This chapter was easy to write, for some reason. My fingers just sort of glided along the keys, lol. Anyway, I'm in a super hurry so once again, no review responses, but enjoy. Also, the next chapter will be up tonight, hopefully, if I can finish the next chapter. Hope you like. Please leave lots of reviews. I'm afraid I've lost a lot of readers. The number of reviews have gone down, and it's sort of inspiring me not to write.

Only The Good Die Young

Chapter Twenty: When No One's Willing To Stop The Madness

Brooke slammed the door to her room. Or Haley's room. Or their room. Whatever. Tears formed in her eyes, and she angrily locked the door.

What had just happened? The day had been entirely horrible. It had started bright and early that morning, when Haley had been getting ready for her doctor's appointment.

Haley looked into the mirror, running her hands underneath her eyes. Dark circles lined them perfectly.

"It's weird not being able to put makeup on there. I just want to hide them." She sighed, tempted to pull out her cover up.

Brooke shrugged, pulling her straight hair into a pony tail. "Well, pretty soon, you won't have them anymore."

"Maybe not." Haley mumbled, sighing.

"So, are Mom and Dad taking us to the appointment? Because they said they wanted to be involved, but-"

"Actually, Brooke, I think maybe you shouldn't come to this appointment." Haley interjected, biting her lip nervously.

"Shouldn't go? Are you crazy?"

"It's just another of my stupid appointments. A check up, if you will. You should go to school. You said yourself that you had like, three tests today, and a project due in English. And you know how Ms. Norbert doesn't accept major projects in late."

"But Hales, you're way more important than school. It doesn't matter if I don't have you there with me."

"Brooke, please, trust me. It'll be one more appointment just like the rest of them. You won't miss out on a thing, I promise."

Hesitantly, Brooke nodded. "Well, my project is very important."

"Exactly." Haley agreed.

"So, you'll call me at lunch with all the details?"

"Sure. If you aren't busy making out with Lucas." Haley grinned, and Brooke shrieked, tossing Bubbly Boo at her head.

No wonder Haley hadn't wanted her to go the appointment, Brooke shook her head bitterly.

Everything had seemed fine. Haley and their parents had left, and Brooke had gone to school.

She cringed at the next encounter in her memory.

Lucas.

The crowded hallways of Tree Hill High were flooded with students. Brooke stood beside Peyton and Nathan, discussing Colleges. After all, college was just around the corner.

"Where have you gotten acceptance letters back from?" Brooke peered over Nathan's shoulder at the letters in front of him.

"USC, UNC, and NYU. It's pretty hard to believe my grades are good enough." Nathan shook his head, and smiled to himself.

"I got into NYU, too! And UNC. But I don't think I got in anywhere else." Brooke rolled her eyes, and looked over at Peyton.

"I haven't gotten my letter back from NYU, but Pepperdine accepted me, if you'd believe that."

Brooke grinned at her friend. "P. Sawyer! Pepperdine? That's amazing! You so have to go."

"Nope," Peyton shook her head, "We made a pact. And wherever you two are going, I'm going."

"You don't have to do that, Peyt. We'll still love you if you live in California." Nathan smirked, and Peyton laughed.

"Thanks Nate, but my minds made up. I don't even really want to be an architect. I just sort of- want to be wherever Jake is. And I want to be wherever you guys are. I'd be no where without my friends."

Brooke smiled, pulling her best friend into a hug, and Nathan did the same.

Looking for a change of subject, Peyton spoke up once more. "What about Haley?"

The truth was, Brooke wasn't even sure if Haley would make it until college. But that didn't stop her from gloating. "Oh, Hales got accepted everywhere. Harvard, Yale. Wherever. She's going to be valedictorian."

"Of course she is. She's Haley Davis, the smartest thing since- ever."

Brooke laughed, but stopped short when she saw Lucas walking towards her, a small smile on his face. He stopped before her, and smiled.

Peyton and Nathan glanced at each other, before excusing themselves so sneakily, that Brooke shot them death glares.

"So uh, hey." Lucas smiled awkwardly, and Brooke nodded.

"Hi."

"I was, um- Brooke, I know we broke up, but, I was wondering if maybe-"

"Luke. I know that I broke up with you for what seems like a stupid reason, but it's serious. And I'm sorry if I led you on in any way at the dance, but, for right now, I need this space, and this time. Please. Friends?"

She held out her hand, and Lucas looked at it for a minute, as if it would burn him if he touched it. Shaking his head, he walked off.

