2003 ― Tree Hill, North Carolina

"Lucas. Lucas? What hurts the most?" Brianna Davis asked when she walked inside her best friend's bedroom. He had been released from the hospital, and Brianna came to see how he was doing. She was glad he was lying in bed and resting.

"All of it." He said as she sat down on his bed.

"So, you broke up with Brooke to be with Peyton?" Brianna asked.

"Did she tell you?" Lucas asked.

"Was that a serious question?" Brianna asked back and Luke sighed.

"You think it's wrong," Lucas said.

"I think many things, Lucas... and as much as I hate that you and Peyton hurt my sister, I can't control either of your actions. At least Brooke knows the truth now." Brianna said. That wasn't entirely true. Lucas didn't tell her the reason he wanted to break up was that he wanted to be with Peyton, but it was because he needed to rediscover himself after having this accident. He used the accident as a scapegoat to not be fully honest about cheating.

"You know, Bree. You should curl your hair more often, it suits you." Lucas said. Brianna grabbed one of her curly strands of hair and twirled it around her finger as she smiled.

"Thank you... by the way, you're lucky you didn't die because if you did, I would've killed you," Brianna said and Lucas laughed.

"I love you too." He said. Then his eyes shifted to look behind Brianna as his door opened and someone walked in. "Peyton?" He asked. Brianna turned around and saw her blonde best friend and she stood up from Lucas' bed.

"I am going to go anywhere else but here."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Haley and Brianna went to the mall together after school and Peyton met them there. The three of them were walking around until Brianna noticed that Peyton stopped walking. Brianna had filled Haley in on the gaps that Lucas didn't fill about the whole Brooke/Peyton situation. Haley was also disappointed in Luke for cheating, but like Brianna, she knew it wasn't her place to judge.

"Peyton, what's the matter?" Haley asked. Peyton didn't say anything, but when Brianna looked up, she saw Brooke sitting by herself. Brooke looked up when she heard Haley's voice and then she saw the three of them.

"Peyton? I looked all over for you. You didn't get my messages?" Brooke asked.

"Really? Oh, no. My phone's been whacked out all day. Are you okay?" Peyton asked. Brianna tried not to make a face but she knew Peyton was lying because she knew Peyton had been with Lucas. Brianna walked over to the bench and sat down next to her sister.

"Not really, no. I said I wasn't going to do this and I said that it wasn't worth it, but it is. Lucas broke up with me." Brooke said as she started crying. Brianna frowned and wrapped her arms around her sister. Brooke leaned into Brianna as she cried and Brianna laid her head on top of Brooke's and gently ran her fingers through Brooke's hair.

"I'm sorry," Peyton said.

"I was looking forward to getting a chance to show him how much he means to me and he said he just wants to be friends. And every idiot knows that's just code for 'go away.' I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Brooke said.

"Look, if Lucas said he wants to be friends, I'm sure he means it," Peyton said. Brooke sniffled as she lifted her head from her sister's shoulder and she looked at her.

"How do you two do that with Lucas?" Brooke asked. She turned to Haley as well since she was also best friends with Lucas.

"You just sort of do everything that you've been doing," Haley said.

"Yeah... just without the sexual and romantic stuff," Brianna added in. Brooke groaned and if she wasn't so sad, Brianna probably would've laughed because she knows how much Brooke loves sex. Brooke sighed before she spoke.

"There's a first time for everything, right?"

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Nathan came to the Davis house when Brianna got back from the mall. The two of them were sitting on her bed and Nathan examined his girlfriend. "Wait a minute, is this... a new outfit? And you curled your hair." He said and Brianna smiled.

"He noticed. Yes, all of these things are true. It's all part of the new me. Do you like?" Brianna asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, but what's wrong with the old you?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought I'd branch out into some new things." Brianna said as she shrugged her shoulders. Nathan smiled at her and she smiled back, she loved when Nathan smiled or looked at her. She felt so loved, even if they hadn't officially said those words yet.

"This could be good, like what?" He asked. Brianna shrugged.

"I don't know. There's a lot of stuff I've wanted to try that I never have." She said.

