I'm not ready to make nice

I'm not ready to back down

"If you're not up in the next five minutes, I'm leaving with out you," her redhead sister orders simply.

The weekend has passed, yet Brooke is still in some state of depression. Her sister, of course, failed to notice what or why Brooke's mood seemingly went from normal to bitch in a trip to the kitchen, but it did.

If she wants to be honest, she doesn't really care to find out.

"I don't feel good," Brooke lies.

Well, in a way it is true. Since her encounter with Lucas just a few mornings ago, she hasn't been able to shake away this consuming feeling of just sadness.

She's not sure why, because she doesn't really like Lucas that much. She figures it must be because her sister/supposed best friend doesn't seem to care or notice.

It's probably that.

"Whatever," Rachel mumbles, clearly unimpressed with her sister's attitude.

But what place does she hold to judge, Brooke wonders. Just last year, Rachel skipped every other day of school.

The door slams, and Brooke lets out a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

Cradling herself in bed, she makes no effort to get up. It's not like she has any friends that she can coax to skip class and come over. All of those friends were left behind in a town that she desperately misses.

And now she thinks back to her curly headed best friend. The complete opposite of the firecracker brunette.

She hasn't thought about Peyton much since the move, which is odd, because she'd always been the best friend after Rachel.

She thinks about maybe calling her, but it's much too early in California and there's really no point in embarrassing herself by having Peyton offer her pity.

So before another thought of her old life can come forth, she pops one of her sleeping pills and prays that it'll work.

-X-

He patiently sits on his neat desk, watching the door with a great deal of anticipation.

The last bell rang three minutes ago, yet the brunette girl that's been haunting his thoughts is nowhere to be seen.

He knows that the car shared by the sisters is in the parking lot – he made sure to park by it when he arrived at school.

So where's Brooke?

She can't be avoiding him, right?

What he did wasn't that wrong, right?

He quite literally shakes his head in disgust when he realizes all the ridiculous things he's thinking. What the hell does he care? That's right, he doesn't.

He doesn't care if Brooke Davis is in school. He doesn't care if Brooke Davis is skipping class because of him. He doesn't care if Brooke Davis is possibly crying – Damn, get a hold of yourself, he thinks.

It's ridiculous to think that such a vixen can capture someone the way she has him, but somehow, she has.

If he really thinks about it, Brooke is the girl he's always thought to be perfect.

She's sexy, stunning, beautiful, smart, funny, mysterious, complex, stubborn, frustrating, sweet, caring... shit.

He really needs to see Brooke Davis.

-X-

And how in the world can the words that I said

Send somebody so over the edge

She hears the doorbell ring, but doesn't even entertain the thought of answering it. It's probably some package for one of her parents, and if it was that important, they'd be home to receive it.

Like she predicted, the chiming of the door stops, and she's finally back to focusing on the task of sleep.

She's onto her second pill now, but signs of results don't seem to be coming.

With one frustrated groan, she throws the small bottle across the room, cringing slightly when the contents of the container scatter across the hardwood floor.

"I'm not helping you pick those up," that familiar voice that sends chills down her spine smirks from somewhere behind her.

"Rachel's at the school," she mumbles in her monotone voice once her heart begins to beat more regularly.

"That's good to hear, but I'm not here for Rachel," his voice says simply, yet he somehow manages to catch her attention like he always seems to do.

"Oh?" she asks with as much un-interest that her very interested self can muster.

"Why didn't you go to school?"

"Because I don't feel well."

"I think you're lying."

"Oh, I think I'm not," Brooke says very defiantly, her bottom lip pouting in that way of hers, and it's not until there's a pause, that she realizes that they are now inches away from each other.

"Look, I'm sorry for the other day," he says after letting out a tired breath.

"I have no clue as to what you could be talking about."

"Come on, Brooke," Lucas moans in exasperation. "I saw that look on your face when you realized it was me," he pointedly explains.

"Lucas, stop."

"If you don't want me and Rachel to date, just tell me now," he almost whispers, surprising himself with the ultimatum he's presented. "If it hurts you, just let me-"

"Stop!" she half wails, not able to listen to any more of this. "You need to leave."

"But, Brooke-"

"Leave," she commands with such hostility in her voice that he does not try to fight her.

He shouldn't have come – no girl is worth it, no girl including Brooke Davis.

Or so he tries to believe.

-X-

It's the next day now, and Brooke knows that skipping school again would only further prove what Lucas thinks, so that's why she finds herself walking into the classroom that she shares with the asshole.

"I'm glad you're feeling better today," Lucas hisses with dry sarcasm towards the tired brunette.

"And here I thought you'd be mature enough to not say anything," she retorts, her infamous roll of the eyes added just because.

"Scott, Davis," their older teacher scolds from the front of the class, causing Brooke to throw her innocent yet seductive smile at the heart attack prone man.

"As I was saying," the hoarse voiced man continues. "You will all be put into partners, and work together for a week on an eight page argumentative essay on any controversial issue that our society is currently facing," he explains, igniting a few groans from the room.

"Can we pick our partners?" the timid voice of a girl called Haley asks from the seat behind her.

"I was just getting there, Ms. James," their lovely teacher barks back, and Brooke can already picture she shy girl burying herself into her seat. "You will all be working with your shoulder partners."

"What?" both Brooke and Lucas yelp at the same time, causing their teacher to raise his bushy brows toward them.

