Heya everybody, Merry Christmas.
Gift from me to you.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Discovering planet earth
"Rise and shine sleepy head" Rachel beamed walking over to the mirror in their ensuite bathroom.
"Okay, why are you so happy?" Brooke murmured from under her covers.
"What? Can't a girl be happy to go to school?"
Brooke laughed, sitting up in bed "A girl yes, a slut like you… hmm not so much"
Rachel smiled, putting on her lip gloss "You're right, that's why you can tell me why you came home so late last night"
"It was hardly late" Brooke said brushing her hair behind her ears
"You were in after me, trust me that's late. Plus you're usually the first one up so I know something's wrong"
Brooke didn't respond, instead she lay back on the bed, pulling the covers over her bed "I think I'm too sick to go to school" Brooke moaned
"Okay, whatever happened; it can't be that bad"
"No, it's not bad, it definitely wasn't bad" Brooke said smiling to herself
"Alright, so spill" Rachel nodded going over to sit on her bed
"But it might not be good either"
"Okay, now I'm confused. You did something last night with someone, which definitely wasn't bad, but it might not be good either and you don't want to go into school because you might have to see that certain person…" Rachel said getting lost in her own trail of thoughts. "Ah, I've got it; you finally confessed your undying love for Peyton"
"Rachel" Brooke picked up her pillow and threw it her.
"What? All that weird sexual tension, you want Lucas, she wants Lucas when all this time…"
"Rachel!" Brooke shouted, trying to get her to be serious "Just forget it, I'd rather go to school than sit here and listen to you any longer" Brooke said getting up and going into the bathroom.
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Karen sat and the dining table, drinking a cup of coffee as she watched her son walk into the kitchen.
"Morning ma" Lucas smiled as he walked over to fridge getting out some juice.
"Morning" Karen replied.
Lucas sat down at the table opposite her avoiding eye contact.
"So Brooke came over last night" Karen began, figuring she'd have to bring it up sometime.
Lucas shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, nodding.
"Is everything alright?"
"I don't know" Lucas answered honestly
Karen nodded and retuned to her cup of tea, sensing Lucas probably didn't want to talk about whatever happened or didn't happen last night.
"Ma" Lucas asked
"Yes Lucas" Karen looked up
"Did you…" Lucas began, unsure whether or not he wanted to ask his mom about her relationship with Dan "Did you find it easy; forgiving Dan after everything he put you through?" Lucas asked.
Karen could sense where this was going "Lucas, you are nothing like Dan"
"No, I know…"
"And Dan's nothing like Dan anymore. He's changed, he's become a better farther to Nathan and to you…he's really trying"
Lucas tried to see where his mother was coming from but he just wasn't buying, not after he'd witnessed Dan shouting at Brooke that evening at Dan's house. Lucas however nodded amicably "I just… I just wanted to know, if you can ever forgive someone, you know truly forgive someone and trust them again, even though they hurt you in the past"
Karen looked at Lucas, she could feel his guilt and she wish she could make it stop but something told her that the only way he'd truly forgive himself for hurting Brooke, would be if she forgave him.
"I think that you can forgive almost anything, if you truly want to, if you truly want to move on and…" Karen said reaching out for Lucas's hand "I truly believe Brooke wants to forgive you, she wants to move on; she just needs time"
Lucas smiled thankfully, hoping his mother was right.
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As Brooke and Rachel approached their lockers, Brooke couldn't help but look around for Lucas. She had decided on three relatively good ways of handling having to see Lucas. The first was to pretend the whole thing never happened, smile blissfully and go about her business. The second was to find Lucas and talk to him and the third; was to ignore him like the plague.
After careful consideration, whilst briefly playing out each scenario in her hand; Brooke decided to go with option three seeing as she wasn't under the influence of any intoxicating substance so she couldn't pretend it didn't happen and as for option two, well, talking about things was always Lucas's forte so; avoiding him like the plague seemed like the most likeliest of options at least until she could figure out what everything meant.
Just as Brooke thought she had all the worries she could get, Mouth showed up sending her into the unwanted realisation that she still the whole mess with Dan to think about.
"Hi Brooke, Rachel" Mouth smiled at the both of them.
