Author's note: I want to thank everyone who read and especially those who took time to leave a review. journeyfan4life, AngelOfDeath07, Marissa Davis, coconut16 and my lafonda2977. Love you guys. This is my first fic and any feedback is welcome and appreciated.

I hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

As expected, Nathan's expression changed immediately. He was more furious with his coach than he'd ever been before. Not only had the man called Lucas his brother, which he hated, but he was also giving him his spot on the team. Ok, so it was just one game, but it still infuriated him because he knew, or thought he knew, that Lucas wanted that position because it was his. He wanted everything that was his. His spot. His girlfriend. His life. All right, so Lucas had never actually come out and said he wanted any of those things, but Nathan knew he did. Why else would he have joined the team when he clearly doesn't belong? Why else would he always stare at Peyton with that pathetic longing in his eyes? His blue eyes ice cold, Nathan met Whitey's unfaltering gaze. For a minute he just glared at the old man, unable to believe that he'd actually stoop that low. And for what? To settle a score with his father from nearly two decades ago?

"He's not my brother," Nathan spat out venomously, his eyes darkened with rage. "But whatever, even if he was, it's a dumb ass move to put him in for me."

Whitey held the boy's penetrating stare, unaffected by the show of temper. "I suppose you're entitled to your opinion, but unfortunately for you, it's my team, therefore I make the decisions."

"But why would you do that? We're undefeated."

"And we'll remain as such," Whitey proclaimed confidently.

Nathan couldn't believe it. Was he on crack? "You're kidding, right? Coach, he sucks."

"Again, that's a matter of opinion…"

"Eight points in two games. It's not opinion, it's fact."

"Even so, Lucas isn't alone out there. As you know, there will be four more players on the floor," Whitey reasoned.

"Yeah, but we can't win if they have to play their own positions and carry Lucas too."

"They may not have to. He just may surprise us."

"Surprise us like how? Making five points?" Nathan asked mockingly.

Whitey could see that both Karen and Keith were barely containing their anger and it was just a matter of time before one of them broke. "Scott, not another word out of you. Go get your uniform on and park your ass on that bench," he practically hissed. "Now!" he yelled when Nathan didn't budge.

"Why should I bother? Why should I even stay?" Nathan challenged.

"Because if you leave you'll be suspended for the next two games," Whitey shot back.

Nathan chuckled in disbelief. "Yeah right. We're playing Bear Creek and the Lions. You need me," he replied cockily.

"To win, probably," the coach admitted. "But some things are more important than winning games. So go ahead. Take your chances. Walk out that door and see what happens."

Nathan scowled, knowing Coach Durham meant what he said. He stomped off, mumbling obscenities under his breath.

Whitey just shook his head, trying to calm himself. "See, that there is the result of a Dan Scott upbringing," he said. "Consider yourself lucky, Karen."

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Karen stated proudly. "I'd kick Lucas's ass to Timbucktwo if he were that mouthy."

Whitey and Keith both chuckled.

"I'm sure you would," Whitey said, still laughing.

"I'm surprised you keep a kid like that on your team," Keith finally spoke. "You must be getting soft."

"Nope. Just watch him play sometime; you'll understand why I keep him. Most talented player I've ever coached…even if he does need an attitude adjustment now and then."

The couple couldn't help notice that the old coach spoke of the boy proudly.

"That's no reason to tolerate that kind of behavior," Keith stated firmly.

Whitey looked up sharply. "I'm not going to turn away a kid with as much talent and love for the game as he's got just because his useless parents never bothered to teach him any manners. I've been working with him going on three seasons now. His behavior had been slowly, but surely, improving through that time. It's just started getting real bad again since Luc…" he stopped suddenly.

"Since Lucas joined the team?" Keith questioned.

Whitey nodded solemnly. "It's a damn shame, but it is what it is."

Karen sighed. She knew how badly Lucas had wanted to form a relationship with his brother. If only Nathan felt the same way instead of harboring all this hatred he seemed to feel toward him. It hurt Lucas a lot, Karen knew; yet more than anything, it angered him. It pained her to have her son feel that way. Lucas had never been an angry person. He was generally calm and patient. He'd always been a kind-hearted soul. Now he was always upset and it almost always had to do with that half brother of his­­ ­– whom she now noticed had come out of the locker room, dressed in his Raven's uniform and sat sulking on the bench. Most of the team members flocked over to him immediately, until Whitey yelled at them to get back to warm ups.

