I have been doing my best to update this frequently to get my story into motion. Special thank you for the feedback to dianehermans and BpDs89. Hearing people's interest in my story has been motivating me to get more out, so the more comments the better! Chapter three, let me know what you think!
Chapter 3 – Little Talks.
Music blared from the Scott beach house on a warm Friday evening. Bodies poured out of the house, sloshing red cups while in conversation. High pitched giggles could be heard from girls who had a filled their cups a little too many times and were accompanied with hungry, glazed over looks of equally inebriated boys.
As predicted, Tree Hill stood victorious after their first league game of the season. The traditional rager was now in full swing at Nathan's unsupervised second home. Inside there was a room encompassed mostly with bodies gyrating to the heavy bass of whatever song blared through the expensive stereo system.
In the kitchen a game of ten fingers was in full swing as the teammates and cheerleaders confessed things that had been leaked at the last parties although none had any recollection of. Lucas was leaned up against the counter, watching the game with an amused expression as Skills got Bevin to drink on a rather promiscuous account.
"Where's your red cup, Scott?" an even toned voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to his curly haired friend and gave her a unresponsive shrug. "Don't tell me you're still not drinking."
"I'm just not feeling it, Peyt." Luke confessed as he glanced down at her empty cup in hand. "Looks like you're due for a refill."
"It's been far too long since I've had a good drunken Lucas escapade." She pouted, resting her arm on the same counter Lucas was perched on. Luke chuckled, resting his hand on the back of his neck as he hung his head lower to Peyton's eye level.
"Like the time we changed the lettering of every sign at the school to spell out APOCALYPSE." Lucas gave her the closest resemblance to his old smile that Peyton had seen since the accident.
"Turner was in a panic for weeks with his alleged serial sign tampers." Peyton let out a heartfelt laugh and rested her hand on Lucas shoulder. "I miss you, Lucas. We all miss you." Lucas' expression turned somber, realizing where this conversation was going. He racked his brain for something to say to comfort her but knew he couldn't come up with it.
He hadn't been the same. He was aware of it. His friends were aware of it. Lucas had always been more soft-spoken but there was a time where he knew how to fun. Every social event he attended since the accident had been a simple display of him going through the motions. Which was a step up to the first two months where he went into a complete shut out from everybody.
"Just come back to us, okay?" Peyton looked at him pleading with her wide eyes. He could smell the liquor on her breath but knew that it was simply liquid courage that made her pour these sentiments out. Normally she kept back from verbalizing Lucas' disintegration. Lucas shifted his eyes to his feet before looking back at her sympathetically. She removed her hand from his shoulder before giving him a quick pat on his cheek before leaving him with her words to echo in his head.
Lucas lingered there as the music started to feel more distant. It was happening again. He started to panic as he could feel a flashback flood in. Lucas pushed the palm of his hand to his forehead in an attempt to suppress it. Squeezing his eyes tight he began to recite the words to a song he had been listening to frequently. An attempt to bury this cinematic memory before he drowned in it again. In the spring we made a boat. Out of feathers, out of bones. We set fire to our homes, walking barefoot in the snow. Distant rhythm of the drum, as we drifted towards the storm. – "Broody?" - Baby lion lost his teeth, now they're swimming in the sea.
"Lucas, are you okay?" the concern of the raspy voice and the soft squeeze of a soft hand on his arm shook him from his internal conflicts. He opened his eyes greeted with a pair of hazel ones, wide with worry.
"Brooke. Hey. I'm –" he felt the surge of his memory flood back and he knew he needed to get out of this room. "Will you excuse me?" Lucas moved past her and straight to the back door that lead to a large wooden porch. The fresh air hit him with a refreshing splash. He hadn't realize how much the bodies had been suffocating him in that moment until he was in the open. Lucas breathed in heavily, his hands clenching the railing of the porch.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered to the cool air as it pushed past him, ruffling his clothes. His knuckles whitened as he muttered another apology before hanging his head. He heard the click of sliding door as it was opened and then softly shut behind him. Lucas lifted his head and slowly turned around him revealing the brunette. Her hand was still resting on the door as she wordlessly watched him.
Their eyes locked for a moment longer before Lucas let go of his hardened grip on the wood. He pivoted his body to face her and he sighed heavily. He waited for her to say whatever it was she came out to say but after another moment of silence he realized that she had no intention of speaking. Her brows furrowed in concern, her eyes softened at the sight of him.
"Wild party, huh?" he attempted at joking as he gave a pathetic attempt at a smile. She held her stare aware of his deferral of the situation. After a moment the corners of her lips curved up slightly as she nodded her head, removing her hand for the first time.
"I would say so. Not bad for a small town high school." She folded her arms across her chest as the temperature took another drop. "What are you doing out here, Lucas?" Brooke was a no bullshit kind of girl. She was aware of his distance to the rest of the group and she was done pretending she wasn't interested on what made him tick.
