You guys still keep the reviews coming. We love you guys! Anyways, there's really nothing to say, so enjoy chapter fourteen.

Oh, expect for that our trip was fun but we couldn't wait to get back and give you guys another chapter. :D

Dear Life, I Quit

Peyton stood in the kitchen, waiting for her water to finish boiling. She had been up since before the sun rose. She was glad that Lucas had left earlier. She couldn't sleep next to him while she was thinking of another man; it just didn't seem right to her.

Sometimes, she wished that Jake would have never come back but then she scolded herself, knowing that she was happy that he decided to come back. She figured that he would someday but it never occurred to her that she would be with Lucas again after that night in L.A.

She sighed and got up to get her pot when it made a loud, shrilling noise. She grabbed it and began to pour it into a cup when the doorbell rang. She almost spilled the water on her hand when the loud sound made her jump.

She put down the pot and went to open the door. Her eyes connected with his and then she looked down, seeing someone that she hadn't seen in almost seven years.

"Hi Peyton."

"You know who I am?"

"Yeah. My dad has told me all about you." The young girl looked up to see her dad staring at the pretty blond woman. Peyton looked from Jake to the small girl and smiled before she felt an overwhelming feeling wash over her and then her world went black.


Brooke had woken up a few minutes after she heard the door slam. She sat up in the bed and looked at her surroundings. She sighed and got up just as the door was opening.

"Aunt Brooke!" Brooke turned around to find Jamie standing in the doorway.

"Jamie!" She playfully yelled, excited to see her young godson. He walked over to her and she picked him up. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I have school silly."

She smiled. "Of course. How could I forget?"

"What are you doing here Aunt Brooke?" Brooke tried to think of an excuse. Finally, after a few seconds, she came up with one.

"Your mommy and I were having a sleepover."

"Was it fun?" Brooke nodded and Jamie heard his name being called. Brooke smiled and put him down. "Are you coming?"

"Sure," she answered before he grabbed her hand and led her to the kitchen where she smelt food being cooked. Haley was sitting at the counter reading a few papers.

"Are you always grading things?" Haley looked up and smiled at Brooke.

"It comes with the job." Brooke laughed while Jamie took a seat next to his mother. He looked over at Brooke expectantly before she smiled and took a seat next to Haley too.

"What are we having for breakfast momma?"

"Eggs!" She said happily. Jamie smiled and watched his mother grade and read papers. Brooke sat, watching their interactions. She was glad that Haley was having another baby; her and Nathan were great parents. There was still that part that was jealous of Haley though.

"You okay Brooke?" Haley's voice brought her out of the current thoughts she was having. Brooke nodded and smiled, showing Haley that she was fine.

"I actually have some stuff I have to do today."

"Are you leaving?"

Brooke stood up, answering her question. "I need to get an early start." Haley nodded and walked her to the door. "Thank you."

"Anytime Brooke. We're all here."

Brooke nodded and looked down at Haley's stomach. "Have you told Jamie about the new baby?"

"Not yet," Haley told her. "We were going to tell him this weekend." Brooke could tell that Haley was nervous. She had read books about the first child being jealous of the new one but Brooke knew that Jamie would love his brother or sister.

She placed a comforting hand on Haley's shoulder. "He'll love his new brother or sister. You have nothing to worry about."

Haley smiled and hugged Brooke. "Thanks Brooke." Brooke hugged back, glad that she had such good friends.

"Anytime Hales," she said, using her words from earlier. They pulled back and Brooke left the house and started for hers.


"Peyton?"

"Peyton?" Peyton blinked her eyes open and saw two people staring down at her; Jake and a young girl.

"Jake?"

"Yeah. Are you okay? You kind of fainted," he said with a small laugh. Peyton tried to pull herself up, using Jake as a support.

"I fainted? How embarrassing," she said, trying to hide her face. She didn't even know what came over her. She looked over at the young girl and smiled.

"You must be Jenny?" It was more of a question than a statement. The girl nodded and Peyton took in her appearance. She looked like her father but she could see traces of Nikki.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time."

"I know. My daddy told me." Peyton smiled, remembering when Jake thought Jenny had said daddy for her first word while they were laying together.

"We came over to see if you wanted to go to lunch," Jake said, interrupting her thoughts. Peyton looked over at him and nodded, smiling. She wanted to get to know Jenny better anyway.

"I'll be ready in ten."


"What's wrong with you today Luke?" Lucas glared at Skills. They were playing basketball at the River Court since school was out that day. Nathan hadn't said a word to Lucas and he figured Brooke had went there last night.

"I'm just-"

"An asshole?" Lucas looked over at Nathan and stared him down. Of course that would be the first thing he said to him.

"What's it to you?"

"I know what you did to Brooke man."

"It's none of your business Nate." Nathan shook his head and threw the basketball to Skills, who stood back, trying to give them space.

"I think it is my business," he corrected him. "Brooke is one of my good friends and you treated her like shit."

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it like Lucas?" Nathan yelled, making Skills back up a bit. "Enlighten me, please, because if I have to hear Brooke cry about you or have Haley tell me that you hurt Brooke one more time, I'll kick your ass."

"You don't know the whole story."

"And you do?" Lucas was taken aback, partly because it was true. He didn't know the entire story with Brooke.

"Just drop it Nathan." He wouldn't do this here; it wasn't the right place. He would fight with his brother later.

