( season one, episode one )
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CASSIDY HEART SMILED to herself as she watched Lucas move up and down on the court. She watched as the blonde made it into the basket, as usual, cupping her hands as an automatic cheer came through her lips. "Go, Luke!"
"If you think he's good today, you should of seen him yesterday, Cass. He was on fire." Mouth smiled making Cassie playfully roll her eyes. "As usual."
"You guys remember Tom Dugan from grade school?" Junk asked. "Oh yeah, he used to live next door to you, right?" Lucas asked. "Yeah. Some guy snapped him with a wet towel and he lost one of his testicles." Junk replied making everyone laugh.
"Ok, Junk." Jimmy chuckled. "Just saying what I heard." Junk frowned before passing the basketball back to Lucas. "Anyways man, what are you reading these days?" Skills asked Lucas. "Steinbeck, the winter of your discontent." Lucas answered.
"Let me hear some." Skills shrugged. "Nah." Lucas waved off. "Come on, dog. You know I be reading vicariously through you." Skills sighed before turning around towards Cassie. "What about you Lenny Jr?" He asked making her dead pan at the nickname.
Skills was one of Cassie's best friends. As was Mouth, Junk, Lucas, and Jimmy. And with them being her best friends, they also knew how pissed she got when she got any name associated with her brother thrown at her. Even if it was on accident, it always made her mad. That's why Skills made sure to always call her something that had to do with him.
"Well, Antwon, I'm not reading much at the moment. Trying to catch up on school work." Cassie shrugged. "Nerd." Jimmy coughed making the boys chuckle as Cassie hit his shouder.
They groups laughter stopped as they saw a car drive by. "Peyton Sawyer. You seen her webcam. In her bedroom — I hear she's naked on it, like, all the times." Junk smirked.
"Heard about it or saw it?" Cassie asked. "What? I hear things." He frowned. "You know, I saw her the other night. She almost ran me over, of course."
Lucas sighed making Cassie's eyebrows raise.
"Yeah, she's pretty fine, huh?" Skills asked. "Eh, she's, all right." Lucas shrugged. "Like you could do better." Cassie chuckled.
"Just shoot for teams, all right?" He asked through a chuckle.
* * *
CASSIE AND LUCAS laughed as they made their way up the steps to the cafe. "You wanna stay for dinner?" Lucas asked. "I don't know if I can. My parents aren't home and I know the wouldn't mind but I don't know about your mom." Cassie shrugged.
"Oh please, she loves you, Cass. And I can tell you right now, Haley's already here." He waved off as they walked through the door. "Hey, Mom." "Hi, Karen." Lucas and Cassie greeted as Lucas closed the door. "Hey, Hon. Hi, Cass." Karen smiled as she cleaned a counter.
"Mhm. Smells good in here." Lucas commented as the two teens walked to the counter she was cleaning. "Did you change your hair?" He asked.
"If by change you mean drag a brush through it, then yeah." Karen replied making Cassie chuckle. "Well it looks nice." Lucas said making Karen smile. "Thank you."
"Well the magazine pages are sticky again, little pervs. Oh hey, Luke. You been reading this?" Haley jokes.
"I don't know Haley, is that the 'why do I hang out with these people' issue? Because, you two are on the cover of that, right?" Lucas asked, pointing in between the two.
"No, actually it's the 'our best friend is an idiot' issue, and there you are." Haley pointed making Cassie nod along. "Oh yeah, I think I caught him reading that after he was reading the 'my best friends are hot and awesome' cover that he was also on!"
Lucas threw his arms out to the side as the two girls fist bumped. "Haley, Cassie, would you like to join us?" Karen asked.
"Of course, thank you."
"Hell yes!"
The two girls looked at each other making Cassie lightly elbow the girl in the arm making the James girl chuckle slightly. The girls grabbed a bowl of chili before making their was over to the table.
"So honey, how was your day?" Karen asked. "Good!"
Haley responded making the other three look at one another. "Thanks. I mean, 'good' is relative considering a third of the world is starving. Which does not change the fact that I am clumsy as hell." She turned her attention towards her two best friends. "Did I tell you guys that I feel down today? Yeah. Slipped off the curb, totally bit it, face down, butt in the air."
"Haley," Karen chuckled. "Too graphic? Sorry I'll just be quiet." Haley piped down making the girl on her right pat her arm with a chuckle. "So, I got something for you, Lucas." Karen said.
