Brooke squinted against the light as her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times at her unfamiliar surroundings before remembering that she was at Rachel's. Brooke sat up, the blanket falling off of her.
"Good you're up," Rachel informed her as she entered the room, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "This means that I won't have to do my morning yoga in silence." Rachel unrolled a blue mat on the floor while Brooke rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Since when do you do yoga?"
"Since I got a job modeling. I've got to keep in shape. Not to mention it helps me with my anger issues." Brooke chuckled.
"We know you need help with those." Rachel threw a pillow in Brooke's direction. Then Rachel walked over to her stereo and pressed the play button. Loud screaming sounded from the speakers. "That's more like the Rachel I know."
"Whatever." Rachel sat down on her mat and closed her eyes, placing her palms together. "Now get off my couch and get in the shower you kind of reek." With a roll of her eyes Brooke got up off the couch and made her way to the bathroom. She was glad that she kept extra clothes in the spare room.
Water gushed from the faucet. Brooke stuck her hand under it to test the temperature, adjusting it a little bit before allowing the tub to fill. With a sigh Brooke sank down to the tile, cold against her legs. She pulled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Though Rachel wasn't bringing the topic up, Brooke was still thinking about yesterday. Lucas's confession to her had thrown her for a loop. And then she remembered the words she spoke to Rachel the night before, she didn't want to make the decision. Brooke had never been one to make decisions. They were usually made for her or she would just flip a coin. Brooke scooted herself over to the sink that her jeans lay strewn across. She rummaged in the pocket and pulled out a penny. The metal felt oddly warm in her hand. Brooke guessed that something with the ability to dictate your life would have abnormal temperature. Tails and Brooke would stay married. Mr. Lincoln and she would be with Lucas. Brooke gently tossed the penny from hand to hand. Then she placed it on the flat fingernail of her thumb. Eyes closed, she flicked her thumb up. A clang was heard as the penny hit the tile, but Brooke didn't open her eyes. She remained leaning against the side of the tub, staring at the penny across the room. A penny that would tell her her future. Brooke was a firm believer in fate. If fate wanted her with Lucas she would see the sixteenth president of the US, if not then it was David. But Brooke still couldn't bring herself to move. She remained staring at the penny. Suddenly she felt water on the back of her head as the tub began to overflow. Brought back to reality, Brooke rushed over to the penny and picked it up without looking at it. After tossing it aside, Brooke got into the tub.
"Did you have a good bath?" Rachel asked of her friend as she handed Brooke a mug of coffee. With a smile Brooke nodded. "Did you do any thinking?" Thinking was all Brooke had done. Thinking about everything but what she should be thinking about.
"Yeah I rethought the magazine cover for next month. And I decided that I want to lower the hemlines on a couple of my dresses because I really don't want to be catering to sluts. Also I want to change a couple of the fabrics I chose for the next runway because…"
"That's not what I meant. I meant did you do any thinking about that huge decision you have to make." Rachel waggled her eyebrows.
"I know, it's such a hard choice to make. I keep thinking that whichever way I choose could change my entire future." Rachel nodded. "And they both look good with my outfit. But I just can't decide, pumps or wedges?" Rachel shook her head.
"Pumps," Rachel said decisively.
"Ok pumps it is." Rachel and Brooke sipped their coffee in silence. "So do you have any input on that other decision I have to make?"
"Nope, that one you're on your own for." With a grin Rachel walked into her bedroom to change.
"Thanks for nothing!" Brooke picked up the paper and began to flick through it. "So I heard the phone ring while I was in the bath," she yelled.
"You heard that?"
"No what I really heard was your death music shutting off and then I heard it ring."
"That 'death' music happens to wake me up in the mornings." Silence filled the apartment.
"So who was it?"
"What was what?"
"On the phone." But Brooke had a good idea of who it was by Rachel's clever avoidance of the topic. And moments later Brooke got the answer she anticipated.
"Lucas." Rachel entered the kitchen, changed into jeans and a tank top. "It was Lucas."
"Oh," Brooke took a sip of coffee in an attempt to feign disinterest. "And what did he want?"
"He actually didn't want anything. It was more of an offer."
"An offer about what?"
"He's going back to Tree Hill tomorrow and he asked if I would like to come with him."
"And are you going?" Brooke asked in disbelief as she set her cup down.
"Well yeah, I thought I'd go." Rachel moved into the bedroom. Quickly, Brooke jumped down from her stool and followed her.
"Why? I thought you hated it in Tree Hill." She was shocked at the suitcase and the clothes lying haphazardly in Rachel's room.
"Well I just want to see if anyone misses good old me."
