Disclaimer: I dont own anything in "One Tree Hill"
"Harder to Breathe"
Brooke walked into her new home. Since their other house had been sold they had to get a new one. This house was even bigger, if it was possible, and it had a huge backyard. For some reason Brooke didnt like that house. She was always all alone in it. Her parents was never home and she could do whatever she wanted. But sometimes all she wanted was parents.
"Brooke?" her mother yelled from the kitchen. Brooke wrinkled her eyebrows, confused. Her mom was never in the kitchen.. or in the same house as her to say it that way. Brooke walked to the kitchen and saw her mom covered in food.
"What are you doing?" Brooke asked, while looking at her mother weird. Her mother laughed and shook her head.
"Call a cook.. I need help" She said and started drying off all the food.
"yeah thats for sure" Brooke said and picked up the phone to call their usual "cook". That means pizza. Her mother just called it a cook. Brooke quickly dialed the number and made her order, large pizza with cheese and ham, quick and easy. She sat down in the couch, which was almost the only thing in the living room then, and she felt cold. She was freezing.
Thats when she realized she had forgotten her jacket at the river court. She leaned her head back and sighed. It was about time to stop running and face whatever she was running from.
She got up and walked to the front door. "mom Im going out, Ill be right back" Brooke yelled to the kitchen.
"But what about..?" Her mother said just when Brooke slammed the door.
Brooke stepped out of her car and looked around the river court. It was no one there. She smiled and walked over to where she and Nathan had been sitting an hour ago. She looked around it and Nathan wasnt there anymore. He was probably back at home trying to fix things with Haley. She picked up her jacket and felt like she wasnt alone. She wrinkled her eyebrows and just moved her shoulder. It probably wasnt anything.
"brooke!" Someone behind her yelled and she quickly turned around as her heart started beating faster, and it became harder for her to breathe. When she realized it was Nathan behind her she breathed out.
"Nathan! You scared me" She said and walked over to him.
"Well I just saw your jacket and I was gonna bring it to you.." Nathan said and Brooke smiled.
"You dont know where I live.." She said and laughed.
"Of course I do, You held all the big parties" Nathan said and Brooke moved her head a little to the left.
"Yeah well not anymore" Brooke said. "we moved to a different house" She said and smiled to Nathan.
"oh well then it might have gotten a little harder to bring you the jacket" He said and Brooke started laughing. She nodded her head and looked at her jacket. The air between them began to start filling with an akward silence. Like someone had died.
"So.. I better get back home again.." Nathan said.
"yeah me too.. we were just about having dinner" Brooke said and smiled. She brushed her hand between her hair so it would fall elegant down her face. It would cover some of her face, but she would still look perfect. Brooke smiled at him and started walking to her car.
"hey Brooke.." Nathan screamed after her. Brooke turned around and Nathan smiled. "how about we eat lunch together tomorrow? We can catch up on things" He said. Brooke smiled at him.
"Count on it" She said and walked away.
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Brooke walked in the door and walked to the kitchen were her parents were sitting and eating. This must have been the first time in a long time she had seen her parents sitting together.. eating.
"Hi honey, we saved you a few slices" her mother said and Brooke looked at the pizza. That didnt actually look so tempting right now.
"Im not hungry" She said and walked up to her room. She placed her jacket on the chair right next to her door and sat down in her bed. Her room was different, just like the whole house. It didnt feel like home. Her room was big, but it wasnt her. It was empty and didnt have a personal touch, so it felt empty. No matter how many furnitures she would have there, it would still feel empty. She needed pictures.
She got up and looked at her phone. She would feel so lonely, she didnt have Lucas and Peyton to hang out with anymore. She grabbed the phone and searched her clothes for a phone number. She finally found it and dialed the number and listened to the beep.
"hello?" a voice said on the other line and Brooke started smiling.
"Hey basket star" She said and laughed. He started laughing to.
"hey Brooke" Nathan said and Brooke sat down in her bed again, getting comfortable.
"So, dinner got cancelled.. I just wondered if you wanted to eat lunch now" Brooke asked and she could hear Nathan laughing on the other line.
"Sure why not?" Nathan said. "But you do know your suppose to do me a favor?" Nathan said and Brooke turned her head in wonder what he was gonna make her do.
"yeah, so?" Brooke said and leaned against the wall. "What are you gonna do?" She asked.
"well. Well see about that. But why dont we meet at the river court again, and catch up there.. unless your hungry of course" Nathan said and Brooke smiled. She automaticly walked over to her closet and looked at her clothes. She needed something new to wear. The clothes she had on now started to look old on her.
"No.. not very hungry. Why dont I meet you there in ten minutes?" She said and looked in the mirror. She seriously needed to fix her hair. It was messy and it just looked like she had just woke up. And her make up was weak, so she needed to fresh that up. Had she just gone out like that today?
