Everybody's Got Their Something
Author's Notes: I did this as a one shot, about three months ago, and I planned to keep it that way. But, a few days ago, I read over this, and I kind of loved it. So I decided to just make it a two parter and finish it up. It just didn't seemed finished to me. I wont turn this into a full on fic, but for anyone who read this months ago, or even just for myself, I have to finish this.
Thank you very much Justine for betaing this for me! Both titles from both parts taken from the wonderful band called The Fray that has become my obsession!
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, or anyone of its characters!. A few things are taken from 1.20, "What Is And What Should Never Be." This chapter takes place during it. Thanks to the brilliant writers of that episode for a few things.
Part Two: How To Save A Life
"Did you take a test?" Nathan asked in an extremely concerned tone. It had been a little over a week since the Boy Toy Auction, and Brooke had promised him she was going to go get a pregnancy test. He had asked her over and over, every day since the auction.
The brunette slowly nodded her head, staring straight down at the ground. She couldn't look into his eyes. She couldn't let him see the fear on her face.
They were in the middle of the sidewalk, one of the hallways outside of school. Under no circumstances, could she possibly start crying. Anyone could come around the corner. He could come around the corner.
He. She couldn't even say his name. She couldn't think his name. He had done this to her. Lucas. If he hadn't made her fall in love with him, she wouldn't be hurting so much. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be dying inside. But she was.
If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have lost her best friend. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be standing right outside of school talking about potentially being pregnant. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be so completely alone.
But she wasn't alone., not anymore. Peyton had lost all trust in Brooke. Lucas wasn't even someone to consider thinking about for help in this situation.
Even though she thought they were becoming friends, Haley had abandoned her to firmly take Lucas' side. In fact, only a day earlier Haley had told Brooke she wasn't invited to their party. But then there was Nathan.
One of her oldest friends. Sure, they had lost touch for awhile, but he had always been there for her. She wouldn't trust him. She wouldn't expect him to always be there like he promised.
Guys always lie, so she said she wouldn't depend on him. But he was right there at the time she needed someone, and offering his help, and help was something she couldn't afford to turn down.
Finally, she raised her head to face Nathan, staring into his eyes for the first time as he patiently waited for her answer, just like he'd patiently waited all week for her to take the test. He hadn't pushed her, and she was more than grateful. "It was positive."
"Brooke, I'm sorry."
Brooke nodded as she folded her arms across her chest. "Maybe it's just a false alarm, right. I mean, it could be. Right?"
Nathan quickly nodded in agreement. He wasn't so sure that was true, but it would make Brooke feel better.
"I'm gonna go get checked tomorrow."
Nathan pulled Brooke into a slight hug for comfort.
"Have you told Lucas?" he asked Brooke, wondering if she had decided to tell him yet. Especially now that the test was positive. But she just shook her head.
"No, and I'm not going to. He didn't give a damn about me when we we're together, why would he care now? He'll just be afraid it will get in the way of him and his precious Peyton. Besides, he lost the right to know when he cheated on me and dumped me without a care in the world."
Brooke let out a heavy sigh, after seeing Nathan's face drop. Nathan was a guy. He could understand Lucas' view. Not why he cheated on Brooke, but that he should know. He could be a father, and any guy should know that.
"If I am pregnant, I'll tell him eventually." she said softly, willing herself not to cry. She couldn't start that again. If she did, then she wouldn't be able stop it.
"Okay. Well, I should get going." Nathan said while groaning loudly. He really was not looking forward to going to work at his new job. He'd only been there once before, when he and Haley had gotten the job for him, but he didn't want to go back. However, he needed the money.
"Yeah. The big working guy." Brooke teased as she hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Where are you working at, anyways?"
Nathan let out a big sigh, with a nervous frown. "Hot 'N Twisted…in the mall."
"The pretzel place! I love that place." Brooke said, before seeing Nathan's lack of enthusiasm. A few laughs escaped from her lips. "Cheer up. The pretzels are good."
"Whatever." he said in a playful annoyed tone. "I'll see you tomorrow at the party, okay? And we can talk about your results." he gave a nod, before starting to walk off.
"I'm not going. Your girlfriend made it very clear that I wasn't invited. Apparently, Lucas and Peyton own her. Faux-dilocks told her not to let me come." Brooke gave a shrug and picked up her arm bag from the ground.
