Part 28
"Ugh…" Peyton choked out as her eyes widened. Having everyone staring at her wanting to know why Brooke had come over the night she was attacked wasn't something she was prepared for.
"I already explained that." She finally said trying not to squirm too much under her friends watchful eyes, not that she could bring herself to look at them at the moment.
"No, you haven't." Lucas contradicts her slowly.
"I haven't?" She repeated as she stood and walked quickly into the kitchen. "Anyone want something to drink?" She asked trying to give herself enough time in order to work out what she should say.
"Peyton?" Lucas questions her having followed her across the room.
"What?" She asked keeping her back to her friends as she poured herself a glass of juice and takes a sip.
"Why was she there Peyton?" He asked persistently.
Peyton rubbed her hand over her face, she still wasn't sure what to say and it was starting to give her a headache. She didn't need this right now, she really didn't.
Sighing she glanced at her friends, Nathan and Haley just looked on curiously from the couch but Lucas watched her every move with a frown from across the kitchen counter.
"Why does it matter?" She asked softly.
"It doesn't." Haley called from her seat.
"Of course it does!" Lucas said looking first to Haley and then to his girlfriend.
"Okay." Peyton said looking directly at Lucas this time. "I'll rephrase that. Why does it matter to you?"
"Because…"
"Because? What? Because you've got a right to know?" Peyton said getting angry.
"What makes you think you have any right to know anything about what happens between Brooke and me?"
"I'm just saying that I don't get it. Why after everything that'd happened would she go to your house?" Lucas answered.
"What? Just because we had an argument-"
"Argument? Peyton you gave her a black eye just the night before, then she turns up at your house and you guys get into a fight in the front yard. Why would she come back later that night after that?" Lucas said while Nathan and Haley made their way over to join him at the kitchen counter.
"Maybe she wanted a round three?" Nathan offered only to be hit lightly on the arm by Haley and glared at by Peyton. "Guess not." He said sheepishly as he rubbed at his sore arm.
"She wasn't there to fight." Peyton said as she looked back at Lucas. "She wanted to talk, we talked, you showed up, she left – end of story." She added as she went to the sink to rinse out her glass.
"Now, anything else anyone wants to know?" She asked harshly turning back around to face her friends.
"No? Good, I'm going for a walk." Peyton said before walking past her friends and out the front door.
Haley watched her friend leave before she turned to her husband and slapped him on the side of the head.
"Ouch!" Nathan cried as he brought his hand up to his head. "What was that for?"
"For being a complete moron, that's what!" Haley responded before she noticed that Lucas was making his own way to the front door, planning to go after Peyton she assumed.
"Lucas?" She called out making him stop and turn to her. "I'd let her go if I were you."
"But-"
"Just let her calm down a bit, she'll be back before you know it." She explained. They were supposed to be heading back to the hospital soon so she knew Peyton wouldn't be gone for long.
Nathan walked over to the window and peered out concerned about letting Peyton go off alone now that the police were no longer hanging around.
"Ah."
"What?" Haley asked.
"She's just sitting out by the steps." Nathan informed them as he came away from the window.
Haley sighed as Nathan and Lucas both reluctantly sat down at the breakfast counter beside her.
"Did you really have to ask her why Brooke had gone over that night?" She asked turning to her husband.
He shrugged.
"And you!" She said turning to Lucas this time. "Isn't it bad enough that she already blames herself over what happened to Brooke, do you have to start acting like a jackass as well?"
"What?" Lucas responded. "I was only wondering why-"
"We know what you were wondering, but now you know. Brooke went over to talk, you interrupted and she ducked out the back." Haley explained.
"Only I think it's safe to assume she never made it out of the house, or at the very least not too far before..." She added sighing.
She didn't really want to think too much on what would have happened had Brooke not gone over to see Peyton. Or worse, if Lucas had shown up later than he had, would two of her friends have ended up in hospital instead of just one? She doubted the outcome would have been good for either of her friends.
"Do you think someone should?" Nathan asks after a moment as he motioned to the door, he still didn't like the idea of Peyton sitting out there on her own.
"No." Haley said irritated. "I think we should all just give her some space for once."
"But… I've been giving her space." Lucas said unhappily.
"Giving her space isn't the same as avoiding her because she's mad at you Lucas." Haley said pointedly.
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Peyton sighed as she debated whether or not to head back into the apartment. In truth she was in absolutely no hurry to go back in there, but she did want to leave soon and she'd left Brooke's overnight bag inside.
She'd been as honest as she could with her friends when she'd told them Brooke had been there to talk to her. That was the reason she had shown up that night, and while what she had written on the other girls prom dress may have triggered Brooke coming to see her, it wasn't the main reason.
Brooke had decided, on her own, that she wanted to tell Peyton how she really felt about her. To say Peyton had been shocked at Brooke's declaration of love would be to severely understate how it had felt.
