It was a regular Saturday evening in the tree hill high life. Bevin's parents were out of town so it was her turn to throw a party. Kegs near the pool and in the pool guys and girls were playing ball some couples making out in the pool some dancing outside the pool. Rooms filled with noisy teenagers. In one corner of the room a few were playing strip poker where Theresa was down to her lingerie.Nathan and Haley were sitting on the couch cuddling each other and watching some movie with Peyton Mouth, Skillz, Bevin and a few others. There somewhere in the middle of the room stood Brooke Davis with her new friend Rachel and a few other cheerleaders laughing and talking. Brooke looked beautiful as ever in her pastel green halter neck dress. Her brunette mane perfectly falling on one side of her neck. Her make up to the point but somehow something was missing. It was the usual twinkle in her eye which was a trademark of Brooke Davis, that was missing. The people who knew her would say it has been missing for quite sometime, not that Brooke Davis the cheer captain would ever admit it. If anyone would have noticed they would have also seen that she was holding the same glass of vodka tonic since she came to the party an hour ago. This was so unlikely of the hazel eyed brunette. She was one of those who would have entered the party with a beer in hand and would have already got tipsy enough to makeout with a stranger or play a few arounds of strip poker by now.
Brooke left her untouched vodka glass on the nearby table and went to the washroom. She opened the washroom door and found Lucas wiping a red wine stain on his shirt with a towel. Lucas looked up and seeing Brooke smiled his friendly smile "hey Brooke, wasup". She looked at the blue eyed boy thinking about the time she had playfully spilled cola on him while he was watching some boring game then she took him to the washroom to clean up his shirt and instead they ended up love under him shower. She shook herself out of her daydream "hi. don't hog the washroom. Get out will you" she said in a bored tone and just as he was about to leave she called out "dab some white wine" Lucas looked back smiled and said thanks.
Going to the bar looking for some white wine he thought of Brooke, how her eyes looked so dull it made him sad. Those twinkle in her eyes were one of the things that had made him fall for her. He had also seen her during those times when she was depressed about something she would act normal smile wink and flirt but the twinkle went missing from her eyes. During those times he would do anything and everything to make her laugh and get her eyes twinkling again. This worried him. He also knew part of it was because of him which saddened him even more. Brooke came out of the washroom fixing her hair and her eyes fell on Lucas. With him was standing Peyton laughing with him and dabbing the white wine on the stain on his shirt. Brooke looked the other way and started walking when Bevin called out her name from near the bar. Brooke sighed her shoulders dropped for a moment because she wanted to avoid Lucas and Peyton but then she straightened herself pasting a fake smile and walked towards the bar. Lucas knew the smile very well. He had seen it the day when her parents had called her and made plans for a weekend,she didn't admit but she was excited and hopeful so she canceled her plans of a weekend getaway with friends but later her parents canceled it on the last moment. When Lucas asked about it, she had pasted the same fake smile and said to him "the more time for us to get nasty all day boyfriend."
She walked past Peyton and Lucas and went to Bevin who was sitting on a bar stoll next to them nursing a beer in one hand and Brooke's phone in another. Bevin shouted on top of the loud music "someone called your cell a few minutes ago. They said Some 'Nancy' died."
Lucas saw the fake pasty smile being wiped away as soon as the words left Bevin's lips. Lucas noticed Brooke's expressions change into something unreadable. He had never seen Brooke like this. He couldn't make out what had Bevin said and what was going on in Brooke's mind. Brooke calmly took her phone from Benvin's hand and poured herself a glass full of whatever alcohol was lying on the bar. She leaned on the counter staring at her drink her expressions still unreadable. Bevin kept talking to her but Brooke didn't seem to hear anything, her focus totally on the drink. Fifteen minutes later she walked to the sink, poured her drink down the sink and just started walking out of the house. Rachel called out for Brooke but Brooke didn't respond and just walked out of the house.
