Thanks for the awesome response guys, it is finally the start of the real-time, maybe with a few flashbacks! Keep commenting :D
Today was the day of Jamies birthday party. At the Scotts house. She tried to look forward to things for her young godsons sake, but she knew that Clay would be there, certainly Lucas and Nathan, and possibly Julian aswell, so it could easily just become very awkward.
Peyton came out of her room
"Hey, you seen Luke?" she asked, yawning and looking like she hadn't slept at all
"Nope" Brooke shrugged, and looked at her best friends worried expression
"Hes probably just gone to see Hales or something, come on lets get dressed and go wish J-Man a happy birthday, ok?" Brooke instructed, she was used to directing Peyton when she was in one of these states. She picked up a dress that had been hanging in a doorway and flung it at Peyton
"Get this on your skinny ass after your shower, it'll be just right" Brooke said with a smile, and Peyton gave her a nod which Brooke knew to say "I understand", and walked off to the bathroom without a word.
Brooke ate her breakfast grumpily, ignoring her phone that was buzzing with calls from the press, still asking about how "Jalex" was affecting her. Like they were even going out yet and even if they were why would they have such a lame couple name!
She scrolled through the phone, she had received a new text from Julian
"Hope the press aren't giving you too much bother, none of its true, you going to be at J-mans? xx"
Brooke smiled at their mutual reference to Jamie as "J-Man" before closing the phone. She didn't have the energy to reply. Then suddenly Luke stumbled through the door, looking very much like he had slept outside the house or something
Brooke quietly rushed towards him
"Luke where were you last night, worried sick!" She looked at him, willing him to tell her the truth
"You want the truth Brooke, I went to TRIC last night and got hammered because I had a bad day.." Lucas said, sounding drunk still
"Damn it Luke why today do you choose to rebel!" Brooke sighed, sitting him down on the sofa with all of her force, and making him a cup of coffee, stirring it around, watching him with such a strain on his face.
She sat down next to him and smiled, trying to give him the recognition of a friendly face
"You don't need to tell me im wrong I know" Lucas said in a mocking tone, and Brooke punched his arm
"Luke, stop being a ass, its me. I know your hurting but just let Peyton in alright?" She told him, waiting to see if he had taken it in
"I don't want to let Peyton in" Lucas said simply
"So your just going to let Peyton hurt?" Brooke probed
"I lost my baby Brooke, not my brains" Lucas said harshly, and Brooke turned around, realising that this was going to be a loosing battle
"I-Im sorry" Lucas stuttered, and Brooke was stunned to turn back around and see his eyes swimming with tears; "it hurts" he simply said, and she knew nothing else to help him, Lucas never liked talking very much, he usually talked in a form of his art, his books, so she leaned over and curled her arms around him, giving him a gentle hug. She felt him relax into her, and wrap his arms around her back
"I know" she soothed him, rubbing his back and secretly loving the way it felt to share a proper hug with the gentle Scott boy.
"I love you" Lucas said, and Brooke smiled, then quickly wiped the grin off of her face..he was her BFF's husband and he was drunk.
"You love Luke, im your past" Brooke reminded him, with a small laugh
"Ive always loved you too" Lucas muttered into her shoulder
"Steady on buddy" Brooke replied, with a laugh. her arms still wrapped around Luke, her head on his shoulder
"Its you.." he trailed off, and fell into a snooze on Brookes shoulder
"Don't say it" she said, shutting her eyes, and letting him go, so she could place him on the sofa
She was now drying her hair, and was wondering what was going to happen today. She couldn't believe that everyone was going to be there. What if there was another fight between Julian and Lucas? What if Clay got smart to Julian. She remembered the day she had seen Clay again, it was the biggest shock of her life
"Brooke, I want you to meet my sister" Haley had smiled, walking Brooke through the door of her house
"Which one?" Brooke laughed, knowing full well how big Haleys family was
"My older sister Quinn, OH and by the way Nates new agent slash best friends slash new part of the family is here aswell" Haley had added, and Peyton had nudged Brooke
"Is he hot? Brooke needs a new..companion" Peyton had giggled, and Brooke raised her eyebrows at Haley
"If I was shopping, I would buy" Haley simply replied, and Peyton cackled as Brooke sighed, and Haley led them both to the living room, where the 2 figures were. Brooke saw the girl, who was clearly Haleys sister even from the back, the cascading brown hair, the thin frame. She looked at the boy, blonde spikey hair and very muscular, then they both turned around
"Brooke, Peyton, this is my sister Quinn and the guy who got us here, Clay Evans" Haley had grinned, not sensing any tension between the blonde-haired agent and Brooke, who were now looking at eachother in shock, thinking they would never of seen one another again
