Brooke idly filled the tea pot with water and placed it on the stove top. Lucas hadn't been gone but a few hours and she was already feeling lonely. She was hoping the tea would calm her, since Haley was still away.
She leaned against the counter, recalling the events from the previous night and this morning fondly in her mind, as the water boiled. A smile unconsciously crept across her lips. Just as the pot whistle brought her back to reality, Haley came storming through the front door.
"You are never going to believe what we're doing tonight," she said halfway through the door.
"Hello, to you too," Brooke welcomed. "Tea?"
Haley nodded, "Sorry, it's just this is unbelievable."
"What? Steven rope you into some charity event again?"
"No, worse."
"Not possible."
"That's what you think. Just wait until later."
"Fortunately, I have plans with Lucas. You're going to have to get through this yourself."
"Lucas should be calling in a few minutes. Your plans have changed."
"Did you talk to him?" Brooke questioned somewhat in a panic.
"It's not his fault."
"Okay, Hales, what are you talking about?"
"The six of us are having dinner tonight."
"The six of us?"
"Yes. Me, you, Lucas, Steven, Nathan…"
"Nathan? You're having dinner with Steven and Nathan."
"Oh, it gets better. Nathan and his girlfriend, Peyton."
"Wait. Nathan has a girlfriend? I thought…Then, why'd he freak out about Steven?"
"Hell if I know, but tonight we're all having dinner together."
"How the hell did that happen?"
"Steven and his stupid manners."
"I'm still confused. How does Steven even know Nathan? He doesn't. Actually, this is more of Peyton's fault, and Lucas."
"What does Lucas have to do with this?"
"Just listen."
----Earlier that day ----
"I'll get the sauce, you get the garlic," Haley told Steven as she walked down the aisle of the supermarket.
She scanned the shelves, looking for Steven's favorite brand, "Baroni's". She had tried making sauce from scratch once and neither of them could force it down. Since then, they had stuck to pre-made sauces. She spotted it on the top shelf. 'Just another downside of being short,' she thought to herself as she stretched to reach it, but with no avail.
"Need some help?"
"That would be great. Thank…" She stopped, upon seeing him.
"Haley," Nathan said without emotion. He quickly retrieved the jar of sauce and handed it to her.
"Thanks." She answered, her voice coming out much weaker than she had wanted. He nodded and started to walk away. "Nathan," she called after him. He turned and faced her, but she didn't say anything. She just looked at him, into his eyes, hoping he could understand what she didn't. Hoping that her eyes could tell him what she was feeling upon seeing him, even if she didn't know herself or didn't want to know. He smiled slightly and walked to her.
"I know…" He began, but was interrupted when Steven came down the aisle, calling her name.
"Hales, did you get it?" He asked, but stopped when he saw Nathan.
"Steven, this is Nathan. Nathan, Steven. He's Lucas' brother," she added quickly.
"Oh. It's nice to meet you. Brooke seems to really like…"
"Nate, where are you?" Peyton called, he could tell she was on the aisle over.
"One over."
She quickly appeared with a full shopping cart. Nathan all of a sudden felt even more uncomfortable. Haley was looking at him, wanting some answers, and unfortunately, so was Peyton.
"This is Brooke's roommate," he said introducing Haley.
"Lucas' Brooke?" Nathan nodded. "It's nice to meet you. Luke's completely smitten with her."
"Peyton," Nathan said sternly.
"Sorry. Well, since Nate seems to have lost his manners, I'm Peyton, his girlfriend."
Haley smiled weakly, before turning to Nathan. Steven was introducing himself to Peyton and didn't catch the rage in his fiancée's eyes as she turned to the dark headed boy at her side. Nathan, however, wasn't as lucky, but he was much more focused on the fact that Peyton had introduced herself as his girlfriend, than anything else at the moment.
"We should get going," Nathan said when he couldn't take Haley's death stare any longer.