"Brooke, you can come. It's still my apartment."
"We'll talk later. Bye, Nate." she quickly waved, before hurrying off to her car.
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"Sorry, I'm late!" Nathan watched as Brooke walked into the apartment, only she wasn't alone. "Hope nobody minds, I brought a friend."
Nathan gave a sigh. He had just arrived a few minutes ago, and already trouble was brewing. Not only was Brooke angry, with a girl who looked like complete trouble, and possibly pregnant, but she was drinking. And if she really was pregnant, then it couldn't possibly be a good combination.
A few minutes later, the two brunettes were drinking, and Haley, Lucas, and Peyton were sitting only a few feet away, watching.
"Maybe if we had just invited her," Haley proposed. Nathan gave a sigh. He wasn't angry at Haley. She just wanted to be loyal to her friends.
"She was invited," he said softly, but went unnoticed.
"It's Jake's baby's mom," he heard as he came back over with a drink in his own hand. Things we're going to get ugly. Great. So, Brooke was hanging out with crazy girl who abandoned her child.
A few seconds later, he heard a crash coming from a different side of the room.
"That did not sound good…" Nathan groaned and went with Haley, along with Peyton, to go see what had happened.
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After he returned from cleaning up the mess, and a few hello kisses from Haley, he took a look around for Lucas. He knew he wasn't supposed to tell him. It was Brooke's job to do.
Of course, she would be angry with him. And she was having trouble with trust lately, so this would probably do something to hurt the small amount of trust he had gained from Brooke.
But things were slowly getting out of hand, and Brooke could be hurting herself. Lucas needed to know soon. He spotted his brother across the room, but he wasn't alone. He was with Nikki.
"What?" he mumbled to himself as he watched Nikki getting close to Lucas.
Peyton slowly walked up to the two, an annoyed look on her face.
"Oh, that's skank." He heard Peyton say as she turned to Nikki. "And I think it's coming from you." This made Lucas chuckle a little bit, and Nathan more annoyed with the situation.
Peyton soon left, to be met by Brooke out of the room. This was it. He needed to tell Lucas now.
"Lucas!" Nathan called loudly from behind. Lucas turned around to greet Nathan with a smile, however, Nathan wasn't smiling.
"I think you should get Brooke out of here."
This caused Lucas to roll his eyes, and Nathan to get a little bit angrier. He was starting to believe that what Brooke had said about Lucas not caring, was true.
"She came on her own." Lucas said with a shrug.
"Luke, she's drinking."
Lucas nodded, as he sighed quietly. "Yeah. Her and Nikki are causing trouble."
No duh. Nathan was seriously starting to get annoyed. Wasn't Lucas supposed to be the good, caring, intelligent brother? It sure didn't seem like it. "She's pregnant."
Finally, Lucas stopped looking around paid attention to what Nathan was saying. "She told me at the auction last week that she was late, and she got a test yesterday. She said she was going to the doctor today."
"Wait. Brooke's…" He couldn't say it. How pathetic was that. He cheated on Brooke, used her, dumped her, and caused her to lose her best friend. But, he couldn't even say it.
"It's yours," Nathan said uneasily, honesty in his eyes, as Lucas nodded. However, that didn't mean Brooke was being honest with Nathan.
"So she just said that?" Lucas questioned warily.
"Lucas…"
Lucas nodded, knowing Nathan didn't have to say anymore. He knew what he had to do. He needed to go talk to Brooke. He quickly turned around to see Peyton walking back into the kitchen, and Brooke still standing there, hurt. She glanced at him for a second, before stalking in another direction.
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Nathan approached the table, and wrapping his arm around Haley's waist. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at her. She looked so tired and overwhelmed. She turned to him slowly, with a stern look on her face. "This is funny?"
"Hales. Just chill. Everything's fine." That was a lie. Nothing was fine, but she didn't need anything else on her mind.
"So you two are playing games!" Brooke announced loudly as she came to the counter and turned her attention directly at Lucas and Peyton. "Watch out for them. They look like they might cheat."
"Brooke," Lucas said softly, in that condescending tone he always used, as Peyton and Nikki began to say something to each other. How was it that he could act like the worst guy on the planet to her, but still make her feel like he was better than her.
Inferior. She remembered the feeling. The one she had while they were dating. He was such an amazing guy. A guy she fell so hard for. In the end, that's all he was, though. A guy.
