Stand Beside Me - Part One "The Confession"
Author: Nikki
Email:
Disclaimers: I do not own or know anybody associated with "One Tree Hill", just a fan people!
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Brooke/Peyton
Summary: Peyton's world comes crashing down after she confesses a secret to her best friend.
Distribution: Just add a link back please!
Feedback: Is always appreciated, let me know what you think.
Author's Note: This takes place sometime during the Senior year for the OTH characters. So it's third season I suppose.
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" All I know is that I'm tired of dealing with guys and I think I want to explore something else. " Peyton Sawyer confessed to her best friend Brooke Davis.
" So this means you're Melissa Ethridge now? " Brooke asked, obviously trying to break the tension with a joke.
" No, it just means that I'm curious about some things and I want to see where that takes me. " Peyton replied. She studied her best friend's face to see what her true response was.
" God Peyton, what about Nathan or Lucas, I mean you were pretty serious about both of them. Oh and Jake for that matter too. " Brooke said. She shifted her legs to swing off Peyton's bed.
" I started dating Nathan when I was fourteen, it was all I ever knew to do. " Peyton said.
" And lets not forget that you slept with Nathan too. " Brooke said.
" That doesn't mean anything. I was a stupid fifteen year old who thought that was what you were supposed to do when you had a boyfriend. " Peyton answered. She rolled her eyes as Brooke shook her head in disbelief.
" Okay so you're some big lesbo now, where does that leave us? " Brooke asked. She stood and paced in front of the bed where Peyton was sitting.
" I can't believe you of all people would be this shallow. I'm asking for support and you're trying to convince me that I am one hundred percent straight. " Peyton said. She pulled her legs up and hugged them against her.
" This just isn't like you Peyton. I mean for God's sake, you're a cheerleader! " Brooke said.
" Oh and that means I've got to go out and screw the team like you did? " Peyton snapped.
" Whatever Peyton, you wanna go off and be Ellen, that's just fine. Just don't expect any support from me. " Brooke said coldly. She picked up her gym bag and stomped out the door to Peyton's bedroom.
" Brooke wait... " Peyton started. She jumped off the bed and hurried to the door only to hear the front door slam shut as Brooke stormed out.
Peyton sighed, backing towards the bed and sitting back down. She felt the warm tears start to flow down her face and she laid back, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about what this meant for her friendship with Brooke.
The next morning, Peyton pulled her mustang into the student parking lot and grabbed her backpack. She checked her makeup in the rear-view mirror and then stepped out of the car. She knew the first thing she had to do was find Brooke and try to work things out.
As she walked towards the doors of the school, she couldn't help but notice at the people looking at her. She paused for a second, making sure something wasn't wrong with her clothes and then kept on walking. Surely it was just regular gossip and nothing was really wrong she reasured herself.
It almost seemed as if people were parting the hallway for Peyton as she hurried down the halls searching for Brooke. She heard brief whispers stopping as she passed and the increasing paranoia set in. Brooke wouldn't tell, would she?
She rounded the corner that led into the senior hall and stopped when she saw a large group of students standing in front of the lockers. The fear was mounting now as Peyton slowly moved forward, parting through the crowd and seeing what they all seemed to be interested in.
She gasped and dropped her backpack onto the floor when she saw it. Spray painted on her locker in black was the word "DYKE" in large letters. She felt her body tremble and a millon thoughts ran through her head. How could this be happening to her? She heard the question repeating over and over in her mind as she backed away from the lockers.
Tears welled in her eyes as she turned and began sprinting back down the hall. Everyone was watching as she made a mad dash down the corridor and back out into the parking lot.
At nearly the exact same moment, Brooke Davis was changing into her cheerleading uniform in the girl's locker room. She was still in a state of denile over what had happened with Peyton and she refused to believe that she really was telling the truth.
To be honest, a small part of Brooke was not surprised that Peyton was thinking about experimenting with her sexuality. She had been hurt by men all of her life and there always seemed to be something she longed for that she couldn't find with guys. Even though she was upset and hurt by this confession, Brooke realized that she couldn't let Peyton go through this alone. She had always been there for her, even when her mother had passed away, Brooke was the only person that Peyton would open up to.
