Episode referenced is The Lonesome Road from s2, quote 'people who are meant to be' is obviously from the show also. The song is Brandy + Monica: The Boy Is Mine. Seemed to work so well for the confrontation Brooke and Peyton should have had about Lucas. Lucas may have been an idiot but Brooke should not have just given up, and she should have told Lucas the truth.
The lyrics in bold are the chorus, the ones in italics are Peyton's POV and the ones in bold and italic are Brooke's POV. For those of you who want to know the ones in Peyton's POV are sung by Brandy and Brooke's are by Monica.
The night at the beach changed things for her. His words played in her head over and over again in the next few days. She'd felt like she was the one who was always doing the fighting. And she was, but she was fighting herself and her insecurities. The truth was she'd walked away because the idea of telling Lucas the truth about Peyton had scared her. She'd been so scared that Lucas would dump her when he heard the truth that all the love and happiness they'd shared had been erased by her mind. She'd had such faith in his love when she finally committed to him after the summer. All they'd been through she'd let get undone by her insecurities. Rachel had told her to at least talk to Lucas about things but she'd been so sure of what Peyton's feelings meant that she didn't bother considering that Lucas might feel differently. That he did love her. She just didn't know if there was any chance she could undo her mistake, it was too late and the very fact that the blondes seemed almost inseparable made her think maybe she was right.
She saw him in the halls and for the first time in weeks she actually looked straight at him. Unconsciously she slows her step as he meets her gaze and in what feels like slow motion their eyes lock as she walks past him and she's almost tempted to fling herself at him in the hope he'll just hold her. That he'll rescue her like she once asked him to, like he promised he would. They were meant to rescue each other. Memories like that brought her close to tears because she realises she was the one who gave up on them, not him. Not until the beach when she'd told him she had no intention of fighting for him, of loving him. As she reached the door to the quad she was forced to break their gaze and she felt a physical loss at their broken connection. She pushed herself across the quad and saw the one person she needed right then.
"Hey Tutor-girl." Her voice was soft and full of the sadness she was feeling as she slipped onto the beach beside her friend
"Hey Tigger, you don't seem yourself."
"Have you ever done something that seemed so right when you did it but then afterwards, when it's too late to change anything you realise there was so much more you should have done?" Haley's hand covered hers and squeezed.
"Is this about Peyton?" Brooke froze at the mention of her former best friend and looked away not wanting to even think about the blonde, but then she was linked to her by Lucas and the mess they were all in. "Or maybe even Luke?" Her gaze swung back to Haley as the pregnant girl's soft voice said her former boyfriend's name. "For what it's worth I think he'd still want to hear whatever you have to say." Brooke nodded and looked up to find Lucas stood nearby, looking awkwardly between the table where she sat with Haley and the empty one the other side of the quad. As he looked back at them she nodded her head softly at him and he began to walk towards them.
"Hey Hales, Brooke."
"Hi Luke." Her voice was soft and tentative and she wondered just when she became so unsure of herself.
"Hey buddy, sit down." An awkward silence descended when Lucas sat and within five minutes Haley began to gather her things.
"I forgot I said I'd meet Nathan in the library this period to help with a history report." Brooke stared at Haley with daggers her eyes, sharing history class with Nathan meant she knew that Haley was lying. But what could she do about it. Haley was just trying to get her to talk to Lucas and she believed she was doing the right thing in finally forcing the pair to be around one another.
"Bye Hales." Brooke wondered if Lucas could sense the real reason Haley was darting away from the tone of his voice.
"So how have you been Lucas?" She couldn't quite read the look on his face though she suspected he was surprised that she was sticking round making small talk.
"Okay."
"How's your mom doing? I stopped by the cafe to see her the other day and she didn't look too good." There was a clear look of surprise on his face at that.
"You went to see my mom?" He sounded almost incredulous and she was a little hurt. After all Karen was the only adult in her life who'd ever actually attempted to parent her.
"I try and see her at least once a week if not more. Just to make sure she's okay."
"She never mentioned it." Both could understand Karen's reasons. Brooke had never once uttered Lucas' name of her visits and she suspected Karen was unsure as to how Lucas would react. "She's okay. I think this pregnancy is really taking it out of her so she's trying to cut back on how much she's doing."
"Well tell her that I'll help out if she needs me."
"Thanks Brooke, I will." Awkwardness descended then and she searched for a way to break the silence. But he beat her to it. "Peyton misses you." Anger flared and she knew he could sense it.
"She should have thought about that before shouldn't she?" Brooke grabbed her bag and made to march away before she felt his hand on her arm.
"If you stay I promise not to mention her name again." She paused halfway between sitting and standing and looked at him. His half hopeful look brought a smile to her lips and she felt hope stir within herself that maybe all was not lost. She sank back down onto the bench.
"I'm sorry, it's not your fault that things are not good between us." She wanted to add that in a weird way it was because he'd managed to get both of them to love him. That she'd asked him to stay away from her former friend and yet he hadn't. That he'd not seen fit to inform her of the stolen library kiss until he thought Peyton had told her. But she said none of that because she wasn't ready, because it still felt like it shouldn't matter anymore.
