Title: The Bachelor
Author: Sweet Sarcasm
Summary: Nathan and Haley had a spark which was put out by one little lie. Fast-forward a few years ahead, and we find Haley, working at a restaurant and Nathan, a totally successful basketball player. Their old friend Brooke Davis is the hottest TV executive on ABC, and she decides to revive her all-time favorite show, The Bachelor. When Nathan applies for the show, Brooke's gears go into overdrive, and she persuades Haley to join the show, convinced that her favorite couple will finally be together once again. The catch is, Haley is under disguise, and Nathan may never be with his true love if he makes the wrong move. (Alternate History)
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or The Bachelor. I just own Denise and the plot.
"That's Haley's Nathan?" gasped Denise, staring at the photograph of the young basketball player. Brooke shrugged.
"Well, he was. Apparently, he's moved on and applied for the show. My show," Brooke said possessively, shooting the photograph Nathan a glare. Denise just gawked.
"You're saying that Haley, my Haley James, dated the sex god himself?" Denise asked in awe, her almond colored eyes widening. Brooke sighed.
"Yes, Denise, Tutor Girl dated Boy Toy," Brooke replied, already bored with the subject. She idly fingered her gold necklace that hung from her neck. Denise frowned in confusion.
"Boy Toy?" she echoed, still staring at the photos.
Brooke waved the words away. "Don't ask."
Denise shuffled through the pile of pictures that came with the DVD. "Do you know his brother, then? Man, that guy is C-A-L-I-E-N-T-E!" she giggled maniacally. Brooke's face dropped. "Brooke?"
The young brunette looked paler than ever. Her brown eyes no longer sparkled with anticipation; instead, they had dimmed with sadness. Her lips were pulled down so that it looked like the girl had never smiled before. In a nutshell, Brooke looked as if her heart had been ripped out of her body and stabbed numerous times. She was clearly heartbroken.
Denise nudged her with a pen. "Brooke?"
The girl shook out of her reverie. "Hmm?"
Denise scooted the chair around the desk (even though it had no wheels) so that she was sitting next to her friend. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly. She had no idea what was going on, but she had an idea it had to do with Nathan's brother.
Brooke sighed. "What's the use?" she murmured. "It's all in the past, right? Something that I shouldn't look back at." She absentmindedly started to doodle on her notepad.
The young Hispanic rubbed Brooke's back as a maternal gesture. "Well, frankly, I have no idea what's going on right now. But I think you need to let out whatever you've been holding in. I think whatever's been bothering you for a long time has to do with him." She gestured to the photo of the brothers. Brooke flinched. "So just tell me what's going on. You know you could always talk to me."
Brooke distractedly tore a hole in the paper she had been doodling on. She looked down. She had been drawing hearts; black hearts, hearts that had been split down the middle, hearts with an arrow shot through the center. She blinked back the familiar tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Brooke gazed up at her friend, who nodded encouragingly. She buried her face in Denise's shoulder, letting the years of pain and sorrow seep through the soft material of her shirt.
Denise comfortingly rubbed Brooke's beautiful locks, whispering over and over again that everything would be all right. Small tears leaked from her own eyes, falling freely on her friend's hair. It hurt her to see her friend, heartbroken and clearly still in love with some man that had done something to her in the past. Brooke had always been a strong one, never letting anything affect her in any way. In fact, Denise never remembered seeing her friend even shed a tear. But here she was, weeping salty tears over some selfish guy. "Shh, shh," Denise murmured into her ear. "It'll be okay."
After what seemed hours, Brooke finally emerged from her friend's shoulder. Denise, not even concerned about the huge wet mark on her shirt, offered a tissue to the puffy eyed Brooke, who accepted. "Are you okay?" she asked softly as Brooke blew her nose on the tissue paper. Brooke nodded shakily.
"Ye-yeah. This is so stupid, I-I don't even lo-love him anymore," Brooke stuttered, knowing this was not the truth. Denise nodded; she didn't buy it, either.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Denise inquired in the same soft tone. Brooke shrugged. "Okay, smile for me, then. Let me see that pretty smile of yours." Blinking back new tears from falling, Brooke attempted to smile, and it came out as a watery grimace. "Hmm, we'll have to work on that. Now, tell me what's going on."
Brooke took a deep breath, knowing her friend wouldn't give up until she gave her an answer. She hadn't told anyone what had happened that night, not even Haley. It was something she had kept in her heart, though it caused her more pain than she had ever imagined. "Lucas is my ex-boyfriend."
Denise nodded. "What happened?"
Flashback
"No, Lucas, you just don't get it, do you?" screamed seventeen-year-old Brooke Davis. She was having yet another argument with her boyfriend of almost one year over some stupid thing.
Lucas Scott threw up his hands in defeat. "No, Brooke, I don't get it. I don't get it at all. In fact, I don't get you either," he retorted coldly. Brooke snorted.
"I don't even know why we even still do this. Date, I mean. All we do is fight nowadays!" she threw back.
Lucas softened. "Aw, Brooke, you don't mean that, do you?" He moved so he could be closer to his volatile girlfriend.
Brooke pushed him away. "I do mean it. I don't love you anymore, Lucas. I don't love you anymore." She broke down crying, and fell to her knees, angry at what she was doing.
Lucas got down on the floor next to her, holding her close to his chest, and stroking her hair. "It's okay, Brooke, we'll get through this," Lucas whispered to her, kissing her head. "We always do." He tilted her face so that it would be facing his, and he captured the falling tears with his soft lips. Brooke shivered, and pushed herself away from him.
"No, Lucas, this isn't working out at all," Brooke choked out. "We were doomed at the start, and-and…I just don't think we were meant to be."
There. She had said it. The words were strange to her own ears, and it sliced through her own heart like a sharp knife. Wiping away the tears from her eyes, she looked up defiantly at Lucas. He just stared at her, his blue eyes filled with an emotion she knew mirrored her own. Pain.
"I can't do this anymore," Brooke whispered. "I just can't do this anymore." She fled the room, leaving a heartbroken boyfriend behind.
