Background Info: This is set in season 1, when Lucas and Brooke are dating. During a party Brooke finds Peyton & Luke together, in a compromising position. Brooke & Lucas had been dating a couple months, and Brooke really fell for him. Peyton is Brooke's best friend but, Brooke is also best friends with Nathan. Nathan has always had a thing for Brooke, that extends beyond their friendship. Nathan and Lucas still hate each other. Haley and Brooke are really good friends, and live together like they did in season 3. Haley and Lucas are best friends. Peyton and Nathan dated casually, but never anything serious, and are still friends.
"Save You"
Brooke Davis lounged in her roommate Haley's beat up orange Laz-A-Boy lounger. She would never have allowed Haley to bring it inside the apartment, but Brooke had a weak spot for her roommate. It clashed with everything else in the room, but the comfort factor was good. Plus she could never really say no to Haley without feeling bad. It was kind of ironic that they were such good friends, considering Haley had hated Brooke when she'd first met her. And Brooke had to admit she hadn't really been fond of Haley either. But, she'd proved a much better friend than Peyton had ever been. Brooke was emotionally and physically exhausted, from crying and watching Lifetime all night, until the sun peeked through the blinds. She plunged her spoon into the pint-sized tub of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Chunk her favorite break-up remedy, and forced herself to remember.
The night before had been such a nightmare that part of her still wasn't convinced it ever even happened. She just couldn't believe that two people she thought she knew, could hurt her so deeply. Their betrayal had been so open and so public, leaving her standing there feeling humiliated. They may not have meant for it to happen the way it did, but that didn't make all the hurt go away.
"Haley!" Brooke's raspy voice filled the silent apartment. She was still in her white tank top and pink juicy couture sweats that she'd slept in the night before. Her long auburn hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and her normally made-up face, was completely make-up less. "What are you doing in there?" Brooke got up, placing the half empty carton of ice cream on the cluttered coffee table.
"I swear if you're doing anything kinky on my b-." Brooke stopped midsentence as the doorbell rang, interrupting her. She walked over to the door swinging it open to reveal her best friend, Nathan Scott.
"Natie!" She squealed, running into his arms. He was dressed in his regular workout ensemble, a white t-shirt with black gym shorts. He wrapped his toned arms around her, as she breathed in his scent.
"How are you doing Brooke?" He looked at her with such seriousness that it startled her. His blue eyes locked with hers and she knew he knew.
"Well, I've been eating myself into an ice cream coma ." Brooke pranced over to the coffee table, displaying the numerous cartons of ice cream. "And I've got-."
"Brooke." He cut her off, sliding onto one of the metal stools that lined the island in the kitchen. He knew she was trying to act normal, but he knew her almost as good as she knew herself. Damn Lucas for hurting her.
"Nate, I'm fine. I love you for caring, I really do… But, maybe you could call next time before you come. That way you won't have to see me looking like this." Brooke flashed him a smile, slipping onto the stool next to his.
"You look fine Brooke, and you know it." Nathan grinned at her, playing with the fruit sitting in a basket on the counter. "Besides, I was just jogging and happened to run past your apartment. "
"Uh-huh." Brooke smiled, wrapping her legs around his. "So how'd you hear?"
"Word of mouth, I guess. But, I can't say I was surprised." Nathan looked at Brooke, watching for any sort of emotion to flicker across her face. There was none.
"I wish I could say the same. I just thought he was the one, you know Nate?" Brooke glanced up at him, "I know it's stupid. It was just different with him, I've never felt that way with anyone else."
Nathan inwardly cringed. There was no way he was telling her how he really felt now. "Not to change the subject, but there was an ulterior motive for me stopping by."
"Like I didn't already know that."
"I wanted to make sure your still coming to the Raven's party tonight. I have to play and you know I never play as good, when you're not cheering for me."
"Well I guess a Raven's party wouldn't be the same without the Raven's hottest cheerleader there." Brooke grinned.
"So you'll make an appearance." Nathan mused, "Because I wouldn't want to have to hold you responsible for single-handedly messing up the game."
"I'll make an appearance." Brooke agreed.
"Hey…Nathan." Haley emerged from the bedroom, a mask of toothpaste covering her face. She was in her hello kitty pajama shorts and a white tank top, her reddish brown hair covered in a white bath towel.
"What's up?" Nathan nodded his head at her. He detangled his legs from Brooke's and picked up his gym bag, "I was just leaving. See you guys at school."
"Bye Nate." Brooke said watching him leave, the apartment door slamming shut behind him.
"I thought we had a no boys before nine rule." Haley grumbled, breaking Brooke's trance. Haley pulled out two bowls, filling them each with Captain Crunch. She dumped half the container of milk into the first bowl, and emptied the rest into second. Then she slid the bowl toward Brooke, spilling half of the bowl over the counter.
"Someone's grouchy. And really, when you think about it that someone should be me. Unless your best friend slept with your boyfriend. Which, considering you don't have a boyfriend, isn't possible. So lay off the attitude."
"Sorry, I guess waking up, walking into the kitchen to find the Raven's seriously hot basketball star in the kitchen, while I'm wearing a toothpaste mask, and Hello Kitty pajamas didn't really help. "
Brooke giggled, as Haley passed her one of the bowls of cereal. "Fine, truce."
"Truce." Haley smiled, dumping sugar into her cereal bowl. "So what was up with that anyways?"
"Nathan? He was just checking up on me."
"Checking you out is more like it."
"Haley! Nathan and I have been friends since we were twelve. He's the only platonic relationship I've ever had with a guy. "
"If you say so." Haley raised her eyebrows. "I mean, I don't play footsie with Luke."
"Insensitive, much?" Brooke said, glaring at her from across the island.
"Sorry. I guess I just woke up in on the wrong side of the bed." Haley pressed the button on the coffee machine, brewing a fresh pot of coffee. "I'm staying out of the whole he-she-you love triangle. Not that I don't think what they did was wrong, because I do. It's just he's my best friend, and you're really important to me Brooke. I really don't want to have to take sides."
"But that doesn't mean you can't hate Peyton with me."
"Coffee, sunshine?" Haley laughed, turning the machine off.
Brooke nodded. "There's no way I'm going to get through this day without my usual caffeine fix. Times two."