Rachel Gattina tightened her Ravens sweatshirt around herself. It was fitting a little snugger lately, what with having to fit her six month pregnant belly inside of it.
She could feel the other students eyes on her as she walked down the corridor, thinking the usual. That she was just some dumb cheerleader who'd been knocked up by the star player of the basketball team. Their whispers followed her all the way until she reached a nearby classroom where she knew her best friend, Brooke Davis would be. Brooke was incredibly protective and Rachel always felt safer when she was around.
"I'm afraid that if you don't raise your GPA within the next three months, you'll have to repeat your senior year, Miss Davis," Principal Turner was informing Brooke. Rachel leant comfortably against the doorframe and felt some of her back pain lessen. Only a little though.
"What? I can't repeat my senior year, I'll be a laughing stock, and I have a contract with Victoria's Secret to uphold," Brooke exclaimed "How would that look on my CV?"
"Perhaps you should tell Victoria that you need at least a 3.2 GPA or I intend to fail you for this semester," Principal Turner replied, leaning back in his chair.
"One, Victoria's Secret is a company, and two, I thought I already had a 3.2 GPA!" Brooke complained.
"Actually, since you flunked calculus, it brought down you're entire average," Rachel piped up from the doorway "Can we wrap this up and go home, Brooke? I can feel back pain coming on."
"The only reason I was flunking calculus was because I missed that damn test, because you passed out and I had to take you to the hospital," Brooke retorted "So this is basically all your fault!"
"Now Miss. Davis, for once Miss. Gattina is right."
"I am?"
"I think you should both return home, Miss. Davis to study. Miss. Gattina," he looked her up and down "Perhaps you should take a nap."
"My thoughts exactly," Rachel smiled "Come on Brooke," she reached for her best friends arm and began to pull her out of the office.
"But Principal Turner!" Brooke called.
"Goodbye Brooke," he waved, slamming the door firmly in her face.
--
"What?" Rachel sat up in bed and pushed her hair off of her shoulders. She'd only managed to sleep for ten minutes so far, what with Brooke leaving for work and all. And to top it off now someone was at the door. She stepped gingerly out of bed and walked over, tugging the door open. "Nathan," she smiled.
"Hey honey," he looped an arm underneath her arm and supported her back over to the bed.
"Worse back pain ever today," she groaned, lowering herself down onto the bed.
"I know," he rubbed her lower back soothingly in circles with his warm hands."I've missed you," she smiled, closing her eyes slightly.
"I can tell," he kissed the little strip of skin in between her chin and her neck that he knew she loved "Where's Brooke?"
"She decided to go to work," Rachel replied "I think she was getting tired of listening to the pregnant woman moaning."
Nathan smirked mischievously "Oh, but I love it when the pregnant woman moans."
"Look I know your sex drive is extra high when your pregnant, but please," Brooke suddenly appeared in the bedroom doorway and began rifling through some drawers.
"Sorry," Rachel apologized, leaning against Nathan "What have you lost?"
"I forgot some new designs I came up with last night," she looked up to smile at Rachel "You inspired me to make a maternity line."
"I'd better get some credit for that," she grinned, twisting a strand of dark red hair around her finger.
"How about modeling them?"
"Sure, I'd love to," she glanced at Nathan "Once I've got my figure back of course."
"What do you mean, back?" Nathan kissed her neck affectionately and she couldn't help but giggle slightly.
"Awww," Brooke stuck her fingers into her throat "Could you two be any more married than if you actually were?"
"Haven't you got things to be doing?" Rachel enquired, flicking her eyes towards to door, signaling Brooke to leave.
Brooke comprehended. "I probably won't be back till late, don't wait up for me," Brooke waved goodbye, leaving the threshold.
"So, what was that you were saying about my figure?" Rachel asked, as Nathan rolled on top of her and she giggled.
--
Brooke dropped her car keys into her bag and took a seat at her work bench.
"Cute designs," her model, Melody, commented "Designing for yourself are we?"
"It's maternity wear," Brooke deadpanned "and my best friend's expecting."
"Slight problem," Melody squinted "I'm not, how am I going to fill those clothes?"
"You aren't, Rachel is," Brooke responded, scribbling something down onto a note pad "So there's no point in coming in next week."
"But-"
"No buts Melody, you work for me remember?"
"So you're best friend, who has never modeled in her life, is going to run the catwalk?" Melody enquired, frowning.Brooke opened a drawer and pulled out a MAXIM magazine, pointing to the redhead that was posing provocatively on the cover, she spoke "That's Rachel."
"Oh…" Melody turned around "I'll go change into the stuff you wanted me to try on."
"You do that," Brooke muttered when the model was out of ear shot.
Setting the pieces of paper down on the table in front of her, Brooke began to plan the amount of fabric, thread and time that she would need to create this line.
"Brooke Davis," suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, spinning her round.
"How did you know it was me?" she enquired, looking up into her ex-boyfriend Nick Trent's eyes."I'd recognize that ass anywhere," he responded, smirking.
And in that moment, Brooke remembered why they'd broken up.
"Get off me," she shrugged his arms away and turned back to her work, arranging dresses on a clothes rack.
"Come on babe, don't be like that," he complained "Let's go out somewhere and celebrate."
"Celebrate what? Did you finally find your penis?"
"Funny bunny," he cooed.
"In case you haven't realized, I'm working right now," Brooke scowled "So do me a favor and leave Nick."
"I'm back," Melody sung, she was wearing a red dress that was split down to her navel.
"Hey," Nick stepped forward, not tearing his eyes away from her ample cleavage.
Brooke rolled her eyes "That's just so typical of you," she laughed snidely "Now leave, before I have to call security."
"Okay, I'm leaving," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper "For you," he said, handing it to Melody.
"Is that your number," Brooke hissed snatching it away from her model "I don't need you corrupting my employees."
"So that's what they call it these days," he grinned "Bye sexy," he looked from Brooke then to Melody, neither girl knew who he was talking to.
"Good riddance," Brooke grumbled, returning to her work.
--
"So Nick turned up last night, out of the blue, acting like he totally hadn't cheated on me and then started flirting with my skinny ass model!" Brooke complained to Rachel as they walked down the school hallway the next morning.
"Brooke, please remember that skinny is a word not to be used around my big-as-a-house body," Rachel replied, resting a hand on her baby bump self-consciously.
"I'm sorry," Brooke apologized "But she called me fat!"
"Nick probably only likes her because she was wearing next to nothing," Rachel said, flicking her long red hair over her shoulder "Am I right?"
"She was wearing one of my creations, of course she was wearing next to nothing!"
"Right…" Rachel glanced up to spot Lucas and Peyton making out up against the lockers "To your right, possibly the couple closest to incest."
"I know! Brother and sister much?" Brooke hissed under her breath as they passed them.
"I mean, I love Luke and he's gonna be my baby's uncle, but Aunt Peyton?" Rachel shook her head "It's just wrong."
"Don't look at me," Brooke held her hands up "I'm done with Lucas."
"Well," Rachel stopped her walking "You might not be able to be.""What do you mean," Brooke cocked a perfectly tweezed eyebrow "Are you saying…"
"I'm saying that Nathan wants Lucas to be Godfather," Rachel grinned shyly "And I want you to be Godmother."
"Ooh!" Brooke hugged her best friend tightly "Yes! That's so sweet Rach!"
Lucas and Peyton eyed her suspiciously and she returned it with a glare.
"What are you cousins looking at?" Rachel hissed, linking Brooke's arm as they headed down to their classroom.