"Like fooling around with me." Nathan teased with a smirk. Brianna playfully rolled her eyes and gently slapped his arm, making him laugh.

"No, you idiot. Something like snowboarding." Brianna said.

"Okay, well, I can teach you how to do that too," Nathan said.

"Really? Awesome." Brianna said.

"What else?" He asked.

"Theatre. I really love plays and musicals. I've done them throughout elementary and middle school. I also the piano, I've practiced for years... and I write sheet music and songs. Sometimes, I've written the music for the plays I've been in," Brianna said as if it wasn't a big deal, but Nathan's eyes widened.

"You act, play the piano, and write sheet music? If you can sing, you'd be a triple threat," He said. Brianna started blushing a bit as she looked down. She's always been into music and the theatre, she couldn't sing that well, but she took piano lessons as a child and discovered she was very talented and she loved to play. She developed her love of writing sheet music when she wanted more complex songs to play on the piano. She figured, why not write her own and write something complex for her to play?

Her eldest sister Stephanie heard her one day and asked her what song she was playing, and Brianna said it was random notes and sheet music she wrote because she was trying to challenge herself by writing a more complex medley and that's when Stephanie encouraged Brianna to continue writing sheet music and even offered for her to get a mentor so she could hone her craft. Brianna's been in love with music ever since.

She'd been obsessed with theatre ever since she saw The Phantom of the Opera. Since then, she's used the generous allowance her parents give her to go to New York and see Broadway plays. Of course, Stephanie always accompanied her because she was a minor and Stephanie was an adult, but Brianna's goal in life has always been to either star in a Broadway play, compose music for a Broadway play, or both.

"Well, I can't sing that well, so not a triple threat, but yeah... I dabble in the other stuff on the side." She said. She was downplaying herself and Nathan could tell. He was betting she was very talented.

"I think you should let me hear some of the things you've written and see some films of the plays you've been in," He said.

"Okay, yeah right. I'll catch you on the slopes." Brianna teased. Nathan playfully rolled his eyes as he laughed.

"You know. I don't know how I'd deal with all this crap with my parents if you weren't around." Nathan said. The sudden change in the subject made Brianna a little sad, but she knew he only brought it up because of the fact that they were teasing and joking with each other. He was letting Brianna know that this was his release.

"I'm happy to help." She said.

"I'm serious, Bree. It's like the worse things get with them, the better things get with you." Nathan said. Brianna smiled as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Are things really that awful with your parents?" She asked and he nodded.

"It's a war zone, and I'm stuck with whoever has the best lawyer," Nathan said as he sighed. Brianna frowned as she shook her head.

"Oh, that's... that doesn't sound right. And you should know your rights." Brianna said and Nathan shrugged.

"It's not like I have any." He said. Brianna shook her head and got up from her bed. She walked over to her desk, sat down, turned on her computer, and as she waited for it to start up, she turned to her boyfriend.

"No, you do have rights, and let's find out what they are. Knowledge is power."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Later that evening, Brianna was at work. She worked a closing shift and she was currently cleaning. She had flipped the sign on the door to close, but she heard the bell ding. She looked up and smiled when she saw Nathan. She knew it had to be Nathan, Lucas, or Haley because they were the only ones who would still come in even though the sign is flipped.

"Hey, you're still here," Nathan said and Brianna shrugged. She offered to close tonight so Haley wouldn't have to. In exchange, Haley offered to check on Brooke which Brianna appreciated a lot.

"I'm always here, but how are you? Are you okay?" She asked.

"Whatever I said the last time you asked me that question probably still applies." He said.

"Do you want some coffee? There's still some left if you want to talk about it." Brianna said. She was about to make a beeline for the counter but Nathan shook his head.

"Actually, I'm kind of tired of talking about it." He said and Brianna nodded. She understood that. She would be exhausted by the situation too.

"Oh, okay. Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know." Brianna said. The couple walked back to the counter and sat down on the stools.

"Well, I was thinking about what you said, about living in the moment. Well, I realized that if I'm going to live in the moment, then I want to live in it with you." Nathan said. Brianna smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. They shared their kiss for a few moments and Nathan was the first to pull away. "Were you serious? About doing something for me?" He asked.

