Brooke's POV
Tree Hill High School, Cafeteria
"I'm going to fail and eventually have to leave high school!"
"Show me your test! It can't be that bad."
I handed my best friend Haley my math test so she could see for herself what a loser I was. From her expression, I could tell she was as shocked by the result as I was.
"Wow, a 'D'. I can't remember that you ever had been that bad."
She was right. I couldn't remember either. Or, wait! That wasn't true. I had bad grades in scientific subjects before and almost had left school. But that was a few years ago, and this time it looked very bad for me. I had to come up with something. Just what? As if Haley could read my mind, she sighed suddenly.
"It doesn't work like that, Brooke Davis! We have to do something about it."
I knew it. We were not only best friends but also soulmates. "I want to become a famous fashion designer in the future. What do I need math for then?"
"I could list a whole bunch of things you need math for. Imagine, you want to bake a cake and don't even know how to calculate the quantities correctly. Or you go shopping and have to calculate, for example, if the amount the cashier has given you back is correct."
"Are you serious? You really recount the money?" I blurted out and immediately regretted it. Of course she did it. She was really picky about things like that.
"I've got an idea!"
She jumped up from her chair and grabbed my arms. From the glow in her eyes, I could see that she had apparently just found a solution to my problem.
"Brooke, that's it! You need tutoring lessons!"
I already hated the lessons in class. Now I should also sacrifice my free time for this torture? I shook my head determinedly. "I'm not taking any!"
"Why not? You know how important a good school education is. Especially if you want to have a good job later."
"You sound like my mother." I rolled my eyes. But secretly I knew she was right. I had to do something if I didn't want to fail this year. "All right," I sighed. "When do you have time to tutor me?"
"Me?!"
The astonishment in her face wasn't feigned. I could tell that. "Yeah sure, who else?"
"I would love to help you, but I already have five students, to whom I give tutoring lessons. That's why I have hardly any free time. Nathan complains that I don't have time for him anymore."
Nathan was her boyfriend. In fact, unlike Haley, I never had a real relationship. It was hard for me to commit to only one guy. Besides, I was still young and wanted to enjoy my life, which had given me the reputation of the 'high school slut'. But I didn't care. Let them talk. It was an illusion to believe that you could find 'the one' at the age of 16 or 17. Unless your name was Haley. She and Nathan were inseparable. And funnily, they had fallen in love when she had given him tutoring lessons. Speaking of tutoring...
"Why did you suggest that I take tutoring lessons?" I resumed the topic again. "If not you, who should teach me?"
"Look over there!"
I followed her finger as she pointed to one of the tables at the far end of the cafeteria. The table where the 'geeks' sat, as we called them. The computer freaks and nerds. They had only the best grades in all school subjects, but practically no free time. Perhaps one of the reasons why they have never participated in any sporting activities. Or better, no activities at all outside school. They practically lived like a shadow next to us normal high school students. Unobtrusive, invisible and in their own world.
"Have you lost your mind?" I exclaimed and saw Haley pouting her mouth.
"I think that's the solution to all your problems."
"Then I'd rather leave school before I go to one of those and make a fool of myself!" I shook my head so hard that my brown curls flew around my head.
"They are really okay, if you get to know them better."
"Who says that?" I asked suspiciously.
"Peyton."
Haley's expression clearly showed me how difficult it was for her to bring the conversation to my former best friend. Emphasizing on the former, because Peyton and I had been good friends for a very long time, before my 'best' friend had snatched my boyfriend away, for which I would hate her for all eternity!
"I'm sorry, Brooke! I shouldn't have mentioned Peyton."
I was a little sorry for her, because Haley was standing between Peyton and me and actually wanted to be friends with both of us. But sometimes things were just too complicated to be simple. I had kept my eyes on the 'geek' table all the time, and saw now one by one getting up from the chair and leaving the cafeteria. All but one, who had dipped his nose deep in a book and was shoveling his food into his mouth almost mechanically. "Okay, I'll do it!" I don't know why I suddenly changed my mind, but something almost magnetically dragged me to the boy with the book.
"Brooke, wait!"
Haley ran after me, and I turned to her. "Do you think I can't do it alone?"
"You forgot that."
She handed me the math test I left on the table.
"This is a good start for a conversation. Just show him your grade."
"Yeah, he'll probably give me some lessons for pity," I said, rolling my eyes.
"You can do this! We meet in classroom."
She smiled reassuringly at me, and I made my way to the table, noticing that I was gradually getting more and more nervous. I had almost reached the table when he raised his head and our eyes met. My first thought was that he had really beautiful dark brown eyes. Eyes that now looked at me startled and confused. I mustered all my courage and put my math test on the table right in front of him.
"I hear you're such a math genius," I started, trying to understand why he still looked at me like a timid deer. "And since I'm really bad at the moment and maybe even flung out of school, I thought you might be able to help me."
"I... um..."
I noticed his hand tremble slightly as he ran it through his thick, brown hair. Not exactly the reaction I expected. But what did I expect? I knew that the 'geeks' were all worldly innocent and had little contact with us 'normal'. So probably my direct nature had just scared him and he didn't know what to answer. But maybe I just started it all wrong. I put on my brightest smile and held out my hand to him.
"Brooke Davis."
"Yes, I know. The name is on top of your test."
He smiled at me and I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach. What a smile! I could only stare at him and barely noticed him taking my hand and squeezing.
"Julian Norris."
I turned and saw Haley, who was standing a few feet away with a big smile and probably watched us the whole time. Having come this far, I also had to take the next step. I took a free seat next to Julian and tapped my finger on the test.
"Okay, since we clarified that. Can you help me?"