The James girl beamed. "Actually, I found it. Not that I was like, looking for something specifically which implies some hideous sort of 'Joey loves Dawson' scenario and completely creep me out but, you know, we saw it, and..." Haley trailed making the entire group raise their eyebrows at her. The brunette nodded before looking at Karen. "...give him the book."
Karen handed Lucas a book as Cassie chuckled at her best friend. "Don't worry, Hales. We'll find you your Pacey one day."
Lucas smiled at the book. "Wow. Julius Caesar"
"There's a tide in the affairs of men." Karen quoted with a small smile of her own. "Or something like that."
"Nice." Lucas pointed. "Thank you, guys. Thank you very much."
"Whatever. If that's what you're into." Haley shrugged. Cassie shook her head at the girl as she chuckled into her hand.
* * *
"OH, LUKE is on fire tonight. How do you say 'hot' in French?" Mouth asked, pointing the microphone in Jimmy's face. "Flambé!" Jimmy replied.
"Really? I thought it was 'Cassie Heart?' " Mouth asked. Cassie looked up at the toothy-smiling boy with a playful smile of her own. "Oh, don't joke like that McFadden I'll fall more in love with you."
Mouth chuckled at the girl before turning back to the game. "Luke is Flambé."
"Fergie finds Luke, who fakes out Junk again." Mouth continues into the microphone. "They never learn, Mouth." Jimmy adds. Cassie gently grabbed the mic out of his hand and put it up to her mouth. "And what do you say we finally find you a girlfriend who isn't fake, Mouth?"
Mouth put a hand to his heart as he pretended to get blown back. "Oh, Cassidy, did that peach ring I gave you in the first grade mean nothing?" He asked. "Sorry, guess I need a ring pop type of man." The girl fake sighed before a smile fell on her lips, her head turning back towards the game.
* * *
CASSIDY LOOKED up from her book to her best friend that was staring hopelessly at Peyton Sawyer. She scoffed as she shook her head. "Stalker." She muttered making Lucas lightly kick her shin under the table.
"Scott." Whitey said as he walked into the Library. Cassie looked up at the brunette boy who sat in front of her. "What's up, Coach?" Nathan asked. "Not you. You." Whitey pointed, his finger towards Lucas. Cassie's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at her best friend.
She slowly began to get up making Whitey wag his finger at her. "Ah, ah. He doesn't need paparazzi."
She furrowed her eyebrows as she sat back down, Nathan snorting as he looked back at her, a smirk present on his face. The girl cocked an eyebrow at the boy as a glare set into her eyes. The boy turned around with a shake of the head as he quietly laughed.
With a small smile, the girl looked back down too.
* * *
"I CAN'T believe you said no!" Cassie exclaimed as she sat on top of the bench next to Mouth. "Seriously. Where you gonna tell us, man?" Skills asked as he dribbled a basketball down the court.
"It's nothing." Lucas replied bouncing his own basketball. "Whitey asked you to play on the team, and it's nothing?" Skills asked. "It's nothing 'cause I'm not playing." Lucas sighed. "Not with those guys."
"Not with those guys or not with Nathan?" Cassie asked, cocking an eyebrow at her blonde friend. The boy gave her a pointed look as he turned his head to look at her. "All of them. Not just him."
"Luke, man, I've been guarding you almost every night since we were like 12, right? And I won how many games?" Skills asked. "I don't know. It just seems like a waste to me, man."
"Well, it doesn't to me. Don't you guys ever think that maybe we belong here?" Lucas asked. "No. We belong here. You never belonged here." Skills shook his head. Cassie chuckled quietly with Mouth as the two tried to hide their laughs from Lucas.
"Thanks a lot, Skills. Just shoot for teams." Lucas said before throwing the basketball into the hoop. He turned his head towards his two laughing friends. "And I can hear you, Tweddledee and Tweedledum."
"Sorry. And you know for a fact, Skills that you'd be one of the best players. Plus I'd be your number one cheerleader." Cassie smiled making the Taylor boy smile. Lucas looked back at the girl. "What about me? The one who actually got offered the spot?"
"I thought you found her when you walked in front of her car?" Mouth asked making Cassie laugh as the blonde shook his head at the two. Cassie quickly gave Mouth a fist bump which the boy gratefully returned.