"Unbelievable."

Okay, that had been bad. At that point of her day, she'd considered it the worst point of the week. The highlight that wasn't exactly the brightest color.

Sighing, Brooke placed her head in her hands. The worst had yet to come.

Brooke returned home from school, dropping her bag onto the entrance floor. She'd received one phone call from Haley, giving her a short, "Yeah, the appointment was great." phone call.

And to be honest, Brooke knew something was wrong. Something wasn't right. She walked around the house, intent on finding her sister.

"Hales, I'm home!"

Brooke found her sister and parents sitting in the kitchen, all drinking lemonade, and looking nervous.

Nervousness.

Brooke had felt it a lot over the past couple of weeks, but right then, as everyone around her felt it too, Brooke felt it grow inside her to a level unexplainable.

"What's going on?" She said slowly, grabbing a seat.

"Brooke," Her mother began, biting her lip softly, "We went to Haley's appointment today, as you know."

"Yeah, and everything's fine. Haley told me."

Haley averted her gaze from her sister's, and looked towards her father for support. He sighed, focusing his attention on Brooke.

"Dad?" Brooke's voice cracked as she looked into her father's eyes. He smiled sadly.

"Honey, the cancer is really advanced."

"But we can still stop it." Brooke nodded determinedly.

"We could do a treatment on Haley. Go through the chemo, everything. But, her doctor still doesn't know how much time that could give her. It could be a month, a week, a year. It's-"

"Spit it out, Dad." Brooke placed her hands on the table in front of her, eyeing her parents and sister suspiciously.

"I've decided not to do the treatment." Haley said suddenly, tears in her eyes.

Brooke stood up, anger rushing through her veins. "What? Are you insane? You can't not do the treatment! Dad! Mom!"

Brooke looked towards her parents for support, but found none in the older Davis's, who simply sighed.

"Honey, it was Haley's decision. We can't change her mind. Haley would prefer to live her life happily for as long as she can."

"Yeah, Brooke. Why complicate it? I can live now and take it for all I can get, or I'll live longer, while sick and in bed. I don't want to die with no hair, or on a stupid monitor, Brooke."

"Haley," Brooke felt tears come to her eyes, "Don't you realize how selfish you're being? You're going to be leaving so much behind! It's not fair to anyone else!"

"I'm doing this for myself. It's my body-"

"And you're my sister!"

"Brooke, please.."

"No! You know what? You want to not do the treatment? Let yourself die? Fine! That's just fine! But I won't be any part of it!"

With that, Brooke turned on her heel, stomping up the stairs towards her bedroom.

And now, here she was. Angry tears stung her eyes, and she looked around the bedroom sadly, curling her body up onto the bed, for just a moment.

She heard footsteps walking up the stairs, and instantly was aware that they were the footsteps of her sister.

Rolling her eyes, Brooke unlocked the door, but then stomped over to the closet, locking herself inside with Cuddly-Sue.

It was like Haley knew she was hiding in there. In seconds, her sister was by the closet door.

"Brooke?"

"Go away, Haley."

"No. Brooke, listen to me-"

"No. Leave me alone. I don't want to listen to your stupid reasoning. Do what you have to do. But have fun explaining yourself to Luke and Nate. I mean, I'm sure they'd understand."

"Brooke, can you please just calm down for like, a millisecond?"

"No. We're done here. No offense, but I don't really feel like talking right now."

"Fine. But if you can ever find it in your heart to forgive me, just know, that I'm not just doing this for myself."

"Just so you know, that completely contradicts what you said downstairs." Brooke retorted.

"No. I'm doing this for me, yeah. But I don't want you, or Mom and Dad, or Nate and Luke to see me like this. I want you to remember me like this. As Haley Davis. I don't want deeper dark circles, or no hair. I don't want to be a dead girl walking."

Brooke sniffled. "Too late now, right?"

"Brooke, I love you. I love you more then anything in the world, and if you can't understand that, then I guess I'm okay with it. Just know that I love you. And that you mean the world to me, believe it or not."

Sighing, Brooke nodded to herself. "Thanks, but I need some time to myself right now."

She could hear Haley standing up to leave. "Okay. I'm going to go. You know, break the news to everyone else."

"Good luck."

Brooke tucked her legs underneath of her, leaning deeper into her closet, behind her clothes, and so that she was crushing her shoes. And there, by herself, she began to sob.

And the tears wouldn't stop.