You've done it again, Lucas Scott, she sighed, and picked up a copy of the thick novel set in stacks a top the wooden table. Brooke turned the hardcover edition of Someone to Love over in her hands, eyes beginning to skim the brief summary on the back cover.
With a screech of outrage, she threw the nearest object she could grasp toward me. The lamp missed my head by inches, shattering on the wall that I stood before.
"What the hell?", I shouted out, stressed.
"You're a real ass, did you know that?" She yelled back feverishly, raising her arms into the air. But before I could shoot my response, she had turned to my door and left. The shades that covered the glass pane continued to sway in her wake. I whispered as many foul words that I could think of as I too left the room, heading for the other side of the house.
"God, I ha—", Although I couldn't get the rest of the words out, for I didn't hate her. I loved Brooke Davis with all my heart, and even in this moment, I couldn't deny it.
Brooke was frozen at this point. Re-reading the words she was sure she had misunderstood. Maybe she had simply imagined that they where there? No, her name was printed right there, in that stupid font on the back of his stupid novel. I mean, how many people named Brooke does he know?
Tearing her eyes away from the novel, Brooke glanced around at the rest of the women, all of whom seemed like they where also here to purchase their copy of Lucas' second novel. Pulling the thick novel to her chest, Brooke hurried towards the checkout line. Hell, if this book was about her, then she could handle reading it.
Brooke took her time getting home, still in a mild state of shock at the fact that she may be holding a novel about her. It was now, as she made her way with a crowd across the street, that she hadn't seen any of her high school friends in four years. Hell, she just graduated from NYU with a degree is fashion design. She had grown up, and in doing so, left her life in Tree Hill, North Carolina behind her.
A few minutes later she was latching the bolt behind her as she stepped into her apartment. Glancing around at the clothing garments that lie in a trail towards the closed bedroom door. I guess Kali's home, she thought to herself, draping her coat and scarf over the back of a chair.
Kali had light red hair that was cut to about her shoulder blades. And like Brooke, she was able to do a lot with it. Although her hair was pretty curly on her own, Kali sometimes managed to pull a straighter through the thick mass of loose curls. She too had graduated with the same degree as Brooke, and in fact, they both worked for Victoria Secret. (Yes, that had worked out.) Kali was like Brooke, you could say. And when the two where together, Brooke lost parts of her maturity. The maturity she had grown in Tree Hill. They where best friends, roommates, and co-workers.
Brooke shared an apartment with Kali Benedict. Kali pronounced Callie, as her roommate had informed her the first time they had been introduced, and Brooke of course had mistakenly called her Kaylee. It was an honest mistake, come on.
The apartment in which they shared now reminded her far too much of one that she had spent countless hours in during High School. Just like Nathan and Haley's old apartment, Brooke's was nearly all conjoined, the kitchen merged into the living room, and there was a small hallway leading off to Brooke's bedroom and the bathroom. Kali's room was just off the living room, and as Brooke glanced over at the closed door, she noticed the pair of dark navy men's jeans crumpled just outside.
She sat down at the island counter, standing up and pulling the stool closer to the counter, then repositioning herself upon it. From her Border's bag, Brooke pulled out Lucas Scott's novel, setting it on the granite counter top in front of her, keeping her hands in her lap as if the book was about to sprout fangs and attack her.
Brooke and Lucas had been through heartbreak in High School, and at one point she had been sure that he was the one for her. Hell, he had declared that he indeed was "the one" for her at the end of her Junior summer. And as she continued to stare at the familiar cover art, she realized just how much she could recall about Lucas Scott. The way his skin felt the way he laughed, and how he used to call her "Pretty Girl". God, did she miss him?
A few minutes of meaningless staring had passed, okay, maybe a half-hour, and Brooke still hadn't moved. Her thoughts having carried her away, back to Tree Hill, the place where she had grown up and made so many memories. All which now poured back into her head as if she was re-living them. Comforting Peyton as she cried over the loss of her mom just a few days before, they had been just eight-years-old. God, Peyton… What had ever happened to her? Nathan and Haley's wedding. They had always made her believe in true love. Because really, they where truly in love. What more could you have asked for? Naley! Jeez, are they even still together? Of course they are stupid, they're Naley. They're in it for life. For love. Haley was like one of her best friends. How had she let her slip away as well? It's like moving to New York had cut off her connections to her old life. Yeah, she had a new life in New York… but now she sat thinking of her old friends. Of Lucas. Of Tree Hill.
