Sorry it took me long to update. I'm trying to get better, but school is finishing so I've got a whole ton of stuff to do. But...I'll try to get better. I also didn't get reviews for the last chapter, but that's ok. I decided to give this one more chance, and I hope all of you do too.
-Chelsie
"Alright, So, I give up," Brooke said to Sophia as she washed her hands.
"Alright, fine," Sophia laughed. "You're bad at it anyway."
"Oh, I'm bad at it," Brooke asked, pretending to sound offended.
"Horrible," Sophia dramatically, giggling a little bit. "No, it's ok. I don't even think I want them anymore." Sophia was trying to teach Brooke how to make pancakes, but it didn't exactly work out. After a half an hour, neither of them even wanted pancakes anymore.
"Me neither," Brooke said.
"Want me to help you clean this up," Sophia asked.
"You don't have to," Brooke said.
"No, it's ok, I'll help."
"Are you sure?"
"Yea. Part of this is my fault too." Brooke and Sophia cleaned the counter and then they ate breakfast.
"Maybe we can try that again another time," Sophia said.
"No. You can try that again another time," Brooke said. Maddie pushed her door open and walked to the kitchen.
"I was gonna eat, but I'll just wait till later," Maddie said. She turned around and started walking back to her room.
"No...Maddie, eat," Brooke said.
"Oh...it's ok, I'm not really that hungry," Maddie said as she went back in her room.
"She can't let it go," Sophia said.
"She can't let what go," Brooke asked.
"That fight you had with her last week."
"How do you know she's still mad about that?"
"She told me," Sophia said. "She thinks you hate her. You don't, right? You don't hate her?"
"No, I don't hate her," Brooke said. "Why would I hate her?"
"I don't know," Sophia said. "Ask her." Before Brooke said anything to Sophia, the phone rang.
"You're closer, go get it," Brooke said.
"Why do I have to," Sophia asked, getting up anyway. "Hello?"
"Is this Brooke," Lucas asked. Right away, Sophia knew that it was Lucas. She smiled to herself.
"No. This is Sophia. Do you wanna talk to her?" Sophia looked at Brooke.
"Who is it," Brooke whispered.
"Yea, is she there," Lucas asked.
"Yea, here she is." Sophia handed the phone to Brooke.
"Who is it," Brooke asked again.
"You'll see," Sophia said.
"Hello," Brooke asked, sounding a little annoyed because she didn't know who it was.
"Hey Brooke," Lucas said. Brooke looked up at Sophia and gave her a look. Sophia just smiled and went out to the living room where Kiley was watching TV.
"Hey Luke," Brooke said, smiling. "What's up?"
"Sorry I didn't call you back sooner," Lucas said. "I just wanted to see if you had anything to do tonight?"
"Oh, so you like wanna go on a date or something like that?"
"Yea. Something like that."
"Well...I don't know. I would really like to, but I don't know if I should leave them alone," Brooke said. "Well, no, you know what. I t won't hurt."
"Are you sure," Lucas asked.
"Positive," Brooke said.
"Alright. How is six tonight," Lucas asked.
"That's fine," Brooke said.
"Alright. I'll see you at six," Lucas said.
"See you at six," Brooke said smiling, and she hung up the phone. "Sophia, why didn't you tell me that it was him before I answered? I sounded angry when I did." She put her and Sophia's cereal bowls in the sink and cleared off the table.
"I wanted you to see for yourself."
"Well I'm going on a date or something like that with him," Brooke said.
"Tonight," Sophia asked.
"Yea."
"Who goes on dates on a Sunday?"
"Well it isn't exactly a date. It's something like that."
"Oh...ok. Whatever makes you happy."
---
"Maddie, wanna come to the mall with us," Brooke asked Maddie as she pushed her door open a little. For the last week, Brooke and Maddie have barely talked to each other. Brooke just figured that Maddie wouldn't listen if she said anything to her, and Maddie was still mad at her.
"Well, alright," Maddie said. She shut off her laptop and put it on her dresser. Brooke was surprised that Maddie said she would go, but she wasn't gonna argue with her.
