Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or any of its characters. I am just borrowing them
A/N I know I said that I was going to get this update to you faster than the last one, but things have been a little busy and I haven't had time to write.
Hope you like this chapter
Thanks to everyone for all of the reviews.
I am re posting this because the italics are not showing up like they are suppose to. Therefore I have written flashback and flashback ends to help out a little bit. Sorry if that confused anyone
Brooke couldn't move from the doorway. She couldn't seem to even utter a word to Peyton after the initial shock of seeing her best friend, lying in bed, dying. Tears welled up in Brooke's eyes as she thought about the last time she had seen Peyton all those years ago, the night she decided to leave.
Flashback
Brooke heard the bell ring signaling that someone was coming into the café.
"Be right with you" Brooke said without looking up from the ticket she was writing on.
"Hurry up! I am starving" Peyton said as she sat at the counter
"Hey, P. Sawyer"
"Hey, Can you get me some coffee, please?"
Brooke walked towards the coffee pot, filled a cup and placed it in front of Peyton with two packets of sugar. "Rough night, last night?"
Peyton just groaned, "Jenny is sick so she was up all night. Jake had a job interview today, so I took care of her"
"Where is she now?"
"Jake's mom took her to the doctor this morning for us. I have to pick her up at 10am"
"Well, I hope she is feeling better. Oh, what are you doing tomorrow morning?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"There is a sale at one of the stores at the mall and I wanted to go"
"Brooke, you know I don't like shopping"
"Please P.Sawyer, for me" Brooke said as she gave Peyton a puppy dog face
"Alright"
"Great" Brooke squealed
The bell rang signaling another customer as Peyton looked at her watch. She needed to go get Jenny.
"Brooke, I will meet you at the river court at 10am tomorrow morning"
Ok, I will be there. Don't be late" Brooke said as Peyton walked out the door.
End of Flashback
Brooke had thought about that day many times over the past 10 years. She could only imagine what Peyton must have went through when Brooke didn't show up at the River Court the next morning. She could actually imagine the fear that Peyton felt, thinking that something terrible had happened to Brooke.
Flashback
'This girl is going to be late for her own funeral' Peyton thought as she waited for Brooke at the river court. Peyton tried her calling her cell phone again and got her voicemail again. Finally after 15 minutes of waiting, Peyton got into her car and headed towards Lucas's house. As she drove she looked at all the cars passing her to make sure that she didn't pass Brooke and her silver beetle.
When she arrived at Lucas's house, there was a police officer getting into his car and pulling away. Every horrible thought crossed through Peyton's mind at the moment. She quickly parked on the side of the road and ran towards the front door. She opened the door and walked into the house. She had stopped knocking a few months ago. The house had an eerie feeling to it as Peyton walked towards Brooke's bedroom. When she opened it she found Lucas lying on the bed crying and Karen trying to comfort him.
"What's wrong?" Was all Peyton could say.
"Brooke left last night, sometime in the middle of the night" Karen said as she looked at the blonde.
"What? Left? Left as in will be back later?"
"She isn't coming back" Lucas said as he turned his head towards Peyton "She left because of me and she is not coming back"
Peyton could not believe that Brooke had left without a good bye. She leaned against the wall and fell to the floor in a heap of sobs.
End of Flashback
Peyton looked at Brooke. The best friend that she hadn't seen in years. She didn't look much different then she had the last time that she had seen her, but she could see that time had changed her. Peyton couldn't believe that she was standing there. She thought that she would never see Brooke again, not after the day she found out she was gone.
Standing behind Brooke was Lucas. The guy that she had watched fall apart for a year after Brooke left. He blamed himself for her leaving and not matter how hard Nate, Karen, or her tried to tell him it was not his fault. He never believed them. It was no surprise to Peyton when Nathan told her that he had left. She had silently thanked him for leaving the note for his mom, which is what got Karen through the first few days.