Peyton had never suspected, not once, that the brunette could have feelings for her. Sure they were very comfortable around each other, they always had, and yes they had even shared a quick kiss on dare night. But that had just been Brooke refusing to act the way everyone had been expecting. She hated being told what to do, so by having Felix take for granted that he would be on the receiving end of that kiss wasn't something Brooke was willing to let play out.
She was her own person and never let people forget that.
Okay so she often let people believe she was exactly who she pretended to be; the rich girl, the cheerleader, the party girl, and even the whore. Those were things people in Tree Hill saw when they looked at Brooke Davis, and for the most part Brooke didn't mind, but the ones that really knew her knew she was never anyone other than their friend Brooke Davis.
The girl that wanted nothing more than to be loved by those around her, and that had a heart soo fragile she would lash out at everyone that hurt her.
Peyton had understood that simple, fundamental aspect of who Brooke Davis was, but understanding its existence wasn't enough to stop her from doing the one thing Brooke feared most.
Not just once, but twice, Peyton had chosen someone else over and above her friendship with her best friend of ten years. Over the person who had scrapped the pieces back together again after her mother had died, the one person who she knew, she knew, would always be there for her if she ever needed her.
That's what Lucas didn't seem to understand. He thought that their friendship would have been over after everything the two of them had done to each other. But he was wrong.
Everything Brooke had done to her, with the exception of sleeping with Nathan, was because she was hurting and wanted Peyton to hurt too. That was why after the fight in the front yard Peyton had written what she had on Brooke's prom dress; she had seen the fear in the other girl's eyes when she had said they were done, that she was dead to her.
Brooke had believed her.
And that wasn't something Peyton could let last long, she didn't want Brooke to hurt like that, especially when she'd known she had been lying from the moment she'd said it.
Peyton sighed and looked at her watch before deciding to stay out here for another few minutes before she could brave going back in again. But just as she'd come to that choice she heard the door opening behind her.
"Hey."
"Hey." Peyton replied, relieved that it was Haley that had come out and not one of the boys instead. She moved over and lent a supporting arm to her friend as she gingerly sat down beside her.
"Oaff." Haley exclaimed as she managed to sit down. "These steps really aren't designed for pregnant women." She huffed knowing there was absolutely no way she was going to make it back into a standing position without more help than the blonde girl beside her could provide.
"Too high?" Peyton asked cheekily trying not to laugh at the other girl.
"Well…" Haley began with a smirk. "Just for that I might not bother giving you this." She said holding out the house phone for her friend to see.
Thinking back to her conversation with her father earlier on in the day Peyton wasn't in a rush to take the device from Haley.
Haley on the other hand found the look of disgust on Peyton's face very amusing and gave her a nudge with her shoulder.
"Guess I'll just tell Brooke you don-" Was as much as the pregnant girl could get out before the phone was almost ripped from her hand.
"Hey!" Peyton said loudly into the phone as Haley giggled beside her.
"Hey yourself Blondie, though why exactly did Haley have to go out of the house to get you?"
"Umm, I've taken up smoking?" She replied hopefully.
"Right." Brooke said slowly as she heard Haley break into laughter over the line.
"Well in that case maybe you should let Haley get back inside. I don't think cancer sticks are too good for new mommies to be." She continued not believing for a second that had been the reason Peyton hadn't been in the apartment when she had called.
"No can do, Lucas isn't driving the pickup truck today." Peyton said with a smile.
"Hey!" Haley shouted, though not really upset at the other girl. "And after I'd just told the guys to be nicer to you." She continued.
"Peyton." Brooke said in a serious tone getting the other girls attention.
"Yeah?"
"Give the phone back to Haley for a second would you?" Brooke asked in a similar tone.
"But?" Peyton asked confused as she had only just got the phone from the other girl.
"Please?" Brooke asked gently this time.
"Sure." Peyton said before handing the phone over with a shrug to a frowning Haley.
"Brooke?" Haley asked holding the receiver up to her ear.
"Why exactly did you tell the guys to be nicer to Peyton?" Brooke asked the other girl knowing she'd never have gotten a straight answer from Peyton had she asked.
"What did they do?" Brooke continued as Haley failed to respond.
Peyton closed her eyes as she heard what Brooke had asked, and sighing she gently took the device back from Haley.
"They wanted to know why you came to see me the night of the prom." Peyton answered her softly.
"Oh."
Peyton looked at Haley as Brooke went quiet on the other end of the line. She wasn't sure what kind of expression her face held but it caused the other girl to start to rub her back in a show of comfort.
"Did you tell them?" Brooke asked so quietly Peyton almost didn't hear her.
"What? No, of course not. Brooke I would never do that to you." Peyton responded instantly almost forgetting Haley was still sat beside her.
"You could have." Brooke continued.