"Well, that depends." She said. If it was anything sexual, the answer was going to be no. Nathan gestured to the piano toward the front of the restaurant and she shook her head. "Nathan, no."

"Here's your chance. Come on, it's just us in here. You said you'd do anything to help me and hearing you play would really help. I know you don't sing, and you don't have to. You don't even have to play a song you wrote, just a cover, I would just really love to hear you." Nathan said and Brianna sighed.

"Okay, you asked for it." She said. Nathan smiled.

"Yes, I did." He said. The couple got up from the stools and walked over to the piano. Brianna sat down on the piano bench first and Nathan sat next to her. He could tell she was nervous, so he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Just pretend I'm not here, breathe and play." He said. Brianna shook her head as she looked at her boyfriend and gave him a quick kiss.

"I don't have to pretend you're not here. I want to share this with you." She said. Nathan smiled at her and Brianna turned to look at the keys, debating what song she wanted to play. She knows a lot of covers, and a lot of them she learned to play by ear.

She chose A Thousand Years by Christina Perry.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

A few weeks later, it was time for the Annual Classics. That was when the Tree Hill Ravens basketball team played in a weekend tournament, and the cheerleaders also partook in their own competition. Around this time of the year, Brooke really starts cracking down on the cheerleaders because they've lost to the same team since their freshman year and Brooke really hates their captain. The twins always work hard on the choreography, but something wasn't clicking.

Brooke also found out that the real reason Lucas broke up with her was that he cheated with Peyton, and she cut them both out of her life. She refused to speak to Peyton, and if she did speak to her, she wasn't kind. Sometimes Brooke refused to even acknowledge her presence. Brianna knew that Peyton was taking it hard, but she also knew that Brooke had every right to be pissed.

She was trying not to pick sides.

"Ready?" Brooke said to the girls. They were lined up outside of the school, and it wasn't their normal practice time. They always hold extra practices the week of the Classics. Brooke and Brianna were watching the girls as they went through the routine.

"You can't shoot. You can't score. You will beat us nevermore. Go Ravens, go!" The girls cheered. Brianna turned her head and she saw Nathan approaching. She tapped her sister on the shoulder and gestured behind them to Nathan. Brooke nodded her head and Brianna took her leave to catch up with her boyfriend.

"How's it going?" Nathan asked.

"Well, Brooke is... you know, Brooke, especially now that she knows the real reason Lucas dumped her, so practice has been... tense to say the least." Brianna said and Nathan chuckled a bit.

"I bet," Nathan said.

"But, I am excited to get some alone time with you at the Classics this weekend," She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Nathan smirked as she snaked his arms around Brianna's waist and pulled her closer to him.

"You and me in the same hotel? This weekend just got more interesting." Nathan said and Brianna rolled her eyes.

"Nathan, we've stayed in the same hotel for the last four years at the Classics... this is just the first time we'll actually spend it with each other," Brianna said. Nathan smiled as he kissed her forehead. He also told her that he legally emancipated himself from his parents and that he would be moving out and getting his own apartment. "How'd it go?" She asked.

"I got the apartment," Nathan said.

"Hey, that's great!" Brianna exclaimed.

"I drained my savings, paid first and last month's rent. It's mine on Saturday." Nathan said. Brianna smiled as she gently squeezed his arm. She was proud of him for taking matters into his own hands because the situation with his parents was getting very toxic and it was taking a negative toll on him.

"That's amazing!" Brianna exclaimed.

"Brianna, your time is up. Walk away from the boy!" Brooke Davis yelled in her sister's direction. Brianna laughed as she unwrapped her arms from around Nathan's neck.

"You know how Brooke gets during the Classics... and given the current turmoil, it's a lot worse," Brianna said and Nathan nodded his head.

"I understand, I'll see you later, Bree," Nathan said. He leaned down and gave his girlfriend a quick kiss. She ran back to her sister and the rest of the squad.

"Sorry about that," Brianna said and Brooke nodded.

