Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Author's Note: As always, I would like to thank you all for the reviews and apologize for the delay. I know that some of you are getting impatient and want Brooke to tell Nathan about the baby--I promise that the truth will be out soon enough! I wanted to get this out as soon as I could, so I apologize in advance for any errors.. Please don't forget to review! I love reading your reactions and/or suggestions. It all makes my day, it really does. Thanks much! On with the story..
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Brooke sighed as she returned yet another outfit to the sales rack. Even the cutest pair of stilettos, she found, were irrelevant when they couldn't fill the void inside of her - the one she had been feeling for quite some time now. And what good was shopping without a companion? Haley was off on tour with the biggest prick on the planet, and Peyton? In a moment of desperation, Brooke had texted her only to find out that she was already shopping - grocery shopping, that is, with Jake and Jenny! For the girl who had professed her never-ending love to someone else, she sure as hell had moved on fast!
She sifted through the scarves, desperate to make a purchase. She had been shopping for the past two hours, but had yet to buy a thing. Normally, she'd max out her credit card at the lingerie store, but seeing as how she hadn't had sex in months, she didn't really see the point. Growing frustrated, she planted her hands on her hips and sighed in agitation. Why was she failing miserably at the one thing she was actually good at? Even today, she wasn't dressed to perfection like she usually was. A wife beater, jean Capri's, and no accessories topped off a very lazy look. Except that wasn't exactly what she was going for... On most days, though, it took her at least an hour to get ready, but what was the point of perfecting her hair and makeup and slipping on those tight designer jeans that accentuated her ass if there was no one to truly appreciate it?
Lucas had always noticed and complimented her on her appearance. Of course, he rarely did that now that they were no longer together. After all, there were certain boundaries that friends just didn't cross. Not only that, but Brooke missed the way he used to look at her - as if she were the only girl in the room, the only one deserving of his attention, anyway. Despite this, Brooke did not miss Lucas. She was very adamant about that. She missed certain aspects of him, she figured, but not the package deal. Ultimately, she was better off without him. And if she kept telling herself that, maybe one day she would believe it...
Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a familiar tune. Retrieving her cell phone from her purse, she glanced at the caller ID and answered it accordingly.
"Hey whore."
"Sup slut? Whatever you're doing.. or whoever.. can wait. I've got news."
"You're VD free?" Brooke guessed. Her and Rachel had an interesting relationship, to say the very least, and she enjoyed every moment of it.
"Amazingly, yes." Rachel replied.
"The only test you ever want to fail.. and you didn't have to steal the answer key or anything! Congratulations, my friend." Receiving some strange looks from the people around her, Brooke left the store and claimed an empty bench. "So what did you really want to tell me?"
"Well..." Rachel said slowly, hoping to gain some suspense. "I get to graduate!" she squealed.
"What?!" Brooke replied. "No fucking way!"
"True. There was no fucking way. Turner wouldn't go for that. I stand firmly by my theory that he's gay."
"Then how the hell did you manage that? Did you get some guy to do your dirty work?"
Rachel laughed. "No, I had my dad-" she stopped laughing. "Oh."
"So.." Brooke started, hoping to change the subject and rid herself of the horrifying image now implanted in her brain. How could something that was meant to be a joke come back to brutally bite her in the ass? "Are you coming home now?"
"Hell no." Rachel replied. "Not 'till graduation. What's there to do in lame-ass North Carolina? I mean, I know that you always found ways to keep yourself entertained, but neither of the Scott brothers were all that into me.."
"Oh God, don't remind me." And just when she was starting to forget about them.. Yeah ... right.
"What now?" Rachel said in somewhat disbelief. "What more could have possibly happened in the land of drama?"
"You'd be surprised."
"At this point, nothing that happens in Tree Hill could possibly surprise me."
"Wanna bet?"
"Try me."
"Lucas broke up with Peyton right before professing his undying love to me. Peyton is now apparently with Jake and Jenny. Haley lost the baby and then joined Chris Keller on tour...again. Her and Nathan are getting an annulment. Lucas went after Haley to try to prevent this from happening and to bring her back for graduation. He asked me to watch after Nathan, who's now made out of stone and totally focused on basketball again, and we're basically the only ones left in Tree Hill." Following her recapping of events, Brooke took a deep breath and awaited her friend's reaction.
"Oh my God. How long have I been gone for?"
"Apparently 'Always and Forever' .. That's how long Nathan and Haley promised to be together for."
"Nicely done, Brooke Davis. Once again, you've shocked me to my very core.. You somehow managed to land both Scott brothers, and now this? Wow." she paused. "What about Mouth? Please tell me that he's not fucked up now, too."
"Mouth, right.." Brooke said, scanning her brain for an update on her friend and feeling slightly guilty for the lack of information. She really had been busy lately.. "Last I heard, he deflowered a clean teen, but I haven't really talked to him lately."