"What?" Peyton said shooting a glance at Haley.
"Told them."
"What? Brooke it's no one's business, and I'm not telling anyone okay?" Peyton said not sure why Brooke was saying any of this.
"Are you ashamed of what I said to you that night?" Brooke prods.
"No! Brooke you know that isn't true." Peyton said getting a little agitated by the conversation.
"Did you think I wasn't telling you the truth?" Brooke asked further.
"Brooke-"
"Put this on speaker or tell Haley to listen would you?" Brooke cut in.
"Done." Peyton said wearily as she pressed the speaker button and held the phone out between herself and Haley.
"Haley?" Brooke's voice asked loudly in the silence that had descended between the girls sitting on the steps.
"Yeah?" Haley asked worried about what was going on and concerned at how upset Peyton was beginning to look.
"Do you want to know why I went over to see Peyton that night, I mean it does seem to be the topic with you guys. Why don't you just go get Nathan and Lucas and we can get this over and done with right now?" Brooke suggested.
"Brooke!" Peyton said unwilling to do as Brooke had asked.
"Brooke…" Haley began as she laid her hand around Peyton's arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I don't think what you and Peyton talked about or didn't talk about is anything to do with me."
Peyton wasn't sure she could speak at this stage, she was confused and upset and she just wanted to talk to Brooke alone and ask her why she was saying this.
"Unless of course you were discussing Nathan, in that case I think we'll have a problem." Haley continued getting a laugh from Brooke and even a small chuckle from the girl beside her.
"Ha, like we don't have better things to discuss than why you settled for a guy that wouldn't eve-"
"Brooke!" Peyton interrupted her in a warning tone.
"Fine, spoil all my fun Blondie." Brooke said in a huff. "You really don't want to know Hales?" Brooke asked again.
"I think…" Haley began looking at Peyton. "That if it's important enough for you to want to tell me… then you can. But not like this." She finished knowing that whatever Peyton and Brooke had talked about didn't need to be forced into a discussion the way it was being right now.
"You're sure?"
Peyton rolled her eyes as she heard the disappointment in Brooke's voice.
"Yes." Haley replied with a smile.
"Fine be like that Tutor-mom, I'm sure that will work well with your son when he's hiding something from you-"
"Are you saying you're hiding something from me Brooke?" Haley asked with a smile.
"Hiding? Me? No, well what I mean is… hiding is a strong word, it's more like…" Brooke said trailing off as she realised she actually was hiding something from her friends. Not intentionally, she'd just needed to have Peyton be the first person she told.
"Brooke? Why did you call?" Peyton asks hoping to save her friend from digging herself an even bigger hole than the one she was already in.
"Calling? Oh, right. Well look at the time Sawyer, why aren't you here already?"
"Right!" Peyton said standing and heading back into the apartment for Brooke's overnight bag before Haley could even blink.
"Oh no, don't mind me. I'll still be here when you get back in a few hours, just like the beached whale that I am." Haley said to no one. "She could have at least left me the phone in case of an emergency." She grumbled.
Just then the apartment door opened and Peyton, Lucas and Nathan walked out.
"Think we should rescue her?" Lucas stage whispers to a sniggering Nate.
"I'm not sure; it looks like it could be rabid." Peyton says with a grin as she watches Haley scowl back at them.
Lucas swallows and offers Haley a weak laugh. "Need some help?"
"From who, I don't see any friends here."
"Now, now don't be like that." Nathan says as he moves to hold one arm as Lucas gets the other.
"Okay and on the count of three; one, two, three!" Nathan said as he and his brother helped Haley stand with Peyton pushing her up from the back.
Peyton grinned as they head to the cars.
"You really should lay off the Hershey bars Hales." She said before jogging out of the pregnant girls reach.
"Hey!" Came the indignant cries from both Nathan and Haley.
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AN/
As you can probably tell - no leyton scene - other than the little spat at the top.
One or two of you were right, I'd rather stick hot needles in between my fingernails before I'd write that for no reason.
:shudders:
but one of the reasons I said what I did in the last chapter was to get an idea of what you guys would think of a leyton scene, because sadly, there will be one in a few chapters.
I know, we're all upset by this but you are just going to have to trust me that things will work out GREAT!!
:D
HONEST!!
Not for dipshit but who cares about him?
But seeing as a few of you have said you'd rather not read that kind of horrible, nightmare inducing drivel, I'll place a warning in the chapter before it was well as at the top of the chapter itself.
I'm probably making this sound WAY worse than it actually is but I'm just giving you guys a heads up, okay? It won't be anything graphic at all, just remember hot needles would be introduced to my eyes before I'd read that never mind write it!!
Okay, everyone took a nice calming breath?
Feeling less inclined to kill me?
Good, good.
:P
Hope you weren't all too upset, thanks for reading, review if ya wanna... you guys know the drill.
Next time!