Chapter 10 "Part 5, Brooke, Tempe's Story"

YAY! We made it to over 100 reviews last chapter! Thank you all so much for reviewing! Those who haven't, it's not too late, just leave a word or two, I'd really appreciate it! Those who have, keep reviewing please!!!

Now some bad news: I'm gonna be taking a little break from this story to pop out some more chapters, usually I write 3 chapters ahead, but after this one, I'd be none ahead. So, I'll be using this break to get AT LEAST 3 more chapters written. Plus, my cousin's wedding is happening soon, and you know how crazy weddings are. I'll be updating as soon as possible, but please be patient.

I promise you one thing, before the summer's over, I'll post at least one chapter. After that though... god, I'm gonna be taking advance classes...

Sorry guys, but I'll do my best. Keep reading, and try to be patient.

Thanks and love to those who reviewed last time: LaVieBoheme76, HawkAngel XD, HawkAngel XD, Tiva4evaxxx, BonesnBooth, Viktorija, PrueCharmedForever, kimmiej77, iheartmusic8999, bb4evr,

This chapter is dedicated to my friend Sandonna (for letting me use her name), and my cutie pie dog Tofu (Just cuz)!

____________________________________________________________

Thursday, March 14, 1984, 12:58 am (Written in 3rd person)

Brooke watched as the new guide, Daniel Goodman, sat down to talk to her arch enemy Tempe. Brooke was currently sitting with Ashley, who sat with Eric, who sat with Kyle. She didn't mind Kyle because he was smart, but not a real threat to her. Eric was annoying, but he mostly ignored her anyways, only talking to Ashley and Kyle, but Brooke didn't mind, it just gave her more time to think...

(Now we'll start in Brooke's thoughts, but will soon travel to just details that maybe Brooke doesn't even know about her life)

Temperance Brennan was really a nice, smart girl, and at times it was hard to hate her. The thing was, Brooke had been taught growing up, that if you wanted to succeed, you had to be the best, and let NO ONE get in your way.

Brooke's dad, David James, was a CEO in a big company, and her mom, Sara James (formally Sara Brooks), was a big shot lawyer. They weren't around a lot, and when they were, they only wanted to know if their daughter was the best yet. When she wasn't, despite how high her scores and how hard she worked, her parents lectured her. They've yelled before too, and thrown things. Once, Brooke's father had raised his hand, as if to strike her, and she'd been truly frightened. She didn't doubt for a second that he would do it. He caught himself though, and had lowered his arm.

Afterwards, was the first time Brooke had ever really seen her father show any love for her. His eyes had soften, and he looked guilty. He'd hugged her tightly, as if worried he'd lose her, and she'd cried, because her father never hugged her before that.

Later that night, when her parents thought she was asleep in her giant bedroom, she heard them talking in the hallway. Her father had asked her mom, what were they doing? They were no better than their own parents. He told her of the incident. Sara had sighed sadly, and replied that they knew no other way of parenting. She said that, even though their parents were cruel, if they hadn't been, maybe they wouldn't be successful today. David, frustrated had whispered back harshly, that they would never know now, that they were stuck, and that they had become their parents.

Brooke was confused at first, her grandparents had never hurt her or yelled at her or anything! They dotted on her in fact. Not like other grandpas and grandmas, who gave their grandchildren kisses, smiles, freshly-baked cookies, teddy bears, and hugs but still. Her grandparents gave her parties in her name, money, dolls, tea sets, dresses, and so on. They've always shown more interest in her than her parents.

Then Brooke had thought about how her parents were always tense around her grandparents, and vice versa. Both sides of the family were friends, and lived pretty close, so they often were over at each others' houses for dinner.

She'd met Tempe's parents before, and while her dad was funny, loud and loving, her mom was more silent, though it was obvious she loved her daughter just as much. It wasn't fair, Tempe had loving parents and success, while her and her parents could only have one. Despite everything, Brooke loves her mom and dad, and just wants them to be proud of her. If that meant having to be mean, having no true friends, then so be it.

She couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, if she was successful, her parents would be proud of her, and that would bring them all closer.

Brooke lived in this big home, some would even call it a mansion. She had everything she could want, a big pool, a huge backyard, tons of toys, and yet she rarely used any of those things. The girl was either studying, reading in the humongous library, and/or 'hanging out' with her nanny.

Her nanny was 65-year-old Maria Gonzalez, her mom's nanny when she was younger.

She was only 29 when she was hired to be the nanny for Brooke's then two-year-old mother. Maria was the only one Brooke really opened up to. Around her parents she tried to make herself invisible, the quiet child stowed away for show in the corner. Around her grandparents she was polite and quiet. At school she tried to be the perfect student, and when needed (group projects and such) she spoke to her classmates as minimally as possible.

The one she probably talked to the most was Ashley, and even then it wasn't much. Brooke got the feeling that Ashley was just pitying her, and that was fine for now, she could use it to her advantage (one always needed a partner); one day though, when she was successful in whatever she does, everyone will see, including Ashley, and she won't be pitied anymore. Ash was nice, and Brooke really liked her, but like she said, she didn't need friends.

