Sketches Of A Twenty Something Life

by angrodpallanen

After four years, someone has been murdered. The close group of friends, as they once were is torn apart. What happened? How did they come this far? Who's dead and who is the killer? Find out more in the new episode 5: Come Back To Me.

3. Neither One Of Us Wants To Be The First

Sketches of a Twenty-Something Life: 1.03 Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)

Fall 2011
"Bless me, father, for I have sinned."
"How long has it been since your last confession, my son?"
"Almost two years. I haven't been as devoted to my religion as before."
"Do you want to tell me why, my son?"
"Yes, father. It..I was never really…I didn't believe in God. I found myself in basketball, and four years ago, I got a second chance at that."
"At basketball?"
"Yes, father, I'm sorry, I was never really good at this."
"Don't worry, my boy, God is patient. But, can you tell me why you went to confession after all this time?"
"Actually, it's a long story. I lost one of my dear friends, not too long ago and I am afraid it's my fault."
"Are you telling me you were involved in the death of one of your friends?"
"Maybe, father, I'm not sure. I guess if you really look at it I have to go back in time."
"Well, why don't you tell me, son, tell me everything."
"Well, four years ago I had a son, a loving wife and a chance to play basketball in college, even after I betrayed the game. This second chance meant the world to me. But after a couple of months in college, I lost one of the things I cared about the most…my son."

February 3rd, 2008
Nathan and Brooke
"We cannot do this anymore, Brooke." Nathan grabbed her hands and pulled them of his shoulder. He didn't want to stop, but he knew he had to. It would break Haley's heart. For a couple of months, they had done nothing else but sneak around. The situation at home had been unbearable. Haley barely talked to him, she stopped going to her classes and the only conversations she had were with Lucas or James' grave. Every night Nathan had to listen to her sob before she finally fell asleep. Life without his son had been hard to say the least. There was no one to cradle when the day starts, there was no one that couldn't live without you taking care of him. For the short time James had been in his life, Nathan had felt more meaningful then ever before. It gave him an entire new purpose. A purpose that was taken away by the mistakes of a young girl, that died.
Lucy's death had been the biggest secret in Nathan's live so far. The police found a body in a alley and all Nathan and Haley had to say was that she left and James died soon after. Leaving no time for them to kill her, or even be a suspect. Haley hadn't forgiven Nathan for killing a human being. Perhaps that was what drove them apart. Nathan had focused on religion and besides Brooke's apartment, the church had been a second home to him. It was where he could find forgiveness for his sin and hope in the dark times that were overshadowing his life. The other way out had been Brooke. They met almost every night, after Haley went to sleep and Nathan needed to clear his mind. Usually it was just sex, but after months Brooke wanted to be acknowledged, so here they where, in a small restaurant far away from Tree Hill were the chances that anybody would recognize them were slim.
"You say that every time. Nathan, it's us. It means something right?" Brooke leaned back not minding the candle on the table that almost lit her hair on fire.
"No, I mean it this time. We cannot do this to Haley."
"Don't play the Haley card with me, I hate being this girl. You know how much she means to me. But so do you, Nathan."
"Don't…"
"Why not? You've been wanting this just as much as I have, you would lie if you said you didn't."
"I know, I have, but I shouldn't have, we can't. I'm sorry, I have to go." Nathan grabbed his coat, fished his wallet out of his left pocket, threw the cash on the table and left an broken Brooke.

Lucas and Haley
"I brought soup. Chicken noodle.."
"With extra noodles?"
"Of course."
"Thank you, Luke." Lucas set the cup next to Haley's bed. She sat up straight and sipped her soup even though it was still hot.
"You have to get up, how long has it been since you left this apartment?" Lucas took the cup out of her hands, saving Haley's lips from getting burned.
"Lucas please. I don't want to go outside. What's left in the world for me? Truly?"
"Don't think like that. You still have friends who love you, people that miss you…"
"If they really missed me they would've shown don't you think? Nobody has even come to pay their respects. They don't even care. They only care about their own little busy lives."
"Come on, Haley, you know that isn't true. Skills and Mouth have come by."
"Yeah, Luke, you're right. They did came six weeks ago."
"Haley.."
"No, I can't. I'm done. I don't want to do this, Luke. I don't want to go into a world where James isn't alive, I don't want to live in such a world." Tears streamed from her eyes and Lucas hugged her, trying to comfort her with the knowledge that nothing really could.