Suddenly there was another person standing where Nathan had previously stood. Karen froze when she saw him. She'd known full well that she would run into him when she came to the gym, but still, that knowledge hadn't prepared her for what she saw. He was every bit as handsome as he had been all those years ago.

Dan Scott. Father of Lucas. And Nathan.

Dan noticed both his brother and his ex-girlfriend as well. He had been expecting to see them at some point, since Lucas was on the team now – but at the moment, all he cared about was that his son, Nathan that is, was sitting on the bench, not warming up, which meant he wouldn't be participating in tonight's game. That, Dan thought, could only mean one thing. "Don't tell me he skipped again!" his voice thundered.

"Well hello to you too, Danny," Whitey replied.

"Oh, cut the crap. He skipped?"

"Actually, no."

"Then what did he do? Why are you benching him?"

Whitey didn't care much for Dan, but as the boy's father, he had a right to be informed of such things, so with a deep sigh, he explained to Dan the situation.

Dan was less than pleased. "Oh, that's just great," he scoffed. "So you pull him out so he won't show this other kid up in front of the scout?" he said as more of an accusatory statement than a question.

Whitey took a deep breath. He'd known Dan wouldn't take it well, but he just didn't feel like dealing with him today, or any day for that matter. "Danny, as much as you'd like to think otherwise, Nathan's not the only player on this team with potential. As their coach, I have to look out for each and every one of them."

"Oh really? And what are you doing for Nathan? I understand if you bench him when he skips or he gets in some kind of trouble with school, but the kid did nothing wrong this time and he still gets punished? Nice going. Way to encourage good behavior," Dan said sardonically. "No wonder he's pouting."

'That's not why he's pouting,' Whitey mused silently.

"Nathan, unlike his poor excuse for a father, understands this is not a punishment, but a sacrifice made to help out a fellow teammate," the coach said out loud.

Dan snickered. "Keep telling yourself that. Maybe Nathan's too naïve to realize it's a sacrifice he shouldn't have to make, but you and I both know it really shouldn't be expected of him."

He was absolutely livid and Whitey was getting there too, but Dan didn't care. His son was being benched for what? Being the better player? It didn't make sense to him.

"You know," Dan continued, "Nathan had a chance to beat my scoring average tonight. He was looking forward to it too. So was I."

Whitey snickered. "Really? From what Nathan has told me, it seems you don't think he's capable."

"Oh, I just tell him that to get him motivated. He likes the challenge."

"Whether that's true or not, he's got plenty of time to top that record. He's only a junior, after all, and that's your senior record. He's almost got you beat already," Whitey stated.

"Three points," Dan said proudly. "Against a useless team like the Tigers, he could have gotten it tonight. Or at least brought it close."

Whitey thought about that a moment. He was a little surprised that Nathan had said nothing about this during his outburst. It was true that the boy would have undoubtedly scored many points tonight, thus bringing his average near, or perhaps even above, his father's – but for Damien West, the time was now or possibly never. He didn't know if there would be more scouts coming for him in the future, so he had to take advantage while he could. Besides, Nathan seemed more upset over who would be replacing him than the fact that he wouldn't be playing. Sure, he was disappointed, but he'd only reacted badly after discovering Lucas was to take his place. Whitey chuckled as he considered what Dan's reaction to that would be. He'd probably have an aneurysm.

"Well, like I said, the boy has plenty of time." The coach stuck to his guns.

Dan shook his head. What a waste of time. He turned his attention to his brother. "You got nothing to say, Boozy? Anything to help your nephew out?"

"Any reason why I should?" Keith answered.

"Well let's see, you're already playing Daddy and going all out for one of my offspring, yet you have not even one word of support for the other?"

Keith couldn't believe he'd taken it there. "Well, I guess we're more alike than either of us thought," he replied sourly, taking Karen by the hand and walking away.

"By the way, I've seen Lucas play," Dan scoffed. "Such talent," he added in the same condescending tone.

Karen turned on her heels furiously. "How dare you! My son has as much talent as anyone else, and if your son would just leave him alone, he could prove it."

