CHAPTER ELEVEN:FORGIVE ME

The morning was still dark, Brooke was awake and ready for the journey she had to do. The journey to her past. She was waiting for him to come. It was not just a jesture that she asked him to do that for her. She needed someone to remind her she has to come back in New York. And he was the right one to do that. They may have had some arguments in the past, but since he saved her the last night... Well she just changed her way of thinking.

Brooke heard a car outside and looked through the window. Black Impala was parked in front of the front door. She watched as Dean walked out from it. Brooke grabbed her bag, where she put some clothes and other accessories and went down. It was early, everyone was asleep. She noticed the clock in the hall pointing exactly at 6 o'clock.

"Hey" – Brooke greeted him as she closed the door and locked it. – "Thank you so much for doing that for me.. Are you sure there's no problem?"

Dean took the bag from her hand and put it in the trunk.

"No problem at all. I've always wanted to see that Tree Hill..." Dean lied. He had no idea Tree Hill was a town before Brooke appeared.

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WELCOME TO TREE HILL

Brooke was imapatiently looking around the car's window. Everything was the same.

"Where to?" – Dean asked and looked around.

Brooke didn't answer at first because they were passing by Tree Hill High.

"Drive forward." – she said – "I will tell you."

Tree Hill was just the same. Brooke couldn't help but feel fear. It was scaring. She was right there, but probably noone would be glad to see her.

"STOP!" – Brooke suddenly screamed. Dean stopped immediately.

"What?!" – he asked her.

"Just stop here."

He parked the car near the sidewalks and they walked out. Dean noticed they were standing in front of a cafe which seemed to be closed. Brooke turned around. Why was Karen's cafe closed?

"What are we doing here?" – Dean asked and moved his eyes over Brooke. She was still staring at the building in front of them.

But before Brooke could answer a voice from behind them said loudly.

"Well, well... Brooke Davis, back in the city..."

Brooke quickly turned, so did Dean. He noticed a girl, who seemed to be pregnant talking to them

Brooke smiled widely.

"Haley!" She tried to hug her, but Haley ignored her with her hand.

"Did you really think you'll just arrive here after so long, and everything will be just the same?!" Haley asked sarcatically.

Brooke opened her mouth to say something, but she gave up from it. Dean felt the atmosphere was heated.

"Haley... I..." – Brooke tried again.

"You what Brooke?!" – Haley interrupted her. If Tree Hill was the same, Haley was definetely not. – "You thought you can leave at any time, you can live your glamorous life in New York, and you can come here from time to time just to have fun?! Is that what you thought?"

"Haley no! Why are you so mean? I didn't..."

"Do you know what Brooke... I don't even want to listen to you..."

Before Brooke could respond, Haley was gone.

Dean looked at her. Even though Brooke didn't show it, Dean was sure she was very miserable right now.

"Are you okay?" – he asked her.

"Yeah" – Brooke said quietly – "Sorry you had to listen to all that..."

"I am sorry you had to heard all that.. Must be hard..."

"Yeah... I see I really let down my friends..."

Dean gave her a look full of compassion. He could feel what she felt. He has felt it. He is feeling it at the moment.

"Do you know what" – Brooke started – "You don't have to accompany me all the time, you can go around the city if you want..."

"I will stay with you, if you don't mind."

"I don't. Just you'll have to hear such things all day long, since i am pretty sure everyone will yell at me." – Brooke tried to smile, but any smile couldn't appear on her face.

"It's okay Brooke. I will watch your back."

They kept walking to a house where Brooke stopped.

"Who lives here?" – Dean asked and looked at the house.

"Peyton"

"Your ex-best friend?"

"Yeah."

A tall blond girl walked out from the house. Her hair was curly, she was almost running, but just as Haley, didn't look happy to see her friend.

"Well, well, well" – the blonde spoke. "Am i dreaming? No i can't be..."

Brooke didn't expect Peyton to react like that. When they were talking on the phone she seemed happy to hear her voice.

"Peyton..."

"Brooke. Why are you here?!"

Brooke looked at Dean. What was she doing here? Honestly... she didn't know. But she didn't know what she was doing in New York too. Now she was at home, she hoped she will have a friendly talk with everyone and she will leave freely... But she was wrong.

"You have nothing to do here." – Peyton shouted. – "You left. And you have to leave now. You always screw things up! Finally, when me and Lucas are together you appear here as if nothing happened..."

"Peyton what the hell are you talking about?! I told you i don't care about Lucas anymore..."

"Yeah, you also told me you forgive me... Then i wondered... What exactly i did so that you forgive me?!"

"What you did? You kissed my boyfriend and you told me you're in love with him, you also asked me IF I LOVED HIM?"

"Is that why you left Brooke..." – Peyton said so quietly that Brooke had to focus to hear her. "You have no idea what i had to go through... And you... you left me here and went in New York to live your glamorous life..."

"Peyton, what's wrong with you and Haley?! When we talked ..."

"After we talked I just found out you were the same selfish bitch you've ever been."