Peyton
"Hey you. Want an apple?"
"I'm sorry, did we win the lottery so we could buy a laptop?"
"No, silly, do you want an actual apple?" Peyton smiled as she offered him the fruit.
"No, thanks. You know, we could go to dinner tonight.."
"Really? What about not having money?"
"Well, it's not a fancy restaurant, but I just received my payroll and I think we deserve some good stuff." He smiled as he waved a small piece of paper.
"We can't, we have to save as much as we can for the lawsuit. We have to be careful with spending money. If we ate a great meal I'd feel sorry because we can use a better lawyer then the jackass we have now." Peyton grabbed the paper and put it on the table. "I didn't stay here so you could lose this lawsuit, I came so you could win it."
"Yes, and I'm very thankful for that. I couldn't have survived these past months without you." Peyton smiled nervously.
"No, I mean it," he continued "you mean a lot to me."
"Stop it!" Peyton said. "We are going to make this right, Jake. We are not going to let Nikki win full custody of Jenny."

Brooke and Rachel
"Hey slut, what have you been up to?" Rachel smiled as Brooke said next to her at the bar.
"Nothing, you whore." Brooke answered, pretending to be in a good mood while all she could think about was Nathan.
"Good, because I have something you need to check out." Rachel fished an magazine out of her purse, that was surprisingly small for something that could keep a magazine.
"I'm on the cover of TV Guide!" She pointed at a small picture on the left side over the cover where Rachel was standing half naked between a group of other girls, while the letters "America's next teen model" decorated their bodies.
"I don't get it," Brooke answered mildly interested while drinking another glass of martini.
"I won a spot on the new television program for the CW! I'm gonna be on TV!" Rachel raised her voice in the hope people would hear it and show interest in her, which worked for the guy sitting next to her, but when he tried to speak he passed out next to a dozen empty beer glasses.
"Anyway…" Rachel continued a little uncomfortable, "isn't it cool?"
"It's great Rach. I couldn't be more happy for you." Brooke didn't even try to be enthusiastic because all she wanted was Rachel to see what a mess she was. It worked.
"Brooke, what's wrong, you kinda look like a mess." Rachel looked at her as if she saw her for the first time. "How is Victoria's Secret going?"
"It was great, until they decided they didn't want me anymore. I wasn't original enough. Can you believe that? I mean, I have a lot on my mind right now, and maybe I haven't been focusing enough.."
"Brooke, are you crazy? This is a chance of a lifetime, I sacrificed my graduation for this, remember." "Yes, I remember and I'm thankful for that, even though you still graduated and you only use it to get on TV, although, come to think of it, you don't really need your brains for that, just that fake body of yours."
"I know! Isn't it the best job ever!" Rachel took another shot with getting attention and searched the room with her eyes.
"Oops, hottie standing in the corner! Gotta go, see you when I see you." She waved and went off hitting on a guy standing in the corner. Brooke felt horrible and stayed at the bar, taking as many martini as she could handle…and more.

Nathan and Haley
Nathan threw away the empty bottle before he opened the door. Ever since he left Brooke at the restaurant, he had been drinking because he wasn't going to confess his sins sober, because this time, it wouldn't be in church, it would be to Haley.
Lucas had already left and Haley was walking through the living room with a cup of tea when Nathan opened the door. She looked at him with an meaningless face as she continued her travel from the kitchen to the bedroom.
"Haley, I need to talk to you." Nathan mumbled as he tried to stand straight.
"Not when you're like this, you don't." Haley closed the door meaning to keep Nathan out for the night, but he wasn't going to let it go. He needed to tell Haley what he had done for the past months, otherwise he would never be able to forgive himself. He opened the door and started his confession. "Haley, I need to tell you something." Nathan said. Haley, who wasn't up for the confessions of an drunken fool, pretended she didn't hear it and laid down in bed with her cup in her hand.
"Please, Nathan, don't. Not tonight."
"I slept with Brooke." Nathan said it before he knew it and the words killed the warmth in the room. Nathan didn't knew what to say, even though he had been repeating the conversation in his head for the entire night.
"I know, Nathan," Haley answered quietly, "now please go to sleep. I don't want to stay up too late." She put the empty cup on the nightstand and pulled the sheets up to her head.
"What?" Suddenly Nathan was sober as he heard the two words he wasn't expecting to hear.
"You know? All this time you have known? How…why?" Nathan got scared. What exactly did Haley know? Why hasn't she told him? Was she mad? Was she going to leave him?
Haley threw the sheets back, annoyed by the fact her husband didn't follow her advise to shut up and sleep.
"Yes, I know," she said as she put on a nightgown, "I have known ever since you kissed her in front of the apartment you cheating bastard!" Suddenly she couldn't stay calm, Nathan had hurt her bad, but James' death had locked her feelings up inside and they hadn't come out…yet.
"Yes, Nathan, I know everything. I know that you go away at night, to her, pretending that she's me so you can fill the hole in your pathetic, empty life. I know, that you stopped caring about me a long time ago and that you hate me so much you would even sleep with my friend, just to make me recognize you. I know, ok? I know it! But I don't want you to feel sorry for me, because you know what? I made a promise. 'Always and forever' right? I promised that to you and I will not be the one to break that promise. So you go ahead, Nathan, you go to your precious Brooke and you sleep with her all you want because I don't care anymore, I don't care about anything anymore." Haley couldn't stop crying and as she tried to catch her breath she felt an great deal of pain. Her stomach hurt, but it wasn't physical as much as it was her soul that came crashing down. For the first time since her son had died, she admitted that her life had fallen apart. That not only she had lost her son, but she had lost the one person in her life that kept her steady. It hurts, but instead of crying because of her pain she cried out of anger. Anger that all of this, had to happen to her. She screamed as she grabbed the teacup and through it in Nathan's direction. He also had tears in his eyes for the same reasons, only he knew that he was a scumbag, not deserving a wife like Haley. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He killed somebody because he was angry, he had lost his baby, his wife, his life. All he wanted was to get away, so he couldn't make Haley's life any worse then it already was.