Dan had nerve to smile. "Well, you know what they say, sweetheart; if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

"Says the master of the art," she countered irately, before storming off to the bleachers.

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Nathan watched the game from the bench in both exasperation and amusement. It was only the middle of the first quarter and the Ravens were trailing by five points. That was the frustrating part. They were losing. Unbelievable. Nathan shook his head, knowing full well that if the coach would put anyone other than Lucas in, the game would be as good as theirs. But instead, they were about to lose their first game of the season, to the worst team to ever play basketball.

Lucas was even more useless than usual tonight. He couldn't even hang on to the damn ball for more than a few seconds. Of course, that was the amusing part too – Lucas humiliating himself in front of everyone. Nathan couldn't help but snicker at that. The funniest part was that he knew exactly what Lucas was doing wrong. There were a few minor problems with the way he moved his feet, his stance. Just the slightest change in his overall technique would make Lucas Scott a worthy opponent – against even Nathan himself. But Nathan wasn't about to tell him any of that. It was much more fun to watch him embarrass himself, even if it did mean losing their first game of the season. Nathan hated losing, but he hated Lucas more. Besides, until Lucas gained some confidence, learned to stop thinking so much, and actually relaxed, no amount of technique was going to help him. But Nathan wasn't going to tell him that either. He watched as Lucas once again lost the ball.

"What a fucking moron," Nathan said to his teammate and friend, Tyler Jenkins, who sat to his right.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Tyler replied. "What the hell was Whitey thinking?"

Nathan shrugged. "I guess he's tired of winning. Either that or he's a gambling man and he bet against us," he replied lightly.

"You think that's what he did?" Tim Smith, who sat to the left of Nathan, asked.

Nathan rolled his eyes at his friend. Tim could be so dense at times. "No. Dude, who bets on a high school basketball game?"

"I would," Tim answered defensively.

"Yeah? Well, if you ever bet against us, I'll have to shoot you with my mom's gun," Nathan said, chuckling.

Tim laughed along with Nathan. "Oh, you mean the one she keeps hidden in the safe, down in the basement, behind the water heater…"

"…on top of the shelving units, concealed by that huge ass plant." Nathan finished for his friend, while nodding his head. "Yeah, that one."

"What did you do? Stumble across it while snooping for your Christmas presents?" Tyler asked for a laugh.

"Hell yeah," Nathan admitted with a grin.

"Plus whenever we need cash there's always a shit-load in there," Tim added.

"And your parents never figured it out?" Tyler asked.

"My dad doesn't know about it, and my mom's not home enough to notice."

"Oh, but when she is home…" A smile slowly formed on Tim's face, as he suddenly zoned out, staring ahead blankly. "Hmmm, now that is one fine piece of…"

"Don't say it," Nathan warned.

"What? She's hot."

"Dude!"

Tim cracked a smile, but the dreamy expression remained.

"Man, stop fantasizing about my mom! That's disgusting!"

"Nate, relax. I'm not."

"Good."

Tim smirked. "I'm fantasizing about Peyton."

"Tim, I swear I'm gonna…" Nathan began in a menacing tone, but Tim burst out laughing before he could finish verbalizing his threat.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Tim reassured his friend, putting his hands up in mock surrender.

Nathan, not at all convinced that Tim was kidding, decided to just let it go.

"Speaking of Peyton, couldn't you have waited until tomorrow to get back together with her?"

"Why?" Nathan asked, confused by Tim's comment. "What's it matter to you?"

"Because now I owe Brooke 50 bucks."

"Me too," Tyler remarked.

Nathan lifted his eyebrows slightly. "What'd you guys do? Bet on if we'd get back together?"

Tyler chuckled. "Not if. When."

"I said tomorrow," Tim stated.

Tyler shrugged. " I said next Monday."

"You guys need to get a life," Nathan said, as he smiled in amusement. "How many people are in on this?"

"The whole team," Tyler informed him. "Except Jagielski, because he couldn't afford it. Fifty dollars is a lot when you have a baby."

"And Pucas, of course. We didn't even bother asking him," Tim added.

"Of course, the cheerleaders were in on it too," Tyler said. "Except Peyton, obviously."

"So now you all owe Brooke fifty dollars?" Nathan mocked.

