She Don't Dream for Me
By: caramelo
I do not own One Tree Hill or anything related to it.
Chapter Five: Witchie-poo
Brooke woke up the next day at three o'clock in the afternoon. She stared at the ceiling for a good fifteen minutes before finally dragging herself out of bed. What's the point? she thought. It wasn't as if she had anywhere to be, thanks to Lucas, Peyton, and Haley James's stupid party.
Hold on, and rewind. Did Brooke Davis just admit to herself that she had absolutely nothing to do on a Saturday night?
"Oh shit," Brooke groaned, "I'm turning into a social leper."
No, she thought, this is ridiculous.
She was Brooke Davis, goddamn it. Of course she had something to do tonight. The only question was what?
"I'll call someone," Brooke said to herself stubbornly. It wasn't as if everybody was going to the party. In fact, Haley herself had said it would be small. Most of Brooke's friends probably didn't even know about it. She could recruit a few of the single girls from the cheerleading squad, and they could go scope out the prospects at a few of the bars.
Was a bar really the best place to meet a nice guy?
Doesn't matter, Brooke decided. Nobody said she couldn't go through a few more of bad guys tonight while she searched for the right one.
She might have been a dirty slut, but who cared? It was only because she was so good at it. Besides, who knew? She could get lucky. There could be a deliciously sweet guy at a bar downing shots because his girlfriend had just dumped him. Brooke did that sometimes.
Mostly though, it was Brooke's ex-boyfriends who were down there getting drunk. She tended to break things off once they got too attached. Brooke wasn't big on emotional strings.
So, it was settled. A night out on the town with a few girlfriends was exactly what she needed. Way better than what she had done last night. She winced at the thought.
Last night was one of the saddest, dullest nights of Brooke's life. She had been too depressed and angry to call anybody and too restless to just fall asleep. For the first Friday night as far as she could remember, Brooke had spent it alone, watching reruns of I Love Lucy and eating a whole pint of ice cream. She didn't even like I Love Lucy all that much. There was just nothing else to do.
"Tonight will be better," Brooke promised herself, "Way better."
Brooke was on a mission. She was determined to have a good time, whether she had been invited to a party or not. She picked up the phone and punched in a few numbers. She tucked the phone in between her shoulder and her ear as she walked over to her closet to rummage around for something to wear.
"Hello?" a voice picked up on the other end.
"Hey, girl!" Brooke cooed into the phone. "It's Brooke."
"Oh, hey, Brooke!" Bevin said, her voice considerably perkier now. "What's up?"
"You know," Brooke said, "the usual. So what are you doing? Got any plans tonight?"
Bevin hesitated. "Actually, I'm going to that girl Haley's party. You know, the one at Nathan's new apartment?"
"Oh," Brooke said flatly. "Yeah, I know about it."
"You're going, right?" Bevin asked uncertainly. "I mean, it's supposed to be totally hot. Everybody should be there."
"I don't know," Brooke said. "I was actually thinking about skipping it."
"Why?" Bevin sounded more and more insecure as the conversation continued.
"It just didn't sound like my kind of thing," Brooke said, "a little too tame for me."
There was a pause before Bevin continued. "Oh," she finally said.
"Yeah," Brooke forced herself to be perky before continuing, "but hey, you can tell me all about it on Monday, 'kay? We'll compare notes, and see if the party really was worth going to."
"Great idea," Bevin said with a fake giggle. "See ya later, Brookie."
"See ya, Bev." Brooke sighed as she hung up the phone. Everything about that phone conversation had been so fake, so played up. Was everything in her life like that? She really didn't want to know the answer.
Besides, Brooke had other things to worry about. Bevin was not the kind of person Haley would invite to a small party. Bevin was not the kind of person Haley would invite to anything period. She was the definition of wild. Brooke and her often hit up the bars and ended up dancing on tables together while getting a few good make out sessions in with random guys before the night ended. They weren't really friends, but good acting could convince everyone else, and themselves, otherwise.
