Julian had spent all day looking for Brooke. As soon as he'd got to school, he'd idly wandered the halls and looked all over the place just to see her face again, but he'd failed, and now he seriously couldn't wait to get to sixth period art class.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. After that night that he'd officially met her, she'd been occupying every inch of his mind. After having taken a cold shower after their encounter in the kitchen, Julian had stayed up watching TV in the living room in hopes that Brooke would come out of Haley's room, but no luck. The three girls had stayed in their room all night and the next morning by the time Julian had woken up, Brooke was already gone.

Now it was Monday and the bell rang from Julian's fifth period class and he was now at his locker, contemplating going off campus for lunch.

If I go off campus, then I'll risk loosing the chance to see her at lunch, Julian thought to himself. But I'll see her in sixth period anyways soo…

"Hey man!" he heard a voice say from behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Lucas.

Damn!

Julian had been trying to avoid him all day long. He was sure that Lucas had heard something about him and Serena by now and with Brooke on his mind, he really didn't want to hear grief about Serena from Lucas, so he decided to act casual.

"Oh, hey dude," he said, turning to Lucas.

"So, what'd you do this weekend?" Lucas asked him casually.

Julian shrugged. "Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that…" Julian internally laughed remembering how Brooke had muttered that same line to him.

Lucas nodded. "And a little of Serena?" he asked with his arms crossed.

Fuck.

Julian released a heavy sigh and shut his locker, turning around to lean on it and face Lucas.

"So it's true then?" Lucas asked.

"I didn't…look, we didn't…" Julian stuttered, unsure of what exactly to say to Lucas.

"I'm sorry, I was drunk and…I didn't mean for it to happen," Julian apologized. It was the only thing he could think of.

Lucas just nodded. "Okay."

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Lucas responded.

"I do things with a girl that you wanted to get with and it's…okay?" Julian asked.

Lucas shrugged. "Yeah, I sorta hooked up with Rachel that night anyways, so the Serena fixation is kinda over now," Lucas half-chuckled.

"Rachel? As in, my ex-girlfriend, Rachel?" Julian asked, annoyed.

"Yeah," Lucas replied, nonchalantly. "You don't have a problem with that do you? I mean I was just drunk and didn't mean for it to happen…" Lucas mimicked Julian's earlier words.

Sure it annoyed Julian that Lucas obviously hooked up with Rachel on purpose and was now using it was a way to get Julian riled up, but it didn't work. He didn't have feelings for Rachel anymore and he sure didn't care about what Lucas did, so he merely shrugged his shoulders and chuckled, "Haha, alright then, I assume we're all good then?"

Lucas stuck his hand out and pounded Julian's hand in a manly handshake-pound thingy. "We're good," Lucas replied. With Lucas, it was hard to tell when he was being sincere or not, so he wasn't really sure whether or not Lucas was pissed at him for what happened with him and Serena, but he decided not to care. He had more important things on his mind like…

Brooke.

There she was.

Leaned up against Blair's locker, Brooke had on her infamous combat boots and fish nets, a black skirt, and a dark green halter, with a sketchbook wedged between her arms. Her head was thrown back, laughing at something Chris Keller was talking to her about, her dimples were extra dimply and from the distance her eyes were even more mysterious and for some reason, Brooke was moving in slow motion.

Julian wanted nothing more than to be Chris Keller right now. Making Brooke openly laughing like that…

He then saw a hand waving in front of his face.

"Julian? Helllloooo? Dude, what the hell are you staring at?" Lucas asked, looking in the direction that Julian's eyes were staring.

"Nothing!" Julian said quickly.

Thankfully at that moment, Brooke, Blair, and Chris walked arm-in-arm-in-arm down to the lunch room before Lucas could see that Brooke was what he'd been staring at.

"Right, whatever," Lucas said, "Uh so look, me and the guys are going down to Tito's Pizza for lunch, you wanna join?"