"Yo, Luke, man. You know you're one of my best friends, right? And ain't nothin' never gonna change that, man. But keep it real. We ain't shooting for teams. We're shooting to be your excuse. And I ain't about to be a part of that." Skills frowned before turning around.
Lucas turned to his best friend, nodding his head signaling for the two of them to go. The girl nodded before picking up her bag. She turned her attention to the McFadden boy before planting a small, friendly kiss on his cheek. "Mouth, it's been a pleasure as always."
"Cassidy, the pleasure was all mine." The boy smiled before the girl walked towards her best friend, towing behind the boy who was already little ways in front of her.
* * *
"MOM, DAD, I'm home!" Cassidy exclaimed as she walked into her house. She closed the door before turning around to see her brother sitting on the counter. She cocked an eyebrow before crossing her arms. "Off."
"Who are you, mom?" Lenny asked before hopping off the counter. "No but you do know you'll get in trouble if she knew you were on the counter." Cassie sighed as she went over to the fridge. "And how would she find out?" Lenny asked. "You know for a fact she'd somehow find out." Cassie tilted her head with a smile.
She grabbed a bottled water before turning around again. "So, I was wondering if you had any plans tonight." Lenny said. "I'm going over to Haley's, why?" Cassie asked as she took a swig of water. "The team is coming over for a small get togther tonight and I was hoping you could be out of the house." Lenny sighed.
"Ugh, thanks for giving me the warning." Cassie rolled her eyes. "Hey, my friends are cool." Lenny narrowed his eyes as Cassie put the cap back on her bottle. "Immature is what your friends are." Cassie scoffed as she walked into the other room.
* * *
"SO, NATHAN challenged you, are you gonna play him?" Haley asked as she, Cassidy, and Lucas were walking down the street. "I don't know. It's not like I have anything to prove." Lucas shrugged.
"And that's exactly right. Don't let him bring you down to his level." Cassie nodded. "Yeah I guess. But don't you just wanna show him sometimes—" Haley began to say before a flock of pigeons flew in front of her, making her jump.
"Oh damn!" She exclaimed. "What is up? I was attacked by a flock of crows last week!"
The other two began laughing making her hit both of their shoulders. "I'm totally serious!"
"By the way, it's a murder." Lucas spoke. "What?" Haley and Cassie asked.
"More than one crow is a murder." Lucas explained. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Haley laughed. "A parliament of owls, an exclusion of larks. A murder of crows." Lucas added.
"I think that is why people think you're weird, right there." Haley pointed. "And that's why we call him smartass." Cassie chuckled, causing Lucas to hit her shoulder as Haley laughed.
It was silent for a moment before Lucas broke it with a sigh. "I would like to show him sometimes though, what a mistake he's made."
"Dan?" Haley asked. "Mostly for mom. And...sometimes for me." Lucas answered. "And I don't blame you. If I were you though, I'd also show them my finger. And probably my fist." Cassie shrugged making the other two laugh.
"So, Luke, what are ravens? I mean, you know, more than one?" Haley asked.
"Oh! I actually know this one!" Cassie jumped. Lucas nodded at her to go. "An unkindness, is that right?" Cassie asked, looking at Lucas. "Very good." The boy smiled.
* * *
"HOW'S MY favorite mom, uncle, and blabber mouth doing?" Cassie asked as she walked into the cafe, seeing Karen, Keith, and Haley standing by the books selves.
"Good."
"Great."
"Ouch."
The three answered.
Cassie shook her head with a smile. Haley interlocked the two's hands and lead them upstairs to the roof. "Hey hot-shot." Cassie smiled when she saw Lucas, Haley turning on the lights.
"Wow!" Lucas beamed as he saw the roof lit up. "Yeah." Haley sighed. "This place looks great." Lucas said as he span around, admiring the lights. "Thanks. I just finished putting up the lights. Miniature golf will never be the same. Couldn't of done it without Cassie's blueprint, though." Haley smiled. Cassie waved her off. "Oh stop, you make me blush."
"Your mom's worried." Haley spoke as the two girls walked up to him. "She's downstairs with Keith, picking through her past."
"Do you guys think I'm being selfish playing Nathan?" Lucas asked. "Do you?" Haley asked. "A little bit. I mean if I walked away, then my mom wouldn't be downstairs worried about it now, now, would she?" Lucas answered truthfully.