"Atta boy." Rachel replied. "I miss him.. Almost as much as I miss your fat ass."
"And I miss your surgically improved ass."
Rachel laughed. "Look, I've gotta go. My lounge chair awaits. But hey, try to keep things at least semi-normal until I get back."
"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best."
"Bye bitch."
"Bye whore."
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"I love this song!" Peyton came as close to a squeal as her self-proclaimed badass nature would allow. She turned up the radio and yanked the binder from her hair, shaking it loose. She loved the way one good song could change her mood completely. She turned to Jake, who took his eyes briefly off the road to give her an amused glance. "I love this song." she repeated. She was sitting shotgun while Jenny was safely bucked in the backseat, surrounded by grocery bags that would not fit in the trunk.
"I'm thinkin' you'll be a fan of the entire CD." Jake replied, smiling at the free and happy girl beside him- the polar opposite from the one he had been reacquainted with the night before.
"What makes you so sure?" Peyton had always longed to be mysterious, although many had pegged her to be similar to the transparent, ditzy cheerleaders belonging to her tight group of friends.
"You gave it to me."
Peyton's spirits skyrocketed at this. Jake still owned and listened to a CD she had given him ages ago. Not only that, but Jake's girlfriend- Megan, for those of you keeping score at home- had only been visiting when Peyton had shown up- unannounced, might I add? - and did not live with him! Which made sense, Peyton realized. Jake wasn't the type of guy to randomly move in with a girl he was dating. He was really old-fashioned that way. She was sometimes frustrated by this, but ultimately respected and loved him for it. "Thank God you still have this." Peyton teased. "You were listening to country before I came along."
"I resent that." Jake replied. "Country music puts your sad old records to shame."
Peyton feigned disappointment and shook her head. "Country music is a disgrace, and you, my friend, would be lost without me."
"Whatever you say, Peyton." Jake laughed and turned up the radio. "I did that to tune you out, not because I enjoy it."
"Keep telling yourself that." she replied, playfully hitting him in the arm. It was then that Peyton realized that she didn't need to be the center of Jake's world. After all, Jenny had claimed that spot the day she was born. For now, Peyton was just happy talking to him- she really had missed that. If it was meant to be, the rest would come, but for now she was completely satisfied with bickering over music.
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Lucas stood in the long line, eavesdropping as the girls in front of him expressed their never-ending love and infatuation for ... Chris Keller? He stopped listening. Best friends since birth, and yet he had been reduced to just another star-struck fan. He had to hand it to Haley.. she really had done well for herself. The amount of people standing in the meet & greet line was seemingly infinite as he had yet to get a glimpse of her. However, apparently not everyone was there to see Haley. The pre-teens in front of him had helpfully emphasized this.
At a snail's pace, he advanced in line and eventually was standing right in front of his best friend. She appeared the same, but lacked the soon-to-be-mom glow that had looked so great on her. She still hadn't noticed him as she scribbled her first name on a 4x6 photo of herself. It wasn't until she handed it to him with a forced smile that she met his gaze.
"Hey stranger." he said, revealing a half-smile as she registered his presence.
"H-hey Luke.. what are you doing here?"
Okay, so she hadn't exactly leapt over the table and into his arms like he had anticipated- and hoped for?- but he could understand that he had caught her off-guard. "Well... the guy you opened for is a total fox." he joked. She laughed and playfully rolled her eyes at this. "To see you, of course."
There were a few subtle grunts and impatient sighs. He was holding up the line, and the people behind him never failed to serve as a reminder.
Haley noticed this as well. "Wait for me in my dressing room?"
"I would be happy to." This voice belonged to none other than Chris Keller, reinstating the fact that some people never change. The musical genius slash pervert then turned his attention to Lucas. "Come to get Chris Keller's autograph?" He then looked around the room. "Did Brooke.. or Peyton.. or whoever the hell you're dating now come with you?"
Lucas shook his head. He was not amused. "Nope. Guess you'll have to harass some other poor, helpless girl."
"Helpless??!" Chris replied incredulously. "Have you met Brooke and Peyton? I still have bruises from my time in Tree Hill." he paused. "It was kinda hot."
Lucas chose to ignore this last statement as he turned his attention back to Haley. "How do I get back to your dressing room without being attacked by security and pegged as a creepy stalker?"
She laughed. "I'll take care of it." she turned to the security guard behind her and their brief exchange was enough to get Lucas back into the dressing room, where he sat for over an hour patiently waiting for the meet & greet to finish. Finally, the door opened and Haley walked in, noticeably exhausted, and plopped down on the nearest chair.
Lucas gave her a sad smile. "How you holdin' up?"
"I'm fine, but this tour schedule's enough to wear anyone out, ya know?"
