⚠️ Mentions of ED behaviours ⚠️

It was currently six in the morning and Tara was getting ready for school, she always got up an hour earlier than her brothers, she wandered over to the mirror to look over her outfit which consisted of a cropped white muscle tee and some shorts. Her face dropped and her stomach sank as she looked at her thighs.

Tara's hands drifted down to her thighs and squeezed them feeling the fat on them, she once again sighed and quickly took off her shorts before wandering off to her dresser and saw duct tape on the top of it, she grabbed it and wandered back over to the mirror and paused before she began to unravel the tape and wrap it around her thighs, her eyes beginning to sting with tears with every wrap of duct tape that wrapped around her thighs.

When she was done, she stood in front of the mirror and smiled with watery eyes, when the fat on her thighs lessened, she nodded before she began to get dressed for the day.

⎯

Lucas jumped abruptly, when his locker was slammed shut and he looked and saw a pissed off Peyton standing there.

" Who do you think you are? " Peyton glared at him.

" Someone you're pissed at? " Lucas raised an eye.

" you submitted my sketches to thud magazine " the blonde snapped.

" And they like them didn't they? " Lucas replied.

" If I wanted you help I would have asked for it ".

" Hey girl " Brooke smiled at Peyton before looking at Lucas sheepishly, who was opening his locker " Hey, you didn't happen to find my um...." She trailed off and stopped, when Lucas held her Leppard print bra up to her.

Tara whistled as she walked up to them " Do I even what to know? " she laughed at them.

" Thank you gorgeous " Brooke smiled and pulled Tara with her and Peyton follows them.

" Whatcha got there? " Tara said with a teasing smile.

" What? " Brooke smiled.

" You know, what......that's the Brooke Davis leopard bra that things like a welcome mat " Peyton added in." Anyways, I heard you were naked in his car ".

" No....I was particularly naked " Brooke defended " At one point I had mittens on 'cause it was cold...oh did you see—-" Brooke trailed off reaching into her bag.

" Okay, okay......focus, B.....you were partially naked in his car then what happened? " Tara asked bringing Brooke's focus back to the discussion at hand.

" Well, then nothing " Brooke said as she smiled " he was really sweet, he drove me home said ' goodnight ' waited till I got inside ".

Which cause Peyton and Tara to stop and look at her.

" He's got to be gay " Tara scoffed with a laugh.

" No, he's just nice " Brooke told her.

" No guy is ever that nice....unless they're gay ". 

" Well he's different " Brooke shrugged and her smile widened " anyways, it's gonna be so great when he sleeps with me ".

Her two best friends laughed before following her.

⎯

" so, how's your Lucas quest going? " Tara asked Brooke, who was getting waxed as she flipped through a magazine.

" Fine " Brooke replied before yelling in pain, when a wax strip was ripped off and she held a hand towards her best friend " ow, hand ".

Tara held her hand out to Brooke, who grabbed it without looking away from the magazine she was reading.

" so, why are you being so persistent with this one? I mean normally, you would've moved on by now " Tara asked with curiosity in her voice.

" Why? Are you jealous? " her friend questioned.

" No ".

" Do you like him? " Brooke looked at her best friend.

" No.....besides even if I did....I would never go for him....girl code " Tara shrugged.

" And I love you for that " Brooke smiled at her best before yelling in pain again.

⎯

Tara pulled up to the river court and got out the car to see Lucas scrubbing spray paint off the backboard of the basketball.

" Hey......I'm sorry about this " Tara said sheepishly as she walked up to him.

" Why are you apologising for him? " Lucas asked as he jumped down from the ladder.

" I don't know......he's my best friend has been since we were in the 2nd grade but don't think I'm defending his actions 'cause I'm not " Tara shrugged.

Lucas nodded.

" Okay....." Tara sighed and began to pick up the rubbish on the ground.

" What are you doing? " Lucas asked confused.

" What does it look like? Helping " Tara shrugged.

Lucas smiled softly at her, she was different from anyone he'd ever known.