"Um… Brooke, you okay?" Kali's sarcastic and skeptical voice nearly made Brooke fall off her stool. Brooke had been smelling the novel, holding it in her hands and nearly pressing her nose against the cover. She could swear Lucas' scent was coming from it, the scent she could now remember as if he was right there next to her. Brooke dropped the book back down onto the counter top, hastily standing up, her smile radiant, embarrassed.
"Oh, um, hey." She laughed weakly, pointing the toes of her bare foot against the tile floor. Behind Kali stood a very attractive dark-haired man. He was wearing just his boxers, and Brooke could see his chiseled abs and strong, muscular arms. The embarrassment didn't fade, it was obvious they had both seen her smelling the big book like a crazy person. Although the man behind her roommate, who you could say was dressed for the event of parading around after sex, in just a blue sheet, didn't hold a grudge. Brooke had acknowledged him and he then reached across the counter that separated them, hand outstretched.
"It's nice to meet you, Aaron."
A few minutes later the three of them where sitting on the furniture, talking in happy voices, a few laughs thrown in the mix. And for that time, Brooke forgot all about Tree Hill again. She lost the scent of Lucas, and moved on to help Kali finish off the sugar cookies they had bought only last night.
The man, Brooke soon found out once he had been left, is Kali's cousin's best friend. She took the time to explain how the hell she had met him to Brooke, and it made Brooke smile a bit more as she bit into another sugar cookie, watching Kali get up from the couch and walk back towards the fridge to get herself a beer. Although Kali stopped at the counter and picked up Lucas' novel, turning it over in her hands before she turned back towards Brooke, holding it up in one hand as she opened the fridge,
"So, what's this?" She asked from inside the fridge.
"That's a book, Kali, something that you read." Brooke replied playfully, pulling her feet up onto the couch and stretching out lazily.
"No shit, Sherlock," Kali retorted with a small cock of her head, tossing Brooke a bottle of beer as she returned to the couch, simply sitting down over Brooke's calves, "I mean, why do you have it? I didn't even know you could read." Kali tossed the thick novel down onto Brooke's tight stomach, which was showing slightly, her shirt riding up a bit.
Brooke had pushed Kali off her legs, but pulled them up and then stretched them out over Kali's lap once she had sat back down. Brooke rested her back against the armrest once more, picking the book up just before it fell off the couch.
Brooke ignored the cocky comment from her friend, staring down at the cover again, although she couldn't make out exactly what the faded picture on the cover was… but she did know it, quickly, she replied, "I used to know the dude who wrote it."
Kali snatched the book out of Brooke's hands, opening the back cover and reading something quickly, "Lucas Scott currently lives in Tree Hill, North Carolina. This is his second novel, look for more of his work on the award-winning novel, Outside In."
Brooke straightened up a bit, grabbing the book back from Kali swiftly. She hadn't realized that there was an About The Author section in there! Quickly, she re-read the same passage that Kali had just read aloud, not hearing Kali comment on the fact that Lucas was hot.
But that he was. In the black and white photograph, Brooke stared at Lucas' happy smile, short and lightly gelled hair, resembling how it was the beginning of their Senior year in High School.
"How do you know him? Could you hook me up?" Kali asked half-serious, looking at the image of Lucas with Brooke, although she saw it sideways.
Brooke glanced up at Kali with a small smile, "I dated him for a while…" She stared back down at the photograph of Lucas again, his smell was back, and invading her space, almost making her light-headed, "It was really serious… I.. I loved him, I guess you could say," There was a small pause where Kali stared up from under her eyelashes at Brooke, who was quickly re-reading the passage about him, "Then it just kinda… crashed and burned." Brooke returned Kali's stare without moving her head.
Kali finally smirked, "Well, that sucks — do you still have his number?"
Brooke shoved her, and Kali laughed, standing up and collecting the sheet around her athletic body. "Well, I'm off to take a shower." And taking her beer with her, Kali headed off towards the bathroom, leaving Brooke once more alone with her memories. And slowly, it took a few minutes, but then she mustered the courage to open the novel. And she began to read…