"Hey Mouth" Rachel and Brooke replied.
"So…" Mouth began, gesturing at Brooke "Have either of you got history next?"
Brooke could see what Mouth was implying but honestly did not feel like talking about Dan this morning "Erm… no" Brooke said shaking her head
"So why are you getting out your history books then?" Mouth asked pointing at the books Brooke was taking out of her locker.
Brooke looked from Mouth to Rachel who was giving Brooke, her infamous "you weirdo" look.
"Erm… well" Brooke thought as she glanced down the hall only to see Lucas. "Yeah you're right Mouth. Let's go" She said, quickly shutting her locker, linking arms with Mouth and walking down the hall in the opposite direction.
"So…" Brooke began as her and Mouth walked down the hall "You had something to tell me, good news no doubt" Brooke said not trying to hide her sarcasm.
Mouth understood, the whole thing was getting out of hand, he never meant to get Brooke so involved, not to the point where Dan actually thought it was all her. "Look I'm sorry Brooke, I hate that the only thing we seem to talk about is this, it's just… your cell phone"
"Yeah"
"We have to get it back. Dan has it; he could do anything with it"
"Like what, make long distance phone calls" Brooke said trying to make light of the situation.
"No, I mean like give it to the police or something. As proof that we broke in" Mouth said, trying to be quiet, so as not to draw any attention to them.
"Well that's hardly any proof Mouth. I went to his party and left it there"
"Yeah, the party where… you know what happened. And plus, if they read the messages I sent you…"
"So this is about you. Covering your back" Brooke began to raise her voice
"No Brooke, it's not like that I swear" Mouth said, trying to lower the volume of their conversation.
"Really? Tell me Mouth, if I had none of your incriminating messages on my cell would you be so keen for us to break into Dan's house AGAIN" Brooke's voice was dangerously loud and people hard started staring. Mouth noticed, smiling nervously as he pulled Brooke into the nearest classroom.
"Brooke you know it's not like that. Despite everything I am your friend, first and foremost and I'd never…" Mouth began genuinely as Brooke cut him off.
"I know, I know" She said tiredly as she sat down on the nearest desk. "I'm just a mess recently. One minute I'm mad at you, the next I'm mad at…"
"Lucas?" Mouth asked only to see Brooke look away at the sound of Lucas's name. "How are things between the two of you?"
Brooke fiddled with her hair, debating whether not to say anything, she wasn't quite sure whether she felt like talking about it. "I… we… something happened last night?"
"Something good or something bad?" Mouth asked
"I think good, I mean… it felt good" Brooke said quietly almost blushing.
"So why are you avoiding him?" Mouth asked slightly confused
"I'm not avoiding him"
Mouth just looked at her "Please, you couldn't have wanted to get out of there faster when you saw Lucas coming down the hall"
"You saw that?" Brooke asked
"Yeah, it wasn't exactly subtle"
Brooke shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say.
"Brooke, Lucas is a good guy, his hearts in the right place. You know there is a difference between good people who do bad things and bad people who do bad things"
"I know it's just I just can't talk to him right now"
"Because you don't know what to say…?"
"Because I'm afraid I'll get nervous, of feel vulnerable and come out saying something really bitchy just to cover it up"
Mouth could see where she was coming from Brooke did have a tendency to come out with "slightly offensive" things to hide her own fears and insecurities.
"And don't even get me started about what I think of Dan" Brooke sighed
"What do you think?" Mouth asked eager to sort this thing out
"I don't know, I don't want to talk about it now"
"Come on, you can talk to me" Mouth persisted "What is it?"
"Yes Miss Davis, what is it?" A voice from the front of the classroom asked.
Brooke and Mouth turned instantly to see who it was.
"Dan?" Brooke said incomplete shock. "What the…"
"You two were so engrossed in your adolescent problems that neither of you bothered to check whether this classroom was actually free"
"What are you doing here?" Mouth asked
"Nice of you to join the conversation Mr McFadden but if you wouldn't mind stepping outside, I need talk to Miss Davis"
Brooke grabbed Mouth's arm instantly. Mouth looked up at Brooke, the fear apparent in her eyes.