"So you're going out with Lucas tonight," Maddie asked Brooke.
"Yea," Brooke said, smiling to herself.
"You really like him, don't you," Maddie asked.
"Yea, well, I never really stopped loving him," Brooke said.
"Aunt Brooke, I can't find my shoes," Kiley said.
"They're in your closet," Brooke said. Kiley ran to their room, and Sophia came out of it.
"She's coming," Sophia asked Brooke, looking at Maddie.
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Maddie said.
"Don't fight," Brooke said to them. "Kiley, did you find your shoes?"
"Yea, I'm coming," Kiley called, and she ran out of her room a minute later.
"Alright, let's go," Brooke said. "What time is it?"
"2:30," Maddie said.
"OK, we don't have a lot of time," Brooke said as she locked the door.
"Can we go to Abercrombie, I wanna get something," Sophia said when they got to the mall.
"OK," Brooke said. Brooke, Maddie, and Kiley looked around in Abercrombie while Sophia tried things on.
"Oh, this is cute, isn't it," Brooke asked Maddie, showing her a sweater.
"Yea, I like that," Maddie said, taking it from Brooke to look at it.
"Oh...hi Madelyn," a girl at the other end of the table said to Maddie.
"Hi," Maddie said, and she put the sweater down. She walked to a table with jackets on it. Brooke and Kiley followed her.
"Were they your friends," Brooke asked Maddie.
"No," Maddie said. "Those girls hate me. And I hate them too."
"I'm sure they don't hate you," Brooke said. "And it's not nice to say that you hate people."
"Yea, they definitely do. They don't even know my name," Maddie said. "I don't know why either. I never did anything to them. The girl Lily, the one that said hi to me, is like the bitchiest girl in our grade. I don't think the other girl, Ella, hates me as much as Lily does though. But that's only because I'm friends with her sister." Brooke was kinda glad that Maddie was telling her what was bothering her. She wanted Maddie to be able to talk to her about things like that. Before Emily and Austin died, Maddie would tell Brooke everything that went on in her life.
"Just don't worry about people like that," Brooke said.
"I know, I try not to," Maddie said. "Sometimes I just can't." Brooke figured she wouldn't push it anymore with Maddie.
"Alright, I'm ready," Sophia said when she came out of the fitting room.
"Are you getting anything," Kiley asked her.
"Yea, I'm getting these," Sophia said, showing Kiley the skirt, the jacket, and the two shirts she was getting..
"Wait, can I get this," Maddie asked, picking up the sweater that Brooke showed her.
"Yea," Brooke said.
They shopped for almost three hours. Now, it was almost six, and Maddie, Sophia, and Kiley were helping Brooke with her makeup.
"No, don't use that one," Maddie said.
"No," Brooke asked, looking at the eyeshadow she was holding.
"No. Use the lighter one," Maddie said. "Do you want me to do it for you?"
"OK," Brooke said. "Kiley, will you go see what time it is?"
"Yea," Kiley said, and she slid off the sink counter. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Sophia, go get that." Sophia slid off the sink counter and walked to the door. "Alright, Maddie, hurry."
"Do you want it to look bad?"
"Well...no," Brooke said.
"Well then relax," Maddie said. "I'm almost done." Maddie finished Brooke's eyeshadow, and then pulled herself off the sink counter. She tilted her head and looked at Brooke. "Do you like it."
"Yea," Brooke said. "How do I look?"
"Good," Maddie said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Now go." Maddie followed Brooke to the living room, where Lucas was waiting.
"Hi," Brooke said, smiling.
"You look nice," Lucas said.
"Thanks," Brooke said, reminding herself to thank Maddie later for helping her pick out her outfit and do her makeup. "OK, we probably won't be long. Be good, ok?"
"We will," Kiley said.
"Bye," Brooke said.
"Bye," they said.
"So where do you wanna go," Brooke asked Lucas when they got to his car.
"You can pick," Lucas said.
"Oh, um, ok," Brooke said, thinking for a minute. "Well, how about Fridays?"
"Fridays is good," Lucas said.