She ran to the only place where she knew she could find comfort; Peyton's house. When she got there, she didn't bother knocking on the door and tried to barge her way in. But the door was locked. Brooke pounded her fists on the wooden door until her knuckles had bruised. Turning away from the house, Brooke ran again, this time to Haley and Nathan's apartment.
Haley was sitting in the living room, strumming her guitar hesitantly. She looked up when Brooke stumbled inside the apartment, tears spilling from her beautiful brown eyes. "Brooke?" she whispered. This wasn't the same confident Brooke Davis she knew. This one was broken. She put down her guitar, and rushed to her friend, enveloping her in a huge hug. "What happened?"
"Lu-Lucas and I had a fight again," Brooke hiccoughed. "I-I think that this one is re-real. We've bro-broken up for go-good." She burst into tears again.
"Ohh," murmured Haley, leading her to the couch. They sat down, and Haley rubbed her back. "You and Lucas always fight, Tig. I'm sure this one is no different. You guys will make up and be happy again."
"Yeah, but I told him that I didn't love him anymore. That we weren't meant to be," Brooke managed to get out. Haley kept on rubbing her friend's back.
"I'm sure you guys will get through it. You guys are the only couple I know that has so much love," Haley said softly. "I know you still love him, Tig. You always will, and he'll always love you."
Brooke looked up. "I do love him," she replied tearfully. "But I don't think he knows that."
"I think you should go back to him and tell him," Haley advised her. "You guys just need to sit down and talk it out. You're just stressed, that's all. I mean, we just finished high school, and now we're going to college. It's just going by so fast, you know? All you guys need to do is talk."
"You think?" Brooke sniffled, brushing back the tears from her face. Haley nodded.
"Yeah," she replied, playing with Brooke's hair.
Brooke stayed with Haley for a few more hours, cleaning up and composing herself. Haley half-heartedly tried to make Brooke feel better, performing her newest song for her. However, Brooke wasn't really listening; she was distracted by how she was going to apologize to Lucas. Usually, she was the one holding her breath and Lucas would come over to her house with flowers and he would be the one to apologize and everything would be perfect. But this time, Brooke would be the one who had to make the first move. It was her turn to tell Lucas how she really felt.
"Hey, Hales? I'm gonna head out now," Brooke called out. She had taken a shower, brushed her hair, and borrowed some of Haley's clothes.
"Okay," replied Haley, coming out of the restroom. "You okay now?"
Brooke nodded, pulling her jacket on. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine." She grinned nervously at the short, auburn girl. "I don't know, I just feel all jittery and nervous inside. I mean, it's weird. What's wrong with me?"
Haley walked across the room and gave the usually bubbly cheerleader a hug. "Aw, that's just love talking, sweetie. You'll be fine," she reassured her. After giving her one more hug, she watched Brooke walk out the door, her head hung low.
Brooke chickened out halfway to Lucas' house. She just walked around in circles around the neighborhoods. From the down street, she saw the light at Peyton's house on and decided to go there for moral support.
Pushing the door open softly, Brooke called out, "Peyt? You there?" She heard muffled sounds coming from Peyton's room. Frowning, Brooke softly tip-toed to the room and pushed the door open. "Oh my God!"
"Brooke!" two voices yelped in unison. Her boyfriend and her best friend. Together. Half naked.
"Oh my God, I have to go!" gasped Brooke, tears falling from her eyes. She blindly stumbled in the hallway, falling to the ground.
"Ohh!" Lucas groaned. He pulled on his shirt, and saw his girlfriend sprawled on the ground, weeping. He kneeled on the ground next to Brooke, and pulled her closer to him. Brooke just cried in his shirt, the tears outnumbering the ones she had cried earlier in the afternoon. "I'm so sorry, Brooke. I'm so sorry," he repeated over and over again, his voice pleading with her.
Peyton stuck her head out of the door, her shirt now back on. "Brooke?" she asked softly. Lucas turned to her, and shook his head. Brooke broke out of her tear-fest and looked up.
"No. Tell Lucas whatever you want to tell him. I'm outta here." Brooke ran as fast as she could back to her house.
"Brooke!" Lucas groaned. He got up to chase her, but Peyton stopped him.
"No," she said softly. "She needs time to herself. Let her go."
Lucas just buried his face in his hands, and slid his back down the wall, wondering what he had just done.
Brooke spent the next two hours packing up all her suitcases. She ripped up any picture, any letter, any little thing that reminded her of Lucas and Peyton. After she had packed up all of her clothes, she sat down at her desk to write letters. First, to Haley, her only best friend. The moment she had written "Dear Haley", the tears had begun to fall, and it was all that Brooke could do to prevent them from falling on the paper. Almost halfway done with her letter, Haley suddenly burst in her room, tears silently running down from her red, puffy eyes. "Hales?" She jumped up to run over to her friend. "Oh my God, what happened?"
Haley shook her head, unable to speak. Brooke sprinted down the stairs to grab a water bottle from the kitchen, and offered it to the upset girl, who accepted it. "What's the matter? Did something happen with you and Nathan?"
Haley flinched. "Don't say his name to me ever again!" she cried, unable to control her tears. Brooke held her in her arms, and stroked her hair, just like Haley did earlier that day. There was no doubt that that day officially sucked.
"Shh, it'll be alright," soothed Brooke, wiping her tears with a tissue. She gave the water bottle once more to help calm her down. As Haley's sobs and wheezing died down, Brooke sighed, looking around her room. It seemed cruel to leave Haley in this condition, yet…there was no way she could spend another day in Tree Hill. She had to leave by eleven o'clock that night for her own sake, yet it seemed selfish to leave Haley by herself, especially since she seemed to be suffering like Brooke.
Haley sniffled, blowing on the tissue that Brooke had given her. "Tigger?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are all these bags here?"
Brooke sighed. "Haley…I'm leaving for California." Haley's eyes widened, and Brooke elaborated. "There's no way I could stay here. It's hard for me, Hales. I have to go." Brooke squeezed her eyes shut to prevent the same salty tears from falling on her friend's head; she had cried too many times that day, and it disgusted her.
