Author- Emily-Grace Mendes (Brookebynature)
Disclaimer- I only own this story, not the characters and sure as hell not the sure. If I did, things would be going a hell of a lot differently...
A/N- Sorry for the huge delay, I've been snowed under with stuff to do. I won't lie and say that it's homework cos it's not lol, but I've managed to complete this chapter today. Thank you all for the lovely reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter xxx
Play The Game
Play Dares
It had only been one night that Brooke had spent alone with her doll, aka Tori Davis, and she was now sure as hell that if she was going to have this baby, she was either going to have to strap Lucas (or Nathan, depending on who the thing looked more like) down so that they couldn't leave her. Or there was plan B, where she married some rich guy and could then afford to pay for a nanny to look after the child while she went to college keg parties and all that other fun stuff she'd be missing out on.
Either way, Brooke was positive she couldn't do it on her own.
----
"How's Tori this morning?" Lucas smirked as Brooke hastily parked her blue bug in the space beside where she had been used to parking before Lucas Scott decided to enter her life.
"On some sort of setting that involves driving me crazy" Brooke snapped, grabbing the doll around the neck in hope that it might have some sort of sensors around it's neck to locate the windpipe. If she could somehow kill it, then maybe she'd have some peace. That, or she'd be in detention for eternity.
Brooke thrust the doll at an unsuspecting Lucas, who was wearing the grey hoody that had kept her so toasty in his car after the game the previous night.
"Fancy another basketball game later on?" He asked, jiggling the doll around in a bid to hush it.
"No because I have more important things to attend to." She replied, grunting as she saw a very dishevelled-looking Peyton emerging from Nathan's car. "Great, now he's sleeping with that."
Lucas turned to look in the same direction Brooke was sending what he sensed were deathly looks at Peyton. "She's hardly a bad hook-up you know."
Instead of replying, Brooke made some sort of grunting noise that Lucas tried to decipher before walking off in the direction of the main building.
----
By the time Brooke had made her way to her locker, she had decided that ignoring Nathan wasn't the way to go about this. In fact, ignoring Peyton perhaps wasn't the best idea either.
She now had a plan. At least, a plan for the weekend. A plan for her future as a parent was a different story.
Attempting to take a history book from her locker, Brooke thoughts ran back to Lucas, and whether he had gotten the note she left in the pocket of his hoody. She knew it was the cowards way out to scrawl the words 'I'm pregnant' on a small piece of paper, but after Nathan's response, Brooke was unsure of how to tell Lucas. Still, she figured she'd find out more at the doctor's appointment this afternoon.
----
Lucas could tell she was thinking about things other than the French revolution during their history class as she bit her nails and inspected them, biting them again before turning her attentions to the small strand of hair she was twirling in her grasp.
Unable to stand his desire to know about the note he found in the pocket of his hoody last night, Lucas pulled it out, passing it over the small space between them, catching Brooke's eye as her shaking fingers took the small piece of paper.
He saw her raise her eyebrows and gulp before turning her head to him, in hope that he could say something to make her feel better, or at least, something to break the high tension that suddenly seemed to overwhelming.
"Are you?" He whispered, also turning his head to her, unaware of Peyton sat right behind them, able to read and hear every word that was exchanged.
She nodded, not guiltily, but unsurely, frightened even.
"But we didn't finish…."
"It can still happen." Brooke hissed. Why did everyone doubt her?
Okay so maybe the chances of the baby being Lucas' weren't very high, but she hadn't lied, because one biology lesson when she had, for some strange reason, been paying attention, that's what she'd found out. But right now, having him as the father of her child seemed a better prospect than Nathan, who was preoccupied by the new cheerleader and Peyton, who was fast taking over Brooke's own position of high school slut.
----
"Brooke's pregnant." Peyton told an eager cheerleading squad, who were practically bursting from the news of the latest gossip, another story in the long line that was their daily entertainment.
"It would explain the bitchiness" someone muttered.
"I don't believe you" Bevin argued. "Who's is it?"
"She doesn't know."
"Come on Peyton, she's not that much of a slut to not know who knocked her up."
"I can knock you up with my fist if I hear you talking about me." Brooke spat, fresh from throwing up in the toilets. It wasn't morning sickness she was experiencing-she was sure of that. But some things made her stomach churn, made her feel queasy, like history class, and biology class, and carting her stupid human-like doll around all day. It was a kind of relief to fell that burn when her fingers went down her throat, and she had to grab onto the toilet seat just to stay upright.
