Author's Notes: Okay, so far, the story has just been progressing naturally with time. I'm going to jump ahead a couple days. This chapter starts on Friday morning.
Brooke sat at the kitchen table drinking milk while she waited for Nathan to arrive. They had hung out almost every night that week and were going to have their first real date tonight. She had spent hours with Peyton the night before planning everything. She wanted it to be the perfect night for both of them. She sat there, thinking about how special Nathan made her feel and how great it was to hang out with him.
Brooke was startled out of her daydream when someone came up behind her and wrapped their arms around her.
"Hey, babe," Nathan whispered into her ear before kissing her on the cheek.
"Oh my God. You scared the hell out of me, Nathan! Never do that again," Brooke scolded him, turning to kiss him back.
"How did I scare you? It's not like I was quiet when I was coming in your door and walking in here. You were daydreaming about me, weren't you?" Nathan asked, sitting on the chair next to her.
"If you must know, I was just thinking about a couple details for this evening. I want us both to have a blast." Brooke got up and put her glass in the dishwasher. As she was walking towards the kitchen doorway, Nathan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap.
"I'll have a blast tonight no matter what we do, Brooke. We could sit at home watching reruns of The Real World and I would still have a blast. Do you know why?" Nathan asked.
"Why?"
"Because I'll be with you," Nathan told her, punctuating it with a kiss to her nose.
"Nathan, you're so sweet to me," Brooke replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.
"Yeah, I know. I'm good like that. You ready to go?"
"Yeah, let me grab my backpack. I'll meet you outside," Brooke said, running into the living room.
Peyton and Brooke sat at the lunch table, waiting for the guys to join them.
"I am so excited about tonight, Pey. I just want Nathan to have a blast," Brooke said, not concentrating on her meal.
"He will, Brooke. But you're going way over the top. You're dropping way too much money on this date. I know you don't like to think about it, but you're not rich anymore. Where the hell did you get all the money from?" Peyton asked.
Brooke muttered something under her breath that Peyton couldn't hear. When Peyton told her to say it again, she replied, "I cashed in some stocks and bonds that my grandparent's gave me when I was a little girl."
"What?! Are you insane, Brooke Davis?! That money should be kept for your future! I cannot believe you, Brooke," Peyton scolded.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Yell at me tomorrow, okay? Just don't say anything about it. I don't want Nathan to know. Promise me you won't say another word, Peyton Sawyer," Brooke told her.
"Fine. I promise, but we are so having a talk tomorrow."
"Whatever," Brooke replied as the guys came up to the table and sat down.
Jake sat down next to Peyton, Nathan sat down next to Brooke, and Lucas sat between Nathan and Jake. (The tables are circular.)
"So, what's going on, girls?" Lucas asked.
"Not much," Brooke lied, leaning against Nathan who then wrapped his arm around her.
"We were just talking about Brooke and Nathan's date tonight," Peyton announced to the table.
"Must be nice to be in the loop. I'm going on this date, and I have no idea what to expect," Nathan said, eating his french fries.
"Welcome to the world of dating Brooke Davis. Enjoy," Lucas teased.
"Hey, buddy! I am a fun date. I just happen to like surprising people. I'm good at it," she told the group. "Give me one of those," she directed to Nathan. He fed her a french fry, and the group groaned.
"Okay, if you guys are going to start getting all sappy and feeding each other, we're going to kick you off the island," Jake joked.
"It's a table, dude," Nathan said.
"Yeah, whatever. We'll still kick you off," Peyton threw in.
"So... would this be sappy?" Brooke asked before taking Nathan's face in her hands and giving him a full open-mouth kiss in front of everyone. She pulled away and smirked at the small group of friends.
"You're evil," Peyton told her best friend. "Just evil."
"Yeah, I know," Brooke replied. She nearly choked when Nathan whispered something into her ear. Her face visibly reddened and she looked into his eyes with shock. He just smirked.
"Yes, everyone. That's my ex-girlfriend and younger brother. Life is grand," Lucas said, sarcasm in his tone.
"Stop brooding," Brooke said, "or I'll tell you what your brother told me to make me blush. You know it's bad if I blushed at it."
"I'll stop now," Lucas replied.
Brooke looked at her reflection. She smiled. Perfect. She was dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans with a twenty inch flare. It was topped with a North Carolina Tarheels baby tee that bared her stomach. She had chosen to wear the charm bracelet her mother had given her for her thirteenth birthday. Her hair was cascading straight down her back, and she chosen a light, natural look for her make-up. She had a small, black clutch purse and matching stilettos for her accessories.
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "Hi, this is Brooke Davis. I just wanted to make sure you were on your way," she said to the person on the other end. "Great. You're just on time. I'll be right out." She hung up and ran outside to the waiting car.