Okay so I got a few good, positive reviews. Thanks guys! :)

I wrote another chapter so you can get another gist of it, see if you like, and keep reviewing please…I'm still undecided :-/

"What do you mean?" Lucas's voice cracked from the other end of the telephone line.

Brooke sniffled as she put a hand over her quivering mouth to avoid a loud sudden gasp of breath, "Luke, I'm sorry. I have to go…I'll be back to visit you, and everyone else…but right now…it's just not the best time."

She felt horrible for telling the boy who just confessed his love for her that she was gone for good. She didn't even have time to tell him face to face. She had a long list of people she needed to talk to, a long list of people she would never say goodbye to properly:

Her best friend in the whole world, the girl who stayed by her side no matter what- Peyton.

The boy she knew practically her whole life, who was just as great a friend as Peyton was-Nathan.

The shy, beautiful, sensitive girl who she grew to love recently, and now regretting she hadn't known her sooner-Haley.

The nerdy, yet almost too sweet and understanding boy who she could trust with anything-Mouth.

Her second mother, the one whose mere thought of made her heart hurt twice as much- Karen.

All of the people she loved so dearly…she couldn't even owe it to them a proper goodbye…it would hurt too much, she thought at first. But now, not saying anything, it just felt as if thousands of knives were tearing up her insides. She hadn't seen them for a whole summer; and now it wasn't in her parents' wishes to go back to Tree Hill anytime soon.

Her parents were persistent. They had moved everything out of their old house before Brooke even knew about the final divorce.

"Brooke, you can't just go…you can't just leave me, and everyone you love!" Lucas's voice grew with everyone word he sputtered.

"I know," Brooke wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "But I have no say in this. Victoria and Richard know what they want from me…I can't come back. Not right now at least. Don't worry about me, Luke, please. I'm going to come back and visit you…it'll just take some time."

She heard him exhale deeply before he croaked out another sentence, "I'm going to miss you Pretty Girl. You know I love you, right?"

Brooke couldn't hold the tears back much longer. They came pouring from the spouts of her eyelids like sprinklers. She told him something she had been hiding from him since she left for the summer…I mean what was the point in keeping her feelings locked away any longer when she knew the chances she would see him again were little?

"I love you, too."

--x--

"Ms. Davis? Ms. Davis?" The cab driver called to her from the front seat, knocking her out of her daydreaming state.

Brooke quickly brought her attention to the front of the taxi as she faked a smile to forget about the horrible memory that played out only a few hours before.

"Sorry Joe," She leaned over and pulled out a few bills from her back pocket that her father had given her at the airport back in New York.

"Don't forget Brookie; give this to the cab driver when you land. Joe's a good friend of mine, but he's not cheap," He let out a thick chuckle as he handed his 17 year old daughter a wad of cash. "He knows where to take you from the airport. Your stuff was already sent over in a moving van, so I wouldn't be surprised if she already set everything up. You know how Aunt Ellen is."

Brooke rolled her eyes at the second memory as she handed Richard's old friend the cash. Her Dad always seemed to forget how old she actually was. Of course she knew when to give the cab driver money, where she was going to stop, and when her stuff had been brought over. It was like he had to explain it again to a five year old, or someone with a short attention span.

"Later Joe," Brooke said apathetically as she grabbed her messenger bag from the seat next to her. Like her dad said, all her stuff was probably already here and set up…so she traveled light. They were stopped in front of Harvelle's Roadhouse, a few miles away from the town of Forks.

Forks- her new home.

She stared up at the old run down pub as she gripped the door handle, wondering if she would like it here. Not just at the Roadhouse, where she currently had a job (thanks to Aunt Ellen), but also in Forks…living with her cousin Jo, making new friends, going to Forks High…ugh even the name of that place was starting to disgust her.

The driver tapped his dashboard impatiently. "Goodbye Brooke," he reminded her and watched her sheepishly grin as she climbed out of the car.

She waved a goodbye and shut the door.

After watching him peel out of the parking lot, she turned around and inhaled deeply. She was still staring at the building with a million questions tormenting her thoughts. The bitterness and hostility she had shown toward this move was over a few weeks ago. Well, I guess she would always be bitter, but the anger and pure rage she had toward her parents about moving had cooled down. Now, she accepted it. She accepted it because there was nothing she could do about it. She often thought she'd grab a one-way ticket to Tree Hill and simply run away, not even thinking about looking back. Her second option was to ask Larry or Karen to adopt her…but logically she knew that would never happen. And she was not about to be Lucas's sister. Her third option was to get a job and fund living on her own in Tree Hill, and get emancipated like Nathan did from his parents. But she wasn't about to get a job, either.