The two guys nodded, accepting their defeat.

"Well, I guess that shows how much better she knows us."

Tyler nodded. "I guess so, considering she wins every freaking time."

"What?" Nathan asked in bewilderment. "How often do you guys do this?"

"Whenever you two break up," Tyler anwered. "So, every few weeks."

Nathan shook his head. "You guys seriously need to get a life," he repeated, much to his friends' humour.

Turning their attention back to the game, they noticed Lucas miss another basket and couldn't contain their scoffing.

"Remind me again why he's on the team," Tim uttered in disbelief.

Nathan shrugged. "He's Whitey's pet project, I guess."

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Lucas felt like climbing under a rock and never coming out. He'd wanted so badly to do better tonight, but instead he was doing worse. What was going on? What the hell was happening to him? Why couldn't he make a damn shot? He was so frustrated with himself, and it didn't help that Nathan was sitting on the bench, watching his every move, his every mistake, and laughing at him. Could this game just end already?

He was relieved when the coach finally pulled him out in the middle of the second quarter. But his relief was short-lived when he realized he was being replaced by Tyler Jenkins, leaving the space beside Nathan as the only free spot on the bench.

"I think you're on the wrong bench," Nathan taunted snidely, subtly accusing Lucas of playing for the opposing team.

Whereas Lucas would have normally ignored Nathan's jab, this time he shot one right back. "Why aren't you playing tonight? Grades too low?"

Tim quickly jumped in to speak for Nathan, unaware that his friend was semi-impressed that Lucas spoke up to him. " Can't be any lower than your point average."

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After showering, the team gathered in the locker room, at Whitey's request. The coach wanted to hold a short meeting before everyone left.

He started off by praising them on their victory. "It was a slow start, but you picked it up in the second half, like a true team." He went on to congratulate Damien for impressing the scout, causing loud cheering among the team. Whitey then discussed details regarding upcoming practices and games. "Now everybody go home, stay out of trouble, and I'll see you all on Thursday," he dismissed when he was done.

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Keith and Karen were having a casual conversation about dinner, when Karen spotted Lucas coming out of the locker room. She could see on his face that he was still upset about how poorly he had played tonight. She had also noticed him sitting beside Nathan earlier, and wondered if there had been an altercation between the two of them.

"Hey, Kiddo. How are you feeling?" Karen asked sympathetically.

Lucas shrugged in response. He didn't have to say anything; his eyes said it all.

"You'll get'em next time," Karen said, as she put a comforting arm around Lucas's shoulder.

"Thanks, Ma," Lucas responded half-heartedly.

"Come on Luke, let's go home," Keith proposed. "I'm cooking tonight - your favourite, Tuna casserole."

Lucas gave a small smile. "It's not really my favourite. It's just the only thing you don't burn."

Keith gave him a playful punch on the arm. "And all this time you had me fooled."

As they headed toward the parking lot, they overheard Nathan and Dan in the middle of a heated dispute.

"You should've told Whitey you wanted to play." Dan stated firmly.

"I did."

"Then you should have made him put you in."

"He's the coach, Dad. What was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to stand up for yourself and put Whitey in his place. You shouldn't be sucking up to him. You're this team's star player; let him suck up to you."

" Whatever, let's just go."

"Nathan, I'm serious."

"I know, Dad, but Damien was being scouted so…"

Dan grabbed his son by the upper-arm, and turned him around, forcing eye contact. "Listen to me, son. This is not a time to be weak. Don't worry about whose toes you step on, or whose feelings you might hurt. To get what you want in life you have to be ruthless. You can't just let people walk all over you."

Nathan shrugged out of his father's grasp, got in the passenger's side of the car, slamming the door shut. His father's lecture, as Nathan knew it would, only resumed on the ride home.

After hearing Nathan and Dan's disagreement, Lucas was stunned. He couldn't believe what Nathan's dad, their dad, had said. As if his brother wasn't enough of an ass without someone telling him to be even more ruthless.

Karen felt much the same, but yet wondered also what had happened to that sweet boy she'd known in high school. 'Well, I guess we know where Nathan gets his attitude from', she thought to herself.

Only Keith spoke. "That's some fatherly advice, isn't it?" he said in disgust, as the three entered their vehicle.