Brooke watched as all the joy drained from Peyton's face. Now it was making her feel guilty for what she was doing to her best friend, but it was what had to be done. Peyton needed to learn that she couldn't get any guy she wanted whenever she wanted, especially Lucas. It had pretty much always been a constant fight with them about who Lucas really wanted. Even when Brooke was with Felix she had tried to make it clear that Lucas was still into her… which of course he was… but she hadn't known that at the time. Now it was 5 years later, they were 23 and still fighting over the same boy… only this time it was a pre-set match.
"Hello three sweetie, you must be Peyton" Mike said adding a lisp as he spoke
"Um, yea…" Peyton whispered
"Lucas sweetie… come here, let me fix your hair… its poking everywhere" Mike smiled getting gayer and gayer by the minute. Lucas couldn't help but smile… Mike was so good gay.
"Peyton… are you ok?"
"Yea, I mean yea… I just wasn't expecting…" Peyton stuttered
"Me to be gay?" Lucas asked. He was starting to feel guilty about this… not that Peyton didn't deserve it.
"Pretty much, but hey! If you're happy I'm happy!" Peyton laughed nervously
"I am happy"
"Yes we are sugar lump!" Mike giggled kissing Lucas on the cheek. Lucas could barely contain his laughter
Now it was time for Brooke's big entrance, she had been going over in her head what she was going to do and say… but none of it seemed believable. So she decided to just play it by ear… that way it would be more natural.
"Lucas Scott!" Brooke shrieked walking towards the table
"Brooke…"
"Brooke, what are you doing here?" Peyton asked, she couldn't believe what was unfolding right in front of her. Lucas was gay! Brooke was, well Brooke… and nothing was working out like she had planned
"I was here with my fiancé and wow… what are you doing here, Peyton?"
"I'm just having dinner with Lucas… remember?" Peyton asked trying hard to shoo Brooke away from the table.
"Lucas…It was great to hear that you 2 are dating again! Now remember… don't make a blooper, cover your trooper" Brooke giggled. She had defiantly been watching too much TV lately
"Brooke, Peyton and I aren't dating… Mike and I are"
"Your gay?" Brooke asked bursting out laughing
"Thanks to you" Lucas mumbled
"What?"
"After high school I realized that you were never going to fall for me, so I decided that if I couldn't have you, I didn't want any other woman" Lucas said quietly. He couldn't believe he was doing this… he knew it was going to backfire, but he just kept playing along…for Brooke's sake.
"Wait a minute… your gay because of her?"
"Wow… I must have that effect on people…" Brooke giggled shrugging her shoulders
"Well Brooke Davis! Why don't you sit down and have dinner with us" Mike squealed kissing her on the cheek
"Well I'd love too!" Brooke smiled.
"Um, Brooke isn't your fiancé waiting?"
"No actually… He and his girlfriend had plans"
"Your fiancé has a girlfriend?" Lucas asked… he couldn't believe the stuff Brooke was coming up with
"Of course he does…"
"Ok then, does one of you want to tell me what is going on?" Peyton asked
"What do you mean?"
"Mike… he isn't gay! He hit on me when I saw Lucas at Practice" Peyton snapped. Things were finally coming into view
"Damn it Mike!" Brooke whined smacking him in the arm
"So that means Brooke, you didn't turn Lucas gay" Peyton continued. Brooke couldn't believe she was figuring her foolproof plan out! The being pregnant thing must have been messing with her planning skills because this never happened
"I could have if I had wanted too" Brooke shot back to make her point
"Then there is the fact that Brooke, if you haven't seen Lucas in 5 years… why are you sitting in his lap?" Peyton asked. Brooke hadn't even realized what she was doing. Sitting on Lucas was just second nature to her…
"There are no more chairs?"
"Peyton… Brooke is the girl I was telling you about" Lucas finally said realizing that it was time to break the news to her
"Wait, woah… Your with Brooke?"
"Peyt. We didn't know how to tell you… it's been so long and things have been so rough for you… we just wanted to make them easier" Brooke said trying to comfort her friend. But by the look on her face it apparently wasn't working
"H-how long has this been going on?" Peyton asked, stumbling as she spoke
"What do you mean?"
"I mean when I left you guys were just friends"
"We started dating the summer after graduation" Brooke whispered trying to make this as easy as possible on her
"5 years…"
"What?" Lucas asked
"You guys have made it almost 5 years together? Is that even possible?" Peyton laughed. Something was defiantly wrong with this picture if Brooke and Lucas had dated for this long without killing each other
"With the right timing I"
"So you're engaged…" Peyton started without letting Brooke finish her sentence
"Yea…"
"You were in Chicago… what did you do? Fly down the second you heard I was anywhere close to him?" Peyton yelled now getting mad. It was now sinking in who Lucas was actually with.
"It wasn't like that Peyton… I didn't even really know you were here"
"So after all of this, everything in High School you just decided that you 2 wanted to be together… did you even think about how that would make me feel?"