"ok see you there" Nathan said and hung up. Brooke threw the phone in her bed and started searching her closet for something hip and cool. She found out a pair of dark blue jeans with a touch of light blue in front of it. She quickly put it on and checked how it sat on her. It was cool for now.
She moved over to the tops and sighed. She had so many tops and most of them didnt work as free time, just party. She then finally found a funny top with the words "Brunettes does it better" on the chest. She laughed at it and put it on. It was a singlette and it fitted her perfectly. She moved her shoulders and went straight to the bathroom to fix her hair, and make-up. She was going out, people was gonna look at her. She needed to look good..for herself..
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Nathan placed the phone at the table and turned off the tv, he was watching some basketball game that his father had taped for him. He sighed and leaned his head backwards. This whole working out your marriage thing with Haley had taken away his energy, and he hadnt had the time to work on his shots at basketball.
Ever since Haley came back they had talked out and everything, but Nathan still had something on his chest. The whole Chris thing had broken him down. He was a mess when she left and before she came back he was healing. But when he opened the door and looked straight at her his feelings from before she left and after had returned.
He had felt love and hate at the same time for the first time in his life, and he hated it. From the moment she had talked he had realized it was real. It wasnt some of his dreams or thoughts he had had. It was real, she was really standing there.
He got out of his chair and moved to the front door when he got stopped.
"hey son where are you going?" Dan said from behind Nathan. He closed his eyes and turned around.
"Im just gonna go and work on my shots at the river court." He lied. Dan probably wouldnt let him do anything else than basket right now.
Dan smiled and tapped him on his shoulders. "good luck son" He said and Nathan walked out of the door. He was really trying for them to be a family.. it just didnt feel right for Nathan yet..
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Brooke pulled into the river court and looked at the sky. It was beginning to get dark and the stars was makin their way through the clouds. Brooke smiled to herself as she looked at the sky. She sat down in the middle of the court and just looked up.
"Enjoying the stars I see?" Nathan said from behind her and once again he frightned her. He sat down next to her and she hit him playfully while smiling.
"you gotta stop doing that" She said and brushed her hair back her ear with her fingers. She took a deep breath and looked at the stars again. "I love the river court at night" She said and Nathan smiled.
"yeah me too.. and think that if it wasnt for Lucas, I would never found out about this place!" Nathan said and laughed, but Brooke didnt laugh. She looked down at the ground and you could see she was feeling uncomfortable. Nathan looked over at her and realized he had said something wrong. "Whats wrong?" He asked and Brooke shook her head and smiled.
"no its nothing.." She said and brushed her hair away from her face again.
Nathan raised his eyebrows and looked at Brooke. "I know theres something wrong.. come on you can tell me.. were friends?" Nathan said and Brooke looked at her. She nodded and smiled.
"yeah.. we are" She said and sighed. Here goes nothing.. "its just.. Tree Hill! It has changed while I have been gone" Brooke said and breathed out. Could she continue? "And I was just gone for two months. What if I had been away for a year.."
"Like Haley?" Nathan said and Brooke closed her eyes and knew she said the wrong things.
"No Im sorry its just.." She said and opened her eyes again. "I found out about Lucas and Peyton.." She said and Nathan looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked confused and Brooke looked at him. He didnt know.. or was he just playing.. so he wouldnt have to say that he knew and never told her..
"You dont know?" Brooke asked.
"No.. I have been busy this summer.. fixing me and Haleys marriage." He said and Brooke didnt say anything else. She was gone in her own thoughts. "Whats going on with Peyton and Lucas?" He asked and Brooke looked at him again.
"Well.. after I.. and Jake left they found comfort.. in each other" Brooke said and laughed. It sounded so stupid. "I mean at least thats what they told me.." She said and realized.. they havent really done anything wrong. Nothing happened with her and Lucas.. well she did end it. But she was dissapointed that Peyton didnt tell her.. even though she didnt think she was moving back. It hurt her.
Nathan just sat there and looked at her. He didnt know what to say. "Im sorry.." He finally said and Brooke laughed.
"Wow we are all sorry here arent we" She said and smiled. "really its ok I guess.. Things change. Theres nothing I can do about it.."
"yeah your right.." Nathan said and looked at his hands. "Ever since Haley left I was a mess.. but when she came back I changed. I didnt feel like I needed her anymore in my life." Nathan said and Brooke widened her eyes.
"Wait.. are you and tutor girl getting a divorce?" Brooke said, surprised. Nathan and Haley was the center of Tree Hill, the main couple. If they split up then none of the couples could make it. At least for everyone that knew them.