Haley squirmed around so that she would be directly facing Brooke. "Take me with you!" she begged, clutching Brooke's smooth hands. "Please, Brooke, I don't want to live here anymore. It's killing me every second. I just want to forget everything." Fresh tears splattered on their joined hands.
"Hales…" started Brooke. It was one thing for Brooke to leave Tree Hill; her family was in California, after all. She would've been living in California if it weren't for Lucas and her friends. But Haley…she was the small town type of girl. Sure, she didn't even live with her family anymore, but she had Nathan. Had being past tense.
"I swear, I'll pay you back!" pleaded Haley. "I just want to get out of here. You have to let me come with you. Please." Haley's big brown eyes shimmered with tears, and it just broke Brooke's heart. She slowly nodded.
"Of course I'll take you," Brooke replied, giving her a hug. "Um, I'd tell you that you should pack your clothes, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to go back…there." Haley nodded wordlessly. "But I have plenty of clothes and money, so don't even worry about it." She checked her watch. "We should go, our flight leaves at eleven o'clock, and people will start coming over to look for us."
Haley nodded again. "How are we getting to the airport?" she asked, gazing at all the luggage cluttering the huge room.
Brooke sighed. "I'm going to call for a taxi. Or two," she added as an afterthought. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. We can start over." She patted Haley's hand and got up to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Haley sighed, and her eyes fell to the floor where a snapshot of the six of them had been ripped up to pieces.
A few hours later, Brooke craned her neck to gaze out the window. She had kindly offered Haley the window seat, and now she endured the passing passengers and stewardesses bumping into her elbow. She glanced at Haley, who was sleeping with one of the airplane blankets over her shivering body. Brooke tugged the blanket so it wouldn't fall, and gently pushed back some hair from her face. Haley's breathing was still shallow, confirming Brooke's belief that she was thinking of Nathan. This made her think of her own Scott brother, making the dull pain in her heart worse. But now she was on her way to the other side of the country with her best friend, both of them ready to start over and leave everything they thought they loved behind.
End Flashback
When Brooke finished her story, she realized that her cheeks were wet, and she inwardly cursed. She hated crying, and just remembering that day brought back so many memories that she wished she didn't have. And now her life was crashing down because of one stupid man and his stupid video. She sighed.
Denise gave her a hug. "Oh, Brooke…I don't know what to say," she said after a while. "I mean, Lucas is such a jackass. I'm going to beat his sorry ass if I ever see him. But seriously…I didn't think it was this bad. You were always so secretive, and now I know why. I'm sorry."
Brooke laughed bitterly. "You didn't do anything. It's fine, it's all in the past." She had been twiddling a pen around her fingers out of nervous habit, and she absentmindedly drew all over her desk. Brooke stood up. "I'm going to go see Victor and see if I could change his mind. I know you like Nathan, but he's all wrong for the show. I'll be right back."
Denise sighed, watching Brooke, her head help up high, walk out of the office. She thought of Haley, who was always so quiet and sad. The two girls were so miserable, so heartbroken, and still so much in love with those they had left behind. And like Brooke had said before, it just broke her heart to see her friends in so much pain. And even though she had never personally met them, Denise was sure that those same guys there were pining over were still in love with their girls, no matter how they tried to cope with it.
"Wow, I can't believe we're back home!" exclaimed Lucas, dropping his jacket on one of the chairs. He, Nathan, and Pamela had returned back to Tree Hill so Nathan could pick some things from his mother's house. Dan had moved back to the beach house, and Nathan had moved the things he had left behind in his apartment to his old house.
Lucas had decided to stay in Tree Hill with his mother for a few months while Nathan and Pamela flew out to Los Angeles. Nathan wasn't about too ecstatic leaving the East Coast for some "sissy show", but secretly, Lucas hoped that his little brother would turn around back to the good guy he had once known.
"Lucas!" a voice cried out from one corner of the house. Lucas whirled around to face Nathan's mother, Deb. Lucas and Nathan had spent Christmas in Tree Hill, so it hadn't been too long since the boys had been gone. "Oh, it's so good to see you again!" She embraced Lucas with a huge hug, which he returned. "When did you boys get in?"
"Just a few minutes ago. Didn't you hear us come in?" asked Lucas, puzzled. Deb shook her head.
"No, I just came back from the café to grab something. I can't believe Nathan actually kept his key without losing it," remarked Deb, smiling. Lucas chuckled.
"I can't believe it, either. He just dug it out of his pocket and opened the door," replied Lucas, his pale blue eyes twinkling. "How've you been?"
"I've been doing well," nodded Deb. "It's been a little lonely without you two, but we're surviving." She exaggerated a huge sigh, making Lucas grin. "Besides, we have Peyton, Jake, and Jenny to fill in your shoes."
Lucas laughed. "Last I saw of them was the video Nathan made. Pamela was too lazy to actually bring Nate's friends and family together." He shook his head ruefully. Deb laughed.
"Where is Pamela?" wondered Deb, looking around. "I thought I saw a pair of women's pumps, and I was pretty sure it didn't belong to any of you boys."
"I'm right here!" spoke up Pamela, emerging from the other side of the house. "I was in the restroom. Lovely towels, by the way."
"Why, thank you," answered Deb, blinking. "Where's Nate?"
Lucas and Pamela shrugged. "I thought he went up to his room. I'll go find him," offered Lucas. Deb smiled in gratitude, and she led Pamela to the kitchen for a slice of cake.
"Nate?" called out Lucas. "Nathan! Where are you?" He slowly climbed up the flight of stairs, taking the time to drink in the pictures that Deb had artistically placed on the walls. When he finally reached the top of the stairs, he noticed that Nathan's door had been opened a crack. Not wanting to disturb him, Lucas crept towards his little brother's room, careful not to make any unnecessary noises. He quietly pushed the door open and peered in. "Nate?"
"Jesus Christ, don't do that to me!" yelled Nathan, jumping a mile. Lucas frowned, and pushed the door open all the way.
"What are you doing?" he asked quizzically.
"Nothing," Nathan replied quickly, pushing a shoebox under his bed that he had been sitting on.
Lucas raised a brow. "Oh, really?"