Brooke
"My milkshake brings all the boyz…" Brooke was tired from singing the song over and over again and let the glass in her hand slip. It broke into a thousand pieces, but the crowd didn't mind. She found herself standing on the bar while a bunch of people where waving with dollar bills and shouting degrading things to her. She wanted to get off but instead she slipped too and fell on the floor. The room was spinning and she couldn't even feel the pain. People were laughing and screaming. Brooke felt dizzy and all she wanted to do was sleep. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arms and picked her up from the ground. Brooke recognized the smell of this person but couldn't quit place it. She saw how the bar disappeared from her sight and how the streetlights shone in her face.
"Are you alright?" The voice asked. Brooke felt a glass pressing against her lips, she drank. It tasted like water and a few minutes later the cold air had sober her up a bit. For the first time she looked at the person who saved her from the group of horny college guys that wanted to get in her pants.
"Chase?"
"Hey, Brooke. How are you doing?"

Lucas, Mouth and Skills
"I'm doing fine. Honestly I know no one believes me after what the doctor said last year, but I'm doing much better. I didn't die, obviously and I didn't have another heart attack either."
"Yo, I know you're playin' all tough guy and everything, but I know you ain't fine. After what you've been through, it would be crazy if you still felt fine."
"Yeah, anybody would have a hard time dealing with the things you have dealt with, especially with your body."
"Thanks for being so concerned, Skills, Mouth. But I'm doing fine, besides, talking about me isn't the reason why I called you tonight." Lucas ordered a couple of drinks before he continued. The truth was that he hadn't been doing fine. Life with just one arm didn't leave much room for happiness. It had been a couple of months and Lucas learned to deal with it. But it still hurts. Everytime he did something and needed a second hand, it hurts. Lucas could barely believe that that was his life now, but it was. And with Peyton hardly being in the picture, his friends where all Lucas had.
"It's Haley. Look, I know you have been busy with college, Skills, and I know you have been working hard to get an internship at the governor's staff, Mouth, but I'm worried sick about Haley.
"Well, what's up?" Skills asked as his eyes where focused on the girls sitting on the other side of the bar.
"Skills! She lost her child! What hasn't been down for her lately? She needs her friends, especially when the half of our group is off doing God knows what."
"I take it you still haven't heard from Peyton?" Mouth asked suddenly.
"No, I haven't, and she hasn't been returning my phone calls either. It's like she doesn't even want to works things out anymore." Lucas couldn't help drifting from the topic, but with Haley being completely messed up, he hadn't had much time to focus on himself, or on his relationship for that matter. He had been visiting the hospital on a weekly basis and any exercise heavier then lifting a plate full of cookies in the cafeé is strictly off limits, but still he had managed to stay happy. Or at least alive.
"So, we all will just visiting her more often." Skills seemed barely interested and it annoyed Lucas to death.
"What the hell, Skills? Why do you make it sound like it's a sentence instead of being a favor. She needs us right now, all of us."
Skills turned his attention to the table.
"I'm sorry, doug, I know I haven't been there for Haley like I promised. I'm just not good with dealing all this heavy stuff. She lost her baby, man, her little boy that we where supposed to take care off. He's gone and I feel crap because of it, I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through." Skills didn't like the open conversation, but Lucas had to know that Haley's troubles were affecting him.
"But he's right, Skills, this isn't just our lost, it's hers, more then anyone. She and Nathan had to go through the worst thing anybody can ever go through and we weren't there. What kind of friends does that make us?" Mouth felt a big pile of guilt falling on his head. He had been focusing on getting the internship so much that he didn't even make time for his friends. Besides Brooke, Lucas and Skills, he hadn't even seen the others in weeks. It wasn't the kind of person he would like to be.
"Ok, so from now on we promise we will take care of them, both of them?" Lucas asked reassuring.
"Yeah man." Skills answered immediately.
"For sure." Mouth confirmed.

