Brooke sat in the back booth of Deb's Den wishing she had paid more attention in Math class. Sighing heavily, she stopped tapping the pencil on the table and put it back to the scratch paper that was already crowded with addition and subtraction figures. No matter how many times she worked and reworked the numbers, the end result was the same. She was down to her last few dollars…literally.

She couldn't believe it. It wasn't supposed to be that way. She had so carefully planned it out…hadn't she? The large sum of cash she had withdrawn would last a while. But for a pretty, rich girl who had spent a lifetime relying on Daddy's money, she hadn't counted on just how fast it could and would disappear. Travel, lodging…food. All the necessities had bled her dry.

"You look like you just lost your best friend, honey", Deb smiled warmly as she brought over Brooke's lunch. "Everything okay?"

Brooke looked at her.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine. Look, if you don't mind, I think I'll skip lunch today."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, but you ordered…"

"I know. I just changed my mind."

"Well, alright", Deb shrugged.

"Thanks, I'm just not very hungry."

As soon as she said that, her stomach rumbled loudly. Deb smiled.

"Sounds like you better explain that one to your belly."

Brooke just blushed and gathered her things, hurrying off. Shrugging it off, Deb turned to head back to the kitchen when she noticed the white sheet of paper with all the numbers. Deb picked it up and looked at it. At the top was a large number circled. Every notation thereafter was a subtraction from that figure. The final number looked pretty bleak.

Deb sighed as she studied the paper. Immediately she knew exactly what she was looking at. How many times had she been there herself? Putting the plate down, she dashed out of the door trying to catch the brunette stranger.

"Hey! Wait!"

Brooke turned around.

"What?"

"You should come back inside."

"Look, I already told you…"

"I know what you told me but I also know what I saw", Deb held up the paper.

Brooke looked embarrassed.

"Oh yeah, that. That's just…"

"Hon, I know what it is. And it's okay. Come back to the Den with me. Have some lunch on the house and we could talk about things."

Brooke looked around. She didn't klnow what to do but it was hard to turn down the invitation of the older but still beautiful owner of the diner. Reluctantly, she followed Deb. Her plate was sat on the counter of the nearly empty establishment as Deb leaned over from the other side.

"Sorry about this", Brooke apologized as she hate. "I am like so humiliated. I feel like a loser."

"You're not a loser. We all fall on hard times. I've been there. It gets better."

"Yeah right."

"I don't mean to pry but maybe if you tell me exactly what's going on, I could help you figure out a solution."

Brooke sighed. Where could she begin? And how much could she say?

"Well, I'm not from around here. I'm, uh, traveling…"

"Okay…"

"And I kind of ended up here. I really didn't plan on it. I mean, Tree Hill isn't even on the map. Anyway, when I left for my um, little trip here, I thought I'd have enough money to last but it didn't work out that way, I guess."

Deb nodded.

"So the final number on the paper, is that all you have left?"

Brooke took a deep breath.

"Yep. Just take one of the o's out of my name and call me Brooke."

"Could you, you know, call someone? Can you go back…"

Brooke adamantly shook her head. She already knew what Deb was going to say and it simply was not an option.

"No! I can't go home."

"Alright. Well, Brooke, I…"

"Look, I know this looks weird and I know you're trying to help and I appreciate the free lunch and all but I think I should go. There are things that I can't talk about and it's just…I don't know, really complicated."

"Are you sure?"

Brooke tried to smile.

"I can sell my fur and I have some jewelry and stuff. That could tide me over until I figure out what I'm going to do."

"You could do that but eventually that money will run out, too. Then what?"

Brooke shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"Or you could cross it now."

"What?"

"I respect the things that are going on with you that you don't want to talk about. I won't pressure you. But a long time ago, I had a pretty great, comfortable life until I got pregnant. My boyfriend took off on me and my parents pretty much disowned me. All of a sudden, I was dead broke, on my own with a kid on the way."

"What did you do?"

"Whatever I had to do to survive. It wasn't always easy but I made a life for Nathan and me. But I did have some help along the way. I'm eternally grateful because if it hadn't been for that, I don't know where my son and me would be today."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, let me help you out."

"You want to help me? Why?"

"Why not?"

"I, I don't know…"

"Brooke, there is no shame in accepting a helping hand every once in a while. It's okay."

The younger woman really didn't have much of a choice.

"What would I have to do?"

"For starters, I have an extra room in my house. It isn't much but it's pretty comfortable."

"How much rent do you charge?"

Deb smiled.

"I'm cheaper than the River Walk Inn."

"I don't know how I'd be able to pay you…"

"We'll figure out rent and all the details later. And you can pay me from your first check."

"Check? For what?"

"You can work here."

"Here?"

"Why not? I could use the help and you could use the cash, right?"

"Well, yeah but um, I don't have any experience in…food service, or bar service or people service for that matter."

"Can you cook?"

"No."

"Do you have good customer service skills?"

"Probably not."

"Can you make drinks?"

"Martinis", Brooke said proudly.

Deb frowned.

"Sorry, kid but we don't get too many requests for Martinis around here. I'm talking more along the lines of a Flaming Dr. Pepper or a Tornado or a Screaming Orgasm."

Brooke raised an eyebrow.

"I've never had one of those."

"Join the club", Deb muttered. "But anyway. So you don't have a lot of skills but you're a smart girl. I'm sure you will learn quick. And I'm always here and Haley could help you out."

In five minutes Brooke had gone from being hopelessly poor, on the verge of being homeless and hungry to having a steady job and a roof over her head.

"Do I have to sign anything?"

Deb extended her hand and Brooke shook it.

"That and your word are good enough for me. You can get your stuff later out of the motel and move it in to my place."

"Um, okay", Brooke shrugged. "Well, about this job thing, uh, when do I start?"

The front door opened and a couple of chattering locals entered the Den. Deb smiled and handed Brooke two menus, a notepad and a pen.

"How about right now?"