Brooke looked out of the window as the car pulled up outside Karen's Café. The ride down had been painfully quiet, except for when Lucas tried to make conversation. Peyton and Lucas hadn't mentioned to Brooke that they were a couple again, fearing it would only make things worse. Whereas Brooke and Peyton's reconciliation had been easy, Lucas and Brooke's wasn't and in her opinion, they're relationship as friends would never be the same. Lucas was the one she was in love with. The one she'd trusted her heart with and to her, his cheating on her was a much bigger deal than who it was with, although obviously the fact that it was Peyton broke her heart a bit too. The truth was, was that as close as the two girls were, they'd had arguments often and even though they weren't as bad as their last one, it made the situation different.
Lucas, Peyton and Brooke all got out of the car. The irony of where they were wasn't lost on Brooke. The last place I was and now the first place I return.
The bell rang softly as they entered. Karen was standing behind the counter, rag in hand, wiping down the counters as if her life depended on them and Lucas cleared his throat to get her attention. She looked up and her face broke out into a huge smile when she saw who accompanied her son and his girlfriend. "Brooke!" She said, coming out from behind the counter and engulfing her in a warm hug. "It's been so long. How have you been? You look so good!"
Brooke smiled, showing of her famous dimples. "Mrs. Rowe it's so great to see you." She said, dodging Karen's question. "This place looks great. Just how I remembered it."
"Call me Karen. Mrs. Rowe makes me feel old." She chucked. Are you staying for coffee?" Karen inquired.
Lucas shook his head. "No" He turned to Brooke and Peyton. "I thought we could go see Haley and Nathan. They got married." He told Brooke.
Brooke's mouth fell open in shock. "Tutor Girl and Nathan?" With a squeal she practically dragged Peyton and Lucas out of the café, waving goodbye to Karen as they left and they set off to visit The Scott's.
Haley was the one who opened the door of hers and Nathan's apartment. The look on her face was priceless. "Brooke? Brooke Davis?"
The woman laughed and nodded her head. "The one and only. How you doing Tutor Girl?" receiving her second hug since her arrival. She grinned and hugged Haley back. They hadn't been that close while she'd been in Tree Hill. At least she didn't think they'd been, but Haley seemed as pleased to see her again as Peyton did. She'd have to do some thinking later.
"Doing good! Even better now. You've been gone so long." She said, jutting out her bottom lip and looking at Brooke like a wounded puppy.
"Yeah, I know."
Haley held the door open further, ushering Brooke, Peyton and Lucas inside. "So tell me everything!"
"Everything?"
Haley nodded enthusiastically. "Every last detail!"
Brooke shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "There's not really much to tell… I went to Bridgewater and got a job and an apartment and a dog and a new best friend, Rex, and that's about it." She said, laughing slightly.
Peyton looked hurt at Brooke's comment. A new best friend.
Lucas grinned. "He's the cutest."
All three girls looked at him strangely.
"Rex?" Said Peyton, a little horror in her voice.
A loud laugh escaped from Lucas' mouth. "No you goof, the dog!"
"Oh, thank God! If you thought Rex was cute I would seriously have to re-evaluate our relationship." She said, quickly covering her mouth as she realised what she just said.
"You… You guys are… together?" Brooke asked in a timid voice.
Peyton nodded slowly, a guilty look on her face. "We didn't mean for you to find out like this…"
Brooke shook her head. "No, it's okay." She smiled a little and shrugged. "Not my business."
The words cut through Lucas and Peyton like a knife as they remembered the night Brooke left. Those words.
For what seemed like the hundredth time since their reuniting, there was silence between them. In an attempt to lighten the mood Haley stood up. "So, does anyone want any tea or coffee?"
"No thanks. I think I'm actually going to go for a walk. You know, I haven't seen my old house for a while… I should go back there." She said, rising from her seat and smoothing out her skirt.
As if on instinct, Peyton and Lucas rose too. "Do you want us to come with you?" Lucas asked.
"No" She turned around and left the apartment, leaving her three friends behind. She walked down the street, looking around at everything she'd missed while she'd been gone. It felt like her time in Bridgewater was just a big dream. Being back here felt so right, even though in Brooke's mind she knew it was so wrong. She walked slowly to her house, with mixed feelings of anticipation, excitement and dread. She was curious as to whether her room had been changed. If anything had been redecorated. 'There's only one way to find out' She thought as she rummaged around on the doorframe for the spare key, found it and put it into the lock. She opened the door. "Hello?" She called out, half expecting the worried parents that she'd seen on the news come running down the stairs, but instead there was no reply. The house was dark and just as empty as she'd remembered it. Taking off her coat and dumping it on the floor, she switched on a light and walked up the stairs to her room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as when she'd left, albeit somewhat tidier. Her photo's still covered any flat surface and her bed was neatly made with the same sheets that were on when she left. Her wardrobe had all her clothes in it. It was as if she'd never left and it was all too much. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat down on the edge of her bed, letting the emotion overcome her. And she cried.