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Brooke took a step back as Rory quickly pushed past her into the bathroom. Did she really just say that? She turned around and looked at Rory who was now completely ignoring her.

"Excuse me?" A tone came out of Brooke's mouth that she hadn't used in a long time. The "no one talks to Brooke Davis like that" tone that could melt ice in 0.001 seconds.

"Are you and Jess together or just benefiting?" Rory repeated her statement, although this time she had lost a little of her nerve. She wasn't used to getting into cat fights and she wasn't sure that she was prepared for one with the girl standing in front of her. She was extremely beautiful which was very intimidating for Rory. Her attitude radiated from her as she stood in front of Rory.

Brooke could not believe this girl! They had just met. She knew that Rory and Jess had a past but her own relationship with Jess was none of her business. Not that there was any sort of relationship at all, but still!

"I don't see how that is any of your business." This was the nicest comment that Brooke could think of. She didn't want to start anything, especially since she was a guest, but this girl was pushing it.

"So just benefiting then?" Rory nodded as she pulled on her costume dress.

Okay. This is war. Brooke tightened her jaw and prepared herself for girl battle.

"Look- It's not my fault that you dumped Jess because you were too scared. It's not my fault that you are now jealous of me. So stop trying to make yourself feel better by making me feel bad about myself. Because hunny, I know that there is nothing wrong with me and nothing you can say is going to make me feel any different. You are the one with obvious self-esteem issues." Brooke didn't take her eyes off Rory at any point during that whole speech. She flashed Rory a fake smile and then took a line from her best friend.

"P.S. Maybe you should check all the facts before believing a story. Don't you go to Yale? Man- maybe I should have applied if they've lowered the standards so much. I bet I could have gotten in with my straight C report card. But then again, why would I want to go to a school where the girls spend their weekends being bitter over their ex boy-friends and starting fights that they can't win with girls that haven't done anything to them?" With that Brooke turned around and walked out of the bathroom, leaving a speechless Rory behind. Brooke one, Rory zero.

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"Brooke! You look so cute!" Lorelai yelled as Brooke came into sight. "Have you met Rory yet? I think she just went back there."

Brooke flashed her fake smile again and nodded, "Yes I just met her. She's so sweet."

Lorelai smiled and went back to spinning the dial for the game of twister that had just started up. "Come on Brooke and join in! Rory you too! I don't think anyone has ever beaten Rory." Brooke didn't even turn around to look at Rory, instead she just walked over to the mat and smiled. Never been beaten before? Well, there is a first time for everything.

"Okay Brooke, left foot blue!" Lorelai giggled as Brooke tried to rearrange herself. They had been playing for twenty minutes and it was down to Rory and herself.

She had to admit, Rory was pretty good. However, Brooke prided herself on being the captain, well, old captain, of the Ravens Cheerleaders since freshmen year.

She twisted her body around and managed to get her foot on a blue space. Everyone clapped and she could hear Rory let out an aggravated sigh.

"Rory, let foot blue too!" Lorelai laughed even harder and Rory frowned. The space that she wanted was occupied by Brooke's foot. She didn't miss the irony.

There was a small chance that she could twist around Brooke and get the spot behind hers. As she slid her foot along she felt herself slipping. Within two seconds Rory fell onto the mat.

Brooke stood up as everyone began cheering. Rory, who was trying to play it cool, was forcing a laugh. Brooke two. Rory zero.

Ten minutes later, without further incident, everyone was seated in a circle painting their nails. Brooke had been talking to Lane, which seemed to aggravate Rory, the whole time about music. Everything that she knew about music besides what she saw on TRL she had learned from either Peyton or Lucas. When Lane brought up Lucas' favorite band, Travis, Brooke was amazed that she didn't immediately fall into a depression. Instead, she perked up a little and recited all of her, well, Lucas', favorite songs. It was nice to think about the good times every once in a while.

"Okay! It's time for truth or dare." Rory suddenly said, shocking even her mother. Brooke however, wasn't shocked at all. She knew what Rory was up to.

"I'll go first." Rory said, turning to Brooke. "Brooke- truth or dare." Brooke had to roll her eyes. She knew that Rory would only risk talking to her again in a game where everyone was watching. In Brooke's eyes, just for that move, it was now Brooke three, Rory zero.

"Truth." Brooke wasn't in to the whole dare thing after a certain "dare night" get together she had junior year. Plus, considering that Rory was pretty angry with her, she knew it would be something along the lines of cutting her hair or licking the toilet seat.

Rory smirked, "Have you ever actually been in a real relationship. Not one that's just benefits? I mean, when was the first time you fell in love." To the other girls it was just a dare question since they didn't know about the earlier confrontation, but Brooke could feel the sharp edges of the question. She knew that Rory had no clue about Lucas or she wouldn't have asked that question. Rory probably thought that Brooke was some shallow slut that never stayed with a guy long enough to become attached and wanted her to have to admit it to everyone.

Brooke bit her lip and looked towards the ceiling. She was not going to do this again. She was not going to cry at Lorelai's party and bring everyone down. But she knew that if she didn't answer now than Rory would keep beating her down. Brooke three, Rory one million.

"Yes." Brooke finally choked out after a long silence. None of the other girls had spoken after they saw Brooke's reaction to the question.

"I have been in love." She reached over and grabbed her purse, pulling out another copy of the picture of her and Lucas at the dance. She didn't even look at it as she passed it to Rory. She couldn't see his face right now. That would be too much.

"His name was Lucas Scott and he was...is…the love of my life." Brooke let a few silent tears fall down her face. Rory instantly regretted her catty question. She could tell by the look on Brooke's face and the tone of her voice that she was still in love with this boy. But one thing still didn't make sense.

"Where is he?"

Brooke closed her eyes and let it come out in a whisper, "He died. Last year. He had a heart condition and…" Brooke stopped for a second and tried to catch her breath. "He collapsed on the basketball court and he died in my arms." There. She said it. She expected to feel some sort of weight lifted off of her, but it was still there. That dark heaviness that she could never escape for more than a few hours…

She knew that they hadn't asked but the silence that everyone had fallen into was only making Brooke feel worse so she started talking about Jess.

"I met Jess at a club and we talked for a while and he knew that I liked weddings so he invited me. So that's why I'm here. To escape everything that was drowning me back home." No more secrets.

She felt an arm go around her shoulder as she began to cry again. She hated herself so much for being so weak.

"It's okay Brooke, we are all here for you." Lorelai said as Brooke cried on her shoulder. Rory just sat still as she watched the strong, confident girl from earlier fall to a million pieces. She felt awful for treating her like she had. Brooke had been right, she hadn't checked out all the facts.

Brooke finally stood up, "I'm just going to go to the bathroom." She needed time alone.

She walked into the bathroom and flicked on the light. The florescent bulbs made her look pale. Her mascara was smeared across her face. She was still dressed like a princess, with even a tiara pinned to her head.

"I'm not a very good princess though," she thought to herself. "Princesses always have their Prince. Princesses always have their happily ever after. I have neither." Ripping the crown off her head, she threw it to the ground.

After a few minutes of just silence, she looked over at the crown. She picked it up and began running her fingers over it.

She remembered when she was little and her family was still a family. Her dad always called her his tiny princess. Her mother played along and as the queen taught Brooke all of the "Princess Rules."

Brooke could still recite them all. "Princesses always look their best. They always have a smile on their face. They are always polite. They are always confident." Brooke said out loud to herself.

But what about crying? Her mother never told her anything about how a princess should act when she is sad.

Brooke guessed that even Princesses cry sometimes.

So she did.