"I don't think your selfish, Luke." Cassie shrugged with a frown. "I think your angry. I think your angry for your mom and, even though you don't want to admit it, a part of you is mad at them because of yourself too. Your mad that you didn't get the life Nathan got and you have every right to be."
Lucas looked down. "Cass is right. You know, I don't say things like this very often 'cause it sounds weird, but, you're a really good guy. And I'm glad we're friends. That we're all friends." Haley smiled, interlocking her hand with Cassie again. "But you and your mom worry too damn much."
The three laughed. Haley was about to walk away when Cassie dropped their hands. "I'll meet you down their in a minute, okay?" Cassie asked. Haley nodded before walking back downstairs. Cassie turned back to Lucas.
"Just remember who you are Luke. Not who he wants you to become. Haley's right, you're a really awesome guy and in Tree Hill, that's rare." Cassie chuckled at the last part making Lucas chuckle too. "Don't let him change you."
"But what if he gets to me?" Lucas asked. "Remember who your doing this for." Cassie smiled.
Cassie kissed his cheek before going back downstairs.
* * *
"GOOD EVENING, lady's and gentlemen and welcome to an historic night of basketball. I'm Mouth McFadden along with my games partner, Jimmy Edwards. And Jimmy, we're in for a treat tonight." Mouth smiled as he spoke into his recorder. "Who doesn't love a treat, Mouth?" Jimmy asked. "I know I do. S'mores, ice cream, cake."
Haley and Cassie walked by them. "Ah, ladies. Care to speak your thoughts on tonight's game?" Mouth asked as he pointed the recorder into the girl's faces. Cassie chuckled. "You two look like senators."
Jimmy and Mouth gave them pointed looks making the girls laugh more before finding their way to the bench to sit down.
Lucas practiced his shots as everyone waited for Nathan to show up. "Just moments before the stroke of 12:00, and still no Nathan Scott." Mouth spoke. "And the natives are getting restless, Mouth. Judging by the crowd that envelops our booth." Jimmy added as he looked around.
"You don't have a booth." Junk said as he sat down on the bench. "Junk Moreau joins us now. Junk, you care to make a prediction?" Mouth asks.
"Sure, I predict you guys will be the two biggest morons out here." Junk answered, crossing his arms. An engine roared, a car pulling up. "Well, not for long." Cassie sighed causing Haley to laugh.
"And it looks like Nathan Scott has arrived, driven by car right onto the court!" Mouth announced. The crowd cheered Nathan's name as he got out of the passenger's seat, Lenny out of the drivers seat, Peyton out of the back, and Tim out of the back with her.
People tapped Nathan's back as he took of her letterman jacket. People continued to cheer as Tim and Lenny hipped the crowd up. Cassie rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Their acting like he's James Dean."
Lucas tried shooting a basket, the ball hitting off the rim into Nathan's arms.
"Let's go, Nathan!" Tim cheered. "Come on, Nate!" Lenny exclaimed. Nathan threw the ball up, it bouncing near the hoop. Before he could touch the ground again, he carried it up to the basket, dunking the ball in.
He hung on for a second before dropping down. Cassie shook her head with a scoff. "What a show off."
"You wish you could do that, don't you?" Junk asked with a smirk. Cassie sighed. "Maybe."
"Okay, folks, here we go. 15 by ones. Make it, take it. Win by one. And you can feel the intensity in the air." Mouth spoke. Nathan harshly passed the ball to Lucas, the blonde passing it back, before Nathan passed it back a final time.
Lucas tricked him out, pretending he was going to bounce the ball before shooting the ball, it going in the basket. His side of the park cheered, Haley and Cassie holding up their 'Lucas is our #1!' sign as they cheered.
"A 25-footer, rips the silk like Jimmy Edwards in a size three dress." Mouth smiled making Cassie slap the back side of his head. The boys got back into the same position, Lucas yet again, shooting the ball which went easily into the basket.
Nathan was more on edge now, anyone could see as he gave Lucas the ball back with more force. Lucas bounced the ball, crossing over, giving Nathan the opportunity to steal the ball from him.
"Is that all you got, man?" Nathan asked. The brunette dribbled the ball up to the hoop, dunking it into the basket. "This looks to be a battle, Mouth!" Jimmy exclaimed.
Lucas ran down the court, jumping up as he shoot the ball into the basket.
