A/N: Okay, this is the last official chapter but there will be an epilogue that follows.
Chapter 11: Goodbye
Brooke shut the door of her baby blue VW Beetle and sighed. That was the last of it. Her belongings from her life in Tree Hill were either boxed or packed into every available space in the moving vans and her car, or they had been sold three days previously. She couldn't believe that almost 17 years of property had been so easily put away.
Brooke glanced at the big, white house with the red door, with the large yard and the swimming pool in the back garden. She had been so used to seeing it so full or furniture, clothes and… life, that the last few days had made her feel stranger to her own home now that it was empty.
She smiled at how big the house was. It was the pride of Tree Hill and she had always been pleased to be the privileged girl growing up with everything and anything she wanted. But now she was paying the price for having a luxurious life.
Part of her was angry at her parents for losing the money in the first place and not preparing her for the real world. But another part was relieved that she now had a chance to be like everyone else. To be the girl who had to work for what she wanted instead of just being able to get it. To have so much money available that all she could find to do with it was spend it on alcohol or a new wardrobe.
Fortunately, before the maids had been fired, they'd taught Brooke how to use a washing machine and how to clean the house, so she was equipped with the basic skills. She knew her mother had trained to be a chef before she married into the Davis family, and so she could learn how to cook from her mother. But it would have to be done in New Bern and not Tree Hill.
After her disastrous dinner with Lucas the night before, Brooke had gone straight home and, still angry, had spent all night writing a list on how much she hated Lucas and the pros of leaving Tree Hill. She still had the pieces of paper in her pocket, but couldn't bring herself to throw it away yet.
"Brooke," came a voice from down the street. She turned around to see Peyton, Nathan and Haley making their way to her former house. She hugged them all.
"Wow," Peyton breathed, "Is that all your stuff?" she said observing the two moving vans that were almost full and all the belongings stuffed into Brooke's car. She nodded.
"All the stuff that hasn't been sold anyway,"
"When do you leave?" Haley asked.
"Oh, when the moving men lock up the vans and my parents are ready. It's not long now," Brooke said rubbing her hands together in both excitement and anxiousness.
"Lucas better get here quick or he'll miss you," Peyton mused out loud, making Brooke blush.
"Yeah, well, I left a dozen messages on his phone but he hasn't picked up." Haley said to Peyton, "If he doesn't turn up, I'm going to kill him!"
"You know what? Who cares about Lucas?" Brooke interjected, her outburst shocking both Haley and Peyton. Nathan, who took it as a sign Lucas and Brooke's talk hadn't gone well the previous night, asked the two girls to go make sure Brooke hadn't left anything. When they left, Nathan turned to Brooke who'd crossed her arms around her chest.
"He told you, didn't he?" Nathan said.
"You knew?" Brooke asked.
"I told him to do it."
"Why?" Brooke was now angry at Nathan for his involvement.
"Because he cares about you. Because it's killing him to watch you go. We're all sad you're leaving but Lucas took it badly because he'd only just made up with you. Your friendship means a lot to him."
"So?"
"So? So he loves you. And he told you that and you're still leaving,"
"He can't honestly expect me to just stop my plans because he's just realised he wants me? I can't keep my life in Tree Hill for him. What if he cheats on me again?"
"Brooke…"
"No, Nathan. He obviously doesn't love me enough if he's not even here to say goodbye to me? Or at least stop me again?"
"If he was here, would you stay?"
"I don't know. The fact is he hasn't tried, which means that his feelings for me aren't that strong and I can't stay here for that."
"So, that's it? You're just going to walk away knowing that you could have had another chance with Lucas?"
"I don't need another chance with Lucas. He lost his and he's just got to deal with that," Brooke said, spying Peyton and Haley returning from her house, "So did I forget anything?" she asked them, purposely ignoring anything Nathan was going to say.
"Nope, all clear," Peyton said before looking between the two.
"It's fine. Just discussing something unimportant," Brooke said casting a glance at Nathan.
"Brooke, honey!" Her dad called, "It's time to go,"
Brooke nodded and sighed deeply.
"This is it," she said, "I'm going to miss you so much," she said to the gang before she hugged them again all individually.
"Keep in touch," Peyton told her, "And there's always a room for you with me whenever you want t come visit," she added. Brooke nodded.
"See you soon, bimbo," she said.
"Later, ho," Peyton replied as they both struggled to keep their tears at bay. They didn't want to see each other cry.
"Bye Tutor Wife," Brooke said to Haley as she hugged her, "When you tour, I want front row tickets, okay?"
"Sure, Tigger. Drive safe,"
"Goodbye Nate," Brooke said, "Take care of Tutor Wife for me," Nathan nodded and hugged her.
Brooke looked at them all before opening the car door and climbing inside. Her parents' car started their engine and gave her the signal that they were about to leave and Brooke followed suit.
"See ya," she called to her friends as her parents' car started driving off.
They all waved back as they watched Brooke's car start following and eventually drive off. They stood watching until they could no longer see the moving vans in the distance.
Nathan put his arms around his wife and Peyton and consoled them while they contemplated the loss of their friend.
"I can't believe she actually left," Haley said, "It seemed like she still had a chance to stay,"
"Yeah. How come Lucas didn't show?" Peyton asked Nathan.
"Why are you asking me?" Nathan said.
"Because you both looked like you were having an argument about something. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that Lucas didn't show up. What happened?" Nathan shrugged.
"I'm going to go find that out myself. I'll see you both later, okay?" he said as he took his keys and left. Haley and Peyton looked at each other.
"Feel like some ice cream and a sad movie?" Peyton suggested. Haley nodded.
Nathan pulled up to the kerb of the Rivercourt and saw a familiar figure sitting on the bench, looking out at the river.
"Hey Lucas!" Nathan said as he sat next to him.
"Is she gone?" Lucas questioned. Nathan nodded.
"She seemed pretty angry at you. I take it she didn't like what you said to her?"
"I screwed up, Nate. Really bad,"
"Maybe it was just timing,"
"No. I mean I screwed up everything. The Peyton thing, Felix, Charleston… everything. If I hadn't been so damn selfish, she could have been here now. Not… not on her way to New Bern,"
"Stop being so hard on yourself, man. I guess you both weren't meant to be,"
"That's exactly it. We were. I know we were. You know that feeling you get when you're in love? That it hurts so much to be around them, but when you're not around them – you just want to be?" Nathan nodded, thinking of Haley, "I want her, Nathan. I want her here. Now. I want to see her smile, hear her laughing. I just want to know that she's happy. I didn't want her to leave angry with me. I didn't want to drive her away but I did."
Nathan put his arm around his older brother to comfort him, but he didn't know what much to say.
"I just want her back," Lucas sighed as the two brothers sat next to each other in silence, staring out at the river.
Brooke, meanwhile, looked out of the window, approaching a sign.
'Now leaving Tree Hill. We hope you come back soon!'
To Be Continued…
