A.N: DIB: Sorry, this took so long guys I've had a lot on my mind (a girl). So blame her not me!! I'm the one you love! Plusssss Tutorgurltigger has been mucho busy with her education-fun-time so this whole chapter was done by yours truly so that's another reason it took so darn long. She gave me a few ideas...I'll give her that :P But I did the hard stuff! The writing!

Now enjoy

Disclaimer: I own fuuuuuck allllllllll.

Chapter 4: Why does god pick on the superficial one?

The sound of feet bouncing off the linoleum floor and pom-poms being thrust in every direction echoed throughout the gym. Brooke seemed to have left reality as she listened listlessly to the sounds the practicing cheerleaders were making. The footfalls and chanting of a dozen teenagers drifted towards her like a distant chaotic melody, unimportant to what her focus was on. And her focus was on the only person in that gym that could ever distract her during cheer practice. The irritating nag of someone calling her name tore her hesitantly from the vision that was a dancing, prancing Haley and onto the much less pleasing sight of a grumpy looking Bevin. "What?" came her curt reply, totally killing the atmosphere like a knife through a puppy.

"Oh so you're not deaf!" Bevin scorned with her arms folded as the other cheerleaders gradually stopped they're routines too. "You know I thought the idea of cheer practice was to perfect the whole routine thing, but uh, kinda hard to do that when YOU'RE NOT EVEN WATCHING!!" All eyes fell upon the seething blonde. Brooke did a double take and slowly her eyebrows receded from the top of her forehead.

"Well I'm sorry you weren't the centre of attention Bevin," Brooke replied coolly, hoping she hadn't actually seen where her eyes had been glued to previously. "Don't pout at me either! I was...just distracted. Thinking out the whole strategy...for...strategy for the routine...thing. Yeah." Brooke cursed under her breath for taking a stroll down retard lane, straightening herself up; she regrouped and said, "Anyway I think we've done our best for today. You guys go head to the showers and I'll clear up."

A low sigh of relief escaped from the lips of each girl as the group trudged to the locker room. Brooke got the impression that collective sigh had been held in for the entire hour and a half as she watched the buzzing girls disappear past the locker room doors. Her eyes re-glued themselves to Haley's parting rear exterior and it was a full five seconds before she shook her head furiously and turned away to pick up the stereo, which they had used to play their routine song on. Brooke heaved the stereo up with one arm, turned around and felt her forehead collide painfully with someone else's. A cry of surprise echoed the one that Brooke let out as she clutched her head and peered past the agony at her head butting assailant. Hah, figures...

"Sorry about that Hales, no serious damage I hope, but that's a lesson in why you should never sneak up on Brooke Davis." Brooke quipped as she lugged the stereo into the locker room accompanied by a slightly dazed Haley. She smiled softly and shook her head to banish away the concussion.

"No cuts, no bruises just the feeling of complete stupidity that I didn't see that coming." Haley replied as she rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the benches opposite Brooke. "I just wanted to ask if you had everything set for tonight?" she asked offhandedly whilst peeling off her top. Brooke suddenly felt the impulsive urge to apologise for causing the faint red mark on Haley's head. Apologise by kissing it. Then her lips. And neck...and stomach...and...

"Tonight?!" she squeaked abruptly as her eyes snapped back to eye level and her hands busied themselves with the seemingly difficult task of opening her locker. "What about the breasts? I mean tonight!!! What's happening to bre-

tonight?!" Brooke's face was dark crimson, a very unflattering colour for her complexion which she hid behind her locker door. She tugged out her gym bag and the violent action got it caught on the locker door's edge. She growled in frustration and pulled it hard, releasing the bag strap and forcing her into Haley. Look who's taking a sneaky peakyyyyy, sung the voice in Brooke's head. Brooke grit her teeth and looked up to find Haley's penetrating stare waiting for her. Her muscles seized up, her breathing had stopped and a slow uneasy chill ran down her back as she took in those mesmerizing hazel eyes and the soft lips that lay beneath them. She could feel her whole body urging her to close the very small gap between hers and Haley's half naked one.

