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CHAPTER 4: HOME

The confrontation with Haley didn't go well, she felt lonelier as the girl who became her bestfriend and close as a sister cut her out. Understandable she thought, she have the right to be angry at her, lying to Haley is one of the worst mistake she had done in her entire life. She herself knows what it feels like to be betrayed. That's why she just walked away, to give Haley space and just pray that someday Haley would forgive her, someday.

As she walk around the familiar route, she found herself in the front of café, the café which became more home to her. And she knows she needed the guidance of a certain woman, a woman who in such a short period of time, became the woman she looked up to.

Karen was cleaning a table when suddenly the bell rang, without looking up who it was, she said "Sorry, we're close in the moment, can you just go back later." She said still without looking.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know" Brooke said disappointed that her timing is wrong, when she was about to turn away.

"Oh Brooke it's you, come in, come in, I thought it was just a customer, I just want to get some rest you know this pregnancy is kind of giving me a hard time to stand for long" the pregnant told Brooke.

"No, Karen, if it isn't the right time, I can come back later, you just go and have some rest" Brooke insisted.

"No, Brooke honey, stay please, I haven't see you in ages, sometimes I feel that you've been avoiding me" she said with a little hint of hurt in her voice. Since Brooke and Lucas broke up, Brooke didn't stopped by the café that much, in which she understood but there were times that she really misses the company of the brunette girl she become pond of.

"I'm sorry Karen, it's just that there's so many stuff going on my life, I didn't mean to." Brooke said guilt evident in her voice. She wishes that it was easy to come seek for Karen's advice like before, but she knew seeking for Karen also means the possibility of seeing Lucas and Peyton together, and she guessed her heart still wasn't ready for that.

"So how are you this day Brooke?" the woman asked concerned, aware that Brooke is hurting, she herself knows what it feels like to have the love of your life taken away from you. She knows how Brooke loves her son. Sometimes she wishes that the whole triangle drama doesn't exist. It's not that she didn't like Peyton, she loves both the girl, but Brooke has a special place in her heart. And now she just wishes that Brooke can get over the pain she's feeling.

"I guess I'm hanging on" Brooke said truthfully, she's surprise that somehow despite of all the drama she's been dealing with, she still stayed calm, or probably numb. "I'm just sad that Haley is still mad at me, I understand her it's my fault anyway, so I have to take the consequences of my actions."

"Why, what happened?" the older brunette asked with a concerned in her voice, she felt sorry for Brooke that even Haley seems cutting her out.

"I'm the one responsible for stealing the calculus test" she said without looking to Karen, she feels ashamed and scared that Karen will be disappointed in her, she feels like that "being the disappointment" is her trend nowadays.

"Oh Brooke, why did you have to do that?" a little hint of disappointment in her voice.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it to hurt Haley, it's just that I wasn't really thinking when Rachel suggested it, and I was failing in Calculus and I really want to graduate so I can get out of Tree Hill to end all of this drama in my life, I really, really didn't mean it, I know it doesn't justified what I did, but I don't know it's just…I really don't know Karen" she said still without looking at Karen's eyes, afraid to see the disappointment in Karen's eye and afraid that Karen might see the tears that escaped from her eyes.

"Come here Brooke" Karen reaches for Brooke and hug her, "It's okay, everybody does mistakes, I'm not telling you that what you did is okay, you know that it's wrong, but I understand where you're coming from" she lifted Brooke's head and wipe away the tears. "You are much better than this, you're the strongest person that I know, and I promise you everything will be alright, I promise you that Brooke"

"Thank you Karen, thank you, and I'm really sorry" Brooke hug Karen tight while her tears floods, he let her pain and hurt out. Karen just held her close praying to God to help the broken girl find her way back. The two just stayed silent for a while.

"Karen, can I ask you something?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, sure what is it?"

"How did you get over it? When you found out that Dan and Deb are married" she asked, somehow she felt that she needed the guidance of Karen to move on.

"At first, it really hurt me" Karen said truthfully, "But I guess some wounds really healed by time"

"I hope you're right, sometimes I just wish that one day I'd wake feeling better, not feeling any pain…" she paused uncertain of her next question.

"You can ask me anything Brooke, I wouldn't mind" the older woman knew that the young brunette is hesitating.

"Umm..Karen, when Keith died, how'd you deal with it, knowing that you can never see him again, I'm sorry for asking, and you don't have to answer" feeling a little stupid, she looked down. She felt stupid for bringing up the death of Keith, it was still too soon.

"No, it's okay, when I lost Keith I didn't know what to do, you know the feeling the love of your life is gone and no matter how hard you cry he will never return, it sad and it hurts, but I just realize that one of this day I need to move on and face the day without him, but still keeping him in my heart, it's hard but I think of this everyday, if not in this lifetime, maybe in the next life I'll be finally with him, Brooke you're young, and maybe somewhere out there, there's a man destined for you or maybe you and Lucas, you know, people that are meant to be together always find their way in the end." Karen smiled to her hoping that Brooke would light up. She hated seeing the girl in front of her so broken, she wanted every mother wants, to take away the pain, but she knew she couldn't take all of it, it's still up to Brooke whether to move on or not, she just wishes that she would make the right decision.

"Funny I quoted that before" Brooke thought to herself. "Thanks Karen, for being so kind to me, for everything, and for being the mom I wished I have, thank you." She said sincerely, if it wasn't for Karen she wouldn't be the responsible Brooke back in her junior year.

"You don't have to thank me, I love you know that, you're the daughter I wished I have. And anytime you need someone make sure it'll be me, just stay strong Brooke" she once again hug Brooke. And Brooke hugs her back.

Parting to Karen's Hug, "Um…Karen I need to go somewhere, thanks again" she hug Karen once more and before walking out the door, "I love you too, Mom" and then she left. Leaving Karen with tears in her eyes, she's proud to be called Mom by Brooke, she loves that girl so much, she just hope the dark storm in Brooke's life would vanish.

There you go Chapter 4; I just want to have Brooke and Karen conversation. And again I'm sorry if some grammars are wrong, English isn't my first language. Please review and give inspiration, I hope you like it.