(Rachel's House Outside: Late Morning)
Peyton stood on Rachel's doorstep and knocked gently on the front door. Her heart was thumping heavily in her chest as she stood there patiently and waited for Brooke to answer it.
Peyton thought back to what Brooke had told her last night during prom.
"I have cancer Peyton." Brooke said quietly.
Peyton let go of Brooke's hand and removed her hand from the side of Brooke's face. She took a couple of steps back away from Brooke, shock evident in her expression.
Brooke took a step towards Peyton, reaching out her hand slowly to rub her arm but Peyton put her hands up defensively in front of her stopping Brooke in her tracks.
"No," she said looking at Brooke.
Peyton could see tears in Brooke's eyes but she couldn't bring herself to be near her right now. She was finding it hard to breathe and she had to make a conscious effort to inhale to prevent herself from passing out.
Peyton continued to step back towards the gym.
Brooke stepped towards her once more.
"Peyton?" she said anguish in her voice.
Peyton had tears in her eyes as she moved away from Brooke further. She put her hand up to stop Brooke.
"Brooke, I'm sorry, I can't do this." She said through tears.
Brooke closed her eyes and felt the tears coming fast and strong now. She reached up her hand to wipe them away and nodded.
Peyton took one last look at Brooke before turning around and walking back into the gym, leaving Brooke standing still in the darkness to watch as she left.
Peyton shook her head sadly at the memory. She'd felt awful about how she'd reacted to Brooke's admission and had gone to her house to see her. What she'd found when she arrived terrified her.
"Brooke?" Peyton called out as she headed towards the door. No one answered her.
Peyton placed her hand on the door handle and turned it, pushing the door open as she did.
Once inside the room she spotted Brooke sitting on the floor in between the beds. She ran over to her, kneeling down beside her closely. On the other side of Brooke, Peyton could see an open bottle of vodka.
Peyton closed her eyes and felt a tear slide down her cheek, When she opened them again she looked at Brooke.
Brooke looked up at her friend, tears lining her face. Peyton could see the pain behind her eyes and felt herself go numb inside.
"I'm so scared Peyton." She sobbed.
Peyton leant forward and pulled Brooke close to her, hugging her tightly.
"I know," she said stroking the back of Brooke's head gently. "I know."
Brooke cried in Peyton's arms as she comforted her, tears also running down her face.
Peyton had spent all the time after she'd left Brooke last night considering what would have happened if she had not decided to visit her. The possibility that Brooke might not have been here this morning was more than she could stand and thinking about it again now only made those feelings of uneasiness resurface.
Peyton ran her hand through her hair before knocking on the door once more.
Last night Brooke had cried in Peyton's arms for what seemed hours. Peyton had never seen Brooke that way before and it had devastated her, causing her to break down into tears as well.
Throughout their friendship it had always been Brooke who was the strong one. It was Brooke who picked Peyton up and supported her when she needed it. It had been Brooke who always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better when she was upset and pull her through the difficult days. Now the roles were reversed and Peyton doubted that she could be that person for Brooke.
Peyton frowned at the door, which remained closed. She walked up to it further and tried the handle as she had last night. To her surprise the door was still unlocked. Peyton pushed the door open and entered the house.
"Brooke?" she called when she was inside.
The house remained silent.
Peyton was about to start climbing the stairs to check the bedroom when she noticed Brooke asleep on the sofa.
She entered the living room quietly and approached where Brooke was lying, a blanket wrapped loosely around her.
When she reached Brooke, Peyton knelt down in front of her and stroked the side of her face gently with her hand.
Peyton smiled at Brooke as she lay there. Brooke looked so peaceful and content that Peyton had difficulty believing it was the same person she'd spoken to last night.
Peyton studied Brooke's face. She could clearly see the black eye that she'd given Brooke at Nathan's party among the various bruises and the large laceration she'd acquired last night.
After Brooke had stopped crying last night, her and Peyton had sat side by side on the bedroom floor talking together. Brooke had been drunk but she was mostly coherent and Peyton had taken her hand in hers whilst she'd listened to Brooke explain what she could remember about her condition. Eventually Brooke had become quiet and they'd sat together in silence for a while, just the pair of them alone in each other's company.