"What the hell..."

"Doesn't matter. I have more important things to do than talking to you... whore"

"Hey watch it!" Dean involved in their conversation after Peyton insulted Brooke. His voice was loud and strong, unlike Brooke's who seemed to be lost.

"Dean, it's okay..." – Brooke started.

Peyton laughed sarcasticlly. "You'd better be careful around her" – she said angrily to Dean. "You have no idea who she really is"

Peyton gave both of them angry looks and went in her house.

"Okay I though it would be easier..." – Brooke said and took a deep breath.

"Why did she react like that?" – Dean asked – "Didn't you say it was her who warned you about the psycho"

"Yeah" – Brooke said thoughtfully. "It was her. But I have no idea what is going on."

Brooke shrugged her shoulders.

"Now what?"

"I am not sure. But Dean I am sorry" – she started. – "I am sorry for asking you to come, i will book a room somewhere here, you can go back in New York..."

"Hey, I told you I'll be here for you." – he said smiling – "And I don't mind spending some time here."

"Are you sure Blair will be okay with that?"

"I am sure I am okay with that."

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"TRIC" – Dean read as they were in front of a night club in Tree Hill.

"Yes" – Brooke nodded - "I suppose everyone will be here, I will have my last chance to talk to them."

"Peyton and Haley?"

"And Lucas and Nathan... I hope they will give me more support."

Dean nodded as they entered the club. "I will sat somewhere on the bar, find me when you are ready" Dean said. She smiled while they distanced. She spotted Peyton and Haley sitting on a table near the dance floor. Haley saw her and jogged Peyton. Brooke saw them both look at her.

"Brooke?"

"Nathan!" – she smiled widely, Nathan was smiling too.

"How have you been Brooke?"

The only one who asked her if she was okay. She knew Nathan wouldn't be mad on her. But before Brooke could reply, Haley ran to them grabbing Nathan away.

"What the hell are you doing?" – she yelled madly. "Do not talk to her."

Brooke looked confused as Nathan sent her a desperate look, apologizing with his eyes. She didn't know what she did that everyone hated her. Dean, who was watching everything used the chance Peyton was alone and went to her. She recognized him and grinned.

"Brooke's latest possession" – she said devishly.

"Why are you bitchy with your best friend?!"

"Because she is a bitch. I think you should know it, don't be blind." Peyton rummaged in her bag tooking out a tape. "Take that" she passed it to Dean. "Then you'll see I speak truth."

She left him stadning alone on the table, holding the tape. Brooke was coming to him and he quickly took it in his pocket.

"What was that?" – she asked winnowly.

"Nothing" – he lied. – "Success?"

"No" – Brooke said desperately. "I will try to talk to Lucas. He must be around."

Dean nodded and saw her disappear in the crowd for a second time. He took out the tape again and looked it carefully. What was it about Brooke that he had to know?

"Luke!" – she screamed after the blond man walking to the entrance of the club.

"Brooke?" – he turned surprised to see his ex girlfriend standing in front of him. – "What the hell...?"

"Listen just please don't freak out! Give me a chance to explain!" – Brooke said before he reacts like Haley and Peyton did. "Okay, I don't know why everyone hates me, but if it's because I left..."

"... without saying a word" – Lucas finished it. "But no, it's not about that."

"Then what?!"

"We found a sex tape. You and Nathan."

Brooke dropped her mouth opened. "Oh"

She glared at Lucas for a moment. "But how..."

"We were at a party at Nathan's when some people came across the tape. They thought it's porn, like it was. It was broadcasted in front of everyone..."

"What?!" – she yelled. "But why they hate me, it was soo long time ago! Nathan wasn't even with Haley, and he and Peyton had broken!"

"They know that" – Lucas confirmed. "I guess they're just hurt you never said that."

"Oh yes!" – Brooke shouted ironically. "I should have just mentioned it while we talk about Nathn. Hey Haley you know me and your husband had sex? And we recorded it yay!"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, that's all i know"

"Sorry Luke. Thanks for telling me that..." – she smiled at him. It was obvious he was on the edge of yelling at her too. She left him without a word, not telling him why. She concealed the real reason, but now she had to say something.

"Luke I am sorry for leaving you without saying anything. The thing was that I couldn't take that anymore. This relationship we had was hurting me, killing me inside. You know it too, it wasn't going well."

"But why didn't you tell me that before you left?!"

"Because Victoria insisted on me going immediately with her... And then I was scared to call you, any of you. After last night, I plucked up the courage to do it..."

"What happened last night?" he asked now noticing the wound on her face

Brooke quickly told him about Derek and what happened the previous night. After she ended her story Lucas seemed to be shocked and anxious as well.

"I will go. I hope that I will have one more chance with Peyton and Haley..."

"I will try talk to them." – Lucas nodded. "Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too"

She smiled and distanced leaving him stare at her.

Meanwhile, in the hotel room, Dean was standing in front of the TV, holding the tape Peyton gave him in his hand. It was only one meter which separated him from finding out Brooke's secret.