"I can't believe we're actually going to this thing," Haley sighs, sitting in the passenger seat of the Keith Scott Auto Body tow truck.
"Why not?" Lucas asks her.
He's dragging her along with him to a party at Nathan's beach house that he was surprisingly invited to.
"Two decent games in a row. Getting better or are you just lucky?" Nathan asks Lucas, walking up to him after the game they just won.
"Team's got a party tonight at my parent's beach house."
"And why are you telling me?" Lucas asks him, completely confused. Seems like Nathan's actually being nice for once, and his heart is doing backflips.
This whole Nathan hating him thing isn't going very well.
"Because I said the team, didn't I?" Nathan answers. "Look, I know things haven't exactly been the best between us, but we might as well deal with it."
"So they kidnap you, trash the Rivercourt, and threaten you with bodily harm… party. Hm, sure, why not?" Haley says sarcastically. She makes a valid point, but Lucas can't exactly say no to Nathan. It isn't that easy for him.
"Maybe he's had a change of heart, Hales," Lucas says.
"That would require a heart," Haley quips.
Things have changed for Lucas since his one on one match with Nathan. He no longer wants to hurt him or steal Peyton from him, because of the look on his face that night… he thinks that maybe, just maybe, Nathan is scared of the same thing he is. That's why Lucas put up with all of the stupid hazing; perhaps that was just Nathan's way of dealing with it. He can't blame him; this whole thing is scary as hell.
In fact, he's never been more afraid of anything than going to this party. However, all of this is probably just wishful thinking on his part.
Finally, they see the beach house in the distance. Lucas's heart is practically about to beat out of his chest.
"Are you sure you're alright with this?" Haley asks, eyeing him curiously.
"Of course," He lies. He wants to throw the truck in reverse, but doesn't.
He has to face his brother eventually.
Parking the truck on the side of the street, they get out and walk towards the house.
Lucas looks and sees Peyton pull up as well, along with her best friend Brooke.
He remembers his initial encounter with Brooke…
Lucas gets in his car, completely exhausted from the game he just played. It was his first winning game, and he even made the game-winning shot. He was feeling pretty damn proud of himself.
Before he can even buckle himself in, a pair of hands cover his eyes.
"Guess who?" A raspy female voice asks from the backseat.
"Tim?" Lucas jokes.
"Very funny," The girl says. "Guess again."
"I think you have the wrong car," Lucas tells her.
Finally, the girl removes her hands, letting Lucas get a look at her. She's wearing nothing but her bra and a thong. Lucas suddenly feels like he should get out of the car.
"Brooke Davis," She says. "Nice to meet you, Lucas Roe. Good game tonight."
"Thanks.. um, are you sure you don't need a jacket or something?" Lucas asks her, growing more uncomfortable by the second.
"Nope, I was just trying to change out of my uniform," She says, reaching behind her back and unclipping her bra.
"Oops," She says, dropping her bra on the floor.
Suddenly someone starts tapping on his window; Brooke shrieks and hurries to puts her head down, trying to hide from whoever's outside the car.
It was Coach Whitey. Lucas wishes he can be anywhere but in this car right now.
Rolling down the window, Lucas asks "What's up, Coach?"
"Just wanted to say you did a good job tonight," Whitey tells him. "But don't think you're a pro yet. Start dragging your scrawny butt to the weight room twice a day, starting now."
"Will do," Lucas answers, smiling sheepishly.
"Oh, and, you have a naked girl in your backseat. Just thought you'd like to know," Whitey says, smirking and tipping his hat before walking away.
Busted.
He rolls his window back up, and Brooke sits up, looking freaked out.
"That was awkward. I've never shown an old man my boobs before…," Brooke says.
"Well I've never had a naked girl in my backseat, so tonight's a first for both of us," Lucas says, laughing.
"So, anyways… you're totally in now, because of that shot. Did you feel it change?"
"Feel what change?" Lucas asks her, thoroughly confused.
"Everything. I mean, how many moments in your life can you point to and say 'yup, that's when it all changed?'" She asks him, leaning on his shoulder now.
Actually, Lucas can think of another one.
Finding out Nathan was his brother.
"I wasn't sure you'd come."
