Special thanks to all who reviewed on both boards…
(The name of the song is "The Night Before (Life Goes On)" it is sung by Carrie Underwood and written by Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher, and Jimmy Olander. I don't own a thing.)
Tomorrow she'll be rolling down I-10
Baton Rouge LSU eighteen years in her rearview
He's got a Friday paycheck lined up
Down the block Daddy's shop it ain't much but it's a job
They've been dreading this moment all summer long
The night before life goes on
That's what my mama told me and just like those kids I didn't
I didn't wanna listen to no one
There's nothing you can do nothing you can say I know how it feels
When love goes away
Tomorrow she'll be rolling down I-10
Baton Rouge LSU eighteen years in her rearview
He's got a Friday paycheck lined up
Down the block Daddy's shop it ain't much but it's a job
They've been dreading this moment all summer long
The night before life goes on
They've been dreading this moment all summer long
But here it is they don't have long…the night before life goes on
Lucas reluctantly dropped Brooke off at her house around 3 am; she was leaving around 10 am. But they decided to say their good-byes then and there, also because Lucas had to work at the garage the next morning.
"So are you sure you don't want me to come in the morning before you leave?" Asked Lucas.
"No you have to work and it'll be easier this way, besides I already said good-bye to your parents." Said Brooke.
"Okay, well I guess I'll talk to you when you get there." Said Lucas.
"Of course, I love you so much." Said Brooke tearing up.
"I love you too, Cheery." Said Lucas.
"Oh, before I forget hand them over." Said Brooke.
"Hand what over?" Asked Lucas hoping she'd give up.
"You know what! Don't make me strip search you either."
"Would you please?" Asked Lucas knowing he would cave.
"Lucas hand them over." Said Brooke.
"Fine, here." He said as he handed her his pack of cigarettes.
"Thank you."
"You know nothing is stopping me from going and buying another pack." Said Lucas.
"You're right, but if you do Nathan will kick your ass, and then when I come home an official 'no parking zone' will be called." Said Brooke.
"You know that's just punishing yourself right?"
"Yes, but you see it's punishing you even more because I could go without it." Said Brooke knowing she wouldn't go through on the threat.
"You keep telling yourself that Pretty Girl." Said Lucas as he patted her leg affectionately.
Brooke and Lucas said their goodbyes and Brooke headed into her house and went to her now empty room, the only things that remained in her room were her vanity, bed, a suitcase that held her clothes for the next morning and the stuff she would need for her drive to Louisiana. She rented a small trailer to help bring her stuff there and since her parents decided to sell the house Keith and Karen were keeping the rest of her stuff that she couldn't take in the garage for her. Brooke fell asleep thinking about how she could have let her parents talk her into moving to Louisiana for school when what she really wanted to do was stay in Tree Hill. And then she remembered that they had told her that they wouldn't pay for school and for her to throw her life away on a high school romance. Even though she had repeatedly told them that what she and Lucas have is more than some high school romance. But all they saw were dollar signs and to them Lucas didn't have enough but to Brooke he has everything including her heart.
She woke up early and got ready to leave she dreaded this more than any thing. She threw her suitcase in the car and got in took one last look at the house in her rearview mirror and pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the highway. She got to the bridge that crossed over the river and she had a perfect view of her town and decided that she didn't care what her parents did she belonged there more than any thing. She belonged there with her friends; the family however mixed up it was that she loved more than anything and most of all she belonged with the man that made up her other half. However infuriating he could be at times she was his and vice versa. She was halfway across the bridge was she realized she didn't want to go any further. So she put on her blinker and did a three-point turn ultimately stopping traffic in both directions and started back in the way she came.
When she got to the end of the bridge she saw lights and heard a siren.
"Damn!" Said Brooke as she pulled over and came to a stop.
"License and registration please." Said Mike as he came up to the car window.
"Hi Mike." Said Brooke when she realized it was him.
"Brooke, what are you doing?" Said Mike now concerned that she would pull such a move on a bridge.
"Going to where my heart is." Said Brooke.
"Brooke do you realize what you just did in the middle of the bridge you could have killed your self or someone else up there." Said Mike.
"Well it beats dying in Louisiana, when my whole heart is up here." Said Brooke.
"I still have to give you a ticket Brooke." Said Mike.
"Okay give me the ticket so I can go." Said Brooke.
"Give me a minute." Said Mike as he returned to his car.
Mike came back a couple minutes later with the ticket.
"Since when do you work days Mike?"
"Just today, I'm filling in for one of the other guys he had a event at his kids' school or something. And he is working my shift tonight." Said Mike.
"Am I free to go?"
"Yeah, you are and no more moves like that okay."
"Thanks, Mike and I promise no more moves like that." Said Brooke as she started her car.
Brooke left and made her way to the garage. The drive wasn't that long even though she took the long way to there by going by the river court just to be sure he wasn't there. Finally the garage came into view and she saw his truck parked half hazardly in the lot, no doubt in her mind the effects of staying out all night with her. She got out of the car after she parked and made her way to the open doors where she caught a glimpse of him. She could see the outline of his wallet in one of his back pockets and in the other the outline of a pack of cigarettes. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt at this point.
She realized that he wasn't going to notice her there any time soon so she decided to make her presence known to him.
"What does a girl have to do get some service in this place sleep with the owner's son?"
"Brooke what are you doing here you're supposed to be on the highway right now." Said Lucas as he ran over to her.
"I got half way across the bridge when I realized that I didn't want to go any further, so I turned around, and got a ticket by Mike, and came here." Said Brooke in one breath.
"Why did Mike pull you over for turning around?" Asked Lucas.
"Because I was still on the bridge when I did it." Said Brooke.
"Are you insane you could have gotten hurt."
"Mike already gave me the lecture, but I did it because I needed to be with you and I've made the decision that I don't care if my parents won't pay for school or anything for that matter all that matters is us." Said Brooke.
"I'm so glad you came back." Said Lucas as he finally hugged her. While he was hugging her she reached into his back pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes.
"You know what this means?" Asked Brooke.
"What?"
"You are officially in a no parking zone." Said Brooke as she waved his cigarettes in his face.
"I had a moment of weakness this morning." Said Lucas weakly in his defense.
"Well that weakness cost you a month of no sex with me." Said Brooke.
"You're mean now that you are back." Said Lucas.
"Get used to it babe." Said Brooke.
"So now that you are back where are you going to stay?" Asked Lucas curiously.
"She's staying with us, I just called Karen when you came in and she said that you were to stay with us." Said Keith as he walked over to his son and his girlfriend.
"What?" Asked Brooke and Lucas at the same time.
"You are going to live with us on a couple conditions."
"Anything." Said Brooke.
"You work at the café, and the money you earn there goes towards classes at THCC." Said Keith.
"Okay, thank you so much Keith."
"You're welcome and welcome home sweetie. I am so proud of you for standing up and saying that going to Louisiana isn't what you want." Said Keith as he hugged Brooke tightly.
Keith decided that he didn't need Lucas that day and let him go early to help Brooke move into the house. Keith knew in his heart of hearts that Brooke would be his daughter-in-law, and he and Karen were ecstatic about that.
Brooke and Lucas from that day on never looked back, they only looked to the future because they knew life goes on.