Brooke quickly tried to recover and went over to acquaint herself with Quinn, she didn't want to tell Haley about Clay. Then Peyton came over to Quinn and Brooke offered her hand to Clay, feeling electric as he took it and shook, kindly
"Clay Evans" he said, with a voice full of hurt but a willingness to play the game, he clearly hadn't informed Nathan about Brooke either
"Brooke Davis" she sadly replied, shaking his hand limply then removing it as if it were on fire
She had made excuses to leave about a hour later, saying something about being ill, and Peyton had got in the car with her and decided this was the time to get something out
"Brooke what was with you in there, you were fine until you saw Quinn and Clay then you totally werided out" Peyton frowned, plugging her seat belt in
"Think about it" Brooke replied, frustrated with the whole thing
"Clay..wait he wasn't your Clay?" Peyton suddenly said, with a tone of shock in her voice, she had put the puzzle together
"He was my Clay. The one I abandoned in New York and never thought I would have to see again, and now hes Nathan and Haleys new best friend" Brooke breathed in heavily, and Peyton gasped
"Oh" she had simply said
"Oh" Brooke mocked her, throwing her head against the head rest and wondering what the hell to do next
She banged hollowly on the Scott's door, on her own. Peyton had stayed at the house, she was insisting on helping Lucas sober up, then she said they would both appear. She tried to wipe the memory of Lucas from her mind as Haley opened the door
"Brooke thank god" Haley exclaimed, looking as if she was going crazy
Brooke walked in with a bemused look at her friends face, as they both walked into the kitchen
"Whats wrong Hales?" Brooke asked, knowing that she was obviously stressed
"Nathans here acting all daddy-cool, Jamie wants him to move back in, Clay and Julian are just awkwardly sitting next to eachother..this is a disaster...why can't they be friends?" Haley asked, feeling as if her head was going to explode
"Hales, Relax. This day with Nate was always going to be difficult, Jamies just a kid..and ermm..." Brooke started..and then realised she needed to distract Haley "I know why Clay wont be friends with Julian" Brooke admitted, knowing that only she and Clay and Peyton knew about the two of them, Julian didn't even, but Clay knew about Julian.
"Why?" Haley asked, distracted immediately
"I had a thing with Clay" Brooke slowly sighed
"What? When?" Haley asked, shocked
"In New York, we lived together for a year and a half, were together for 2 years" Brooke rushed out, and Haley's mouth went in a wide "O"
"Did you love eachother?" Haley asked, wondering why the hel her friend hadn't told her this before
"Yeah..a bit too much. Thats why I left him" Brooke quickly explained, and Haley nodded
"Oh" Haley simply replied
"Oh indeed" Brooke cringed, and Haley sighed
"Who knows about you and Clay then?"
"Me, him, you, Peyton" Brooke counted on her fingers
"So he wont want to be friends with Julian because he knows about you two?" Haley suddenly said, as if she was onto something
"Exactly" Brooke smiled, nodding her head, and Haley poked her head out
"JULLIANNN CAN I HAVE SOME HELP" Haley shouted, giving Brooke a wink "problem solved, go hang out with Clay, I figured it would be less awkward" Haley smiled, and Brooke laughed at Haleys quick decision making, and gave Julian a quick nod as he walked in, and she walked out but ended up crashing into Nathan..
"Nate, hi" Brooke said awkwardly
"How you been doing?" Nathan asked, steadying her with his arms
"Great..unlike you obviously" She laughed at his unshaven face
"I think the unshaven looks quite sexy.."Nathan started, and Brooke giggled and touched it
"Oh..yeah I can see it..the tramp looks suiting you well Nate!" she laughed, and Nathan leaned over and tickled her, and they both indulged in a war of tickling, then Clay walked in
"Sorry to.. interrupt, where are the beers?" Clay asked, looking a bit sheepish
"Fridge buddy" Nathan said, and after Clay had gone, very quickly, Brooke could of swore he almost ran, Nathan quickly grabbed Brookes elbow and dragged her until they were in the next room
"So.." he smiled, and Brooke looked at his unshaven face once again, it did look kind of sexy
"So.." she repeated
"Can I take you out sometime?" Nathan asked
"Nathan, your in your wifes home with your sons birthday party and your asking Haleys best friend out..really?" Brooke asked, looking shocked
"I know its not the best of timing..or the best..house, or anything.." Nathan said, laughing slightly at how bad he was at this
"Nathan, this is completely out of the blue!" Brooke threw her hands up into the air
"I know Brooke but I just want to.." Nathan begun, but Brooke wasn't having it
"Forget this conversation ever happened Nate" Brooke said, starting to walk out, but Nathan, despite knowing how wrong this is, spun Brooke around and kissed her, Brooke winded her arms around his neck, she had never been able to resist Nathan Scott, especially when he had her pushed up a wall, she couldn't really get out. She didn't know why she kept kissing him, she knew it was wrong, so wrong on so many levels, she was betraying so many people, but at the time it felt so nice.
But they didn't realise, that they had a audience..but who?