Lucas nodded in response. He was talking about the baby, and he was sure that she knew that. They were best friends, after all- the kind that could read the other's mind and finish each other's sentences- she had to have caught on. Clearly, though, she wasn't ready to talk about it, and he wasn't going to push her. "So.. graduation's coming up-" he began, but the look on Haley's face stopped him mid-sentence.
"So that's the reason you came..? To convince me to come home?" she pulled her auburn-colored hair into a ponytail and awaited his response.
"Of course I want you to come home, Hales." he replied. "But it's not just me.. Nathan is a mess-"
"Nathan?" Haley cut him off, the concern evident in her voice. "Is he back into drinking?"
"Well.." Lucas started. "No, but-"
"Random hookups?"
Her voice was tiny, and he knew it killed her to even say the words. He was quick to assure her that this was not the case.
"Then what? What's wrong with him? Why is he a mess?"
Lucas sighed. Haley was clearly confused. "Well.. he does nothing but play basketball. It's like he's made of stone now or something.. It's hard to explain, but he needs you."
"Hold on." Haley said softly. "Nathan's focusing on something good for him that he loves? Sounds like he's doing pretty good to me.."
Lucas sighed. Needless to say, he was not succeeding at getting his point across. "You can't get an annulment, Hales.."
"Look," she said softly. "Even if I wanted to come home, there's no way that Nathan would ever forgive me."
"You know that's not true..."
"We both need to move on. It just wasn't meant to be."
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Nathan was restlessly shooting hoops when Brooke approached. She sat down on the steps and waited patiently for him to join her, which he did. She handed him the bottle of water she had picked up at the convenient store on her way over, which he gratefully accepted. Over the past few days, the two had fallen into somewhat of a routine. At the end of each day, Brooke would head over to Nathan's and interrupt his endless basketball drill. She would fix dinner, which would usually consist of ordering take-out, while he showered, and the two would fall asleep to whatever sappy movie Brooke would select. Nathan didn't know why she came, but chose not to question it. His mom was scarcely around anymore as she was always busy attending AA meetings or working overtime at Karen's cafe and Tric. Haley, of course, had left to go on tour, leaving Lucas to chase after her, much to Nathan's annoyance, and God only knew where the rest of his friends were. Though he would deny it if asked, he definitely needed the company.
"Come on." Brooke said softly, and the duo headed inside.
An hour later, they were sprawled across the couch surrounded by empty Chinese food boxes. "A Walk to Remember" was playing in the background, but neither was focused on the TV.
"C'mon, I told you mine!" Nathan insisted. "It's only fair.."
Brooke laughed and shook her head stubbornly. "The backseat of a car is hardly a confession, let a lone a juicy one.."
"What can I say? I'm a conventional guy."
She raised an eyebrow at this. "A conventional guy with a collection of sex tapes?"
"Don't even try to change the subject."
She feigned contemplation before letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine." She smiled when Nathan leaned forward in anticipation. The two were exchanging their most exciting sex stories, and she had one, she suspected, that would literally floor him. "Ya know how they say 'absence makes the heart grow fonder?'" she asked. He nodded in response. "Well.. the same works for ... other body parts.." she continued, lacking a better explanation. "Your brother had been away for a week touring colleges, and you can only have so much fun with yourself.. so when he got back.."
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Nathan pleaded. She smiled at his horrified expression. "You're a sick woman! From now on, keep your Lucas horror stories to yourself? Please?"
She threw her head back and laughed. Hard. Nathan laughed, too, in spite of himself, and realized that he hadn't laughed this hard since before Haley had left.. since before she had miscarried.. since before the revelation of the sex tape.. since ... ever???
Sometime later when they had finally stopped laughing, it occurred to Brooke that the story she had intended on sharing- that time with Lucas- while amazing, was not the most fun she had ever had with someone. Though she couldn't remember every detail, her fondest memory between the sheets had been shared with the man lying next to her, who was still recovering from the recent excitement.
"I might kiss you."
"I might be bad at it."
"That's not possible."
Brooke sighed and turned her attention to the TV. "We should probably watch the movie.."
"Why?" Nathan replied, stubbornly choosing to watch Brooke instead.
"Because." She replied softly, locking eyes with him. "We've both been screwed over so many times.. but this might just restore our faith."
"In what?"
"Love."
Hesitantly, she rested her head on his shoulder while he dutifully turned to watch, tuning in just in time to see Landon profess his love to Jamie. Despite the fact that he was a guy, he just may have been genuinely touched had he not seen this movie multiple times. After all, it was one of the most popular chick flicks around, and his former self had gotten laid so many times after agreeing to watch it.
Point of the story?
The chick dies, reinforcing Nathan's theory that true love always ends with cancer.. or miscarriage.. or tours. Ultimately, someone was bound to get fucked over, and 99 of the time it was him.
