The next day, things at his Uncle Keith's shop were incredibly awkward. Lucas worked there after school a few days a week. He's always considered Keith an uncle, but now to find out he actually IS his uncle is crazy. More than anything, Lucas is just upset that Keith never said anything to him before.

Lucas is working on removing a tire in the shop when Keith walks up to him.

"Are we ever gonna talk, Luke, or are we just going to pussyfoot around each other from now on?" Keith asked him, wiping his greasy hands on a rag.

"I don't know, Keith. I don't really feel like talking to someone whose been lying to my face my entire life," Lucas spits, trying to make Keith feel like shit.

"I never once lied to you intentionally Luke, I was just respecting your mother's wishes," Keith tells him. "She was just trying to keep you away from my ass of a brother, and I can't say I blame her. Dan's a horrible man."

"I could've pretended I didn't know, Keith!" Lucas yells, turning to face his uncle, waving the wrench in his face. "But at least I would've known!"

"You're right, Luke. I tried to tell her it was wrong, but it wasn't my place to say anything to you," Keith says. "I'm sorry."

As much as he wants to yell at Keith more, he just can't. He doesn't really blame Keith for anything; he's just in Lucas's line of fire.

"No, I'm sorry for freaking out. I know it isn't your fault. If I yell at anybody, it should be Dan."

"Just be careful, Luke," Keith tells him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Dan Scott isn't somebody you want to be enemies with. He'll make your life hell; trust me."

"He's already trying," Lucas tells him, turning back around to work on the car.

"What do you mean?" Keith asks him.

"Nathan showed up at the Rivercourt yesterday, accusing me of wanting to 'take his spot on the team' and 'wanting to steal his girlfriend.' We've barely even spoken to each other since we were kids, so I find it a little weird that he would come at me out of the blue like that. I think Dan put him up to it." The wounds Nathan's words gave him from yesterday were still fresh and oozing, and it left him with a suffocating feeling in his chest.

"So now we're playing a one on one game tomorrow night. If I win, I get to join the team," Lucas tells him.

"That's just sick; using your own brother to hurt you. Typical," Keith says, rubbing his temples.

Their conversation is cut short by the phone, ringing away in the corner of the garage. Lucas grabs it and answers. "Keith Scott Body Shop."

"Hey, my car broke down on me on River Road, any way I could get a tow?" a female voice asks.

"Sure thing. Can I get a name and number in case we need to contact you?"

"Peyton Sawyer," she answers.

Lucas smiled to himself. The ball is in his court.

Here's my chance.

—

Lucas finally found Peyton about ten minutes outside of Tree Hill. He backs up and parks the tow truck in front of her car, and sees her on her phone. Getting out of the truck, he listens to her conversation.

"Nate, hey, it's me. All right. Well hey, listen, my car broke down, would you be able to come pick me up?"

Of course she called him. Rolling his eyes, he begins to lower the hook on the truck.

"So leave the gym then. It'll take you like, ten minutes tops. I'm right around the curve on River Road," Peyton says, her face contorting into a scowl. "Well it sucks to be you, doesn't it?" Peyton flips her phone shut, leaning against her car and running her hands through her hair. Lucas guesses he isn't coming to get her.

Perfect.

"Hey, are you sure you have a ride?" Lucas asks her. "I can wait here if you want."

"Yeah, cause that's what I want," She says, her sarcasm practically smacking him in the face. "Just have your dad call me with an estimate."

Well, this is awkward, and is not going anywhere near the direction Lucas was hoping it would.

"My… uncle?" Lucas says, scratching the back of his head. "Who is also apparently my biological uncle, which I just found out a few days ago."

"If that's your story," Peyton says.

What's her problem?

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Lucas asks, just getting done hooking her car to the tow truck, and raising the front end.

"It's a free country," She responds.

"Why the hell are you a cheerleader? You are probably the least cheerful person I've ever met," Lucas tells her.

"Everybody has their reasons," She replies.

Several minutes have passed by now. They've been standing quietly, not saying another word to each other, and she was still pointlessly waiting on Nathan to come get her.

"Look, just let me give you a ride," Lucas says, breaking the silence. "I'll even let you insult me."

"Okay, first of all, you don't know me, so don't act like you do," Peyton begins, "and secondly, you still don't know me! God, why are guys such jerks?!"

"Guys, or Nathan?"

He's really trying his best to turn her against him. It's pretty low, especially for Lucas, but right now he couldn't give two shits.

Peyton hesitates for a second before answering.

"Him. You." She responds.

"Well, apparently we do share the same father," Lucas tells her.

"Yeah, I heard about that today," She says. "He's kind of an ass, though. You really lucked out, huh?"

Lucas nods, not really sure of what to say next. So, Peyton continues.

"So you never knew he was your father?"

"Not until this week," Lucas responds. "I remember me and Nathan used to play in junior little leagues together." He also remembers this being the time he started to become infatuated with Nathan. The way he played was absolutely beautiful, and it still is. Even though he's utterly pissed off at him, Lucas can't deny how gorgeous his brother is.

He might need mental help.

"Basketball?" Peyton asks him.

Lucas nods, and continues. "I remember the reason why I quit, too. I saw my mom talking to Nathan's dad, and she ran away crying. I asked her what was wrong, but she just smiled and told me everything was okay, trying to make me feel better. That was the day I quit the team; I never wanted to see her cry like that again."

He sighs, leaning against the tow truck. He remembers it clear as day: the pain in his mom's eyes after she got done talking to that strange man he'd never met. It was almost enough to make him quit basketball for good.

Almost.

"Why would you tell me all of that? We barely know each other," She asks him.

Honestly, he doesn't have an answer. "Maybe that's the point," He responds. It was all he could come up with. But it worked, as she was smiling at him now.

Finally, Nathan's truck appeared in the distance. Stopping in the middle of the road, Nathan yells "Come on, Peyton."

"See ya," She waves to Lucas. "And thanks, I guess."

The look on Nathan's face made this trip completely worth it.

—-

Nathan can feel the anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Why the hell did she smile at him like that? Peyton's his girlfriend, goddamn it, and he'll be damned if he lets somebody come in and mess that up.

Not only that, but he's missing out on valuable practice time because of Peyton's piece of shit car.

"Next time, Peyton, don't let your car break down in the middle of bum-fucking-nowhere," Nathan spits, his hands wrapped tight as hell around the wheel as he drives.

"Well excuse me, superstar. Next time I'll be sure to tell my car to hold it till we get home," Peyton shoots back, propping herself against the passenger side window.

"You do that," Nathan says. "And why the hell were you with Lucas?"

"Really, Nathan?" Peyton yells, the anger in her voice getting more noticeable. "He works for your uncle at his shop. Next time I'll also make sure to push the car back myself."

Her smart ass mouth is really beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Oh wait, your uncle is his uncle too, isn't it?"

That's it.

"Will you shut the hell up? That's none of your goddamn business," Nathan yells at her.

"Why does he scare you so much, Nathan? What are you so afraid of?" Peyton asks him.

It's then that he realizes the real reason why he's so angry.

He caught himself staring at Lucas's greased up body for far too long.

—