The torments of life
Chapter 11
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Once outside of Karen's cafe, the girls got in Brooke's car.
So Haley...the way you seemed to find an excuse not to come, does that mean you didn't want to spend time with us? Asked Brooke faking hurt.
Well...no. It's just, I have responsibilities towards Karen and I don't want to deceive her, tried to explain Haley.
Don't stress out Haley, she's just messing up with you, said Peyton.
Yeah, I'm just messing with you. I think you have to lighten up, take things less seriously, add Brooke.
Haley answered nothing to this. The girls stayed silent for a while until Peyton speak up.
Haley? Before we asked you to tag alone, me and Brooke were kinda arguing about something.
Peyton, don't go there, please, pleaded Brooke.
Haley, continued Peyton ignoring Brooke plea, you've seen how Mouth acts around Brooke, right?
Yeah, like everyone else.
Peyton, please stop it! Pleaded Brooke once again.
you do agree that he likes Brooke a lot and that he does act like someone who has a crush on her.
Yeah, it's pretty obvious. The guy is crazy about you Brooke.
See, said Peyton and then she stick out her tongue to Brooke.
Ok, maybe he does, admitted Brooke, but what difference does it makes. I won't stop being friends with him for that.
We're not asking you to do that, Brooke, said Peyton.
Yeah, I would say that the real question is, how do you feel about him, Brooke? Asked Haley
Brooke didn't say anything on the subject, but just said, while parking her car: "we're at the mall girls!"
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Karen got to the Café right after her classes. When she walked in she saw her son standing alone behind the counter.
"Where's Haley, Luke"
"She went shopping with Broke and Peyton. I told her you would be ok with that. You are, right?" asked Lucas wondering if he hadn't made a mistake.
"It's fine. Thanks for taking of the café while Haley and I weren't there."
"No problem. It's not like I had anything else better to do. So…how was your class?" he asked curious.
"Great! I never thought I would love it so much!" she answered really enthusiast.
"It's kind of weird to see that my mother goes to school"
"Does that bother you?" asked Karen worried her son didn't want her to study.
"No, not at all. The important thing is that you enjoy it, not what I think of it."
"I really Love it!"
"Then I'm totally cool with it. Even if I weren't, it's your choice, not mine I have no say in this."
Karen smiled at her son and went behind the counter to kiss him on the cheek. She put an apron on and started to clean the counter.
"Is Keith stil picking me up at one?" ask Lucas changing the subject.
"He's supposed to…"
"Sorry for bringing that subject up, but are things alright between the two of you?"
"Things are…"
¤FLASHBACK¤
Karen saw Lucas leaving the room. She knew what he was trying to do; he wanted them, Keith and her, to talk. Seeing Keith standing there was making her nervous. She didn't know what to do or how to react. Her palms were starting to sweat and she only wanted one thing, to run away. She needed to break this uncomfortable silence that had settle between them since Lucas had left the room.
"It's great to see you" said Karen trying the best she could not to show how uncomfortable she was in this situation.
"It's great to see you to, althought I would have wished for it to happen in other circumstances."
"Yeah…youknow, Keith…I'm really sorry for last year." She said, immediately regretting saying this. She didn't want to bring that subject up right now, but she had.
"You are? Why's that? It's not because you don't love me the same way I do, that you gotta be sorry. It's not your fault, our hearts love who they love and you can't control it."
"…but Keith, I broke yours."
"I won't lie to you, Karen. It did break my heart when you told me you didn't share the same feelings, but I could never hate you for this. You'll always be the most important person in my life, that you love me or not." said Keith trying to reassure her.
"I'd like to change things, to get back to last year."
"Why?"
"Because, Keith, I wish I had reacted another way."
"Which way?" asked Keith, suddenly really curious. He wanted to understand what she meant.
Karen looked down for a few seconds. She was trying to find a way to say the things she wanted to say. No words seemed to fit her thoughts. She thought that, maybe, she shouldn't tell him.
"I guess it doesn't matter anymore." She said defeated.
"Karen…it does matter." he pleaded her.
"No, not anymore 'cause what is in the past is in the past. I shouldn't have bring this up."
"Karen…"
"…so, Keith do you have somewhere to stay for the night?" she asked, changing the subject to make sure he would understand she didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Yeah…on my way here, I reserved a room at the motel."
"Perfect. Do you want to drive with Lucas and me to the funerals?"
"No thanks, I'll go by myself."
"Ok." answered Karen, simply. She was feeling the atmosphere getting more tense each seconds, he was probably feeling it to because he told her: "I should go. I'll see you soon."
"Bye." said Karen watching Keith leave. She was starting to regret not talking about what she meant. She wanted him to know that in reality she loved him to and that if she had told him she didn't it was because she was scare of losing their friendship if it didn't work, she was scared of breaking her routine and lose herself.
¤END OF FLASHBACK¤
"Things are... fine but complicated. We'll work it out."
"I'm sure you will."
At that moment, the door of the Café opened. They turned around to see Nathan coming in.
"Lucas, Keith is waiting in the car for us. Are you ready?"