Fall 2011
"What happened to you and your wife after she discovered your affair?"
"Well, father, Haley never left me. She promised to stay married with me even though she didn't feel the same way about me anymore. And I couldn't do that. I loved her, with all my heart, and I had hurt her so much she couldn't even recognize me anymore. So I went away. I figured her life would be so much better if I left her, because regardless how she felt about me, she would never leave me. I went away, I dropped out of college and moved to Los Angeles. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, because the only reason I went there was so Brooke could find me. I don't know why. A part of me wanted to have somebody I could be with, the other part just wanted to get away from everybody so I couldn't hurt them. I guess it didn't go the way I planned…nothing really did."
"So you gave up basketball, you gave up your wife, your career…that wasn't very wise, Nathan."
"Wait…how do you know my name?"
"It's me, my son, it's your father."
"Dan?"
Nathan fled from the confession chair and opened the other door. In front of him was sitting his father, dressed like a priest, with a cross on a necklace.
"I'm sorry son, I'm sorry I never told you."
"You got out? How did you get out?"
"I too got a second chance, Nathan. I either could spend my life rethinking my mistakes, or I could try to fix the mistakes of others."
"So you became a priest? To finish your sentence in church?" Nathan couldn't believe what he saw.
"I know you could never forgive me, but please, let me help you. You are in need of help right?"
"Yeah dad, help from God…not from you." Nathan shook his head and turned around. Without looking back he walked out of the church.

February 4th, 2008
Brooke
It had been a month since Brooke and Chase met each other. Chase was becoming a pilot, like he had always dreamed. Often, he took Brooke to a small airport where some of the older students got flight training. They would watch the small airplanes land and support the older students while they would take their practical exams.
"You know, you really helped me." Brooke finally confessed while they where driving back to Tree Hill.
"Helped you how?" Chase asked.
"My designs from Clothes over Bro's were accepted, but when I couldn't get new material, Victoria's Secret didn't want me on the team anymore. And I guess in a lot of ways I lost my way. I did things I am not proud of and I had changed so much over High School only to find myself being the exact same person I used to be when High School was over, and only the thought of that made me want to get drunk and do stupid things. Until I saw you again." Brooke smiled thinking of how Chase changed her life all over again and how he always seemed to be an beacon of renewed hope in her life.
"You know, when you broke up with me over the web cam, I was scared you had lost yourself again. I mean, even though you have some great friends, I didn't trust the world enough to let you go alone." Chase didn't look at Brooke while he said this but stayed focused on the road. It started to rain.
"I didn't want to break up. I just, I don't know why I did it." Brooke admitted.
"I do. You wanted to move on. Suddenly you where scared again, and you didn't have the heart to pull through. You know I would've waited for you to come back. I promised that, remember?"
"I know, Chase, but…L.A. is a completely different world. I started to think we were naïve to think it would go so easily."
"Nothing goes easily, Brooke, you of all people should know that relationships take hard work."
"I know, Chase, I know…but…" Brooke couldn't find the words to describe her remorse about breaking up with Chase over the summer after promising to make it work.
"So when we weren't together, and you didn't went to college like you promised, which is ridiculous I must add."
"I know Chase, please, can we stop this."
"With who were you, Brooke? Last month, when I found you in that bar, you weren't drinking because you lost Victoria's Secret. You were drinking because you got dumped. And I thought it wouldn't matter, that when we would get back together, everything would be like before, but every time you look in my eyes it's like you want to see someone else."
"Chase…"
"No, Brooke, tell me who it is. Who do you really want to be with? Is it Lucas?" Chase started to look at Brooke and she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth about Nathan. It would hurt too much.
"Chase, I…" This time it was Brooke who watched the road and Chase the one who watched her.
"Chase watch out!" Brooke screamed, pushing her hands to the dashboard trying to stop the car. The deer hit the window, flying over the car leaving blood all over the window. Chase lost control and the car drove of the road into the woods, the car slipped. It turned on it's side and rolled over. It rolled from the hill and stopped when it hit a tree with it's roof.
Minutes later Brooke tried to breathe. Rain was finding it's way in the car and her face and hair where soaking wet. She tried to get out but there where branches everywhere and one of them had blocked the door. She pushed the leaves next to her aside and saw Chase. He leaned with his head on the wheel and blood dripped from one of the many wounds on his head.
Brooke screamed when she looked at him, she screamed as hard as she could. She screamed for help, but nobody heard her.