The point was, if Bevin was going to this party, then how many other people were going? Brooke could keep a secret, but Bevin posted fliers for this sort of thing. Obviously this party wasn't as small as Haley had let on.
Brooke shook her head and tried to push her fears aside. Maybe she was just overreacting. Maybe Haley just invited Bevin to spice things up a little. It was still hard to form the mental picture of Haley inviting, or even talking, to Bevin though.
"This is stupid," Brooke admonished herself. "I'll just call someone else."
She pulled a pair of tight black jeans and an eye-catching red shirt from her closet as she dialed Tanya's number. She tucked the phone against her shoulder again and hopped around as she pulled off her pajama pants and stepped into the jeans. The phone kept ringing.
"Come on, Tanya," Brooke urged. "Pick up the damn phone."
After about five or six rings, the answering machine picked up. "Hey, it's Tanya!" said the enthusiastic recording. "I'm at Haley James's party rockin' it out right now! Yeah! So leave a message, or even better, come on over!"
Brooke stopped in mid-hop and let the phone clatter to the floor. Disgusted, she picked it back up, hung up, and threw it over in the general direction of her bed. "I can't believe this!" she shrieked. When there was a party, Brooke Davis was always the first person invited. Always. Now, look at her. She was stuck at home, with nothing to do, while all her friends were having a great time at what sounded like a killer party that she had specifically been told not to come to.
She narrowed her eyes. She was going to have a great time tonight. She was determined to. Brooke didn't need friends or tons of people. All she needed was a bar and a hot guy hanging on every little word she said. She looked down at the jeans she had just put on and shook her head. It was a pretty awesome outfit, yes, but it wasn't the right one for the job. Brooke carefully hung the shirt and jeansback up in her closet and reached for something else. She tugged it off its hanger and studied it carefully—a tiny black halter dress with a big pink sash in the middle.
"Perfect."
Brooke spent the next few hours showering, plucking, shaving, and just generally doing everything she could to look better than ever. By the time she actually stepped out of her door, it was dark, but it had all been worth it. Her legs were smooth and slathered with lotion, her hair was silky and flipped out, and her dress looked amazing on her. Brooke Davis, in a word, looked hot.
Her lips curved into a feisty smirk. She couldn't explain it, but Brooke had this unshakeable feeling that something big was going to happen tonight. Her high heels clicked on the pavement as she walked to her car, and growing anticipation rose within her. Butterflies tumbled around in her stomach when she put the key in the ignition. Her eyes shone with expectancy. Brooke revved up her car, and her wheels screeched as she sped away.
Whatever was going to happen tonight, she couldn't wait.
Not long after, Brooke pulled into the parking lot of the closest, and wildest, bar she could think of, Alley Cat. It was really kind of a hole-in-the-wall place, but it had cheap liquor and really was the best bet in terms of finding cute college boys gone wild.
Brooke pulled open the heavy door and walked on in. She was well aware at the stares and leers directed towards her as she walked alone and sat down on an empty stool in front of the bar. She didn't bother to acknowledge any of them. The prospects at this bar were really disappointing. All the men had to be at least in their thirties with disgusting pot-bellies and unshaven faces. Among the ranks of middle-aged losers was a particularly pathetic one that wouldn't take his eyes off her. Brooke tried to ignore him.
She sighed. She just knew her night was not meant to be spent like this. Something was supposed to happen. She still had that feeling, even though it had been considerably dulled after she took one glance around this sorry place. Where were all the cute college guys?
Probably at the party, Brooke thought bitterly. Where she should be, if it weren't for her backstabbing best friend. She made a resentful face and rested her chin in her palm. When had her life spiraled so far downhill?
Someone approached her. He sat down on the bar stool beside her and gave her a wide grin. Pitiful. Brooke gave him a fake smile and looked away, uninterested. This loser was a persistent one though.
(1) "Buy you a drink?" he offered.