All Julian wanted to do was watch Brooke some more, no matter how stalker-ish that sounded, but he wasn't sure if watching her with that Chris Keller guy was going to make him happy. Who did Chris Keller think he was, being arm in arm with both Blair AND Brooke? Was he dating one of them? Oh god, was he dating Brooke? No! Brooke had to be single! She HAD to be, right?!

Lucas sighed, annoyed. "Julian! Anyone home?" Lucas knocked on his head.

Julian shook his head, realizing that he'd been in his own little world again. "Oh, what? Yeah, sorry…I was uh…" Julian rubbed his temples.

"Dude, what the hell's going on with you?" Lucas asked.

"Uh, headache, I think," Julian lied.

"Whatever dude, so…Titio's? Yes or no?"Julian had no idea what he was talking about so he just said "Nah, I think I'm just gonna head to the nurse to see if she has something for headaches or something…" Julian lied again.

"Whatever man," Lucas began walking away, "Oh and hey! I need to copy your history homework, you got it with you?"

Julian shook his head. "Nah, um. Stop by my sixth period and I'll give it you then," he replied.

"Alright, see ya later," Lucas replied as he disappeared into the hallway.

When he was gone, Julian leaned against the locker and sighed.

Brooke Davis was making him crazy.

**

Brooke was sitting at her usual lunch table in the lunch room with the usual gang: Blair, Chris, Haley, and Chuck.

"So what's this I hear about you giving the quarterback a blow-job, Brooke?" Chris asked Brooke as he sat down next to Chuck with his tray.

Brooke looked up from her sketch and gave him an evil glare and asked, "Excuse me?""Blair over here tells me that you were MIA for nearly an hour at you girl's little slumber party this weekend," Chris replied.

"First of all, it wasn't even an hour, second of all, what does me being MIA have to do with giving a quarterback a blow-job?" Brooke replied, annoyed.

"Well from what I hear doll face, Julian Baker aka the quarterback was also present at this sleepover," Chuck replied.

"And?" Brooke asked.

Haley sighed. "Brooke, don't listen to these assholes," Haley said as she flicked some of her corn at a laughing Chris and Chuck, "Brooke was downstairs getting us some water and she went out for a smoke, that's it, no big deal. And FYI, my brother is not the fucking quarterback."

Blair's eyebrows rose. "I dunnnooooo, the next morning as soon as I woke up and went down to the kitchen to raid your fridge Hales, Julian asked me about Brooke," Blair said.

Brooke froze and felt herself get goosebumps.

Julian asked about me? Brooke wondered.

"He did not," Haley said to Blair.

"He did so!" Blair protested.

"Oh really? And what did he ask?" Chris asked, intrigued.

"He was all, 'Oh…hey Blair,' in a 'I'm disappointed that you're not someone else' tone and then, after I go to the pantry to get some cereal, he nonchalantly sits at the stool and asks, 'So, do you know if Brooke is still here?' to which I reply, 'Nope, she had work so she left early this morning,'" Blair responded. "Oh man, you should have seen the pathetic sad look on his face when I said you were gone, Brooke."

Brooke rolled her eyes and started working on her sketch again, "Oh, I don't believe you."

"Yeah, me neither," Haley said, taking a bite out of her apple.

"Well I believe you B," Chris confidently told Blair.

"Well thank you Chris, at least someone believes me," Blair replied dramatically.

"Hmm, if you sleep with me, maybe I'll believe you too," Chuck responded to Blair.

"Um, I think not," Blair replied.

Brooke laughed at her friends banter and pretended to get lost in her sketch again, but was really just letting her mind wander.

Had Julian really asked about her? Why would Blair lie? Maybe he really did ask about her…but why?

Just then, Haley's cell phone rang.

"Who is it Hales? Your boyfriend, Nathan?" Chris asked sarcastically.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Nathan isn't my boyfriend, Keller."

"Oh, right right. He's just your fantasy," he replied.