Nathan's voice pulls Lucas out of his memory. Honestly, he wasn't so sure either.
"That makes two of us, actually," Lucas responds.
"Well, I'm glad you did," Nathan says, smiling slightly at Lucas before turning his attention to Haley. "Hey, Hayley." He nods at her, then turns and begins to walk up the steps to the front door.
"Hey.. Nathan," Haley forcibly responds, looking at the ground and scratching her head.
What the hell was that? Do they know each other?
"What was that, Hales?" Lucas asks her, raising one eyebrow.
"Oh my gosh, did you hear that? I think the vodka is calling my name," Haley says, shuffling away from Lucas as quickly as she can into the house.
Smooth.
"I know where you live!" Lucas calls after her, following her up the steps.
"Wanna know where I live, hot stuff?" Brooke asks him, linking her arm around his.
"Let me have a couple drinks and get back to you," Lucas quips, smirking.
"What's that mean?" Brooke asks, slightly offended.
"It means 'no,' Brooke," Peyton says.
Once they're inside, Lucas searches for Haley. He has to know what the hell that was between her and Nathan outside. He finds her holding a drink in the living room, admiring the beach house.
"Snazzy place," She says, avoiding Lucas's death glare.
"Hales. What was that?" Lucas asks her again.
"What?" She asks, taking a sip of her drink and smiling at him.
"You know what."
"Okay, okay. I'm tutoring him," Haley tells him. "Please don't hate me."
And she didn't tell him this, why?
"How long has this been going on? You know how I feel about him," Lucas says. Of course she doesn't know how he really feels about him, but still. For all intents and purposes, Haley thinks that Lucas hates Nathan.
"A week or so… and hey, weren't you just the one saying he had a change of heart?" She asks him. Damn it, she has a point.
"Just.. be careful," Lucas says.
And for the love of god, don't touch him.
"I will, I promise," Haley tells him, crossing her heart.
They spent the next hour or so standing against a wall, sipping their drinks and people watching. Nathan also seemed to be avoiding him like the plague.
"So, I know you're having the time of your life," Haley begins, "but can we make like a raven and fly the hell out of here?"
"We just got here," Lucas answers. He isn't giving up that easily; he's talking to Nathan at some point tonight.
Eventually.
Maybe.
"Well, when you're done proving your point, let me know. I'm going to go hangout in one of the five million bathrooms in this place," Haley says, taking her drink and walking away.
Since he's now alone, he can't stand against the wall anymore without looking like a freak. He starts walking around, random people telling him "good game!" as he passes them.
"Luke! Come play!" Brooke yells at him. She, Peyton, a few guys from the team, and… Nathan were all sitting at a table.
"Sure," Lucas says, pulling up a chair. "What's the game?"
"I never," Brooke answers.
"And yet apparently you have," Peyton teases, no doubt referring their little rendezvous in Lucas's car.
"Shut up, Peyton," Brooke says, laughing and taking a drink.
"So, we all take turns saying something we've never done. If somebody at the table has, they have to drink," Nathan says. "You're up, Theresa."
Nathan points at the little curly headed brunette sitting next to Lucas.
"Hm, I've never… had sex with anything plastic," She says.
To his left, Brooke reluctantly takes a drink, causing everyone to start laughing. She's probably going to lose this game.
"Okay, my turn," Brooke says. "Let's see… I've never.. no wait, I've done that. I've never… shit, I've done that, too…"
"Okay Brooke, you're done," Nathan says, cutting her off. "I got one. I've never… had a dad who wished my mom swallowed me."
Lucas pauses, glaring at Nathan before taking a sip. He should've known this whole party was just another excuse for Nathan to publicly humiliate him. Lucas feels like such a moron, hoping this would be something it's not.
He slides his chair back and gets up. Screw this, he needs to get Haley and get the hell out of here.
After frantically searching most of the house, he can't find her anywhere. Lucas ends up on the back patio, sitting on the porch swing. At least it's quiet out here. He sits out there for quite a while before Haley finds him and sits down next to him.
"What happened? You look like someone just peed in your drink," Haley says.
"Same old shit. Nathan thinks if he keeps hammering me I'll quit the team."
"What did he do?"
