Author's Note: This story is a little something that popped into my head one night as I thought about New Year's Eve. Keep an open mind, it's going to be really different. Please review and leave me your thoughts. I'd really appreciate some feedback.

Oh, and I don't own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

Three-Hundred and Sixty-Five

- Prologue -

December 30th, 2006.

It was the night before New Year's Eve and Brooke wasn't out shopping for the perfect New Year's Eve dress or browsing through the latest hairstyle magazines for the hottest up-do. Instead, she was in her room doing what she had been doing night after night for weeks now: thinking.

2006. Another year had passed, and consequently Brooke had ended up with less than she began with three hundred and sixty five days ago. Sitting by herself in her room, she was reminded of how alone she truly felt. This year had been unrelenting to her emotions, leaving her quite battered psychologically. Peyton, her best friend since they were in diapers, had betrayed their friendship by harboring secret feelings of love for her boyfriend, Lucas. Even though she was in love with Lucas, Peyton was truly the one who truly broke her heart. Hoes over Bros, Brooke always said. She meant it, but by lying, Peyton had destroyed her faith in the friendship they once she shared. She thought she could trust her, but trust was a funny thing. She should've been able to trust her boyfriend as well, though running off to Peyton's every beck and call showed where his loyalty—and his heart—truly fell. He might've told her he loved her, but he never seemed to show her. He would've much rather protected Peyton's feelings than her own, and even weeks later, the entire situation still made her feel nauseous, made her heart to race with rage and sadness. He said he loved her, so what had happened? And where were the two people in the whole world who should've been there loving her all along and helping her through this? Her parents had been absent from her life for longer than she cared to consider. They might've been living with her, but they weren't aware of her presence and never bothered themselves to get to know her. 2006 was also the year Brooke officially moved out on her own. Due to job opportunities, her parents moved California and didn't bat an eyelash when she said she was going to move back home to Tree Hill. They probably didn't even notice, she thought, and another little piece of her died. To Brooke, 2006 could be summed up into one word: disappointment. She was so sick of being set-up for disappointment. She knew her heart couldn't take any more—it would surely break. She couldn't even look herself in the mirror without feeling such intense pain and confusion as to how things go to be this way, so instead of driving into town and spending money on an overly priced designer dress she was going to be responsible and attempt take control of her life. She was going to make this year count. Setting rules for herself seemed like the only way to change the unfortunate hand fate had dealt her these last few months. She never lived by the rules, and look what that had gotten her, only loneliness. In every way that mattered, she was alone and ready for a change—a drastic one at that. She was going to force herself to sit on her bed and write down three resolutions for the New Year, even if it killed her.

New Year's Resolutions, Brooke scribbled quickly on a crisp piece of paper. Her sparkly hot pink gel pen glided across the page with ease leaving behind a trail of loopy handwriting, as she made sure to put a heart above the letter "I", she stared at the paper. Biting on her lip, she paused, raising her pen from the page hesitantly. Taking an extended moment to think, her mind wandered to her empty nightstand where she once had several pictures of her and Peyton smiling happily into the camera. In place of them was stack of magazines. Setting her notebook down, Brooke leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled out a large shoebox which she was sure had belonged to Lucas at one point. Pulling it up onto the bed, Brooke lifted the cover. Reaching inside and pulling out a handful of pictures, she smiled faintly. The box held hundreds of pictures—hundreds of memories. All of them were shots of her and Peyton throughout their many years of friendship. She didn't have the heart to burn them. Even when she was beyond furious she hadn't been able to look at these pictures in months, and in all honesty she didn't realize how profoundly they'd impacted her.

Picking up one of her very favorites, she examined it slowly as she took in every last detail, even though she already had it memorized. It was taken on their first day of grade school. Peyton's blonde curls blew carelessly in the wind, while Brooke's dark locks were in two pigtails with pink bows tied around them. The two of them were holding hands and waiving happily into the camera. Their toothless smiles and short stature were reflections of their futures. Remembering that day, Brooke knew she wouldn't have gotten through it without Peyton. Brooke had been beyond frightened and worried about what the other kids would think about her. Her high self-esteem and unbreakable exterior hadn't always been a part of who she was. For a long time she had considered herself clumsy and awkward, but that never stopped Peyton from standing by her. She had held Brooke's hand and reassured her everything was going to be okay. She had been her family and her only support system.