Fall 2011, Durham Residence
Peyton and Lucas walked up the porch of the house. Lucas was reminded of the years he played High School basketball and this home was haven for when he was lost. Especially after Keith died, Whitey had given him the advice he often needed. When he went off to coach College basketball with him, Whitey became more and more an friend. But when heart got weaker throughout the years, Lucas had to give up basketball, even if it was for coaching. Lucas tried not to look back at those dark days. Those were behind him, at least, that's what he wanted to believe. Whitey had always been an honest man, now Peyton and he were about to ask him if he wanted to lie for them, Lucas felt like he was betraying everything Whitey, and Keith for that matter, ever learned him.
Peyton knocked on the wooden door but no one answered. Lucas looked into the window and was amazed by what he saw. The house, in it's old state, was empty.
"So were did he go?" Peyton asked after she looked for herself.
"Who knows. Maybe this is for the better." Lucas looked at the neighborhood. It was peaceful and Lucas hoped that Whitey had found peace somewhere in this hard world.
"Are you for real? Lucas, Whitey isn't exactly the kind of man that leaves without giving justice to those who deserve it. And if he left recently, who knows…maybe he already told the cops everything!"
"Peyton, relax. Look at this place. He has been gone for a while now. Maybe he left after that night." Lucas tried to break in the door, but not with all his power. Somewhere deep inside he didn't want to figure out where Whitey had gone.
"Maybe we don't need him." Lucas looked at a frustrated Peyton.
"Maybe we do," she said annoyed, "maybe we need everyone who was there that night. Luke, he was there too. Who knows what he might have seen? If he knows what I think he knows, then we can never look straight ahead without having the feeling that the cops are walking behind us ready to cuff us because of what happened then." She walked off the porch, towards the car. She turned around and said: "We need to fix this, Lucas, for both our sakes, we need to fix this."

March 1st, 2008
The phone rang. Lucas put down the cup of coffee and shove the laptop from his lap to get to the phone. But when he almost reached it, it had already stopped. Suddenly his door opened and Karen walked in with Lilly in one hand and the phone in her other hand.
"It's Peyton. Do you want to get it?" She asked uncomfortable.
"Yeah, sure, it's fine." Lucas reached for the phone, took a deep breath and put the phone against his ear.
"Hey," he said quietly.
"Hey you," Peyton said nervously. "I tried to call you a couple of times…actually a lot," she continued, "I just never put myself to actually pressing 'dial'." She laughed, still nervously.
"You should've, we could've talked," Lucas replied.
"I know, we should've. I'm sorry…" but Lucas interrupted.
"You're sorry? You just left, Peyton. I mean, I know we've been through bad times and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, but you vanished from thin air. One moment you were working your way up the MTV-ladder and the other one your…where exactly?"
"Savannah," she answered full of quilt.
"With Jake?" Lucas asked with pain in his heart.
"He needed me, Lucas, he needed help. Things took a turn with Nikki and he called me. I couldn't turn my back on him, I…"
"You could've told me," Lucas said, "you could've told me and I would've come too. God knows I could use the distraction."
"And what about Haley and Nate? They needed someone too. If I…"
"Don't!" Lucas interrupted with a angry tone, "don't hide behind the nightmare Nathan and Haley have to go through. You didn't even know it had happened when you stepped on that plane, Peyton! The truth is that you didn't want me to come. You didn't want me to be there with you, because it's Jake. And we both know how much he means to you."
"That's not fair, Lucas. I loved you, I chose for you, remember?" Peyton said it before she even realized what she had said. She wanted Lucas to know it wasn't her intention to leave him alone in the time he needed her the most. But it was too late.
"Loved?" Lucas asked, "you mean it's in the past?"
"Lucas.." Peyton couldn't find the right words. She didn't want to loose him, but more then ever, it felt like she had grown apart from him.
"I know, Peyton… I know." Lucas put down the phone, and in the seconds that his heart broke in a thousand pieces, he realized that he was done. His life needed to change…fast.

