One week and three days was how long it took Peyton and Brooke's apartment to be finished. All of those nights had been spent on the Scott brother's couch when it came down to calling it a night. Brooke had insisted they sleep there because she didn't want to die because she was inhaling fumes all night. This was even after all the furniture had been moved in. Peyton insisted she would be fine but Brooke being Brooke said she didn't want to take any chances of dieing before her and Nathan had the chance to hook up. Tonight would be the first night to sleep in the apartment.
"I don't see why we have to get jobs." Brooke complained while putting in her earrings. Peyton stood in the doorway watching her.
"Because Brooke we have to pay rent. The landlords kind of like that." She joked. Brooke pouted while re-applying her lip-gloss.
"I suppose." She said giving in.
"That's the spirit." Peyton cheered giving Brooke a slap on the back. "I have scooped out a few places not to far from here." Peyton pulled out a newspaper from the bag that hung on her shoulder.
"Are you serious?" Brooke asked sitting on her new bed. It was just big enough for two people to sleep comfortable. She already had that person in mind.
'There are a few shops that are looking for clerks and for me there is a record store and an art supply one." Peyton said pointing out the circled wanted ads.
"Well come on P. Sawyer lets go get us some jobs." Brooke said pulling herself off the bed.
"Any luck with the job hunt?" Peyton heard Lucas ask from behind her. Her and Brooke spent three and a half hours walking in and out of stores.
"For Brooke yes but me nothing." Peyton pushed the door open and slammed it without thinking. Lucas caught it and let himself into the apartment. He made himself comfortable on the couch as Peyton got herself water.
"I don't get it. All Brooke has to do is smile and she got the job. Me. I could have ran around naked and they still wouldn't hire me." She flung herself next to Lucas.
" I would have hired you naked or not. Preferable naked but it wouldn't matter." Lucas laughed when Peyton swatted his arm. The four of them had became fast friends. Peyton said it was because they sort of lived together for the past week and a half. The truth was they had no one else. They had traded apartment keys about a week in. It just made sense.
"Brooke just has that charm." Peyton sighed.
"So where is our good friend Brooke." Lucas asked giving a quick look around the apartment.
"Luke! Have you not been listening to me?" Peyton shrieked. "She's at her new job."
Lucas threw his hands up in defense. " I must have missed that part."
'She got a job at a local lingerie shop." Peyton scrunched up her nose. "Did you know that she got the job at every store she walked in to?" Peyton started to pace the room.
"No I did not know that." Lucas watched her in amusement.
"Yeah! Even if they weren't hiring they still hired her. I don't get it." Peyton ran her fingers through her hair.
"Maybe its because of the lipstick you have on your teeth." Lucas said pointing to his own teeth.
"What? Are you serious?" Peyton yelled rubbing her front teeth.
"No." Lucas said between laughs.
"That's not funny." Peyton scolded throwing a near by throw pillow at his face. Lucas got off the couch and walked over to her.
"Listen Peyt. You will get a job. I promise." He engulfed her into a hug. She sank into him remembering his smell.
Peyton was on the couch watching TV when she heard the door unlock.
"Hi friend." Brooke bounced into the room.
"Hey." Peyton replied back.
"Did you know that store is a total hottie magnet?" Brooke skipped into the kitchen.
"Really?" Peyton answered not all that interested.
"Oh yeah! Granted most of those guys have an equally hot girlfriend attached to there hip bit that doesn't matter." Brooke said flopping down next to Peyton.
"Well I'm happy for you Brooke." Peyton said slapping Brooke on the thigh. Brooke smiled back and settled in to watch TV.
3:15 am is what Brooke's clock said when she flipped over. She sighed flipping on her back. She couldn't figure out why she was having trouble sleeping. If she didn't get some sleep now there was no way she was getting up on time for her 9 am shift tomorrow. She finally gave up and walked across the hall to Peyton's room.
"Peyton, you awake?" Brooke hissed from the doorway. There was no answer. 'Peyton?" Brooke tried again but a little louder.
"What is it Brooke?" Peyton replied groggily not moving. Brooke took that as an invite to make herself cozy on the bed.
"I can't sleep."
"So you're punishing the rest of us?" Peyton replied sitting up.
"I miss the smell." Brooke said sniffing the room.
"What smell?" Peyton asked rubbing her eyes.
"The mixture of cologne and guy stank. I kind of got used to it. It was like a comfort." Brooke answered deep in thought.
"Why don't you go over there and ask them to bottle up that smell for you so you can spray it all over your room and the rest of us can sleep at night." Peyton yawned lying back down.
"Great idea! I will go over there now." Brooke slid off the bed.
"Brooke you can't go over there now." Peyton flipped to her stomach.
"And why not?" Brooke asked placing her hands firmly on her hips.
"Because it's almost 3:30 they will be sleeping. " Peyton was back to sleep within a second. Brooke stomped her foot and stormed out of the room.
Brooke sat on the couch with her arms folded across her chest as she watched the clock strike four. She heard Peyton snoring from down the hall.
"This is ridiculous." Brooke grabbed her keys from off the coffee table and quietly made her way out of the apartment. The cool breeze of the hallway hit her bare skin as she quietly shut and locked the door. She tiptoed down the hall a little. Brooke squinted trying to find the right key to open the door in front of her. She carefully inserted the key and turned it as quietly as possible to avoid any unnecessary noise. The squeaking of the door made her cringe. She quietly shut it and relocked it. She looked around the dark apartment trying to remember where each piece of furniture was to avoid tripping over anything. The floor creaked as Brooke tried to make her way to the closet near the hallway. She opened the closet door carefully and pulled out a blanket and a pillow. She closed the door and came within inches of a body.
"AAHH!" Brooke
screamed stumbling back. It took a second for her to register that it
was Nathan standing in front of her.
"Jesus Christ Brooke you
scared me." Nathan said dropping the bat to this side.
"I scared you? You scared me with that bat and all." Brooke said with one hand over her chest and the other motioning to the bat.
"Sorry." Nathan mumbled laying the bat against the wall. "What are you doing here anyways?" He asked.
"I couldn't sleep. I guess I got used to it here." She said making up the couch.
"So you missed me." Nathan said with a smirk.
"No I didn't miss you exactly. I missed the smell and the couch." Brooke said pointing to her new bed.
"Whatever you say Brookie." Nathan said walking back to his own bed.
"What? No other witty comments." Brooke asked watching him walk away.
"No I'm to tired to think of any." Nathan called back to her. Brooke grinned lying down on the couch to fall back to sleep.
A/N: I hope you liked it. Next Chapter: Will Brooke and Nathan take their relationship to the next level when Brooke comes home upset? Peyton gets herself a job only to be reunited with someone from her and Brooke's past. Review!