---
Sophia shut the door to her and Kiley's bedroom, to leave Kiley alone so she could watch her movie, and she went to the living room where Maddie was laying on the couch watching TV. Sophia pushed herself next to her.
"What," Maddie asked.
"Are you ok," Sophia asked her.
"Why?"
"I'm just wondering. You don't seem ok."
"Well I am. So just leave me alone, ok?"
"Fine, Maddie, whatever," Sophia said, and she got up and started to walk back to her and Kiley's room.
"Wait...Sophia," Maddie called.
"Yea?" Sophia turned around and stopped where she was.
"Come back." Sophia walked back to the couch and layed next to Maddie.
"You're not ok, are you," Sophia asked, turning her head to look at Maddie.
"No...not really," Maddie said.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't take this anymore. Any of it." Sophia could tell that Maddie was trying her hardest not to cry.
"You can't take what anymore?"
"I can't take life anymore," Maddie said. "I can't live with Brooke anymore either."
"Why not," Sophia asked.
"Because...I just can't," Maddie insisted. Sophia knew that there was a real reason that Maddie said she couldn't live with Brooke anymore. And since she knew her sister so good, she thought she knew what it was.
"It's because she reminds you of mom, isn't it," Sophia asked.
"No," Maddie lied. "I really don't think she likes me very much." She knew that Brooke loved her, and she did remind her of Emily.
"Well maybe you should be a little bit nicer to her sometimes," Sophia said.
"I am nice," Maddie said as if it were obvious.
"Yea. Telling someone you hate them is real nice," Sophia said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes. "Maddie."
"What?"
"You're allowed to miss them."
"I don't miss them," Maddie insisted.
"Maddie, they're our parents," Sophia said.
"No. They were our parents."
"Fine, Maddie. I was trying to help, but you obviously don't wanna talk to me." Sophia got up off the couch, and went to the bathroom to take her shower.
---
"Is our dessert coming soon," Brooke asked. "Because I should probably get home soon."
"We can leave now if you want," Lucas said.
"No...I need a brake. That's not horrible, is it?"
"No, it's not."
Brooke was having a good time with Lucas. She wouldn't let herself talk about Maddie, Sophia, or Kiley at all, and they spent the whole time getting caught up with each other. Brooke really liked that, and she realized how much she had missed him, and it was more than she thought before.
"Apple pie," the waiter said, coming up to their table and putting it in front of Lucas, "and chocolate cake." He put the chocolate cake in front of Brooke.
"Thanks," they said at the same time as the waiter walked away.
"That looks good," Brooke said.
"It is good," Lucas said. "Wanna try?"
"Sure," Brooke said. Lucas put out his fork and Brooke took a bite of the apple pie. "It is good, but mine's better."
"Oh, it is?"
"Lots," Brooke said. She held out her fork and Lucas took a bite of Brooke's cake. "Told you it's better.
"No, I definitely think mine's better," Lucas said.
"Hmm...no it's definitely not," Brooke said, laughing a little. Then she smiled.
"What," Lucas asked.
"I've missed you," Brooke said. "And I'm not just saying that either. I really have missed you."
"I've missed you too," Lucas said.
"Really?"
"Yea."
"It's nice to have a night out like this," Brooke said. "It's nice to have a break from listening to Maddie and Sophia get in a fight about every other thing, and it's nice not to hear Maddie treat Kiley like a baby. It's just nice."
"Does Maddie really give you that much of a problem," Lucas asked.
"Yea," Brooke said. "And I feel bad like yelling at her and all, because she always insists that I hate her, and I don't."
"Did you ever try talking to her?" Brooke shook her head.
"Whenever I try to she doesn't listen to me. Sometimes I just think I should of read the letter."
"The letter," Lucas asked.
"Emily left me this letter saying why she picked me or whatever. The lawyer gave it to me. I'm afraid to read it," Brooke said.
"Why are you afraid," Lucas asked.
"I really don't know," Brooke said, shrugging a little. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Yea," Lucas said.
"So are we gonna do this again sometime?"
"Yea. We can do something again before Sunday."