Haley stuck the finger at Chris and checked her caller ID.

Julian.

"It's just Julian," Haley responded.

"Ohh, Brooke's boyfriend," Chris remarked to which Brooke smacked him. "Ouch!"

"Hey Julie, what's up?" Haley said into the phone.

Brooke silently giggled at Julian's nickname.

"Sorry, it's a habit. Uh-huh. Right now? Julian is there….Alright. Fine. I'll be there in a bit. Bye."

Haley shut her phone and started to get up from the table.

"Julian needs something, so I gotta jet. I'll see you bitches later," she said as she left the table.

Everyone at the table bid Haley goodbyes, but Brooke just sat there, wondering for some reason what Julian wanted. Then she started wondering why she cared so much.

**

Julian sat idly in his car, fiddling with his keys, waiting for Haley.

When he finally saw her approaching, he unlocked his doors and turned off his radio.

Haley hopped into the passengers seat and said, "Okay Julie, what is so important that you had to drag me out of my amazing lunch and into your ratty little car?"

"Hey! No one calls my baby, 'ratty'," Julian said, defending his car.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Now, what did you want?"Julian looked away from Haley and started fiddling with his fingers, unsure of how Haley would react once he got it out.

"Julian? Cat got your tongue? What's wrong?" Haley asked.

Julian sighed. "Um, it's just…"

Haley looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Well…I….I was just, well, it sorta involves…um…"

"Sorta involves…who?" Haley asked, curiously.

"Well, I mean, not like I like them or anything but I was just wondering if…"

"Wondering if….?" Haley asked.

"Um….do you know if Chris Keller is single?" Julian asked. Not exactly the question he wanted to ask, but it would do for now.

"Chris Keller?" Haley asked, with raised eyebrows. "Julian, are you coming out?"

"What?! No!" Julian said quickly.

"Then why do you want to know if one of my best guy friends is single?" Haley asked.

Julian sighed. "Okay, I don't want to know if he's single…I was just wondering if he was….dating…"

"Dating…?" Haley asked.

"Brc," Julian coughed.

"Who?"

"Brrrruk," Julian coughed again.

"Broc?" Haley asked? "Like, Broc Dysen from English Lit class? Julian, Chris is many things, but he's not gay…" Haley began.

"Not Broc, BROOKE," Julian finally said loud and clear.

Haley's mouth went ajar.

"Brooke?" she asked.

Julian nodded.

"As in…my Brooke? As in, Brooke Davis? As in, the one who you didn't even know until Saturday, Brooke?""Yes, yes, yes, that Brooke," Julian responded.

Haley didn't know what to say. Blair hadn't been lying after all!

"And why do you want to know if my Brooke is single?" Haley asked.

Julian shrugged his shoulders. The look on his face as obvious enough, but she wanted to hear him say it, but it looked like he wasn't going to.

"Wow," Haley muttered to herself.

**

It was sixth period. FINALLY.

After a few 'Wow's and 'I can't let you treat Brooke the way you treat all those other girls' and 'I need time to process this', Haley had finally gotten out of Julian's car and left Julian with his thoughts.

Now, he was lingering by the Art Room door, knowing that Brooke would already be inside, more than likely sketching in the back. He entered the room and discovered that he was right.

There she was. Sitting. Sketching. Focused. And beautiful.

He wondered if he should go over and say something to her or not. It's not like they were friends, but it's not like they weren't either. He looked over at his empty seat next to Jake and saw him chatting it up with Nathan. He then looked back over towards Brooke, deciding it wouldn't hurt to say hello.

Brooke meticulously sketched the outline a boy onto her sketch book. In her mind, it was just an ordinary boy, nothing special about him, but her hands however knew, that she was sketching a certain non-quarter-back.

"Hey," she heard a voice say next to her.

Brooke looked up, quickly covering her sketch with her book bag and saw those chocolatey pair of eyes she'd been thinking about since lunch.

