Lucas awoke the next morning to find his girlfriend shuffling around the room getting ready.
"Crazy girl, what are you doing?" he mumbled tiredly.
"Getting ready for school, silly," she chirped happily.
"Brooke, you need to rest."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I haven't been to school in two weeks."
"Yeah, and you had chemo two days ago," Lucas reminded her, getting out of bed and walking toward her.
"Luke, I have chemo again tomorrow. Do you really expect me to miss school for two days after each one?"
"If you need to."
"But I don't," Brooke reassured. "I'm fine, Lucas. I promise."
He sighed, kissing her forehead and letting her continue on getting ready. "Fine. But if you feel sick at all, I'm taking you home."
"Deal," she said with a grin, picking out an outfit for the day. "So what are the rumors about me?"
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked as he began to brush his teeth.
"I've been gone for two weeks. I'm sure there are rumors."
"Most people think you were taking care of Nathan and Rachel."
Brooke's face fell into a frown at the mention of her missing friend. "I wonder where she went."
"Have you tried calling her?" Lucas asked.
"Nah," Brooke said with a small shrug. "I guess we weren't as close as I thought."
Lucas, at a loss for words, simply gave her a sweet kiss before throwing on a T-shirt and jeans. "You almost ready?"
"Of course not, Broody," Brooke said, grabbing a little red sundress. She paired it with a pair of yellow ballet flats, running a brush through her long brown hair. She sighed. "I'm really gonna miss this hair when it's gone."
"Don't worry about that now, babe."
"Will you still love me when I'm bald?"
"Of course I will, Brooke," Lucas said, his face wrinkling with concern. "What kind of question is that?"
She shrugged again, giving his hand a small squeeze. She spent about a minute applying makeup before turning to him with a nervous smile. "Ready to go."
"Okay, pretty girl, let's do this."
Being back at school was an odd experience for Brooke. People had obviously heard of her falling out with Peyton, and seemed confused at the sight of Brooke and Lucas together once again. She held his hand tightly as they walked into school.
"Brooke!" Haley called out excitedly from her locker. Nathan stood beside her, and her turned to give his friend a smile.
"Hey Naley!" she beamed. She gave them both a hug before turning to Nathan. "You making your comeback today too, Hot Shot?"
"You bet, B," Nathan winked.
"You would think people had better things to look at," Haley commented after watching yet another group of passerby slow to stare at Brooke and Nathan.
Brooke shrugged. "Let them stare. I look hot." With a little wink, she skipped off toward her locker, leaving her friends in her wake.
"She seems much better," Nathan commented.
"She insisted on coming to school today," Lucas replied. "I'm a little worried that she's taking an inch and running a mile."
"I think she's okay," Haley said, watching as her best friend grabbed some books from her locker down the hall. A brunette boy approached her nervously, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned and smiled at him sweetly. "Who's that?"
"No clue," Nathan shrugged. "Oh wait! He's in our history class. His name's....Chase."
"So that's Chase," Lucas muttered. "He called her yesterday."
"Oh, cut it out," Haley said, nudging Lucas. "You know Brooke only has eyes for you."
Just as she said this, the pretty brunette threw her head back in laughter. "You've got to be kidding me," Lucas groaned.
"Hey guys," Peyton said, approaching the group nervously.
"Hey Peyton," Haley greeted plainly.
Brooke glanced down the hall just in time to see Lucas share an awkward hug with Peyton. She scoffed and shook her brown locks. Grabbing Chase by the arm, she stalked back down the hall toward her friends.
"Hey guys, I'm gonna go to class with Chase. See you later!" she said to Haley and Nathan, blatantly ignoring Lucas and Peyton.
"See now this," Lucas said, "is why I was nervous about her coming back to school."
Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed her best friend and husband by the arms, walking off toward class, leaving Peyton alone. She sighed, leaning against the locker. Her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket, so she pulled it out to read her text.
From: Jake
Hey Peyt. Just wondering if you've sorted things out yet. Me and Jenny miss you.
Peyton smiled at the phone, sending back a quick text before heading off in the direction that Brooke had dragged Chase. She knew she couldn't have Lucas, and to be honest, she didn't want that anymore. She knew she probably would never repair her friendship with Brooke. But she could start here, with Jake, and with the little family she hadn't had the guts to see through.
It wasn't until lunch time that Lucas saw Brooke once again. "Hey babe," he said nervously, wrapping an arm around her and giving her a light kiss on the cheek.
