A/N: I don't own anything from OTH. Just updating because I can, so here is the next chapter of the story.
Thanks again Kelli for your help.
Chapter 3:
It's Saturday, Lucas and Peyton are sitting in his mom's café, having lunch. It's been two weeks since they started dating, so far everything is going well. Everybody around them were happy for them and responded better than when he started dating Brooke. Speaking of Brooke, she hasn't caused any problem. Maybe, it's the fact that she hasn't been to school the last three days but whatever it was Peyton felt more at ease. Not having to look at her best friend or ex- best friend while dating her ex-best friends ex-boyfriend, made her feel less guilty. Their relationship is better than she could have imagined, Lucas understood her better than anyone in this world. He likes the same things as her and they know what other is thinking without that they have to say it out loud. When they finished eating, Lucas grabbed a hold of her hand and looked into her eyes with a smile on her face.
"So, what do you want to do next?" Lucas asks her while playing with her bracelets that Brooke had gotten her. Peyton couldn't help but smile, he's so considered always asking her what she wanted to do. It was a huge improvement compared to her relationship with Nathan, where they only used to fight and have sex. With Lucas, having a disagreement was rare. Lucas was truly happy to finally getting the chance to be with Peyton, she was so different from Brooke. But it was a good difference, what he likes in Peyton is that she's real, she didn't wear make-up like her life dependant on it, and she was honest with herself. She wouldn't change for anyone and the fact he could have a conversation with her and she would get what he was talking without him having to explain it to her was a bonus.
"I wanted to go see if the album I ordered already arrived at the music store," Peyton says smiling shyly. Lucas agrees and after saying goodbye to his mother and Haley. They leave the café to go a cross the street to the record store. Entering the store, the both turn to the salesman.
"Hey Peyton, Lucas,"
"Hey Josh," they both say at the same time. Josh can't help and laugh a little at that. They were so similar that it was funny that they were a couple.
"Your CD arrived this morning. Its back there," he says pointing to the back wall of the store. The couple gives him a polite smile and walk of in search of the CD. While they're fooling around and laughing in the back of the store, a new person enters the store.
"Hey, do you have the new India Arie and Jill Scott?" a raspy voice asks Josh. Hearing the voice, the blond couple stopped what they were doing like they were caught stealing. They both turned to look at the new customer to check that their ears weren't fooling them. Standing there talking to Josh, was none other than Brooke Davis. The first thing, they notice was that she had changed. Gone was the famous red tint in her hair, her hair was back to their natural dark brown colour. Secondly, she wasn't wearing any make-up which made her look more beautiful than she already was. Last but not least, her clothes and accessories looked even more expensive than what she used to wear. She looked like she was worth a million bucks.
Lucas and Peyton couldn't help but stare at Brooke while she moved around the store purchasing her new CDs. She didn't even acknowledge them as she bought her CDs and left the store.
Brooke couldn't believe she did it. She went there and didn't break at the sight of them together. She was healing, slowly but surly. This was her first steps they weren't big but they mattered, her baby steps. The word baby always makes her think of the child growing inside of her. Which made her smile, and that was something she has been doing that ever since she had made peace with the idea of being pregnant.
Suddenly, feeling hungry Brooke looks around for a place to eat. The only decent place was Karen's café, which made Brooke groan inwardly. If it was up to she wouldn't put foot anywhere near anything that's related to Lucas. But Tree Hill was small, they only place she could hid was at her house. So she knew if she wanted to move on then she needed to face her obstacles and this was one of them. 'Baby steps, Brooke, baby steps,' she reminds herself.
Entering the café, she takes a deep breath and walks to the counter where Haley and Nathan where talking. Great, two more people she didn't want to be in close proximity with. Ever since the party that Haley had thrown in Nathan's apartment, which she wasn't invited to because little Miss. Tutor girl didn't want Peyton and Lucas to be uncomfortable. She was the one who got cheated on but people at school treated her like she was the one who backstabbed Peyton and cheated on Lucas. And Nathan, she knew the guy longer than Tutor bitch, Peyton and his own brother but he choose their side. Suddenly, he's a saint he never did anything wrong in his life. (Note the sarcasm) She wishes them all the freaking misery in the world. It was perfectly understandable why she didn't want to be around them.