"It's okay. I'm just checking their formations." Brooke said. Brianna turned to the rest of the squad to see they were holding their positions of a high V. Brooke paced back and forth in front of them as she gave her critiques. "Okay, Theresa, terrible posture. Pinch that penny. Bevin, you need... a breath mint. Peyton, nice form." Brooke said and Peyton smiled until Brooke continued. "And excellent betrayal of a best friend. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Here we go," Brianna mumbled under her breath.

"You guys! This weekend is the Classic. It's our biggest cheer competition. Aren't you sick of Claire Young and the Bear Creek Warriors taking home the trophy every year? Because I am. We need to get it together here, and I'm not just talking about our routine. I'm talking hair, nails... underarms, Theresa." Brooke said as she turned to her.

"Brooke, cheerleading is supposed to be fun," Bevin said.

"Yeah? Well, winning is funner. And if you don't like it, you can go cheer for the wrestling team. Take five." Brooke said. The whole team dispersed and Brianna turned to her sister.

"You know the grammatically correct term is more fun," Brianna said and Brooke gave her a look.

"Not now, tutor girl... Not now." Brooke said. Brianna laughed a little and then Peyton approached the sisters. Brianna didn't know how this was going to go. She was hoping she wouldn't have to break up a fight.

"Okay, you know what? You hate me, I get it, fine. Just don't take it out on our squad." Peyton said. Brooke crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at her.

"Everything is not about you, Peyton. Did you ever think that maybe I'm being a psycho-hoe-beast because I want us to do well this weekend? Those judges are not going to be as forgiving as I am." Brooke said and Peyton laughed.

"Funny, I didn't know you were forgiving at all," Peyton said. Brooke turned to look at Brianna and the brunette threw her hands up in surrender.

"I am not in this!"

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

"I don't care how important this tournament is, people trump pom-poms. We can't fit all that crap on the bus." Whitey said to Brooke Davis. She was asking him if he could take the cheerleader's bag of pom-poms on the bus with the boys.

"Fine! You will be responsible for ten very pissed-off cheerleaders." Brooke said.

"Coach, if we're short on room, I can drive," Nathan said. Whitey looked at Nathan and immediately shook his head.

"No, no. Forget it." Nathan said.

"Why not? I can fit all the cheerleader's stuff in my trunk." Nathan said. Whitey seemed to think it over and his face grew softer.

"Alright... but you stay right behind the bus," Whitey said as he pointed his finger at Nathan. He nodded.

"Sweet, come on, Bree," Nathan said.

"Uh... Lucas was saving me a seat on the bus," Brianna said and Nathan laughed.

"Come on, what are we? Third graders? Let's ride in style." Nathan said. Brianna looked at his car, and it was the car that his father bought for him. Nathan walked to his car and Brianna approached the bus. Lucas had his window open and he looked down when Brianna cleared her throat.

"Hey, I'm gonna ride with Nathan, is that cool?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, no problem." He said. Brianna smiled and as she turned to walk back to Nathan's car, she saw Haley getting on the bus.

"Hales, you're coming this weekend?" Brianna asked.

"Yeah, Lucas asked if I wanted to, so I figured why not." She said and Brianna smiled. She was also grateful. She felt bad for leaving Lucas on the bus on his own, so she was glad that Haley was going to be filling her seat.

"Awesome, see you at the hotel."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

When Brianna got to the hotel, she was assigned to a room with Haley, and she found out that Peyton and Brooke were assigned to share a room. Brianna offered to switch with Peyton if it was going to be awkward because she knew Brooke was not ready to forgive Peyton at all, but Peyton said she didn't want to switch, she didn't want to give up on trying to repair her friendship with Brooke, so Brianna stayed put. She was happy to share a room with Haley.

While Brianna was unpacking there was a loud knock on the door. Brianna walked over and opened it to see her sister on the other side and she looked pissed. "Oh god, did you and Peyton already kill each other?" She asked.

"No! Claire Young was in the lobby. Cheer emergency." Brooke said. Brianna turned around and looked at Haley to roll her eyes which made Haley laugh and then she excused herself from her friend to go with her sister. She gathered the rest of the squad and brought them back to hers and Peyton's room. "Guess who's in the lobby? I'll tell you. Claire Young and her little hoe possy. We are going down there."

