Brooke was throwing herself a huge Sweet Sixteen party, her parents had unknowingly supplied the money for it, and it was her time to shine for once. Brooke told Peyton that her parents had paid for everything, because they had, but not in the same sense. She basically invited the whole school, and about half of it was there. Peyton remembers distinctly the smile that Brooke had permanently plastered to her face. Well that was until her parents came home earlier then expected. That was the first day that Peyton had ever seen Brooke cry, and they had been friends for a long time now, but tears was not Brooke Davis's style.

The music was cut off abruptly, and everyone turned to look to see who the doer was, this is when Brooke's laughter ended. Her parents had forgotten that it was her birthday and told her that they would be gone for a week until Sunday. It was Saturday night, they got home early. "What the hell is going on here?" they asked wanting an explanation for all of it.

"It is my birthday; I just wanted to have a little bit a fun."

"How old are you, 13? Why would you ever need a party this big? Is that alcohol?"

The party died then, and everyone started to leave, some because they did not want to get caught, others because they thought it was there place to leave. Peyton was the only person to stay behind.

When everyone had finally left, Brooke was able to answer her questions, "I am 16, thank you very much. 16. Are you trying to take 3 years away from my life? Do you mind if I choose them?"

"You are out of control. Why would you have a party when we were gone?"

"Why would I have a party while you were here?"

"Do not ask us questions. You are the one that is under questioning, Brooke. We are your parents and you defied us."

"Wait, a second, please, someone stop the presses, did you just admit that you were my parents? Are you feeling okay? You didn't eat something on the cruise now did you? Because there has not been one day that I have ever felt like I mattered at all to you. There has not been one day that I have not felt like a burden to you, just a mistake that you made during a night of passion, and I ruined it."

"You don't make it any easier on us, Brooke. You are never here, always out late, another guy each week, we cannot control you."

"Are you kidding me? Are you freaking kidding me? I am never here? I am never here? When is the last time that you have spent a month in Tree Hill? Two weeks? Yeah, I did not think you could answer that. So how could you tell me what I have or haven't been doing my whole life?"

"You are acting like you are the perfect daughter and we are the evil step parents. Look at the house you live in, look at the clothes you wear, we give you everything that you could ever want."

"You so sure about that?"

"Please, please, tell us what you do not have, that is making Brookie so unhappy," her father actually mocked her.

"It is something that you really cannot buy, wait a second I take that back, I bet you probably could if you tried hard enough. So you could say you have given it to me."

"What is it Brooke? Please inform us of the one thing that we haven't given you."

"Love."

"Oh you are right. We can buy that. We will get right on that if it would make your happy."

Brooke couldn't take it anymore, she turned to leave, and this is the first time that she noticed that Peyton was still there, she was shocked that she now knew how awful living as a Davis was. She was about ready to walk away when her parents stopped her once more, "Brooke."

"What is it now? What can you possibly tell me now?"

"Clean up your damn mess, we have guests coming in the morning."

"Get the maid to do it."

"We don't have a maid on the weekends."

"Well maybe you could invest in one," she walked away; she could not possibly hear another word that her parents could possibly tell her. They would just hurt her more. It was her birthday; she was going to cry if she wanted to. You would cry too if it happened to you.

Brooke looked into Peyton's eyes and then she rushed past her, Peyton followed, not going to let her best friend go through this alone. Brooke heard her following her, "I wouldn't come any closer, I think I might have a love repellent on."

"Don't be silly Brooke."

"Oh I saw it in the store; I am not making this up."

"Well it must not work on everyone."

"Why would you say that?"

"I love you, and you are not repelling me away."

"Thanks for coming to my party, Peyton."

"I wouldn't miss my best friend's party for the world."

"You know what? I put money on my parents missing it. Oh wait, they already have, I win."

"Brooke, I had no idea."

"No idea what Peyton? No idea that my parents really hated me that much. That they really know this little about my life, that they could careless about me when I need them, but when I trouble them some how again and again, it is always my fault. Is this what you had no idea about? Did you ever think that maybe it was not something that I like to shout to the world, 'parents don't love me, can I try yours?' yeah I do not know how well that one would go."

"I am sorry Brooke."

"Please don't be. I mean it is good sometimes, not having anyone on my case, making me make my bed or do my homework."

"What about the rest of the times? Like birthdays, graduations, just a night of family fun? Isn't it nice to have parents then?"

"I have got your dad for that."

"And he is more then happy to do so, but sometimes, it is nice when the person that brought you into the world cares enough about you to keep you in it. I am just sorry that it has taken me nine years to figure out how bad it really was."

"How many times in the years that I have known you, have you been over to my house? How many times have my parents dropped me over your house or picked me up? Peyton, I doubt that my parents even know your name. And the answer to those questions is about as many birthdays that my parents remembered, and you know what I don't remember the first three years, so we won't count those. Nine years Peyton, that is a lot of days."

"At least you were with me for most of them. I am sorry Brooke, I am sorry that your parents are not there for you, but I am always going to be there, so is my dad, he loves you just as much as he loves me. He considers you another daughter Brooke."

"I know that, and the years have been great, they really have. It is nice to know that you are not alone on some days. But on the days that I had to return home, those days I had to go back to my hell, it made me wonder each time, if it was even worth it."