"Well Brooke and I have history together so I'll just wait here for her"
Dan had noticed Brooke's not so subtle reach for Mouth's hand. "Very well, I was just going to remind Brooke that despite her being a true supporter of my political campaign, she doesn't have to go around advertising my commitment to my responsibilities as the mayor. That's what the commercials are for" Dan smirked.
"What?" Mouth asked
"Just now… Brooke said she had something to tell you about me… all good things I'm sure" Dan spoke, the sarcasm dripping from his every word.
Now even Mouth wasn't getting creeped out by him "Erm, we really need to go" Mouth said, smiling politely before leading Brooke out the room and walking as far away as possible from Dan as they could.
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Brooke sat in class, trying hard to keep her heart beating at a normal pace. She had already excused herself to the bathroom twice in one lesson and both times the teacher, Mrs Harper had whined saying "You've just had your lunch break Penelope Davis, I'm sure if you hadn't spent most of your time gossiping with you're cheerleading friends then you'd have had time to go to the lavatory"
Okay, first off all who says lavatory anymore, it's like the 21st century, the last time the word lavatory was used Brooke could have sworn was amongst the early days of discovering planet earth, and secondly her name was Brooke not Penelope… Brooke. Why was it that every teacher apart from Mrs Harper managed to get her name right? Brooke was sure it had something to do with the fact that she was like a hundred years old and still trying to teach sex ed.
Brooke was slightly grateful for having something else other to think about other than Dan, even if it was how annoying Mrs Harper could be. Just as Brooke was beginning to relax there was a knock at the classroom door.
Mrs Harper walked over to open the door "Ah yes, I nearly forgot, hello Mr Mayor"
Brooke's head shot up. You have got to be kidding me!
"Class, Mr Scott has come to talk to us about inspiration and determination, he…"
Brooke couldn't focus on what Mrs Harper was saying; all she could see was Dan staring at her. It was beginning to get really hot in the classroom. Was she imagining it, or was Dan just staring at her. Brooke looked back at Mouth who had the same worried expression on his face. She had to get out of there, she felt like she couldn't breath.
"Mrs Harper" Brooke interrupted, standing up "I've got to…"
"Let me guess, you've got to go to the lavatory AGAIN. Well I'm sorry not this…"
"No" Brooke interrupted rather harshly but at this point she couldn't concentrate on being polite, all she could think about was breathing and how hot it was in that room. "I've got to go to the gym… the locker room... to get my asthma pump"
"You have asthma?" Quite a few heads turned, people looked rather surprised at the revelation that the head of the cheerleaders had asthma, even Dan looked surprised but in the way the others did, as if he was rather impressed by her on the spot lie.
"I do now" Brooke muttered to herself.
"Okay" Mrs Harper nodded, although she might not have been completely convinced that Brooke had asthma, Mrs Harper had to admit that Brooke did look rather pale "As long as you're…"
Brooke didn't wait to hear the rest of Mrs Harper's sentence; instead she walked out of the classroom as fast as she could.
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Lucas had been in French for nearly half an hour and yet he hadn't even opened his text book.
"Pretty scintillating cover huh" Haley smiled as she turned, leaning over to talk to him.
"What?" Lucas asked totally out of it.
"The cover of the book you haven't opened for the last thirty minutes"
"Oh yeah" Lucas nodded briefly
"Okay, what happened?" Haley asked, crossing her arms
Lucas looked up at Haley contemplating whether or not he felt like talking about everything, I mean it was alright in his mind where no one could call him on the stupid things he'd done but this was Haley and he didn't know whether he was ready to her "honest truth".
"I kissed Brooke" Lucas said, waiting for the shock or "you shouldn't have's"
"Hmm, okay"
"What you're not surprised?" Lucas asked a little surprised by her calm reaction.
"I am surprised that you, who is clearly still in love with her would actually do something about it and kiss her? No. But am I surprised that upon such a long awaited event you would be sitting her looking really sad then… yes. Yes I am surprised"
"I'm just worried I screwed up things" Lucas said honestly
"I don't get it?" Haley asked
"I'm scared I might have pushed her away, you know? It's just we were doing so well being friends and I was just happy to be around her, talk to her the way we used and now, now because of last night she might not even want to be my friend" Lucas spoke really fast
"Okay, slow down Lucas. What happened last night after you kissed her. Did she back away…?"