"We need to talk."
She cast an angry look in his direction, and rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to say a word to him.
"You have a problem?"
Brooke quickly turned as she heard Nikki yell at Peyton and start to walk over to her. "Whoa, Nikki, she's not worth it." Brooke said, pulling Nikki away, but she was shrugged off. This was getting bad.
"I asked if you had a problem." Nikki started again, ignoring Brooke's efforts.
A few seconds later, Peyton was up against the wall being slapped. And then, for what seemed like minutes, she couldn't tell what was going on. All she knew was that Peyton and Nikki's little comebacks had turned into a full-on fight.
"You need to go!" Lucas screamed as they we're finally pulled away from each other. Brooke looked down at the broken table, along with everything else, and back up at Nathan. This was her fault. She brought Nikki here. He met her gaze.
It wasn't an angry look, just one of disappointment. He was the only person that had been there for her, and now she had caused one huge mess.
"Well isn't this sweet, Lucas Scott coming to the defense of his women. Oh but wait, shouldn't that include someone else." Nikki spat in Lucas's direction.
Brooke did a double take as she turned to look Lucas directly in the eye. Peyton's confused look didn't go unnoticed, either.
"Don't worry, I can keep a secret, too." And with that, Nikki left the apartment.
"What does she mean by that…someone else?" Peyton asked, with a confused and nervous look on her face. A part of Brooke wished she could protect her best friend from what was about to come. But she couldn't. Nobody had been there to protect her. She had learned all on her own, what Peyton was about to learn.
"She's the girl I met in the bar."
There it was.
"Lucas Scott betrayal train, all aboard." Brooke muttered as she watched Peyton sigh and walk away.
"And you called me easy!" she yelled as she pointed at Lucas, and ran off to follow Peyton.
"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" he asked softly, not bothering to turn around. Brooke, however, stopped dead on her feet. She noticed Nathan, only a few shot feet away from her, with a guilty look on his face. It had to have been him. He was the only person she told.
"What?" Brooke asked incredulously, staring straight at Nathan. It couldn't have been him. She trusted him. He was the only person she let near the real her in the past week. The only person she had counted on. It was impossible for her to be betrayed again.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Lucas asked once more as he turned completely around to face Brooke, only to see her staring straight at Nathan.
"Lucas, not here," Nathan warned quietly, knowing things were onlygoing to get uglier.
"Nate! You told him?" Brooke yelled as she looked at him firmly. Haley turned to her boyfriend beside her and looked at him curiously
"Brooke's pregnant? And you knew?" she asked suspiciously.
He nodded, still with his gaze on Brooke.
"How?" Haley asked, her eyes shifting, trying to read his face.
"The auction dates. I told him." Brooke stated, staring straight into Nathan's guilty eyes. "Remember that? When you said you would always be here for me. When I trusted you not to tell anyone!" Brooke shook her head disbelievingly, before turning her attention to Lucas.
"I didn't tell you, because you didn't deserve to know yet! You still don't. You cheated on me! You don't get to act better than me, you don't get to tell me what to do, and you don't get to demand anything from me. You lost that when you were with Peyton!"
Brooke shook her head, completely forgetting. Peyton. She was going to go after her and make sure she was okay. She turned to the door, to see the blonde still standing there. She must have heard about Brooke being pregnant.
"But now you've lost her, too!" she yelled at Lucas before stalking out the door. Haley looked at the two boys and nodded, before starting to clean up a bit of the mess. Lucas sat down slowly, trying to process everything. Nathan grabbed his shoulder, pushing his forwards and ran out the door after Brooke.
"Brooke!" he yelled. She was already drinking, even though she could be pregnant, and now she was about to drive?
"I believed you!" She yelled as she stopped and looked at Nathan. "I told you, and trusted you not to tell anyone. I wasn't ready!" She screamed as she slowly walked closer to him.
"I trusted you." She slowly starting pounding her fists into Nathan's chest. She wasn't very strong, so it wasn't hurting him, but she just kept pounding.
Tears were running as she continued pounding and pounding. "I trusted you." she whispered a few more times before her words became silent, and her sobs became louder.
Nathan knew exactly what was going on. It wasn't him. He wasn't the one she was angry at. He wasn't the one she was talking about trust with. He wasn't the one she was really hitting. It was Lucas.
