Secret No. 37: Even good people can fall from grace.
"Brooke, are you ready? Brooke…?"
Brooke felt a nudge to her shoulder and looked over at Millie. "Huh?"
"Are you ready?" Millie questioned.
"Um, yeah," she replied. "Let's do this." Today was her designated day to have a run-through of the models wearing the clothes and walking down the runway. The real competition would be taking place next weekend. She didn't have much time, since the other designers needed to come in and choreograph their show, too. Brooke glanced towards the entrance of the auditorium again hoping to see Lucas. He said that he wanted to be there for the rehearsal. He knew that she'd been under a lot of pressure lately and needed support. Unfortunately, he hadn't arrived yet.
"Okay then," Millie replied. She went over to talk to the backstage and technical crew while Brooke went to check over the models.
"Alright, so do you girls have the order and everything down?" Brooke questioned. The models all nodded. "Good. I want to run through this thing at least a couple of times to make sure it's perfect."
"Don't worry, Designer Brooke," Solaris assured her. "We got this."
Brooke smiled. "Which is why you are the best models ever. Now get into formation please so we can start."
Millie returned to Brooke's side as the music started and the lights were adjusted overhead. The models began to strut their stuff down the runway. Brooke watched the girls carefully in between helping them to change quickly. After the first run-through, Brooke decided to go sit out front and watch the models more carefully.
"Ready?" Brooke called to Millie.
Millie gave her a thumbs up. The music started as the lights changed, once again. Brooke watched in awe as Solaris, Maci, Reese, Bethany, and Chantal worked the clothes. It was a very different effect watching it from a spot in the audience.
When the second rehearsal was done, Brooke stood up to go backstage and compliment the models. She wanted them to know that their performance and confidence was killer. That's exactly what Brooke wanted them to do the day of the show. But before she could even make her way over, she heard someone clapping behind her.
"I must say that was impressive…for a rookie."
Brooke's whole body froze up when she heard that voice. That familiar, cold, condescending voice. She slowly turned around and came face-to-face with none other than Victoria Davis herself. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. Brooke had been expecting to see her. Considering the situation, it was an automatic given. But what she hadn't expected was to run into the ice queen herself a week before the competition even started.
"What are you doing here?"
Victoria laughed wryly. "Oh, Brooke, I remember you being pretty and naïve but not necessarily this slow. I run the company. It's my job to oversee that events like these are properly set up. We wouldn't want any complications to arise now, would we?"
Brooke gave her a humorless laugh of her own. "Well, I remember you being older but not necessarily this bitchy," she retorted. Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly, much to Brooke's satisfaction. "But what I meant was that I didn't think you'd show up this early."
"Well, when I got the list of junior designers competing I simply just couldn't stay away," Victoria stated while folding her arms. "I was shocked when I saw that you were a part of this. I originally thought that maybe it was someone else with the same name. I didn't think you'd have the guts to show your designs on a scale this large. Not after what happened the last time you tried to get discovered by our company."
"Oh, you mean like when you stole my designs and passed them off as your own?" she shot back.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I told you last time that your line wasn't DKNY material. I don't understand where you would get the ludicrous idea that we somehow took your ideas. Or why you would even want to sign up for a competition like this." Brooke didn't miss the condescension in her tone. But she refused to appear intimidated—even if she was feeling slightly shaken at the moment.
"Honestly, I didn't think it could've actually happened either. At least until I saw my designs in a window display of one of your stores," Brooke countered. "And that's exactly why I'm here. You may have gotten away with stealing my hard work and creativity the last time, but I won't let it happen again. I was chosen for this competition because the judges saw something they liked in my designs. And I'll win because of that same reason."
"That's awfully ambitious of you. But you have to know that that won't happen," she explained with a pitying smile. "There are many other junior designers here who are much more polished and talented than you. Whatever gift for fashion you think you have, it will only take you so far. No good can come of you putting yourself through something like this. You'll be humiliated."
Brooke felt Victoria's words hit her hard. She'd basically just played on every fear she had about entering this competition. But Brooke remained calm and collected as she stared Victoria down. "Bring it on, bitch."
"Brooke!" Millie called as she approached. "We need you backstage. The zipper on Solaris' dress got stuck when she was trying to take it off. I didn't touch it, because I didn't want to ruin it."