"I just needed some air. Gets pretty stuffy in that house sometimes." He paused, running a nervous hand through his short blonde hair before continuing. "I'm sorry to take off on you in there. Just needed to breathe for a moment." Lucas was surprised in his honesty of the statement. Normally he would have attempted at a better excuse as to his hurried exit. If it had been Peyton he would have made up an elaborate story as to how he had seen a lost dog in the backyard. To Nathan he would have played it off that he needed air to breathe because his ego was hogging it all. But to Brooke, he spilled the most honest statement he had given all night.
"Catch your breath yet?" She cocked her head at him, studying his face. Lucas nodded bringing his eyes to meet hers again. "Good. I need a partner for beer pong." She smirked at him, making it clear it wasn't a question. Luke hesitated and began to form a sentence that vaguely represented a 'No thank you' before she cut in again. "I heard you aren't drinking tonight which is fine, because I'm plenty capable of drinking for two. You sink the shots like you did earlier and I'll take the drinks. It's a win-win. Now come on, we're up next."
Without another word she turned from him and headed back inside. Lucas paused before following her lead. He approached the crowded room, the table already set up with cups as the defeated team left in spite. Brooke and Lucas quickly reset their side of the table and she looked up at him with a coy smile.
"You ready, Broody?" Something about her energy brought a full smile across his face.
"Definitely." As he responded he heard the sink of the first ball into one of their cups. Brooke let out an excited squeal before pulling the ball out and downing the carbonated beverage. She placed the ball into Luke's palm and picked the other missed shot off the ground.
"Let's see it, three." She nudged him and he couldn't help but keep that grin on his face as he sunk the first ball into their cup. Brooke followed suit and hers went sailing off the side of the table. "Whoops!" She threw her hands in the air.
As the opposing team sunk their last cup they shared a victorious high five. Luke turned to the now very drunk Brooke Davis with a raised eyebrow.
"We're going to have to work on that shooting arm of yours so we can win next time." He knelt low to her ear so she could hear him over the blaring music. She snaked her hand across the back of her neck as she replied in a husky whisper.
"Whose saying we lost?" She pulled back from him and let out an excited cheer as Fergie finished a keg stand. Brooke twirled away from Lucas, giving him a quick wink before skipping off after Peyton who was heading towards the dance room. The lingering smell of vanilla and the booze she had consumed held over him as he stood in awe.
The party raged on into the night and Lucas found himself with a renewed energy after his time spent with his new addiction. He socialized with his drunken buddies more than he had in far too long. As people began to pour out of the beach house arms linked with whomever had caught their fancy that night the house began to calm down.
"Another success!" Nathan whooped, appearing behind Lucas.
"Where have you been?" Lucas asked turning to face his drunken cousin.
"Haley." Nathan stated as he grinned up at the ceiling before turning back to Luke. "Heard you got murdered at the pong table though, shameful." He belted out another laugh before catching sight of a blonde girl heading towards the door. "Shit! She's leaving, good talk Luke." Nathan turned to chase after Haley.
"Good luck!" Lucas shouted back in his direction as Nathan shot him a thumbs up from behind his head as he caught her at the door. He turned to the dance floor where saw a sleeping Brooke Davis on the small love seat. Luke investigated the room for Peyton, wondering why she hadn't taken her newest friend back home with her before he recalled a mention of Jake showing up later into the night.
Lucas walked over to a calm, steady breathing Brooke as she curled into herself. He gently nudged her shoulder, calling out her name in attempt to wake her up.
"I'm o'er there…" she slurred out a senseless statement without any movement of her eyelids. Before Lucas could allow himself to think of the million reasons why he shouldn't do what he was about to, he wrapped his arms around either side of her and lifted her dead weighted body with ease.
Instinctively she curled into him, her head resting across his shoulder. His heart pounded hard into his chest at the closeness of her, the silkiness of her hair tickling his neck. Lucas carried her out to his truck and slid her into the passenger side of her car ignoring the heckling of the straggling teammates at the sight of Brooke in his arms. Buckling her in, he got into the drivers side and started the car. It wasn't too far of a drive back to their neighborhood and he quickly pulled into his driveway. Realizing for the first time that he had no way to get her into her house he attempted to wake her again with no prevail.
His father's car wasn't in the driveway which meant he was on a business trip again. He frequented these since her accident and at this moment Lucas was thankful. Dan would rip him to pieces if he found a girl in his room, which appeared to be his only choice.
Lucas lifted the sleeping beauty out of his truck and carried her up the stairs to his room. As gently as he could he laid her onto his bed and pulled his covers over her. She stirred only for a moment before lying still. Luke paused, studying the way her hair fell over her porcelain skin and felt another pound from his heart. She was full of life and he was a shell of a boy he used to be. Not someone fitted for a girl like that. But still, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming amount of want. Lucas hadn't felt this feeling in a very long time. Brooke put his mind to rest, something he didn't think possible anymore.