Hey, so the next part's up…I'm not sure I really like this chapter, and to be honest I don't think the next couple of chapters are going to be much better. But hey, after that it should get better! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate the time you spent reading and then commenting! A couple of people said that they didn't like how bad I was making Brooke's life, so just as a warning, it's only going to get worse! But anyway, enough of me talking, enjoy the next chapter!

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'Brooke! Brooke!'

Blearily, I rub my eyes and fumble on the floor for the glass of water I had the sense to put on the floor beside me before I passed out. I take a swig, but the lukewarm liquid does little to soothe my dry mouth. I gradually become aware that the outrageously loud noise I can hear is actually someone hammering on Rachel's front door and screaming my name angrily.

'Brooke! Get your ass out here you cheating fucking whore!' I recognise the voice as Haley's, and for a millisecond I smile. Who knew tutor-girl had such a dirty mouth? But then it occurs to my vodka-addled brain that no matter how humorous Haley's sudden profanity might seem, I probably shouldn't be finding it funny when the abuse she is hurling is aimed at me.

'For fuck's sake Brooke, you can't avoid me forever!' The hammering is getting louder and more insistent and I blanch, knowing she's right: I can't avoid Haley for much longer; I have to see her every day at school….or at least I did. The recollection that I am no longer welcome at Tree Hill High washes over me, but this time I am not ashamed or upset, just relieved. Maybe I can avoid Haley forever. And not just Haley, but Nathan and Peyton, and everyone who stares at me in the halls, whispering that there goes the slut who slept with her best friend's boyfriend. And Lucas. A momentary pang crosses my heart as I realise that my expulsion also means I won't see him every day, but it fades just as rapidly as I remember the disappointment etched on his face every time he looks at me. He'll be happier without me there, and that's what I want. And besides, I'm doing so much brooding at the moment that someone needs to be Cheery, and I can't see him doing that with me there, hurting his beloved Peyton just by existing.

Just as I come to the conclusion that my expulsion is actually a positive thing for everyone, I hear a loud smashing noise from outside, followed by the sound of the front door being thrown open. Leaping to my feet, I forget all about my plan to avoid speaking to Haley, and fly down the stairs.

'What the fuck!' I scream at Haley, who is standing in the hallway, flushed and panting and surrounded by broken glass that has undoubtedly come from the smashed panel in Rachel's front door.

She stares at me belligerently, and I notice she rests one hand protectively on her stomach, as if to protect Baby-Boy-Scott from my abusive language.

'I don't believe this,' I mutter to myself before wheeling round to face my friend. Or ex-friend, as I think she might be now. 'What the fuck do you think you're doing?' I spit viciously. 'This isn't even my house!'

She laughs harshly and without humour. 'Well that's hardly a problem for you is it Brooke?' she sneers, and I blink in confusion as my hungover brain tries to establish what she means by this. But I don't have to puzzle for long as Haley snorts again. 'What I mean Brooke, is that you're quite happy taking things that don't belong to you, aren't you?' Oh. I get it now. 'The algebra test from the tutor centre, Peyton's boyfriend, my reputation, my security in my marriage, Peyton's happiness…should I go on?'

'Peyton's happy,' I retort defensively, sounding feeble even to my own ears. 'She has Lucas.' Oh great, way to go Davis, I berate myself. Bring Lucas into this, that won't make you sound pathetic.

It doesn't matter though, because Haley only rolls her eyes at my words. 'But what about me Brooke?' she asks, and suddenly the anger is gone from her voice and she just sounds sad. 'I thought we were friends?'

The fact that she seems to be questioning this feels like a physical blow, and tears spring up behind my eyes. 'We are,' I emphasise the word, hoping she will believe me. 'Haley, I'm sorry, I am,' my voice breaks and she looks away. 'I never meant to sleep with Nathan, and I never meant to keep it from you, I just…how was I supposed to tell you that?' My voice is pleading, desperate, and she turns back to face me. Just for a second I dare to hope that she is considering forgiving me, but instead she sighs.

'You don't get it do you Brooke?' she asks sadly. 'This isn't about what happened with Nathan. Yes, I was upset, but it happened a long time ago. You and Nathan were both –' she pauses, searching for the right word.

'Whores?' I suggest, and for a second her eyes meet mine and she almost smiles.

'Yeah, I guess. And yes, it hurt that neither of you ever told me, and finding out whilst watching the event on a giant television screen with our entire class there wasn't too enjoyable either, but that's not what hurts me the most Brooke.'

I must look confused again, because she continues, her voice gentle.

'The test Brooke.' Oh. I open my mouth, ready to apologise again, but she beats me to it. 'I know you're sorry Brooke, you always are. But that's not always enough. You know how much I loved tutoring, and now Principal Turner won't let me do it anymore.'

I am stunned. It hadn't occurred to me that, as Rachel's tutor, Haley would be implicated in all of this. My legs start to shake and I feel physically sick as I comprehend the extent to which I've hurt one of my closest friends. I open my mouth to stammer some more meaningless apologies that I already know will sound feeble and insincere no matter how genuinely sorry I am. But as I do so I realise that the sick feeling inside me is actually nothing to do with my guilt, but rather a side effect of the ridiculous amount of alcohol I consumed last night. Desperately, I turn to run back upstairs to the bathroom, but I am too late. Vomit floods out of my mouth and over the nice beige carpet belonging to Rachel's parents. Fuck.

