2/1 The Morning After
NEW YORK
Brooke awoke late the next morning with a splitting headache.
"Oh my God." Brooke groaned as she put a hand to her head
Brooke climbed out of bed and began walking towards the bathroom. What the hell happened last night? Brooke thought. I remember talking to Peyton, and then going to the bar. Brooke looked in the mirror at her makeup-smudged reflection.
"I drank way to much." She told the reflection staring back at her
Why am I so sore? I went to the bar, and then…and then…
"Oh no. Oh God." Brooke said when she finally remembered
She turned around and began to vomit in the toilet, disgusted at what she had done. When she got done throwing up, she stood and flushed the toilet, and then turned the shower on, and cried as she let the water run over her.
TREE HILL
Peyton awoke to the smell of coffee and eggs. Opening her eyes and looking around, all the previous night's events came rushing back. Sighing, Peyton threw the covers off of her, and made her way into the kitchen.
"Morning." Haley greeted Peyton with a small
"Morning. Why aren't you at school?"
"I figured you needed me more." Haley shrugged and turned around and set two plates down on the table and sat down. "How are you doing?"
Peyton sat down as well. "Not good. I screwed up pretty bad Hales."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Let's see. First, I got fired from TRIC, which royally sucked because I really loved that job. Second, my dad came home because Karen told him about the drugs, and he took all the money that I had. Third, I lost contact with all the people that I love. Fourth, I started sleeping with Rick for drugs. And lastly, me and Brooke are over."
"Peyton, I'm so sorry."
"It's my own fault it ended up this way. Haley, I should have never started doing drugs in the first place. Look where it got me. I should have listened to you from the beginning."
"Peyton, you can't go back and change it. The important thing is that you realized how bad it was before something really bad happened." Haley said, trying to find some way to ease Peyton's pain
"I lost everyone's respect. I lost Brooke, the one thing that meant to most to me. I don't see it getting any worse."
"Respect can be earned again Peyt. And you just have to give Brooke time. She loves you. She'll forgive you."
"No Haley, I don't think that she will. We've been having problems for a while now, and this was just the nail in the coffin. Besides, it wasn't just her decision to break up." Peyton sighed. "She has feelings for Faith. It's too hard to be here while they are both up there together. They kissed again, and I'm not sure that I can deal with that."
"I'm so sorry Peyton. Is there anything that I can do to help?"
"You're doing it right now." Peyton smiled
NEW YORK
"Hey B!" Faith called out as she walked through Brooke's front door. "You here?"
Brooke groaned inwardly. "Right here." She said from the living room
"Playing hooky huh? Why didn't you tell me?" Faith joked. She stopped when she saw how horrible Brooke looked. "Jesus B! What happened?"
"Peyton and I broke up." Brooke began to massage her temples. "And then I went and got completely smashed. I don't even know I got home."
"What happened with Peyton?" Faith asked as she sat next to Brooke
"She was fucking her dealer for drugs."
"Oh wow." Faith said, not expecting that. "I'm so sorry."
"I can't deal with that Faith, so I ended it. I'm all about the forgiveness thing, but that just hurts too much. I can't get over that. I told her about the shit that happened with you and me, and that kind of decided it for her."
"I slept with my old dealer a few times. When you're desperate, and you don't have money, your judgement kind of takes a back burner to getting your fix." Faith revealed
"It just hurts too much. I'm so far away, and we just keep having problems. It's best to break up."
"Come here." Faith wrapped Brooke in a hug
Brooke pulled back quickly. "Faith, I need to tell you something."
"What is it?" Faith asked, confusion etched on her face
"Last night at the bar, I left with someone. We ended up having sex."
"Damn!" Faith said, shocked. "Are you ok?"
"No, I'm not ok. But that's not the part that I needed to tell you."
"Ok, what is it then?"
"It was Brett."
Faith looked like she had been slapped in the face. She stood from the couch, and without a word began walking to towards the door.