Brooke was clutching her bag like it was a shield that separated her stomach from Haley's and prevented the bubbling desires inside her from making an unwelcome appearance. The long pause that followed between them stood still whilst the other girls changed, some already leaving in just their cheerleader attire. Haley cocked her head to the side, trying to break Brooke's armour, searching for a way to know what was on her mind. "Why is it I feel you're going to disappear again?"

Haley's words got no significant reaction out of Brooke so she pressed on, "Half the time you're the girl I know and love and the next moment you're like this. Distant and quiet, you might as well not even be here sometimes." Brooke gulped and blinked, looking down at her scrunched up gym bag and finding it impossible to look back up. She may have been a coward but this way none got hurt.

Apart from herself.

The girl I know and love. She knew Haley didn't mean it the way she wanted her to but it still made her heart miss that ominous beat. The silence between them began to reach unbearable proportions until; thankfully, Peyton came over and slung her arm around Brooke's tense shoulders. "Yes Brooke, your clothes are in that bag. Do you remember how we wear clothes?" Peyton teased as if Brooke were mentally challenged. Irritated by the comment and the way it hit home, Brooke was still glad that it had broken the building tension between her and the other brunette. She poked her tongue out at the blonde and stepped away from Haley so she could change without distraction. Peyton stood in the odd silence that lasted while Brooke faced away and changed and Haley did the same, looking slightly annoyed. "Okay...so what were you guys talking about in such close proximity? Was it a secret? Cus Brooke looked just about ready to jump into your mouth." Peyton mused with a slanted grin.

Haley rolled her eyes and Brooke's back remained stuff and uninviting. Haley pulled on a fresh tee and replied, "I was just asking Brooke about my bachelorette party tonight and if she was ready to get majorly drunk off her ass, BUT she got distracted. Again." She gave Brooke's back a concerned look and noticed she had frozen. Tonight? Already?! Had the weeks flown by that fast since the day she'd declared to be there for her best friend. It was easier calling her her best friend instead of the girl-I-want-in-the-pants. Much easier. But Brooke was thrown from her thoughts as Peyton's excitement surfaced.

"Oh hell yes am I there! What have you got planned for us Miss Scott to be?...I realise it's the friends job to organise the whole Bachelorette party thing but um...we thought you'd do the best job being so smart and great and umm... I'm gonna stop digging the Peyton shaped hole now." Peyton stopped her babbling to change as Haley smiled contently to herself. As Brooke slid on jeans she peered cautiously over at her and realised Haley was day dreaming. She'd been like this a lot lately. Staring into space, giddy smile in place and Brooke knew full well what, or should she say who had her attention.

The bare thought of Haley drooling over an imagined Nathan was enough to make the head cheerleader speak up, "Hales? You still with us?"

Haley's eyes lost their glaze and she scrunched up her eyes in that adorable little way she did every time she got caught doing something embarrassing. Brooke smiled at her in a friendly manor but it was more of a victory grin for getting Nathan Scott out of her head.

"Umm...tonight, oh! Wellllllll, my fabulous hubby-to-be has organised the whole thing, sooooo," Haley elongated the word ridiculously as she struggled to slip into her jeans, hopping on one foot as she put the other leg in. "it's kind of a total surprise. All I know is a limo is picking us all up from my place at 7pm and from then on its ladies night." She said with a smirk accompanied by a sly wink. Brooke gave a short laugh whilst trying to ignore Haley's mention of Nathan. "God, he's so great. I mean after everything we've gone through, his parents denying our marriage, Chris, me leaving for the tour, Chris again...I'm so lucky to be with him." Haley gushed as she brushed her flowing locks with the kind of grace that made Brooke stare longingly in her direction. But right now Brooke was staring at anything but Haley. Her non-stop appraise of Nathan was tearing her slowly apart from the inside out. You're not lucky to have him, he's lucky to have you you stupid, naïve, loveable midget! Brooke raged inside herself, amazed she had already turned to insulting her friend to make life easier.