When Brooke had next spoken it had been to ask that Peyton not tell anyone else about the cancer, for now at least. Brooke wanted some time to come to terms with it herself before she informed anyone else.
Peyton had agreed to these wishes reluctantly, feeling that the others would want to be there for Brooke through this.
Not long afterwards, Peyton had left. She'd not wanted to leave Brooke, but she'd insisted and Peyton had agreed on the condition that she would be around first thing this morning.
On the sofa, Brooke began to stir.
Peyton reached over again and brushed a stray hair out of Brooke's eyes. Brooke seemed to feel this gesture because she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Peyton kneeling beside her.
She smiled sleepily when she saw her.
"Hey." She said drowsily closing her eyes momentarily.
"Hey." Peyton answered softly rubbing Brooke's hand. "How are you feeling?"
"Not too good." Brooke answered honestly. At present she was feeling more than a little nauseous and her head was pounding, whether from the blow to it or the vodka was hard to distinguish.
"Brooke I'm sorry." Peyton said her voice full of emotion.
"What for?" Brooke asked with a puzzled expression on her face.
As far as she could remember Peyton didn't have anything to be sorry about.
Peyton glanced down at the floor before speaking again.
"Last night." She began quietly. "For how I reacted when you told me about…"
Peyton paused briefly and continued to rub Brooke's hand with hers. She looked back up to meet her gaze before continuing.
"You know." She said.
Brooke smiled at Peyton.
"You don't need to apologise for that." Brooke said sincerely.
She was about to continue when Peyton cut her off.
"Yes I do." She said. "I should have said it last night when I came to see you but I guess I was ashamed of how I behaved."
"But why?" Brooke asked, her head still resting on the sofa.
Peyton looked at her and felt tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Brooke was acting like it wasn't a big deal.
"I was ashamed because I walked away when you needed me the most." She said crying, "and after everything you'd just done for me I couldn't bring myself to be there for you."
Brooke wiped a tear from Peyton's face and smiled at her again.
"You're here now." She said softly.
"What if that had been too late?" Peyton asked her.
Brooke closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.
Peyton watched Brooke carefully for a moment, before placing her hand gently on the side of Brooke's face.
"Brooke?"
Brooke opened her eyes again to look at Peyton.
"I wouldn't have gone that far." Brooke said hesitantly.
The truth was that Brooke didn't know what would have happened if Peyton hadn't arrived when she did. All Brooke was thinking about when she had started drinking the vodka was easing her pain and forgetting her troubles. She didn't want Peyton to worry about that now, but she knew that she'd seen straight through her lie.
"You don't know that." Peyton responded.
Brooke sat up on the sofa and took Peyton's hands in hers.
"Peyton." She began, "I never expected this to be easy for you after what you went through with Ellie. That's why I hid it from you for so long, because I didn't want to see you suffer like you did then."
Brooke paused and saw that Peyton was crying.
"What happened last night was a mistake Peyton. I never wanted to…."
"Kill yourself?" Peyton offered when Brooke didn't continue.
Brooke nodded.
"I would never do that to you." She said wiping another tear from Peyton's cheek.
"Brooke I don't want to lose you." Peyton sobbed. "Not now."
Brooke pulled Peyton into a tight embrace and spoke softly into her ear.
"You won't." she said. "Trust me Peyton. I'm not going anywhere without a fight."
Brooke pulled back a little that she could look at Peyton and then smiled.
"And you know how much I like those." She said winking.
Peyton laughed despite herself. She wiped some tears out of her eyes with her sleeve and saw Brooke watching her.
For a moment neither one of them said anything. Peyton knew that Brooke was trying to make light of the situation to avoid talking about the real issue. It was how she coped.
"Brooke?" Peyton started as she placed her hand on Brookes arm.
"I called the hospital earlier this morning." Brooke interjected looking at the floor. "Made an appointment for lunch time today."
Peyton rubbed Brooke's arm.
"Will you come with me?" Brooke asked looking back up at Peyton. "I know you don't like hospitals but…"
"Of course I'll come." Peyton cut her off whilst pulling her into a hug, "We'll do this together."
"Thank you," Brooke said nodding her head on Peyton's shoulder.
Peyton squeezed Brooke tightly as she spoke.
"You know I've always got your back."