a/n: hey y'all!!! thanks so much for your support and since you said i should, i'm gonna try it. so this is brooke's story. if you haven't read "beginning of the end" please do so...seeing as how this is the sequel and all...if you r&r me, i'll do it for you!!!!

Ch 1- Party Hardy

"I want to go home," the girl said walking up to her friend.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"This whole thing sucks. I lost Bryan, the music sucks, and there's nothing good," she paused while shaking a nearby Lonestar beer can for effect, "to drink."

"Well I'm not ready to go yet," her friend said defiantly.

"Fine, give me my keys."

"Ok, no. You've had one too many tequila's. See, there's nothing to drink because you drank it all."

"I did not!! And besides that, I'm fine!"
"No you're not! Listen if you really wanna leave, go find Kristy."

"It's her party!" the first girl exclaimed.

"Not my problem!" her friend shouted back as she walked away.

"Bitch," she muttered as she left the room.

Adam closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch. He didn't know why he kept coming to these. One of his cousins friends knew the girl that was throwing the party and his cousin dragged him to it. As usual he was designated driver. He looked up suddenly as he heard a commotion. Some girl was getting into a fight…typical. One of them turned to walk away and almost fell in the process.

"Woah!" he exclaimed as he jumped up to catch her. She fell into his arms and looked at him for a second.

"Hi," she finally said.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm…fine," she replied.

He just nodded, his arms still around her.

"Umm…are you gonna let me…go soon?" she asked quietly, attempting to joke on the last part.

"Oh! Sorry," he said sheepishly backing away.

"It's ok," she smiled.

"I'm Adam. Not a fan of parties but dragged every time."

"Brooke. Fan of parties, but not fan of morning after."

"Do you need a ride or something?" he asked, remembering the argument.

"Yeah. I had some tequila but I DIDN'T finish it off like Haylie said," she sighed.

"It's cool. I'm D.D. anyway."

She smiled as she took his hand and followed him to the door.

"Wait! I need to find Bryan!"

"Who?" he asked confused by the stop.

"Bryan, my boyfriend."

"Oh. Alright," he conceded, his balloon deflating.

Brooke went up and down the hallway, knocking on all the doors. Her brother Jake said he saw him up here. She really hoped he was wrong.

"Bryan!" she called out as she knocked on the last door; her last attempt to find him.

"Room's taken!" a voice called as the knock sounded.

"Oh it better not be!" she said as she flung open the door. There, in bed, was her boyfriend with some girl on top of him. And no, they were not fully clothed.

"Brooke!" he yelled throwing the girl off of him.

"No…no…" she muttered as she backed up against Adam and then brushed past him trying not to cry. Bryan sighed as he lied back down. Adam just stood there, taking in the whole scene for a few seconds. Then he too turned and fled.

"Brooke? Are you ok?" he asked here when he finally caught up to her.

"I'm sorry," she said as she swiped at his eyes.

"It's ok."

Brooke just laughed bitterly. "You don't know anything about me."

"Doesn't matter. That guy's an ass," he muttered.

She gave him a small smile and he offered her his arm as they headed to his car.

"Thank you," she whispered as she got in.

Adam looked over at the girl beside him. Long brown straight hair with startling blue eyes that seemed as though they could see your insides. She wasn't skinny, she was slender. This girl actually had some meat on her bones, much unlike most of the other girls he knew.

"So…what's your story?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your story. Your background, where you're from and stuff."

"Oh. Well I'm Brooke DeWitt, I've lived here for two years. My parents…well one's a lawyer and one's military."

"So are they both here?"

"Nope. My dad got transferred to Korea. It's hard but we make do," she sighed. He just sighed.

"Take a left here," she said. He did so and she asked him the same question.

"Adam McGuire, lived here my whole life. Mom's a banker and Dad works in daycare."

"Your father?" she asked surprised.

He nodded. "He's like a big kid. It's great."

"That's cool," she smiled. "I'm that house right there."

He stopped and she opened the door. "Thanks Adam. So far, you're the best part of my night."

"Well with your boyfriend and all…"

"Yeah," she said looking down.

She turned to shut the door but he called out, "So would it be presumptuous to ask for your number?"

"Yeah. But that's cool," she said smiling again.

"I'll call you," he said grinning. She nodded as he pulled away.

"You seem happy," her mother commented as she walked in.

"I got a date!" she exclaimed.

"What about Bryan?"

"Dickweed. The asshole cheated on me," she said bitterly.

"Brooke Michelle!!"

"He is!"

"Ok, so who's this new guy?"

"A guy named Adam that gave me a ride home. He seems sweet."

"That's great honey! Does this Adam have a last name?"

"McGuire. Why, are you gonna run a background check on him or something?" she joked. Her mother dropped the plate she was carrying and looked at her daughter.

"Did you say McGuire?"

"Yeah. Why?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing! Just…an old…boyfriend," her mother stumbled.

"Ok…"

"It's nothing. Umm…why don't you go on up to your room. It's late," she said. Brooke just looked at her mom, shrugged and headed up stairs.

"Love you!"

"Love you too."

When her daughter was out of sight, she fell back on her butt. McGuire. When they adopted Brooke sixteen years ago, that had been her last name. They had changed it of course, but the father said she needed to keep her first name. They didn't argue…they just welcomed the baby girl. Now sixteen years later, she could be going out with her brother! How am I going to tell her this one? Mrs. DeWitt thought wearily.