"You're not even going to deny it then?" Peyton smirked.
"As much as I'd like to stand here talking to you, not, we have a sequence to learn for the classic."Brooke replied, choosing to ignore Peyton's comment in hope that there would be another scandal, another secret splashed all over school to talk about.
"Who's the father Brooke?" Another girl asked, knowing that this was probably the biggest piece of gossip ever, and they all wanted to be the first that told their friends.
"Nathan." Peyton told them proudly, winking at a very pissed Brooke, who knew that no matter how much she denied it, or tried to ignore the questions, people weren't going to leave her alone.
Eyes were rolled and people muttered things like 'Nathan Scott?' in shock, yet some were hardly surprised.
"Or Lucas" Peyton added, a highly satisfied smirk playing across her face.
"His brother?"
"Nice going Brooke." Bevin exclaimed. "He's hot."
"I think we should just get on with the routine." Haley announced, offering an apologetic smile in Brooke's direction. "I mean, it's only a couple weeks until the classic and I really need to learn how to do a pyramid."
The crowd dispersed, content to wait until after practise to share their opinions and thank Peyton for telling them.
----
Lucas was waiting for her outside of the gym when she emerged, a good five minutes after everyone else, mascara streaks down her face and puffy eyes.
"You o.k?"
"Oh yeah I'm fine." She muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she attempted to walk past him.
"Brooke." He held her arm, preventing her from walking away and ignoring him. "We should talk about…you know." He looked down at her stomach, unable to bring himself to say the word 'baby' All of a sudden it seemed too real, too much like the story of his own father seventeen years ago.
"What do you want me to say Lucas?" Her voice was raised now as she ran a hand through her hair, waving from being tied in a bun for practise. "How sorry I am for ruining your life? How stupid I am for getting us into this?"
"I'll be there Brooke." He told her, hushed, whispered, almost as if he were afraid that someone would hear him. "For you and…." he looked at her stomach again. "When it comes."
"Look at you Lucas." She cried. "You can't even say the word 'baby'. You're looking around to see if anyone's listening. I can do it myself."
"Don't Brooke." He held her tighter. "I want to be there for you….and the baby."
Her expression softened as he asked whether she'd seen the doctor yet.
"I have an appointment this afternoon."
"I'll come."
"No" She replied quickly. Brooke hadn't bargained on this response from Lucas, but she wasn't about to let him in right now. She had an idea of the games he could play, of what he could do to her and she wasn't taking that chance.
"I'll let you know." She promised, before he let her go in the direction of the parking lot, yet not until she'd handed him the doll, thankful to be able to have a night where she could sleep without having electronic-sounding crying in her ear.
----
"But the test said I was pregnant." Brooke argued with the doctor, who had just informed her that in fact, she wasn't pregnant.
"They can be wrong sometimes." He replied "We can do another test here, and I get perform an internal exam."
"You're telling me I pay $10.95 for a stupid white plastic stick to tell me the wrong information? I could go on Oprah and sue of for this kind of crap."
"Would you like another test Miss Davis?" The doctor asked, unsure of what to make of his patient's response.
"Well seeing as they don't always give you the God damn right answer what's the point?"
"I could give you an internal exam."
"What the hell is this?" Brooke spat. "I come here to find out some information, and then you people tell me I'm not even pregnant, and now you're wanting to shove some stick up….places that I don't even know about."
The doctor stared a little, wondering whether he should respond or just wait for her to finish shouting.
"Screw this."
Brooke was almost running out of his office and down the corridor, tears threatening to fall at any moment for the second time that day. Now what was she supposed to tell Lucas? And Nathan?
Now he would definitely think she was lying.
----
"Call me if you need anything." Lucas told Brooke over the phone. She hadn't anticipated lying to him, letting him believe that she was still pregnant, but somehow, she couldn't find the words to tell him that she wasn't actually pregnant, and that the test had been wrong.
"Bye Luke."
It was the first time she'd called him that, and it was one of the only times she'd spoken to him in a soft tone, unable to keep up the flirty raspy voice she almost always used.
Brooke figured that if Lucas now knew the truth, things would go back to how they were, and Peyton would be winning. At least if Lucas thought she was pregnant, he would be on her team.
