Chapter 10
Mid-January 2003
A.N. Thanks everyone for being patient with me through the cliffhanger from out last freshman chapter...but that cliffhanger is pivotal to them actually getting together, so I'm sure you can forgive me. I'm sorry for the delay on updates, but I think I'm gonna start taking weekends off, because I pretty much have my head in the clouds over the weekend...But I've got to say that some of you coughBrucasloverscough are warming to Jason. This chapter is chock full of Brason love but bare with me Brucas lovers because the next chapter is chock full of Brucas love! Guys sorry it took so long, it's been crazy around here and then I got sick, and I just didn't write because me+sickcrappy chapter. But I hope that by the end of the chapter you'll not be mad at me anymore!
Brooke was an auto-pilot. And for the first basketball game of the season, that was not a good way to be. The cheers came out just because she could say them in her sleep. If she didn't know them any better she'd look like an idiot. And it wasn't her fault she was this way. It was the fault of the gorgeous Greek junior sitting in the stands of the basketball court. Thegorgeous Greek junior who had swore he'd never come see her play. The same one who almost kissed her at Thanksgiving. The very boy she'd been avoiding since. To the extent that she'd tagged along with her parents to Aruba for Christmas and ducked to avoid him in the halls.
Brooke wishes she could say she was avoiding him because this almost kiss didn't mean anything and she didn't want to embarrass him. But it was for that exact reason. Since that night she hadn't been able to get Jason out of her head. But she'd made such a fool out of herself that night that she was afraid that he thought she was some kid now. His kid sister's best friend. Nothing more. And that fear was what had her avoiding him like the plague. She'd been avoiding his house, which in the few short months since school had started had become her home as well. And Lydia was starting to ask questions.
Sweet Lydia. Brooke had never told her about the moment she'd interrupted that night because she wasn't sure how she would react to that. Would she freak out? Would she be happy? Brooke couldn't tell and because of that Lydia was starting to ask questions about why Brooke wouldn't come over to dinner or accept a ride from Jason when they wanted to go somewhere. She'd told Peyton though and every time they stood in a resting position Peyton would shoot Brooke questioning glances.
"Hey," Peyton gently bumps into Brooke to grab her attention and with a blush Brooke realizes that the game is over and the Ravens won.
"Thanks, I was..."
"Lost in thought about the fabulously gorgeous upper class man who's held every single one of your thoughts lately?"
"Shut up," Brooke snaps, "that's the last time I tell you anything."
"Of course it's not," Peyton laughs, and despite the fact that she's now facing Peyton Brooke can still feel Jason's eyes on her and Brooke knows that once the crowd has thinned some he'll make his way over.
"How are my favorite ladies?" Nathan Scott suddenly appears behind them wrapping an arm around both of their shoulders.
"What do you want Nathan?" Peyton questions, they'd both known Nathan for most of their lives. They for the most part ran in the same circles, and when Brooke's parents were around they spent time with Dan and Deb Scott.
"Just checking to make sure that you will be coming to the party I'm throwing at my parents beach house," Nathan responds as he leads them toward the doors that lead off toward the locker rooms."
"Nate...I dunno, your parties are known for getting waaay out of hand," Brooke shakes her head.
"Oh come on Brooke, stop being such a baby," Nathan teases, "my parties rock." Even as a freshman Nathan had already gained a reputation for throwing awesome parties at his parents beach house but Brooke had yet to venture to one of them.
"I'm not a baby," Brooke snaps, but the instant she says the words she realizes that it did come out babyish.
"Brooke," Brooke can't see Peyton's eyes but she knows the tone that's associated with the eyeroll.
"Fine, we'll go. But I promised I'd hang out with Lydia tonight so she's coming along."
"The more the merrier," Nathan pulls away from the girls, "I've got to hit the showers see you at the house."
"Come on," Peyton pulls on Brooke's arm, away from the entrance to the shower.
"Where are we going?" Brooke asks, "I've got to shower if we're going to Nathan's party."
"You can shower at my house," Peyton insists, "but we've got to find something better to wear then what we, particularly you, came in."
"A jeans and sweater?" Brooke protests, "what's wrong with that?"
"This shirt is way too low cut," Brooke shakes her head, backing away from Peyton's floor length mirror.
"Brooke Davis, you look hot," Peyton responds taking in her best friend, in a pair of tight dark blue jeans and a deep cut dark red sweater.
"I look like a tramp."
"You do not, stop being such a baby."
There was that word again. Her mind was settled, Jason obviously had to see her as a baby, if her friends thought she was it had to be true, right? "Fine can we just go? How are we getting there anyway?"
"You know Bevin?"
"The alternate, a total airhead?"
"That's the one, her sister's going to pick us up in about five minutes," Peyton informs as she digs through her make-up drawer, "here." With her words Peyton tosses Brooke a tube of red lipstick, "that'll be perfect." Before anything else can be exchanged a horn blares in the driveway, "come on."
"Nathan!" Brooke squeals two hours later, before launching herself at him, "you're party is soooo cool."
Nathan lifts an eyebrow at Peyton, "you got her drunk?"
"Got her drunk?" Peyton protests, "it's not like I was pouring alcohol down her throat."
"Peyton has had as much to drink as Brooke has," Lydia clues Nathan in before giving Brooke a wary look, "apparently Peyton holds her alcohol better."
Nathan gives Lydia an appraising look, "you must be Lydia."
Lydia nods, "that I am."
"Brooke's said..."
Brooke doesn't give Nathan any other chance to speak before she drags him off to dance, "come on Nate, dance with me."
"Has she ever had anything to drink before?" Lydia asks Peyton as she watches Brooke dance close to Nathan. Dancing in a way that when Brooke sobered up, and if she remembered, would place a deep crimson blush on Brooke's cheeks for hours.
