Author: Aries21101
Title: California Dreams (Title may change)
Summary: Brooke and Peyton set out to California the day after graduation with nothing but their dreams and every last penny they had. Upon moving into their run down apartment they meet their new neighbors, Nathan and Lucas Scott aspiring basketball players. They will encounter love, life drama, and the reality of living on your own.
Couples: Brathan and Leyton!
Brooke Penelope Davis and Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, the definition of best friends forever, buds over studs, hoes over bros. They have survived two dead moms, three absentee parents, a drug addiction, cheating boyfriends, and the pain of losing your best friend to a cocky wannabe rock star. That is why the day after graduation they set out to California to pursue their dreams of becoming a fashion designer and an artist and to escape the pain and drama of Tree Hill. Sure it was a little cliché, ok it was a lot cliché. They left with nothing but their dreams and every last penny they withdrew from their saving accounts. They both knew that it was going to be a challenge to leave their cushy lives of Tree Hill
"To live in a run down crap hole of an apartment." Brooke said, as she looked around her new home which consisted of a living room with a small kitchen off to the side. There was a narrow hallway that had two bedrooms and a bathroom.
"So it needs a little work." Peyton said trying to sound optimistic. The apartment had water stains on the wall and ceilings. There was dust and mold everywhere. It smelled of mothballs and mildew. The paint on the walls and windows were chipped. The wood floor creaked when it was walked on. The pipes were rusted in the bathroom and kitchen.
"It needs more then a little work." Brooke said letting her bags fall from her shoulders. "You know Peyton all I have to do is make one call to my parents and we will be living in a penthouse with an awesome view instead of a view of a brick wall." Brooke said pointing out the window.
"No Way! Brooke we decided to do this on our own. No parents." Peyton scolded. She threw one of her bags on the old couch. Dust flew up and made her sneeze. Brooke crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow at her friend.
"We will clean the place up, paint, get some new furniture and this place will be as good as new." Peyton said. Brooke sighed and picked her bags back up.
"Fine but I get first dibs on the rooms." Brooke said walking down the hallway to check out the room situation.
"I will go get the rest of the bags." Peyton walked down the four flights of stairs and to her car that was parked on the side of the road. She looked the six bags that were left sitting. She only wanted to make one trip back up. She balanced the six bags on her body and slowly made her way back to the apartment. Peyton was half way up when she felt a bag start to slip from her fingers.
"Oh no! Don't do that!" She pleaded with the bag. With one slip the bag fell from her hand. "Oh shit." She grumbled. Peyton swung around to come within inches of a pair of icy blue eyes.
"Hi." He said with a smile.
"Hey." She said back.
"Is this your bag that almost hit me in the head." He said with a laugh holding up the bag.
"Yeah that's mine. Well actually it's not mine it's my roommates Brooke's but she is claiming her room so I get stuck with carrying the bags and I'm rambling." Peyton said flustered by the man standing in front of her.
"Let me help you carry those." The mystery said taking two more bags.
"Thanks. My apartment is on the fourth floor." Peyton said leading the way.
"So is mine." He said from behind her. They stopped in front of her open apartment.
"This is me." She said gesturing to the open doorway.
"Really? That is me." He pointed two doors down across the hall. Peyton made a face to show she was interested.
"Well thanks for the help." She said appreciative.
"Let me help you bring them in." He let himself into the apartment before Peyton could answer him.
"Just set them anywhere." She instructed.
"This looks like how my apartment used to look before my brother Nathan and I fixed it up." He said looking around.
"Yeah Brooke and I plan on fixing it up. I'm Peyton by the way." She said extending her hand.
"Lucas." He said shaking it.
"Thanks for the help Lucas."
"It was my pleasure Peyton. If you need anything else you know where I live." Lucas gave her a smile before making his way out of the apartment. Peyton stood there smirking at herself before running to find Brooke. She swung into the only room that was open to see Brooke standing on her bed holding a hairbrush. She looked like a bounty hunter ready to attack at any moment.
"What are you doing?" Peyton asked not moving.
"Sshh." Brooke hushed.
"Brooke…" Peyton started and turned to see a mouse standing in the open closet. She screamed and scurried on the bed with Brooke. Peyton's screaming had scared the mouse that took off.
"It's getting away!" Brooke screamed running in place. She hit Peyton in the arm with her hairbrush.
"Ow! What was that for?" Peyton shrieked rubbing her arm.
"For scaring off the mouse. Now we will never find it and it will eat off my face in my sleep." Brooke cried. Peyton let out a cry of frustration. The girls carefully made there way off the bed. The sound of little running feet made them jump back on the bed.