"I guess.. therapy isnt working" Nathan said but he knew the reason. It wasnt working because he wasnt into it. He didnt want to share things about their relationship with someone he didnt even know. It just didnt feel natural for him. If they needed to talk to each other through another person the relationship was already broken.
"yeah.. I guess sometimes love isnt suppose to be easy" Brooke said, and looked at the sky. Nathan looked at Brooke and realized it was so much more to her than the bitch she was at school. She was a real person.. with feelings. It surprised him. He had always thought she was a cold-hearted ice princess who didnt care what happend to people around herself. But she cared about what happend between him and Haley. She understood him.
"So how are you feeling?" Nathan said and Brooke looked at him, confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked and Nathan smiled while looking at the sky again.
"After you found out about Peyton and Lucas.." he said and Brooke gave him a half-smile.
"I guess.. It was weird. But I dont think I got the reason to be mad.." She said and laughed. She felt so stupid. "I mean.. its not like Lucas is my property.. and I did leave.." She said.
"yeah but that doesnt mean its ok for your best friend to steal your ex.. like she did last year" Nathan said and Brooke had to laugh. She didnt want last year. If things really had changed she would be strong enough to deal with it. She was changed..
"well.. she did promise not to make out with him this time" brooke said and laughed. So stupid!
"see! Theres a reason" Nathan said and laughed. For the first time he had a real conversation with Brooke. Normally they wouldnt talk at all..
"But I dont want last years drama. Im just.. I dont want any drama right now" She said and smiled. All the drama two years ago till now was enough for a lifetime.
"I hear you.." Nathan said and looked in front of himself. Now the sky was black and all the stars were shining over them. Brooke looked at them and smiled. She looked like a little kid on christmas eve. It was cute. Nathan looked at her and sighed. She seemed happy.
"I think this year its time to bring out independent Brooke" She said, still looking at the sky.
"Ive never met her before, hows she like?" Nathan said and they both laughed a little.
"independent" Brooke said and smiled. "Shes a lot more fun to hang out with"
"good cause Im starting to get bored with this Brooke" Nathan joked and Brooke gasped, and pretended to be insulted. She hitted him playfully and Nathan laughed.
"seriously I dont think I need a boyfriend right now.. I need to get over all this boy-drama that a boyfriend comes with.. First it was Lucas, and then it was Felix.. and then Lucas again" She said and laughed of herself. "I dont need no one to love, I can love myself" Brooke joked and Nathan laughed at her.
"sounds like fun" Nathan joked and Brooke hit him again.
"You need to stop that fun boy" She said and got up from the ground.
"Where are you going?" Nathan asked while Brooke walked around the court.
"I dont know.. I have always wonder how it was like.. for you and Lucas to win a game. I mean I know how it feels, I get to cheer. But have a passion in your life." Brooke said and looked at the basket in front of her.
"yeah well there havent been much Basket for me this summer.." Nathan said. He had rejected high flyers after his injery came back the day before. He was in no shape to play basket the whole summer. But of course, Dan didnt care. He kept on makin Nathan play. Thats why he always used to say he went to the river court to play, but really he just came there to think.
"What do you mean? I thought basket was your life.." Brooke asked.
"yeah well It was.. untill I was told not to play anymore.." Nathan said and Brooke gave him another half-smile. It was a pitty smile, kinda "Im sorry" – smile. He hated when people gave him that.. it wasnt sorry for him, he would do ok. He always did.
"Because of the... accident?" She asked carefully, she didnt want to bring up a touchy subject for Nathan or make him feel uncomfortable. You dont do that to friends.
"yeah.. " Nathan said and got up.
"But I thought you recovered from that.. at least thats what peyton told me.." Brooke said and Nathan looked at her. Peyton had told her about him? Why? And Brooke cared? Even before she came back?
"Well.. it came back so no more basket for me.. this summer. But I am ok now so I will be going through hard training now" He said and smiled.
"Are you sure thats healthy for you? I mean it came back once, it can come back again.."Brooke said with a pitty face.
"if you fear everything in your life, how are you going to live?" Nathan said. Brooke smiled at him. It was true. Which made her think. If she was gonna keep avoiding Lucas and Peyton forever how is she then gonna live her life? She would go around thinking about them forever.. not what she wanted!
"I better get going now.." Brooke said. She needed sleep if she was gonna confront Lucas and Peyton the next morning.
"What? Its only 10:30.." Nathan said and wrinkled his eyebrows.
"yeah well I got something I need to do tomorrow" She said with a clever look in her face. "And I need my beauty sleep" She said and started walking away. This was great – she thought to herself. Talking to Nathan was really cool. She had never though of him as the friendly guy, a boy you could actually like as a friend. She smiled to herself. She had amazed herself today.
She was stronger now than last year – thats for sure..