"Faith. Wait." Brooke said jumping up to follow her friend
Faith stopped and turned back around. She made her way back to Brooke, and got in Brooke's face. "You're supposed to be my best friend. How the hell could you do that to me?"
"I know, and I'm so sorry."
Faith laughed bitterly and turned towards the door again. Flinging back around, Faith punched Brooke hard in the face. Brooke, shocked, put a hand to her lips. She pulled her hand back to see blood on her fingers. Brooke looked at Faith, pain and regret in her eyes.
"Fuck you." Faith spat and slammed the door on her way out
Brooke fell to the floor in tears, completely alone.
Faith left Brooke's loft in a rage. She was pissed that her best friend and her boyfriend would do that to her. She made her way to Brett's apartment, getting angrier by the moment. She figured that he was probably still at home also, since he hadn't been at school all morning.
Reaching Brett's apartment, she began pounding on the door. Brett opened it, still in his boxers.
"You son of a bitch." Faith said as she shoved his chest and pushed her way into the apartment
"Faith. What are you talking about?" Brett said, already knowing that Brooke had told Faith about the previous night
"You know exactly what I am talking about. You don't even want to play games with me." Faith said through gritted teeth
"I can explain Faith."
"Explain what? The fact that you've probably been fucking around behind my back this entire time, or explain to me why you slept with my best friend?"
"It just happened with Brooke. She was drunk, and I was trying to get her home-"
"And you decided you would take advantage of her while you had the chance?" Faith shoved Brett's chest again. "You're pathetic, you know that?"
"Faith, I'm sorry." Brett said
"You're right. You are sorry, you asshole. Don't you ever come near me again, or you'll regret it."
Faith turned to walk out of the apartment, but Brett grabbed her arm to stop her. Faith turned to face him, fury behind her eyes. "Get your fucking hands off me, or I swear to God you wont ever walk again."
Brett dropped Faith's arm. "Look, I understand you are mad. I get that. But don't hold this against Brooke. She was beyond trashed, and she didn't know what she was doing. She cares about you Faith, and she would never do anything to hurt you. This was my fault, not hers."
Faith looked at Brett. Suddenly, she punched him hard in the face, and without saying anything, walked out of the apartment.
Brooke had cried herself to sleep on the living room floor where she had collapsed earlier. She awoke a few hours later to find Faith sitting on the couch, watching TV.
"Please don't hit me again." Brooke begged when she saw Faith
Faith rolled her eyes and stood up. She walked over to where Brooke was, and dropped to her knees. Looking at Brooke face, she noticed the cut on Brooke's lip.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Faith said as she helped Brooke up
"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked quietly, ashamed that her actions had caused hurt to her best friend
"I came back to see how you were. You were sleeping, so I didn't want to wake you."
"Why are you here after what I did to you?"
"I'm not mad at you. I'm pissed at Brett. You were hurting, and wasted, and he took advantage of that."
"I was the one who pushed him though."
"I talked to Brett, and it's over with him and me. He didn't want me Brooke, he wanted sex. And I was just stupid enough to give it."
"Faith, I'm so sorry."
"I know." Faith gave Brooke a smile as she wiped the dried blood from Brooke's lip
"You have one hell of a punch." Brooke laughed
"Yeah, sorry about that." Faith crinkled her nose
"It's ok. Guess I deserved it."
"If it makes you feel any better, I punched Brett too." Faith smiled
"Do you resolve everything with violence?"
Faith smiled again, and kissed Brooke. When she pulled away, Brooke was looking at her funny.
"Sorry. At the beach house, you kissed my bruises." Faith shrugged. "I just figured it was my turn."
"Oh." Brooke said simply
"Well I'm going to head out. I'll see you later?"
When Faith turned around to walk out the door, Brooke called out to her. "Faith. Wait."
Faith turned back around. "What?"