"Oh, don't act so upset, you two can't seem to get enough of each other!"

-X-

It's too late to make it right

I probably wouldn't if I could

"So what'd you tell Rachel?" the blonde eyed boy asks once the silence becomes unbearable.

"The truth."

"You told her you'd be spending the afternoons with me?" he asks in amazed shock, wondering how any of this would sit well with Rachel.

"Well," the dimpled girl drawls out, her expression that of guilt. "I told her I was working with that girl, Haley."

"Nice," Lucas smirks, relishing in the idea that he can spend time with Brooke with out causing drama.

Or so he thinks.

"I'll tell her eventually," Brooke says quickly, realizing that she probably seems scared and weak by not telling her sister the truth.

"I'm sure," Lucas agrees with sarcasm.

"I will!" Brooke whines, thumping her foot on the carpeted interior of his truck.

She can't help that her childish temper comes out sometimes, really.

"You do whatever you want, Brooke. It doesn't matter to me."

His words cause her brow to raise in that way of his. Her next words making him wish that he could take them back. "Well, if you like her so much, it should matter."

"It does, I just meant-"

"Lucas, what are you trying to play?" Her voice is serious and the rasp that she has makes her sound ten years older than she is.

"I'm not playing games," he tries to say seriously, but he's not fooling the smart brunette.

"Listen, whatever you're trying to do won't work, and if that involves my sister, you better stop," she says defensibly, because as much as Rachel upsets her, she loves the red head more than anything.

Silence fills the car at her words, except for the familiar chorus of a song that's too faint to properly hear.

"We're here," he murmurs when the song ends and does his engine.

She nods her heard, unbuckling her seat belt seconds later.

Her door clicks open, and the warm touch of his hand wraps around her elbow as he helps her out of the truck.

She wants to push him away when he locks arms with hers, but she doesn't.

Maybe because she doesn't know how to get to his front door.

Or maybe just because she likes the way it feels.

Surely, it can't be the latter.

They go up four steps, and pretty quickly a door is being opened and warm air is enveloping her cold body.

He unwillingly let's go of her hand, and she can tell that there was hesitation by the way he sort of lingered, but she shakes the thought away.

"Ma, I'm home!" His voice echoes through the large house, and for a few seconds there's no response, but then the hurried steps are heard down the stairs.

"Don't you have practice today?" the voice of a woman asks from a few feet away. "Oh, hello!" she laughs a silly laugh, which makes Brooke smile.

"Hi," Brooke nods, reaching her hand in the direction of the voice.

She's greeted with a quick squeeze.

"I'm Lucas's mom, Karen," the young woman introduces, taking in Brooke's stunning beauty as she does. "I don't think I've met you."

"No." Brooke smiles. "I'm new in town."

"Is that so?" Karen asks, genuinely interested to learn more. "Where did you live before Tree Hill?"

"California," Brooke replies, almost sadly.

"Wow, that's quite the change," Karen says, Brooke nodding along in agreement.

"Maybe we should get to work before you girls talk the day away," Lucas harps in, causing both women to roll their eyes.

"And just a few years ago you didn't like girls," Karen says laughing, causing Brooke to do so too.

"Ma," Lucas groans, not exactly a fan of his mom right in that second.

"We're just studying," Brooke assures, a very serious look on her face.

"Well, alright, I'll bake you guys some brownies," Karen laughs, taking Brooke's words as her cue to leave.

"Thanks, Ma."

-X-

"Gay marriage."

"Abortion."

"Gay marriage."

"Abortion!"

"Come on, Brooke!" Lucas finally gives in, after almost ten minutes of bickering.

"I could say the same to you," Brooke hisses, throwing her body onto his bed in desperation.

He takes a second to admire how sexy she looks laying there. Her dark hair is fanning around her in an almost messy way, and a slit of her toned stomach is clearly visible when her sweater rides up.

"This is my house, so I get to pick."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Brooke scorns, throwing her body back up from the bed as her pointer finger moves back and fourths. "That is so unfair!"

He's about to fight back when the ring-tone of his cellphone interrupts. The caller ID says "Rachel", and he almost freezes because he fears that she'll somehow know that him and Brooke are together.

He finally presses ignore, but his slow response has now caused Brooke's face to fall.

"Who was that?" Brooke asks slowly, even though she already knows.

"Rachel."

"I think you should take me home."

"But, Brooke-"

"No, Lucas," she says sharply, her cold voice cutting him off. "This was a dumb idea, I can't lie to her. I'll talk to Mr. Case tomorrow and I'm sure he'll let us get new partners."

"Okay," he says dumbly for the second time since he's known her.

What is about her that causes him to agree to things that he really doesn't agree with?

-X-

The ride home is a silent one. Luckily, Rachel isn't home, so she does not see Lucas drop Brooke off. Brooke takes this as divine providence or something, so she thinks that she won't tell her sister. After all, it would only benefit her more to not know.

She's in her bed now, the covers pulled up to her chin, just like when she was a little girl. It's not so cold in her room, but somehow her body feels frigid.

She also feels sick to her stomach, because a new realization has come – she feels lonely when she's not around that scum bag, Lucas Scott.

-X-

Author's Note: Last night, an adult that I am very, very close to was arrested on a very serious and heartbreaking charge. Will not update any more of my stories until I can get my mind past how I feel right now. Your prayers for him and the alleged victim are greatly appreciated. Thank you.