Empty Apartment

I Want to Save You

"Are you sure you're okay with this Brooke?" Peyton asked as Brooke applied blush to her cheeks.

Brooke nodded, "Of course I am. He's fair game, Peyt."

Peyton cracked her knuckles nervously, "I know, I just feel bad..."

"Don't," Brooke ordered, "Go out and have fun at you're little concert," she said with a smile reassuring Peyton that everything was okay.

"Okay," Peyton said with a smile, "What are you going to be doing tonight then?"

Brooke shrugged as she curled Peyton's hair, "I don't know. I think I might go to Tim's party."

"Well have fun."

"I will," Brooke said with a laugh, "I always have fun!"

Peyton agreed, "Maybe sometimes a little too much."

Brooke didn't know how to take the comment so she shrugged it off like she always did, "Don't you have too much fun tonight," she teased.

"Brooke!" Peyton squealed, "You know I'm not like that."

"Right," Brooke said sarcastically.

Peyton got up from the vanity and headed towards her closet, "Now the most important part of the date. The outfit," she said as she looked through all her clothes.

"You are not wearing any of that punk shit," Brooke stated, "You should wear a very revealing top, and some tight denim jeans."

Peyton laughed, "You do understand I am going to a Something Corporate concert, not Britney Spears."

"Fine," Brooke said giving up, "Wear whatever you want..."

Peyton sighed and pulled out a black halter top and a pair of nice fitting denim jeans and showed them to Brooke, "Is this better for you?"

Brooke's smile grew wider, "Much!" She exclaimed.

Nathan walked towards his house and saw his dad putting bags and suitcases in the back of his car, "So you're really leaving?" He asked his dad.

Dan turned around and Nathan could see the pissed off look on his face, "You're mother wants me out of the house, and she threatened me so I guess I have to leave."

"Why'd you do it?" Nathan asked.

Dan slammed the trunk closed and looked around at the house and then back at Nathan, "You're mother and I....we just went our separate ways over the years..."

"So you cheated on her?" Nathan sneered.

Dan sighed, "You don't understand Nathan."

Nathan kicked the basketball that was in front of him, just missing Dan, "No I understand completely!" He yelled, "You think you're the fucking king, so instead of being with just mom you had to make yourself feel on top of the world again so you've been fucking some little whore from work!"

"Watch you're mouth, son!" Dan warned.

"I'm not you're son," Nathan said sternly.

Dan chuckled, "You can play this game all you want Nathan. But if you knew what your mother did this family, then maybe you wouldn't think I was such a bad guy," he said and then got into his car and drove off.

Deb walked outside her eyes tired, "Nathan," she said softly.

"What was he talking about?" Nathan asked.

Deb sighed, "We need to talk about a lot of stuff Nathan..."

Nathan shook his head vigorously, "God, I thought this family was fucked up before..."

"Stop," Deb said, "Stop making this seem like my fault."

"Yes this is," Nathan said angrily, "You and Dad can't be honest...I knew the business meetings were always bull shit."

Deb looked down at the ground, "I did go to business meetings..."

"Right," Nathan said, "I'm going..."

"Where?" Deb asked as she followed him.

"Tim's party," Nathan answered quickly, "I'll probably sleep over there tonight."

Deb nodded, her family was falling apart and she didn't know what to do. She watched as Nathan pulled out of the driveway.

Lucas knocked on Peyton's front door and Brooke answered it, "Um did I get the right address?" He asked looking at the number on the door.

Brooke laughed, "Yeah, I'm just here helping her get ready."

"Okay," Lucas said with a warming smile. Peyton walked and stood beside Brooke, "Hi," Lucas said as he handed her a single rose.

"Hey," Peyton said with a smile and took Lucas's hand.

Brooke watched as the two got into his car. She sighed and went back upstairs to get ready for her night.

Nathan walked into Tim's house and immediately got a beer. A bunch of girls came up to him and gave him hugs, but for some reason he wasn't interested in any of them tonight.

"Nathan, man!" Tim slurred as he slapped hands with Nathan, "The ladies tonight say that you're not acting like yourself."

Nathan shrugged, "I just came for the beer Tim."

Tim laughed drunkenly, "Come on! There are tons of willing and eager chicks here!"

"Not tonight, man," Nathan said and then walked outside near the pool.

Brooke walked into the party and saw Tim immediately run up to her, "Brooke," he said trying to act suave.

"Tim," Brooke said annoyed, "Great party."

Tim put his arm around Brooke's neck, "We could make it even better," he whispered into her ear, she could smell the alcohol on his breath, "The master bedroom's open..."

Brooke rolled her eyes and grabbed Tim's arms and removed it from around her neck, "I'll have to pass."

Tim scoffed, "What is up with you and Nathan tonight?" He exclaimed and then walked towards a group of girls that Brooke thought looked like freshman.

Brooke saw Nathan standing out by the pool drinking a beer. Brooke smiled to herself and walked outside and stood beside Nathan, "Tim's pretty upset that you're not pimpin' with him," she joked.

Nathan laughed, "Yeah," he said, "I don't even know why I'm here."

"Me neither," Brooke said, "This party seems lame."

Nathan nodded in agreement, "My dad moved out," he said.

"I'm sorry," Brooke said softly.

Nathan looked down at the ground and took another sip of his beer, "I don't give a damn. I hope the ass dies," he said before walking into the kitchen and getting himself another drink.

Three hours and many drinks later Nathan stumbled outside to try and dial his cell phone. He fell on the grass and just laid there looking up at the black sky. "Holy shit," he mumbled to himself.

He saw Brooke standing over him with a smirk on her face, "Okay drunky," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice, "Time to go home."

