Brooke Davis washed the dishes in the sink after her annoyingly messy twin sons ate out of what seemed like every plate in the cupboards, not to mention the pots and pans that they cooked their disgusting creations, leaving their loving mother and caretaker a mountain of dishes to clean.
Then there was the living room which at first looked like a few cyclones hit it: due term school papers, dirty clothes strewn over everywhere, shoes, junk food and loads of unidentifiable items that she would have to clean.
Brooke rolled her eyes tackling one chore at a time, knowing that the bathroom was in way worse shape. Teenage boys were always a handful. But twins? Impossible to deal with.
But deal with it she must.
Ever since Julian ditched the three for greener pastures eight years ago Brooke had to be the one to step up and take care of the twins by her lonesome. She had moved out of their home and into a smaller house that she had to maintain in his absence. And because she had two children to care for she got two jobs.
Brooke struggled for a long while simply because she had to shoulder being a single parent overnight. No time for friends because work was her constant. Not to mention the boys who were nine years old at the time and were emotional wrecks because of their selfish and thoughtless father's sudden disappearance.
Snapping out of her reverie Brooke sighed and picked up a soggy piece of pizza out of the sink.
"Ugh gross! Davis!" She shouted, knowing that he had a disgusting habit of leaving food on his plate while putting it in the sink.
"Yeah?!" He shouted back, his big feet stomping as he approached the kitchen. "Whassup Ma?"
"How many times do I have to tell you that the food goes in either the garbage or the garbage disposal? Not the damn sink?!" She said with as much patience as she could muster.
"Sorry Ma...I forgot."
Brooke chuckled sourly then pointed out, "Jude remembers...I don't have to keep asking him about clogging the sink with this stuff because he knows better. Why do I have to keep asking you?!"
Davis smirked then ruffled her curly chestnut hair, "Aw Ma you love reminding me so that's why I continue to do it--to give you something to do!"
"You big rat!" She yelled, maneuvering out of his hold. Although they were sixteen on their way to seventeen they towered over her 5'4 frame by a whole foot. He laughed and jogged off joining his twin in the next room.
Both boys were tall yet muscular since they practically lived in the gym across the street, both had shoulder length dark hair and piercing hazel eyes--the same as her own and golden toned skin. Which was why girls always were calling the house phone for the "hunks" of Tree Hill High. She rolled her eyes whenever one of those fast ass girls left their number for them to call--which she promptly forgot to jot down. It was her small way of keeping them from bringing any girls home pregnant. Hell as long as they lived under her care it was her way or the highway.
"Mom c'mere!" Davis shouted from the living room.
Brooke rolled her eyes and tossed down the dish towel, annoyed that she had to delay finishing the dishes. "What do you want Davis? You know that I was trying to clean up that mess you two left me in that disaster area of a kitchen!" As much as Davis tapped danced on her nerves all the time--she loved the tall jerk.
"Jude and I want to go to the Cinema to see the new Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Is it ok that we go?"
She sighed, "How are you going to pay for it?"
"Loan us a 50 and we will pay you back?" Jude said hopefully, giving her the puppy dog look that she could barely resist. Barely. "Hang on how the hell are you two planning on paying me back? And last time I checked two tickets to the movies do not cost that damn much."
"Snacks Ma. Snacks."
Brooke shook her head vehemently, "No. Absolutely not it's a school night--"
"You're not dad you know. You can let us slide for once! That's what mom's are for." Davis said moodily.
That stung. But after years of this very behavior she made sure she had a stern mask to make sure that they didn't know how much their words over the years stung her. "You think reminding me that I'm not your dad is going to get you your way? Well it's not. I know I'm not your dad but at least I'm here doing the best I can with you two knuckleheads! He abandoned all of us! But since I'm a good parent I have the lovely job of raising you two ungrateful jerks! It's just a movie--one that you're probably too young to see anyway!"
"You never let us do anything!" Davis--the headstrong one shouted.
"Well bring decent grades in here and I'll let up some!" she shouted back.
They both had a C average in all their subjects except Physical Education. In that they always excelled exceedingly. "Ok I promise we both will bring our grades up if you let us go out tonight. Whadya say Ma?" Jude said soothingly, giving her an award winning grin.
"Any chaperones?"
They both broke out with huge grins and hugged their mother. "Yes Jimmy's dad's driving us--"
"Any girls will be at this outing?"
"C'mon Ma it'll only be us with the Coopers. That's it."
Brooke paused remembering something about Mr. Cooper. "Wait a minute I don't think that you two should go--"
"Why pretend like you're going to let us go when you have no intention of doing it?"
