BRIGHT LIGHTS
She got out of town
On a railway, New York bound
Took all except my name
Another alien out on Broadway
Some things in this world you just can't change
Some things you can't see until it gets too late
Baby, baby, baby
When all your love is gone,
Who will save me
From all I'm up against out in this world?
Maybe, maybe, maybe
You'll find something that's enough to keep you,
But if the bright lights don't receive you,
You should turn yourself around and come on home
I got a hole in me now
I got a scar I can talk about
She keeps a picture of me
In her apartment in the city
Some things in this world, man, they don't make sense
Some things you don't need until they leave you...
They're the things that you miss
Baby, baby, baby
When all your love is gone,
Who will save me
From all I'm up against out in this world?
Maybe, maybe, maybe
You'll find something that's enough to keep you,
But if the bright lights don't receive you,
You should turn yourself around and come on home
Let that city take you in (come on home)
Let that city spit you out (come on home)
Let that city take you down...
For God's sake, turn around
Baby, baby, baby
When all your love is gone,
Who will save me
From all I'm up against out in this world?
Maybe, maybe, maybe
You'll find something that's enough to keep you,
But if the bright lights don't receive you...
Turn yourself around and come on home
Yeah, come on home
Maybe, maybe, baby, baby
Come on home
Yeah, come on home
Come on home,
Come on home...
Chapter 1
Brooke Davis pushed her way through the crowd of black, getting out of the New York Subway train car. Once on the platform, it was even more crowded. The air was dank, the walls were yellow, and a smell of urine lingered throughout the tunnel.
Heaving her heavy Coach totebag a little closer to her chest, she followed the crowd of New Yorkers onto the stairs that would bring her up to the city level. "I knew I should've taken a taxi." Brooke cursed as a man bumped into her.
Once she got to the city, Brooke stopped a bit and took a whole 360 degree view of her home city, New York City. She breathed in the cold, crisp winter air, and the skyscrapers were grey with snow caps on the edges of the tall buildings. Brooke tore her eyes from the beautiful view and looked with discontent at the public transportation bus. She would never, ever, again, try to be all economical and pollution-friendly and ride the subway. She rolled her eyes and walked to the side of the cracked sidewalk corner and flung her arm out. A yellow taxi immediately stopped in front of her feet. Her beauty could still be seen through the bitter winter wind. The heavy Burberry coat hid her perfect figure, but the winter's biting air made her cheeks red and her lips were coated with a thin layer of lipgloss. Small snowflakes were caught in the feathered eyelashes that complemented her large hazel eyes.
Brooke quickly grasped the silver metal handle and pulled, the cab door latch easily popping open. Brooke ducked inside; taking in the warmth the heater in the car gave off. "Park Duplex," She instructed.
If Brooke had been paying attention and looking in the rearview mirror, she would've seen the Indian driver raise his eyebrows. How could such a young woman live in the best area with the best apartments in New York City They went for millions of dollars. But Brooke was on a mad hunt for her Blackberry which was her life. Brooke tapped the screen, impatient to see what she had missed in that god-awful subway ride. Emails, emails, emails. Something caught Brooke's attention. A voice message had been left for Brooke marked urgent.
Brooke quickly pressed the speed dial and she tapped her Purple Prada shoe as the call went through. Brooke listened to the message intently, and then stopped abruptly when the driver was going through her gates.
Brooke waved and smiled her dazzling smile at Mike who worked as the night security guard. The striped orange and white bar lifted up and the cab continued into the underground parking garage.
"Fifty Dollars, ma'am." The cab driver announced. Brooke nodded her head and handed seventy dollars to the driver. She smiled and said thanks while picking up her totebag. As she got out of the car, the heel of her shoe, making a clicking sound with the ground of the perfectly paved floor of the garage. She slammed the door and it echoed through the floor. The yellow taxi zoomed off, screeching as it turned the corner. New York City driving was terrible.
Brooke inserted her key into the key hole of her apartment and sighed in content as she settled into her ultra modern, ultra chic, white penthouse. The furniture was square and it was black and white. Brooke Davis, as a child, had dreamed of this type of life. But it was dark and lonely, a sort of grey light, casting over the entire apartment.
A sinking feeling was entering her stomach as she thought about him. Lucas Scott. The man she left behind.
But maybe he wasn't behind anymore, he was somewhere else, making it.
She missed him a lot. It was silly, how it was such a long time ago, in high school, but he was the only one she ever loved.
A deep feeling of melancholy washed over her, and Brooke wanted to do nothing but sit in front of her wide screen plasma TV and watch some good corny TV shows, but then she remembered it was Friday.
Brooke's mood was dramatically turned, and she yelped in joy as she headed into her walk-in closet for something to wear.
Brooke stood on the doorstep, legs bent and shaking, shivering from the cold. In her hands, she held a large cake she had bought from the nearby bakery. Never mind the fact that it was one hundred dollars, it tasted good and it had tubs of butter in it. You give a little to get a little.
One of the double French doors opened and a jubilant Haley stood in front of her, small toddler in her arms. "Brooke!" She exclaimed. She enveloped Brooke with the one arm she had free. The yellow warmth of the house came pouring through the air into the dark gray atmosphere. Brooke quickly stepped into the large house.
The front door slammed shut and on the outside, the picturesque model home was covered with snow. Through the bay window, you could see a young beautiful brunette gleefully greeting small children with a bright smile on her face. But a passer-by would never know how much her heart wanted someone to love.
Brooke had a curly dark-haired boy in her lap. He sat, flipping the pages of a storybook as Brooke conversed with Haley and looked greedily at the presents under the large evergreen.