"Do you wanna do something on Friday," Brooke asked.
"Yea, actually, Nathan has a game on Friday, and I was going to bring Laila, so if you wanna come, and bring Maddie, Sophia, and Kiley, that's fine," Lucas said.
"Well don't you wanna spend time with your sister," Brooke asked.
"Oh I see it. Tonight was so horrible you don't want to go out with me again," Lucas said, pretending to be offended. Brooke smiled, laughing a little.
"It's not that. Don't you wanna have your own time with Laila?"
"It's fine."
"Alright, I'll think about it." Brooke smiled, and looked at Lucas.
"I'm going to kiss you right now, if that's ok with you," Brooke said.
"Well, what if it's not," Lucas asked.
"Than that's too bad." She leaned towards Lucas, and Lucas leaned toward her, and they kissed. After that, they smiled.
"Can I have more apple pie," Brooke asked.
"If I can have more chocolate cake," Lucas said.
"Alright. Let's trade." Brooke pushed her plate to Lucas, and Lucas pushed his plate to Brooke. After the finished their dessert, Lucas took Brooke home.
"So," Brooke said, kissing him when they were outside her apartment, "you want us to come on Friday?"
"If you want to," Lucas said. "If not, we can always do something on Saturday."
"No, Friday is good."
"Alright, I'll call you this week."
"Alright," Brooke said.
"See you on Friday," Lucas said, and he kissed Brooke's forehead.
"Bye," Brooke said.
"Bye," Lucas said, and he walked away. Brooke smiled. She was glad that she went out with Lucas. She went inside and found Maddie and Sophia watching TV in the living room.
"How was it," they both asked excitedly.
"It was good," Brooke said. "We're all going out with him and Laila on Friday."
"Where are we going," Sophia asked.
"To his brother's game," Brooke said.
"So what happened," Maddie asked. "On your date or something like that?"
Brooke told Sophia and Maddie all about her night out with Lucas. Then, when they went to bed, she decided that it was finally time to read Emily's letter. After she got ready for bed, she took the letter out of the drawer next to her bed. She sat on her bed, still a little afraid to open it. She couldn't really figure out why though. She thought that there would be something on there that she didn't want to read, or that the letter was never really intended to be read and she would read something that she wasn't supposed to read. After a minute, she finally opened the envelope, took the letter out, and started reading.
Brooke, Well, Maddie will will give you a problem, I can tell you that right now, but once she opens up to you, more than she does now, she won't, I promise. She might treat you differently than she does now, no, she probably will. She probably won't listen to you, and try the whole, "You're not my mother" thing too. But you're allowed to yell at her, or ground her, or do whatever it takes for you to get her back to mornal. But it wil happen, I promise. Depending on how old she is, this might be hard for Kiley. If she's younger, she might not understand what's going on, but I think she'll be ok. You'll have the easiest time with Sophia. Sophia won't get mad at you, and if she does, it won't last long, trust me. She'll help you with Kiley, and she'll be able to talk with Maddie, even if you can't. But don't worry, this isn't anything you won't be able to do. Because if it was, we woudln't have picked you to have them. I have faith in you, and like I said, they love you, and it's obvious that you love them. So don't worry.
First of all, I really don't know why I'm writing this. Well, no, that's not completely true. I'm writing this just in case Austin and I die, which we both hope doesn't happen. I didn't really want to write this, but Austin told me I should. But, if it does happen, we decided that we want you to have custody of Madeline, Sophia, and Kiley. I'm sure you're probably thinking why. Why you and not Mom and Dad, right? Well, for one, I don't think it would be fair to them to have to move all the way to California. You're so good with them now. They love you, and I know that you love them. I really hope that you say yes. I think it'll be good for the four of you.
-Emily
Brooke read the letter twice. She looked at the date Emily wrote on it. It was from last Christmas. That Christmas was her and Austin's last one. In a way, she regretted not reading it before, but only a little bit. She would have liked to know that what was going on with Maddie was normal, but she was ok. And she knew she'd be ok. And she was glad she said yes. This was something that she'd never regret.