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Wardrobe malfunctions already…that can't be good."
"It's nothing I can't handle," Brooke replied.
"Whatever you say, Miss James," she replied unconvinced. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe there is another young designer named Erica Marsh coming in next. I saw her sketches, and they were simply divine. I just have to meet her."
"Who the hell was that?" Millie questioned, confused, as the older woman turned her back and swiftly walked away.
Brooke's eyes narrowed as her hands balled into fists. "The devil incarnate."
"What about this?"
"Ew! No, I am definitely not wearing a dress like that."
"Oh come on, it's totally cool. It looks like something out of one of those legendary rock videos," Peyton declared.
"Peyton, the rock star look is not what I'm going for with this wedding," Haley argued. The pair was in Peyton's dorm sitting on the bed while they looked through countless bridal magazines and pictures. Haley and Nathan had decided to have their wedding in either late May or early June, which only left them two to three months to plan the whole thing.
"Well, we've looked through like a hundred of these magazines already. What do you want?"
"Something more traditional and elegant," Haley explained. "And I need to find a picture soon so that Brooke can start making it."
"Is she going to have time? You know, with this whole Rogue Vogue thing she's going to be pretty stressed and wiped out," Peyton pointed out.
"Well, that's why I didn't originally ask her. I know that she's got a lot going on right now, but she insisted on doing it," Haley replied. "She was actually kind of scary. But, regardless, I would like for her to be the one to make it anyway."
"Then let's hurry up and find this picture," Peyton said while picking up another magazine.
There was then a knock on the door.
"Come in," she shouted.
Jake entered and smiled at them mischievously. "Bow chicka wow wow…so, which one of you ladies ordered a pizza?" he asked in a low, sexy voice.
Haley and Peyton busted out laughing.
"Oh my God," Haley muttered.
"Sicko," Peyton teased.
Jake chuckled as he walked over to the bed. He put the pizza box down and leaned over to give her a quick kiss. "I bring you pizza and this is the thanks I get?" he kidded.
"Well, we didn't realize that the pizza also came with extra sausage."
"Peyton!" Haley exclaimed, laughing.
Jake grinned proudly. "Nice. But all joking aside, when I'd heard the two of you were holed up in this room, I figured I'd spring for lunch."
"Thank you, Jake. That was very nice of you," Haley replied sincerely as she opened the box and took a slice. She was starving.
"It was," Peyton agreed. "You're so sexy when you're sweet."
Jake took a seat next to her. "Really? I'll have to remember that." He kissed her affectionately.
"Let's tone it down, guys. I don't actually want to be in a porno," Haley joked.
"Ha ha," Peyton mocked as she, too, grabbed a slice. "So, were you at the hospital with Jenny all day?"
"Pretty much. I have to work later on, though."
"I was planning on visiting her later. So I'll be with her when you leave," Peyton explained.
"How is she doing?" Haley questioned. "Did the doctors say anything yet?"
Jake shrugged. "They're trying to be optimistic. But we won't know if the new treatments are actually working until she gets another set of tests done, which should be coming up soon."
"Well, we'll keep her in our prayers," Haley told him.
"Thank you," Jake said with a small smile. "Now, what are you ladies up to?"
"As you can see by all of the bridal magazines, we're trying to get some ideas for Haley's wedding dress."
"Did you find anything yet?"
Haley shook her head. "Not yet."
Peyton stared at Jake for a moment before an idea popped into her head. "Honey, now that you're here, it would be nice to have a man's opinion."
"Sure. What is it?" Jake replied.
"What do you think of this dress?" Peyton questioned as she held up the picture of her dream dress—which also happened to be the one Haley rejected.
Meanwhile, Haley put her hand over her mouth to hide the smile threatening to break free. Poor Jake. He's being set up and he doesn't even know it, she thought.
Jake looked at the picture for a few seconds before replying, "I don't know. It's okay."
Peyton felt her heart sink. "Just okay?"
"I guess. It's just…" he trailed off with a shrug.
"It's just what?" Peyton urged.
Haley quietly snickered, which earned her a quick jab in the side from her sister.
"I think it looks a little slutty for a wedding."
When Peyton's face dropped and eyes narrowed, Haley could no longer control herself as she laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?" Jake asked, clearly perplexed.
