Hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter!
Thank you for the reviews on the pilot!
I appreciated it.
"Any plans for tonight?" Larry declared while cleaning up the table after the excellent meal that he had picked up at Chick-Fil-A.
Peyton and Brooke looked at each other. "Depends of P. Sawyer." The brunette replied. "I'm getting used to her going to sleep at the same time as her son."
"Why don't you go surprise your friends?" Larry asked. "Meanwhile, I will enjoy the evening with my favorite grandson."
"Dad, it's almost bedtime for him," Peyton advised.
Larry Sawyer frowned. "It's a special day. Who cares if he stays up late? And if it's an excuse to stay home, I won't buy it. Come on, Peyton! Go change and get out of this place."
"You're kicking me out? Woah." Peyton chuckled. "Alright, you win. But I won't be back too late."
"Stop complaining, and let's go." Brooke rolled her eyes. She grabbed Peyton's hand to pull her out of the chair.
They quickly changed as soon as they arrived in Peyton's room. The blonde didn't want to go out. She was exhausted from the road that had taken her to her hometown. Brooke had taken a short nap as Peyton had driven all the way. She hated parties now that she had to go to Clothes Over Bros events. Besides, it was a hassle to find someone to babysit Noah. Peyton took far too long cuddling her son on the sofa before leaving the house. Brooke was very impatient.
"Okay, Mama Sawyer, where are we going?" Brooke asked as she entered the Range Rover. "Don't say that we gotta go back inside."
"It's Sunday. We are not in New York. It's gonna be dead everywhere." Peyton Sawyer declared. "Let me check on Facebook if I see any events around the city."
Peyton scrolled down her newsfeed while Brooke drove around the city. It was a strange feeling to be back in Tree Hill after so many years. They had lived through rather difficult events in their hometown, but it was also there that they had collected their fondest memories.
"What if we just buy some beers and hang out at the Rivercourt? Maybe people will show up there eventually." Brooke declared.
"Why not? It would be like we were still in high school." Peyton replied. "Do you miss it, sometimes?"
Brooke grinned. "Everyday."
Brooke stopped at a grocery store to get some beer. She parked the car, and Peyton opted to stay in the vehicle, causing Brooke to roll her eyes and call her lazy. The brunette entered the store, and she quickly went to the fridges where the different varieties of beer were located. She picked up a 24-pack of Budweiser and walked to the checkout. She stopped in front of a display of crisps and picked up two family-sized bags of Lays crisps.
"Hopefully, they are not all for you." A female voice said.
Brooke raised her eyes. She tried to remain calm after meeting the gaze of this woman. Her green eyes reminded her of her best friend's. She was convinced that her face had suddenly turned pale. It was the most unlikely thing in Brooke's eyes. She thought she was dead, and yet, Ellie Harp was indeed standing in front of her in this building with a grocery cart full of food. The brunette didn't know how to react or even what to answer to the woman. She imagined Peyton's reaction; that would be awful.
"Just because I'm a fashion designer doesn't mean I can't eat chips and drink beer." Brooke finally replied with a firm tone. She was in shock.
"It's good to see you again, Brooke." Ellie Harp declared as if everything had been normal. "How have you been?"
"Fine." Brooke sounded angry again. "You must excuse me, but I'm expected somewhere."
With a quick step, Brooke went to the cash register to pay for her purchases. She was still in shock. As she left the store, her hands were shaking, and she dropped her keys. When she got to her car, she put her bag in the back seat and climbed into the driver's seat. Peyton gave her a mocking look.
"Have you seen a ghost?" Peyton Sawyer laughed.
"No, I think I'm just a little tired," Brooke replied. She was trying to pull herself together in front of her best friend. "I definitely need a drink to give me some energy."
"Let's go then!" Peyton announced.
Brooke went to the Rivercourt. There was no one else. So the two friends went to sit in the bleachers, taking care to bring the beer and chips. Brooke downed her first beer.
The evening passed off without a hitch. Peyton and Brooke had a long chat about all things New York with their co-workers at Clothes Over Bros. Peyton easily lost patience with models who had often very absurd and surreal requests. It was even worse when Victoria, Brooke's mother, was around. She was a businesswoman who didn't care about anything family-related. Peyton often consoled Brooke, who often had arguments with Victoria. She reproached her daughter for not dedicating herself enough to her work, even if sometimes she returned to her apartment in the middle of the night. Nothing could satisfy Victoria Davis.
The more time passed, the more the two friends felt the effects of alcohol. "Do you remember the last time you came here?"
"Yeah," Peyton replied tiredly. "It was the day I left. I even remember what I was wearing that day."
"Your Pink Floyd t-shirt and red pants," Brooke replied.
