Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, any of the characters, storylines, or actors. I would love to keep Sophia for myself though. Lol. I also do not own the song Right Here by Staind which inspired this story title.

A/N: This is my first fiction so go easy on me, but I would like to know your honest opinion and tell me if I should keep writing. This of course will be a Brooke/Lucas story but if I go on will also include Nathan/Haley and maybe Jake/Peyton if I decide he comes back. Keep in mind I do love myself some Jake. First part is in Lucas's point of view. I hope to have each character's thoughts later on.

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Right Here

Prologue

Lucas's POV

Today was the day Tree Hill will be changed forever. Nothing will ever be the same again. In this small North Carolina town it is a dark day. Two funerals are set within hours of each other. No one had ever thought something like this could happen here. That's what everyone has been saying since last week when my friend, well someone who used to be my friend, came to school with a gun. Jimmy Edwards wounded Peyton and killed Keith.

I can't help but think I am to blame. I didn't shoot the gun, but I might as well have. I ignored a kid I had grown up with and left him alone to become scared and lonely. What had happened to me? When did I become this person who just leaves others behind and only think of myself. When did I become this person I hate? The guys at the Rivercourt and I had always made fun of people like that. The popular kids. People like who I thought Nathan, Brooke, and Peyton were. And know I am one of them. That makes me question how it was I took Mouth along for the ride but not Jimmy. Had I started playing God that I could decide only the rest of the guys were good enough?

It's my fault Keith is dead. Poor Keith. He wanted nothing more than to get out from under Dan's control and hatred. All he had wanted was happiness for him and the ones he loved. That would be my mom and I. Just as he had finally gotten everything he wanted and that was important to him it was stolen. Keith and my mom were going to get married and we were going to be the family I always wanted. I was finally going to have not just a dead beat father, but a real dad. And there I go being selfish yet again.

I look over to see my mom sitting in the pew next to me. Her eyes are red and puffy, which made sense since she has been crying non-stop since we got the news. She's just starting straight ahead at Keith inside the coffin. I realize all her dreams are gone as well. I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now. Every man she has ever loved has left her. First Dan, then Andy, and now Keith. Keith was always the one she could count on; we both could. He had loved her even when she couldn't see it or was too afraid to face it. Then finally the day had come when she admitted she loved him back. Keith had been taken for granted his whole life and was never appreciated till it was too late. I listened to the minister say how Keith was so important to everyone in this town and loved by many and it made me sick. None of these people knew Keith. They were strangers or just people he passed in the street. My mom and I were all he had. Again all I could think was poor Keith, not poor Luke.

I still can't comprehend this is real. Keith was so full of life. To see him so still and pale sent shivers down my spine. At this moment, my mom squeezed my hand so hard that I started to loose feeling. It wasn't a bad thing. Hell that's all I wanted right now; to be numb. So far it was working because I don't know what to feel. So I did the only thing I know how to do, and squeezed it back just as hard.

All of a sudden I felt a firm grasp on my other hand and I remembered that Brooke was there. She was right by my side like she had always been. I had put her through so much shit this past year and here she was in my darkest hour never letting go of my hand once. I realize Keith isn't the only one I had neglected and not appreciated. How come I couldn't see how special Brooke was before? She had always been the same wonderful and caring person but I was blind to it. I was too caught up in an obsession with Peyton, something that was really only a crush, to see that the perfect love was standing right before me. But like I told her before she left last summer, I am never going to let her go again.

I looked into her tear filled eyes. The same eyes that I had gotten lost in so many times before and waited to see if they would take me away again. Away from anything that was real except her and me. It almost happened but I heard the organ music and was jolted out of this safe place. She noticed this sudden change in me and began rubbing my back with her other hand. I held her hand tight and gave a slight smile.

I could see she was holding back those tears for me. Since I had yet to cry, she didn't want to seem weak in my eyes. Little does she know, I think she is the strongest person I have ever met. So if she is so strong and can show some emotion, why can't I? Does Keith not deserve my grief? He had wanted to give me everything and in return I can't give him anything. I am so ashamed of myself. For someone that has been made fun of his whole life for being sensitive, I am showing none of that now.

I begin to remember what Peyton told me. This is normal the first time you loose someone. That you are in such shock that neither your body nor mind can believe it. Then you just shut down and can't handle any type of emotion. That your heart is so empty and yet so full of void at the same time. I told her I didn't want to be normal. This is not the person I want to be because Keith was worth so much more. She then went on to say I shouldn't worry and that one of these days I will process what has happened. And when that day comes I won't be able to stop the tears. Great. Something to look forward too. She did say there was one condition though. Something I had yet to embrace. Even if it was only one person, I had to let someone in. I decided the only option had to be Peyton.

My mom is going through her own turmoil right now and it isn't fair to lay anything on her. I know she would understand and be great because I am her boy, but it would really only upset her more. I have to be her rock to count on so she won't fall apart. My best friend Haley is consumed in her own pain in loosing Keith. He had become like a surrogate father to her over the years. She also had Nathan to take care of, which ruled him out as well.

Nathan will never admit it to me but he felt bad about never really knowing Keith or spending any real time with him. Dan had kept him so far that he never got a chance to know a genuine man. He was only given a glimpse of his generousity when Keith gave him a job and helped him buy a car. If only he knew then that was all he would ever get. If only he had fully cared at the time. For a moment I felt sorry for Nathan instead of myself. And no matter how awful I knew it was, it made me feel a little better. I liked knowing I am not the only one in pain.

Then there is Brooke. She is someone I love with all my heart and trust with my life, yet I haven't been able to open up to her. She has exposed so many of her secrets and I have shared none of mine. But I don't want her to have to worry about me. I am afraid with all the problems we have had in the past it would be too much for her to handle. I can't loose her now. I can't loose her ever. So I keep her at a distance. The sad thing is I know how supportive she is and that she would be here for me, but I don't want to hear how it's going to be alright. It's not alright and will never be again.

That's why I went to Peyton. She's good with loss and pain. She's got more issues that Sports Illustrated. She's lost two mothers, her father is never around, and the love of her life is gone. I'm not quite sure who the last one is at the moment so I won't dwell on that. I am thinking about our conversation yesterday in the hospital. It helped and confused me so much at the same time. It went a little something like this……