"Probably more than you thought about me at lunch today! Peyton you were here to break Lucas and this girl up!" Brooke yelled back at Peyton. She wasn't going to let her get to her… none of this was her fault, the only thing she and Lucas had done wrong was love each other… but in Peyton's mind that was apparently a terrible thing
"I've gotta go… I hope you 2 have a miserable life!"
"Lucas go after her" Brooke said standing up so he could make sure she was ok
"Why me?"
"Because I might strangle her with these damn hormones!" Brooke said ½ laughing. ½ seriously
"Right… How are you going to get home?"
"Mike can drive me…"
"Brooke…" Lucas started. He really didn't like this… but she wasn't going to back down… she never did.
"Lucas, go… Peyton is still our friend… even if she is being a selfish bitch right now… I'll see you at home"
"I love you"
"I know, I love you too… now go work your magic"
Peyton walked back to her car. She wasn't really surprised that it had been Brooke, that was just something that happened with her luck. This defiantly put a kink in her plans, a huge kink. Now that it was Brooke… was she supposed to keep fighting for him, or let him be happy? Brooke had told her one time, their senior year something that she would never forget, something that might just make her keep fighting for what she wanted.
It had been in the hallway. Lucas was walking down to meet them with Anna, and Brooke was clinging on to Felix. Peyton of course had on one since Jake was gone with Jenny and was feeling really lonely. At least everyone thought it was because of Jake, really Peyton had been feeling something for Lucas for some time now.
"Alright P. Sawyer… No more" Brooke said shaking Peyton back and forth
"What?"
"Stop pining over this boy and fight for him!"
"What do you mean?" Peyton asked trying to act clueless. She couldn't understand why Brooke was trying to tell her to fight for Lucas… Brooke liked Lucas, of course she was dating Felix but everyone knew who she really loved
"I mean… you can't stand around and be miserable… if you miss him… fight for him!"
"Who?"
"Jake!" Brooke squealed excitedly
"Right…"
"I'm tired of your griping goldilocks… call your boy toy"
"Brooke…" Peyton sighed
"Seriously! Why should you wait around forever when you can have him now if you want him! Let nothing stand in your way… ask tutorwife" Brooke giggled pointing to Haley
"She's right Peyton, you can't let him make you miserable"
"Hey guys…" Lucas said walking up next to Haley, Peyton, and Brooke
"Neighbor girl, Broody… I see we aren't at each other throats today"
"We are being civil" Anna said glaring at Lucas
"Good to know…"
"Let nothing get in my way right Brooke?" Peyton asked thinking hard about what she had just said
"What? Oh yea… fight for what you want! Luke can you give me a ride home?"
Peyton thought about it, why should now be any different? It was after all Brooke's words… Fight for what you want, and don't let anything stand in the way. That was defiantly her motto and it had worked for her… why couldn't it work for Peyton?
"Peyton!" Lucas yelled running towards her. She wasn't sure if she should let him in or make him stand outside in the cold. He looked sad enough so she figured she should let him in
"What do you want?"
"We should talk about this…"
"Your with Brooke… I get it" Peyton said glaring at Lucas from her window
"That doesn't mean we can't be friends…"
"We tried the friends thing remember?"
"Peyton we aren't in high school anymore! God… you know we can be friends without all that drama" Lucas sighed. He was trying… but he knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted him to choose. She had been the same way when they had dated in high school for those few short weeks… and that was the reason they had broken up.
"Lucas your with Brooke! How do you think that makes me feel? Brooke, Lucas"
"Peyton… I'm sorry! No… you know what? I'm not… I'm not going to apologize to you for loving her. You can't help who you love! God…This isn't some kind of popularity contest anymore… This is real life, not high school!"
"She is Brooke… she doesn't want to get married or be tied down for the rest of her life!" Peyton yelled. Now she was just talking randomly… she wasn't quite sure what she was saying but she figured there had to be some truth to it
"How would you know Peyton? You haven't even called her in years! You're her best friend and you left without a word to her… do you know how much that hurt her? You don't even know her anymore!"
"So because I had a drug habit and I got help its my fault Brooke was sad"
"Peyton you were better in 6 months…I'm just saying, she may need her best friend soon" Lucas said as calmly as possible. Peyton was pissing him off to the point where he could feel his head getting hot. She had no right to say anything about Brooke… she didn't even know what the hell she was talking about
"What? To watch her ruin both of your lives? That's what she does Lucas… she may have won your heart but she is just going to get restless and bored with you and move on"
"Some best friend you are Peyton… whatever, you know what? I came out here to try and explain to you why… but I don't even feel like it right now"
"You've changed Lucas" Peyton whispered shaking her head
"Maybe I've just gotten smarter about how the world works"
"Wait…I'm sorry, Lucas but this is just a little, shocking…is there anything else I should know before I go home and think on this?" Peyton asked. She really didn't want to make him mad… sure he was with Brooke but they were only engaged… hopefully over time he would see who he really loved and take the ring off of Brooke's finger and place it on to hers
Karen sat on the bed in the guest bedroom they were staying in at Andy's friends house. It had the same bedspread Lucas had had when he as younger… just a plain green comforter. Everything was reminding her of Lucas today, and she thought it was starting to annoy Andy. Now whenever she brought up his name or something about him he just sat there, saying nothing and shaking his head. Of course he didn't have kids so he really didn't know what it was like not to see one for 5 years.