Brooke bristled, annoyed, and turned back to him. Poor guy never even saw it coming as she began to vent all her frustrations on him. "Okay," she snapped. "Guy in need of a clue. Here's one. Women send signals. That was a brush off. Before you dip into your shallow pool of wit, let me paint us a picture and save us both the trouble. Here's your evening. You are going to slink back off to your buddies, laugh this off, get wasted, go home, and make nice with yourself. But don't be thinking of me, because even your fantasy of me, isn't interested in you." She was slightly flushed after finishing her tirade.
The guy sent her a truly sullen look and slunk off. His empty chair was quickly replaced by somebody else. "Nice work. Extra points for style," the newcomer said. She was gorgeous, Brooke noted, with long, dark brown hair and cat-shaped brown eyes. She definitely wasn't your typical girl-next-door. Recognition finally dawned on Brooke.
"I've seen you around," she said. "You're Jake's ex, right?"
Nikki smirked. "No, he's mine. You go to Tree Hill?" Brooke nodded, and she continued. "So what brings you out into the big, bad, real world?"
"Anger, alcohol, and a fake ID," Brooke answered bluntly.
"Nice combo," Nikki said approvingly. "Men?"
"Dogs," Brooke said, her face twisting in disgust. "Two of them. Ex-boyfriend and backstabbing ex-girly best friend.
Nikki rolled her eyes in understanding. "Typical. If you have a strand of hair and five minutes I can show you a great curse you can put on them.
Brooke shrugged. "Okay." She pulled out a strand of hair and handed it to Nikki with a smile. She sort of liked this girl. She had great style. "Bring it on, witch."
"Okay," Nikki said, holding the hair within two fingers. "What are their names?"
"Lucas and Peyton," Brooke replied willingly.
Nikki looked up at her sharply. "Mm," she said with interest. "And where are they tonight?"
Brooke clenched her teeth with anger. "They are at a party that I was not invited to. Can you believe that? They sneak around like little mongrels, and I get removed from the A list," she said bitterly.
"Can I get you ladies anything?" A voice broke into their conversation. Brooke was ready to tell some other pathetic loser off, but it was just the bartender.
"Yeah, two vodkas," Nikki requested, "And two for my new friend here." (end 1)
The bartender nodded, but Brooke stopped him before he walked off. "Make that a diet soda for me," she said. She leaned back in her chair uneasily. Alcohol was bad for pregnant women. Everybody knew that. But why had she spoken up? It wasn't like she was actually planning on having the baby. Still, as usual, instinct had taken over. And it was going to get her screwed one of these days.
He shot her a strange look. This was, after all, a bar. People came here specifically to get drunk. He almost never heard requests for anything without alcohol. "Sure thing," he said slowly. "What kind?"
"Umm, a coke," Brooke said impatiently, waving him off.
"Gotcha," the bartender said with another curt nod. He quickly hurried off to take orders from other customers.
Brooke was met by another strange look when she turned back to Nikki. "I don't believe it," Nikki said in an awed voice.
"What?" Brooke asked innocently.
"You," Nikki said, as if this explained everything.
Brooke pretended to be unaware of what she was talking about. "What about me?"
"You're knocked up," Nikki accused.
"Not so loud," Brooke shushed her. It was no use lying now. Brooke had all but given it away. "It's not something I like to advertise. You know how it is."
"Yeah," Nikki nodded. "I do know. Once people find out, you can't get a good fuck in ages."
"I thought you were with Jake," Brooke said suspiciously.
"I was," Nikki said. "But I was also a bitter, angry bitch who resented him because of the fact that I was gaining five pounds every month. I had to strike back somehow."
Brooke nodded. "That makes sense."
"So what about you?" Nikki asked curiously. "Do you know who the father is?"
"Of course I know who the father is," Brooke scowled. "Even though most of the time, I wish I didn't. Better some bar jerk then a two-timing ex-boyfriend."
"So it's Lucas, huh?" Nikki said. Her eyes glittered oddly.
"Yeah," Brooke said slowly. She shot Nikki a wary look. "You know him?"
"I know of him," she clarified. "Besides, you mentioned him earlier."
"Oh, yeah," Brooke said.
"He doesn't really strike me as the hit-and-run type though. If he knew you were pregnant, then why'd he leave you?" Realization dawned in Nikki's eyes. "Wait, does he even know he's the father?"