But getting back to Maria. Often Brooke was in the library studying or familiarizing herself with the classic literature works one is expected to know and understand. She would flag everything she couldn't quite grasp or wanted more details about, and would then ask one of her grandfathers or Maria later on. As soon as Maria finished whatever minimal housework that was required of her, she would join Brooke in the library.

Maria helped little Brooke as much as she could, but she didn't know much about Jane Austen's works, nor about Shakespeare's plays. The 65-year-old nanny had had a hard childhood; her family had been poor. She was an immigrant, and had been an illegal one until Brooke's mom hired her. While Maria was working for her grandparents, they had refused to let her get papers (for they had that type of connection) because they wanted to be able to hold it over her head. She had known about Brooke's dad being beaten by his parents, because they all lived so close, and her former employers had wanted to protect their friends.

At first they had tried to reason with her that it had only started once and he was already 16, so it would only be two more years before the issue went away. The boy could be downright horrible sometimes, so he needed a lesson, plus it was only sometimes, meaning three, maybe four times every year. Maria knew right from wrong though, and she still threatened to go to the police, but then they brought up deportation. The nanny couldn't let that happen, because she had become pregnant around that time, only two months along. The father was out of the picture, so it was just her and the baby. Brooke's grandparents had said Sara was now 15, so she didn't really need a nanny, but her parents still wanted someone around to be in charge of her when they went away on trips. They were not gonna let her run around willy-nilly.

As much as Maria cared for David, the boy who lived only a couple of houses down, and who was her charge's best friend, she had to do the right thing for her child. So she kept her mouth shut, and seven months later little Sandonna was born, and she was perfect. Brooke's mom gave her the nickname Sand dollar, and dotted on the little girl like she was a sister. Even Brooke's dad cared for Sandonna like a sibling, which always made Maria guilty.

Her beautiful baby girl died at three years old. First she had the flu, which then became pneumonia. The Brooks helped as much as wouldn't make them feel guilty, which only distance them from Sara all the more. David was almost 20 by that time, so the scare for their friends wasn't nearly as large anymore; the wounds had healed, literally, their friends in high places would take care of the rest if need be.

When Maria's only child died, so did a part of her, Sara, and David. Sara and David were already damaged, so this really crippled them. They walked through life feeling nothing, and accomplishing everything. The only emotion close to love that they ever felt, even before the lost of Sandonna, was for each other, and that love stayed true, so they clung to it; they got married. They may have been traumatized in many ways, but their love for each other was real and infinite. When their child was born, maybe a small part healed, but if it did, it wasn't enough. For Maria, that part that healed was a lot bigger, sure she would always hurt, but helping raise another baby, little Brooke, helped her heart so much.

When David and Sara went to college, Maria head been left without a job. She wasn't, however, left without a home. Of course David's and Sara's parents paid for all their schooling and needs, which meant food, furniture, everything needed. They were also given an allowance, which while some might find generous, it was just another way to control them. What the parentals didn't know was that the best friends both took small part-time jobs. Each got an extra 400 dollars a month, to add to their allowance of 500. They both gave Maria 400 dollars a month, which gave her more than enough money to rent a small apartment near where her old place of employment use to be, plus food, clothes, etc. Maria wasn't a big spender, so she had a lot of extra money, which she saved in a box under her bed.

Since she also had so much free time, Maria went around volunteering. She helped a lot of people, which means she made plenty of friends. Those friends also helped her days seem not quite as long. She still spoke to them to this day, mostly about Brooke.

Suffice to say that Maria and Brooke were very close; Maria was the only real bright light in Brooke's life, and vice versa.

Now, let's go back to the actual plot shall we?

Thursday, March 14, 1984, 1:41 pm+ (Written in 3rd person)

The group continued the tour soon after lunch. They first said goodbye to Jeff, who went back to work. On the tour, they explored anything and everything, with Tempe and Brooke paying close attention to every detail, even if their classmates found that particular exhibit boring and spaced out. Soon the tour was over, and Goodman reluctantly said goodbye as well. Bren and Ange were sad to have to go, having grown very attached to the place.

The class split up into two groups: the boys and the girls. Ms. B took the girls on the first taxi-van (Mr. Dick had called the taxi company to make sure they got big enough cabs) while Mr. D rode with the boys on the other. They soon got to their hotel, which wasn't a fancy one, but not a horrid one either.

The girls' and boys' rooms were right next to each other, but they did get separate ones. Each room had two beds and a pull-out couch. The pairings went like this: Ange and Tempe, Brooke and Ashley, Kyle and Eric, and Bobby and Lionel. Ryan and Erica both got the pull-out couches to themselves, while the teachers slept on the floor with the extra pillows and blankets.

The next morning was spent exploring landmarks before they made their way to the airport...

____________________________________________________________

Hope you guys enjoyed it, I'll update as soon as possible, review please! Oh, and remember: I'm gonna be writing at least 3 chapters before I update this story. Please be patient!