The Art of Growing Up

AN: I do not own One Tree Hill. But I have been in a writing mood lately so I'll probably post more one shots. Hope you enjoy. :

Summary: In the past four years Brooke has had to grow up fast. From going to a 18 year old high school graduate to a 21 year old fashion designer.

18 years old:

Brooke Davis. Fresh out of high school was so far not enjoying her stay in California. Her best friend, Peyton Sawyer, and she were sharing an apartment in the sunny city of Los Angeles. She was expecting to spend everyday shopping and tanning. So far neither one had happened.

A couple days after they had arrived, Lucas Scott showed up. Lucas was Peyton's boyfriend at the time and Brooke's ex. The only guy Brooke had ever loved. Brooke was fine with him showing up, claiming since school didn't start until September he would spend time with them. Brooke just figured he'd join in on Peyton and her plans. Instead Peyton and Lucas both started blowing her off to spend time together.

She rarely saw them. They were always off exploring the city. Since she didn't want to go out by herself, she stayed home and worked on her designs. She would work all day drawing a dress and then sewing it. She would work so fast and be able to get through a dress or two a day.

While she rarely saw Peyton and Lucas, they did all eat dinner together. On weeknights though, weekends Lucas and Peyton would go out alone. Never inviting her. At first she was mad. They were forgetting about her. Weren't they all suppose to be friends? But as time went on she noticed that when she did see them she was still mad.

Why was she still mad? She wasn't exactly sure. It wasn't until she was up late one night trying to finish one of her many designs. Lucas came into the kitchen where she was working to get a glass of water.

"You're still working on that dress?" He asked referring to the one she had been working on since the morning.

"Yeah," Brooke replied kind of surprised he actually noticed she was there. "I can't seem to get the neckline right."

"You'll get it. So do you like Los Angeles? The city of angels."

"I haven't really seen much of it. I've been working on my designs and I don't feel like going out alone." She doesn't bother hiding the bitterness from her voice.

"I'm sorry Brooke. I didn't realize we were leaving you out so much. It's just…once school starts I won't be seeing Peyton as much. I'm going to miss her."

"You really love her don't you?"

"Yeah, more then you could imagine. I've never felt this way before. A love so strong nothing can break it…"

As Lucas continues talking, Brooke looks down at her dress she's working on. That's when she realizes it she wasn't mad at them for leaving her out of their activities. She was mad because she still loved Lucas. She was still in love with him. But now she knows he never felt the way she did about him. And it hurts like hell.

"I love everything about her. Like the way we get along so well because we're so much alike. Or how she concentrates so much on her art like nothing else matters-"

"Yeah, Lucas I'm tired I'm going to go to bed." Brooke interrupts him as she gets up. Gathering her things, trying to hid the tears from that are forming in her eyes. Did he ever love her like that?

"Okay. Goodnight Brooke." Lucas says not even knowing how much he hurt his ex.

At age 18 Brooke Davis grew up and realized the only guy she ever loved never loved her. He always was in love with her best friend and always would be.

Age 19:

Brooke Davis. At nineteen woke up to a call in the middle of the night. Who could be calling her this late she wondered? It couldn't be anyone from Tree Hill. She didn't talk much to them since she moved to New York seven months ago.

Moving to New York was probably the best and worst decision she ever made. Best by being able to take her designs to the next stage. After the tons of dresses and designs she made in California she decided that she needed to go to a fashion city to make her dreams come true.

She packed her bags and said her goodbyes to Peyton. She arrived in New York about twelve hours later. About a month later she had opened a small clothes shop that she was running. It was becoming more popular by the day and she had gone from making one or two designs a day to four or five.

Worst decision by not being able to talk to her friends as much. It wasn't like she talked to Peyton that much anyway when they lived together but now with the different time zones they were always busy when the other wasn't. She also didn't get to talk anyone else of the Tree Hill gang much because she was so busy with her shop.

She was such a busy person that when she wasn't at her shop, she was at home designing or sleeping. And she never got much sleep because she would stay up late and get up early to finish a design. So who could possibly be calling at two thirty in the morning?

"Hello," Brooke answers. Her already raspy voice raspier from sleeping.

"Hi, Brooke, this is your mother. I need to tell you something."

"Yes…?" Brooke has a feeling this is going to be bad news. She rarely ever talks to her parents. She always figured that one day when her dad retired that her parents would stop going on business trips and actually come and spend time with her. That they would become the family she always wished they'd be.

"Tonight," a sob escapes her mother's lips. "Tonight there was an accident. Your father was in a car accident-"

"What?" Brooke cuts her mom off. "He's okay though, right? Where are you guys now? I'll take the first flight out-"

"No, Brooke honey," her mom cuts her off crying slightly. "The doctors did everything they could. He didn't make it."

Brooke doesn't know what to say her dad is dead. He's gone. She's never going to see him again.

"The funeral is going to be next Saturday in California. Will you be able to make it?"

"What? Umm, yeah, I'll be there. Bye mom."

"Bye Brooke. I'll see you next week."

After Brooke hangs up, she realizes she's going to need to buy a black dress.

At age 19 Brooke Davis grew up and realized her family would never be the family she wished for when she was young.

Age 20:

Brooke Davis. A fashion designer. Yes that's what she was now. After her father died her mother moved to New York with her and helped her reach her dreams. She got what she wished for. But still she didn't feel complete.

Everyday was spent at the office. Everyday she would go to work, work on designs and upcoming shows. Every night she would leave the office and go home to her big apartment with a great view of New York. But every night she would go home alone.

She almost never talked to the Tree Hill gang anymore. They had grown apart. Or maybe she was the only one who had grown apart. She saw Lucas not that long ago. They're trying to be friends again. He tried to kiss her. But she thinks he's in denial that Peyton rejected his proposal. She hasn't talked to Peyton in god knows how long, and Haley and Nathan are too busy with raising James and making their dreams come true to talk to her.

She's also too busy to talk to them.

She doesn't have any best friends anymore. She can't consider Haley or Peyton best friends because she barely talks to them let alone sees them. She can't consider Rachel a friend at all since she hasn't seen her since graduation. And her and Lucas have just now started talking after a year of not talking. That hardly qualifies as a best friend. But when she thinks about it some more, she doesn't really have friends either. Or at least not many of them. She spends most of her time with the people she works with. And all they ever talk about is business.

When she looks at her life she knows her dreams have come true. But sometimes there is more to dreams. She wants friends. She wants somebody to talk to and can trust. She doesn't have that though.

At age 20 Brooke Davis grew up and realized sometimes when dreams come true it's not what you expect.

Age 20:

Brooke Davis is now getting her life back. Or at least she hopes so.

She recently started talking to Peyton again. They decided to take a trip to Tree Hill. She got reconnected with old friends. Most of which welcomed her back with open arms. She even met her godson. He's great. Really smart for his age.

She realizes that she missed this. Her home the home of Tree Hill. So she decided to move back. She's going to run a shop from Tree Hill and run her designs from there. She's using Karen's Café, a favorite place of hers to go when she was a teenager.

She and Lucas have become close over the past year. She now considers him her best friend, though she hasn't told anyone that. Peyton would probably be pissed considering there are still old feelings left between them.

But right now at the moment she doesn't care. Right now she's living in the moment, spending time with her friends and godson. Trying to be the best godmother she can.

At age 21 Brooke Davis decided to stop growing up and just live in the moment. She's been happier now then she has in the past four years.

The End.

AN: Please Review and tell me what you think. :