"He did at one point," Brooke said defensively. Nikki raised a brow. "Okay," Brooke admitted. "Until I told him it was all a lie. It was just easier that way."
"So how do you plan on hiding it from him for much longer?" Nikki asked. "I know when I was pregnant I swelled up like a fucking balloon. Gonna have an abortion?"
"That's what I've been planning on," Brooke said.
"Yeah, I considered doing that at one point," Nikki said, almost dreamily. "I was young though, naïve, and I really believed Jake was the one for me, and we could have this cute little family together. Still do, sometimes. Then when I had Jenny, I realized commitment scared the shit out of me and left."
"I just can't picture myself being able to raise a baby with that cheater," Brooke said. "Hell, I can't picture myself raising a baby period. I'm just not ready to give what I have up for that."
"Know what you mean," Nikki nodded. "That's what sent me packing."
The bartender returned with their drinks. "Enjoy, ladies," he said. Nikki moved to pay, but he shook his head. "On the house," he said with a grin. Nikki gave him a fake smile back.
"Men," she muttered under her breath. Brooke curved her lips into a half-smile. "Anyway," Nikki said, stirring her drink with a straw. Brooke sipped distastefully at her own. It just wasn't the same without alcohol. Nikki looked up slowly, a devious grin spreading over her face. "I just had an idea," she said.
Brooke glanced over listlessly. "Let's hear it," she said.
"Well," Nikki began, "What are we doing here anyway? We're single, we're hot, and unless I'm wrong about you, which is doubtful, we definitely know how to party. And I think we both know one we can crash."
(2) Brooke smirked. "Now you're talking, witchie-poo."
"Mm hm," Nikki purred in agreement. (end 2)
Not another word was spoken as the two girls hopped off their bar stools and strode through the bar to the door. The air outside was warm with a slight breeze passing through that ruffled Brooke's hair. She sent a sideways glance over at Nikki. "I'll drive," she offered.
"We'll both drive," Nikki said. "There's no way I'm leaving my car alone here with these thugs."
"Point taken," Brooke said. "You know the way?"
"No, but I can follow you."
"Gotcha."
"Don't drive like a maniac and leave me behind," Nikki warned. "If I get lost, then I'm taking that strand of hair you gave me and making a Brooke voodoo doll out of it. Then you'll be sorry."
Brooke laughed. "Don't worry. I've racked up too many speeding tickets as it is. I always manage to get caught by the butch women officers."
Nikki laughed. "All right then. Let's roll out of this hellhole."
"It's time to crash a party," Brooke agreed. They both headed out to each of their cars and slid in, slamming the doors simultaneously. Brooke retouched her lip gloss as she pulled out of the parking lot and waved at Nikki through the rearview mirror cutely. Nikki blew a kiss.
Brooke sneered, and her hands tightened around the wheel. Her heel pressed down on the accelerator. Hard. She wasn't concerned though. Nikki was a pretty crazy driver too. It didn't take them long to reach Nathan's apartment.
Brooke could hear the music pumping as soon as she got out of her car. This was definitely going to be a wild party. The butterflies in her stomach multiplied by the thousands and her anticipation intensified. Nikki sidled up beside her. "Ready?" she said.
"I'm always ready," Brooke replied confidently.
Nikki nodded. "After you," she said.
Brooke walked up to the door with Nikki right on her heels. She rang the doorbell, and Nikki stepped up beside her. They leaned against the doorframe lazily. Suddenly, the door swung open. Brooke took in the scene before her quickly-the hordes of people, the beer, and the group right in front of her. A smirk curled on her face.
(3) "Who cares? It's a party," Haley was saying to Peyton and Lucas.
Brooke cleared her throat. It was time to spice things up. "Sorry I'm late," she chirped loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "Hope nobody minds, but I brought a friend." She smirked at Nikki.
Nikki smirked back as they both noted the horrified looks on Haley, Lucas, and Peyton's faces.
"Let the games begin," she said smoothly, holding back her laughter. (end 3)