A/N – so I have literally just finished writing this chapter, having been staring at it for most of the day, hence the long wait for an up-date. I've had a crazy week, consisting of some work, a lot of driving and drinking, and a job interview lol. Hopefully this is worth the wait, so please review to give me some more inspiration.
It is revealed at the bottom of this chapter what Brooke had dressed Peyton as, hopefully I've not managed to give the game away too soon lol.
As always I do not own OTH or any of the characters x
Holding onto the hand rail for dear life, Haley and I eventually make it downstairs to my living room, just as someone knocks on the door, and I move to answer it. "Oh hey, Mouth," I smile, taking in his costume of beige slacks and checked shirt, and I know instantly that Brooke has sorted out his outfit for him.
"Wow Peyton, you look really pretty," he smiles, walking through the open door causing me to blush. "Holy crap Haley," he stutters when his eyes land on her, and she instantly goes bright red.
"Wait until you see Brooke," I giggle, just as she waltzes down the stairs, sweeping dramatically into the room.
"Did someone say my name? Mouth! You look perfect," she smiles, and I see that he cannot lift his jaw off the floor. "Is the limo outside waiting?"
"Er... ye... yeah," he eventually manages, while Haley and I crack up laughing behind him. Taking in a few deep breaths, I move to grab my bag from the table, getting ready to leave, and I notice Brooke's eye flash suspiciously for a second.
"Hang on, we need some more pictures," Brooke quickly decides, thrusting the camera into my hands whilst her eyes catch mine for a moment, but I can't decide what she is trying to tell me.
A few minutes later, having posed in every combination possible, my cheeks are hurting from smiling so much, Mouth is taking the (hopefully) final picture, just as the doorbell rings. I look at Brooke questioningly, who proceeds to ignore me as she goes to pull the door open.
"Nate," she greets, and Haley spins around quickly in shock almost sliding off her heels.
"Brooke," Nathan responds, not even batting an eyelash at her costume as he has known her long enough and nothing she does surprises him anymore, that plus the fact he couldn't rip his eyes away from Haley. "Haley... whoa," he stutters, causing her to turn bright red again whilst Brooke smirks behind his back, and I see instantly what she has done.
Glancing over Nathan's costume, he is dressed in black, straight legged jeans, a tight black t-shirt and his varsity jacket. His short spiky hair has been tamed using excess amounts of product so that it is slicked back at the sides and smoothed into a quiff at the top.
"Alright, Nate get your jaw off the floor, this limo won't wait forever," Brooke giggles, grabbing the camera from Mouth to snap a quick picture of them before walking out of the house, and we have no choice but to follow.
"Er... Brooke?" I question, sliding into the limo carefully and folding my long legs out of the way, so that Haley can slide in next to me. "Who exactly am I supposed to be?" I ask, feeling kind of like the third, well okay, fifth wheel
"Trust me, by the end of the night you will have figured it out," she answers cryptically before turning her back to me and engaging Mouth in conversation.
The journey between my house and Tric is usually relatively short, but Brooke had rented the limo for a half hour so we were making the most of it. Plus Brooke wanted to arrive fashionably late, so she began our party in the limo, by opening a bottle of champagne and handing out the small glasses.
"Here's to a memorable night," she smiles, clinking her glass against mine and downing the contents just as the car pulled to a smooth stop. Clambering out of one of the doors, I decide there is no elegant way to pull that off, until I see Brooke shimmy out like she has been doing it for years. I scowl at her for a moment, but I smile when I see Nathan hold out his hand to help Haley, and he keeps a protective hand on the small of her back after he see her stumble slightly in her heels.
Entering the cub, I see that it has been completely transformed since I was last in a few days ago when I was sorting out the records for the DJ. Karen has gone completely over the top, with banners, lights and I see over in one corner a massive cake shaped like a basketball, which I know she must have made.
Mouth, Nathan and Haley head in the direction of the tables, snagging an empty booth and I see through the flashing lights that he keeps hold of Haley's hand underneath the table whilst making conversation with Mouth. Brooke and I head over to the bar, where Karen is currently serving the queuing customers. She is dressed in a police uniform, complete with a black peaked hat perched on the back of her head.
"Peyton, I love that dress" she smiles, when she spots me and I see a glimmer in her eye, like she knows something I don't. Eventually she gets a moment to breathe and she closes the gap between us.
"Hey Karen," I smile in response, blushing slightly as I adjust the small strip of chiffon that made up the shoulder sleeves. "Brooke made it," I gesture next to me, only to find a stranger stood there instead of Brooke. "Not that guy... I wonder where she disappeared to." I ponder, just as my phone vibrates in my bag.