"Okay, and if an angry dance-off breaks out. I got your back," Peyton said.

"Great. Just don't stick another knife in it." Brooke said and then she tossed a stick of deodorant to Theresa. "Theresa, I want you to hit those pits and cover that zit. Points off for complexion. Let's go." Brooke said as she walked out of the room. Brianna and Peyton followed next after her and the rest of the squad after them. Brooke took them down to the lobby and over to where she saw Claire. "Hi, Claire. We just wanted to wish you luck this weekend."

"Um, we've won four years in a row," Claire said.

"Including Claire for best choreography." A girl from her team added.

"Yeah, so maybe you should keep your luck for yourself. By the way, who are you again?" Claire asked. Brooke started fuming.

"You know who I am. Brooke Davis. Captain of the Tree Hill Ravens. We roomed together last summer at spirit camp." Brooke snapped. Claire nodded her head, but Brianna could tell she was disinterested and didn't care.

"Right, right. Don't the Ravens lose every year?" She asked and Brooke's eyes narrowed. "See ya." She said as she and her squad turned to walk away.

"Oh, it is so on!"

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Brianna was walking through the hallway of the hotel because after the confrontation with Claire, she had to calm her sister down, but Haley had mentioned they were going to have pizza later so Brianna wanted to join them. As she passed Nathan and Lucas' room, because the boys were roomed in alphabetical order, Nathan grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room.

At first, Brianna freaked out until she saw that it was Nathan who grabbed her. She let out a breath of relief and smiled as he pushed her up against the door and kissed her. When they pulled away, she hit him on his chest.

"You asshole, you scared me!" Brianna exclaimed and Nathan laughed.

"I'm sorry, Bree. But we're not allowed to have girls in our rooms so I had to keep it covert." He said and Brianna rolled her eyes, but she also knew that Whitey was pretty strict with them during this weekend. "Hang out for a little bit." He said.

"Oh, I can't. I'm meeting Lucas and Haley for pizza in the lobby, and I was dealing with Brooke beforehand so I'm already late." Brianna said.

"So be later. We've got a whole hotel room to ourselves." Nathan said as he pulled Brianna into another kiss. She laughed a little but did kiss him back. The two pulled away when they heard the door close. Brianna looked up and saw Lucas.

"Sorry, I thought we had plans." He said.

"We do, Luke," Brianna responded.

"Nah, just do your thing." He said and then he walked out of the room. Brianna sighed and turned back to Nathan. She gave him a quick kiss and then ran out of the room after Lucas.

"I'm sorry, Lucas... Luke, will you just wait!" Brianna exclaimed. Lucas stopped walking and turned around.

"Brianna, it's cool. Okay? Go be with your boyfriend. I can still meet up with Haley." He said and then continued down the hallway. Brianna frowned as she watched him go. She went back to Nathan and Lucas' room and laid down on Nathan's bed. She felt awful, she wasn't going to blow Lucas off until he basically told her to.

She didn't understand how things got so complicated.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

"I cannot believe the nerve of that little third-rate Britney trying to pretend like he doesn't recognize me." Brooke ranted when Brianna was walking with her and Peyton. She sighed. She didn't know why Brooke was still mad about this, it had been hours.

"Are you still obsessing over this, Brooke? It's been hours." Brianna said.

"You did make out with her boyfriend at camp," Peyton added in, which Brianna knew she probably shouldn't have. She knows Brooke is going to snap back with something about Lucas.

"I didn't know they were dating, unlike some people." She snapped. There it was. "And besides, he was a yell leader, he was gay anyway." She said. Then the trio was approached by Tim.

"Hey, ladies. We're sneaking out after curfew, spread the word, okay?" He said. Brooke shook her head and then grabbed him by his ear.

"Tim, stay away from my squad. We need to be fresh for tomorrow." Brooke said.

"Okay, okay!" Tim exclaimed. Brooke let go of his ear and then the trio approached the rest of the squad and saw them all standing around Theresa.