"Well no, she kissed me back" Lucas replied
"So then what's the problem" Haley asked slightly confused.
Lucas sighed "Dan said she regretted it"
"What? Wait, how does Dan now how she feels?"
"He's in school today making a speech about inspiration and determination or something like that and he said, he over heard Brooke talking to Mouth this morning. He said she regretted it" Lucas said sadly.
"So Dan came and spoke to you about how Brooke felt about kissing you" Haley asked a little unconvinced by the whole situation.
"No" Lucas laughed a little "He told Nathan and Nathan told me"
"Why would he talk to Nathan about that?"
"I don't know. Him and Nathan are close" Lucas shrugged
"Yeah but it's still weird"
"He told Nathan not to say anything to me"
"Yeah but he had to know that Nathan would" Haley said, building her own conspiracy theory.
Ever since that evening at Dan's house, Haley had struggled to have the same blind faith in Dan that Nathan had. She had so badly wanted to believe in Dan as this newly changed man, if not for herself but for Nathan but she just couldn't. Of course that being said she knew he wasn't a murderer, she just didn't believe his sincerity about most, if not all things.
"Whatever, Brooke still regrets what happened and is clearly trying to avoid me" Lucas sighed
"Hey Luke" Haley said
"Yep"
"Is that your cell vibrating?" She said a little too loudly as the teacher looked up.
Lucas smiled apologetically at the teacher as he tried to check his text discretely.
"It's from Brooke" Lucas whispered to Haley.
"Well, what does it say?"
Lucas opened the text.
Meet me in the locker rooms. We really need to talk.
"I've got to go" Lucas said to Haley. "Erm Mr Peterson" Lucas said raising his hand
"Just be quick" Mr Peterson mumbled without even lifting his head.
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Brooke sat down on the bench in the locker rooms. She didn't even know why she'd come here, she didn't really have asthma. I guess no one would find her here. The guys didn't have practice and the girls didn't have cheerleading so she was safe for another hour or so, or however long it would take Dan to give his speech on inspiration.
Brooke tried not to think about Dan and how often she was running into him but the more she tried to stop thinking about it, the more anxious it made her that she couldn't. It was starting to get hot again. Brooke stood up, pacing around a little. Know that she'd come to think of it, she hadn't had any to eat for breakfast or lunch. It had just been one thing after the other. Brooke opened her locker, looking for a bottle of water but she couldn't find one. Frustrated she slammed her locker angrily. God, why was everything such a mess.
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Lucas walked into the girl's locker room, he had thought of two possible ways in which this whole thing could play out. One, Brooke could be nice and kindly tell him that what happened last night was a mistake, a mistake they should both try and forget or two; she could be mean, tell him it's best they don't talk to one another and that being friends is obviously impossible as he couldn't be trusted not to stick his tongue down her throat. Either way… Lucas would lose, but that wouldn't stop him not anymore.
If you want something, you have to fight for it and he wanted Brooke, he wanted to be with her, hold her, kiss her. He wanted to be her shoulder to cry on and the one person she could rely on. He wanted to be the guy of her dreams and if that meant waiting until she was ready to trust him, believe in him and their love then he could wait.
As Lucas walked into the locker room, he was surprised to see Brooke sitting on the floor, curled up in a ball.
"Brooke"
Brooke looked up instantly. Oh my god, what's he doing here? Brooke stood up quickly wiping the tears off her cheek.
"Lucas, what are you doing here?" Brooke asked, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.
"Brooke you're upset"
"Lucas you can't be here right now, please just go" Brooke pleaded. He couldn't be here right now, not when she was like this. She was barely keeping it together. She needed to think, clear her head, calm down and that wasn't possible when he was standing there looking at her with those beautiful blue eyes.
Lucas looked at Brooke, her eyes were puffy and she was fiddling anxiously with her hands. Something was wrong, he didn't know what but Brooke was usually so together, in control but now she looked scared, unsure. "Brooke, I'm not leaving you, not when you're like this" Lucas said stepping towards her.
Brooke titled her head back, any closer and she was going to start crying again.
