Chapter 9
A/N- Right bear with me guys, I know its short but I will put the next one out tomorrow or Saturday if I get some comments ^^
Brooke POV
"Honey, I'm home!" Julian yelled through the apartment, walking through the door.
"Hey," I said smiling at him from my spot on the floor where I was doing the last of my unpacking, as he walked into my bedroom.
"How did you thing go at school?" he said taking off his jacket.
"It was fine. I had all the transcripts from SanFran since I haven't been here so they were ok about it. I can start up again with everyone else once breaks over."
"That's great. Things will be back to normal before you know it."
"That's what I'm afraid of," I said quietly but he heard it.
"Why?" he said gently.
"Because I don't want to just drift back into the way things were with me before I left," I said leaving it at that. He didn't need me to elaborate any further.
"I don't think they will unless you let it Brooks. You're not the same person you were six months ago. San Francisco was good for you. And you know if you'd never come down to us, I wouldn't be in your life again and we both know how terrible that would be!" he finished and I laughed, throwing a t-shirt at him. He always did know just how to cheer me up.
Just then Rachel walked through the door of my en suite rubbing her hair dry with a towel.
"Hi," She said, picking up a brush from my nightstand and running it through her damp hair. "How was your day?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot to ask about that!" I said, curious to what his afternoon was like.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I actually had fun. We ended up talking about our girlfriends, believe it or not," he said walking out the room.
"You did?"I said laughing at the thought of how that conversation probably would have gone, knowing full well that the boys weren't into talking about feelings, "what did you say about yours?"
"Oh you know, the usual," he shouted through from the kitchen, and me and Rachel both went to join him. "That she's pretty, funny, and a blast to be around."
"Oh good, you told the truth then," Rachel said laughing and hopping onto a bar stool beside me.
Julian poured out three mugs of coffee and took the sugar out of the cupboard.
"You are a lifesaver! Just what I needed," Rachel said taking the mug that he handed her after adding one spoon of sugar.
"Sugar Abs?" he asked.
I took the sugar out of his hands and added it myself, ignoring the disapproving look.
"Oh I forgot to mention we're meeting everyone at seven for dinner," I said.
"That's like an hour from now!" Rachel shrieked, jumping of her stool too. "How am I going to be dressed and ready to leave in time!"
She ran past me into the guestroom like a whirlwind, it was a miracle she didn't spill her coffee. I turned back and rolled my eyes at Julian.
"It's a good job we like her," he said smirking into his coffee.
"I'm related to her. I have to like her. What's your excuse?" I said reaching for the remote.
X x x x
Chris POV
"Hey C, looking gooood tonight," I said joining her by the bar.
"Err…Thanks. Just something I threw on," Rachel said, running a hand through her hair, then turning around to glance at something behind her.
"you know I never realised but you look a lot like someone," I said.
"Who?" she said checking her watch.
"My next girlfriend," I said smirking even though I meant the term 'girlfriend' loosely.
She sputtered on her appletini and I heard her mutter 'jeez' whether I was meant to or not, but I wasn't disheartened.
"We should totally 'hang out' some time," I said, giving her my signature smile.
"I don't think—" she started but I interrupted.
"You just think it's not a good idea because you haven't thought it through. Because once you do – think it through, you'll see it makes perfect sense! You see you're hot, I'm hot …can you image how hot we'll be together?"
"Oh Chris. That's…sweet. But I don't think so somehow. I'm just sort of 'hanging out' with someone else right now?" she said slowly as if picking her words carefully. I could not believe I had just been turned down. This was me we were talking about. I haven't been turned down since sixth grade, and that was my teacher Miss Martin! And even then I didn't completely strike out, I still got a C+ on my math grade, which let's be honest pretty much out of my league!
"Someone from San Francisco?" I said testing her on the details.
"Sure," she said.
"Then forget the guy, you're nowhere near each other right now! You must be getting pretty lonely out in NYC by yourself."
"Sorry Chris, it's still a no," she said.
"Oh so you're just acting hard to get? I understand it now! Don't worry Rachel, I'll be back."
"You'll still get the same answer…"
"Rachel, I don't think you understand what I'm offering," I said thinking it best to lay out the cards for her. Last year when she'd visited Brooke, she was not the quiet type, being loyal to someone from back home, turning down guys like she was this trip. She was like the girl version of me for crying out loud.
"Hey guys," Luke said walking up to us, and motioning to the bartender for another beer, and another round for us too.
"Lucas!" Rachel said grinning. "It's great to see you."
"It's great to see you too," he said pulling up a chair. Oh you have to be kidding me. Of all people she preferred over me, this dweeb! I would never live this down.
"So tell me what you've been up to," she said inviting him into a conversation as I took a swig of my beer and walked away rolling my eyes.
Xxxxxxx
Brooke POV
"Hey," Peyton said, giving me one of the two beers in her hand and slipping into the booth next to me where I was shamelessly staring at Nathan who was over by the bar talking to Julian and Skills.