"Us too," Haley added. Peyton and Steven didn't seem to be paying too much attention to their request. "Steven," Haley said louder.
"We should get together sometime," he said to Peyton, who was now at Nathan's side.
"How about tonight?" Peyton questioned.
"We have plans tonight," Haley quickly responded.
"It's just dinner. We can do that tomorrow." Steven replied.
"I'd really like to meet Brooke," Peyton added.
"I'm sure she and Lucas could join us, don't you think?" Steven questioned Nathan and Haley.
"I don't know." Nathan answered.
"Probably not. I'm sure they have plans already." Haley said.
"I'll talk to Lucas, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. How about 8:00?" Peyton asked.
"Sounds good. We'll see you all tonight."
Haley rolled her eyes and Nathan swore under his breath as they walked away.
-----
"I'm not going," Brooke said immediately.
"You have to go."
"No, I don't. I already know what's going to happen and I do not want to be there for all the awkward silences and sideway looks. Luke and I have plans, anyway."
"I told them you would."
"And he's not making me go."
"That's what I said too, but Steven's set on it."
"So what?"
"I don't have any reason not to go."
"You have a million reasons not to go."
"Not according to Steven."
"You could always tell him."
"Not happening." There was a brief pause. "I still can't believe he has a girlfriend. He's such a f-king hypocrite."
Before Brooke could respond, the phone rang. Haley answered and handed it to Brooke with a smile.
"It's Lucas. He doesn't sound too excited."
Brooke made a disgusted face and took the phone.
"No."
"You go, I'm not. Tell them I'm sick."
"Baby, don't."
"Luke, that's not fair."
"You so owe me."
Brooke hung up and let out an exasperated cry. Haley couldn't help but laugh.
"Why do I always have to get dragged into your messes?"
"Hey, you started this."
"Me? How is this my fault?"
"You're the one who took me to the party in the first place."
"That was a favor."
"Some favor, that turned out to be."
"This is going to be hell!" Brooke exclaimed. She poured out her tea and pulled a bottle of vodka from the cabinet.
She leaned against the counter, recalling the events from the previous night and this morning fondly in her mind, as the water boiled. A smile unconsciously crept across her lips. Just as the pot whistle brought her back to reality, Haley came storming through the front door.
"You are never going to believe what we're doing tonight," she said halfway through the door.
"Hello, to you too," Brooke welcomed. "Tea?"
Haley nodded, "Sorry, it's just this is unbelievable."
"What? Steven rope you into some charity event again?"
"No, worse."
"Not possible."
"That's what you think. Just wait until later."
"Fortunately, I have plans with Lucas. You're going to have to get through this yourself."
"Lucas should be calling in a few minutes. Your plans have changed."
"Did you talk to him?" Brooke questioned somewhat in a panic.
"It's not his fault."
"Okay, Hales, what are you talking about?"
"The six of us are having dinner tonight."
"The six of us?"
"Yes. Me, you, Lucas, Steven, Nathan…"
"Nathan? You're having dinner with Steven and Nathan."
"Oh, it gets better. Nathan and his girlfriend, Peyton."
"Wait. Nathan has a girlfriend? I thought…Then, why'd he freak out about Steven?"
"Hell if I know, but tonight we're all having dinner together."
"How the hell did that happen?"
"Steven and his stupid manners."
"I'm still confused. How does Steven even know Nathan? He doesn't. Actually, this is more of Peyton's fault, and Lucas."
"What does Lucas have to do with this?"
"Just listen."
----Earlier that day ----
"I'll get the sauce, you get the garlic," Haley told Steven as she walked down the aisle of the supermarket.
She scanned the shelves, looking for Steven's favorite brand, "Baroni's". She had tried making sauce from scratch once and neither of them could force it down. Since then, they had stuck to pre-made sauces. She spotted it on the top shelf. 'Just another downside of being short,' she thought to herself as she stretched to reach it, but with no avail.