"Nothing at all," Nathan grinned nervously, kicking the box even farther under his bed. "Wha-what are you doing up here?"
"Looking for you," Lucas said slowly, making his way towards Nathan's bed. "What's in the box?"
Nathan frowned. "What box? What are you talking about?" he spat out. "There's no box. No box at all. Why do you keep bugging me?"
Lucas shook his head sadly. "You are a horrible liar, Nathan Scott." Nathan scowled.
"Am not," he retorted, his eyes narrowing. Lucas chuckled.
"Are too," he contradicted. "And if there's no box, you wouldn't mind me looking at….this!" Lucas dove for the box before Nathan could blink an eye. "Aha! What do we have here?"
"Lucas, don't you dare," Nathan began, looking around for a bat or some heavy object to whack the annoying blonde with. His dark blue eyes glittered with annoyance, shock, and…fear?
"Aw, come on, Nate, we're brothers! We have no secrets," grinned Lucas, plopping down on Nathan's chair at his desk. Nathan lunged for the box, but Lucas swiped it away from him. "What's in here? Playboy magazines, condoms, old Barbies you used to play with?"
"Lucas, don't!" gritted out Nathan. But it was too late. Lucas had lifted the lid.
"Relax, it's only…pictures," trailed off Lucas. He thumbed through the pictures, sucking in his breath every now and then. He looked up at his brother, who was busy gazing out the window. "Nate? You still have these?"
Nathan didn't bother to turn to Lucas. "Leave it, Lucas. Just put it back." His voice was void of any emotion.
Lucas' eyes fell on the wallet pictures at the top of the pile. One of them was of a dark-haired young man with his arms around a girl with auburn hair. Their eyes weren't on the camera, but on each other, oblivious to what was going on. The pictured was folded and worn in many different places, as if it had been held and examined often.
Another picture was hidden behind that one. Lucas hissed; this one was of a different couple, but it still portrayed the strong love the other one had also depicted. A blond young man and a dark brunette were facing each other, their lips barely touching. Their eyes were closed, and their hands were joined together, as if to keep them together forever. There's no such thing as forever, mused Lucas, his eyes closed. You ruined it.
"Lucas, I told you to put it away!" snapped Nathan. He was now a few inches in front of Lucas, his eyes burning with hate and pain. "Are you deaf?" He aggressively snatched the box away from Lucas, one of the pictures fluttering down to the floor. Lucas picked it up. It was their group picture; Jake with Peyton, Nathan with Haley, and him with…her. They all had been so much in love, overcome with unadulterated bliss. But now that was over. Their worlds had shattered, and reality wasn't as kind.
"Nate, you dropped this," Lucas said quietly. He mutely handed over the picture to Nathan, who had stashed the box somewhere in his closet. Nathan seized the picture, his eyes staring hard at one particular couple. His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed, and Lucas suspected that he was holding back tears. "Nate, are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to. I mean, Haley's still out there…" Lucas trailed off as Nathan picked up his slightly older brother by the collar, and shoved him up against a wall.
"Don't. Say. Her. Name. To. Me. Ever. Again," Nathan whispered angrily, bitterness weaving in and out through the words. "Don't you ever mention her again!" He released his hold on Lucas, who let out his breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding.
However, Lucas wasn't fazed by Nathan's temper tantrums. "Nate, I know you're still in love with her," Lucas said quietly. His brother had slumped against the wall, his face buried in his hands. "And I know she loves you, too."
"Get out, Lucas," came Nathan's muffled, but angry, voice. "Just get out of here." Lucas sighed, but complied with his wishes. On his way out, he quietly dropped the picture on Nathan's lap.
"I still have the same pictures, too," he added before walking out. Lucas quietly shut the door, and Nathan slowly let the tears he had been harboring flow out, splattering the picture.
Brooke paced back and forth, tugging her hair every now and then. Denise winced. This was the telltale sign that Brooke was aggravated, and an aggravated Brooke was known to bite your head off if you said the wrong thing. Denise gulped, and decided to take her chances. "Uh…Brooke? Are you okay, dear?"
Brooke whirled on her. "Don't you dare 'dear' me!" she hissed. She plopped herself in one of the chairs that had been artistically placed around the tiny tables in the garden. "You know, if I think I might murder Victor in his sleep one of these days. Make him feel my pain, that bastard!"
Denise sighed, and gracefully sat down next to her irritated friend. "You know, you can never always get what you want in life," she began. "And the entire company was rather…uh, adamant that we choose Nathan. But we're all mature adults here, so I think you should stop sulking like a four-year-old brat and greet our guest professionally. Got it?" She raised her brow at her friend. Brooke got the message.
"Whatever," she sighed, getting up again. "Just as long as he doesn't bring his bastard brother, no insult intended, and that blonde bitch, everything will just be peachy." She resumed to her pacing again, making Denise groan.
"How did Haley take it?" Denise inquired, hazarding a look at Brooke.
Brooke froze mid-step. "I didn't tell her anything," she frowned. "Just saying his name breaks her heart, and if she knew that he was here, it would kill her." A sad sigh escaped her lips. "I feel horrible. I mean, here I am, setting up her beloved, jackass of an ex-boyfriend up while she's still in love in him. It's just not right. I don't think she'll ever forgive me if she ever found out."
Denise got up from her seat, and whacked Brooke on the back of her head. "That's why you have to tell her, idiot! You're betraying Haley right now by not telling her. Haley's a fragile person, Brooke."
"You don't think I know that?" Brooke snapped, still rubbing her head. "Who was the one who comforted her every night for like two months? Who was the one who made her get out of bed every morning? Don't you dare tell me what Haley is like, got it?" Brooke sighed when she saw Denise's face crumple. "Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bite your head off like that. I've just been…stressed, you know?"
Denise nodded. "I know, Brooke," she said quietly. "But you still have to tell Haley. I talked to her last night, she knows something's up. She thinks you're avoiding her." Brooke hung her head.
"Okay, I'll talk to her tonight," sighed Brooke, plopping back in her seat again. "It'll break her heart, though."
"And then it'll heal," Denise said softly. She was quiet for a few minutes. "Brooke?"