"Hi," she said softly.

Relieved that her greeting was a genuine one, he asked, "You uh, you mind if I sit down?"

Brooke pursed her lips and nodded no, then slowly pulled the seat next to her out for Julian to sit on.

Julian smirked and sat down.

"Well uh, I just wanted to thank you…for the other night," Julian said.

"Thank me?" Brooke asked.

"You know, for helping me with the lipstick and all," he reminded her.

"Oh, right, that. Well, uh, you're welcome, Julie," Brooke responded with a grin.

Julian's mouth went slightly ajar and then grinned, "That's not funny."

Brooke smirked, "You know it is."Julian just looked at her and chuckled.

**

Lucas entered the Art Room, in search of Julian and his History homework.

He spotted Jake and Nathan in the front of the room so he headed over to them and said, "Sup fellas? You guys seen Julian?"

Jake and Nathan, both realizing that they hadn't seen Julian yet, looked around the room and spotted him in the corner, chatting up none other than Brooke Davis.

Jake grinned and pointed over to him, "There he is. That sly fox," Jake said proudly.

Nathan agreed. "Mhmm, Brooke Davis is so fucking hot. You know, like in a sexy-goth sorta way…" he said while staring at her.

Lucas slowly turned around and saw Julian sitting very close to Brooke, laughing. Making her laugh. Anger and jealousy seethed through Lucas's eyes and a frown formed on his face.

What hell was Julian doing with Brooke? No. No. He couldn't have this, he couldn't have this at all.

Lucas snapped his neck back to Jake and Nathan who were both staring at Brooke, and he said rudely, "Hey! Stick your tongues back in your mouth, will ya?"

Before they could respond, Lucas stormed over to the back table and tried to contain his anger, turning it into kindness.

"Julian?" Brooke heard a voice say from the other side of him.

Brooke froze.

Oh god. Not him. She'd know that voice from anywhere.

"Oh hey Luke, what's up?" Julian responded to Lucas.

Lucas slowly walked to the front of the table and said, "History paper?"

Julian shook his head, "Oh! Right, right." He shuffled through his bag and looked for his homework. As he did this, Brooke looked down into her lap, afraid to look up and see his face.

Lucas slowly and casually leaned over the desk until his letterman jacket was touching Brooke's bare arm. "Hey, Brooke," he said, almost as if he wanted to get a reaction out of flinched and drew her arm back, looking up into his icy blue eyes, ones that she used to find beautiful.

Julian pulled out his paper and handed it to Lucas. "There, now get your scrawny ass to class and learn something," he said to Lucas.

"You seem awfully eager to get rid of me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything back here," Lucas said, his eyes glaring into Brooke's.

"You're not, now get moving, Lucas. You're gonna be late," Julian replied, annoyed that he'd interrupted his time with Brooke, unaware of Lucas and Brooke's exchange.

"Will do," Lucas replied, his eyes never leaving Brooke's.

Just then, Chuck entered the room and stood next to Julian, waiting for him to move from his seat next to Brooke. When he saw Lucas staring at Brooke, he almost lost it. He wanted to punch the living shit out of him and spit on his worthless body.

"Excuse me, I believe you're in my seat," Chuck said to Julian, his eyes never leaving Lucas's.

Julian turned around to see Chuck standing there and he replied, "Oh! Sorry man." He then grabbed his bag and shot Brooke a smile, "I guess I'll talk to you later." Brooke nodded and Julian made his way back to his seat after saying "See ya later, dude," to Lucas.

Lucas diverted his attention away from Brooke and looked at Chuck standing there so he slowly made his way from the table and stood next to where Chuck was standing.

"Excuse me," Lucas said, his eyes glaring into Chuck's furious eyes. Chuck made sure to shove Lucas with his shoulder while he past by him.

Lucas just chuckled and walked out of the classroom, with a brilliant plan forming in his head.

**