"I wish you could tell me why you won't talk to her." She felt another flash of anger that Peyton was painting her as the one causing the problems but pushed it aside because for the first time in a long time Lucas was here with her and wanted to talk to her like they used to.
"You said no more Peyton talk." He nodded and she felt bad because he was only really responding to what she herself had said.
"I hope you haven't been avoiding being with Nate and Hales because it would be awkward with me around." She shook her head because no honestly she was avoiding them because they may well see the truth hanging around her. Rachel knew and Brooke knew she wouldn't say a word to a sole a weird bond had developed since the day in that dressing room. But Haley or Nathan would be sure to talk to Lucas and she hadn't wanted that. "Haley has been worried about you." She smiled because of course Haley would worry.
"I'm sorry I made her worry. It was just easier to be outside of the group with Rachel after everything that happened. Besides I think we needed each other. She's more like me than anyone else really. We understand each other. I think maybe if it wasn't for you, and Haley and Nathan then I'd be exactly how she is right now. She's never had any sort of family whereas at least I've had you all." She knew that group had included Peyton long before Lucas or Haley and yet after everything she knew that one who'd changed her the most, had the most profound effect on her was Lucas, with Haley a close second. The difference being that Peyton used her intimate knowledge of Brooke against her while Lucas and Haley just loved her. Nathan too, because after all hadn't everyone expected that Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis would end up together one day. Ever since they'd been little and found themselves in the same group of people courtesy of their parents.
"You'll always have me Brooke." She wanted to ask if he meant that, really meant it. In the way she wanted him to mean it, but the words just wouldn't come. So instead she said:
"Thanks Broody." The gleam in his eye at her nickname for him returning she couldn't have imagined and again her hope burned within her that all was not lost.
"Hey Cinderella." Brooke looked up from sweeping the floor to find Lucas stood in the doorway to the cafe. True to her word she'd begun helping out at the cafe a few nights a week. Always sending Karen home to rest and closing up herself. It had been three weeks that she'd been doing so and Lucas had developed a habit of dropping by near closing and making sure she was okay. His words conjured up an image of them last year in an almost exact replica situation. She'd grown since then, at least now she understood that you didn't mop a floor with a sponge. She couldn't stop her laugh as she remembered that day. "What's so funny?"
"Do you remember the last time you walked into a room and said 'Hey Cinderella' to me?" She watched as the penny dropped and Lucas chuckled along with her.
"In the spirit of that day, what's left to do? I'll do half."
"Really?"
"Anything for you Brooke, I told you that then." The way he looked at her then almost knocked her senseless. Instead she returned to sweeping with a smile playing across her lips. But there was still something she needed to know before putting herself out there and it was bringing up the unmentionable between them.
"So have you seen much of Peyton lately?" She heard the guarded tone to his voice when he answered.
"Yeah we've hung out just like always." She nodded and left the semi-awkward silence hanging over them for a while before summing up the courage to pose her next question.
"Do you think that it'd ever be more than just 'hanging out'? I mean you spend an awful lot of time together."
"No more than Haley and I do. In fact before Nathan Haley and I spent much more time together than I spend with Peyton. Besides up until recently you wouldn't even speak to me so I needed all the friends I could get." His tone was a mix of anger and hurt and she cursed herself for getting this wrong.
"I'm sorry Luke, about everything. I never meant to hurt you it's just..." she trailed off knowing there was no real way of explaining without telling him what Peyton had told her. But he wasn't letting her off that easily and she found herself looking up into his eyes as he gripped her upper arms forcing her to stop her task.
"Just what Brooke? Because you did hurt me, and you never really told me why. I keep going round in circles and nothing Haley, Nathan or Peyton say can shed any light on what really went wrong between us."
"You still think about us?" Her words were so soft and when she said them he softened.
"You know I do Brooke, you left me remember. I never stopped caring, that was you." She wants to tell him that she loves him too but she's still scared so instead she says nothing. But inside she feels like maybe she was always wrong because surely if he loved Peyton and she'd been out the picture for months now then he and Peyton would have happened but it seemed like he still thought too much of her to do that. And the other thing she realised was that in order to be with the boy she loved she would have to stop protecting the girl she loved. And that seemed easier than stopping loving Lucas because in truth the girl she loved seemed more than happy to screw her over.
"What if you're wrong?"
"About what?"
"How much I care?" He dropped her from his grip then and turned away from her pushing a hand through his hair. Then he turned back to her.
"What are you doing Brooke? I saw a life with you and for no real reason you ripped that away from me, ignored me for weeks except for when your new BFF aimed insults and hurtful remarks my way and now you're telling me what exactly? That you still love me? That you care enough to be friends?"
"I had reasons Lucas." He shook his head.
"I'm not sure I can do this Brooke. I loved you so much, love you so much but it feels like a game you're playing."