"Hey," she murmured, nibbling on an apple. Her shortness seemed to be purely out of exhaustion, and not anger. The petty argument from earlier was long forgotten as Lucas took a look at how drawn and pale her face looked.
"You okay?" he asked worriedly. She nodded slowly.
"I just feel a little bit sick."
"I'm gonna take you home," he said, grabbing her bag. "Come on."
"No, Lucas, I'll be fine," she insisted. "Please, don't treat me like glass."
"I'm sorry, I just worry about you," Lucas apologized, sitting beside her. "Can I at least get you something?"
"Some ginger ale from the cafeteria?" she asked sweetly. "And maybe some crackers?"
"You got it, pretty girl," he said, giving her a light kiss before walking off toward the cafeteria. Brooke sighed, putting her face in her hands.
"Hey, Tigger," Haley greeted. "Not feeling well?"
"You could say that," Brooke said with a grimace. "This is already getting old, Tutor Wife."
"I'm sorry, hon," the blonde said to her friend. "Maybe if you're feeling better later, we could go see a movie. Or go shopping. You know, just get you out of the house."
"That would be nice," Brooke smiled. "Really nice."
"Good," Haley grinned. "So, that Chase guy?"
"He's a friend," Brooke explained. "He's one of those Clean Teens. Rachel had some plot to devirginize him before she left."
"How sweet," Haley said wryly. "How are you with that, by the way? Her just up and leaving?"
"I'm okay," Brooke shrugged. "We weren't friends for that long, you know? I mean, I wish she would have at least said goodbye."
"Yeah," Haley said softly, quieting as Peyton approached their table.
"Hey Hales, hey Brooke," Peyton greeted. "Jake and Jenny are coming to visit this Saturday, and I was wondering if you guys would want to come to the Rivercourt, have a little welcome back thing, you know?"
To Haley's surprise, Brooke looked up at her curly haired, former best friend with a smile. "I'd love to. How long are they staying?"
"I'm not sure," Peyton replied, obviously just as surprised as Haley. "He and I are going to see how things go."
Brooke's smile was soft as she looked at the girl she had spent most of her childhood with. "I'm happy for you, Peyton."
"Thank you, Brooke," Peyton said gratefully. "I'll see you around?"
"Yeah, see you," Brooke said, watching her walk away.
"Wow," Haley breathed. "I'm impressed, Miss Davis."
"What?" Brooke asked in confusion.
"You're growing up," Haley said, observing her friend curiously.
"Oh, please. I'm like freaking Peter Pan. Brooke Davis does not grow up," Brooke said cheekily. Lucas returned with a can of gingerale and a small bag of crackers.
"Sorry, I had to convince the lunch lady to get the ginger ale from the kitchen," Lucas explained.
"Thanks gorgeous," Brooke said, giving him a perky kiss.
"You just missed a glimpse at grown up Brooke," Haley teased. Brooke threw a cracker at her friend jokingly.
"Hey Davis, watch it," Nathan joked, sitting beside his wife and slinging an arm around her shoulder casually. He grabbed a piece of the fruit salad she was eating and popped it in his mouth. "And besides, Brooke Davis doesn't grow up."
"See? Told ya so," Brooke said, sticking her tongue out at Haley. "Nate and I promised. Remember that?"
Nathan smiled. "Yeah, we were what, nine?"
"I think we were younger. More like seven. At that stupid country club ball."
"When we snuck off to the sand bunkers on the golf course," Nathan laughed, "and you tried to get me to kiss you."
"Hey, I was seven."
"Nine."
"I didn't realize you guys were that close growing up," Haley commented, looking between her husband and best friend.
"Oh yeah," Brooke said, "we were inseperable. Dan and my dad were golfing buddies. When Nathan started dating Peyton, things kinda changed."
"Don't remind me," Nathan groaned, putting his head on his wife's shoulder. Lucas and Haley exchanged content glances.
"So, did you kiss her?" Haley asked jokingly to her husband.
"Nope," Nathan said proudly. "The one and only guy to reject Brooke Davis."
"Ahem," Lucas said, clearing his throat.
"Don't remind me," Brooke groaned, leaning onto Lucas.
To any outsider, their table looked like any other table of happy, content teenagers hanging out on their lunch break, joking and laughing. But all of them knew there was something else on the surface threatening to break at any moment; they could only hope that that moment was further off than they could see.