"Oh, nothing," Peyton commented. "You just happen to think my dream dress is for hookers. That's all."
"What? Your dream dress? I thought we were talking about something for Haley."
"Well, I'm getting ideas, too. I would like to get married someday, after all," Peyton declared, a bit miffed.
"You never mentioned it before."
"Well, I'm mentioning it now. And you pretty much just ruined my whole plan."
Jake frowned. "There's a plan?"
"Every woman has a plan when it comes to her future wedding," Haley said. She could remember thinking about it when she was younger. In fact, she'd even staged the whole thing using her Barbie dolls. Of course Brooke was the wedding planner and such. Peyton never played, since she hated dolls. But she did give some advice here and there.
"Exactly. And you just spoiled mine," she concurred with a pout.
Jake scratched his head, clearly at a loss for how to respond. "Um…I'm sorry?"
Brooke couldn't make it to Lucas' room fast enough. After her rehearsal was done, Erica had made her grand entrance into the auditorium—practically ordering Brooke and her models to get the hell out since it was her turn. And if that wasn't enough to piss her off, Victoria had been right there next to her. Brooke could hear her gushing over Erica's clothes and how she had such a bright future. As soon as she was done cleaning up and organizing, Brooke had swiftly gotten out of there. To say that she was upset at the moment was an understatement.
She hated that Victoria made her feel so small again—like she really was nothing. It killed Brooke to see her hard work already being considered less than mediocre. That was why she needed to see Lucas. He always had a way of calming her down and giving her support. And that's exactly what she needed right now.
As Brooke walked down the hallway, she could see that the door to Lucas' room was slightly open. He had to be there, because Skills was the one who usually liked it shut. Brooke quickened her pace. When she got closer, she could hear Lucas' voice. Brooke instantly felt a sense of calmness start to wash over her. However, just as she was about to open the door further and enter the room, another voice stopped her.
"Luke, I am really proud of you." Brooke immediately knew that it was Lindsey who was the other person.
"You've only said that about a hundred times," Lucas replied, chuckling.
"Well, I mean it. This book you wrote, it's amazing," Lindsey complimented. "It really spoke to me."
"I'm glad. I haven't really let anyone else read it, so your opinion means a lot to me."
He let her read it? What?! Brooke leaned in a bit closer.
"Well, I'm glad that you trusted me enough to let me be the first to read it," she stated. "And I promise I won't let you down."
Lucas shook his head. "If you can't do it, then don't worry about it."
"Luke, I'm looking out for you. And this will happen."
What are they talking about? What will happen? Brooke was beyond confused at the moment. She also couldn't help but feel the jealous stab rip through her heart. Why would Lucas tell Lindsey about his book and not her? Why would he let her be the one to read it first? Did he not trust Brooke to keep it a secret? Did he write something that maybe she wouldn't like?
Her muddled thoughts were interrupted a moment later by her boyfriend's voice. "Thank you," he stated sincerely.
"No, thank you," Lindsey replied. Silence then followed.
Wanting to know what the hell was going on, Brooke moved just enough so that she could see into the room. The pair was locked in a tight embrace. But it wasn't until she saw Lindsey lean up to leave a soft kiss on his cheek that she felt the rest of her heart rip in two. An unexpected tear slid down Brooke's face that she quickly wiped away.
Afterward, she turned around to leave. She'd already had a horrible day. This was just the icing on the cake.
Brooke clutched her cup of tea as she looked across the room through the wide glass windows. She was sitting in a booth tucked in the corner of a nearby coffee shop. She looked at her watch to check the time. After a couple more minutes of waiting, Chase finally arrived. It took him a few seconds to spot her before walking over.
"Hey, I got your message. I came as soon as I could," Chase said as he took a seat across from her in the booth. "You sounded awful on the phone. Are you okay?"
Brooke looked up at him with watery eyes. "Not really," she said in a shaky voice. She felt more tears spill down her cheeks. She'd spent the whole day trying to keep her emotions at bay. But now they seemed intent on coming out.
"What's wrong?" Chase asked, worried. He reached across the table to take her hand in his.
"A lot of things," Brooke mumbled.
"Like what?" he prodded gently.
"Rogue Vogue, my designs, Luke…pretty much everything." She tried to wipe some of the tears away but more just came. Chase reached over and grabbed a napkin. He then handed it to her.
