Thanks guys for all the reviews. I know it was sad, but hopefully it will get better : ) I hope you like it and please continue to R&R. Without further ado...

Chapter 11

1 week later

"I cant believe she actually left" Peyton said to Lucas. They sat at the lunch table watching as Nathan sat a little ways away.

"I know."

"You miss her don't you?"

"Yeah. I really do"

"how do you think him and Brooke are doing since she came back?"

"I don't know. Brooke and I don't really talk as much as we used to"

Peyton looked at him a little sad.

"You miss that don't you?"

He looked over at her. "yeah, I do"

"sorry about that" she felt a little guilty. She couldn't help it. Ever since they got together, Brooke and Lucas hadn't really been friends.

"Peyton don't be ridiculous. This is definitely not your fault"

"I know. But I still feel a little guilty."

"how do you think Brooke feels" Lucas rolled his eyes

"about us?"

"no. about Nathan and Haley"

"Oh. I never really looked at it like that"

"it must suck."

Peyton and Lucas watched as Brooke sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. She kissed him softly on the cheek and smiled at him, receiving a small smile from him in return.

"how are you today?" she asked him compassionately

"better" he smiled at her

"you slept on the couch again last night" she faintly smiled

"yeah. I just couldn't fall asleep" he looked at her

"I understand" Brooke said sympathetically.

He looked away from her, trying to avoid the awkwardness of the conversation.

"I know it's hard right now but…." she was cut off

"hey look I just remembered I have to do something, but I'll see you last period?" he asked as he packed his stuff to leave

"yeah sure" she said shaking her head as she watched him leave her. She looked down at her lap for a minute and then noticed that Peyton and Lucas had been watching her the whole time.

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"Brooke wait up" Lucas shouted down the hall

She turned around to let him catch up.

"what's going on?" he asked her

She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"what?" he asked her curiously

"I'm sorry Lucas but what do you expect? We haven't talked to each other for so long and all of a sudden you want me to tell you my whole life story"

"Brooke I'm still your friend"

"that's funny. Because it hasn't really felt that way" Brooke said as she began to walk away.

"Brooke" he said sadly

She turned back around and looked at him. Those gorgeous blue eyes she once loved with all her heart. "I'm sorry Lucas. I'm just a little upset but that's no reason to take it out on you" she smiled faintly

"its okay Brooke. I just want you to know that you can always come to me" he smiled at her

"Thanks Lucas" she smiled and walked away.

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Brooke waited after school for Nathan, but he never showed up. Instead, he had walked down by the river. He stared across at the court and a flood of memories came back to him. The time he taught Haley how to shoot a basketball. The moments the two of them would just go there to sit and stare at the stars. The times when she would come with him and sit there, just to watch him play. A small tear fell from his eye and landed on the wood planks below. He was sick of this feeling. He walked a little ways until he came to a place all too familiar.

"what can I get ya?" the bartender asked as Nathan took a seat on a nearby stool. The sun from the outside still shown through the windows. There were only like 3 other people in the bar, but all Nathan cared about was something to drink.

"just a beer" Nathan mumbled as the bartender checked his fake ID. A few moments later he placed a frothy mug on the counter before him. "Thanks" Nathan half-smiled

"so what brings you here so early in the day?" the bartender asked

"women" Nathan said simply

"I hear ya"

What the hell Nathan though. He figured he had nothing better to do and the bartender was obviously bored, so he decided to spill the whole story. "well, the thing is. I recently got married, and then my wife went on tour. Soon after we got a divorce and a friend of mine moved in with me" Nathan paused as he took a sip of his drink. "well shortly after that I started having feelings for her, and we ended up getting together. I really do love her. She's so amazing. But, a week or so ago, my wife came back to town, expecting things to start back up again. After telling her I was with her friend, she decided to leave again."

"ouch. Sounds pretty bad"

"yeah, but the thing is it should be simple now. I mean Haley's gone and now I can be with Brooke" The bartender looked at him confused "Haley's the wife. Brooke's the friend"

"Gotcha" the bartender nodded his head.

"but the thing is, it's not simple"

"that's because you love two women man"

"what do I do?"

"do you go back to the wife, whom you obviously really care about. Or the friend that has taken a piece of your heart?"

"yeah" Nathan replied, taking another sip

"I cant tell you what to do. All I can say is, who could you never picture your life without?"

Nathan looked at him for a moment. It never really clicked with him. Who could he never be without? Deep down he knew the answer, but wasn't really ready for anyone else to know. Especially a stranger in a bar. Nathan smiled as he finished his beer.

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Brooke plopped down on Peyton's bed, hiding her face underneath the pillow. Peyton kind of smiled at her, and slowly walked over to the bed.

"what's the matter?" she asked as she sat down next to her brunette friend.

Brooke groaned as she pulled the pillow from her face and sat up next to Peyton. "I think Nathan's still in love with Haley"

"well obviously he's still in love with her"

"yeah but I think he wants to be with her again"

"Brooke"

"you don't understand. He hasn't slept in our bed ever since she left. He wont talk about it. And sometimes I can hear him cry in the middle of the night"

"Nathan Scott?" Peyton questioned

"yeah"

"But Brooke that doesn't mean anything"

Brooke looked at Peyton. Maybe she was right. Maybe Brooke was just being too dramatic. Brooke nodded her head as she realized that maybe he just needed some time to get over it and get back to the way things used to be.