Suddenly, the noise of tires was heard. Brooke and Peyton turned around and saw Nathan Scott stepping out of his vehicle with a basketball in his hand. He had just noticed the presence of his longtime friends, and he quickly walked over to them.
"New York's two hottest girls are in town, and nobody tells me? Disappointing." Nathan smirked.
"We only call hot boys." Brooke laughed. "I'm happy to see you, Nate. Come here!". Brooke hugged her friend.
Peyton stood up and hugged Nathan Scott as well. "I've missed you, Big Head." She said.
"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked them. "You should have told us."
Brooke smiled. "I'm full of surprises, Nathan Scott." She chuckled. "We decided it last night. We came to see Larry and everyone."
"Where's your wife?" Peyton questioned.
Nathan laughed. "At home. We spent the day at the water slides with Jamie. She is exhausted."
Nathan and Haley had a son who was a few weeks apart from Peyton's son. Noah was born in April, while Jamie Scott was born in June. Brooke offered Nathan a beer, and he sat down with his friends in the stands.
"Are there any outdoor toilets over here?" Peyton asked out loud.
"Yeah, check out over there." The man pointed out.
"Thank God," Peyton yelled as she stood up and ran toward the place Nathan pointed.
Only Brooke and Nathan remained for now. Brooke opened another beer. "I'm glad that you pulled up here. I was about to ruin her evening."
"What do you mean?" Nathan Scott frowned.
"I went to buy these beers and saw Ellie in the grocery store." Brooke detailed. "It was the last thing I expected tonight, honestly."
Nathan seemed confused. "I thought Peyton knew. I mean, I saw Ellie a couple of times. She has been hanging out with Larry, Karen, and my mom."
"Larry knew as well? It must be a fucking joke." Brooke couldn't believe it. "Peyton thought she had left to die alone. It broke her. Then she got shot weeks later and left Tree Hill. I lost my best friend during my Senior Year because she felt alone. For what? To learn that his biological mother, supposedly dead, has come back to life and is hanging around with Larry?"
Nathan looked down. "I don't know what happened, but this is kinda weird. I was convinced that you both knew, at least."
"God, what am I supposed to do now?" Brooke sighed. "Oh, she comes back."
Nathan and Brooke claimed that nothing happened during Peyton's absence. They chatted for two hours before Nathan offered to drive them back to Larry's house. Nathan had returned Brooke's vehicle before returning to the Rivercourt by taxi to pick up his vehicle. The two friends were rather drunk. They made a lot of noise when they entered, and Larry, who was sleeping on the sofa, woke up with a jump.
"You are not very discreet." Larry declared.
"Sorry." Peyton laughed. "Everything went well with Noah tonight?"
"Obviously. He sleeps in the third bedroom. I carried him upstairs, we were watching baseball, and he fell asleep." Larry explained. "How was your evening, girls?"
"Great. We hung out at the Rivercourt. Nathan showed up, and he brought back my car." Brooke said. "I think I'll regret my evening tomorrow morning, though."
Larry chuckled. "I hope Peyton will be in shape tomorrow. We will get your stored car at my friend's in Fayetteville."
"Okay, but Nathan invited us for dinner tomorrow." Peyton declared.
The man looked at his watch. "It's 2 am. We'll leave at 9. Maximum 9:30."
"It's not like I'm not used to getting short nights of sleep. I have a child." Peyton said. "I will go take a shower, and I'll hit the sheets."
Peyton went upstairs, and Brooke stayed with Larry. The young woman's eyes became threatening. She absolutely had to tell him about her encounter that evening.
"Were you planning on telling Peyton about it?" Brooke questioned firmly, which made Larry frown.
"What are you talking about?" He replied.
Brooke rolled her eyes. "Ellie must have called you since the two of you are best friends forever, it seems." She was angry but did raise her voice much to ensure that Peyton wouldn't understand from upstairs. "I saw her. At the grocery store."
"I'm sorry, Brooke," Larry replied.
"You shouldn't be sorry for me but for your daughter." Brooke spat. "She's one of the two reasons I lost my best friend for months during my last year of High School. I am so upset." She added before taking a deep breath. "She broke her, Larry."
"Brooke, you have no idea what Ellie has been through in the past couple of years. She had a good reason to do so." Larry was using a firm voice tone as well. "I know Peyton suffered, and I didn't want to reopen the wound. Ellie knows what Peyton has been through. She knows everything."
"I am not sure there are enough good reasons to abandon your child a second time." Brooke couldn't handle her anger anymore. "Now, I'll go to bed. Think about it."
Brooke went up to the second floor and entered Peyton's room. She changed her clothes and got into bed. When Peyton got out of the shower, the two friends chatted for a bit before getting into bed.
What are your impressions?
More revelations to come in the next chapter!
See you soon!