Setting it aside, her eyes fell upon another. Laughing softly, she grazed her thumb across it. Two young girls, not a day past ten, their heads poking out of a home-made tent. An unsteady fortress of old blankets and worn out sheets shielded them from the world. A large pile of pillows served as further protection. Brooke recalled many instances where she and Peyton would hide from the world. It was always the two of them, together.

Now, looking at these pictures only left her with a bad taste in her mouth. She had hoped time would've healed her wounds, but it hadn't. She still felt betrayed, angry and hurt, even after time had passed. Reluctantly, Brooke placed the cover back on the box and slid it under the bed. 1) I will be able to have pictures of Peyton on my nightstand again. Short but sweet. Brooke knew if she got to the point where she could stand to have pictures of Peyton be the last thing she saw at night, and not feel like throwing the picture across the room, she'd made headway. In reality, that's what she wanted most—her best friend. She wasn't sure if it was even possible, but she had to try again.

Lies, Brooke thought to herself. Unfortunately, the first thing to come to mind was Lucas. He had lied to her many times during their relationship, but the only thing Brooke knew he was right about was how he was the guy for her. Even though he had lied cheated and broken her heart twice, she still loved him. Even to this day, the first thought that crossed her mind when she opened her eyes was Lucas. Reaching behind her pillow, Brooke pulled out Lucas' hoodie. She adored the worn-out sweatshirt. It was the only piece of Lucas she had left. Holding the material to her chest, she closed her eyes. Memories of the two of them together flashed before her eyes. Not that it was hard for her to remember all of the good times she and Lucas had shared. For whatever reason, one moment in particular crossed her mind. It seemed like just yesterday.

Slowly creeping into her bedroom, Lucas tried to be as quiet as he possibly could.

"I see it" Brooke called out to Lucas. Even though her back was to him, she called him on it. "It" being a two-shaded-pink bag, a bag that could only be from Victoria's Secret.

"Oh man! How do you DO that?!" Lucas laughed, throwing his hands in the air, the lingerie bag dangling from his fingers.

"Boyfriend, I keep Vicki's in business!" Brooke laughed. "Now let me see what you picked out for me!" Snatching the bag from his grasp, she jumped onto her bed and quickly threw aside the tissue paper that hid her gift. Pulling out a lacy red pair of boy shorts, Brooke pouted slightly. "No matching bra?

Laughing out loud, Lucas sat down next to her. "I liked the thought of you in JUST these…"

Brooke grinned, realizing he was right on the money. "Boyfriend, I taught you well."

Opening her eyes and snapping back into reality, Brooke realized what her second resolution had to be. 2) I will give Lucas his hoodie back. It seemed like an easy enough task, but Brooke knew it would be difficult and extremely painful for her. She would have to give him back the only piece of him she still possessed, which meant letting go of the past and moving on with the future. She had to hold on to the hope that Lucas was right, that he was the guy for her.

Casually flipping to the front of her notebook, a bright red envelope fell from its pages. Brooke's name and address was neatly written across the front, and in the upper left hand corner was a return address from California. Taking a deep breath and slowly sliding her finger underneath the seal, Brooke pulled out a Christmas card. A rather large stack of twenty-dollar bills cascaded into her lap. Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad. No personal greeting, no "Love", no "Please come home, Brooke". Cursing herself for not trusting her intuition to not open the card in the first place, Brooke sighed, tore it up and crinkled it into a giant ball. Throwing it into her trashcan, she wondered what she had ever done to deserve parents like hers, parents who didn't care about their child. Brooke could only assume they were disappointed in her and that was devastating. Allowing a few tears to fall from her eyes, Brooke quickly wiped her eyes and pulled herself together. 3) I will be the person I know I can be—a daughter any parents would be proud to call their own. Even if her own parents weren't proud of her, she was going to strive to make herself proud.

Brooke smiled, feeling satisfied with her resolutions. Closing her notebook and setting it on her nightstand, she smoothed out her nightgown and set her alarm for the following morning. She had promised to help Rachel with the last minute touches for her New Year's Eve party tomorrow at eight. As if working on this party all week hasn't been enough. Now I'm going to lose beauty sleep over it before the big day. She owes me. Brooke cursed Rachel silently as she flipped her nightlight off and flopped down into bed. Pulling her comforter tightly around her body, Brooke said a silent prayer before drifting off to sleep: Here's to hoping 2007 is an improvement on 2006.