She finished putting her uniform on and grabbed her gym bag. The basketball players were already in practice and she could hear them running about in the gym. She walked out into the gym and saw most of the other cheerleaders sitting on the bleechers talking. She did notice that Peyton was not among them and she suddenly wondered where she was.
Brooke turned when she heard someone yell her name and she rolled her eyes to see Tim and Nathan running over.
" So now that Peyton's out, are we going to see you two going at it on her web cam? " Tim asked. He smiled and raised his eyebrows in a bastardly fashion. Nathan elbowed him in the stomach and Tim barrelled over.
" What the hell is he talking about Nathan? " Brooke asked. She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a menacing glare.
" He's just being an ass. " Nathan grunted.
" No, what's this about Peyton? " Brooke asked in a demanding tone.
" It's all over school. " Nathan replied. He raised his arm behind his head and stretched it.
" What? How? " Brooke asked in disbelief.
" Well half the kids in school saw you and Peyton's little fight on her web cam." Nathan explained.
" And they heard what we were talking about too? " Brooke asked.
" The web cam does have sound, usually Peyton's blasting music over it, but it wasn't on this time and everyone heard what you were saying. " Nathan said.
Brooke shut her eyes for a second, remembering how she had heard Lucas and Peyton on the internet nearly two years before when they had been seeing each other. She couldn't believe this was happening. How could Peyton have been so stupid as to leave the camera going?
" I've got to find her Nathan. " She said.
" Haley already tried to call her earlier, she couldn't get ahold of her. " Nathan said.
" Oh God, I cannot believe this. " Brooke muttered as she turned and rushed to the exit.
It was unusually cold for August and the wind blew rapidly along as Peyton sat in front of her mother's grave. She had raced to the only place she knew she would be safe. She couldn't believe that any of this was actually happening to her. She couldn't believe that her best friend in the whole world had betrayed her this way and how her life was going to be forever changed because of a stupid confession.
" I know you're dissapointed in me Mom. " Peyton said in a low voice.
She waited for a second as she always did when talking to her mother. On some level she believed that she would respond, and right now she could use any advice she could give out.
" My world is falling apart. " Peyton said. She lowered her head and sobbed uncontrollably as everything came rushing back to her.
" I knew I would find you here. "
Peyton turned to see Brooke standing behind her. She quickly wiped her tears and stood to face her friend.
" I didn't tell anyone Peyton. " Brooke said.
" Then who did? " Peyton asked.
" Remember when I caught you and Lucas on your web cam? " Brooke asked.
Suddenly it all became clear to Peyton, she shut her eyes and brought her hand up to rest against her forehead.
" Everyone knows Brooke. " Peyton said as she began to cry again.
" I am so sorry. I was such a bitch to you and you didn't deserve that. " Brooke said as she pulled Peyton in for a hug. She held her as she cried and stroked her blonde curls.
" What am I going to do? " Peyton asked.
" We're going to get through this. " Brooke whispered.
" I can't stay here anymore. I can't face everyone. " Peyton said. She pulled back, tears streaming down her face as Brooke looked on.
" We have to deal with this Peyton. I'll handle the fall out. I can say we were rehersing a play or something. " Brooke said. She grasped at possible ideas.
" No..no that won't work. Nothing will now. " Peyton said.
" Something will Peyton, we'll beat this. " Brooke said. She held Peyton's shoulders and looked into her eyes.
" I have to leave. " Peyton said. She pulled away from Brooke and started walking towards her car.
" Peyton wait! " Brooke yelled.
" I can't waste any time. " Peyton said as she continued to walk.
Brooke quickly ran to catch up and moved in front of Peyton, forcing her to stop.
" What do you want Brooke? " Peyton asked.
" If you're leaving then I'm coming with you Peyton. " She replied.
Peyton smiled and leaned in, giving her friend a hug. They embraced for several minutes and then finally parted.
" Well let's get going then. " Peyton said.