She shut her eyes as yet another strike of lightening lit the entire sky. She'd never been a fan of thunder storms, clamping her hands over her ears as the sound grew louder. It was horrible weather to be driving in.
"I want mommy."
Hi, sweetheart! Do you remember me? Your mom asked me to pick you up and take you to my house for a little while. She's not feeling very well today.
Although the road was called Route 222, her mother had been the one christen it the 'Highway to H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks.' It was a road that had seen many accidents, and no survivors.
I should say bye to mommy first.
"I want mommy." She repeated, leaning forward to get a better look at the strange woman driving the car. "Please... Take me back... I'm scared!"
"Honey." The red head muttered. "What is going on with you today? I'm right here, Brooke. Maybe you just need some sleep. I promise, the first motel sign I see, I'll pull in, and get us a room."
Mommy already knows that you're leaving, honey. Why don't you come with me? It'll be like an adventure.
"My name's not Brooke." The little girl protested. "Please! I just want to go home! My mommy is gonna be worried about me! We're supposed to go to the beach tomorrow!"
She let out a long, frustrated sigh, glancing back at the girl. "Brooke, I don't know what game you're trying to play, but it's getting on mommy's nerves. I am right here, honey, and I never promised that I would take you to the beach. It's too cold."
I like adventures.
"My name isn't Brooke!"
"Brooke!" The woman snapped. "Please, just shut up! I know you're tired, and I know this storm is scaring you, but you need to listen to me. I am your mother, and I want you to stop it with this nonsense. Right now."
Her name wasn't Brooke... Why did that strange woman insist on calling her that?
"I want my mommy!" She cried. "I want my mommy, and I want to go home! Now!"
"Brooke." She whipped her head around. "Just-"
Look out!
She screamed, her comforter bunched up in her fists. Slowly, she opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom, drenched in a cold sweat, and her phone was buzzing.
"Hello?"
Her hands were shaking as she answered. She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself before the person on the other end of the line could sense that something was wrong.
"B. Davis?" Came Peyton's concerned reply. "Hey... Are you okay? I've been calling you for the last ten minutes. Did you sleep in again?"
"Umm..." Brooke drew out, glancing at her alarm clock. "I have no idea... I'm supposed to give you a ride to school this morning, aren't I?"
She laughed. "It's either getting a ride from you, or walking. Luke is still trying to fix my car."
"Your ass is skinny enough." The brunet rolled her eyes, throwing her covers back so she could get out of bed. "Just give me ten minutes. I'll see you soon."
Brooke hung up and grabbed her brush, dropping down onto the stool beside her vanity. She loved having the type of hair that looked good first thing in the morning, even after waking up from a nightmare.
That stupid nightmare.
She had been having that very same dream for as long as she could remember.
A stormy night, a woman she didn't know, repeating her first name over and over again, and that terrified little girl. It was so reoccurring that she still couldn't decide if it was a random part of a memory, or something she had just made up to get attention from her parents.
Victoria was the one to tell her to stop making up stories. Maybe she was right.
Brooke pulled out a blue, laced cami, and a pair of jeans. She slipped her arms into her tan leather jacket, her favorite, and stuffed her feet into a pair of boots before sliding her bag across her shoulder.
She hated that dream. The only thing she wanted to do was forget. It was so annoying, not being able to figure out what her subconscious was trying to tell her.
Brooke picked up her phone to text Peyton.
On my way, Blondie. X0X0
"I miss the days that you, me, and Tutor Girl rode to school together." Brooke muttered as she pulled into her front row parking space. "Now our little Haley is married, and living in Lucas's basement."
Peyton laughed, grabbing her bag from the back seat. "Only until Nathan and Haley can find an affordable apartment. Karen understands that they're married, but she still has some pretty strict ground rules."
She raised an eye brow. "Like what?"
The two girls linked arms as they made their way towards the school. Students began to wave, nod, and shout greetings to the two popular cheerleaders. Brooke smiled as she passed them.
"Nathan sleeps on the couch." Peyton told her. "Haley has the bed in his old room in the basement, and Lucas is still upstairs, but Karen does nightly checks on all of them."
Brooke laughed. Karen Roe was a mother figure to all of them. To protect him from Dan at Deb's request, she'd taken Nathan in at the age of twelve, and raised him as her own. She had supported his decision to marry Haley, she was allowing both of them to live under her room until they found a place of their own.
"Poor guy." Brooke muttered, shaking her head. "All rules, and no sex makes Nathan a dull Scott boy."
She tightened her grip on Peyton as a brown haired boy collided into them.
"God!" He blurted out. "I am so sorry... Are you alright?"
She glanced at her best friend before nodding slowly. It was obvious that he was new, and lost, she'd never seen him before.
"I'm fine." Brooke promised him, bending down to retrieve her books. "Are you? Looks like you were in a hurry there."
"Sorry..." He said again. "I'm new, and I'm late, and... I'm Julian."
"I'm Brooke." She replied. "And this is Peyton. Welcome to Tree Hill."
Peyton held her hand out to help him up. He smiled gratefully, reaching up to take it.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Suddenly, the blonde girl was gone. In her place was a guy with tan skin, black hair, and hard eyes. At 6'1, he towered over Julian, his expression unreadable.
"You alright?" He asked, his gaze moving to the brunet.
"I'm fine, Felix." She said. "Leave him alone, babe. He's fine, I'm fine, Peyton's fine."
Peyton rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Brooke, I'm gonna go, alright? I'll see you in class."
"Peyton." Brooke protested. "Hey, just want-"
"I'll see you later, Davis." She promised, practically running into the school.
Brooke blinked, unsure of what to think. Peyton hadn't been acting like herself lately, and it had something to do with Felix. She was always so jumpy around him... Maybe she felt like a third wheel.
Peyton was her best friend, she would always come first.
"Felix." She sighed, tugging on his arm. "Come on, bad ass, you don't need to start another fight. Can we go, please?"
Felix nodded slowly, still staring the new boy down. "You're lucky."
He dragged her along behind him, his grip on her hand tight. Julian watched them leave, the beautiful brown haired girl slowly turned her head to glance back at him.
I'm sorry. She mouthed.
Brooke's relationship with Felix was complicated, and that was only one word to describe it. It had started off as a friends-with-benefits kind of relationship, but slowly, she had started to fall for him. When it was good, it was great, and when it was bad...
There was no one else.
"God." Felix muttered, still pulling on her. "Who was that guy?"
She shrugged. "Does it really matter, boyfriend? You shouldn't overreact so much, he didn't do anything wrong."
He raised an eye brow. "Brooke? Why are you defending this guy?"
"I don't know." Brooke admitted. She had no idea. "I guess I just feel sorry for him. He's new, and he has no idea where he's going."
"Babe." Felix laughed, slipping his arm around her waist. "You gotta stop trying to take on all these charity cases. Face it, that dork will never be one of us, so don't even give him the time of day."
A disgusted look spread across her face as she shoved him away and started towards the school by herself.
"What?" He demanded, watching her go. "Brooke! What?"