"Is everything alright?" Someone yelled from the living room.
"Uh yeah everything is fine." Peyton yelled back.
"No everything is not fine we have a mouse in our apartment!" Brooke yelled out. They heard footstep make their way to the room. Lucas peeked his head into the room.
"Your scared of a mouse?" He joked leaning on the doorframe.
"It is not funny." Peyton pouted. "There it is!" She screamed pointing behind Lucas. He turned to see the mouse standing in place.
"Well don't just look at it. Get it." Brooke whispered. Lucas rolled his eyes and scooped the mouse up by its tail. It squealed and squirmed as Lucas walked to the window. He opened the window and threw the mouse out it.
"You didn't have to kill it." Peyton said stepping off the bed.
"It landed in the dumpster. It will be fine." Lucas said wiping off his hands on his jeans.
"I'm Lucas your new neighbor." He said extending his hand to Brooke.
"Brooke." She said not shaking it.
"Well if you ladies need me to rescue you from any other scary monsters you know where to find me." He joked letting himself out of the room.
"Very amusing." Peyton said following him out. Lucas turned around to wink at her before leaving.
"So he was a hottie." Brooke said making her way to the living room.
"He's OK to look at." Peyton replied shutting the door. "And he has a brother."
Brooke looked up from a box with that excited look on her face. "I think I am going to like it here."
"First thing tomorrow we are going shopping. Paint, mouse traps, new everything." Peyton said looking around for a piece of paper. She settled for the side of a box.
"Way to change the subject P. Sawyer." Brooke said with her hands on her hips.
"Brooke let's get settled in before we think about romance."
"You are very boring." Peyton let out a laugh.
"I hate this kind of shopping." Brooke whined pushing the cart that was full of paint and paint supplies, lamps, rugs, bed sheets and whatever else they thought they needed.
"We are almost done." Peyton said looking at some pillows.
"Here. We have to go get furniture still." Brooke said leaning over the handle on the cart. "How are we going to get the old furniture out?" Brooke wondered.
"By our lovely new neighbors." Peyton said throwing some throw pillows in the cart.
"I like the way you think." Brooke said smiling as she stood up.
"Come on Brooke let's get some new furniture." Peyton said leading the way.
Four hours later and an apartment full of new supplies and stuff, Brooke and Peyton stood looking around.
"Should I go get them now?" Brooke asked.
"I don't see why not. I want to start cleaning this place up ASAP." Peyton said getting some stuff organized. Brooke bounced out of the apartment and across the hall. She pounded cheerfully on the door.
"It's open!" A voice called which she assumed was Lucas's brother. She opened the door slowly to see an attractive guy about twenty sitting back on the couch playing X-box.
"Hi. I'm Brooke, I met your brother Lucas yesterday." She said not moving from the doorway.
"I'm Nathan." Nathan said not looking up from his game. Brooke stood still for a moment trying to think what to do. "Come on in Brooke." Nathan said turning off his game. Brooke walked in further and closed the door behind her.
"Listen my roommate Peyton and I were wondering if you and Lucas could help us with something." She said has Nathan got himself water.
"Have another mouse?" He asked with an amused smirk on his face as he leaned against his counter.
"Lucas told you about that?" Brooke asked. Nathan nodded his head still smiling. "No not another mouse. We have some old furniture that needs to be moved."
"Sure. When Lucas gets home we will come over." Nathan said not thinking about it.
"Really?" Brooke said. She had expected him to give her some lame excuse why he couldn't do it.
"Anything for a pretty new neighbor." Nathan said making Brooke blush.
"Well OK. See you then." Brooke turned to leave but tripped over the coffee table. She turned around embarrassed and gave Nathan a small wave. He gave her a smile in return. Brooke made her way to the door and pushed it. The door wouldn't open so she turned the handle back and forth pushing with more strength.
"It's pull." She heard Nathan say from behind her. She closed her eyes and pursued her lips together and pulled the door open with little effort.
"Thanks." She mumbled before letting herself out of the apartment not looking back. Brooke shuffled herself back to her apartment.
"I just made a total fool of myself in front of Lucas's hot brother." Brooke said leaning against a wall.
"He's that hot?" Peyton asked prepping the walls so she could paint them. Brooke nodded her head. "What did you do?" Peyton asked amused by her friend's current state.
"Well he thinks I am a total klutz that doesn't know how to open a door."
"Oh." Was all Peyton could say before she burst out laughing. Brooke slid down wall with her face in her hands suppressing her own giggles.
A/N: The first chapters are always the most fun to write. Next Chapter: The boys come over to help them get rid of old furniture and the girls treat them to a dinner. Hope you like it. REVIEW!