"Hmm?"
Denise hesitated. "Do you think…do you think there's any way we can get Haley back with Nathan again? Like, get her on the show?"
Brooke snorted unexpectedly. "Get Haley on the show? Please. She would never go for it. Besides, Nathan would get in his strange tantrums if he sees her again. Clearly, he's over her." She scowled. "Where is the jackass, anyway? He's," she checked her watch, "twenty minutes late!" Brooke rolled her eyes. "Figures, he's always been a late one, like he's so important that everyone was just early or something."
At that moment, a certain jackass chose to make his appearance. "I am so sorry, I'm not used to the traffic here! And the valet was horrible, I think you guys need to talk to your manager of doing something about that." He slid in the chair next to Denise, not noticing the girl with her.
"Ooh, jackass knows how to apologize," sniffed Brooke, facing the other way so the arrogant basketball player wouldn't see her. Denise nudged her.
"That's alright, I guess things are much different here than from where you're from," Denise smiled, sticking her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Denise Torres."
"Nathan Scott," he grinned, sending her that smile that made every girl swoon. Denise almost fell for it, but instantly thought of Haley and sobered up. Nathan frowned at the sudden change. He ignored it, and turned to Brooke. "Who's your friend?" he nodded towards Brooke, waggling his eyebrows.
Brooke's jaw tightened. She twisted around, and instead of shaking Nathan's outstretched hand, she slapped him hard on the face. "Don't you dare try to use your stupid charms on me, Nathan Scott!" she hissed.
"Broo-Brooke?" stuttered Nathan, scooting back. His face had paled, and he stared at Brooke as if she was some type of ghost.
"That's right, asshole," glared Brooke. "And you're late."
Nathan continued to stare at her with wide eyes. She looked exactly the same, just like the last time he had seen her six years ago before she ran off. Just like…Haley.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a low voice, as if not wanting anyone to hear. Brooke snorted.
"I live here, jackass," she replied, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. "I've been living here for six years, so don't act like you own the place."
"Six years?" he echoed. "This is where you ran away to? We all figured that you ran off to New York or Florida, but California…wow."
"We?" repeated Brooke.
"Well, yeah," Nathan shifted uncomfortably, thrusting a hand through his short brown hair. "Me, Jake, Peyton, and…Lucas." Brooke stiffened when she heard his name, and Nathan cringed. Hehad expected that reaction from her. Denise nervously looked back and forth between the old friends.
Brooke stood up. "I can't do this," she murmured to Denise. "I'll see you later." She began to walk away, but Denise grabbed her wrist and dragged her back to her seat.
"Sit, Brooke. Be professional," Denise said under her breath, glancing at Nathan, who was still in shock.
"I can't," Brooke replied frantically. "It's too hard!"
"Oh, but you don't think it's hard for me?" Nathan replied angrily. "We were all so worried about you, Brooke! The whole town tried calling everyone who might know where you were, but you left no trace at all. And do you know how heartbroken Lucas was? Do you?" Brooke's eyes began to glitter with tears, but she refused to wipe them away. "We almost had to make him go to therapy because of what you did! He wouldn't talk to anyone for almost a month, not me, not Karen, not even Keith. We all thought that you might've been lying dead in a ditch, living with some pimp, doing God knows what. Lucas was, no, is miserable, and it's been six fucking years!"
Brooke snorted. "Oh, you were all worried about me, but not Haley?" she shot back. Nathan instantly recoiled. "I just think it's great that everyone was worried about me, but not once did you mention dear Haley."
"Shut up," whispered Nathan, glaring at Brooke. But she didn't stop.
"Obviously, you're over it, but where's your beloved Haley, Nathan? Did you bother even looking for her? Did you even think about her? What happened to always and forever, Nathan?" she taunted. "What happened to all your promises to her? You are a liar, and you broke my best friend's heart. So don't you dare lecture me on what I did and pretend you're all innocent. You owe Haley a hell of an explanation!"
Nathan raised his hand, and unexpectedly slapped Brooke on the cheek.
Brooke staggered back, holding her cheek. Denise gasped, and started to attack the tall basketball player, but he pushed her back. "Don't you ever say her name to me again, you got it? I don't want to hear about her again," he said in a low voice. He got up. "Maybe we should do this some other time. I'll just call your people to reschedule." He began to walk away, but not before Brooke got the last word.
"That's right, just walk away and forget about Haley. Just do us a favor and disappear forever! Maybe then you'll finally stop breaking her heart!"
Nathan didn't even bother to reply, and just walked out of the garden.
"Brooke! Are you okay?" cried Denise, grabbing a piece of tissue from her bag. "Oh, my God, I can't believe he slapped you! He's such an asshole, I'm going to talk to Victor about this, I can't let him be on our show." She stopped when she saw Brooke grinning to herself. "Brooke? Why are you smiling like that?"
Brooke just chuckled. "He's still in love with her," she said thoughtfully. "All this time, I thought he was really over her, but he still loves her." She turned to Denise. "We have to get Haley on the show. There's no way I'm going to let this opportunity pass. They belong together."
"But how are we going to get Haley on the show?" asked Denise, confused. "I mean, even though the guy just freaking slapped you, I'm all for 'Operation Bring Back Nathan and Haley Together', but how are we going to do that? First of all, Haley will never go for it, like you said. And what if you happen to be wrong and he might pick another girl?"
"If two people are meant to be together, they always end up together in the end," Brooke responded softly. She was quiet for a moment. "And I knew Nathan would do that. Slap me, I mean. I know how to goad him, and he fell for it. And secondly, it's 'Operation Naley', not that lame one you just made up."
Denise blinked, and decided not to even ask about "Operation Naley." But she still had one question; "How are you going to get Haley to agree to this?"
Brooke fingered the designs on the mosaic table, smiling to herself. "Don't worry, I always think of something."
When Brooke got home from work later that day, she found Haley on the couch, watching White Chicks with a pint of Ben and Jerry's. "Hey, you're home early."