Meanwhile Peyton was busy wiping Lucas's shirt and laughing and talking about some band or something not that Lucas had heard a thing. He tapped Bevins's shoulder when Peyton went to talk to Haley "hey Bevin what was that call about?" the drunk Bevin fluttered her lashes "what call? Who called?" "call on Brooke's phone" lucas clarified. "oh I don't knowknow, some Nancy died. I guy called to give Brooke a message." Lucas tried to recall if he had ever heard of a 'Nancy' but he couldn't.
Brooke walked out of Bevin's house, in a trance unlocked her blue convertible sat in it the drove off. As Lucas came out of the house he saw her driving away from the party.
Brooke aimlessly drove to nowhere. The wind hitting her beautiful face, blowing through her hair and scattering her meticulous hairstyle.Brooke Davis wasn't one of those who brooded over everything little thing going against their wish, in fact she was the girl who would hide away every hurt and every pain behind sarcasm flirting and by playing the role of a dumb cheerslut. Crying over everying little thing was more like Brooke's former best friend Peyton. Many a times Brooke felt that Peyton made the situations unfavorable herself like when Nathan didn't treat her well, Brooke being a true friend time and again told her "why do you let him treat like that. Stand up for yourself P sawyer. He doesn't deserve you then simply break up with him" but all their fights ended up with Peyton and Nathan having some seriously crazy make up sex. When Larry sawyer, Peyton's dad, left for jobs for months Peyton never wanted him to go but when her dad asked if he should stay back she would put mask her feelings and ask him to go. Larry was a great dad and he would have stayed back if Peyton asked her to just once.Brooke really liked Larry Sawyer and didn't like it when Peyton would always say 'Everybody Always Leaves' including her dad in it. Brooke doubted if she knew what really being left alone is. As a kid Brooke used to cry and beg her parents to not leave her to take her with them, but they never cared, they left. Whatsoever Brooke still loved Peyton and sometimes called her out on her bullshit but always stuck around for her. However Brooke herself always covered all her insecurities by joking about it.
But today was different, she felt like she was loosing the grip over the mask she wears. Today she found herself thinking about the distasteful pranks life has been playing on her. She had learned to fill her loneliness with crowded parties booze and boys from a very young age. She had locked away every insecurity, abandonment issues,dark fears, every heartbreak deep inside some inaccessible corner. Along with it she locked away the heart built thick walls around it and had hidden the key. She had taught herself not to love anyone not to expose her real self to anyone. Truth be told their were a very few people she genuinely loved, even liked, even they didn't know the real her fully one of those loved ones being Payton. She said "I am what I am" happily lived her 'cheerslut' life and never cared of what the world said... Even when more than half of it were rumors.
She was as happy as she could be that is when life threw a Lucas Scott at her. She had been unusually attracted to him from the very first day she laid her eyes on him,she had never felt such a pull towards anyone, but she had planned to act like she always did, have some steamy hot sex with him to get him out of her system and then move on. But this blue eyed blonde boy marched straight into her life, knock off all the walls she built, found the key to her heart and all the fears and insecurities. He introduced her to the world of love and made her care about things she had chosen to ignore her entire life, and once she had accepted that she too could be genuinely happy. Lucas broke her heart to a million pieces the worst way and left her only with all the dark fears and insecurities and a loneliness she was now unable to fill with parties booze boys or sex.
"What the hell is wrong with you Brooke Davis" she shouted to herself and stopped the car. Pulling herself out of the haze she had no idea where she was. She looked around and saw Karen's Cafe in front of her.
