Stop and Stare

It had been a few months since the talk with Dan at the hospital, Cassie and Lucas had slowly but surely started warming up to the idea of having him in their lives. Lucas proved to be the more trusting of the two, Cassie still didn't trust her biological father.

Karen was not happy with the arrangement but she realized this was something her kids needed and wanted, so she wouldn't stand in their way. That didn't mean she wasn't going to be keeping a close eye on Dan, one wrong move where her kids were concerned would result in bodily harm, she had warned him over and over. Dan so far hadn't done anything, but that didn't mean he wasn't up to something. It would be just like him to get Cassie and Lucas to care about him and then break their hearts without a care in the world. It was what he had done with her 17, almost 18 years ago.

It was the night of the big Tree Hill game against the Pickerington "Hicks" as they were called. Cassie's leg was now fully healed and she was cheering with the best of them for her two brothers, and boyfriend. Kyle and her and made it official a month ago and neither had ever been happier.

Cassie walked through the gym to see Nathan sitting on one of the bleachers. A lot had been going on with Nathan and Haley lately and it was starting to take it's toll, Nate was playing like crap, if he was playing at all.

"Nate?" Cassie asked seeing her brother with his head buried in his hands.

He looked up to see the concern in his sisters face. "She left me Cassie."

Cassie sighed. "I know, she called me last night to say goodbye. I'm so sorry, this isn't the Haley James that I know at all."

Three weeks ago after Karen had opened her new bar, Tric, Haley had been asked to sing for opening night. It was then she had met Chris Keller, a great singer and guitarist but a guy with an ego the size of Mount Rushmore. For some reason Haley had taken a liking to him, when nobody else had, and he and she had even recorded a song together which resulted in Haley almost missing the dance.

"How are you doing?' Cassie asked.

"How do you think? I feel like crap. It's all my fault she's gone." Nathan said. "I drove her away."

"What?" Cassie asked in shock. "Nathan you did no such thing, this is all Chris Keller's fault."

"Don't even get me started on that jerk Cassie." Nathan said standing up and punching the wall in anger. "I was the one who told her to go chasing her dreams but if she did not to come back. But I didnt' mean any of it."

"Nate that is not your fault." Cassie said. "I'm sorry about what your going through but honestly I think this is something Haley needed to do, more for herself then anything. She'll be back."

"I don't think so Cass, I treated her pretty badly. But what do you mean this is something she had to do?"

Cassie sighed. "Look I'm not condoning what happened, all I'm saying is that all her life Haley has been the one people leaned on, me, Lucas, you and her siblings...she never did anything to make herself happy, it was always for other people. I think she finally realized she needed something for herself."

Nathan took in her words and thought them through, it made sense, but it didn't really help the anger inside of him. "I know your trying to help, but don't please." He said. "I gotta get out of here, I can't be here anymore."

"Nathan...." Cassie tried to run after him when she caught sight of her brother. It looked like he was taking something, some kind of medication.

"Luke?" Cassie asked walking up behind him. "What are you doing?"

Lucas startled, turned around to face his sister. "Geez, Cass don't do that your going to give me a heart attack."

Cassie ignored his comment. "What's that in your hand?"

Lucas stared at the bottle of pills in his hand, knowing exactly what they were,

"N....nothing." He muttered.

"Let me see." Cassie said trying to grab it away from him but he tossed it into his other hand, away from his sisters grasp.

"No, it's nothing." He said.

"Well then you won't mind if I see what it is. If it's performance enhancers, so help me god Luke I will kick your ass." She warned him.

He laughed, if only that had been it. "No it's definitely not that."

Cassie again tried to reach for them, but he was to fast for her.

She sighed. "Fine, I give up. Whatever drugs your on is your business."

"Thank you." Lucas said. "Shouldn't you be off stretching or something? Brooke's been looking everywhere for you."

"Yeah whatever." She then reached over and grabbed the bottle quickly, before he even realized what she had done she was reading the label. "Aceta....something or other." She tried to read the medication name. "What the hell is this?"

"Asprin." Lucas said lying and grabbing the bottle back from her. "I have a headache." He tried to walk away but Cassie ran after him.

"You are lying through your teeth Lucas Eugene Scott." Cassie said. "I can tell, if you were taking Asprin you would have told me."

"Let it go, Cass." Lucas said. "This is none of your business."

"Like hell it's not. Your my twin brother and if something is wrong with you then I wanna know." Cassie said.

Lucas sighed. "Fine, but you better keep this quiet."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'm not making any promises."

"Fine then I'm not saying anything." Lucas said.

"Ok ok, I won't tell anyone." Cassie swore.

"It's heart medication." He confessed and blew out a sigh of relief. It was good to get that off his chest.

"What for?" Cassie asked but then suddenly remembered a week ago Lucas and Nate had went out of town for some basketball thing but Nate had admitted it was actually to go see a heart specialist. Something about HCM, which as it turned out was the same thing Dan had.

"Luke, do you have HCM?" Cassie asked fearfully. I didn't think I could take the answer being yes.

He hesitantly nodded.

"Wait, I thought that when you gave Mom the test results, they came back negative."

"I used Uncle Keith's results, mine were positive." He admitted.

"So you lied? To me, to Mom? What for?" Cassie asked angrily.

"Basketball." Was his only answer.

"What? Are you serious, you risked your life for basketball? How selfish are you? Don't you know what could happen if you don't take those stupid pills?" Cassie screamed at her brother. "You are such a jerk Luke. I'm going to Mom, there is no way I am keeping this from her."

"No Cassie, you can't." He grabbed her arm as she started to walk away but she pulled away and kept walking leaving Lucas looking worried.

"Please Cass, think about what this would do to her. There is no way we could afford the medication." Lucas yelled.

Cassie stopped abruptly and turned around. "That's right so how exactly did you get the money for the medication?"

Lucas sighed realizing that since he came this far he may as well just let it all out. "I went to Dan."

"You what?" Cassie asked shocked. "You told him about this?"

"Well he knows what I'm going through plus he has the money for the meds." Lucas explained.

"So? I'm sure we could have figured out a way to scrounge up some of the money." Cassie rationed.

"No, I'm not putting anyone through that." Lucas answered.

"Well what did Dan want in return?" Cassie asked.

"Nothing." Lucas answered all to quickly which told Cassie something was definitely up.

"What Lucas? Spit it out?" Cassie said.

"He wants me to move in with him." Lucas said.

"For what reason? He has never given a damn about us before." Cassie said.

"Wait you didn't let me finish, he doesn't just want me to move in with him, you as well." Lucas said.

"No way." Cassie spat out. "No way in hell am I living with that SOB, I'm not leaving Mom."

"I know which is what I told him. We managed to come to a compromise. I agreed to move in with him but you didn't have to and he agreed to pay for my medication and not tell Mom." Lucas said.

Cassie looked away not believing her ears but then reluctantly agreed to keep it quiet. "It's not a permanent thing right?"

Lucas nodded. "Just until the end of the school year."

"Ok, I don't like this but I'll go along with it, for Mom's sake. But you do realize she is going to be pissed at both us when she finds out, no doubt she will because your going to tell her everything by the time you move out of Dans." Cassie said making a deal. "And if you won't, I will." She then thought for a minute. "What about basketball?"

"As long as I take the pills, I'll be ok." Lucas said.

"Alright fine. I hate you for making me lie to Mom." Cassie said. "But your my brother and you have had my back for a lot of things so I owe you this."

"Thanks sis." Lucas smiled going in for a hug but Cassie pushed away and ran off to join the rest of the cheerleaders.