Okay so here is that sequel I promised. It would've been up a lot sooner but while writing it I found I had no conflict or direction. Don't worry though because now I know where the story is going. It's all going to unfold soon. This chapter is really just a set up chapter. The real drama happens next...
"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Brooke asked unpacking 'KITCHEN' boxes.
"What else could we have done?" Lucas sorted through the mountains of boxes.
"Not move away from everyone." Brooke wiped the hair away from her forehead.
"You know how Tree Hill would gossip." Lucas shook his head. He had suffered through more than 30 years of small town life.
"Since when can't Lucas Scott no handle a little gossip?" Brooke found her way to Lucas' lap.
"I wasn't thinking about myself when I decided on this move." Lucas threw his head back as Brooke's kisses gently caressed his neck.
"Well I can handle rumors too!" Brooke protested, "Remember high school, and then college and then everything that came next?"
"I kind of had the kids in mind." Lucas eyed her, "They have enough to deal with. I guess it comes with the Scott name."
"Damn, I forgot about them." Brooke began kissing Lucas again.
"Gross," Braden leaned up against the doorway, "Get a room."
"Do we tell you to get a room when you have a girl over?" Lucas talked to Braden more as a friend than a father most of the time until a bit of discipline was in order.
"But that's not a girl, that's mom." Braden twisted his face in disgust. Most of his friends had found his mother 'banging', which resulted in a nice punch in the face, "Plus you guys are old."
"I resent that." Brooke pouted, "I've still got it."
"Yes you do honey." Lucas pinched her cheeks like that old aunt that everyone hated.
"I can't even hang around my own house." Braden headed for the door. The whole PDA scene appalled him. He wasn't the type to kiss and tell.
"Yeah keep walking." Brooke smiled her million dollar smile, "That's what I thought. Now where were we?"
"Unpacking I think." Lucas resumed sorting through the kitchen things, "Our kids are going to be scarred you know."
"We didn't turn out too messed up did we?" Brooke questioned. Lucas had gotten so distant from her since before they moved. She just wished they could go back to the way things were before everything.
"Excuse me?" Lucas laughed, "We left our home because of our messed up families!"
"You mean your family right?" Brooke's eyebrows arched.
"Thanks for reminding me." Lucas decided Brooke could handle unpacking the rest of the remaining 'KITCHEN' boxes and moved on to bigger better things.
"Fine go brood!" Brooke yelled after him
Braden found himself wandering down the streets of his new town. The streets were lined with many moderately sized houses, like Tree Hill, just with heavier traffic. A little ways down from his own rather large home, Braden found a pizzeria. Deciding to check the place out Braden walked through the parking lot.
Upon arriving, no one responded to his presence, which was a new experience for Braden Scott. Normally people kissed the ground he walked on. He liked being ignored way more than the old. Finally a stout, obviously Italian man appeared, covered in flour.
"Gabriella!" He yelled in a heavy Italian accent, "Vieni qui!"
"Va bene!" She yelled back fixing her apron, "I'm sorry. Can I help you?"
"I'll take a slice of tomato and onion pizza." Braden suddenly felt Gabriella studying him and he was well aware why, "Is there something on my face?"
"No, I'm sorry." She blushed, "You just look so familiar. Have we met before?"
"I doubt it." Being recognized was in many thanks to his parents, "I just moved in."
"This drives me crazy!" Braden couldn't tell if she was talking to him or herself, "I can't place your face!"
"I wish I could help you." Braden laughed nervously. Braden and Bella were constantly recognized as the Scott kids.
"It'll come to me." Gabriella nodded, "Just wait and see."
"Okay." Braden really didn't know how to respond.
"One slice." She pulled it out of the oven.
"Thanks," Braden took a seat by the window.
"Mind if I sit with you?" She popped up next to him, balling her apron up.
"Um, go ahead." Braden adjusted his chair.
"I'm Gabby by the way." She held out her hand for him to shake.
"Braden." He nodded, politely shaking her hand.
"So what brings you here?" Gabby sat crossed-legged on the chair which seemed physically impossible for Braden. He noted to himself that he'd have to try that at home.
"It was a 'family decision'." Braden used air quotes to emphasize his point. Though both Brooke and Lucas would swear to it there was no 'family decision' in this move.
"I sense a little hostility towards this move?" Gabby pried. She was intrigued with Braden. She figured the more questions she asked the closer she'd be to figuring out why he was so familiar.
"How can you tell?" 'if you only knew' Braden thought.
"I can just tell these things." Gabby nodded as Braden's pants began to jingle.
"One sec." Braden excused himself from the table, "Hello?"
"Braden Michael Scott!" Brooke yelled into the phone, "We need some man power here!"
"Yes mother." Braden rolled his eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me buster," Brooke had developed that special sixth sense only mothers possessed, "And don't call me mother; it makes me feel old."
"But-" Braden was going to revisit their earlier conversation.
"Get home now!" Brooke interrupted and hung up the phone.
"Well Gabby, I got to get back home," Braden laughed at himself, "It was nice meeting you."
"Yeah you too." Gabby stood to get back to work, "I guess we'll be seeing each other around."
"I guess we will." Braden said walking back outside and retraced his steps the short distance home.
