A.N- Okay, this is my first Breyton oneshot and I'm dedicating it to Christina, since she was my awesome beta for it. That's pretty much all I have to say.
Spinning with the World
The world we live in, it's a seemingly cruel place. At least, that's how it's often portrayed through the minds of those who can see no salvation or way out of the entrapment we're forced into, by means of our daily lives. However, optimism is a trait admired by most and Peyton Sawyer is no exception.
She'd found that she'd almost been quite the opposite, especially in recent years. Having lost two mothers and finding that people always tended to leave, in her case, anyway, she tended to be negative and doubtful about what life would send her way next.
Yet throughout all of the hardships she'd faced, there had always been one constant and never changing part of her life and she just so happened to go by the name of Brooke Davis. They'd both faced whatever life had thrown at them together, and even though they'd had more than their fair share of tests throughout their friendship, they'd still managed to pull through in the end. Together.
Brooke was the first person there after Anna, her adopted mother had passed. They were both of such a young and tender age and Brooke knowing how lonely it could be without a mother figure around (although, not quite in the same respect), figured that Peyton could use a shoulder to lean on at such a time. Their friendship had simply begun after Brooke had casually offered to Peyton her prize from her crackerjack box one afternoon as they both sat, steadily spinning on the merry-go- round in their local playground. Peyton had smiled, gratefully receiving the gift, which had turned out to be a small beaded necklace. One Brooke had been eating her way through an obscene amount of the food to get. But seeing the lost little girl gain a slight smile on her face as she saw it, giving away her 'prize' hadn't seemed so important.
Upon making friends that day at the park, Brooke had continued to be there for Peyton through out the next couple of weeks. Weeks which soon grew into months, until the months eventually grew into years. She'd been there for Peyton to cry on, to cheer her up when it seemed her world was falling from around her. She'd been there through both the good and the bad. And this was a two way station. Although Brooke would never let her cheery façade down, Peyton, being her true best friend, could see just how much the brunette was hurting at times. Each birthday when there was a lack of a card in the mail or the lack of messages from her absent parents on her phone. Each and every time they both felt the world was out to get them, they'd go down to the same merry-go- round where their friendship had begun and aimlessly spin, allowing the world to wash on by as they became consumed in their own dizziness.
Despite their age, they never grew tired of it. They'd sit in between the bars and aimlessly talk for hours about how screwed up their week had been or if they were really delving depths, how screwed up their entire lives had been. Then they'd somehow find some aimless way to make a joke out of it all, and laugh whatever problems they were facing off. Together. Even at times when they appeared against each other, everywhere led back to their little sanctuary of the merry-go round.
After they'd both been hurt and their friendship broken with their 'love triangle from hell' as they so delicately put it, there had been many days when the sun had failed to shine for either of them. They both had an overwhelming feeling of loss over their best friend, and when both had had enough time to collect their thoughts, they found themselves once again returning to their signature place. Tears were spilt, and they allowed the silence of the playground to surround them as they began to repair their somewhat tainted friendship.
Time would pass when they felt no need to visit it at all. Those were the good days, the days they cherished together the most. It wasn't until Peyton's birth mother, Ellie had died that Brooke had come to find Peyton residing in their haven. She would once again join her and they allowed themselves to slip away whilst aimlessly spinning, slipping away from the world.
Brooke would babble aimlessly about all the latest gossip at school, the latest fashion trends, or how badly she was failing calculus meanwhile Peyton would quietly listen and answer where needed. It may seem like a one-sided relationship to any outsider, but to them, it was just the way they liked it. And they wouldn't exchange their friendship for the world.
Yet the merry-go-round isn't used anymore. It hasn't been for a long time. It creaks with age now as the wind slowly sways it backwards and forwards in the cool, crisp air. Peyton used to revisit, hopeful that everything would work itself out, as long as she could sit, entangled within the cool bars, gently swaying herself from side to side.
Brooke had led her here the night she told her. The night she told her that there would be no more playground visits for her. Mr. and Mrs. Davis had informed her that she would be leaving Tree Hill and joining them in sunny California.