"I can't," Nathan whined, "My mom's being a complete bitch about stuff," he mumbled.

"I'm not going to let you sleep on Tim's lawn," Brooke said, "Especially with all these horny people here."

Nathan laughed, "Then take me to your house friend."

Brooke hesitated for a moment, but then helped Nathan get on his feet and they headed towards Brooke's.

Lucas and Peyton sat at a local café near the place where the concert was, "That was kick ass," Peyton exclaimed.

"I'm glad you had fun," Lucas said smiling.

Peyton laughed, "I'm glad you came along," she said truthfully, "I needed someone to listen to crappy music with."

Lucas laughed as well and kissed Peyton softly on the cheek, "I guess that makes two of us."

"Do you want to go back to my place?" Peyton asked.

Lucas nodded and smiled, "I'd like that..."

Peyton took Lucas's hand as she led him up the stairs, "I should turn this off," she said as she unplugged her web cam.

"They can watch," Lucas teased.

"That's the last thing I need," Peyton said and then began kissing Lucas.

Lucas laid Peyton on her back and got on top of her. He began kissing down her stomach and then back up to her neck. Peyton unbuttoned Lucas's pants and kissed his chest.

"Some first date huh?" Peyton teased.

Brooke was literally carrying Nathan up the stairs to the spare bedroom in her lonely, big house, "God Nathan could you weigh anymore?"

"It's all muscle," Nathan stammered.

Brooke laughed and let Nathan fall onto the bed, "Well here's your bed Mr. Scott."

Nathan laid down and sighed, "Remember when you and I would kiss each other when we were younger."

Brooke stopped in the doorway and walked over towards the bed and sat down beside Nathan, "Why are you just thinking of that now?"

Nathan shrugged, "I don't know," he said, "I just remembered at how good of friends we were."

"Yeah I know," Brooke said, "What happened?"

Nathan stretched, "I don't know," he said with a yawn, "We went out separate ways..."

"Are we still friends?" Brooke asked apprehensively.

Nathan looked at her, "Of course we are...I think..."

"I shouldn't talk to you when you're drunk," Brooke said as she started to get up.

Nathan grabbed Brooke's hand to stop her from walking away, "Don't walk away Brooke..."

Flashback

Brooke walked into the Scott's mansion as she sipped on her lemonade. Nathan hadn't called her that day, and she was worried that something might have happened to him. Brooke saw that neither Dan nor Deb was around so Nathan was probably in his room playing a video game. Brooke ran up the stairs skipping steps and walked into Nathan's room to see him in bed with a blonde girl that Brooke knew from the cheerleading squad. Her name was Veronica and she was the biggest slut in the Junior High.

Nathan looked up and saw Brooke standing in his doorway mortified and upset. Nathan got out of his bed with a blanket wrapped around his waist and followed Brooke, "Brooke," he yelled as she started to run.

Brooke turned around with tears streaming down her face, "What?" She screamed.

"Listen to me," Nathan said, "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Brooke asked, "We're 14 years old Nate!"

Nathan put his hand on Brooke's shoulder, "Brooke you have to listen to me!"

"How could you do this?" Brooke asked, "After all that shit you told me the other day!"

Nathan sighed, "Brooke please."

"You told me you loved me," Brooke exclaimed.

"I do love you!" Nathan said.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that's why you were in bed with that whore! We're too young for that kind of stuff!"

Nathan tried to shush her, "I know Brooke, I know. Just please calm down for two seconds, and listen to me," he pleaded.

"No," Brooke sobbed, "I don't want to ever see you again!"

Brooke went to leave, but Nathan grabbed her arm, "Don't walk away Brooke..."

Brooke looked into Nathan's eyes, "Did you have sex with her?" She finally asked.

"No," Nathan said honestly.

Brooke wiped a tear that was coming down her face, "I loved you Nathan..."

"I loved you too," Nathan said, "I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you did," Brooke stated, "You know how I felt about you..."

Nathan sighed, "I think we figured out what ruined our friendship."

Brooke nodded, "I thought you slept with her. So I stopped hanging out with you..."

"And then you tried getting back at me and tried to hook up with as many guys as you could," Nathan said, he knew this story too well.

Brooke bit her bottom lip, "And then you started dating girls and sleeping with them..."

"Peyton came," they both said in unison.

Nathan looked around the room, "We hated each other because we let stupid things get in the way..."

"I thought we were going to be boyfriend and girlfriend," Brokoe said with a little chuckle.

Nathan still had a hold of Brooke's hand and was stroking the top of her hand with his thumb, "You know I always used to check out your ass when you walked away," he said with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Remember last year at Bevin's Halloween party?" Brooke asked with a look of guilt on her face. Nathan nodded, "Remember how someone slapped your ass and you couldn't figure out who it was?"

Nathan busted out laughing, "That was you!" Brooke nodded, "You know Davis I had a feeling it was you...I just....I thought you hated me."

Brooke smiled and laid down on Nathan's chest, "So are we going to try this friendship thing one more time?"

"I think we can try," Nathan said with a smile. He chuckled lightly to himself.

"What?" Brooke asked as she looked up at him.

Nathan sighed, "For the first time this week I've actually smiled and laughed, and I haven't thought about my parent's divorce..."

Brooke kissed Nathan softly on the cheek, "Are you going to be okay?"

Nathan looked down at Brooke and smiled, "I think I might just be..." He said as he ruffled her hair.

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Dressed by dawn and out the door
No lights she memorized the floor
So she could leave without being detected
She works till three it's uniform
She dreams that he'll come by the store
She prays for days when boys mean she's protected