Hey Guys! Sorry for the delay in updates this month, I've just really had a lot going on. I really fell behind and everything seemed to come at me all at once. I am going to try really hard to update more now that the holidays are coming and I won't be busy with school. Thank you so much for all the support and sticking with me.

By the way don't forget to check out my new Brathan Story with some Brucas twist "The End Where I Begin". Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Moment of Truth

"You don't even know him." Nathan blurted out as the shock registered in his mind.

There was nothing easy for Nathan about hearing Brooke confess that she had said yes to someone she hardly knew about prom.

After how prom ended last year, he thought they had decided it would just be easier to go to prom together, considering that it was there last prom after all.

Looking down at his food, he decided to bite his tongue before saying anything else toward her.

Sure he had a few choice words that would most likely cause a huge blowout but if Brooke really wanted to go with a stranger over him then he was better off.

"Nathan" Brooke whispered as she leaned in toward him.

"What?" he asked bluntly not moving any closer or lowering his voice.

"Are you mad about me going to prom with him?" cautiously she looked at him, trying her best to read him.

"Do what you want Brooke, you're a grown up." Flatly Nathan turned and started faking the rest of his way through lunch with his so called friends who couldn't even tell.

That would be everyone but Brooke, who right now he was wishing couldn't read him so well.

--xXx—

After lunch, Nathan skipped the rest of school, right now he didn't feel like sitting in a class and pretending to listen or over hear everyone talking about prom.

Walking through the front door of his house, he dropped his bag at the door. As it hit the floor he hear his mother's voice call to him from the kitchen, "Nathan is that you?"

"Yeah it's me" he said as he moved in her direction and walked over towards the counter where she had fresh baked cookies. "How'd you know I needed this?" he asked with a half genuine smile.

He didn't exactly want to tell his mother everything but he also knew if anyone knew what to do, it would be her.

While Nathan had a non-existent relationship with his father, there was a strong bond between him and his mother. She was the rock he depended on when things were spinning out of control, mostly stuff he needed to fix with Brooke.

"Why's that?" she asked moving closer to him and picking up a cookie for herself.

"So we all went to lunch and basically I found out Brooke said yes to some stranger for prom.." pausing his mind drifted a bit before saying what he was truly thinking. "I just thought we would go together this year."

Looking over at his mom, he knew that his secret crush on Brooke wasn't exactly a secret. After all she was the one that helped him pick out all the dolls and things he bought her when they were eight.

"Well did you ask her?" Deb asked as she looked up at him, already knowing the answer.

"No.. but it is our senior year!" Nathan objected.

"Well was she suppose to assume you two would go together? Or wait last minute for the actual plans?" Deb proposed all the questions hoping it would give Nathan more reasons for why Brooke had done what she did.

"But she could have asked.."

Staring at her beautiful smile, Nathan completely ignored her wrinkled dress and the rats nest on top of her head. Brooke looked beautiful to him, even if she had just woken up from the longest night.

"What are you smiling at?" she screamed as she punched him in the shoulder and attempted to fix her hair, with little success.

"It's not bad Brooke." Nathan pulled her hands away from the failing effort. "You look good."

Rolling her eyes she tried to push the wrinkles out of her sky blue dress.

"I had a lot of fun last night Nate.. What was I thinking coming with Felix?" she asked as she turned to face him with the growing serious question. "We make such a big deal about prom and how you get asked out and by who, when most of the time you end up with someone else."

Nathan nodded his head because it was true. He'd showed up with Peyton and gotten in to a huge fight, then spent the rest of the night with Brooke.

"Why don't we just go with someone who we know we will have fun with?" She seemed to be kind of off in her own world when suddenly she turned to him. "I want to get it right next year. It's our last prom and I just want it to be as fun as the end of this one was."

"Then I guess it's going to be me and you next year.." he said in more of a suggestion.

"That sounds perfect." She said with a smile before nudging his arm. "Let's get some food."

"Why not just ask her to go with you Nate? I mean it's your last prom and this is you're last chance to tell her how you feel."

"Mom" he said in a whine as she brought up telling Brooke how he felt for her. His mom and been urging Nathan to come clean about his feelings since she first found out. She swore that it was a mutual thing from what she could tell but Nathan wasn't so sure.

"Come on Nathan." Deb said before become more serious about the subject. "You brood around her most of the time wishing that you and Brooke were something more but you're not willing to tell her!"

Nathan sighed and pushed himself off the counter, wanting to just drop the topic all together.

"It's not that easy. If I tell her that I want to be with her and she doesn't feel the same then I just ruined our friendship." Nathan explained like he had every time before.

"And if you never tell her then you will never know!" his mother said with passion as she tried to explain the importance.

Nathan knew she was right but he wasn't ready to lay it all out on the line.

--xXx—

Nathan found himself halfway into town, still struggling to clear his mind.

He just needed some sort of sign to know where to go from here. Part of him wanted to just get it all out but the rest of him wasn't ready to risk it all.

Passing by a few shops along the main road, he spot who he believed to be Brooke sitting out in front of the ice cream shop alone and realized this must be his sign.

Taking his hands out of his pockets he walked over and took a deep breathe.

"Nate" Brooke said in a rather shocked voice before she made it to her feet. "What are you dong here?"

"I was just going for a walk…what about you?" he asked but he knew that Brooke had a sweet tooth.

"I..I came to get ice cream." She stuttered.

"I was actually going to stop by your house" he said trying to build up the courage to just get it out.

"What for?" she asked looking around like she was lost or expecting something to jump out any second.

"It's about prom." He blurted out finally. "I just wanted me and you to go together."

"Nathan-" Brooke began but got cut off as Chase walked over to the table.

"Hey.. Nathan right?" he asked oblivious to what had just happened.

Nathan looked at Chase and then back at Brooke when he realized that Brooke must have been here on a date with him.

"Hey" he said struggling to get any words out.

Standing there in silences for a moment, it all became very awkward.

Looking down at his feet Nathan took a deep breathe before forcing another fake smile. "Well I better get going..have a nice time."

Nathan turned around ignoring Brooke as she called out his name. He didn't need an explanation or an 'I'm sorry'.

He was ready to bury his feelings for Brooke, there was no possible good out come for them as anything more that friends.