"Sure" said Lucas to his brother. He turned to his mother and kissed her on the cheek "See you later, mom"
Karen watched her son leave with Nathan, his brother. She sat on the stool that was right by her side. She was somehow hurt to see that Keith hadn't came in, but had stayed in the car she was wondering how things could go back to normal, back when Keith and her weren't afraid of being around each other. She was missing this time they used to spend together: the dinners, the mockeries, all of those things that made her feel great. She had to do something, but what? She couldn't possibly tell him, she loved him, could she? Certainly not after everything that had happen. Maybe they still needed time to figured some stuff out or maybe things would never be ok between them anymore.
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(Mall: Brooke, Haley &Peyton)
The girls walked in the mall, with Brooke in the lead. As she was walking, she turned around to talk to them.
"So...I think I need a new dress. You know, I really have to start to work my magic on boys once again. So I need a really stunning dress...oh and shoes that goes with it, said Brooke to the girls. She was really hoping it would kept them form the "Mouth subject". She wasn't ready for all those questions on him and how she felt about the guy, because she didn't have those answers. She had never thought about the possibility of him and her as a couple...wait, who was she kidding? She had wondered about it a couple of times, but nothing had really come out of it. It never had been enough to answer those questions and so many more she had in mind.
"Boys or Mouth?" asked Peyton with a knowing smile on her face. She knew her friend enough to say that she was slowly falling for the guy, but she was denial.
"Boys in a general way, Peyton! After Lucas, I kind of swore off boys, but it's time for me to put an end to this."
"Really! Mouth is included in "the boys" category, I suppose?" asked Peyton not really expecting and answer from Brooke, but a reaction.
"Oh, shut up, Peyton!" said Brooke lightly hitting her friend with her purse.
Haley just watched the two interact, laughing at them. She was really in admiring Brooke and Peyton friendship and she was wishing she would have that with a girl. Of course, she had Lucas. He was her bestfriend and she loved him to death, but it wasn't the same. No matter how long they knew each other and were friends they were still some subjects she wasn't comfortable talking about with him, seeing he was a boy.
" I call a truce, Brooke!" said Peyton as she and Brooke were still faking a fight.
"Fine! But we change the subject and don't talk about it for the rest of the day!"
"Fine by me!" answered Peyton.
"What about you, Haley?" asked Brooke.
"I agree."
"Perfect, plus I've got a oh so more interesting subject to talk about!"
"What is it, Brooke?" asked Peyton, knowing she had something on her mind.
"Well, as you both know, I talk to Lucas…" started Brooke.
"Yeah and…" said Peyton, wondering where her friend was going with all of this.
"Well, he told me some interesting facts…"
"Well…" said Peyton, now fully knowing where Brooke was going.
"How come you didn't tell me, you and him had straightened things out, yesterday night? Were you going to tell me, at all?" asked Brooke. She might have seemed like she was mad, but really she wasn't, she was only deceived she hadn't heard it from Peyton first.
"What?" exclaimed Haley, a little over reacting. She was just surprised Lucas hadn't mentioned anything back at the café.
"I take it, by your reaction, Haley, that Lucas didn't mention anything either." Said Brooke.
"Not a word."
"Well Peyton, care to explain?" asked Brooke curious of what had actually happened.
That was it; Peyton knew it was the subject Brooke wanted to talk about. Damn you, Lucas and your big mouth" Really, it wasn't that much of a deal that he had talk about it; it's just that she wanted to tell Brooke herself. He probably didn't know she hadn't said a thing, so he wasn't really to blame, was he? Now that it was done, she had to deal with it.
"I was supposed to talk to you about it, Brooke and I suppose Lucas would have told you to, Haley. I guess it didn't go that way, as it? I'm sorry for that!"
"So how did it happen?" asked Haley, wanting to know more.
"Huh, well…He came over to my house last night, told me he wanted to be friends and it was up to me to make the decision, That's pretty much it."
"I guess this is great" said Brooke "I just thought there would have been more to it."
"Like what? Me jumping on him and having this big make out session with him saying: 'Oh Lucas I want you, let's be friend again'."
"No, that's not what I meant. I just thought it had happen in a more complicated way, I guess."
"I thought that to" add Haley.
"Now, why's that?"
"Peyton, you and him never had the simplest history. It is only natural for us to assume it went a little more complicated than what you said" said Haley, explaining her thoughts.
"Well it didn't. Could Lucas, be another subject not to talk about for today, please?" asked Peyton because Lucas was one thing she wasn't comfortable talking about. She and him might have decided to be friends, but there was still some issues that needed to be cleared out between the two of them and there was also some she needed to clear with herself.
"Fine we let this one out to" said Brooke "But really, what is there left to talk about?"
"Plenty, Brooke, plenty. I'm sure one f us will come up with something." said Haley to the brunette
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Hope you like this chapter. Please leave a review, it's always appreciate and its the thing that keeps me going.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far.
I'll try to update in a few days, but I can't promised. Be sure I'll do the best that I can to update soon.