Chapter Three

"Oh my God," said Brooke for the nine hundredth time since I'd arrived.

"I know," I responded, for the nine hundredth time since I'd arrived.

His initial confession, my silence, my leaving the house and arriving at Brooke's were all a blur to me now. My body was operating on shock and not on food or sleep. I was exhausted but I knew I'd never, ever be able to sleep.

And Brooke, good friend that she was, was not sleeping with me.

"Oh my God," she said again. I didn't answer but I felt as though she would hear my nonetheless.

"I feel like we should go talk to someone-like someone who's a model of a successful marriage, you know? But I can't think of anyone. I mean my parents barely speak to each other, Nathan's can't decided whether to be separated or together and you and Lucas are both from single parent families!" she said in annoyance. Was it a coincidence, that we'd all banded together, all of us without parents who were happy?

"Nathan…" I started to say. Brooke scoffed.

"Talk to him if you're brave enough-but he's not exactly a model of a successful teen marriage," she said. She said it sadly-she and Haley had been close as well.

"Yeah. But who is? Who can we talk to?" I wondered. I glanced at Brooke-two Brookes seemed to be arguing with each other within her head. At last one won.

"We could talk to Haley," she said quietly. Brooke hadn't said her name out loud in months. Most of us hadn't. After a long pause I picked up my purse and felt around for my cell. But when it was open, my fingers paused at Haley's entry in my address book. I couldn't do this. I couldn't break a year-long silence through the phone. I looked at Brooke, who raised her eyebrows.

"I can't do it. If I talk to her, it has to be in person and that's not possible," I said. Brooke giggled, and for a moment Brooke shone through as she handed me my car keys.

"We haven't gone on a road trip in a long, long time," she said suggestively.

"We don't even know where she is," I objected.

"Last night on her interview thing she mentioned that she was in New York, recording material for her new record. And I have her address written down somewhere," said Brooke, rummaging through the drawer of her bedside table. After a search she came back with a slip of paper with an address written in Brooke's bubbly handwriting. I hesitated but took the paper in it and stared at the address of the girl who'd once been one of my best friends.

I stared at it as I tried to work out my feelings. This was what I always did when things got tough-I hid from them. Usually I didn't need to hide as far as New York, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And I had responsibilities towards Jenny… and towards Jake, but surely he didn't expect any answer to such a crazy proposal, right?

"Come one," I ordered, grabbing my purse and running with her toward my car.

We traveled all night. Stopping for sleep didn't occur to me even though I hadn't slept in so, so long. She dozed in the passenger seat beside me, waking when we stopped for rest and McDonalds.

After another full day of driving we finally did stop at a small motel and got a room for the night. Brooke fell asleep as her head hit the pillow, but my head was too full to sleep. How could he ask something like that of me?

Author's note: Did what he asked come through? It might make more sense next chapter. And this chapter is dedicated to my reviewers-Ali-chan1, Princessbm, Friendsfan, somnambulist29 and bibleboymary4ever. I know it's cliché but I love you so, so much. Oh, and to somnambulist29-in response to your question (and I hope you know what I'm talking about) the answer is yes.

And sorry that this chapter is so very short, but I'll try to make the next one longer.