The night's gentle breeze was providing a calming notion to Brooke as she was sat in the same place she had done for the past 10 years and more since meeting, Peyton, her best friend. As her blonde friend sidled up to her, sensing something was wrong, placing a supportive arm around her shoulders, she had to focus all of her energy on not breaking down.
"Brooke, what's wrong?" she'd carefully asked, fear of not wanting her friend to break. But as a lone tear slipped down the brunette's cheek she saw that it was inevitable. Brooke had called her to their usual meeting place and Peyton had heard the slight quiver in her voice as she spoke over the phone. Brooke never let herself appear weak to anyone. And although she allowed Peyton to comfort her through unbearable times, she always had a sense of guilt for crying around the girl. After all, her friend had lost two mothers, any reason for her to cry seemed within her mind, somewhat feeble in comparison. Yet now as the tears began dampened her eyes, she allowed herself to be comforted within her best friend's arms.
"My parents called," she trembled and that was all Peyton needed to hear before knowing that something was seriously wrong. It clearly wasn't a situation in which Brooke had hand washed one of her dry-clean only dresses, as she had done several times before. If Brooke's parents were involved, it was a serious issue. Nothing other than something immensely important would have Mr. and Mrs. Davis going out of their way to call their daughter.
"And?…" she tentatively urged the brunette to continue. "What happened, Brooke?"
"I have to go." she sobbed, turning her head slightly, trying to avoid letting Peyton see her in such a state.
"What? Brooke…you're not making any sense, you just got here. Now tell me what's wrong."
"No, Peyton, you don't understand. I have to go….to California."
A place where the sun never failed to shine. Yet Brooke could sense already that it would be anything but sunny and happy as the stereotypes for the place would have it. The loss of having to leave her best friend behind would consume any want she had of looking on the bright side and any possibilities the place had to offer.
Peyton didn't ask any questions. Neither of them were ready to probe the situation further and the reality of it all might sink in if they actually discussed it. Instead, she did the only thing she knew for sure would make Brooke feel just the slightest bit better. She clasped her hands tightly around Brooke's shoulders, offering a comfort that no one else could and also holding onto her best friend for dear life, fear of her slipping away right before her.
They'd both cried that night. Both of them together. For once both had failed to let the world spin on by, it seemed somewhat impossible when everything had just come crashing down before them. No amount of spinning on the merry-go round would make their daunting problems disappear.
She'd been forced to go. Brooke had no other choice. Despite her own stubbornness, Mr. and Mrs. Davis could always find a way of making things difficult for their daughter if needs be and when she initially failed to comply, her parents simply used their hold over the girl to their advantage.
Peyton, meanwhile had felt so hopeless and was unable to comprehend that in just a few short weeks, her best friend would no longer be there to battle the world alongside her. To say that she'd been distraught at their final meeting would be an understatement, both had failed to reassure one another, both had failed to fix the broken that needed to be fixed. They had both failed to stop this from happening. All they could do, was hold onto each other and pray that as they let go, a piece of the other would forever remain with them.
They'd kept in touch, there was no doubt about that but days just weren't be the same. Both of them shared a part of one another that no one else could and that's why it had all hurt so much. Their friendship, an unbreakable bond that had been formed for so long had been severed, maybe not where it counted. But the distance between them was a forced and unneeded obstacle, one they still had no certainty they would overcome.
However, they strived to keep their friendship as strong as it could possibly be. And although the playground was often now a place where Peyton just walked on by, she'd still occasionally pull back the rusty gate and allow herself to spin on the ever creaking merry-go-round. Somehow it allowed her to feel closer to Brooke. It reminded her of vivid memories of time spent with her best friend in the happiest and safest place she knew.
Somehow now, it was now neglected. It had failed to be properly maintained for sometime and the 'cheery' essence had long ago disappeared. How oddly ironic it was that Peyton always seemed to notice how the play area was often empty, a place that used to be so filled with energy. She often couldn't help but put it into context with her own life, how empty it had become without the essence of her best friend.
And when that emptiness would ensue, she'd remember, remember the times she'd shared with Brooke and how this was just another obstacle she had to face, that they both had to face, together. Yet apart.
But until it was overcome, she just let herself keep on spinning.