The Road Away from Betrayal
Chapter One
Brooke thought that she could trust Peyton. Peyton had always been her best friend, except when Peyton was dating Lucas behind Brooke's back. She couldn't believe that this best friend of hers would try another time to steal her boyfriend away. She wondered what kind of best friend would do that. It was easy for Brooke to forgive Lucas. She loved him with all of her heart and knew that he was just being manipulated by her former best friend. He wouldn't go back to Peyton and leave her again. She knew that. It was just one little kiss, no big deal. All that mattered was that her boyfriend came back to her. Her best friend didn't have the luxury of asking for forgiveness. She had crossed the line so severely that Brooke didn't ever see herself forgiving her.
"Brooke, you've got to talk to me," Peyton said as she saw Brooke walking away from her in the hall at Tree Hill High School. "I don't want to lose you again."
Brooke turned sharply and looked Peyton in the eyes. This was one of those cases that if looks could kill, Peyton would be dead. "I don't want to talk to someone who would try to steal my boyfriend twice."
"Brooke, it isn't like that."
"Oh, sure. You just fooled around behind my back last year, and this year, you went and told him that you loved him. How do you expect me to think that you're not trying to steal my boyfriend?"
"Brooke, I thought I was dying…"
"I don't care if you thought you were dying. You had to have feelings like that before your little 'death bed confession' and you were probably waiting for the best moment to come around so you could get him."
"I don't want him if it means losing you."
"Well, you've already lost me. I don't want to have anything to do with a fucking boyfriend stealer. You were only thinking about yourself. You didn't think about me and what your feelings would do to me."
"So, I was selfish? I thought I was dying. I just wanted him to know that I loved him."
"Well, now you're alive. You can take it back now."
"No, I can't. I can't stop loving him. I know he's with you, but that doesn't make my feelings go away. I've tried to ignore them, but I'm having a hard time. I need someone to be with, and I want it to be Lucas."
"So you're still trying to steal my boyfriend?"
"No, I'm not. I'm trying to tell you that I won't make a move on your boyfriend because I don't want to lose you."
"You've already lost me."
The bell rang as Brooke turned around and marched towards her math class. She needed an escape from this drama. She thought about skipping class like the old Brooke would have done, but she had become someone new over the past year. She'd become a more mature young woman. Still, she felt so betrayed and outraged. She either wanted to escape this reality or get revenge on Peyton.
Lucas saw Brooke and noticed how tense she was. "Do you need a back rub?"
"What I need is a new best friend. All I seem to have is you. I mean, Haley has you and Nathan. I just have you."
"Still not talking to Peyton?"
"How could I? She betrayed me. She tried to steal you away from me. She was not the kind of friend that I thought she was. She was a hypocritical bitch. She always said that we wouldn't let a guy split us apart, so what does she go and do? She tries to have you as her boy-toy. What kind of best friend does that?"
Lucas didn't know what to say. He knew that whatever he said he might be stepping into dangerous territory. He didn't want to talk about how he kissed Peyton back or how part of him still cared for her in a more than friendly way. Then, he couldn't say that he didn't want to be Peyton's friend anymore because he still valued their friendship. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and he didn't know what to do about it.
Brooke wanted to continue ranting about how Peyton was no longer trustworthy or how Peyton was just being selfish, but the teacher came in the room. She had to pay attention so that she could at least try to look like she wanted to go to college. All she really wanted was to design clothes, but she had to pass her classes so that she could get out of high school. Design institutes aren't really impressed by people who flunk out of school and can't even get a diploma.
After class was over, it was time for lunch. Brooke walked hand in hand with Lucas outside to eat lunch. She saw Peyton a few feet away and pulled Lucas in another direction. He looked at Peyton and felt bad that he couldn't go over and talk to her. He had to remain loyal to Brooke. He didn't want to lose her. She was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. She brought out the best in him. He couldn't let her get away. He hated the thought of losing one girl because of his love of another. If he chose Peyton, he'd lose Brooke forever. If he stayed with Brooke, he might lose Peyton forever. He wanted some way to keep both in his life. He needed to find a way to make sure that they would get along, but he didn't know how to get them back together.