For now, anyway, until she was 18 years old, and could be legally counted as an adult and do whatever she wanted (which was only less then a short year away), she would try living with her Aunt Ellen and cousin Jo, and if she didn't like it, she would choose one of those options.

Brooke picked up her pace and finally reached the back door of her Aunts bar. She didn't even think twice about thrusting open the door.

Just like she dreaded would happen, the whole place was empty.

"Aunt Ellen? Ash?" Her calls echoed softly against the wood as she tried reaching her Aunt and her old friend. "Hello? Anybody home?"

She walked around the bar, studding each mahogany counter and oak chairs. The place forever smelt like smoke and alcohol. It was a typical bar. There was a pool table and a rusty jukebox, along with probably the most updated thing in the entire place, a hunting video game.

Brooke smiled to herself as she remember coming to this place as a kid. She'd only been here a few times, considering her mother was not a fan of Aunt Ellen or Uncle Bill. Brooke scoffed at the idea that her mother probably seemed a little bit relieved when they learned of Bill's passing.

She ran a hand along the bar stool as she let her mind drift back to the past again.

Brooke was nearly 12 the last time she would be at her Aunt's roadhouse. It was another summer vacation in California, and Richard always made a point to stop by and see how his sister and niece were holding up in Washington. If it were up to Brooke, she would visit them more often. They were her favorite part of her family…probably because they were so different. But you know it's never up to anyone besides Queen Victoria.

Her and Jo had spent the entire day running around, helping Ellen or Ash, chasing each other, or playing tricks on the guys in the bar.

The people at the Roadhouse were always so, similar, in ways…mostly older men…scary, bulky, and carrying maps and folders with messes of paper, bags bulging at the seams…they were all a mess. And they all looked like they were keeping something. Most of them were uncharacteristically nice, and others you knew when to stay away.

"Brooke!" Her mother called after her. "Stop running! You could fall and get seriously injured."

Brooke ceased to a halt as she raised an eyebrow. Even at 12 she wasn't an idiot, She knew her mother all to well and 'Stop running! You could fall…' was just code for 'Stop running, you're making me look bad.'

She propped herself up on a stool and began swaying back and fourth. The idea was very childish, but Brooke was still a child. At least she always wanted to stay that way. Jo hopped up on a seat beside her and smiled.

"What are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow at her cousin of the same age.

Brooke simply shrugged and ignored her cousin's questionable look, "Nothing really. Want to spin really fast on these things and sees who throws up first?"

Jo's eyes brightened as she nodded excitedly.

"I don't think so," Victoria cut in and grabbed at her daughters arm, squeezing it slightly. "Brooke, seriously, is this any way to behave in public?"

Her smile faded as she looked to Jo and cringed a bit at her mother's hold.

"Good," Victoria smiled satisfyingly. " Now get your jacket and let's go."

"But our flight isn't until Thursday, we still have two more days. Why can't we stay here?" Brooke protested as she planted her butt firmly in the chair.

She watched as her mother rolled her eyes, "Because I already reserved a suite at the 5 star hotel in Seattle."

"But Aunt Victoria, Brooke can stay here with us if she wants," Jo looked up pleadingly.

She simply shook her head, "No, no. Brooke will stay with us .Now come on, get up."

The 12 year old girl let out a long frustrated sigh as she normally did when her mother ruined her fun…Victoria was more then used to it by now. She stood up off of the stool and crossed her arms.

"Happy?" she mumbled.

Victoria nodded and turned her back to collect her husband, "Wait for me in the car, dear. This will only be a second."

She watched as her mother trailed off, not even bothering to look in her eyes as she talked to her.

"Sorry," Brooke looked over to her cousin and gave her a warm embrace.

"It's okay," Jo smiled weakly as she returned the hug and then let her arms fall. "Next time?"

Brooke knew there would be a short supply of 'next times' but nodded anyway. She picked up her jacket that was hanging over the bar and slid it over her bare shoulders. She smiled lamely and waved a small goodbye to her cousin before walking out the door.

She barely noticed it when someone rushed in after she exited.

"Oh! Sorry," he kneeled down to the girl he had nearly knocked over. "Are you okay?"

She nodded as she looked up at the man. She made the conclusion that he looked like he belonged at the Roadhouse, too.

"I'm fine," she admitted. "No worries."

He wasn't satisfied with her answer as he checked her over once more. He seemed really cautious over younger kids or something.

