Secrets//Jake Jagielski

~1~

Brighid slowly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to be met by her father who seemed too cheerful at 7 in the morning.

"Good morning" he beamed sipping on his coffee. A newspaper was in the other hand propped up.

"Morning" she mumbled.

"Come on Brig, be happy it's the beginning of the basketball season" Dan lectured putting down his newspaper he had been 'reading'.

"Super excited" Brighid sarcastically responded closing the fridge door and turning to face her father. "Who wouldn't be happy returning to school three months in after going to "basketball camp" only to come back and want to do cheerleading"

"Hey, we made that decision. Not just me, we all did. Now go get ready for school" Dan snapped. Brighid turned on her heel, her arms crossed against her chest.

"Woah, why aren't we happy? It's the beginning of basketball season" Nathan said as he entered the kitchen grabbing a water from the fridge.

"See Brig, be more like your brother"

"Yes, dad, cause we can't be unique in this house. Maybe we should be happy I placed up a grade higher? Oh no I forgot sports precedent academics and grades" Brighid sassed.

"Dressed now!" Dan shouted before talking with Nate about the game coming up this Friday.

Brighid rolled her eyes as she walked down the hallway and up the stairs to her room to get dressed.

She shuffled through her closet and drawers before settling on some jeans and a tank top. She threw her bag over her shoulder and rushed down the stairs. Nathan and her father were waiting by the door talking about basketball, shocking.

"Come on" Dan said ushering the two kids out of the house.

Brighid sat nervously in the back of the car. She had asked Nathan if people were talking about her but he tried to reassure her no one was. Brighid, however, didn't believe that.

"Have fun you two" Dan called out from the rolled down window as Nathan and Brighid walked onto the sidewalk of the school. Nathan waved back and Brighid just ignored her dad.

She was still mad at him.

"You'll be fine" Nathan said placing a hand on her arm before walking towards his friends. She let out a deep breath before walking into the school.

As she headed to her locker she could feel all eyes on her.

"Brighid, hey" Peyton cheerfully said wrapping her arm around Brighid's. She was taken back by her cheerfulness, Peyton and her weren't exactly best friends.

"Nathan asked me to make you feel comfortable. Plus we have English together this year. Such a smarty pants" Peyton said picking up on Brighid's confused face.

Brighid weakly smiled. Peyton was nice and all but was far from her friend. When Peyton was over, hanging out with Nathan she couldn't understand how her and Brooke were so close. She was the exact of the two of them. Far from materialistic, into grunge music and drawing art.

"So heard your cheering this year instead of basketball. It will be fun. We can get ready at Brooke's together or at your house" Peyton rambled on as they walked into the classroom together.

"Yeah fun" Brighid muttered back before heading to a seat in the back row. She was hoping to be invisible for as long as possible. As she unloaded her books onto the desk a person clearing their throat caused her to look up.

"That's my seat" the blonde shaggy hair boy said pointing to the desk she was in. It was none other than her half brother Lucas Scott.

"Sorry" she muttered quickly scooping the books into her arm and moving up a seat. She huffed quietly knowing she was already off to a bad start.