"I needed you to not go near her and you couldn't even last a day." She watched as his confusion turned to anger.
"This is about Peyton? When you broke up with me you swore it wasn't about her, but it is. I don't know what your fight is about and I'm not sure I care but you can't dictate who I should be friends with."
"I didn't want to tell you who you should be friends with I just wanted you to show me that I was more important to you than she was."
"I loved you of course you were more important, but you never let me in."
"I did let you in." She said sadly knowing that she was still holding back.
"Not enough Brooke."
"Would knowing change anything?"
"It could change everything Brooke."
You need to give it up
Had about enough
It's not hard to see
The boy is mine
I'm sorry that you
seem to be confused
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
Brooke knocked on the door. She briefly thought she probably could count the times she'd actually knocked on the door to this house on her hand. She was used to just opening the door and walking straight in. Peyton opened it and Brooke correctly guessed that the blonde wasn't too surprised to see her there.
Think its time we got this straight
Sit and talk face to face
There is no way you could mistake
Him for your man are you insane
"You better come in." Brooke walked into the house but didn't bother going further than the hall. "I know why you're here Brooke, but it's too late. All this time you're spending with him, helping out at the cafe for 'Karen's sake' you're not fooling anyone. You want him back. But you're too late, if you ever had a chance with him then you never should have walked away. Not that it really matters, I love him and we have a connection that you can't begin to understand."
But see I know that you may be
Just a bit jealous of me
But you're blind if you can't see
That his love is all in me
"You're wrong Peyton, so completely wrong. You only ever want Lucas when he's with me. You don't love him, you just can't stand the idea that he might not want you. So you come chasing after him. You're just jealous of me because the boy you don't want is giving me the attention he gave you."
See I tried to hesitate
I didn't want to say what he told me
He said without me he couldn't make it
Through the day, Ain't that a shame
"If that's what you need to believe Brooke. But the truth is he raced into a school with a gunman inside to save me, he needs me. He loves me Brooke. He said as much himself, that he'd be lost without me."
But maybe you misunderstood
Cause I can't see how he could
Wanna change something that's so good
All my love was all it took
"Good for you Peyton, but the fact is I walked away and he's still not with you. He's still having moments with me wanting to understand what happened because he thinks I stopped loving him, when he never stopped loving me." Peyton scoffed at Brooke's words and Brooke briefly wondered where she got this conviction from. For months she'd been tormented by the idea of Peyton and Lucas and had been terrified of the boy she loved telling her he loved her best friend, so terrified that she'd just walked away. But that didn't change a thing she was still hurting and the only way of moving forward was to know. And she did know, she knew that all the things they'd said to each other were real. That when they talked of a future together at Rachel's cabin he meant what he said.
You need to give it up
Had about enough (Enough)
Its not hard to see
The boy is mine (Boy is mine)
I'm sorry that you (Sorry that you)
Seem to be confused (Confused)
He belongs to me
The boy is mine
"Whatever Brooke. He might have started senior year with you but he'll finish it with me. Haven't you ever heard the saying true love conquers all?" Peyton replied with a smirk that made Brooke want to smash her face in.
Must you do the things you do
You keep on acting like a fool
You need to know it's me not you
And if you didn't know it's cause it's true
"I think you'll find a better comment is 'people who are meant to be always find their way in the end'. And that's me and Luke, your ridiculous attempt to pass yourself off as a decent human being is pathetic. You're selfish and manipulative and you never told me to just be honest. You told me because you knew it would play on every insecurity I had and clear the path for you."
I think that you should realize
And try to understand why
He is a part of my life
I know it's killing you inside
"If you meant that much to him Brooke then why when you asked him to stay away from me could he not manage it even for one day? It might hurt you but the truth is he can't break away from me because he loves me."
You can say what you wanna say
What we have you can't take
From the truth you can't escape
I can tell the real from the fake
"Does he really? He hasn't the first clue of what you're really like, would he 'love' you then?"
When will you get the picture
Your the past I'm the future
Get away it's my time to shine
If you didn't know the boy is mine
"You're over Brooke, almost forgotten. Sooner or later he's going to wake up and realise you're the starting act and I'm the main feature. We can have a future together, he wouldn't want a future with the high school whore." Brooke's hand stung from her connecting with Peyton's face.
"We'll see Peyton because make no mistake this is war now, and you will lose."
She waited for her soft knock on the door to Luke's bedroom to elicit his response. His face was stony when he opened the door and she was unprepared for the hostility from him.
"You hit Peyton." She cursed herself for not realising the first thing Peyton would do was tell Lucas, though she doubted Peyton would have told him everything.
"It's not that simple." She began with Lucas cutting her off.
"It never is with you Brooke."
"Luke the reason I'm here is because I want to do something I should have done months ago but was too scared of your response to do."
"And what's that?"
"Talk to you, explain why Peyton and I are fighting, how that affected us and why I needed you to stay away from her. To tell you that even though I walked away I didn't do it because I stopped loving you or stopped wanting that future we talked about at the cabin. I want to tell you everything."