Peyton laughs, "doubtful, very doubtful."
Lydia can't help but crack a smile, "this should be entertaining."
"Having fun baby sister?" Lydia jumps at the sound of Jason's voice from right behind her.
"Hey Jase," Lydia grins, "finally decided to stoop down and actually attend a Tree Hill party?"
"Ha ha," Jason rolls his eyes, "I thought you were here with Brooke?"
"She's dancing," Lydia offers a vague gesture as to the direction that Brooke had drug Nathan off into.
Jason scans the crowd and his gaze eventually falls on Nathan and Brooke, "is that her?"
"Yeah," Lydia laughs, painfully oblivious to his brother's feelings for her best friend, "she's a little...no a lot, drunk."
"Is she with Nathan Scott?"
"Oooh, cue in the jealous male," Peyton's voice turns mocking dark and ominous but is immediately followed by a very un-Peyton-like giggle.
Lydia laughs purely at the sound of Peyton's giggles but stops suddenly, "wait, what?"
Peyton doesn't bother to fill Lydia in before cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting, "hey! B. Davis, look who's here!"
"Jason!" Brooke laughs as she drags Nathan back toward the group. She stumbles as they walk up and clings to Nathan for support, "Nathan this is Jason." Brooke leans toward Nathan to whisper, audible to everyone, "Jason tried to kiss me at Thanksgiving."
"Oh my God!" Lydia exclaims, "oh my God!"
"That's nice Brooke," Nathan pats her arm gently as he attempts to detangle her from his arm, "maybe you shouldn't drink...ever again."
"Don't you think I'm more fun drunk Nate?" Brooke questions wrapping her arms around Nathan's neck and pressing her body close to his, her face inches from his.
"No," Nathan shakes his head pushing Brooke's arms away from his neck, "you need to go and sleep this off."
"I'll take her home," Jason offers, "Peyton too."
"Thanks, I'd go but..." Nathan doesn't bother to finish his sentence as Brooke's taken on a sickly looking expression. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told her that he didn't like her drunk, he'd known Brooke his entire life and even though they couldn't be more different he liked her a lot. Never in more then a friendly, brother/sister, way and just seeing her drunk was something he couldn't handle.
"Come on Brooke," Lydia quickly ushers Brooke toward a bathroom that is conveniently nearby and open. They don't emerge for quite sometime but when they do Brooke doesn't look much better but Lydia suggests, "we should go, before she passes out."
"Oh my God," Brooke moans, her head easily felt like it was going to split right in two directly between her eyes.
"It probably feels that way," Jason's voice comes from the doorway, startling Brooke but not enough to move, "and you drank enough to probably deserve that feeling."
"Thanks," Brooke mutters unable to muster the energy to question why he was in her house. He vaguely remembered him being at the party, and his offer to drive her home but that didn't explain what he was doing there the next morning.
"There's aspirin and water to your right and I'd recommend a shower. I'll be in the living room waiting for Lydia to wake up so we can go home."
By the time Brooke has showered and changed into a pair of old worn jeans and a baggy shirt she's feeling less like she's dying and more like she's just been hit by a semi. When she finally wanders into the living room Jason is sitting there flipping through the channels, "Lydia just woke up, she's going to go take a shower and then we'll leave."
"Are you mad at me?" Brooke ventures when she settles on the couch and Jason still hasn't managed a look at her.
"Mad at you because you've been avoiding me since Thanksgiving? Or because you drunkenly announced that I'd tried to kiss you?" Jason asks, his eyes still focused on the television.
"I've been avoiding you because I didn't want you to say that you thought kissing me was a mistake," Brooke confesses, taking a note out of Jason's book and focusing her eyes on whatever was on the TV.
"Brooke," Jason finally turns to face her and Brooke turns to look at him as well.
"Please don't say it Jason," Brooke shakes her head, "I didn't even think about how I felt about you until you almost kissed me. And now it's all that I can think about and if you're going to say that it was a mistake we almost made then just don't say anything at all."
The silence from Jason that follows Brooke's statement makes her heart sink and she's about to leave the room when Jason closes the distance between them. He gently covers her mouth with his, kissing her gently but with an underlying yearning that even Brooke can sense. And in all the times she'd wondered what her first kiss would be like she had never really imagined that it would be this...perfect...she'd always thought it would be slightly awkward but it's not. Jason has one hand gently cupping her face while the other rests gently on her waist and when they finally pull apart they're both breathless.
"Duckling," Jason is the first to speak as he gently brushes a strand of hair away from Brooke's eyes, "what are you doing to me? You're too young for me, and Lit's best friend but I can't get you out of my mind."
Brooke can't help but offer a small smile, "I'm sorry?"
"Hey Brooke," Lydia walks into the livingroom with a towel wrapped around her hair, "how hung-over are you?" She takes in the close proximity between the two, "what's going on?"
"Your brother kissed me," Brooke admits with a blush but accompanies it with a smile.
Lydia remains still for a minute and during that time Brooke and Jason think she's mad, but it doesn't last for very long. "Oh my god!" She exclaims bounding over to the two of them wrapping her arms around both, "that's just so great!" Once she's pull back from them she laughs, "it took you long enough."
"What?" It's Jason's turn to be curious.
"The entire family has been taking bets on how long it would take you two to get together. Mama was right, she said it would take the two of you much to long, hell I had my bets on Thanksgiving...and I guess I was sort of right! I'm going to go and dry my hair...and let you two...you know whatever." And with those words Lydia bounds out of the room.
Brooke laughs after her friend but then returns her attention to Jason, "so what now?"
"Will you go out with me? Sometime when you're not hung over?"
Brooke nods and offers a smile, "I'd love too, so long as you promise to remind me never to drink again."
Jason laughs before kissing her gently once more, "it's a deal."