"Brooke?" Lucas began softly
Brooke looked down, trying to avoid meeting those blue eyes. She couldn't look at him and lie to him again.
Lucas placed two fingers under her chin, gently lifting her head. "Brooke talk to me" Lucas tried.
"I can't" Brooke said, shaking her head, trying to fight back the tears "I want to but I can't… I just can't Lucas"
Lucas looked her, worried and confused. He couldn't protect her if he didn't know what was wrong, but he didn't want to force her to talk about something she didn't want to; especially when she was upset. Lucas nodded, trying to understand as he brushed her hair behind her ear, pulling her into a hug.
He felt Brooke tense up at first but then relax as she rested her head against his chest. She felt safe in his arms, and even though she knew that he couldn't protect her from Dan, in that moment it felt like no matter what, in spite of everything, there in his arms she'd be safe, they'd both be safe.
Brooke closed her eyes, trying to remember the last time she'd felt safe.
"Brooke…" Lucas began breaking Brooke's thoughts as she stepped out of the hug. "What are you so scared of?" He asked, brushing her hair from her face.
Brooke felt her heart melt as he touched her, as he asked her the question he long deserved to know the answer to. She wanted to tell him, she wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be alright and that they'd get through it, together. But he couldn't do that unless she told him, unless he knew the truth.
"It's about… Dan" Brooke struggled to say as she saw Lucas's eyes widen
"Is that what you wanted to talk about in your text?" Lucas asked slightly confused
"What text?" Brooke asked
"The text you sent me, that's why I came here, you asked me to meet you here so we could talk"
"No I didn't, I don't have my cell. I left it at…" Suddenly Brooke realised "Oh my god" She whispered.
"What Brooke? What's wrong?"
"Oh my god, he knows" Brooke began panicking, looking for her bag.
"Brooke, what's wrong? What are you looking for?"
"My bag, I need to go, I need to find my…" Brooke stuttered, until she remembered "I didn't bring my bag, oh no, I left in class with…him" Brooke spat, the hatred apparent on her last word.
"Wait, what has any of this got to do with Dan?" Lucas asked trying to put together the fragments of information Brooke had just attempted to give him. "Is this because he told me you regret what happened last night?"
"What?" Brooke spun round to face Lucas "How does he know what happ… did you talk to him about it?" Brooke asked, not sure who she was more shocked at, Lucas or Dan.
"No, no of course I didn't I wou…"
"Then how does he know?" Brooke asked, struggling to work out how Dan was masterminding and controlling every situation.
"He over heard you tell Mouth you regretted it, and told Nathan about it, but he told Nathan not to tell me"
Brooke was absolutely and completely stunned. Dan had managed to manipulate everything. He'd wormed his way into their school, he'd lied to Lucas indirectly, saying she had regretted last night when she had said nothing of the sort and he'd used her cell to get Lucas here, in the locker rooms where Dan knew she'd be, just to spite her; when he heard her tell Mouth she wanted to avoid him. The more Brooke thought about it, the more she thought that there had to be another reason why Dan had gone to all this trouble, a reason which she couldn't figure out, not at this very moment.
"Lucas, listen to me, I never said that and I don't have my cell, I didn't text you. Do you get what's happened?" Brooke asked, hoping he'd understood and managed to put the pieces together himself.
"No, I don't Brooke. You're going to have to give me a little more to go on here. What does this have to do with Dan?" Lucas asked frustrated, he wanted to understand, he wanted to help but for the life of him, he just couldn't see a connection between these series of events.
"Everything Lucas, everything… it all has to do with Dan…"
"Well as the mayor" Dan spoke calmly but clearly "I'd have to agree with you Miss Davis…"
Brooke spun around to see none another than Dan, standing by the lockers looking awfully smug with himself. Brooke mentally kicked herself for allowing him to catch her talking about him for the second time that day and wondered how long he had been standing there.
"As flattered as I am that you seem more than keen to converse about me…" Dan continued "I highly doubt now is the time for you and Lucas to discuss my scrupulous responsibilities as the mayor. Mrs Harper was getting awfully worried about you Miss Davis, you went off to get an… asthma pump was it, and never came back so I reassured her, by offering to go and make sure you were alright. Had I known you and Lucas were making up for lost time I would not have worried" Dan spoke slowly giving his infamous evil smirk.