The new Scott residence was larger than most of the houses around. It was also set back a bit of the road, hidden by woods. It was just what Brooke and Lucas had wanted. No one would bother them in the cover of their own personal forest and anyone who tried would be stopped by a tall gate.
"I'm home!" Braded yelled. Their house was beginning to look more and more like home with Brooke's little creative touches everywhere.
"And where have you been?" Bella, who looked like she was ready for a night out on the town, stood at the top of the main staircase.
"Just exploring." Braden walked away through the kitchen to get a drink from the already well stocked refrigerator.
"So anything interesting around here?" Bella sat on the stool next to him waiting intently for a hopeful answer.
"I didn't get really far. Just to a pizzeria down the street." Braden shrugged chugging the bottle of water.
"God I hate this!" Bella yelled, being far too dramatic, "I'm stranded here with you and a pizzeria down the street! Where's the mall?"
"Do you really think I would pick us up and move here if there wasn't a mall?" Brooke was out of breath from 'working' hard all day.
"I'm having withdrawal symptoms." Bella fake cried.
"I'm not." Lucas popped in removing his shirt that was covered in dirt, "Our account is still intact."
"Mom!" Bella whined, "He's doing it again!"
"He just doesn't understand us." Brooke patted Bella in attempt to console her.
"Well I'd love to sit and chat," Braden looked at his phone, "But I have a phone call to make."
"God, get over it." Bella yelled after him, "She doesn't like you!"
"We're just friends!" Braden yelled back running up the stairs.
"Can't you be nice to him sometimes?" Lucas knew what it was like growing up a Scott. There was a lot of pressure on their shoulders especially now and people were just waiting for them to screw up. They would be eaten alive.
"Oh come on Dad, what kind of little sister would I be if I didn't tease him?" Bella had inherited the manipulating from her mother.
"She's right," Brooke nodded, "It's a sibling thing."
"How would you know?" Lucas hated when Brooke sided with the kids more than him, "You didn't have any siblings."
"I watched you and Nathan go at it enough to know about siblings." Brooke wanted to bite Lucas' head off. He found all those little things to rub in her face.
"Well Bell, I have a challenge for you as an actress," Lucas knew it was the only way to get what he wanted, "Act like you like him at least. Can you do that?"
"Of course, but what's it in for me?" Bella always needed something in return for her efforts, "Will you put in a good word with your producers?"
"I'll think about it." Lucas agreed for Braden's sake.
"I'll take what I can get." Bella hurried off back up to her room to pick out her outfit for the next day.
"I'm going to bed." Brooke folded her arms and spun the stool around.
"What no dinner? I was going to make your favorite." Lucas leaned across the counter to get lost in her eyes.
"I'm too tired to eat." Brooke looked away.
"I guess whining and complaining can take a lot out of someone," Brooke began to storm off and Lucas knew he really screwed up, "Baby, I'm just kidding."
"I don't want to talk to you right now." Brooke headed up the stairs to take a long bath before turning in.
"Come on baby, I'm sorry." Lucas said following her up the stairs. He wrapped his arms around her waster before she could get into the bathroom, "I'm really sorry Brooke."
"You're always sorry Luke." Brooke felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"I know. I'm just really stressed out over all this shit right now." Lucas collapsed on their bed, "I don't need the kids shit either."
"And you think I'm not stressed!" Lucas wanted to talk about being stressed and having to deal with the kids, "I'm stressed but I'm not being a total dick to you."
"Brooke don't start this again." Lucas rubbed his temples. It seemed they've been having the same conversations over and over again. It was all getting old.
"You started this Lucas. If it hadn't been for you and that bastard of a father of yours we wouldn't have had to pick up our lives and move our entire family!"
"I was thinking about my family Brooke. I didn't want to have to deal with Dan anymore." Lucas shook him head, "You have no idea what it's like to have grown up with him around all the time, or not around."
"I was there too Luke. I know what he's like, but we could've handled him." Brooke was down holding it all in, "We move from one small town to another one to get away from the perks of small town life. That's makes so much sense."
"Do you think you're the only one who's mad about this situation? Is everything about you?" Lucas yelled at her. It was his father that ruined their lives. It was his decision to get his family out of Tree Hill.
"Don't even try to turn this around on me!" Brooke's voice quivered, "I'm done talking about this tonight. I'm going to take a bath now."
"Braden, can I come in?" Bella knocked lightly on his door sounding like a child again.
"What's up Bell?" Braden took his headphones off.
"They're at it again." Bella began sobbing into Braden's chest, "I can't take it anymore."
"Don't worry Bell, everything'll be alright." Braden rubbed his sister's back, "Plus you know what Aunt Haley says about them right?"
"They're Broody and Cheery. They'll be together forever." Bella recited the comforting quote.
"Exactly. You have nothing to worry about." Braden reassured her. As much as they fought, they were still family and would be there when need be.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" Bella wasn't always the perky bitch she had picked up from the many stories she heard about her mother.
"I guess," Braden scooted over, making room for Bella, "But let's not make this routine."
"Trust me I won't." Bella laughed and snuggled in under the covers. No matter how much she teased and taunted him they both knew they'd be lost without each other. The life of the rich and famous was not an easy life to maintain alone.
So there it is. Hope you like it even though you really can't tell where it's going yet. Keep reading to find out. If I get 10 reviews I'll update later tonight. If not you'll just have to wait until tomorrow or Friday!