"Hey Peyton."
" I feel like we haven't had any time at all to catch up since you've been back," she said. "I missed you best friend."
"I missed you too Peyt," I said truthfully. Even though I still called Peyton more than I kept in contact with Nathan whilst I was away I still felt bad for being so AWOL with her too.
"So what's been going on with you?" she said.
When I didn't answer she followed my gaze and said 'Oh' knowingly, and I froze. It wasn't that I didn't trust Peyton with how I felt about Nathan, but the less people that knew the better. I didn't want to make it any more of an issue than it already was.
"You just can't take your eyes off him can you? I mean you're living with the guy! At least make him chase you a bit!"
I let out a breath in relief realising she thought I was staring at Julian.
"How is that all going anyway?" she said.
"Me and J? It's going good," I said.
"it must be going better than good for you to bring him back to New York with you," she said.
"Yeah well, we're just living in the moment I guess," I said then changing the subject. "How are you and Lucas doing?"
"Talking of me and Lucas, you and Nathan would make such a hot couple," she said.
"First of all, what does that have anything to with you and Luke? And secondly, where the hell did that come from?"
"What? I just always thought you and Nathan would be great together."
"Me and Nathan are just friends Peyt," I said not sounding very convincing.
"So you're telling me you don't think Nathan is hot?" she said looking over to the boys, who were now joined by Chris.
I looked over too and my eyes were drawn to Nathan who was leaning against the bar, beer in hand wearing a pair of jeans I forced him to buy a couple of months before I left.
"Sure he's hot, but that doesn't mean anything. I think Chris is hot, but that doesn't mean I was to jump his bones," I said trying to make my point that wasn't even really my point.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" she said looking over my shoulder.
"What?" I said looking behind me where Rachel and Lucas seemed to be in an animated conversation.
"That Malibu Barbie needs to back away from my man!" she said sliding out the booth and taking off her leather jacket to reveal her halter before heading toward them to mark her territory, not that she had anything to worry about, one of the reasons being Luke was totally in love with her, and the other being Rachel wasn't interested.
"Just think about it, that's all I'm saying," she yelled over her shoulder.
"Think about what?" I said confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" but she was already too far to hear me over the music.
I couldn't help by laugh to myself the way Peyton walked over to them and grabbed Luke by his shirt and pulled him into a kiss, not even bothering to say anything. It wasn't that she didn't trust Luke, it was just that she had a natural dislike for anyone or anything remotely preppy and girly. And Rachel being little-miss-popular-lipgloss-cheerleader, just had a target stamped on her head. And it didn't help that all the guys made it a point to comment on how hot she was. Normally it would annoy me if anyone had it in for my cousin, but I found the whole Peyton situation too entertaining to interfere.
I saw Peyton push away a dazed looking Lucas who was trying to figure out what had just gone on, before she pushed him in the direction of the other guys before telling Rachel 'how it was', and I laughed, knowing Rachel could handle herself.
I was about to force myself to get up or at least move to a seat that wasn't directly facing Nathan where temptation wasn't doing me any favours, when I was drawn to the blonde walking through the door.
There she was in her all glory. Little-miss-glitter-pencil herself. Haley walked in way overdressed in a sparkly silver dress that you couldn't help but look at. Surprisingly seeing her didn't feel as bad as I thought it would.
I saw Nathan break from the group, and walk over to her quickly, leaning into her saying something. They had a conversation between themselves, and I felt my stomach drop. I thought he said they were broken up? He held onto her arm and pulled her into the side room that the bar sometimes hired out like he couldn't wait to get her alone. I felt so stupid for thinking it really was over between them even though Nathan had told me it was. I mean this was Nathan Scott were talking about! He couldn't even resist someone like Haley even if they were officially 'broken up'.
God I really needed to get over this. I was becoming pathetic.
My phone buzzed, and I saw I had a text from Julian.
'U OK?'
I looked up and saw Julian looking at me giving me a small smile. I nodded and he winked and started walking over.
"You look like you could use some cheering up," he said waving his hand at the barmaid wondering around serving drinks.
"Could we get a tray of shots please?" he said throwing his black American Express card on her tray.
"J! You know I'm a light weight! That's what got me into the whole Nathan mess in the first place!"
"It's not all for you! I need something strong after that interrogation from your friends!" he said nodding toward where he was standing before with the guys.
She came back over and placed the tray now filled with shots in front of us. Julian put one in front of me and pushed it toward me when I didn't do anything.
"Hey. Brooks do you remember what I told you on our first date?" he said.
"Not exactly," I said smiling.
"I said I'd get you through this. Now I don't expect you to let go of Nathan overnight especially since you're back home, and you'll still have to deal with it tomorrow, but this will get you through it tonight."
"Thanks Julian," I said.
"Wait!" he said taking the glass out of my hand. "You know I don't condone drinking normally to drown your sorrows but—"
"Ok, ok, gimme!" I said laughing and leaning over him to grab the glass before downing it and reaching for another.
X x x