----
She placed the last bottle of alcohol on the kitchen counter, a large array of various liquors making a colourful display against the black marble surface. Brooke had decided while having a shower, that a party was what she needed to forget the days events, and to show everyone that she wasn't going to hide away through all the rumours and stories that would no doubt be floating around school the next day.
A quick phone call to Bevin had sorted out the invites: word would get around fast, and not many people were one to miss a party thrown by Brooke herself. She had called Haley too, and after a quick thank you for earlier, instructed that as a cheerleader, it was her duty to attend social gatherings. After all, this was her life now.
"We should play dares!" Tim exclaimed after numerous beers and dancing. Brooke's house was now full with drunken teens, almost all forgetting about the fact that she was pregnant (or not, as the case now seemed to be.)
The dolls had all been left in a room with the door shut so that the cries were drowned out with loud music and talking. Within a few minutes, a crowd had assembled around the table, Lucas, Brooke Nathan, Haley and Peyton included, as Tim announced the rules of the game, stating that anyone who didn't comply with what they had been dared to do, had to down two shots in a row. Haley's nerves kicked in as she found herself being roped into something she really didn't want to do yet again, by Brooke, who for being pregnant, didn't seem bothered by consuming large amounts of alcohol.
"I dare Tim to jump off the balcony into the pool." Nathan stated, receiving high fives of a few other who were sat at the table waiting for Tim to give some excuse as to why he couldn't do it.
"You're on."
They gathered around the edge of the pool to watch as Tim climbed over the railing so he was stood on the outside of the balcony, teetering as he looked down at the water below him.
Chants of 'Tim, Tim' arose from the group, and he gave a quick wink before leaping into the water, soaking many people that had stood a little too close to the edge.
"You shouldn't be drinking." Lucas told Brooke as he looked disapprovingly at the cup of vodka in her hand.
She simply shrugged "One can't do any harm."
"Except it's not just one is it?" He returned, a little louder.
"You can't care what I do all of a sudden. It doesn't work like that."
"How does it work then Brooke?" He asked "Cos I sure as hell don't know."
----
They were back inside, Tim taking his place back at the table, but this time with a towel draped around his shoulders, lapping up the attention and praise the girls were giving him. Haley was dared to kiss Nathan, and after leaning across the table a little awkwardly, they held each other's gaze for a few seconds before she closed the gap between them. Peyton wasn't going to win.
Peyton herself had then been dared to play the rest of the game in just her underwear, and of course, had accepted the challenge, which was admittedly a weak one.
It came to Peyton's turn to choose a dare for someone, and without hesitation, she turned to Lucas.
"I dare Lucas to kiss me while Brooke watches."
"What the hell Peyton?" Nathan asked angrily, realising her vendetta against Brooke had gone too far, while looks were exchanged between those taking part, who were awaiting Lucas' response.
"He's gotta do it, it's his dare." Tim shouted, draping his arm across the shoulders of some blonde girl who'd previously told him how brave he was for jumping into the pool.
Lucas looked at Brooke, who was trying not to let people see how jealous she actually was. She had a fake smile plastered across her face as she scanned the room, wishing she hadn't agreed to taking part in the stupid game.
"I refuse." He stated.
Peyton's head snapped up as the smirk faltered. "What do you mean you refuse? You have to do the dare, that's the rules."
Lucas shook his head. "I either do the dare or drink two shots."
"Get the glasses!" Time exclaimed, excitement about a possible catfight between possibly the two hottest girls ever, over whelming him.
Brooke raised an eyebrow at a visibly annoyed Peyton who had instructed that Lucas' glasses be filled with tequila, something she knew he didn't like.
He downed the shots in quick succession, receiving pats on the back from members of the team, and from girls who had now begun to admire him, rather than Tim. Nathan however, had his fists clenched in anger, at both Peyton and Lucas; Peyton for daring Lucas to kiss her, and Lucas for….well just because he hated him.
----
As Brooke lay in bed that night on her own, she wondered just how long she'd have to let Lucas and everyone else believe that she was pregnant. It had been so easy to dare other people to do things that night, and she was unsure as to why it was that she couldn't just dare herself to tell Lucas the truth.
A single tear escaped as Brooke knew that Lucas was only staying with her because he thought she was pregnant. And as she felt that pain in her chest once again while she thought about him, Brooke knew this was only going to screw her up even more.
The truth will always get you in the end.
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