"It was Brooke, do not ever think otherwise. My life has been so much better since you have been in it, I do not know what I would do without you. And I know that I am selfish for saying that but it is how I feel."

"You know what? Everyday I think, I think how in the world did Peyton and I become friends, and then I remember…"

"The day my mom died, you were the one that was able to make it all better; you were the only one that got me to understand. Thinking back now, I should have figured things out earlier, no seven year old should know all of that, you were forced to grow up way earlier then your time. And that is not fair."

"Neither is life, Peyton."

"But we will make it easier, you and me. Just you and me." Peyton was brought back into reality after that flashback, her vision had been blocked or fogged for awhile, she knew Brooke a lot more then just the person she was giving off to the world. There was another person deep down, and deep down in Peyton, she had forgotten all about it. All that she remembered now was that she was alone, but she was strong.

And strong she was. She wiped away her tears; tears would get her no where right now. Tears would not bring Haley back into consciousness. With all of her strength she bent down and put Haley into her arms, it was as if someone had given her the strength to do so, because on any other day, she wouldn't be able to even hold Haley momentarily. And it wasn't because Haley weighed anything; it was because she was a naturally weak girl. But with all of her might, she got Haley over to her car. She maneuvered her into the front seat of her car, and then she pulled out her phone, and dialed the number that she knew by heart, "Lucas?"

"Brooke, I got your letter, I am so sorry."

"Luke, Luke, just stop talking. I found her; I somehow got her into my car. I just do not know if I could ever get her out of it."

"What do you mean? Why can't she do it herself?"

"Because unconscious people do not just get up and walk, Luke."

"She is unconscious? Then why is she not in the hospital?"

"Because she did not want me to call them, and I am not going to go against my word, she means too much to me."

"If she meant anything to you, then you would say the hell with your word, and make sure that she was getting some help."

"Are you really yelling at me Lucas? Are you really going to say that to me? Whatever there is between you and me, please just let it go, this is about Haley right now, she needs her best friend, and you are not here. So do not try and tell me what I am not doing or that I do not care about her, because I am the one with her right now, I am not the one that left her when she was in need."

"Where are you?"

"Oh, right, you wouldn't know, because you were not there the day that Haley broke down in tears vowing that if the beach ever washed away, she would stop believing in love. Want to hear something, Lucas? Today is the day that the beach washed away."

"I will be right there."

"Actually I am already on my away from this place, it is the place that she fears the most, she does not need to be here anymore feeling the pain she was afraid to feel."

"Where are you going?"

"Some place that she feels safe, some place that she had never felt pain."

"Since you know her so well, please tell me where that is, so that I can be with my best friend."

"Your house."

My house? Lucas had to wonder, of all the places in Tree Hill, his house was the safest for her. Brooke was right though, he was just disappointed in himself that he was not able to pinpoint it for her. He really cannot be shouting to the world that he was Haley's best friend, when he hadn't been there for her when the world was caving in. He thought back when they were younger. Though there was a lot of love coming from her own family, Haley spent almost every night after school at the Roe household. She would have dinner with Lucas and Karen at the café and then Lucas and she would do homework for awhile. Haley always more productive then Lucas, of course. Haley's parents had older siblings that were in high school and some heading to college, she was the youngest and sometimes the attention was just not on her. But Haley was never one to complain, she got more then enough attention from Karen and Lucas. Lucas recalled bad days, good days, sick days, best friend days, all of them were spent together. Haley was a little scrawny girl with glasses, she got made fun of occasionally, but Lucas was always there to pick her up after she fell, or was pushed. Lucas remembered each time, they would go and tell Karen, and she would make sure that she was okay, if not; she would fix her up, and gave them a cookie every single time. Over the years the duo remained friends, Haley was still very involved with her studies, as was Lucas, but he actually found some other friends at the River Court. And he never replaced her, never; she would go with him sometimes and support him while he kicked all of his friends' butts.

But things did change when Lucas was asked to join the school's basketball team. That is where life took them in a whirl-wind of events. And one of them held a hold to Haley, and never let her go. If Lucas never joined the team, then Nathan would have never gone after Haley, and Haley would not be living with a broken heart. This was his fault, the pain that his best friend feels could have been prevented. But the past cannot be rewritten, and this is how the books were already written, there was nothing left to do, then to change the present, and make it a new future.

He rushed home as fast as he could, he was not as far away as Brooke was, the beach was at least 15 minutes away. Then it hit him, she walked there, Haley walked to the beach in the rain, it has got to be at least 5 miles, if that. Lucas had to see her, because the last time he had seen her at her worst, he thought that it couldn't ever get any worse. But at the rate that Brooke was going, he was sure he could not make that assumption.

No one knows if fate planned it this way, but this is how it happened, every single one of the people that were headed towards Karen's house arrived at exactly the same time. It had to be fate, it had to, there was no way that people coming from all different directions, different mileages away, arrive at one house at exactly the same time. But that is what happened. Lucas rushed out of his car first, he ran to Brooke's car, and peered in the window. In the passenger seat laid his best friend, broken. With all of his instincts he thought to take her out of Brooke's car, put her into his, and ride away. Go some place where they could fix her. But Haley was not some broken toy, or a broken bone, there was no place that they could fix an entire person suffering from a broken heart. The only way for the heart to repair is if the person is shown love, and that is what he had to do.