Fall 2011, Tree Hill Police Department
"So you're conversations with McFadden didn't reveal too much?" Danny dipped his donut in his coffee when he sat down on Kingston's desk.
"No, the man had a good lawyer. There wasn't really much I could do."
"So you got nothing out of him?" Danny asked disappointed.
"I interviewed three people about his murder, and I know, that all three of them are involved. If only I could find someone who told me enough to arrest one of those three."
"Well, do you have any clue who it could be?"
"Actually, that person is already on it's way."
"How…"
"Simple, Danny, this person used to be a roommate of the victim. They supposed to be best friends."
He pulled a file from under Danny's bottoms and flipped through it.
"Look," he pointed at the picture of a young woman, "she's a fashion designer."
"And you think a fashion designer knows something about the murder on a young woman in a dark alley?"
"It's not just a guess. Besides being friends, they worked together. And if my sources are right, they did a lot of things for each other. See, even fashion people have dark secrets." He winked and laughed when a woman walked in. The woman was dressed in black. She took her sunglasses and put them in her purse.
"So you supposed to be the detectives that are going to solve the murder of my friend…"

March 1st, 2008
"Rachel?" Brooke doubted the words on the letter she was holding. She looked at Rachel who smiled when she saw Brooke's confusion. "You didn't…did you?" Brooke looked from the letter to Rachel. A small rush of happiness filled her body, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. "You pretended to be me?" She asked, just to be sure.
"Yep." Rachel said vividly. "I worked many nights to make some of Peyton's artwork into a entire different style for Clothes Over Bro's. She was happy to help you know."
"Really? You worked for Clothes Over Bro's? You did that for me?"
"Brooke, you need this. You need Victoria's Secret. They can't refuse you a second time, not now you have all this free time to improve yourself."
"I'm not.." Brooke felt guilty. Rachel had worked so hard to get her back into Victoria's Secret again only to find out, Brooke had already given up.
"What? What do you mean?" Rachel was shocked.
"I don't think I can go on with this, not after the accident, it's too hard."
"Brooke…"
"I killed him, Rachel. I killed Chase. If it wasn't for me, he would still be alive." Brooke tried to fight the tears but it killed her inside.
"No, that is not true!" Rachel put her hands on Brooke's cheeks and forced her to look into her eyes. "What happened to Chase was horrible, but it wasn't your fault. The accident wasn't your fault! You should know that."
"I can't. I can't go on with my life, Rachel. I appreciate what you did for me, but I can't. Not yet. It's too soon."
"Brooke, Victoria's Secret isn't until the summer. You will have an entire new season to try."
"I shouldn't. If I do this. If I move on, if I forget about Chase…I can't. He's dead, Rachel. He's dead and he's never coming back. How do you think I can get passed that? I can't!" Tears streamed from her face. Brooke sat down and covered her face with her hands. She wanted it all to go away. The guilt, the pain, the lost of Chase. "It shouldn't be this hard, Rachel. Life shouldn't be this hard."

Fall 2011, Tree Hill Police Department
"Please, sit down, miss." Kingston pointed at the chair on the other side of the desk while Danny jumped off and spilled coffee on the floor.
"So why now? Why do you want to talk to me, now?" The woman asked.
"We interviewed some of your friends first, miss. We were hoping to find clues."
"I see, well, you mustn't be very good at it, because my private detective already found more then you did. Can you imagine? Me solving the case before you do?"
"Miss, this case has my full attention. And we have made some clear progress…" Kingston tried to defend himself, even though he wasn't sure why.
"Really? Well, in that case I can say that I want you to do your job even better. I don't care how, this murder is solved, but I want it to be solved, soon. And I don't care who you have to arrest to do it! Understand?"
"Miss.. " but Kingston didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.
"No, my friend was involved with a lot of lying bastards, who all will do everything to protect their secrets. Including murder…"
"So, miss, you think one of her friends may have killed miss Davis?"
"As the matter affect, I do. Brooke knew a lot of secrets and therefore she had a lot of enemies. No doubt someone killed her because she wanted to reveal one of those secrets. Brooke was a good woman, she didn't deserve to die."