Thank you for your feedback. I already know where I'm going with this story so it's just going to take some ironing out a few minor details for it to start running smoothly. As I've said before this is a pure Brooke focused story. Romance probably won't come until much later in the story. Thank you for reading :) I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and have a happy new year!
Disclaimer - I do not own any characters but my own.
"How are things with Tutor freak?" She asks as soon as the brunette boy enters the car and slams the door shut. Throwing his gym bag and book bag into her backseat. She doesn't look at him as she peels out of the parking lot and races down the street. Putting as much distance between her and that school as she could with each minute.
"Don't call her that." Nathan Scott gets out between gritted teeth turning his blue eyes in a glare at the brunette whose eyes are focused on the road and not anywhere in his direction.
Brooke rolls her eyes when he stands up for his new lady love interest. No one could get a word in otherwise about her if Nathan had a say. "How are things with Haley?" She rewords though she truly doesn't care at that moment. Anything to talk about the inevitable with him. After cleaning herself up a nearby gas station, much to her dismay, she had made it just in time to pick Nathan up from basketball practice. Though she didn't understand why.
"Things are going. We're taking things slow." He was met with a snort from Brooke as soon as the words escaped his mouth. "We have a study date when I get home." He finished, ignoring her comment altogether.
"Why couldn't she just bring you home then? I'm sure she was buried in a book somewhere at the back of the library or with your brother." Brooke emphasizes the last word knowing that it will get on Nathan's very last nerve. Smirking slightly when she sees Nathan's nostrils flare up in anger. She's in a bad mood and a good fight will get some of this pent up energy she had in her right now. Nathan hasn't done anything to her but she just wants so badly to forget what she was told earlier that she'll settle for harsh comments from her best friend. Even if they will hurt.
"Don't call him that." Nathan grits out angrily turning his eyes back to the road not wanting to look at Brooke any longer after that comment.
Brooke shrugs at this and turns her head slightly towards him. "Call them like I seem them." She turns back towards the road not paying attention when Nathan lets out a growl. She whizzes past a park and turns onto their street. His house only three blocks down from hers.
"What's your issue Davis?" He growls out trying to control his anger. He has to take deep breaths in order to calm himself or he might do something he regrets. He sees Brooke shrug again and this just adds fuel to the fire she already started. "What stick is up your ass? Or isn't for that matter?" He questions harshly as Brooke makes a sudden stop in front of his house.
"I wouldn't talk to me that way Nate. Cherish the moments you have with me. I am your best friend after all." Brooke answers instead choosing to ignore his jab at her being 'queen slut' of Tree Hill. He knew that wasn't the truth and she did also. He just liked hitting her with the low blows. Something Brooke had come to expect from him when he got mad. Nathan Scott never played fair. But she guessed that's why they were best friends and not enemies. Sometimes both on a good day.
"The good ones come to few and far between." Nathan mumbles as he turns and grabs his stuff from the back. He opens the door not noticing the tears that suddenly spring to Brooke's eyes. She quickly pushes them back and glares at Nathan as he stomps out her car.
"You can walk from now on." She spits before she steps on the gas and takes off. Not even giving Nathan a chance to step onto the sidewalk. She hadn't expected him to say such a horrible thing to her. She had expected a few harsh comments about her reputation and then they would laugh it off and make plans to drink or watch the game later on.
She walks into the house without knocking because she knows the door will be open. She silently scoffs when she hears the loud depressing music coming from upstairs. After speeding away from Nathan in her anger but most of all hurt she had come to the only other person she knew she could rely on at this moment. She was hoping that her friend would be a little bit more of a happy distraction from the news than Nathan was but hearing the music coming from the bedroom upstairs, she knew that was a far fetched idea.
Making her way upstairs she swings the last door at the end of the hall open and is met with a mop of curly Blondie hair buried in a sketchpad and an abundance of black. Too much black. Maybe this was the wrong place to come. She could sulk in her own self pity in her own bright room. "It's dark in here." She comments as if it weren't the most obvious thing in the world as she walks over to the bed on the far side of the room. She's met with a shrug. "Maybe we should paint this place... yellow. Give it some life." She suggests plopping down on the bed and sitting up on her elbows.
"Or maybe we could leave it how it is." The blonde remarks no life in her voice at all. Brooke sighs and lays down staring up at the ceiling. "What's the deal B? You're usually more...talkative." Peyton Sawyer questions looking over at her childhood best friend.
"I was mean to Nate." Brooke tells her.
"What else is new?" Peyton laughs not really getting why this was getting Brooke so down. Nathan and Brooke were known for their stupid argument and fast makeups. They were the same people so she got it and never questioned it.
"He just said something really horrible to me, Peyt. It wasn't' the usual you're a slut comeback." Brooke sits up once again and looked over at Peyton who has now put her sketch pad down and had focused all of her attention on Brooke. She rolls her eyes when Peyton snorts and has to suppress the urge to yell at the top of her lungs.
"Like what Brooke? You know whatever it is Nathan didn't mean it. You're like his annoying little sister and he loves you like one. Trust me, I know. I had to deal with you being number one throughout our whole relationship." Peyton tries to comfort friend when she sees that Brooke is truly upset about whatever comment Nathan made to her. Usually her friend rolled with the punches.
"Have we made good memories together?" Brooke asks turning her head to stare at Peyton. She knows that she's made good memories with both Peyton and Nathan and that Nathan was just saying that to get to her but it still hurt to hear. She desperately wanted to make sure that the two most important people in her life felt the same about her. Sure, on the outside she was courageous Brooke Davis who wouldn't let a stone hurt her but on the inside she was an insecure mess who needed Peyton and Nathan more than she cared to admit. Especially now.
"You mean how you used to drag me to mall to buy make up and sports bras? Oh yeah best times of my life." Peyton says sarcastically. She instantly regrets it when she sees the disappointment and hurt in Brooke's eyes. "B. Davis, c'mere." She sighs and pulls Brooke close to her until her friends head is resting on her shoulder. "No matter what it was or when I'll cherish every memory we've ever made because you are my best friend. Practically like a sister to me and each memory whether good or bad is always a good one at the end because they were with you." She reassures her friend, wanting Brooke to feel better about whatever it was that was bringing her down. Brooke was usually the one doing the reassuring because it was usually her that was down and out about something but this-this was unusual for Peyton.
"It's back Peyton." Brooke closes her eyes as the words escape her mouth before she can stop them. She hadn't planned on telling Peyton. Or Nathan. Or anyone for that matter. Not until she had dealt with this on her own but it had been less than two hours since she had found out and it was already tearing her apart.
"What?" Peyton looks down at her friend confused. Not quite sure Brooke was talking about Peyton was definitely not ready for the next words that Brooke was about to say to her.
"The Leukemia. It's back." Brooke repeated holding back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes as she looks up into the horrified eyes of her best friend.