He felt the fists get weaker and weaker as Brooke's body started to fall. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her back, and let the anger and punching subside. She stopped punching his chest, letting her head rest against it.
"I'm still here for you, Brooke. Always…remember?" she nodded and slowly pulled herself away from his gasp. She turned to back to the apartment, seeing Lucas standing by the doorway. Small steps. She took small steps as she walked over to him.
"I went to get double checked this morning," she quickly wiped away all the tears from her face that she realized she had let fall. "I'm not pregnant."
He nodded as she looked down at her. It wasn't the look she had been expecting. It wasn't the look that made her feel less than him. Maybe, he was finally realizing the pain he was causing. "Brooke, I never meant to hurt you."
She shook her head. "That doesn't really matter, Lucas. 'Cause in the end, it all hurts just the same."
She back away and looked at Nathan, who had come back inside, and Haley, who was standing nearby. "I'm sorry. You know, for bringing Nikki. And this…mess." Both Nathan and Haley nodded and shrugged it off. "It's okay."
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"Hey," Brooke said softly as she slowly approached Peyton's bed. "You okay?" Peyton slightly nodded, looking as convincing as she could.
"What about you? I heard…" Peyton watched as Brookelay down on the other side of her bed. It had been so long since the two had lain there together, one of their sleepovers. It felt good. Normal.
"I'm not. I'm not pregnant."
Peyton nodded as she turned her gaze back up to the ceiling. So many questions weren't answered, but it felt good that things might be getting back to…okay, between them.
"I'm sorry, that I wasn't there for you."
Brooke just shrugged. What could she say? It was true.
"It's good that you had Nathan. I was mad at you at the auction, but it was good that you had someone to help you," she said softly, in what seemed like a whisper, getting a nod from Brooke.
"One hell of party, huh?" Peyton laughed slightly. Brooke smirked a small bit, keeping her attention above her.
"About Nikki. I'm sorry. Want to call a truce?" Brooke whispered softly, as she slightly turned to Peyton.
"Friends again?"
Brooke slightly shrugged as she turned back. "Just not enemies."
Peyton nodded, and both girl went back to the quiet silence, just laying next to each other.
"So, I've been thinking about, Lucas. I mean, he was just a guy. And we let him come between us."
Peyton gave a sigh, knowing she was to blame for that part.
"I mean, he made a mistake."
"It just feels so much worse when you expect more from somebody." Peyton replied.
"Yeah, I know," Brooke whispered in a softer tone than any she had used. Peyton turned to her, seeing the tears falling from the corner of her eye.
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Brooke let Peyton rest her head on her shoulder as she walked up to her. She had watched as Peyton completely broke off anything left between her and Lucas. Now, maybe things would finally get back to normal.
"Come on. I'll walk you to class." Brooke said as she locked arms with Peyton.
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"Hey," Brooke said softly as she approached Nathan in the hall. "How's the apartment?"
Nathan sent a sincere smile in her direction. "It's okay. And I'll let you off the hook for that one."
"Well, I don't plan on hanging out with any crazy girls by the name of Nikki anymore, so it shouldn't happen again."
"How are you doing?" he asked, meaning more than just the pregnancy scare. He truly was going to be a real friend to her.
"Better. I think Peyton and I might end up being okay." Nathan nodded as he both looked over to see Haley and Peyton sitting at a picnic table talking. .
"That's good."
She nodded and started to turn, but Nathan lightly grabbed her arm. "I meant what I said outside of the apartment okay…Brookie Cookie." Even though he knew he sounded like a complete idiot saying it, he wanted to let Brooke know that he remembered, and that he would be there.
"Thanks," she said as she shook her head, laughing. "Let's go get our girls," she joked as she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards Peyton and Haley.
"Hey guys," she said as she sat down across from the table, and Haley started to say something to Nathan. She noticed Lucas at one of the other tables with Mouth. He was watching them.
Peyton turned her head to see what Brooke was staring at, and also noticed Lucas. She gave a sigh, hoping he wouldn't come between them and what seemed like a reunion. Brooke quickly looked back to the table, sending a smile at Peyton, letting her know that it was okay.
She hadn't just forgiven them yet. It wasn't that simple. But they were all on a road of recovery.
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Well, there is the end. I really hope you enjoyed. Please let me know what you think!