Thank you for reading the prologue, now here is the first chapter of Where Are They Now! Like the show, I'm going to name every chapter after a song title that I think relates to the content in some way. So here it is, read and enjoy!
Chapter 1 – The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most
The waves rolled gently onto shore, as the night air whipped around my body. I hugged my jacket tighter to myself, and thanked God or whoever was out there that I was back in Tree Hill. It had been an emotional rollercoaster of a day, and I'd only spoken to one person. But in the time Peyton and I caught up with everything over the last six years, I realised more and more how hard it would be to go back to the way things were.
I tried to explain everything. The way that my mum had drunk herself into the darkest version of herself she could find, the way she spent money like it had no value, and ultimately lost most of it. I had spent most of the last six years living in a disgusting couple of rooms that although I tried my best to keep clean and habitable, it never worked. The bills were hardly paid, until I was old enough to get a job and try and work things out for myself. The worst part about all of this was that my mother never cared. Not one bit. She'd see me day in day out struggling to make ends meet, and still she swore like a sailor at me and hurled abuse whenever her fifth can started to take effect. After six long years, I had had enough. I hoped I wasn't weak by feeling this way, I hoped even the strongest of people would crack after a while.
And so telling Peyton was extremely difficult. Not all because I felt like she wasn't my friend, but because the more I told her, the worse she felt. "Why didn't you call?" she kept asking me. "Why?" And to that I had no answer. But it's a two way street. She never called either, and with that I thought she never cared. Peyton knew this, and slowly I could see the guilt starting to chip away at her, but I would never ever blame this on her. I just wanted her to know what had happened. After two hours of sharing half my life story, I knew it was enough for one day.
"You're staying with me tonight, right?" She'd asked. "After everything ... it would just make me feel better to know you were safe. Larry's not at home, you can sleep in there if you'd like ... Brooke?" she asked as I turned away from her, a little ashamed that she felt like she had to have me.
"I don't think that would be the best idea tonight, Peyton. I have a room booked at a hotel with the money from my last wage slip." I turned around to face her. "It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, it's just that ... is it just me or is this really weird?"
Peyton sighed, and I knew she felt the same. I'd bet it felt like a dream for her, to learn so much about the girl she used to be best friends with, and all in a few hours. "It is kind of," she whispered. "But Brooke, I can't believe all of that happened to you, and I sat there at home and moped about Nathan and Lucas and all of that crap, when you were out there, cold and starving and going through hell. It puts things in perspective for me. And tonight you need to be in a warm and safe place, knowing that your mum's next boyfriend isn't going to be the one waking you up. It's Friday night, Brooke. Just stay at mine, please?"
I nodded reluctantly, at that point letting her guide me back to hers. We tried to talk about little things like the latest music or television shows, but I didn't know about any of that. I felt so out of touch with the world and the longer Peyton spoke to me the more I thought I should have made a completely fresh start.
When we arrived back it was half past nine, and I was exhausted. Sitting around the television in the front room, I felt the most accepted I'd been for a long time. I almost started to relax. It was a peculiar feeling, being in a house I'd stayed in so many times before; and yet everything being so different. Waiting for Peyton to fall asleep, I slipped out the front door. And that's how I ended up at the beach, running my hands through the fine grains of sand and wishing I could start again.
*** SIX YEARS EARLIER ***
"Brooke Davis, will you hurry up? We need to leave ... now!"
The immortal words I'd been ignoring for the past hour were now sounding again. I didn't want to leave. I loved Tree Hill, I loved my best friend Peyton, and mom was rushing into things as always.
"BROOKE!"
"Okay, okay," I called as I ran down the stairs of our huge house to meet her, her face like thunder. "But I don't see why we have to leave!"
"You know why! If your dad wasn't such an inconsiderate bastard then we could stay. But he's the one who left us Brooke, and now the whole neighbourhood knows!"
I sighed, hating the way she spoke about him like that. All of the arguing between them would be enough to drive anyone away.
"So what! Yeah, dad left, people know about it, but why do you always have to make things worse mom? You have no idea what's best for me, and I want to stay here."
"Oh Brooke," she laughed harshly. "Do you really think I care right now? Anyway, you'll like Florida honey I promise." Her sweet facade was back, the way she pretended to turn things round to make out like she'd picked Florida for me, when in fact it was because it was completely in the opposite direction to where Dad had gone."
"Fine," I said, admitting defeat. "Just let me say goodbye to Peyton."
Only I never got chance to do that. Mom's phone rang and all of a sudden she sprang into panic. I never found out what the man on the other end said, but all I know is that it was also the reason we had to leave. Something to do with dad, and something to do with the man on the phone, that was what plunged my mother into despair, and that was the reason for my tears that rolled down my cheeks, racing the rain down the car window as we sped away from Tree Hill.
***SIX YEARS LATER***
My eyes watered just thinking about it. The way we'd ran away from problems that I still didn't have a clue what they were. I'd never forgive her, and in some ways I'd never forgive my Dad either. But what could I do about that now? Chances were, neither of them cared what I thought. They didn't then, and they wouldn't now.
Brushing the sand from my clothes I got up, I saw a figure approaching me from a good few metres away. I could tell it was a guy, and his head was cocked slightly to the side, his short hair ruffling slightly in the breeze. I stayed where I was, feet planted in the sea of gold as the stranger came closer and closer.