"I'm sure they don't," Brooke said as she mindlessly played with a shirt that was lying across the chair and avoided eye contact.
"Ouch, retract the claws."
"I'm sorry it's just…" Brooke's hands stilled and she looked up at Rachel. "It's just that were you even going to tell me you were leaving?"
"No." Brooke opened her mouth to speak her pain. "I was going to invite you to come along with us until you got all possessive on me."
"You were?" Brooke smiled. "Or still are?"
"Yes miss over possessive, I'm still inviting you."
"Yay!" Brooke bounced up and clapped her hands. She was springing out the door when Rachel stopped her.
"You do realize what this means."
"I've got to buy new clothes," Brooke tried.
"No this means that you and I need to get plane tickets."
"Done, I'll call my travel agent immediately."
"Well I've got the plane number that I need you to get us on."
"Why does it have to be that specific plane?"
"Because Lucas is on it."
"So?"
"So Lucas invited us, so we need to at least travel with him."
"He invited you, not me."
"He invited me who invited you and indirectly that means he invited you."
"Whatever give me the number." Brooke held out her hand which Rachel stuck a slip of paper into. Immediately, Brooke picked up her phone and punched in numbers.
"A plane ride with you and a man who confessed his love to you only to find out that you're married. Well this should be fun." Brooke turned and put her hand over the mouthpiece.
"You're sitting in the middle." Rachel laughed.
Brooke watched the same piece of black luggage spin back around the carousel. Lucas watched the people hurrying back and forth trying to get to their planes on time. Rachel stood between them trying to decide the quickest exit if the two decided to start a yelling match. Though she wasn't counting on it. The entire plane ride had been filled with her talking to Lucas and then talking to Brooke. But never Lucas talking to Brooke.
"So should we go call a taxi for when our luggage gets here?" Rachel asked to fill the void.
"I can get us a car to take us to Haley's. I haven't seen her or my little brother in a while."
"Well I can get us a car to take us to Mouth's. I never really got a chance to say goodbye to him." They both turned to Rachel.
"Oh look luggage is here." She stepped forward and pulled her bag off the carousel.
Rachel had skillfully avoided the topic of who she'd be going with while the three waited for the cars to arrive. But now they were here, Brooke's seventh bag stuffed into the trunk of one and Lucas's two bags tossed haphazardly into the other. The two stood beside their respective cars looking at Rachel. She looked from one to the other, trying to decide who needed her more. Finally she turned to Lucas.
"I think I'm going to go with Brooke." Brooke made a noise as if proud that she had won. "I would like to see Mouth and I don't really think that Haley's going to be too warm towards me what with me having tried to steal her husband and all." She walked to Lucas and gave him a hug. "I'll see you soon."
"Yeah see you." He pulled back and looked towards Brooke. A quick nod in her direction and he was in the car and gone.
"These two in the car as well please," Rachel directed the driver. Brooke watched the car as it took Lucas away, far from her. The slam of the trunk brought her back to life. She and Rachel clambered into the back seat of the car.
The car ride was silent for five minutes before Rachel broke it. "So why do I feel like the child of divorced parents?" Brooke rolled her eyes. "Seriously the two of you avoiding eye contact and only speaking indirectly to one another, I was afraid that I was going to have to hide the knives."
"Well he's the one who decided to act like a petulant child about all of this."
"He's allowed to pout a little. He did just have his heart ripped out!" Brooke glanced out the window. "It's you who doesn't really have a right to be acting this way." Brooke looked to her best friend and then cast her eyes down.
"I know. Trust me, I know."
Brooke knocked on the apartment door. Rachel leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. "What if he doesn't even want to see me?"
"That's ridiculous. Of course he wants to see you. You were his wet dream from the moment you set foot in Tree Hill."
"Until the moment I left."
Brooke put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "He cares about you, leaving him didn't change that."
"Brooke," Rachel put her own hand on Brooke's shoulder. "The same to you."
"I know Mouth loves me." Brooke pulled away and knocked again.
"That's not the he I meant."
"I know. But please can we not talk about this right now?" Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but at that moment the door flung open.
"Brooke?!" Mouth said in surprise.
"Hey Mouth!" The two hugged tightly. "Look who I brought with me." Rachel stepped away from the wall into the doorway.
"Hey," she mumbled meekly. Mouth's face was expressionless. It revealed nothing of how he was feeling. For a moment Brooke was afraid that she had made a mistake in bringing Rachel, but then Mouth's face broke out into a giant smile.
"Rachel! Hey." He pulled a shocked Rachel into a firm embrace. Brooke smiled as she watched the two hold onto one another, remembering how nice that was.