Without taking her eyes off the screen, Haley replied, "They closed the park early because some rich person rented it out for the night. I didn't even think that was possible." She shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
Brooke dropped her things on the kitchen table and jumped on the couch next to Haley, who didn't even flinch. "Ooh, is that cookie dough?" she squealed, trying to grab the container from Haley.
Haley pulled it away. "Hey, back off!" she said sternly. "My cookie dough." She patted the container, and grinned. "It was weird, I was driving on the freeway and all of a sudden, I had this sudden urge to buy ice cream and watch White Chicks. I haven't seen this movie in forever!"
Brooke watched while one of the Wayans brothers (she didn't bother finding out who was who) crashed the car into a ditch because of the dog. "Yeah…same here! I was like, 'Oh, my God, I have this craving to buy some Ben and Jerry's and like, watch White Chicks!'" She snorted. "Because that's just so normal for young women like us."
Haley rolled her eyes. "Shut up." They were quiet as they continued to watch the movie. When it came to the part where the Wayans brothers were being transformed into "white chicks", Haley commented, "That is so how weird how that thing works."
"Hmm?"
"The whole, 'let's put on some fake skin and give you a wig, and you can be transformed into a different sex,'" replied Haley, stirring her spoon around. "I mean, you can tell that it's fake, but they don't even look like themselves anymore. It's like plastic surgery without the surgery."
The gears in Brooke's head were going into overdrive, and it was all she could do to not blurt that wonderful plan out. "Hales?"
"Yeah?"
Brooke faced Haley, a familiar glint in her eyes that Haley hadn't seen in years. "How would you like to be a bachelorette?"
"And how did she take it?" laughed Denise. She and Brooke were sitting inside of a Chinese restaurant, waiting for Nathan to arrive. They were early, and Brooke knew that Nathan would be a guaranteed ten minutes late, so she revealed her plan to her co-conspirator.
"Well…" Brooke trailed off.
Flashback
Haley stared at Brooke. "I'm sorry, what?"
Brooke started to play with Haley's hair, not really answering her question. "Well, I noticed that you've been rather down lately, and you haven't been out with a guy for a long time." She purposely left out that the last guy she had been with was Nathan. "And I think this would be a great way to maybe meet a great guy, make some friends, maybe some enemies, and show America what a great girl you are!"
Haley suddenly started to laugh uncontrollably. Brooke raised an eyebrow. It took a while for Haley to calm down. "I'm sorry, but you're asking me to be a catty, desperate bimbo looking for love in front of millions of people? I love you, Tig, but not that much. Did you even choose a bachelor yet?"
"It's still in the process," Brooke said doggedly. "But this time it will be different! Like, I've been struck by this bolt of inspiration. Instead of revealing the girls' real identities, it'll be like a masquerade! Different names, skin tones, wigs or new hair colors, colored eye contacts…maybe some boob jobs and lipo, but otherwise, it'll be like a game!"
Haley shook her head. "I don't know, Brooke, it sounds pretty complicated," she said slowly. "I mean, it sounds awesome, but just…strange. Why wouldn't you want to reveal who they really are?"
"Oh, their personalities and their actions will still be the same, but instead of making a fool of themselves on live television, they can leave the show without anyone pointing and staring at them when they go out and buy their groceries."
Haley snorted. "Oh, that sounds promising." She undid the French braid that Brooke had created for her.
"Will you do it? For me?" pleaded Brooke, getting close to her last resort; guilt trip. Haley sighed, and turned back to the television screen.
"I'll think about it."
End Flashback
"Well, I have to admit, you're a pretty fast thinker, Davis," Denise remarked ruefully. "How do you do it?"
Brooke beamed. "It's a God-given talent, I guess." She took a sip of her pink lemonade. "I just hope that Haley goes for it."
Denise shook her head. "Knowing you, she'll probably do it. But once she gets on the show and gets one look at Nathan, she'll just run away and hate you forever," she said knowingly. "Why take the chance?"
Brooke quickly checked her phone to confirm the time before answering Denise. "Oh, she wouldn't do that," she replied confidently. "Haley may seem like a goody-goody, scaredy cat wimp sometimes, but she never gives up. Whatever she starts she always has to finish. Besides, I can always make her sign some contract stating that she can't leave the show, and Hales is such a law abiding citizen, so she'll have to go with it." She grinned smugly.
"But don't you think Nathan will recognize her?" frowned Denise. "I mean, he may just be a guy, but he's not stupid. You just don't forget what the person you love looks like."
Brooke mused on that concept. "Well, Haley's hair is much lighter since she left Tree Hill," she finally said. "It was auburn. And with colored contacts and fake skin, I don't think he'll even recognize her. She may have to change her voice a pitch or two, but otherwise…" She shrugged. "We'll just have to hope Lady Luck's on our side."
Denise opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it when she saw Nathan walk into the restaurant. "He's here," she whispered. "And please, please, please act mature and do not goad him or mention Haley. Please?"
Brooke nodded, and took another sip of her pink lemonade. "Hello, Nathan," she greeted the tall basketball player as he slipped into the seat across from her.
"Okay, I know I'm late, but I have a really good excuse this time," Nathan began, accepting the iced water from the waitress.
Denise giggled. "Oh, really? What's today's excuse, then?"
"I had to talk to my mother, and she was babysitting Baylee Lynn, so she had to stop the conversation every now and then to take care of her," Nathan simply explained before gulping down his glass of water.
"Who's Baylee Lynn?" asked Brooke.
"Karen's daughter," replied Nathan, looking over his menu. "Hey, what's good here?"
Brooke nearly choked on her lemonade. "I'm sorry, whose daughter?"
Denise gave her an odd look before turning to Nathan. "The orange chicken is excellent. It's a bit spicy, but it's really good."
"Oh, okay, I'll have that then," decided Nathan. He turned to Brooke. "Karen's daughter. She and Keith got married, and now they have a little girl. She's five years old."
"Oh, I wish I could see her," Brooke said rather wistfully. "It's so cute that those two finally got married. There was so much sexual tension between them!"
Nathan made a face. "Ew, Brooke, that's my uncle and dad's ex-girlfriend you're talking about."
"Wait, what?" Denise blinked. Brooke just waved her question away.