Haley followed Brooke's line of vision to the tree that was covered with blue and white ornaments. "It's enormous. Nathan had to have the tallest one in the park." Haley said rolling her eyes. "Nathan!" She yelled.
Nathan emerged suddenly, "Haley, I'm right here." Nathan dropped a five year old into Haley's outstretched arms. "Do you like the tree Brooke?"
Brooke nodded and laughed. "It's the biggest thing I have ever seen."
The lights wrapped around the tree blinked at intervals.
Nathan stood up taller proudly. "Tallest one at Lighton. Ten by twenty feet."
Both women stared at him incredulously.
Nathan shrugged. "What?"
Haley stood up and her two kids ran in front of her into the kitchen. "You're crazy." She said as walked past him, giving a slight hug.
Brooke followed suit. She punched Nathan on the arm making him more confused than he already was.
"What?" He asked, clueless, as he followed everyone into the kitchen.
"So Brooke, what's up in your life?" Nathan asked as he finished swallowing mashed potatoes. Haley turned her attention to Brooke. "Yeah! Spill everything. Especially guys!" Haley exaggerated. Brooke struggled to find the right words. The clink of the forks dropping against the expensive white china was the only sound in the air as everyone waited patiently for Brooke's answer.
Haley sensed Brooke's discomfort. Haley had been in New York City as long as Brooke had, and their relationship grew. Brooke replaced Peyton with Haley and Haley replaced Lucas with Brooke. It was a mutual understanding that they'd be second to the childhood best friends, but Haley still loved Brooke dearly. Haley cleared her throat as Brooke didn't answer and started swirling the food on her plate with her fork.
Haley signaled to Nathan to leave the two alone. "Let's go kiddies. Time to go to bed." Nathan said, as he picked up everyone's plates.
The remainder he didn't pick up would be left to Haley. The sound of their footsteps pattering through the wooden floors up to the second floor faded away. In the vast giant room, only Haley and Brooke remained.
Haley got out of her seat, the chair scraped against the floor. She moved to the seat that was opposite of Brooke. "Brooke. . ." She started. Brooke's head was still bent; her right hand spun the fork around the plate, the silver glinting light. "Brooke," Haley tried again. "It's okay to miss him. . ."
At this, Brooke raised her head. There were tears in her eyes and streaks of the tears that had already run down her face. She dabbed her hands in front of her eyes to wipe away the makeup. "I'm so glad I wore waterproof mascara." She joked.
It elicited a small laugh from both women.
But when a person smiles amidst crying, it hurts the whole body and makes the person convulse into more tears. It felt lonelier. Haley sighed silently to herself. She let her head drop down to her chest in defeat. Brooke, the girl that she was spending so much time with, the infamous Brooke Davis of Tree Hill, the now-driven business woman. Haley had no idea what to do. The spark in Brooke's eye had gone out a long time ago. Haley feared that the only time she felt any trace of happiness was when she was in this house, spending time with Nate, the kids, and her. It worried her immensely. "Maybe. . . maybe." Haley felt herself get hesitant. Was she really going to say this? "Brooke."
Brooke had resorted to bending her head down again. A black shadow cast over her face, hiding her expression from Haley.
"Brooke. Look at me." Haley commanded. Brooke was fun, beautiful, confident, and charming. A girl like her wasn't supposed to cry. "Maybe, it's time you get over it, and talk to Lucas."
Brooke immediately lifted her head. Her face contorted in hope and anger. "He cheated on me. Haley. I don't know."
Haley walked over to Brooke. She laid a gentle and reassuring hand on Brooke's shoulder. "But you still love him. Just talk to him. Meet him. You'll solve whatever you have been battling these years."
Brooke considered the possibility. This was exactly what she needed to get on with her life. "When did you get so wise?"
"Since I became a mother." Haley smiled as a grin formed on Brooke's lips. "I'll get the number for you." Haley raced out of the room and up to the stairs.
Brooke dabbed her eyes with her dinner napkin and pulled out some makeup wonders. By the time Haley returned with a slip of paper in her hand, Brooke looked perfect.
"Wow, Brooke!" Haley exclaimed, astonished by the sudden transformation.
Brooke grinned and reached for the scrap of white paper in Haley's hand. Haley held the paper just out of Brooke's reach. Brooke attempted to reach for it, but her hand clenched on nothing but air and she fell sideways from her seat. Haley couldn't help but laugh at the sight of a disoriented Brooke. Brooke pouted and Haley handed the number to Brooke.
"Thank you." She replied stiffly.
"Use your cell. That way he can program the number and stuff."
Brooke nodded. "Good Idea." She grabbed her Blackberry and dialed the number. "The phone's ringing." She whispered.
Haley nodded and walked out of the room with a smile on her face. This might work.
Brooke waited patiently as the phone rang once, then twice. She wasn't ever one to back down from a challenge, but honestly, her stomach was fluttering. The phone picked up.
Hello?
Brooke took a deep breath to relax herself. "Hey handsome."
Lucas looked at his silver flip phone is disbelief. He looked at the number, but it was unknown. Was his friend playing a really bad joke on him? Or was it really her?
"Brooke?" Lucas really hoped it wasn't a joke. Brooke smiled to herself. Maybe he did remember.
"Glad to know I'm still remembered." Lucas laughed.
So, what's this sudden phone call all about?
Brooke pretended to sigh. "Can't a girl just call you." . . .
Haley peeked at Brooke who was talking animatedly on the cell phone. The sparkle in her eye was really back.