"Kare… what are you doing love?" Andy asked walking into the bedroom and sitting down beside her
"Just thinking… do you ever regret not having kids?"
"Not really… hopefully Lucas will give you some grandchildren down the line and I can just play with them… send them home when I am tried of them, you know?"
"Yea… I am looking forward to that too… I hope he has more than 1 though… he was always lonely as a only child until he met Nathan" Karen smiled, at least he had Nathan now
"I can see him with a whole house full… now are you ready to eat?"
"Yea… what time are we leaving tomorrow?"
"First thing in the morning if you wish" Andy laughed. She had asked this same question 3 times since they had gotten there
"I'm just so ready to lay eyes on him…"
Brooke sat in the front seat with Mike who was of course flirting up a storm, just like he always did. Brooke just wished Lucas was here to see… Brooke just zoned out on Mikes mindless comments that made no sense and his crazy theories about how Brooke and Lucas should get married, and then have a 3-some with him. That was Mike… crazy and disgusting but funny.
"So have you thought of a name yet?" Mike asked tearing Brooke away from her fantasy she was having about her and Lucas in a hot tube
"What?"
"A name for that thing growing inside you?"
"You mean my child?" Brooke laughed looking down at her stomach
"Yea that…"
"Nope… it's all kinda happened fast, besides I know everything I like Lucas will veto… and vise versa…"
"You should name it Mike" Mike finally said after a long pause
"Right… and if it's a girl?"
"Michelle"
"Your crazy…" Brooke laughed rolling her eyes at him. There was no way in hell she was naming her baby after him… the poor kid was already going to have a hard enough life with her and Lucas as its parents.
"Fine you think of something better then"
"Girls… I like Isabella, or Alexandra, Boys… Tristan or Matthew"
"Those are common" Mike sighed obviously disappointed
"And Michael isn't?"
"You know most mothers to be are a little more excited than you"
"I'm excited… hell its going to make my boobs a size bigger… now I don't have to make Lucas pay for it" Brooke giggled. She knew it was driving Mike insane and that was fun. It helped her take her mind off of everything else
"But are you really ready to put someone else first always… I mean Brooke, you are like the most self absorbed person I know… yet you are also the nicest and the most caring, how is that going to work?"
"Ok you realize your really freaking me out right now right?"
"Sorry… I just always saw you and Lucas as the couple who would travel the world and so all these awesome things in life…" Mike said as seriously as Brooke had ever heard him be
"Who says we can't do that with a baby?"
"Dude… my sister had her baby and dropped out of school, and now she doesn't do anything but sit on the couch all day and watch TV"
"How old is her baby?" Brooke asked nervously
"7"
"Months?"
"Years…" Mike laughed
"Damn…But we both know I'm not like that… So I get fat for a few months, I can loose the weight as soon as I have it and then finish everything I was doing before hand"
"Whatever you say Brooke…"
"Ok if you make me question this Lucas is going to kill you… I just got to the point where I fully comprehended this and getting excited about it… DON'T mess it up… got it?" Brooke asked glaring at Mike as they drove into the parking lot
"Whatever you say… Looks like Lucas beat us here, if someone hadn't been craving ice cream"
"Hey.. I am at the mercy of this baby… if it wants ice cream then I cant argue with it…"
"Bye Brooke" Mike waved as Brooke got out
"Bye… Thanks for the ride"
Peyton walked into the house and sat on the couch. He felt like someone had ripped out her chest… now it wasn't really that she was sad that it was Brooke Lucas was with… she was mad that she hadn't figured it out, mad that he would actually get with Brooke, mad that he had yelled at her in the car, and mad that for a while until things got rocky between them there wasn't much she could do. Mary walked into the den as soon as she heard Peyton come in. She looked as if she were getting ready to ask her about the night but then seeing the look on Peyton's face changed her mind.
"So… you want a cookie?" Mary asked holding out a plate of cookies
"It wasn't good…"
"I wasn't going to ask… was she pretty?"
"She was Brooke…" Peyton sighed knowing she was going to have to tell Mary about it at some point
"The girl from earlier"
"Yea…"
"I'm sorry… so what happened?" Mary asked sitting down next to Peyton
"He yelled at me… told me he loved her and he wasn't sorry about it"
"That jerk! What are you going to do?"
"I am going to fight for him… I know deep down he loves me" Peyton smiled
"What's your plan?"
"I don't know… but give it a few weeks. Lucas Eugene Scott will be mine"