"Theresa, I thought I told you to lay off the chocolate," Brooke said. Brianna immediately saw Theresa was covered in chicken pox. "It's a really good thing I have acne medicine." She said.

"Brooke, that's not acne," Brianna said.

"It's chicken pox. Karen already called my parents. I'm out... thank goodness." She said as she stood up from the chair and walked away. Brooke groaned as she turned to Brianna and Peyton.

"Okay, could this get any worse?" She asked.

"Brooke, it's okay. We'll rework the routine." Brianna said.

"How, Bree? We perfectly crafted it for ten girls." Brooke said. Brianna sighed because she knew Brooke was right, but now they had nine girls, so they needed to adjust.

"Okay, so we'll find a replacement," Peyton said.

"Great idea, genius. Who are we going to ask?" Brooke asked. Brianna looked at Peyton and then her eyes widened as she got a perfect idea.

"Leave it to me, Brooke. I know just who to ask." Brianna said. She took off down the hallway before Peyton or Brooke could react. She was running back toward her hotel room because she needed to talk to her room.

She thought Haley would be the perfect replacement.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

"No way!" Haley James exclaimed after Brianna explained the predicament they were in and asked Haley if she would be willing to fill in for Theresa. Brianna sighed and knew she was going to have to do some major begging.

"Hales, come on. Please?" Brianna asked.

"Bree, you know I'm a born klutz, okay? I almost drowned in the balls at Chuck E Cheeze." Haley said and Brianna started laughing because she didn't know that story.

"Okay, but if we don't find a replacement, we're going to have to forfeit," Brianna said.

"Don't you guys lose like every year since grade school anyway? What's the big deal?" Haley asked and Brianna sighed. She knew Haley wouldn't understand. It's different on the inside than it is looking in from the outside.

"It's important to Brooke... she's my sister, this competition means the world to her, and she means the world to me. And with all the drama happening between her and Peyton, she needs this... and it could possibly bring them back together, and our dynamic can go back to the way it used to be. Selfishly, I'm tired of feeling like I have to pick a side." Brianna said and Haley sighed.

"Bree...-" Haley started to protest but Brianna cut in.

"...-Please, Hales, just think about it."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Haley agreed to fill in for Theresa. She would've felt like an awful friend to leave Brianna hanging after their conversation. Karen gave them permission to stay out past curfew. From a former cheer captain to the current ones, she had no problem granting them this favor. Now, they were working Haley into the routine in the hotel ballroom.

"5... 6... 7... 8. No, no Haley. It's feet together, apart, and then clap." Brooke said.

"Okay, I'm really trying," Haley said.

"Try harder, because we're on in 12 hours," Brooke said. Haley slightly glared at Brooke and Brianna gave her friend an apologetic smile. She knew she was asking Haley for a lot, but they were out of options. Haley nodded her head to Brianna, she understood Brooke was stressed.

"Aw, cute routine girls. Too bad those moves are so '03. Where'd you find your choreographer anyway? In the yellow pages under 'S' for sucks?" Claire Young's voice rang. Brooke and Brianna turned around and Brianna rolled her eyes.

"No, actually, that's where I found your boyfriend." Brooke snapped back and Claire rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you know, if I were you, I'd get some beauty sleep. I think that's the only thing that's going to help." Claire said. Brianna was about to step up and say something, but Peyton beat her to it.

"If I were you, I'd step back from my friend," Peyton said in a warning tone. Brianna was also giving Claire a look. Claire looked between Brianna and Peyton and decided to back off. She scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Oh and remember ladies, jazz fingers." Claire said as she imitated the motion, and then she left the ballroom. Brooke groaned as the girls turned back to the squad.

"I'll give her a jazz finger," Haley said. Brooke, Brianna, and Peyton were initially shocked but then they all laughed.

"Well, she's obviously scared because their routine probably sucks," Brooke said. Then Mouth walked out onto the stage.

"Actually, it's good. I've seen it." Mouth said.

"How good?" Brianna asked.

"Lots of spins. Some tumbles." He said.

"Okay, no, give me information I can use, Mouth. What are the moves exactly?" Brooke asked. Mouth took a deep breath and then reperformed their routine. Brianna wasn't going to ask how many times he watched them practice in order to perfectly replicate it, but Mouth was right, it was good.