"Long story," Nathan replied wearily. Denise nodded, confused with the events concerning Tree Hill. And I thought Orange County had a lot of drama, she thought.
"Baylee Lynn," she said aloud. "That's a pretty name." Nathan shrugged.
"Yeah, well, Karen was pretty set on naming her Baylee. I have no idea why," he replied, glancing at his watch. Brooke and Denise exchanged a look. Brooke knew that Denise was thinking the same thing, and Brooke thought it was really sweet that Karen still thought about her and Haley.
"It's just weird," continued Nathan. "Baylee is my cousin, she's Mom's and Dad's niece, and Lucas' cousin and half-sister."
"Psht," snorted Denise. "I have a friend whose best friend's mom married this rich guy who ended up to be the grandfather of my friend's boyfriend, and then her best friend was dating the adopted brother of my friend's boyfriend, and then her best friend broke up with her boyfriend because she was like a lesbian or something and then so her boyfriend started dating this girl who turned out to be the daughter of my friend's boyfriend's grandfather who was also the step-father of the ex-girlfriend, so basically he was dating his adopted aunt."
Brooke and Nathan just blinked at her. "I can't believe you just said all that in one breath," muttered Nathan, looking around as if everyone in the restaurant was just like her.
"I actually got all of that," Brooke announced cheerfully. Nathan looked at Brooke, confusedly. She shrugged. "Hey, I've been hanging out with her for six years. There are some things you have to get used to."
"Ain't that the truth?" put in Denise. "Now, where's the waiter?"
After they ordered their food, they got down to business. "Okay, Nate, here's what's going on: you are America's most eligible bachelor and you are trying to look for your true love," Brooke said the last part softly. Nathan's eyes had fluttered closed for a second, but he opened them again, void of any emotion.
"Anyway, we will send you and twenty-five beautiful women to Avalon, California where the ladies will be living in one mansion and you'll be living in another," Denise hastily completed.
Nathan cocked an eyebrow. "Why can't I live with the girls?" he whined.
Brooke gritted her teeth. "Because, Nathan, most of America may not know who you really are, but I went to the same high school with you for four years, and my reputation doesn't even hold a light to your reputation back then."
"Hey!" defended Nathan. "I changed. You know that." There was a look in his eyes that conveyed a message to Brooke, and she sighed.
"Fine," she said wearily. "But the company thinks it's better if you don't live with the girls. We want drama, but that would be like starting World War III."
"Brooke's right," Denise jumped in. "I really don't think you want a pack of angry, jealous women after your skin."
Nathan winced. "I guess you're right." He was quiet for a moment. "What if I don't find her? 'The One', I mean. What if this is just a waste of my time?"
Brooke patted his hand softly, and Nathan was surprised by the kind gesture. "Don't worry, you never know. I mean, you might not find her, but you might make a new friend," she said lamely. Denise rolled her eyes.
Nathan bought it. "I guess so," he said uncertainly. There was another span of silence. "Hey, Brooke?"
"Yeah, Nate?"
Nathan hesitated, and Brooke could sense he was troubled. His dark blue eyes were swirling with so much emotion, and for one second, Brooke felt a little guilty. "Wha-what happened to Hale-Haley?" he finally managed to get out. This was the first time he had uttered her name in six years, and it made his heart ache just to hear it.
"I-I don't know," stuttered Brooke, glancing at Denise, who frowned at her.
"Didn't she go to California with you?" Nathan asked quietly. He avoided looking at her, instead playing with his chopsticks.
"Well, well, I-I, yeah we went together, but, but we just kinda separated because sh-she wanted to do one thing and I wanted to do my thing," stammered Brooke. Denise had never seen her friend so agitated before. Brooke giggled nervously. "Yo-you know Haley, always trying to make it to the big time with her singing and go-going to Or-Stanford, we just lost contact with each other."
Nathan looked at her oddly. "Haley went to Stanford?"
Flashback
"Stanford," Haley said dreamily. "Ever since I visited the campus with my family, I knew that's where I wanted to go. The people were so different from the people here, and I just wanted to be in the mix. It's been my dream to just leave Tree Hill and see the world."
"Stanford," Nathan echoed softly. "That's where you really want to go?"
Haley nodded enthusiastically, and she snuggled against Nathan's chest, making his heart beat go faster and faster. "Where do you want to go?" she asked after a while.
"Duke," murmured Nathan sadly. Haley whipped her head around to face him.
"Oh," she said softly. "Duke. That's not too far from here."
"Yeah, and it's 3000 miles away from you," sighed Nathan. He brought Haley closer to him, resting his head on the crook of her neck. "I think that's the only college I can really get into, because of basketball."
Haley was quiet. "You know, I don't think I'll get into Stanford," she commented abruptly. "My grades aren't that high, and I think everyone is going to a college somewhere in the East Coast. Maybe I should just stay here."
Nathan pulled away from her. "Haley, no. You know you have awesome grades, you're like the smartest girl in school. Hell, you could probably get into Harvard if you wanted to." Haley smiled to herself. "Go to Stanford. We'll figure something out, we always do." He lay a soft kiss on her forehead, and they resumed cuddling.
A few months later…
"Hey, baby, what's up?" Nathan jogged over to Haley, who was sitting by herself at a table in the library.
"Hmm? Oh, hey, Nathan." She leaned over to give him a kiss. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," grinned Nathan, picking up Haley so that he could sit in her chair and she was on his lap. He snuggled into her neck. "I missed you."
"Nathan, stop it!" hissed Haley, wildly looking around. "We're in public!" She tried to push him away, but he just wrapped his arms around her.
"Then we'll just have to put a show on for them, won't we?" he murmured wickedly into her hair. He could feel Haley grow warm. She shifted around so she could get into a more comfortable position. It was then when he noticed the papers in her hands. "What's that?"
"What? Oh, these," Haley stammered. "Um…it's my acceptance letter to Duke."
Nathan let go of Haley, and turned her so that he would be facing her beautiful face. "Your acceptance letter to where?"
"Duke, silly." Haley rolled her eyes. "I applied, and I got in!" She beamed.