"Hey, could I've 4 muffins, a large coco without the whip cream, and some lasagne for four, tiramisu and a bag of cookies? And it's to go, thank you," Brooke says interrupting the conversation between the couple. Her voice polite like she was talking to some stranger.
"Okay Miss, it's that all? Brooke what's up?" Haley says laughing at little at the way Brooke was acting. Talking to her like she didn't know her. Brooke really hates Haley, if there was someone she wanted to hit more than anything in the world that person would be Haley.
"Yes, that will be all. If you could work a little faster please, I have to be somewhere else. Do I have to repeat my order or did you get it the first time?" Brooke says coldly, but it could have passed as being overly polite. She sends a glare in Haley's direction that made Haley take a step back. Haley shakes her head negatively and goes to get Brooke's order. "Help these days. Can't get anything without their opinion," Brooke mumbles.
The whole time, Nathan had sat there quietly but hearing what she just said he couldn't sit there and not say anything.
"What's your problem?" Nathan asks aggravated. Brooke turns and glares at him like it's the first time she seen him there.
"Excuse you," Brooke says her hands on her hips. She wouldn't take no bullshit from Nathan 'ball-less' Scott.
"You come back from wherever you've been and already you treating people like shit," Nathan says standing up so he can look down on Brooke trying to intimidate her. While speaking, he keeps pointing his finger at her to emphasise his point. Brooke slaps his finger away which makes the crowd that's in the café to turn and look at them if they weren't already. Lucas and Peyton who had just entered the café also witnessed the scene. Everybody was dead quiet all waiting to see what will happen between the most popular people of their school.
"Don't you dare point your finger at me, Nathan Scott. Who do you think you're?" Brooke hisses at him.
"You found balls again. I thought that your girlfriend was wearing them as earrings," Brooke says making the crowd laugh.
"You have no right coming in here and treat people shit, Brooke. They didn't do anything to you," Nathan says as calm as he possible could, trying to prevented a fight.
"Look at that, Nathan Scott giving me advises on how to treat 'people'. Isn't it ironic that suddenly because you've been dating Haley James you're a saint? You never treated people as shit or made them suffer. Or hate themselves," Brooke says mockingly. Nathan looked kind of embarrassed because everybody was really looking at him. Some where shooting him hateful stares because what Brooke said was true. Haley and Karen were coming back from the back with Brookes order, watched how Brooke Davis was giving Nathan Scott a piece of her mind without raising her voice.
"You know for a guy who made his own brother suffer. You really are a hypocrite. So you made the tutor girl popular, you're no longer under your father spell and you don't treat your half brother as shit that doesn't make you a better person. You would've not encourage you girlfriend to change for you because look at her now. She's no longer her own person, she doesn't hang around with the people she used to," Brooke says shrugging when she see that Nathan and Haley want to interrupted her, she goes for the kill.
"Really Haley, when was the last time you talked to Jimmy Edwards, Glenda Wilson, Vanessa Sanchez or Abby Matthews? So before you judge me, judge yourself. You better get off your high horse because otherwise you'll fall and it will hurt, because you guys are no different that rest of us. Now where's my order?" Brooke says leaving everybody speechless. Karen came and gave her order.
"Its 32.80 thank you," Karen says. Brooke gives her fifty dollar bill and she gave back the change. Brooke takes her order and walks to the door.
Lucas and Peyton who were standing in front it moved to let her pass. When she was finally outside, Brooke let out a huge sigh. She took her baby steps and they were wonderful. While Brooke went home, the people that were left in the café knew one thing for sure Brooke Davis is back and you better not mess with her.
AN: I know you may find it weird how Brooke knows the people that Haley used to hang with. The Brooke in this story, is someone that is really devoted to people that she care for (like in the show). So, when she wanted to get with Lucas she wanted to know all the people that were in his live. So, knowing who Jimmy is kind of obvious.