Basket after basket, fakeout after fakeout, it was a close match and it left the teens on the sidelines at the edge of their seats. Nathan dribbled the ball up the court, Lucas behind him. Before shooting the basket, Nathan elbowed Lucas in the face.
The crowd gasped as Lucas fell. Nathan made the basket before turning around, not even acknowledging Lucas. Cassie huffed before walking up to her friend. "You okay?" She asked, rubbing his back. Lucas nodded.
"Everything I said before? About not letting him get to you?" Cassie asked. "As much as I want you to take him by the hair and drag him around like he's a piece of chalk, don't forget about what I said, okay?"
Lucas shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't." He spit out the blood that was sitting in his mouth before standing back up. Cassie squeezed his arm in encouragement before going back to her seat next to Haley.
"He's lucky he's rich." Haley gritted her teeth making Cassie nod.
Lucas walked back up to Nathan, talking the ball to check it off. "No foul. Basket counts." Lucas announced. "Oh, the basket counts. And it's 14-12, game point for Nathan. He could win it all, right here."
Nathan dribbled the ball up to the basket. "Nathan for the win?" Mouth asked. But before the ball could go in, Lucas smacked it causing it to fall off the back board.
Lucas' side cheered, Cassie and Haley jumping up and down as they did. "Hold crap! Did you see that?!" Mouth asked. "Some day, men will write stories about that block. Children will be named after it. Argentinian women will weep for it."
Lucas shot the ball again, it making it into the basket.
"Luke took the basket, and he's down by one." Mouth announced.
"You're down by one, man. Don't choke now." Nathan spat. Lucas went for the shot, luckily it going in like the last time. "Another dagger, and it's all tied up!" Mouth exclaimed. "I think I'm gonna puke." Jimmy said warily.
Lucas sighed in relief as Lenny and Tim cheered for Nathan yet again. "This is it, folks. No going back now. The next basket wins." Mouth said.
Nathan aggressively gave the ball back to Lucas. "He's never mentioned you, man. Not once in all these years." Nathan glared.
Lucas thought back to the conversation he had with Cassie.
"Don't let him change you."
"But what if he gets to me?" Lucas asked. "Remember who your doing this for." Cassie smiled.
"This is for my mom." Lucas glared. The blonde dribbled up the court, pivoting around to trick Nathan before finally stoping, taking his final shot.
"Luke for the win?!" Mouth exclaimed.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, time passing by slower than a snail. Everyone watched as the ball made its way closer and closer to the basket. Finally, the ball made it into the basket, everyone on the blondes side erupting into cheers.
"It's good! Lucas Scott takes it 15-14!" Mouth cheered as Lucas' friends made their way onto the court. He spun Haley and Cassie around as the girls hugged him. "I knew you could do it, Scott!" Cassie exclaimed. The blonde smiled as he looked at the girl. "Not without you."
"And there in bedlam and delirium and felicity for all!" Mouth cheered. Nathan glared at the cheering crowd causing a grin to play it's way onto Cassie's face.
She happily skipped up to her brother and Tim. "Twenty bucks. Each."
She held out her hands as the two sighed, grabbing their wallets before placing money in the girls hands. She laughed as she walked away, giving one of her twenty's to Haley causing both of the girls to laugh even harder.
Lenny sighed before walking up to Lucas, holding his hand out for Lucas to first bump. "Good game, man."
"Is this part of the bet you have with Cass?" Lucas asked as he did it.
"Nah." Lenny shrugged. "Just thought I'd tell you."
Lucas smiled before the Heart boy walked back over to his group, Nathan glaring at him as he did.
'There is a tide, in the affairs of men. Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.'
Back at the Scott house, Nathan walks in with his basket ball in hand, making his way to the stairs. He turned back to his dad. "Don't worry, dad. Your dreams are still safe." Nathan said before walking up the stairs.
'But omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and miseries.'
Lucas walks up to his porch, greeting his waiting mom with a hug before walking inside with her.
'On such a full sea are we now afloat.'
Peyton sat at her computer, staring at her webcam, almost as like she knew who was on the other side watching her. On the other side of town, Lucas sat staring back at her through her website, as he tried to read his book.
'And we must take the current when it serves.'
Lucas walked in the gym, basket ball in hand. A smiling Whitey and a surprised Peyton stared back. Nathan looked at him with a small glare in his eye as the rest of the people just... stared.
'Or lose the ventures before us.'
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