"That's you all over Dan, Mr Selfless Do-Gooder" Lucas smirked, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"You might not care what I think Lucas, but I'm sure you care what you're mother thinks and I'm positive she would not be happy to hear you were skipping class to do whatever is was you were doing here with Miss Davis"
Lucas frowned.
"I'd get back to class, if I were you Lucas… now" Dan said, sternly but not to forcefully knowing not to push his luck with Lucas, considering the last confrontation they'd had.
Lucas looked over at Brooke, who was staring angrily at Dan. In that moment she looked like she hated his guts just as much as he did. Lucas reluctantly did as his father had said, walking towards the door.
"Hurry to class Lucas, I need to have a word with Miss Davis here about her work" Dan smiled.
Lucas just rolled his eyes at Dan before looking at Brooke, to check if she was alright.
Brooke could feel Dan looking at her. What was she supposed to do, what was she supposed to say 'Stay Lucas, your dad killed your uncle and I'm afraid he'll do the same to me'. Brooke just smiled and nodded.
Lucas smiled sadly at Brooke before hurrying to class. He wished they could have finished their conversation, he knew something was wrong, he just didn't know what it was.
"About your work Miss Davis…" Dan began as soon as Lucas had left.
"You're not my teacher, so leave me alone" Brooke spat angrily.
"Listen to me, little girl. I'm getting a little tired of you and your pathetic cries for attention. Keep your nose out of things that do not concern you" Dan said bitterly.
"You mean like my cell. How dare you text Lucas from my phone and lie about something that had nothing to do with you" Brooke said, trying to keep a discrete volume. "Don't ever do that again okay. Just leave me alone" She spat, walking past Dan.
As soon as she stepped past, Dan reached out for her arm, grabbing it and pulling her in front of him. Brooke was so taken aback by his sudden harshness; she didn't even have time to scream "Just remember whose holding all the cards, little girl. You make my life hell and two can play that game. Stay out of things you know nothing about"
Brooke could feel her heart racing; his fingers were digging into her arm. Brooke winced trying to wriggle free but he only tightened his grip. Her thoughts were cast back to that night in the car and the evening at his house. She had never felt as much hatred for one person as she did now. She could feel the hatred boiling inside her, giving her a courage or stupidity she didn't recognise "I do know what happened" Brooke whispered, trying to gain momentum "You killed Keith. You shot him and you watched him die. And I'm going to tell Karen and Lucas. I'll tell them how you murdered your own brother" A tear rolled down her cheek, as hatred spewed from her every word.
For once, Dan was speechless. He didn't know what to say or what to do. Brooke noticed this and made the mistake of relaxing a little, as she became slightly more confident, trying to wriggle free. Dan seized that moment of weakness and grabbed her face, digging his fingers into her cheeks. "You shut up, you shut up now!" Dan shouted completely losing control as he spun her round pinning her against the locker.
The lockers crashed with Brooke's back, causing her legs to give way but as they did Dan held her up, pinning her against the locker. Brooke was shaking, tears streaming down her face. If he'd ever thought before that Brooke was fearless he had thought wrong. It had become survival of the fittest and right now the only person jeopardising his chances of survival was Brooke Davis.
"Hey!" A voice shouted "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Dan let go of Brooke instantly causing her to fall to the floor. Dan didn't turn around, instead he paused for a moment trying to match the voice he'd just heard to any familiar face but, he couldn't. Dan frantically ran his hands through his hair, trying to come up with a "logical" explanation for what this witness may have just seen.
Dan turned around slowly. In front of him stood a familiar scrawny blonde;
Peyton Sawyer.
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Sorry about the HUGMUNGOUS delay. Things have been so hectic.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Special thanks to redfeather1988 (Thank you for your long reviews, I glad you really like the story and I agree, it definitely would be nice to reach 100 reviews, wink wink, lol) and stefybboh (Thanks for your comment, I'm really glad you like the story. I try my best to maintain the reality when I'm not having Dan pin Brooke against the lockers, lol)
Tis the season to be jolly so… despite my not so jolly chapter…
Click review and tell me what you think :-)