During the time she was dating Lucas, she had formed a bond with his mother Karen and when then her parents had sold the house she lived in and were forcing her to move to California with them, though Lucas and brooke were broken up at that time Lucas had asked his mother is she could live with them Nd Karen agreed to it. Those were the days when her bond with Karen grew stronger.Many a times when Lucas was out playing in rivercourt with the boys or practicing with coach and the team Karen and she would talk for hours while having breakfast or while she helped her in the kitchen. Karen treated her like her own child appreciating her when she drew sketches and made dresses won cheering trophies and grounding her when she came home drunk after sneaking out to a party. Brooke experienced both the sentiments first time in her life. She had excitedly hugged Karen saying 'it's just like having a mom!!'. Ones she said to Luke "hey broody who could have thought you could get such special deals on boyfriends. With a super sexy boyfriend I got a super cool mom in the deal". But since her break up with Luke she hadn't seen Karen. She missed her. To be honest, Brooke idolized Karen Roe even when she didn't know her in fact even when she didn't know Lucas personally. She would hear some people talking rubbish about her but Brooke resperespected her a lot. Karen Roe was a single mom, left pregnant with Lucas at a mere age of eighteen, her parents had abandoned her because she chose to keep the child and Yet she stood up strong, built a business from nothing raised a fine boy and loved him unconditionally, Something that was foreign to brooke.
Since her break up she drove past the Cafe almost regularly but never had the nerve to go meet Karen. Today she had subconsciously driven herself to the Cafe but she sat in her car and contemplated on her options... Should I go inside... I could quickly say a hi and go back home... Lucas is in the party so there wouldn't be any confrontation with him too... But what if she doesn't wanna see me.. What If she thinks I broke Lucas's heart... What is she hates me... I already have i mom who hates me...do I need another one...". There was a part of her that knew Karen would never hate her and she knew only Karen could help her. She got out of the car and with shaky legs walk towards the Cafe.
" Brooke!!" Karen beemed " it seems like ages, how are you? " Karen looked genuinely happy to see he. Brooke didn't expect it so she nervously started blabbering "hey Karen... I-i Ummm there was no ...er.. coffee...in my house I... Uh b-bought it.. Then.. Then the coffee maker... Umm broke down but... But I really needed a aghh coffee. So can I have a coffee please?" Brooke was beating herself inside for how lame she sounded. Karen looked at her and remembered the first time they met in the hospital when Lucas was in a coma after the car crash. Even then Brooke had started blabbering nervously but the difference was even in her nervousness you could see her confidence and cheerful nature and a shine in her eyes.
It was missing today. Brook lowered her head and fixed her gaze on he counter. Karen quietly poured a cup of coffee for her. As brooke now stared at her coffee she saw Karen sliding a plate of brownies towards. Karen remembered how much she loved these brownies and could never stop at one and when Haley teased her she'd say "oh shut up tutorwife brownie calories don't count". Brooke looked directly at Karen for the first time since she entered the Cafe... A sad smile on her face... She opened her mouth to say something and nothing came out so she closed it again... "as much as I would love to have more customers in my café... Brooke u don't need reason to come here... I'd love it even if you just come to see me" said Karen with a kindly motherly smile. Brooke's eyes glistened with tears, she looked away blinking away the tears... " I thought you might not want to see me anymore... Lucas and I... I no more his girlfriend" blinking back some more tears. Karen saddened by Brooke's appearance "you can come to see me whenever you feel like honey, I'd like to think we have a relationship independent of Lucas. Brooke honey, u have always felt like the closest thing to a daughter i never had." Brooke was soo moved by Karen's words she was afraid if she'd say something she will start crying." So tell me how are you doing Brooke? " asked Karen to give Brooke something to speak of..." I am...umm fine.. I guess" Karen kept looking at her till Brooke realized that she isn't buying her bullshit. Brooke gave up her pretense and sigh "Karen... I am... Uhh not that great... I am scared..."
Karen didn't say anything but just kept a hand on hers to urge her to tell her more... After a long pause Brooke continued "I was in a very dark place which I used to run from by doing all kind of stupid things... Then... I somehow crawled out of the darkness... And I... I liked being a better person ... But all of a sudden I feel myself falling back into the darkness again... I am trying really hard not to... I never thought I'll ever admit this... But I really need a parent right now"
Brooke looked towards Karen, tears rolling down her cheeks... You are the only parent I have ever had" Karen with tear filled eyes comes to the other side of the counter to give her a hug and lets Brooke sob into her hug the way she had let Lucas sob so many times.