"Just made some stupid comment to piss me off," Lucas says, taking a sip out of his cup. "I'm not gonna let it bother me." Lies.
"Yeah, how's that working out for you?" Haley asks.
"Shut up," Lucas says, laughing.
There was silence for a moment, before Haley spoke again: "Hey Luke… have you guys ever actually talked?"
"Sure, all the time. We even traded cell phone numbers, too," Lucas answers jokingly.
"Luke, be serious. I'm just saying, I've talked to him during our tutoring sessions and he's really not a bad guy. This is just a screwed up situation."
Ten points to Haley for not pointing out the obvious. Of course it's screwed up, but it's more screwed up than Haley even realizes. Despite that, Nathan doesn't have to be such an ass.
And why the hell does Lucas still like him, anyway?
"Look, I'm gonna go talk to him," Haley says, getting up from the swing and heading inside.
"Hales, wait!" Lucas calls after her, but she's already long gone. He's left drowning in his thoughts until Peyton joins him outside.
"Sorry about him. He can be an ass," Peyton says, sitting beside him.
"I've noticed," Lucas says. "It's whatever, I could care less what he thinks." More lies.
"Neither can I."
"Then why are you drinking so much?" Lucas asks her.
Peyton shrugs her shoulders and takes a long gulp.
Lucas then hears a bunch of laughter coming from inside. Instead of doing the smart thing and just staying put, he stupidly goes to see what the commotion is about. He notices everyone staring at the tv, and stops dead in his tracks when he sees what they're watching.
He's going to fucking murder Nathan.
It's a video of his mom and Dan in high school, looking like they just won king and queen at some dance.
"So Karen," The voice from the tv says, "what's the secret to your success?"
"Um, the secret to our success? Good question. Hm, Dan?" his mom says.
"Good sex!" Dan responds. If Lucas could ever punch someone's lights out from outside of a tv, now would be that time.
"Do you think you and Dan will ever get married?" The voice asks.
"I'd like to think we will!" Karen says.
"Oh my god, look at their hair," Brooke laughs. "Who's the girl, though?"
Lucas can feel tears welling up in his eyes. "That's my mom."
The room fell silent; nobody was laughing any more. Lucas storms toward Nathan and slams him into the wall before running upstairs into one of the bedrooms. Closing the door behind him, he sits down on the edge of the bed, puts his head in hands and sobs.
Why does Nathan have to be such a fucking jerk? All he was trying to do was be nice to him tonight, but no, nothing is ever that easy with Nathan.
He hears a knock on the door. "Go away, Haley!" Lucas yells in between sobs.
"Actually, it's me."
Lucas looks up and sees Nathan standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?" He asks.
Despite his head telling him to scream no, his heart stupidly makes him say "Yeah."
Nathan walks in the room and closes the door behind him, sitting on the bed next to Lucas.
"What do you want?" Lucas ask him, wiping his eyes.
"To say I'm sorry," Nathan says, turning and looking right at Lucas. "For that; for everything." Lucas doesn't respond.
"Look, you don't have to forgive me, I just wanted to tell you that," Nathan continues. "This hasn't exactly been easy on me."
"Like it has been for me?" Lucas asks him, still completely baffled at the fact Nathan is even having this conversation with him.
"I know, and I've been an ass for not realizing you have your own feelings about all this."
Nathan turns and looks into his eyes. He can sense all of the torment and hurt behind those gorgeous blue irises, much like the desire Nathan can probably see behind his own.
He can also smell all of the alcohol on Nathan's breath. No wonder why he's in here.
"Plus, I'm pretty sure my feelings are way more screwed up than yours," Nathan says.
"Try me," Lucas says.
" 'Kay," Nathan says, still staring right at Lucas. Then, something happens Lucas doesn't expect in the slightest.
Nathan is actually leaning towards him. Lucas barely has time to think before Nathan's lips meet his own.
He has to be dreaming this.
Their lips stay locked for quite a few seconds before Nathan pulls away suddenly.
"Shit; I'm sorry," Nathan says, jumping off the bed and running out of the room before Lucas can even process what just happened.
If he's not dreaming, he's pretty sure…
… Nathan just kissed him.
—-