Never Let Me Go

Chapter Seven: One of Those Girls

"She's one of those girls, they're nothing but trouble. Just one look and now you're seeing double. Before you know it she'll be gone, off the the next one."

Lucas was sat on the couch watching the end of a basketball game that was currently on the television, when Brooke came in and switched it off, causing Lucas' face to twist into a look of shock and disappointment. "I was watch-" Lucas began, but was cut off by Brooke straddling his waist in a pair of denim shorts and an extremely revealing vest top.

"You were what?" Brooke questioned him teasingly, biting her pink lips with her dazzlingly white teeth. A couple of 'ums' and 'ahs' were all Lucas could squeeze through his lips, that were painfully close to Brooke's breasts. "That's what I thought." She stated, almost arrogantly. "So, I was thinking we could pick up where we left off this morning." Brooke suggested, about to crash her lips into Lucas'.

"Actually, I can't tonight. I have a date that I need to get ready for." He told her, lightly pressing against her shoulders with his hands, issuing for her to remove herself from his lap.

Brooke softly collapsed next to him on the couch and cocked an eyebrow with interest. "Oh, finally playing the field are we? Who's the girl?"

"The 'girl' is Rachel Gatina." Lucas informed her, quickly looking up to check her reaction, which was, at first, slight shock, but she immediately shrugged it off as if it were nothing, wishing him the best of luck on his date.

"So, where are you taking her?" Brooke asked, a hint of anger in her raspy voice.

"Just to the cafe." Lucas replied.

"Oh my goodness, what a coincidence! That's where Koby and I are going for our date tonight! See you there, buddy." Brooke informed him, the anger still evident in her voice, before storming off to her room and getting ready for her date. All Lucas could do was watch her go, and sigh deeply hoping that Haley's advice was the right thing to do.

****

Brooke and Koby pulled up outside the locally famous Karen's Cafe. When they entered, Rachel and Lucas were already seated, laughing together, and just seemingly having a nice time. Brooke was most definitely not allowing that to happen. She refused to think of it as jealousy. She didn't like Lucas like that, well that's what she told herself on a regular basis. It was more of a problem with Rachel than anything. Truth be told, Rachel was undoubtedly a bitch, everyone was aware of that, and Brooke assured herself that that was the reason she couldn't allow Lucas to date her.

"Put your arm around me." Brooke snapped at Koby, making him jump out of his daydream.

"Huh?" Koby replied in a daze.

"I said, put your arm around me, you dumbass." Brooke ordered him, once again.

Koby furrowed his eyebrows at her, but followed her commands. He didn't particularly like being bossed around, but he figured that was the price he would have to pay in order to date the hottest girl in school, not to mention the head cheerleader, Brooke Davis.

Lucas shot a look in Koby and Brooke's direction. Brooke responded to Lucas' gaze by closing the already tight gap between herself and her date and kissing him lightly along his jawline. Koby started to respond to her kisses, by attempting to go for a full blown make out session. Brooke quickly darted away from his lips, suggesting that they save that for later.

Brooke chose one of the comfy couches around the cafe for her and Koby to reside on, it was also 'coincidentally' the one the gave them the best view of Lucas and Rachel. Occasionally, Lucas would look up from his conversation to glance at the couple planted on the sofa, but they were pretty much just continuously heavily flirting or cuddling as though they were in a relationship. Rachel caught on to Lucas' gazes and followed the trail back to the pair of brunettes on the couch.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Rachel suggested, eagerly. Lucas, just wanting to get out of there before he lost it and broke Koby's jaw, agreed and followed her out of the cafe.

"I know the perfect place." Lucas assured her, and she followed him all the way to the infamous River Court. Lucas retrieved an abandoned basketball from underneath one of the picnic benches and tossed it to Rachel, who caught it, inches from her face.

"Wow, do you bring all your dates here?" Rachel scowled, but the light tone in her voice made Lucas aware that she was just teasing.

"Well, I was thinking I could teach you to perfect the free throw."

Rachel glanced at him, a sparkle in her eyes. Without saying anything, she walked to the free throw line and threw the ball into the air, perfectly positioning her hands and body, sending the ball straight into the hoop. "You were saying?" She said cockily.

"So much for that idea then." Lucas chuckled lazily, honestly not expecting her to be that good.

"I have a better idea." Rachel informed him. "Take your shirt off." Lucas was taken back by her words. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna take advantage of you... yet." She smirked at him, as he reluctantly removed his black t-shirt. Rachel took it out of his hands and tied it around his head, ensuring that it covered his eyes. She placed the basketball into his hands and positioned him on the free throw line. "If you make this shot, I guess you can call it fate, destiny or whatever, but then I'll believe that you and Brooke are meant to be together."

"I really don't understand." Lucas added on.

"Lucas, I am not blind. Number one: she totally made out with you in front of the whole school yesterday because she was jealous of me flirting with you. Number two: you kissed her back. Number three: you kept staring at her this entire night. Number four: she was obviously using that kid to make you jealous and number five: you did get jealous." Rachel told him, knowingly.

Lucas let out a brief sigh. "You got me." He raised one hand up in defeat, the other still clutching the basketball. "Rachel, I'm in love with that girl. I cheated on her before, and now we're close again, in fact, we're pretty much friends with benefits. Although, she calls it 'non-exclusive dating' but I only do it so I can have some essence of being with her, y'know. To be honest, the only reason I'm on this date is because I thought it might help me get my mind off her, as well as the fact that she wanted me to 'play the field.'"

"Then, I go back to what I said before. Make the shot, and you two are destined to be together." Rachel persisted. Hesitantly, Lucas tossed the ball at the hoop, removing his blindfold immediately to check the results. He removed it just in time to see the ball sail through the hoop, rattling the chains beneath it. "Good job. I guess you two are meant to be after all." Rachel admitted. "Good luck, Lucas."

Rachel was just strutting away from the River Court, when Lucas stopped her in her tracks. "Rachel" he began reluctantly. "Will you help me try and get Brooke back?"

"Why, I thought you were never going to ask!" Rachel laughed, and rejoined Lucas, a smirk on her face.

****

Lucas came through the door at 12:26am. Brooke was sat on the couch waiting. "Oh my god, where have you been? I was worried." Brooke interrogated him.

"At the River Court with Rachel." He replied bluntly.

"Oh, I get it. She's turned you into a bitch now too?" Brooke put her hands and her hips and smirked sarcastically at him. "Great. Just what we need: two Rachels!" Brooke turned away, but was pulled back around by Lucas.

"So, what were you saying about round 2 before we left?" Lucas said seductively, but just as he said it, Koby walked out of Brooke's room, wearing nothing but a pair of Calvin Klein boxers.

"Oh, Koby, I thought you were sleeping." Brooke stuttered out, seeing Lucas' expression turn from sensual to extreme anger in only a couple of seconds.

"I'll leave you guys to it." Lucas raised his voice and stormed out of the house, leaving Brooke stood there speechless.