"Awwww."
He glanced at the girl resting on his shoulder who, of course, was loving every moment of it. For the first time, he realized that maybe true love wasn't about having an intense emotional connection- or whatever the hell he thought he had experienced with Haley. Maybe it was more about having fun- the kind of fun he and Brooke had every time they were together. Maybe all he needed was someone who could make him laugh- the way Brooke had made him laugh just moments ago. Of course, the ridiculously good sex didn't hurt anything, either. As if on cue, Brooke looked up at him. She smiled softly, revealing those adorable dimples that made everyone melt. Unable to stop himself, Nathan leant down and kissed her- softly at first, but then more passionately.. Brooke was slow to respond or even register what was happening. Eventually, though, she reacted to his bold action and demonstrated why she was the girl that every guy longed to be with.
Most of the time, Brooke found, real life was devalued by high expectations ... but no daydream or scenario she ever concocted could do this moment the slightest bit of justice.
She smiled when he scooped her into his arms, not once even suggesting to break their ongoing kiss. Apparently, air was not a top priority... She registered that they were headed toward his bedroom and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. And, minus the alcohol, the video camera, and their former superficial selves, history repeated itself.
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Peyton swirled the noodles continuously around her fork. Jake had fixed spaghetti for dinner and she, lacking every cooking skill ever attainable, had watched. Peyton would attribute her limited knowledge in this area to growing up without a mom to cook for her. Her dad would prepare TV Dinners and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and she, somehow, would remain almost sickly skinny. Story of her life.
"This is amazing." she enthused, shoveling another forkful into her mouth.
"Yeah?" he smiled. "Well lately I've had to adopt the mother and the father responsibilities."
"Is Megan not much of a cook or..?" she trailed off. Though it pained her to talk about his girlfriend, she made a point to bring her up every now and then. After all, she was trying to be supportive. Turning over a new leaf, are we?
"Sometimes she and Ben will come over, but it's mostly just me and Jenny." he replied. "And I'm normally the one to cook." he added, realizing that he hadn't exactly answered her question.
"Whoa, wait.. Ben?" Peyton tucked a perfect blonde spiral behind her ear and leaned forward. She and Jake sat across from each other at the small, square table. Jenny, having had already finished her meal, was in the other room watching TV.
"Her son. She's a single mom."
"What?!"
As if Peyton weren't already discouraged by Megan's angelic presence, it now seemed as though she was perfect for him in every imaginable aspect. They both were single parents and, if they were to join forces, they would totally have that perfect suburban family going on- one boy one girl? It killed her to even think about it.
"Yeah." he confirmed. "I met her at Jenny's school, actually. Ben's in her class."
"Oh." Peyton knew that she should smile and gush about the good fortune.. perhaps ask for some details? However, this proved to be a difficult task. In fact, opening her mouth without projectile vomiting looked to be near impossible about now..
"I'm really glad you came, Peyton."
"Me too." she replied, meeting his glance, though she wasn't so sure this was true. She could definitely do without the knowledge that he was so happy with his new girlfriend ... and her son. Maybe she shouldn't have come? Maybe she would've been better off had she simply stayed home and held onto the fantasy that Jake was still sexy and single ... and would forever wait for her?
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Brooke lay awake in Nathan's bed.. entangled in his arms. She could feel his steady breathing on her neck as he slept. Though she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Maybe it was the guilt of sleeping with her best friend's husband? After all, they were still technically married.. Maybe it was the fact that she was still harboring this huge secret- one that would change everything if she ever worked up the courage to tell him. Or maybe it was because, at this very moment, she was so ridiculously happy that she feared to close her eyes and miss even one second of it. The latter?
As if on cue, her phone went off. Although she was extremely annoyed, she hurried to answer it. She wouldn't want Nathan to wake up.. and perhaps realize he'd made a huge mistake?
She grabbed a sheet that had fallen to the floor during their tryst and wrapped it around herself before shuffling into the adjoining bathroom and closing the door behind her.
"Hello?"
"Hey crazy girl."
"Hey Luke." Lucas contacting Brooke?! Shocker. "Have you tracked down Haley yet?"
"Yeah." he replied. "I have."
"And..?"
"She's being stubborn.. but I have all the confidence in the world that I can convince her to come home."
Brooke laughed softly. "If nothing else, I have to give you points for your resilience." She was torn. Of course, she wanted her best friend back, but she would be lying if she said that she didn't want Nathan all for herself.. Though he wasn't hers to begin with, what happened tonight changed everything.. Didn't it?
"So how's my brother?"
Brooke opened the door slightly. She smiled when she saw him. He was still there. Maybe the past couple of hours hadn't been a dream? Maybe all of this was real? The thought was both amazing and terrifying at the same time.
"I think he's going to okay." she finally said. "I think we all will be."
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