Disclaimer: It's in the first chapter

Paring: Brucas

Rating: PG

Summary: Brooke is sick and no one knows.

888888888888888

Golden Flame

BROOKES POV

I walk to the front doors and slowly walk out them to meet Haley who is sitting on the steps on the other side.

She looks up as I stand beside her.

"Hey" she says

"Hi" i reply, and then sit beside her.

"So..." she starts, "are you feeling a bit better?"

"Oh yeah, here's your make up. Thanks."

"That's okay. Are you feeling any better?" she repeats

Damn, I thought for a second I'd got away with the whole 'non-answering' act.

Reluctantly I reply honestly "a bit better I guess. Still pretty shit though"

She nods understandingly

We sit there in an uncomfortably silence for a few minutes.

I've never really been fantastic friends with Haley. I guess I was just always the popular cheerleader, and she was pretty much just a tutor.

But when I started dating Lucas, she sort of came into the picture. I mean, she is his best friend.

We had a few friendly chats occasionally, but we were never really that close. And the whole Lucas/Peyton fiasco sort of just made us even more distant.

But I really did appreciate that she is helping me. God knows I need a friend at the moment. And even if she is attached firmly to Luke, anyone who is friendly at this stage is pretty good in my books.

88888888888888888

"So," she says finally, breaking the ice, "I guess this is probably the very last thing you want to talk about, but...."

Oh no, I didn't like the direction this conversation was going in

"..... What were you so upset about in the bathroom before?"

Oh good lord, that is sooooo not the question I want to deal with right now. But I do want a friend, and I'm pretty sure she's not going to go and blab behind my back to Lucas the minute I'd vanished.

So, all I have to think up now is why was I actually crying about?

I mean, Of course if you wanted a quick answer I'd easily tell you that it was just my heart. But that isn't the entire truth. The truth is that I'm

So sick of it all.

I'm sick of Peyton, I'm sick of the dumb perky cheerleaders, I'm sick of all the football players with their pants permanently around their ankles. And I have to say, that I'm even a little bit sick of Lucas.

I don't like to admit that I love him, because it isn't exactly the most pleasant thing in the world, having to admit that you're still hopelessly in love with your ex who cheated on you. But there you go, that's the honest truth.

"Brooke?..." Haley's voice brings me spinning back into reality, and I realize that I've been spacing out for the past few minutes.

"Oh, sorry" I reply, "what was the question again?"

"Why were you crying before?"

"Oh, that, I was just...." "I was just sick of it all"

"And it all is....?"

"Everything..." I begin. And I end up telling her the whole truthful story right then and now.

And it's funny because she actually listens to me. She doesn't laugh in my face or make crude comments. She just listens, and that is something I haven't known since Lucas.

88888888888888

We've been sitting out here for almost all of the lunch hour talking about anything and everything.

Well, almost everything. Lucas hasn't been mentioned..... Yet.

"So Brooke, you just need to know, that Luke regrets every thing he did with Peyton"

Oh shit. "Whatever. You don't have to say that just because I'm here and all"

"No, seriously, I'm not. I wouldn't say that unless it's the truth. Lucas still loves you."

"Still loved me? He never did love me. Not properly anyway"

"Brooke, listen to me: Lucas loved you and he still does!!"

"Well then if he's so in love with me then why is he parading around with Peyton?"

"Parading?? Brooke, this is the first day back at school, and they're not anywhere near each other!"

"Yeah but what about the holidays?"

"What do you mean 'what about the holidays'? He went to stay with his cousin in California the whole time! He couldn't deal with the fact that he had lost you!!"

"Oh."

"Hang on, how come you didn't know that? The entire town knew that! It was like, the biggest news that this town has had in years! I mean, no one has left since about when old Mr Brandon foster tried to swallow rat pills!"

Busted. Damn it, this is going to be a difficult one to get out of.

So instead of making up some bull about how I got the chicken pox, I opt for the truth, after all, its working for me pretty good this afternoon.

"Um, well you see Haley; I have to tell you something. I was at the hospital the entire holidays."

She gasps, "Why?"

"Well, it turns out I have quite a serious heart defect, and I had to have open heart surgery. I'm still recovering"

"You've got to be kidding me?"

"I wish I was. Believe me. I wish I was."

"Omg Brooke, are you okay? You're not like, in pain or dying or anything?"

"Well, it still is really sore, especially form the surgery. I mean, I have bruises all over my front and right shoulder, and I have a huge scar down my front. But, I'm not dying at this immediate moment. So I'm all good"

"Really?"

"Yeah"

Oh okay then" she says, but still shoots me odd looks like I'm about to start sprouting a carrot out my head at any moment.

"Oh, and Haley, just so you know; please don't tell anyone. You're the only one I've told about this."

"Don't worry. It's all safe"

I give her a smile. And she returns the favour.

RRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG goes the bell that ends lunch.

We both get to our feet, and lift our bags.

"So," she says "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure. See ya"

"Bye"

We walk in our separate directions, and I smile to myself. If I'm not mistaken, I just made a friend. Maybe this term won't completely suck after all.

Well I, I just came back today...

I just came back from the storm.

Yeah!

I said: "I just came back, baby...

I just came back from the storm.

Yeah, from the storm.

Well, I didn't know it then,

But I was sufferin', sufferin'

For my love to keep me warm.

It was so cold and lonely, yeah.

The wind 'n' cryin' blue rain

Were tearing me up.

It was so cold and lonely.

The crying blue rain was tearing me up.

Oh, tearing me up. (tearing me up)

I wanna thank you my sweet darling

For digging in the mud and picking me up.

(I need baby...)

Thank you so much!

It was a terrible rain that was burning my eyes.

It was you my love who brought me in.

I love you so much,

I'll never stray from you again.

Hey!

I just came back baby.

I just came back to get my baby on her way.

Yeah, yeah.

END OF CHAPTER

AN: hey again. I hope that was an okay chapter. I think I'll write the next chapter in Lucas' point of view, just so you get an idea of how he's feeling. The song in this chapter is "In form the storm" by Jimi Hendrix

Sorry about the updating delay, my computer had decided that it hates me, so I'm currently throwing jellybeans at him. It's not really helping though....

Please review, I really appreciate, and thanks to all the people so far who have reviewed chapter four!!

I'll try and get the next chapter up tomorrow. It depends on whether I have French and German homework or not.

(oh, and i'd just like to say that i have nothing against cheerleaders and football players! it just seemed to fit in with the dialogue!)