Brooke gazed over his shoulder at her Aunt Ellen who was now standing at the bar next to Jo and her mother and father, probably exchanging goodbyes.

She smiled brightly, and ignored the man in front of her as she called out, "Goodbye Aunt Ellen!"

Her call didn't go unnoticed as Brooke watched her Aunt smile warmly back and wave. She also saw her mother shake her head in disapproval.

The man knelt down in front of her looked over his shoulder with a questioning gaze and back to the little girl, "Ellen's your aunt?"

Brooke nodded proudly as she watched the man's distant expression.

"Well as long as you're okay, I've got to go in there and talk to your aunt," He stood up slowly and turned around, catching a glimpse at Ellen.

She saw him and smiled as she called out, "Hey John!"

Brooke turned her back and skipped over to their retro Mustang rent-a-car. Old but in great condition, Brooke loved the car, especially when the put the top down and they drove over the San Fran bridge. Her dad liked to travel in style. Her mother disapproved greatly, she'd rather have a limo service take them to where they needed to be. That was another request Richard ignored.

She climbed into the back seat like she was ordered to, and put on her seat belt as she waited for her parents to come out. After a moment or so of boredom she began twiddling her thumbs in the silence.

But something from the right side of the car broke the silence. There was a slight banging sound followed by some murmurs.

"Shit!" she thought she heard someone say.

Brooke quickly undid her seatbelt and opened the door on the side opposite of her. Two boys knelt down beside the tire and looked up at the girl, smiling awkwardly back. She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"Hi," She raised a brow as she climbed out of the car and looked at the two. One was smaller then the other, Brooke guessed around her age, with brown shaggy hair. The other was grinning cockily, dressed in leather jacked and his short brown hair was in a wrangled mess. "I'm guessing you guys want a look at the car? I've noticed it's a usual reaction."

"Sorry," the smaller boy muttered and looked up at Brooke. He was timid and looked a little frightened. "My dad told us to stay in the car…but my brother here just had to look at your car."

She shrugged it off, "It's no big deal. Look around all you like."

"Oh you know I will," The taller boy's smile widened as he stared at the girl in the car.

Brooke noticed the suggestive behavior, she was used to it by now. "On second thought, tell me your names first. Then I'll decide whether or not I should call my daddy on you."

The two boys exchanged glances. The smaller boy's face was worried; where the older one's was amused.

"I'm Dean, this is my younger brother Sam," The older boy answered confidently and kinked a brow. "And you are?"

"Brooke Penelope Davis," She smiled brightly but her expression soured when she heard the two cackling. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Penelope," Dean smirked and nudged his brother.

"You know I think I will call my daddy now," She inhaled loudly as she pretended to yell out for her father. Before she could call, she looked behind her and noticed the two were way out of site now.

Brooke squinted her face and began searching for the boys.

Her attention was drawn to the front of the car where her father had just opened the door.

"Sorry Brookie, I hope we didn't keep you waiting," Richard climbed into the driver's side and shut the door behind him.

"You didn't keep her waiting," Victoria mumbled as she came in from the other side after shutting Brooke's door for her, and then her own.

Brooke ignored her father's sympathy and mothers rude comment when she was still looking for the two she'd been talking to just moments before.

Then, she spotted the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. A '67 Chevy Impala, from the looks of it. Brooke wasn't a car person at all but her father had insisted on taking her to a few car shows back in the day. That was one she'd fell in love with. She also noticed the two boys sitting in the back seat, and the man she ran into earlier climb into the driver's side.

The memory flickered away when the familiar boom of her Aunt's voice startled her.

"Brooke!"

She was soon embraced in a warm, tight hug and Brooke nuzzled her face in her shoulder.

"Ellen!" Brooke excitedly called back.

After they broke apart, she got a good look at her Aunt that she hadn't seen in a few years. She looked as firm as she always had, but still had that same kindness in her eyes. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jo standing slightly behind her. She was so much grown up now, which it figures since they were the same age. Her hair was long and wavy and she was as skinny and fragile looking as ever.

"Oh my God, Jo!" She ran over to her cousin and squeezed her tightly for a brief moment. "It's been so long!"

"Ditto!" She called back; neither of them ever letting their smiles fade.

"I can't get over how great you look, Brooke," Ellen admired. "You grew up to a beautiful young lady."

"Right back at you, El," She smirked and the three of them chuckled light heartedly.

Suddenly, Brooke felt differently about the move. Sure, she was trying to make the best of it. But now, being surrounded by family who actually loved and cared for you, it made it seem like that would be easy.

Hoped you liked!

So like I said, I'm still undecided here people…please review :

-hsl