"But…but what about Stanford?" frowned Nathan, bemused. "I thought you wanted to go there."
Haley's face fell. "Oh. I didn't get accepted," she said in a low voice. Nathan pulled her closer for a hug.
"Aw, I'm sorry, sweetie," he murmured. Haley sighed, and quickly stuffed another paper into her pocket without Nathan noticing.
"It's okay," Haley replied bravely. "I mean, what's good in California? They don't have you."
"This is going to be so great, Hales!" Nathan exclaimed excitedly. "We'll be together, you can help me with my homework (Haley poked him), and it'll just be…awesome. I'm so happy, Hales, I could sing and dance on top of this table if you weren't on top of me right now."
"Hey!" Haley swatted his arm. "I'm on your lap, not on top of you. And I think I'll stay here so that way none of our reputations get ruined because you pulled a Tom Cruise on me." She laughed.
"Ha, ha," Nathan replied dryly. He sighed, and kissed her lightly. "I love you, Hales. Always
and forever."
"I love you too, Nate," Haley answered back softly. "Always and forever." She sighed, and for some reason, her eyes kept on straying to her pocket.
Months later…
"Nate, you need to move on," Lucas told him. "I know it's hard, but you're leaving for Duke in a few days. Maybe you should pack up all her stuff and move it storage."
"Duke," murmured Nathan. "Do you think she's there? She got accepted, and I don't think she would turn it down." For a moment, his eyes had lit up, and Lucas could see the old Nathan shining through.
"I don't know, Nate," Lucas sighed. "Maybe, maybe not." His eyes lingered on the spot where their group picture had hung.
"I guess you're right, man," Nathan heaved a sigh. "I'll start today."
"Do you need any help?" offered Lucas. "I have a lot of free time on my hands."
Nathan shook his head. "I got it, man. Uh…did you clear up Brooke's stuff?" He instantly regretted asking the question. Lucas' blue eyes filled with pain and sadness, and though sometimes the guy annoyed him, Nathan hated seeing his brother like this.
"No, she did it herself," Lucas laughed bitterly. "The only things she left behind were torn up pictures, letters, and things that had anything to do with me or Peyton."
"Don't mention her name to me!" hissed Nathan. His own blue eyes hardened, and his hands curled up into a fist.
Lucas sighed again. "I know you're pissed off at Pey…her, but eventually you'll have to forgive her."
"I don't even know how you can still talk to her," Nathan said angrily. "She's the reason why you and Brooke aren't together! Well, actually, you're part of the reason, but still."
"Hey, don't blame this on me," snapped Lucas. "I made a mistake, okay? I admit it. But you don't think I feel horrible for all of this? You're an idiot if you think I'm fine with everything."
"Well, if it weren't for you guys, then Haley and I would still be together!" yelled Nathan. "If she hadn't come to me afterwards, then…"
"Let's not do this," Lucas cut in. He sighed. "Listen, I'm going to help Keith at the shop. Are you sure you don't need any help with this?" He gestured to the room. Nathan shook his head.
"I got it," he said tightly. Lucas shrugged.
"Sorry, bro." He got up and walked out.
Nathan sighed. This would be harder than he thought. He started opening the drawers, and a whiff of Haley's perfume engulfed in. It took all of his pride and strength not to break down, even if he was alone.
After packing most of the stuff, he decided to take a rest. Rubbing his eyes, he ambled over to the kitchen and pulled out a beer, a habit that he had recently picked up again. He had thrown his cap opener away, so he opened one of the drawers to find another one. Instead, an envelope nestled under some silverware caught his eye. Frowning, Nathan put down his beer and grabbed the envelope. It was addressed to Haley…from Stanford.
Curiosity took over Nathan, and he slipped the letter out of the slit envelope. His eyes widened when he skimmed over the first lines. "Dear Haley James, we are happy to inform you that
you've been accepted to The Leland Stanford Junior University…"
Nathan crumpled up the letter. Haley had lied to him. She said that she had been rejected, and was going to Duke instead. He didn't understand why she would do that. A sudden realization finally occurred to him, and it was then and there where Nathan Scott finally broke down into tears…
End Flashback
"Nate? Nathan!" Brooke snapped her fingers to get his attention.
Nathan shook out of his reverie. "What?"
Brooke and Denise looked at him oddly. "The food's here," Denise gestured to the hot dishes that had been placed in front of him. "Are you okay?"
Nathan nodded his head quickly. "Oh, yeah. Just jet lag, that's all," he tried to laugh it off, but the girls didn't seem to buy it.
"Okay…well, basically that's it," concluded Brooke. "Just go on dates with these women, eliminate them, and then pick one."
"No twists?" confirmed Nathan, pouring soy sauce on his steamed rice.
Brooke exchanged a quick glance with Denise. "No. No twists at all." She grinned to herself.
I am good, she thought to herself, finishing her lemonade.
Author's Note: -hangs head- Okay, I know what a horrible person I am. To be honest, I didn't think I would achieve ten reviews so quickly. And I started summer school a few days after updating this story. I honestly didn't think Iwould get so much homework this month, and I've been stressed out like crazy. I finished this last weekend, but my beta just gave it back to me today.
But you really don't deserve any of my excuses. There were several parts of this chapter that could've been a separate chapter, but I tried to make this long as possible. Verdana, size 9, 17 pages, baby!
Erm, anyway...I've just started another Naley fic that I might be posting soon. The beginning is really cute, I think you guys will like it. So look out for that.
I know this is a really long author's note, and you probably think I'm trying to make this chapter longer, but I just have a few more things to say. One, I realized that my timing is completely off concerning basketball. So just completely ignore that. And two, if you have any questions, just review and I'll reply to that or leave your email address. I'll be happy to answer any questions, comments, concerns, etc., you may have.
And...ugh, this is getting really long, but don't expect an update anytime soon. Summer school ends next week, but I have a lot of summer homework and friends to catch up on. But I promise, I'll try to make the next chapter at least ten or more pages.
And finally...review! I know I'm a horrible liar and promised you a quick update, but it would still be nice to get ten or more reviews for this chapter. Let's aim for 30:)
