Hey everyone! Sorry it took a very long time for this update. I've been super busy! I hope you all enjoy this. Thanks for all the amazing reviews. I cannot tell you enough how much they mean to me. I'm going to try to get the next update written and posted sooner, but you never know. Enjoy...and please review!
Chapter 10: "I Wake Up, It's a Bad Dream"
Brooke sat in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV displayed before her. She looked down to see her cell vibrating. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw her dad's name pop up. She sighed heavily, grasping the phone in her hands. Her dad had been gone for awhile now. She wanted him to be happy, she really did. If he was happy being with Deb, away from her, then she had to just have to accept that. Brooke pressed the ignore button before setting the phone back down beside her. "You always ignore Daddy's calls?" Nathan said from behind her.
Brooke turned her head, sending a glare in Nathan's direction. "Do you always sneak up behind people and spy on them?" She asked, getting up from her seat. Nathan smiled to himself, "Only you."
"Oh, goodie!" Brooke exclaimed, sarcasm dripping through her words. She crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want, Nathan?"
"Well," He began, walking out from behind the chair, and moving closer to her. "I was just wondering when our date was."
Brooke let out a rough laugh. "Our date?"
"The draft? You picked me. Do you not remember?" He asked.
Brooke rolled her eyes. "I try to block out traumatic experiences in my life." She said, moving past him.
Nathan reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her. Brooke looked up at him expectantly. "Rules are rules." He stated, simply.
"Rules are rules? Since when do you abide by the rules?" She asked, ignoring the chills that went through her body the instant Nathan's hand touched her own.
Nathan smiled, "When it involves you." He said, pulling her closer to him.
"Nice line." Brooke said, putting her hand on his chest to make sure they weren't too close. She took her eyes away from his, also making sure she was looking everywhere but at him. She knew she couldn't and that scared her.
"Brooke." He said in a stern, yet calm voice. His statement had indeed sounded like a line, but both Brooke and Nathan knew that it was more than that.
Brooke brought her eyes back to his. Right now, his jackass appeal was decreasing by the second - something Brooke just knew would happen. Slowly Brooke's hand began to drop from Nathan's chest, bringing their bodies closer.
"Brooke!" Someone yelled from the front of the house.
Brooke quickly backed away from Nathan upon hearing the voice that she knew was Haley's. She looked over at Nathan, who stared back at her. He nodded slowly and exited the livingroom.
Placing her hand on her forehead, Brooke let out a sigh before moving in the direction of Haley's voice.
"Hey." Haley said, once Brooke reached her. "Your front door was open."
"Oh." Brooke let out, in an almost inaudible tone.
"You okay?" Haley asked her.
Brooke forced a smile, "Yep. I'm great." She quickly averted eye contact as she walked Haley, towards the fridge. "You hungry?"
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"So, tonight's date night." Peyton said, as all three of the girls sat down at their regular lunch table.
"Yep." Haley said simply. It could be seen by both Brooke and Peyton that just the thought of the date's made Haley nervous.
Brooke laughed to herself. "We really have to have our dates tonight?"
Peyton shrugged. "I guess not, but all of the boys are expecting it."
Brooke rolled her eyes as she thought about the previous night – the way Nathan spoke to her, the way he held her. It was not just some game to him anymore, or at least she was pretty sure it wasn't. She just didn't understand why he acted like such a jerk one minute and actually human, the next.
"What are you and Nathan doing tonight?" Haley asked her.
Brooke laughed loudly. "You think we're actually doing something?"
Haley looked towards Peyton, quirking an eyebrow. "Well, you did fight for him." She said, directing her glance in Brooke's direction.
Brooke slapped Haley's arm. "I did not fight for him!" She exclaimed in her own defense.
"Sure." Peyton said with a smile.
"I told Marcus we could talk tonight."
"Brooke." Haley said, sternly.
"I know." She said, closing her eyes tightly. When she had seen Marcus for the first time the other day, she didn't want anything to do with him…at first. But, of course, that feeling slowly faded and the past began to catch up with her.
"Do what you want, but just protect yourself." Haley added.
"I think it's a little late for the sex talk, Mom."
"I was talking about your heart." Haley rose from her seat, taking her things along with her.
Brooke watched her retreating form, before looking in Peyton's direction. "What she said." Peyton said with a smile, before getting up as well.
Brooke smiled to herself. Her eyes drifted towards Nathan and his group of friends, at the other end of the cafeteria. "Don't worry, I will." She mumbled to herself.
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Brooke took her key out of the ignition as she reached her house. She got out of the car and waited for Marcus to do the same. "This feels like old times." He said, shutting the door behind him.
"How so?" She asked, placing her purse over her shoulder.
"Oh, you know," He began, walking towards. "You, bringing me back to your empty house after cheer practice or a game. But, for some reason, I have a feeling you won't be putting on the outfit any time soon." He said, with a smile.
"The plan is for us to talk." Brooke replied, trying to keep herself from laughing at his comment. She hit the lock button on her key chain before walking towards the house.
"Hey!" Marcus shouted, causing Brooke to turn around. "I left my stuff in your car."
Brooke tossed him her keys, before entering the house. As she walked in, she expected to enter a dark and empty house; however, it was quite the opposite. On the tables that aligned the left side of the hallway, were lit candles. Was Deb home or, her dad for that matter?
She walked further into the house until she reached the kitchen. She spotted a familiar figure standing beside the kitchen table. Brooke flipped on the light switch. "Hey, what's going on?" She asked.
Nathan turned around, revealing a fully set table with food and a few more candles displayed amongst it. "I, um…"
"Alright, I got everything." Marcus said, as she walked up behind them.
Nathan's soft features changed drastically once Marcus entered the room. "Nathan…" Brooke whispered softly. Her mouth dropped slightly, as she the realization of what was going on came crashing down on her.
He nodded stiffly. "I gotta go call Rachel. You know," He looked Brooke directly in the eyes, "seeing as this is for her and all." He walked past her.
"Nathan." Brooke called out; he didn't stop. He walked into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
She looked over at Marcus, a confused looked playing amongst his features. "You should go." She mumbled before heading in the direction of Nathan's bedroom.
Next chapter - a lot of NB...promise! You'll finally find out what's going on with Nathan and what he's thinking in that pretty head of his. Now, review! Thanks. :)