"Thanks," Brooke whispered.
"Well, why don't you start with Rogue Vogue," Chase suggested. "I thought everything was going good with that."
"It was until that stupid bitch Victoria arrived today," she replied.
"Victoria? You mean the one who stole your designs?"
Brooke nodded. "The one and only."
"Did you talk to her?"
"Unfortunately…"
"What did she say?" Chase prodded further.
"Pretty much everything that she told me the last time. I'm not talented, my clothes suck, and there is no way I'm going to win. And she also denied that they ever took my original designs," she explained as a small sob escaped her.
"Brooke, you know that's all bullshit," he reminded her. "She's a bitch."
"And if that wasn't horrible enough," Brooke continued, "one of the zippers of my dresses got stuck, which just added to the smug look already on her face. And then that stupid kiss-up Erica came in. I had to hear Victoria practically gushing over her and her stupid designs."
"Brooke—"
"Then, since I was so upset, I decided to go see Lucas—who, by the way, was supposed to be there with me at the rehearsal and never showed up," she stated in a rush. "But when I got there, I had the honor of watching him and Lindsey share an oh-so-special moment about his damn book!"
"Lucas has a book?" Chase questioned, puzzled.
"That's what I said!" Brooke exclaimed. "I knew he was writing one, but only because I accidentally found it. He never told me about it. But he told Lindsey. And he let her read it! And then, because she's such a home-wrecking whore, she had the friggin' nerve to kiss my boyfriend!"
Chase's eyes widened in shock. "She kissed him?"
"It was on the cheek, but that's still not right. You don't just go around hugging and kissing other girls' boyfriends."
"What did Lucas do?"
"I don't know. I was too sick to watch it any longer," Brooke stated as she placed her head in her hands and began to cry all over again.
It was a second later that Brooke felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. She hadn't even heard Chase get up and move next to her, but she didn't care. She accepted the comfort he was offering her and buried her head in his chest.
"I'm so sorry, Brooke," he whispered.
"I don't know what to do anymore, Chase. I'm starting to feel like this is all one big mistake," she cried. "I should've never agreed to do Rogue Vogue in the first place. And I should've never let Lucas shut me out like that. I hate when he does that. I don't even know why I let it him get away with it this time."
"Brooke, I understand that you're upset. You have every right to be," Chase said. "But you shouldn't let one bad day discourage you. You've worked so hard for Rogue Vogue. And if Victoria said your designs suck, then it must mean she really likes them and wants them for herself. It's exactly how she acted the last time."
"But even if I did win? Where do I go from there?" Brooke questioned, glancing up at him. "It's pointless."
"Not necessarily."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I've kind of been thinking about something lately," Chase stated. "As you know, my father runs an advertising firm."
"Yeah, so?" She didn't really get where he was going with this.
"He helps people start and market their own companies. And one of the first things he has them do is create their own website."
"Chase, I can't do something like that," Brooke objected.
"Why not?"
"I don't have the resources or the money to start a company."
"Well, I do have the resources. So that's not a problem. And if your designs are a hit at the show, which I know they will be, I'm sure you could find some investors," Chase stated. "Anyway, my point is that you don't need anyone else selling your clothes or taking the credit for them. You can do it all by yourself."
"I'll admit that it sounds like a good idea. I just don't know if I could pull something like that off," Brooke stated.
"Just think about it. That's all I'm saying," Chase replied as he wiped away her remaining tears.
Brooke stared at him intently. "You're a really good guy. You know that?"
"It's no big deal," Chase dismissed.
"No, I'm serious. You've been such a good friend to me. I really appreciate that," Brooke told him. "It means a lot to me." For some reason, she just knew that she could always count on Chase. That's why she called him. It seemed like no matter what kind of problem she was going through, he had a solution.
"It means a lot to me, too," Chase said softly. "I'll always be here for you, Brooke. Whenever you need me."
Their eyes locked, and Brooke suddenly felt like her mind was no longer connected to her body. "Promise?" she whispered.
His eyes seemed to darken as she became highly aware that his arms were still around her. Chase leaned in towards her a little closer and stopped. Brooke took in a sharp breath before shakily exhaling. Her gaze returned to his as she closed the rest of the gap and, before she even knew what she was doing, touched her lips to his.