"Brooke, pick up the phone. I know you're there," Rachel's voice carried through the house over the answering machine. Brooke pushed her ice cream away again, figuring now was the perfect time to stop eating anyways.

She walked over to the counter that the phone sat on and picked it up, pushing the 'talk' button. "What?" she questioned Rachel as she went back to clean up her mess.

"Before your ass gets any bigger, put away the ice cream," Rachel replied. Brooke let out a half-hearted laughed as she slid the carton into the freezer and placed the spoon into the sink. "I'm surprised your slutty ass didn't sleep with the photographer," she said back.

Ignoring the comment, Rachel continued with her commands, "Meet me at the mall in about twenty minutes. We need new dresses for the party tonight. Not to mention a couple hot dates," she said.

The brunette sighed into the phone as she headed up the stairs. "I really don't feel like getting a dress," she said, cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder. "Besides, I'm only going to make an appearance."

"Whatever. Look," Rachel continued, passing cars audible in the distance. "You're getting that ass of yours out the door, assuming it still fits, and you're going to meet me at the mall. Deal with it, whore."

Brooke, hearing Rachel hang up, tossed the phone onto her bed. She grabbed her purse and slid on a pair of black sandals, then headed back downstairs. She locked the door behind her, then got into her car and headed for the mall.

----

Lucas was sitting in a plastic chair, waiting for Peyton to finish gathering clothes. He leaned back a bit, glancing at the arm-full of fabric his friend was carrying. "Do you need anything else? It's just one party," he explained.

The blonde rolled her eyes, tossing a near-by shoe at him. He ducked just in time for it to not hit his head. "Girls need options," she said with a smile. She then headed into one of the dressing rooms, ready to try on the clothes.

With a sigh, Luke stood up and decided to browse the limited male items the store had. His mind wandered quickly to the possibilities the night would bring. He could finally have that chance to make things better with Brooke.

As if on cue, Brooke walked through the store's doors. Her eyes looked over one of the racks of clothes before they landed on him. She seemed to tense immediately. Lucas's eyes lit up slightly at the sight of her and his heart pounded in his chest.

He took a step towards her, but she quickly averted her attention to an ugly looking pea-green prom dress. She kept her eyes down, pretending like she hadn't seen him even though her heart was beating wildly.

"Lucas?" He turned his attention back to the open door Peyton had just stepped out of. She had her head tilted to the side and a confused look on her face, as if she had been asking him a question.

"What?" he asked, trying to ignore the fact that Brooke's attention was focused on them. "What do you think?" Peyton asked, doing a small twirl. Though he could see what she was wearing, it didn't register in his brain.

"That's looks cool," he said with a smile. She nodded and headed back into the dressing room. He quickly turned around and looked at the dress that was swinging slightly on the rack, as if someone had just brushed passed it.

His eyes darted around the store, frantically searching for her. He caught sight of Rachel first, bounding through the doors towards him. She passed without giving him a second glance and he watched her, finally catching sight of Brooke at the other end of the store.

Brooke had her back to him, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. She was obviously uncomfortable and, when Rachel touched her shoulder, she pulled away as if she had been burnt. He could see the confused look on Rachel's face, and then watched as Brooke whispered something to her.

The red-head's eyes glanced his way and he quickly averted his eyes. From the corner of his eye, he watched them walk quickly passed him and out the door. Rachel had her arm around Brooke's shoulders, and the brunette seemed to be ready to break down.

----

"He saw me," Brooke whispered to Rachel once they were out of the store. She was steered over to a bench and, with blurred vision, sat down on it. Rachel sat quickly beside her, her arm wrapping around the girl's shoulders again.

"I can't believe he saw me," she said, trying to hold the tears back. "And he was with her again, Rachel," she hissed, her eyes rising to meet her friend's. "They're together. I know they are."

Rachel shook her head a bit before pulling Brooke in to a hug. "He's not good enough for you, Brooke. You know that," she said gently. The brunette broke down into soft sobs, muffled by Rachel's shoulder.

"You deserve better. Besides," she pulled away from Brooke a bit, her hands on the girl's shoulders as she watched her cry silently now. "He's obviously desperate. I mean, he's going for that skank. How much more pathetic can you get?"

Brooke let out a choked laugh as she wiped her cheeks off. "Have you seen me?" she asked, glancing towards her friend. Rachel smiled but Brooke shook her head, stopping her from saying the smart-aleck remark she'd come up with. "Not now," she explained.

After a moment of composing herself, Brooke stood up and smoothed down her shirt. She took in a deep breath, glancing towards the store. "Shall we go somewhere else to get dresses?" Rachel asked. Brooke looked back towards her, giving her a slight nod. "I think that'd be best."

The red-head nodded in agreement and stood up, linking her arm through Brooke's. They walked slowly through the mall, scoping out the stores for a decent dress. The brunette, however, knew that no dress in the world would make her feel any better.