'Meet me in the centre of the dance floor,' was all it said, and I glance over in the direction of the DJ's booth, but can't see through the mass of people currently dancing under the lights.
"I'll be back in a minute," I tell Karen, and she just nods in response as she carries on serving customers. I meander slowly through the gyrating bodies, until I reach the centre of the wooden floor, directly underneath the glittering disco ball. Glancing around I don't see Brooke anywhere, as I assume it was her that sent me the message, although it was hard to make out anyone properly considering the costumes. For a second I see someone fly past dressed at the Raven's mascot, and I wondered how they managed to steal that from the supplies closet at school.
Rachel stalks past, wearing an unbelievably tight red dress with her chest pushed up somewhere near her chin, and a long blonde wig. On seeing me stood on the dance floor alone, she smirks at me, flicking her eyes in my direction and grabbing hold of her nearest minion to whisper something in her ear.
Shaking my head, I turn to leave, to go back over to the booth where Nathan and Haley are sat, but instead I crash into the back of someone dressed in a three piece suit and a Fedora hat, causing them to instantly turn around and grab me before I crash to the floor.
"Peyton?" I hear them question as I straighten my legs out underneath me and find my balance again, and I recognise the voice.
"Jake? Who are you dressed as?" I ask, glancing over his costume again, and notice the cute way he had tipped his hat slightly.
"Er... I think I'm supposed to be Dean Martin, or one of the rat pack... Brooke didn't really explain. How about you?"
I blush slightly. "I'm not entirely sure yet," I confess, before picking up on what he said. "Did Brooke dress everyone at this party?"
"Known Brooke then probably," Jake laughs, and I join in. Suddenly all the underlying tension between us lifted, and what was left was friendship. "Hey... do you want to dance?" he questions, and I nod in response, just as the DJ changes song and Jimmy Eat World's Hear You Me starts playing.
I step slightly closer and he places his hand gently on my corseted waist, pulling me flush against his body. As we sway slowly to the music, I automatically rest my cheek against his shoulder and I feel safe wrapped in his arms. Somewhere between the second and third chorus I let out the breath I'd been unconsciously holding, and a flood of acceptance flows through me, and with it I feel my heart heal.
"Hey, are you okay?" Jake whispers down into my ear responding to my change in body language.
I pull back slightly to look at him, and I smile. "You know, for once I think that I am," I reply honestly, just as Brooke bounces across.
"There you are," Brooke smiles, sliding her hand around my arm and pulling me away from Jake slightly so she could shout in my ear over the music. "Karen asked if you could find her some more straws as she has run out."
"Er... okay," I reply confused and I glance over to the bar where Karen is still run off her feet, but she pauses for a second to nod in our direction before carrying on. "Where about are they?"
"She mentioned something about them being in the corner of her office," Brooke gestures vaguely in one direction, before slipping back into the crowd.
I turn back to Jake who was looking at me with a confused expression. "Well, it looks like I've got a job to do," I smile, giving him a small wave before threading my way back through the dancing bodies. I quickly reach the edge of the dance floor, and twist the handle on the office's door, flicking the light on as I walk in, and letting the door slam behind me. Glancing around the room, I decide that the most logical place to store straws would be in the same place as the crates of drinks, which are stacked in the opposite corner.
Clicking my way across the room, the music from the DJ could still be heard clearly through the walls, and the beat was reverberating through the floor boards. I crouch down in the corner, rummaging through the various bags, but not having any luck locating even a hint of a box of straws.
I sigh, brushing my long curls over my shoulder, just as the door slams again and I visibly jump, standing quickly upright, but my voice cannot seem to function once I look across the room.
"Peyton? What are you doing in here?" Lucas beats me to it, and for a split second I want to kill Brooke. Raking my eyes up Lucas' tall frame, I see that Brooke has dressed him in black dress pants, an extremely fitted black shirt, which was clinging to his torso and a leather jacket.
"Er... Brooke said that your mom needed more straws," I eventually get out, blushing horribly as I play with the hem of my dress, and the music from the other room cuts out suddenly and the DJ begins to speak over the mike.
"Funny... mom just sent me in here to get another crate of beer..." Lucas starts and I hold my hand up to cut him off so that I can hear what the DJ was saying.
"So I have a song request from your very own Brooke Davis," he begins, and I start crossing the room to where Lucas is stood by the door. "This is dedicated to Team Leyton," the DJ fades out, and the unmistakeable sound of Hungry Eyes by Eric Carman thrums through the walls.
"Oh no, she hasn't," I whisper, instantly realizing my costume, and moving to open the door to find Brooke to kill her, but I quickly realize that it is locked. "Great! It looks like we are locked in."