"Where's Tutor Girl?" Brooke asked, flinging her pompoms into the backseat. "Am I not giving her a ride home too?"
Peyton raised an eye brow. "Umm, Brooke? There's a reason you call her Tutor Girl. She had an emergency tutoring session after practice... She told you at lunch!"
"Oh." She blinked, sliding behind the wheel. "Umm, right. I guess I forgot..."
"Brooke? Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Peyton."
She wasn't fine, she was far from it. She had been lying to her friends all week about her odd behavior, missing out on important conversations, daydreaming when she was supposed to be paying attention in class.
She couldn't get Julian Baker off of her mind. Nathan would have killed her if he knew what she was thinking.
"Brooke! Look out!"
Brooke slammed on the brakes, her eyes widening as Julian jumped away from her car. He blinked, looking surprised.
"Nice driving, Davis." Peyton joked, slapping her arm. "Come on. Let's get going before you try and kill anyone else."
"Are you okay?" She demanded, putting the car into park. "Julian... I am so sorry... What are you doing here so late?"
"Trying to avoid riding home underneath your bumper?" Julian retorted, pulling out his headphones. "Your friend is right. Really nice driving, Davis."
Peyton snorted, earning a glare and an elbow jab from her best friend. He chuckled and readjusted the strap of his backpack against his shoulder.
"I had a Mathlete's meeting." Julian admitted. "What's your excuse?"
"Umm..." Brooke glanced at the pompoms in her backseat. "Do you really have to ask?"
Peyton smacked her arm again, impatient as ever. She knew that Nathan was always the last one in the locker room, and if he caught Brooke around Julian again...
"B. Davis!"
"P. Sawyer!" She mimicked. "Just wait a second, alright? Hey, Julian. Do you want a ride? I've got plenty of room."
He hesitated, remembering Nathan's threat all too well. "Umm... I don't know if I..."
"Are you seeing something that I don't see?" Brooke raised an eye brow, glancing around the quad. "Like a judgmental Scott Brother, or something?"
Julian chuckled nervously.
"Just get in." Peyton muttered, jerking her thumb towards the backseat. "She won't shut up until she gets her way-"
She earned another smack from her best friend, the two girls erupted in giggles. She thrust the driver's seat forward so he could slide in behind her. He did so, less gracefully than he would have liked.
"I'll drop Curly off first." She offered, glancing back at him. She re-buckled her seat belt and started the car. "And then I'll take you home."
Peyton looked around nervously, she was sure that one of the guys would come flying out of the gym, ready to stop them. They were doing a dangerous thing, but that was Brooke. She was fearless, she wasn't scared of Nathan Scott.
Julian remained quiet as Brooke and Peyton talk about things he would never understand, he listened to the two girls laugh and joke around with each other. More than once, the brunet would glance over at her blonde best friend, and smile.
"I love you." Brooke muttered, pulling her into a hug. "Call me if you need anything. Okay, P. Sawyer?"
"Okay." Peyton laughed. "I love you too, B. Davis. I'll see you tomorrow."
He waited until she got inside before sliding into the front seat beside Brooke. "You guys are pretty protective of her, huh?"
Brooke raised an eye brow. "There you go again, making assumptions about things you wouldn't understand."
Julian began to stammer out an apology, his eyes widening. He always came across as judgmental, but he never meant to be.
"Brooke..." He held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't... I... I'm sorry..."
Much to his surprise, she burst out laughing.
"Jeez." Brooke muttered, pulling out of Peyton's driveway. "Relax, Baker Boy. I was just messing with you. Man, Nate's really done a number on you, hasn't he?"
Nathan. Julian thought. It Nathan Scott caught Brooke hanging around him again, he was done for.
"Look." She said. "The thing about Peyton, it's really hard for her to let her guard down, but when she does, she's got this amazing heart.,, I guess we are a little overprotective of her, but it's only because we love her."
Julian managed a smile. It must have been nice to have a group of friends that would kill for you.
They drove in silence for a few moments, only speaking when Brooke needed a set of directions to get to his new house. He leaned back in his seat, watching the world go by.
Maybe Tree Hill wasn't so bad after all.
"Hey, Brooke?" Julian asked as she pulled into the driveway.
"Yeah?"
He hesitated, searching for the right words. He didn't want to sound mushy around a girl he'd just met, but he couldn't help it. Brooke Davis brought out the softer side of him.
"I'm sorry I judged you." Julian began, staring down at his hands. "I guess at first, I only saw you in the shadow of the Scott Brothers. I know, I don't know them like you do, and I probably never will, you are different. You, Brooke Davis, are so beautiful, and so down to earth, I don't think it's fair that a person like Nathan gets to have a friend like you."
Slowly, Brooke turned to look him in the eye. He saw the blush creep across her cheeks, and he smiled.
"Nate isn't a bad person." She muttered. "I've known him for a long time. Yes, he has his moments, and yeah, sometimes he can go a little overboard, but he's a good friend to me, his brother, and the girls... You really think I'm different?"
He began to laugh. "You just got that? Yes, Brooke, you are different, and I think you're amazing. Don't ever forget that, alright? You, Brooke Davis, are amazing."
Brooke's cheeks were rosy now, and she ducked her head before he could notice. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Julian nodded, climbing out of her car and jogging to the front door. He paused to smile at her before disappearing inside. She sat there for a few seconds, stunned.
Nathan and Lucas had called her beautiful before, but that was in a brotherly way. From Julian, it meant something totally different. She was falling for him, hard. She was falling for a forbidden boy, one her friends had told her to stay away from.
She was in trouble.
Gahhh! Guys, I am sooo sorry, I've had a horrible case of writer's block, but hopefully that's over now. Thanks for reading! XOXO