted about one hour, in which they played one game, and did some sprints across the gym, when it was finished, Lucas hurriedly changed back into his clothes and went down to his mom's café for lunch, as seniors were allowed off campus.
When he walked in he greeted his mom, walked up to the front counter and sat down.
"Hey Luke…what'll you have today…tuna or turkey?" said Karen, Lucas' single mother.
"Uh… turkey," replied Lucas, as his mom went in to the kitchen in the back of the café, and came back several minutes later with his sandwich. Karen handed her son the sandwich and when she did she instantly knew that something was wrong.
"Alright, what's got you worried?" she asked.
"Okay, why is everyone saying that today, it's really started to get to me," said Lucas.
"Well you look like something's bothering you…" said Karen. Lucas said nothing in return, but just sat there like he was staring in to space or something.
"Lucas?" said Karen, in that annoying, nagging, motherly voice.
"It's…it's just this thing with Brooke and Peyton, I mean… I love Brooke I really do, but Peyton's also a really good friend, and I feel like I'm stuck in the middle and I have to choose between the two of them," said Lucas.
"Oh honey, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, beside you'll do the right thing, you always know how to…" said Karen, as she looked at her son and could see that there was definitely more to it than that, "…is that all that's bothering you Lucas?"
"Really," said Karen, as she gave Lucas the "I know you too well" look.
"Well…it's the game tonight," said Lucas, eventually.
"Ah, the championship… why are you worrying about that for?" she asked, looking at Lucas from across the counter.
"I don't know mom, I don't think that I'm ready," replied Lucas.
"Not ready…why would you think that you're not ready, you've been doing really good with your medication lately and the doctors said that it's okay to play, and besides you have amazing talent so you don't need to worry," said Karen, trying to comfort her son.
"I don't know, maybe it's this whole "playing only 15 minutes a game" thing, I guess I just feel like I'm letting the whole team down and, you know, this being the last game I'll ever play," said Lucas, "…it's just hard sometimes."
"Lucas, you're not letting down the team, trust me, you're helping the team by playing, even if it's only for 15 minutes a game," replied Karen.
"Yeah, I guess," said Lucas, even though his mind was a million miles elsewhere.
He imagined himself standing in the middle of the Whitey Durham Field House, holding the Championship trophy in both hands. They had won the State Championship that the Ravens had been trying to for the last 18 years, and to him that felt so good, it felt like his life had only just began.
"Lucas, you there?" asked his mom, who eventually noticed that Lucas wasn't really listening anymore.
Lucas snapped out of it when he heard his mom say his name, "…what, oh, sorry mom I was a long way away for a moment there."
"Yeah, I could see that," replied Karen.
"Alright, I'm gonna head back to school, I'll see you later tonight ma," said Lucas, as he kissed his mom goodbye and left the café and headed back to school.
As he walked around the corner, he thought to himself, "We really need to win this championship", then suddenly it came to him, he realized that there was only one way that he could play the game of his life and win the North Carolina State Championships.
Lucas got back to school, just as the bell rang for the end of lunch, he was walking across the quad when he heard his name being called out from behind him, by a voice that belonged to none other than his girlfriend.
"Hey Luke, I looked for you at lunch, where were you?" asked Brooke, as she reached Lucas and kissed him on the lips.
"Oh I had lunch with my mom, sorry I forgot to tell you," said Lucas.
"It's okay," replied Brooke, and hugged Lucas, just as Haley walked up.
"Hey Lucas… hey Brooke," said Haley.
"Hey Tudor Girl, where ya been?" said Brooke.
"I've just been sick," replied Haley.
"Alright, well I've got class, so… I'll see you later Luke," said Brooke, "…bye Haley."
"Yeah, I'll see you later," said Lucas, as they kissed.
Brooke walked off to class and left Lucas and Haley standing in the quad, "Walk me to class?" asked Haley.
"Sure."
They walked through the quad towards the south building, when Lucas spoke, "So what's up Haley?"
"What do you mean?" asked Haley, dumb-founded.
"I think you know what I mean Haley," said Lucas directly, "…you've been sick everyday for the last four days." Haley looked at Lucas innocently.
"Are you okay?" asked Lucas, now sounding a little worried.
"Yeah, I'm okay… it's nothing like that," replied Haley to Lucas' worried tone.
"Then what is it, Hales," said Lucas. Haley looked at her cautiously worried best friend, and then decided it would be best to tell Lucas what was going on and stop him fro worrying himself to the point where he had a heart attack.
"Alright, let's sit down," said Haley, and pointed to a nearby table.
"Okay, well there's been a reason why I've been sick the last couple of days," started Haley.
"Why?" asked Lucas nervously.
"Lucas… I … I'm pregnant."
"What… that's great!" said Lucas and hugged his best friend.
"Yeah, well I don't think that Nathan will agree," replied Haley.
"Don't worry Hales, Nathan's not Dan okay… he'll understand, he'll be so happy," said Lucas.
"Yeah I sure hope so, " said Haley under her breath so that Lucas couldn't hear her.
"So when did you find out?" asked Lucas.
"Ah, last night actually, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive, so I saw the doctor early this morning, that's why I wasn't at the café for my shift… I'm defiantly pregnant, about 8 weeks," replied Haley.
"That's great Haley, I'm so happy for you," said Lucas.
"Thanks Luke," said Haley and hugged her best friend.
"Alright, let's go to class," said Lucas, as he jumped up from his seat and led the way to their classroom. He was so relieved that there was nothing seriously wrong with Haley, but somehow he instantly thought that Nathan might be as happy as he was hoping, he just knew that Nathan was nowhere near ready to have a child.