'Here.' Haley hands me a damp flannel and a glass of water. Smiling in weak gratitude I wipe my forehead and sip the water. Despite the shame I feel, a part of me thinks that vomiting was actually a positive move: Haley can never resist helping someone, and if anything this has only been enhanced by her impending motherhood. Maybe now that she's seen how pathetic I've become she might start to forgive me.

'So I take it you were drinking last night?' Or maybe not. Haley's voice is harsh.

'Umm, yeah,' I stammer.

She laughs, a dry, humourless laugh. 'So who was it last night then?' she asks. 'I know it wasn't Nathan, because he was at home with me, so who? Lucas? Skills? Mouth? Or have you been through all the guys at school now, was it someone new?' The sarcasm in her voice cuts through me, and I feel in physical pain as I realise exactly how little she thinks of me.

Seeing the look on my face, she continues. 'Or maybe you weren't with a guy, maybe you were doing something else. I dunno, breaking into the school, stealing….'

Tears are streaming down her face as she continues to attack me and my heart bleeds. 'Haley, I'm sorry!' I scream in desperation. Abruptly, her tears dry up and she stands up straighter, glaring at me with ice-cold eyes.

And then she nods. 'Yeah Brooke, I'm sorry too,' she tells me. 'Sorry I ever let myself believe you were anything other than a two-faced slut.'

And as I stand there, mouth open to protest, she turns and leaves, slamming the broken door behind her.

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I collapse back onto my bed, bottle in hand, noting the depressing fact that even less than an entire day since my expulsion I have already given up using a glass. Oh well, it's not as though I was ever what you could call classy. Taking a long swig, I wince as the alcohol burns the back of my throat, but then take another slug anyway. The second one hardly burns at all, and by the third it feels no different to drinking water. Bottle half-empty, I lay back and contemplate the events of the last half-hour.

It's funny, normally when someone voices a negative opinion of me, I can block it out by focusing on the other person's own bad points. Like, when Lucas said that I wasn't the girl for him because I refused to fight for him, I didn't turn round and try to win him back. Instead, I just told myself that because he cheated on me all that time ago he wasn't worth fighting for, and that he should be the one chasing me. And yet this morning I am unable to justify myself against even one of Haley's claims. She's never done anything to hurt me, and yet I've succeeded in breaking her heart twice in just a few days. A tear threatens to fall as I remember the look of sorrow on her face as she said goodbye to our friendship, but I brush it away. I don't have the right to cry, this whole mess is all my fault. But then another tear springs up, and then another, and soon I can't fight it any longer. I bury my face in my arms and sob.

If you only once would let me
Only just one time
Then be happy with the consequence
With whatever's gonna happen tonight

The sound of my cell phone playing Jimmy Eat World's Work forces me out of my self-pitying tantrum. It might seem an odd song for a cheerleader to pick as a ringtone, as it's not exactly upbeat, but it reminds me of Lucas, of that night at Tric before I went off to California. It might sound silly, but hearing my cell play that track always makes me hopeful, as though it could be Lucas calling, as though I could pick up to hear him saying, hey Pretty Girl…

Don't think we're not serious
When's it ever not
The love we make is give and it's take
I'm game to play along

But of course it isn't Lucas. Picking my phone up off the floor I see Nathan's name flashing across the screen. Sighing, I hit the call button, not really wanting to talk to anyone, but knowing that he's my best chance of getting Haley to forgive me.

'Hello?'

Nathan doesn't even bother with the niceties, just launches straight in. 'Brooke, stay the fuck away from Haley,' he spits, and I can feel his anger even though he doesn't raise his voice.

'Nathan, I didn't …' my voice sounds weak, faded, pathetic.

'Goddam it Brooke, no! Don't give me that crap; I'm not interested in your excuses. Thanks to you my pregnant wife is locked in our bedroom sobbing her fucking heart out, and I am not going to let you hurt her again.'

Tears sting my eyes for the millionth time today, and I hope Nathan can't hear the quaver in my voice as I try and apologise. 'I'm sorry Nate,' I almost whisper.

He sighs. 'I know you are Brooke,' he mutters tiredly. 'But that doesn't really help us now does it?'

'I guess not,' I mumble, taking another swig of vodka as I do so.

'Fuck Brooke, are you drinking?' Nathan's voice suddenly gets much louder and I jump.

'What?' How does he know?

'Don't lie to me Brooke, I heard the bottle!'

Oh. 'It's just water,' I tell him, but the lie sounds obvious even to my own ears, and it doesn't fool Nathan for a second.

He snorts. 'You know what Brooke, you're really something else,' he tells me. 'I was actually proud of the way you turned your life around the last few months. I mean we were the same y'know? Drank too much, slept around, all that shit. But I had Haley to help me change, and you just did it for yourself. But now…' he sighs, and I wince, knowing I'm not going to like what he's about to say, 'now you're just back to where you were before. Drunken, cheating, whore.'

His words reverberate in my head, and I feel as though I've been slapped. 'I'm not,' I protest, but Nathan cuts me off.

'That's it Brooke,' he tells me harshly, 'I'm done with your crap. If you want to drink yourself into a coma, do it, but don't drag Haley and I down with you. We're done.'

I let my arm fall down by my side as echoes of Nathan's words fill the cold silence that washes over me. Drunk. Well I can't really argue with that one, considering my levels of alcohol consumption over the past twenty-four hours. Cheat. Can't argue with that either. Whore. This one's harder to accept, but as the image of my naked body over Nathan's, his dick in my mouth fills my mind I nod. 'Yup, that's me,' I whisper to the empty room, but there is no reply.

And so I pick up my bottle and take another drink.