"That is good. Do you wanna replace Haley?" Brooke asked. Haley gave her an annoyed look and Mouth shook his head.

"No thanks. Oh, and by the way. Three other teams are using Junior-Senior," Mouth said. Brianna could see that Brooke was getting nervous.

"Okay," Brooke said. Then she turned to Peyton and Brianna. "It's time for plan B, we're going to find Claire Young's room and pull a Tonya Harding. We're just going to hit her knee with a big stick." She said and Brianna started laughing.

"Okay, Brookie. Take a deep breath. We are better choreographers than Claire has ever been, okay? We still have time to win it, we just need to teach the squad some new moves." She said.

"Well, what about our song?" Brooke asked.

"You and Bree handle the moves. Let me take care of the song." Peyton said and she walked off in a different direction, but she smacked Brooke on the butt as she passed. Brianna secretly smiled.

She hoped they would make up after this.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

After rehearsing for what felt like hours, the girls got the routine down and Brooke convinced the night manager to let them use the pool and hot tub. Brianna was already changed into her bikini and she was lounging in the hot tub with Brooke, the other girls, and Mouth.

"How'd you get him to open the hot tub?" Bevin asked.

"I sweet-talked the night manager. I figured you guys could use it after reworking our entire routine tonight. Feels good, doesn't it?" Brooke asked.

"Yep. This is great." Mouth said and they all laughed.

"Ta-da!" Brianna heard Peyton exclaim. The girls all turned to the door that led into the pool area to see Peyton bringing Haley outside and she was wearing the extra cheer uniform. Haley did a spin while everyone clapped.

"Haley, you look bitchin'," Brooke said. Brianna smiled and got out of the hot tub. She wrapped a towel around her wet body before approaching Haley and Peyton.

"Yeah, I kind of do, don't I?" Haley asked and Brianna smiled.

"It fits you like a glove, Hales," Brianna said and Haley smiled.

"Now get your suits. Hot tub therapy... both of you." Brooke said. Brianna was surprised to see Brooke smile at Peyton, but she hoped that this would be healing for all of them and that they could go back to normal.

"Bree?" Brianna turned around when she heard her nickname and she smiled when she saw Nathan.

"Hey, you," Brianna said as he wrapped her arms around her waist. His hands were resting on the towel she had around her and he kissed her forehead.

"Did I ever tell you that I got a thing for cheerleaders? Especially captains." Nathan teased and Brianna smiled.

"Oh, no... We must've never talked about that." Brianna teased back as Nathan leaned down and kissed her. Their kiss was over too soon and when Brianna opened her eyes, she noticed it was because Tim was pulling her boyfriend away from her to push him into the pool. Brianna laughed and dropped her towel before jumping in after them.

Nathan caught his girlfriend in his arms and she kissed his cheek before transferring herself onto his back. Nathan grabbed onto her legs and held her up. He was moving away from Tim because he was trying to dunk them both. A bunch of the other basketball players and cheerleaders jumped in and they all started splashing and messing with each other, but then everything fell quiet. When everyone looked up, Whitey was standing outside.

He was not happy.

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After the cheer competition, the girls were waiting for the judges to announce who placed where. Haley told Brianna later in their room that she and Lucas got into a disagreement about her being a cheerleader, in which she had to remind him that not only two girls that he was into were cheerleaders, but his other best friend, Brianna, is also a cheerleader. Brianna told Haley that Lucas would just have to deal with it and stop projecting. Haley wasn't joining the squad, she was helping them by filling in Theresa's spot.

Brianna ran over to Nathan and jumped into his arms after their performance and Nathan laughed as he spun her around. "Can you believe it?" Brianna asked.

"Bree, you did amazing, and you looked great," Nathan said. Brianna smiled as she kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." She said and she heard the announcer starting to speak. "Time to go find out if we did well enough to win." She said as she ran back over to the squad. He had already announced who came in third and second. Now they were waiting for first.