"Davis...I just have a funny feeling about this. Is there anyone else that could take you guys?"
The boys looked at each other then shook their head simultaneously. "Nope."
"Don't play games with me guys--I'm asking for your safety--"
Davis and Jude looked at each other then chuckled, "Don't be so melodramatic Ma. We'll be alright tonight Ma. Promise!"
Brooke relented, knowing she was being silly. Just because Greg Cooper had a DUI one time didn't mean he still imbibed. "Alright fine...but you be sure that you bring up your grades this semester. Understood?"
"Yea yea we got'cha Ma!" they yelled back while racing to their room.
Sighing Brooke went back into the kitchen and finished cleaning while the boys said a hasty goodbye and was out the door to meet Jimmy and his dad. Forty minutes after they left a strange foreboding feeling washed over her, a chill that wouldn't go away. Like something was severely wrong. Wanting to forget about it Brooke warmed herself some camomile tea and fixed it the way she liked it and sat in her favorite chair in the living room trying to immerse herself in a good romance novel. Unfortunately for her the feeling would not leave her alone. It only grew worse the longer they had been gone. She looked at the clock and was shocked that it was four hours later and the boys still weren't home.
The phone rings, causing her to jump slightly. Reaching over she grabbed the receiver and said shakily, "Hello?"
"Hello is Mrs. Davis in?" Someone with a deep voice asked with an air of authority.
"Yes this is she. And it's Ms not Mrs. What's going on?"
"Ma'am we're going to have to ask you to come down to Oaks Memorial ER."
Her heart dropped, not wanting to hear another word she hung up immediately and grabbed her purse and keys and was out the door. While driving Julian's old pickup truck Brooke couldn't help the fear that was squeezing her chest. The same fear that had gripped her when their father disappeared. It took an hour to get to Oaks Memorial but she finally was able to race down the halls towards the reception area.
After waiting a long twenty minutes because of the line in front of her Brooke was finally able to approach the receptionist desk.
"Hello welcome to Oaks Memorial how can I help you tonight?" Kelly H, the blonde busty perky receptionist asked with a tight smile.
"Hi my name is Brooke Davis and I just received a call about an hour ago telling me to come down here."
Kelly began typing rapidly and then her gray eyes widened. "Um why don't you go take a seat and Dr. Fletcher will be right with you."
"But what's going on? Why was I called down here?"
"Um Dr. Fletcher would be more qualified to answer your questions. Now please can you have a seat in the waiting area?" She said with a hurried tone, her eyes darting to the next patient behind her.
"I just want to know what's going on--"
"Ms. Davis?" It was that same deep voice that had called her earlier.
Brooke turned and saw an officer and a doctor standing behind her with a chart in his hand. "Yes?"
"There's been an accident. Do you know a Mr. Cooper?" The female officer asked, a solemn look on her face.
"Ye-yes he took my sons to the movies..." her voice trailed off at the magnitude of the moment.
Maxim Fletcher watched as realization hit. "Yes your sons were involved in the accident."
"What are you saying doctor?" She asked, her voice trembling with nervousness. "Are my sons OK or not?"
"I'm afraid not Ms. Davis…" Maxim took a moment to compose himself, knowing what he was about to say next would change the young woman's life forever. "I'm sorry to inform you that your sons didn't make it."
"What do you mean they did—didn't make it? What do you mean?" She asked in a calm voice.
Maxim sighed and explained, "Davis had blunt head trauma from the accident—perhaps if someone had discovered the wreck sooner he would've likely survived. As for Jude… he had sustained internal injuries that had eventually bled out. There was no stopping it. I'm sorry…"
Her sons were… dead?
Brooke wanted to scream. It was like everything was crashing down around her all at once and her lungs were filled to the brim with despair. Who did she have now without her sons? What was her next step? What was she to do?
Finally—finally a sound escaped. First scrapping and ragged but now roaring with raw intensity.
That sound turned into a word as well as a question. A simple question. Why?!
As simple as the question was… no one had any answers. Certainly not Maxim.
"I failed to protect them… I failed them." She sobbed despairingly, clawing at her chest as if she wanted to remove her own heart. "I should've said no! I knew—I knew—" she sobbed as she hyperventilated, her grief so complete that everyone in the room had to have felt it.
"There were a total of three fatalities...your sons Davis and Jude and the other is... Jimmy Cooper." Maxim said slowly, aware that every word was like a blow to her heart.
"How did this happen?!" she screamed, completely enraged. "How did this happen?! Tell me!!!"