Brooke walked over to the other brunette, and began kissing her. When their lips parted to allow each other to use their tongues, Faith pulled away.
"Stop."
"Why?"
"Because now I'm taking advantage of you. I can't do this." Faith turned around again, and began to walk towards the door
Brooke walked past Faith, and blocked the other girl's way. "I know what I'm doing Faith. You aren't taking advantage of me. I know exactly what I want, and right now, that is you."
Brooke leaned in to kiss Faith again, and this time Faith didn't resist. They wrapped their arms around each other, and the kiss quickly became passionate. Brooke led them to the couch, and pushed Faith down so that she was sitting on the couch. Brooke sat on Faith's lap, straddling her lap, and smiled as she leaned forward to catch Faith's lips with her own again.
The kiss broke when Brooke sat up to take her shirt off, Faith helping to pull it off. Brooke kissed Faith again as soon as the shirt was over her head, and brought her hands to the bottom of Faith's shirt. She pulled it over Faith's head, and began to kiss Faith's neck.
Faith reached behind Brooke and unhooked Brooke's bra, and removed it from Brooke's body. Faith brought her mouth to Brooke's breasts, and began to lightly bite Brooke's nipples. Brooke moaned, and Faith smiled and turned them around so that they were laying on the couch, Faith on top of Brooke with Brooke's legs around her waist.
They began to kiss again, and Brooke reached behind Faith to remove the girls bra. After she had taken it off, she began to tease Faith's breasts like Faith had done to hers.
Faith leaned down, and began to nibble on Brooke's neck, eventually making her way down Brooke's chest and stomach. Lightly running her tongue on the skin right above Brooke's jeans, Faith unbuttoned and unzipped Brooke's pants.
Faith sat up, and looked Brooke in the eye. "You sure you want to do this?" Faith asked hesitantly
Brooke nodded and laid back on the couch and relaxed as Faith removed Brooke's jeans.
TREE HILL
"Peyton! Hey!" Lucas said as he walked through the door with Nathan behind him
"Hey guys." Peyton smiled. She turned back to Haley. "I should go. It's getting late."
"Peyton, no. Stay for a little." Haley said
"No, really. I should go. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." Peyton stood up. "Bye Lucas, Nathan. It was good seeing you guys. Haley, thanks for everything." Peyton smiled as she walked out of the door
Nathan went to Haley and gave her a quick kiss. "Is she ok?"
"No." Haley said simply
"Do you think there's anything we can do to help her?" Lucas asked
"Catch her as she falls." Haley smiled sadly
NEW YORK
"I think it's time to invest in a new couch B." Faith laughed as she and Brooke laid on the couch
Brooke laughed also. "Why the hell is that?"
"Because at some point, I swear I felt a spring break somewhere in this thing." Faith joked
Brooke looked at Faith and rolled her eyes. She leaned over to kiss the naked girl next to her.
"Plus, our naked asses have been all over it, and that's just nasty." Faith said against Brooke's lips
Brooke smiled, but kept kissing Faith.
"Ooh, before I forget, what flavor lips gloss do you wear? I can still taste it on your lips?" Faith mumbled between kisses
"Vanilla."
"Ok, so if your parent's come home, how exactly do we explain this?"
Brooke stopped kissing Faith, sighed, and sat up. "Do you ever shut up?"
"No." Faith smiled childishly
"Well, do you mind? I'm trying to kiss you." Brooke pouted
"And as much as I enjoy that, I think I need to go." Faith said as she sat up and began to get dressed
"Because?" Brooke said as she leaned over and began kissing Faith's neck
"Because of that." Faith stood and pulled her pants on. "I would really like to not get caught by your parents. I know that they like to randomly come home when you are being naughty." Faith leaned down to give Brooke one last kiss. "See ya later B."
Faith walked out the door and Brooke sat up and sighed. She gathered all of her clothes from around the living room where they had all landed, and smiled and shook her head as she walked into her room.