"Hello Brooke" Peyton finally said in a small voice
"Hey" Brooke replied through her tears
"You two can come in. She is not going to bite" Jake said trying to lighten the mood
Lucas laughed and grabbed his wife's hand as they walked towards the bed. Brooke sat on the side of the bed and Lucas stood beside her.
"Brooke, you look the same" Peyton said
"No, I am older. You look the same. Same hair, same eyes How do you keep yourself looking so young with two kids and a husband?"
"I don't do much, but lay here" Peyton answered bluntly
Peyton was so angry. She was mad at Brooke, mad at Lucas, mad at the cancer that had taken over here body, but mostly she was mad at herself for letting it take control. It was crushing her and she could feel it. She looked at Brooke and waited
Brooke looked at Peyton and noticed the pain that she saw her best friend's eyes, but she saw joy and she still saw the Peyton Sawyer that she had grown up with, laughing and jumping around. She knew that even though Peyton's body was dying. Peyton's soul and spirit were still alive and thriving.
"Yea, but look so good laying here" Brooke said, "I wish I could do that"
Peyton laughed in spite of herself, she knew Brooke would know exactly what to say.
"So, tell me what has be going on since you left? Both of you?" Peyton said
"Well, we got married about 3 years ago. I work for a fashion designing firm and Broody is a sports agent and we have live in Pensacola with our son and our dog" Brooke answered
"Married? Son? Dog?" Peyton asked surprised
"Yea, our son, Jason is with Aunt Haley and Grandma" Lucas answered
"How old is he?"
"2-month-old" Brooke replied
"Would you like me to go get him?" Lucas asked
"Yes, I would like to meet him"
"Ok, I will be back"
"I am going with Lucas, give you two a few minutes to talk" Jake said as he walked out the door and closed it
After Jake and Lucas left, Brooke turned towards Peyton. Peyton smiled at her and whispered' "How bad do I really look?"
"You don't look bad" Brooke answered
"Don't lie to me, Brooke. Tell me how bad I look. No one else will tell me"
"When was the last time you saw yourself in the mirror?"
"About 3 months ago before I got put to bed"
"Do you have a mirror I can bring to you?"
"I think my makeup mirror is in the bathroom" Peyton answered
Brooke got off the bed and walked across the room to the master bathroom. She turned the light on and started opening the cabinets looking for the mirror. She knew that Peyton would want to see for herself what she looks like. Brooke telling her was not going to help. She found the mirror in the cabinet directly under the sink next to it was a small basket that held Peyton's makeup. Brooke could tell that it hadn't been touch in a while and wondered when Peyton had last used it. She turned off the light and walked back towards her spot on the bed.
"Ready?" Brooke asked
"Ready as I will ever be" Peyton answered
Brooke put the mirror on Peyton chest and turned it towards Peyton's face. Peyton just stared at her reflection. Her blonde hair was still a bundle of curls, but her face itself looked old. She had a grayish tint to her face and her lips were not as bright as the use to be. Her eyes looked sad and looked like they were sinking into head. She looked awful, she looked like someone dying.
"Take it away" Peyton said turning her face away from the mirror with tears falling.
Brooke quickly moved the mirror away from Peyton and put it on the bed beside her. She got up from the bed and walked around to the other side to face Peyton
"I am sorry, Peyton"
"I wanted to see. I can't believe that is really me." Peyton said as she stared at a picture on the nightstand "That should be me"
Brooke picked up the picture and looked at it. It was taken only a couple of months ago and it was the happy family. Jake held Danielle in his arms while Jenny sat on Peyton's lap. They were laughing and she recognized the background as the inside of Karen's café.
"I will never be like that again" Peyton said pulling Brooke out of her thoughts
"You can be" Brooke said trying to be the positive one
"No, Brooke. I am never going to look like that again. I am going to look like this until I die"
Brooke didn't know what to say. What could she say? She knew that nothing she said was going to change Peyton's mind. Nothing.
AN: Please read and review