"Need some help?"
"That would be great. Thank…" She stopped, upon seeing him.
"Haley," Nathan said without emotion. He quickly retrieved the jar of sauce and handed it to her.
"Thanks." She answered, her voice coming out much weaker than she had wanted. He nodded and started to walk away. "Nathan," she called after him. He turned and faced her, but she didn't say anything. She just looked at him, into his eyes, hoping he could understand what she didn't. Hoping that her eyes could tell him what she was feeling upon seeing him, even if she didn't know herself or didn't want to know. He smiled slightly and walked to her.
"I know…" He began, but was interrupted when Steven came down the aisle, calling her name.
"Hales, did you get it?" He asked, but stopped when he saw Nathan.
"Steven, this is Nathan. Nathan, Steven. He's Lucas' brother," she added quickly.
"Oh. It's nice to meet you. Brooke seems to really like…"
"Nate, where are you?" Peyton called, he could tell she was on the aisle over.
"One over."
She quickly appeared with a full shopping cart. Nathan all of a sudden felt even more uncomfortable. Haley was looking at him, wanting some answers, and unfortunately, so was Peyton.
"This is Brooke's roommate," he said introducing Haley.
"Lucas' Brooke?" Nathan nodded. "It's nice to meet you. Luke's completely smitten with her."
"Peyton," Nathan said sternly.
"Sorry. Well, since Nate seems to have lost his manners, I'm Peyton, his girlfriend."
Haley smiled weakly, before turning to Nathan. Steven was introducing himself to Peyton and didn't catch the rage in his fiancée's eyes as she turned to the dark headed boy at her side. Nathan, however, wasn't as lucky, but he was much more focused on the fact that Peyton had introduced herself as his girlfriend, than anything else at the moment.
"We should get going," Nathan said when he couldn't take Haley's death stare any longer.
"Us too," Haley added. Peyton and Steven didn't seem to be paying too much attention to their request. "Steven," Haley said louder.
"We should get together sometime," he said to Peyton, who was now at Nathan's side.
"How about tonight?" Peyton questioned.
"We have plans tonight," Haley quickly responded.
"It's just dinner. We can do that tomorrow." Steven replied.
"I'd really like to meet Brooke," Peyton added.
"I'm sure she and Lucas could join us, don't you think?" Steven questioned Nathan and Haley.
"I don't know." Nathan answered.
"Probably not. I'm sure they have plans already." Haley said.
"I'll talk to Lucas, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. How about 8:00?" Peyton asked.
"Sounds good. We'll see you all tonight."
Haley rolled her eyes and Nathan swore under his breath as they walked away.
-----
"I'm not going," Brooke said immediately.
"You have to go."
"No, I don't. I already know what's going to happen and I do not want to be there for all the awkward silences and sideway looks. Luke and I have plans, anyway."
"I told them you would."
"And he's not making me go."
"That's what I said too, but Steven's set on it."
"So what?"
"I don't have any reason not to go."
"You have a million reasons not to go."
"Not according to Steven."
"You could always tell him."
"Not happening." There was a brief pause. "I still can't believe he has a girlfriend. He's such a f-king hypocrite."
Before Brooke could respond, the phone rang. Haley answered and handed it to Brooke with a smile.
"It's Lucas. He doesn't sound too excited."
Brooke made a disgusted face and took the phone.
"No."
"You go, I'm not. Tell them I'm sick."
"Baby, don't."
"Luke, that's not fair."
"You so owe me."
Brooke hung up and let out an exasperated cry. Haley couldn't help but laugh.
"Why do I always have to get dragged into your messes?"
"Hey, you started this."
"Me? How is this my fault?"
"You're the one who took me to the party in the first place."
"That was a favor."
"Some favor, that turned out to be."
"This is going to be hell!" Brooke exclaimed. She poured out her tea and pulled a bottle of vodka from the cabinet.