"And first place in this year's Sparkle Classic by Secret goes to... The Bear Creek Warriors. Five years in a row... way to go!" He exclaimed. Brooke sighed in defeat as she unlinked her arm from Brianna's. The brunette sighed and started to rub her sister's back.

"Brooke, you did a great job, okay? We all thought so." Peyton said.

"Not good enough," Brooke said.

"And our final award of the competition, for best original choreography goes to... Brooke Davis. Co-Captain and Choreographer of the Tree Hill Ravens." He said. Brooke looked surprised and she turned to Brianna in shock. Mainly because she was surprised the announcer didn't also say Brianna's name because she came up with the routine as well.

At the last minute, Brianna entered Brooke as the sole choreographer, because she knew how much this meant to her sister and she wanted Brooke to have all the credit for it. Seeing the big smile on Brooke's face as she accepted the trophy, Brianna knew she made the right choice. Seeing Brooke so happy after the crappy few weeks she's had.

It meant everything to Brianna.

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The cheerleaders went back to the hotel to freshen up before the boys' game. Haley wasn't in the room, so Brianna was there by herself, and she heard a knock on the door. "Brooke, I'm almost done!" Brianna yelled at the door, but there was no answer, just another knock. Brianna rolled her eyes and quickly pulled her skirt back on before she went to answer the door.

She was surprised to see Lucas.

"Uh, hey." She said as she stepped aside to let him in and then she closed the door behind him.

"Hey... you were really amazing out there." He said and Brianna smiled. She didn't know if Lucas was still mad at her or not, so she had been avoiding talking to him because she didn't know how he was going to react to her.

"Thanks, Luke." She said and then he sighed.

"Look... I was thinking. Things have been different since you started dating Nathan." He said and Brianna sighed again. She didn't want to have another argument over Nathan, not right before a game where she had to be happy and cheery.

"I don't spend any more time with him than you did with Brooke." Brianna defended herself.

"I know, and I know he's your... boyfriend and of course, you'll want to be with him. It's just... I guess I just miss my best friend." Lucas said. Brianna slightly frowned as the two of them sat down on her bed.

"Lucas, I miss you too. But have you thought about how hard this is on me? Juggling the two of you? I wish you both would just get along. Lucas, you know you mean the world to me, and that I care about you, and I love you so much... but Nathan means the world to me too, and if you want to be a part of my life, sooner or later, you're going to have to be apart of his too. And you guys are brothers for crying out loud, you should be part of each other's lives." Brianna said and Lucas nodded his head.

"You're right, Bree... So, I'll catch you after the game?" He asked and Brianna nodded her head.

"Of course."

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The Ravens won their game.

Everyone made their way back to school and everyone was in the parking lot trying to find their parents if they didn't drive. On the way back, Brianna rode the bus with Haley and Lucas to make up for ditching Lucas on the way there, and Nathan understood. She was riding home with Brooke, but she wanted to say bye to Nathan first.

She found him having a civil conversation with Lucas.

"Hey, guys... this is a first," Brianna said.

"Haley! Hey, what's up?" A random guy said as he walked past their group.

"Hey," Haley said.

"Who was that?" Lucas asked.

"I have no idea," Haley responded and they all laughed.

"Well, I guess that's a first too," Lucas said and then he wrapped his arm around Haley. "We'll see you guys later." He said. Brianna nodded her head and when they walked away, she turned to her boyfriend.

"You hear that? He said, you guys." Brianna teased. Nathan playfully rolled his eyes but he still laughed.

"Easy, matchmaker. So, I'm headed back to the apartment... you wanna put that cheerleading uniform back on?" He asked. Brianna laughed while rolling her eyes and then she hit him in the chest.

"Oh, shut up! I'm just here to say bye. I'm going home with Brooke." Brianna said and Nathan nodded his head.

"Maybe you could come by later?" He asked. Brianna nodded her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't know what Brianna would be doing tonight.

"I would love to. I'll call you later to confirm. I just gotta figure out what Brooke's doing." She said. Nathan nodded his head and leaned down to kiss her. Brianna smiled as they went their separate ways and she let out a content sigh.

It was a good weekend.

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I've always loved the weekend classics episodes.

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xoxo.