"Are you afraid to talk about it? Are you afraid that I'll be right?" Lucas ignored him and Nathan sighed, grabbing the ball from Skills and throwing it angrily into the hoop.

His brother was a complete idiot sometimes.


Brooke ended up going to her store. She shouldn't have but when did she ever listen? Even to herself? She laughed quietly before she got out of her car and walked up to the steps of her store before she put her face up to the glass and looked in.

It was completely bare. There was nothing inside, not even a speck of dust. Brooke nearly jumped when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned and saw Millicent.

She instantly went to apologize. "I'm so sorry, I-"

Millicent held up her hand, signaling for her to stop. "No, don't apologize. I know you were dealing with some stuff."

"Thanks Milli."

Millicent smiled before she looked at the empty store. "She took everything huh?"

"Down to the last dust bunny, I'm sure," Brooke said, looking at her store longingly. Sure, she was happy that Victoria was out of her life but she still missed her job. Millicent stood in silence before an idea came to her.

"Why don't you start over?"

Brooke looked over at her, surprised. "What?"

"Start over," she repeated. "Make new designs and we can buy this place and sell them."

"Start a completely new line?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know Milli, that's a lot of work," Brooke said. She was actually surprised that Millicent had voiced that idea but it wasn't a bad one. Maybe Millicent was right; she could start over.

"You have the time don't you?"

Brooke rolled her eyes playfully. "You're right."

"So," Millicent started. "I hear this place is hiring." Brooke looked at her again, surprised for the second time.

"What? No, you have Mouth-"

"Mouth can live without me until you get back on your feet." Brooke smiled at her friend and she hugged her.

"You're a lifesaver Milli."


"This place is nice," Peyton commented when her, Jake, and Jenny stepped into the small restaurant.

"I found it before I left Tree Hill," he told her. "I was going to bring you to it but the day after, I found out that I had to leave to find Jenny."

Peyton smiled at him before the hostess showed them to their seats. Peyton sat across from Jake and Jenny. She was still so amazed that Jenny had grown up.

"So, Jenny, how old are you?"

The young girl looked up from her menu and smiled. "I'm eight." Peyton had guessed that but she wanted to make sure.

"What things do you like to do?"

"I like music," she told Peyton and Peyton smiled at her. So the girl liked music? She was already beginning to love Jenny all over again.

"I own a recording studio. Would you like to visit that sometime?" Jenny looked up again, excited and nearly jumping.

"Yes!" Peyton laughed. "Can I daddy?"

"Sure," he said. Peyton laughed watched as Jenny talked to Jake quietly. It reminded her of all the times that Jake had talked to Jenny when she was younger. Just then, the waiter decided to come up.

He looked at Peyton first. "What can I get you?"

Peyton, who was caught off guard, looked to her menu before she ordered something simple. The waiter wrote it down and looked at Peyton again.

"Do you want to order for your daughter?" Peyton was confused for a moment before she understood. He thought Jenny was her daughter.

"Um, no she's not my-"

"She'll have the spaghetti," Jake answered before he winked at Peyton. Peyton smiled and looked toward Jenny, who was giggling at the mistake.

Peyton was as happy as ever in that moment. The more she hung out with these two people, the more she found herself falling in love with both of them. Most of the time, Lucas just disappeared from her life and it was just her, Jake, and Jenny: one small happy family.

When Peyton did remind herself of Lucas, she would look at her future with him. The part that scared her was when she looked to the future with him, she didn't see much but when she looked to the future with Jake, she saw everything.

So, what was she going to do?


After her encounter with Millicent at her store, she went home and Millicent went to visit her parents. Brooke had told Millicent that she could stay at her house but she declined, saying that she missed her parents.

Brooke stepped inside of her warm home. "Home sweet home." She looked around for any changes, as she usually did these days, and was relived to see none.

She looked at the kitchen and saw a framed picture of her and Peyton back in high school. It was taken when they were at a football game, both of them in their cheerleading outfits. She smiled at the memory.

Then she reminded herself that she had to tell Peyton what happened. Would Peyton still be her friend? No, probably not. She wouldn't be surprised if Peyton kicked her ass and sent her on her way.

Brooke set her purse down and went to her room. She fell on the bed and stared at the ceiling, like she did every night before she closed her eyes. It was obviously too early to fall asleep but she didn't care.

She took any chance that she had to escape reality these days.


Remember the tongue twister? Say it ten times fast and then do it!

This chapter was hard to write, honestly. We didn't really know what we wanted and after hours of revising and adding, we came up with this. We think that there might be maybe three more chapters and that's it but we're not entirely sure; which, translated, means that it's not set in stone. We also know that Peyton is in this a lot but she kind of has to be. Sorry for you Peyton haters; at least there hasn't been any pucas lately. ;D

Anyways, the game is still on. You guys won't know until the next chapter. Hopefully, some of you will get it.

So, Rose and I have decided to give you a preview for the next chapter because we have to study for our SAT'S and we need all the practice we can get. The next chapter will probably be up on Friday. Maybe.

--

Brooke groaned. This was going to be hard, especially after what she saw. She looked over at the blond. "Would you at least try to talk to me?"

"Why should I?"

"Because at least I told the truth."

"No, you didn't."

Brooke sighed. "How did I not tell the truth?"

"You still lied."

"So did you," she said, earning an angry glare from the person sitting across from her. This was bad, if not worse than she imagined.