Brooke bit down on her lip to prevent from screaming as Haley continued, "He went completely out of his way to organise tonight and he's been really involved in every little insignificant thing to do with the wedding. It's sweet." She breathed with a glazed expression that dug deeper under Brooke's skin. She was losing her cool at an alarmingly fast rate and could feel herself begin to tremble with hatred and revulsion at the words her friend was uttering blissfully. She...was going...to snap. "Sometimes I have to take a long breath and pinch myself cus it feels like I'm dre-"

"OKAY HALEY WE GET THE IDEA!", the words cutting off Haley and bouncing off the walls with every unpleasant echo. Haley's eyes had grown large and full of hurt, shocked into silence as she stared at Brooke. Her gaze slowly travelled over to the blonde beside the head cheerleader. Because it wasn't Brooke who had yelled with such spite at Haley. It was Peyton. She was red in the face but Brooke couldn't tell if it was due to anger or embarrassment, either way it was a weird look coming from a girl who never lost her cool in an ordinary situation.

"Uh, sorry Hales...I'm just...I'm just stressed after the practice. I uh...i uh didn't mean to lose mi head like that. I think you just got to the little stress demons inside my head." She joked lamely, her small laugh dying before it was even uttered.

Peyton finished changing and left the locker room in less than a minute after her outburst, leaving Brooke and Haley to question what the hell had just happened. But for Brooke it was more the case of what she knew would have happened if Peyton hadn't cut her off. She knew she would have said something much worse and that it would have changed everything between them. It would have brought her world to its already fragile knees.

-x-

The endless thudding of techno, occasionally accompanied by forgotten songs of the late nineties was oh so slowly driving Brooke Davis to the brink of all out, throw-her-expensive-shoes-through-a-window, insanity. Normally the club scene would bring her great joy and times of good but not this night. Not Haley's bachelorette party, with the dancing and jumping around and general happiness of everyone who was not her. How do you enjoy a night devoted to celebrating Haley's upcoming marriages and rest of life with Nathan Scott: Major undeserving assclown bastard of the east?

Brooke sat slumped on the comfy semi-circle shaped couch thing that ran around the table that Haley's party of friends had been sitting around just moments ago. Now they were up on the dance floor boogying down with as much enthusiasm and grace as a bus full of special children. Very special, Brooke mused to herself as she watched Haley do the funky midget dance. She played with the straw in her drink, twirling it around lazily between her fingers while she watched her friend lose all credibility and every ounce of self respect she must have had for herself before coming to this god forsaken place. Nevertheless Brooke found it very amusing and the big grin stuck to her face proved this fact, as it grew larger with every passing second.

But something horrifying quickly wiped the smile off Brooke's face as her eyes went and the ministrations with her straw came to a halt. Haley had stopped dancing and was now heading towards her like a streamlined torpedo aimed at its target. And being dragged along behind this volatile missile was...a guy.

"No. No. Oh no, she's not. She can't be serious...she wouldn't do this. Yes she would. Yep. Great, juuuuust super."

Brooke sighed in acceptance as Haley dropped herself down beside Brooke, smiling eccentrically as she rested her head on Brooke's shoulder and shouted over the music, "Guess who I found for youuuu Miss I'm-too-grumpy-to-have-fun?" She let out a drunken giggle and pointed enthusiastically to the sheepish looking guy standing at their table.

"Oh Hales, you shouldn't have." Brooke deadpanned with a roll of her eyes as she took another long sip from her beverage. Haley either ignored Brooke's sarcastic tone or was too drunk to pick up on it. Brooke assumed the latter. Unfortunately for her it appeared Haley wasn't taking no for an answer and pulled Brooke up before she could protest, shoving the startled girl towards a young, fairly good looking guy. It looked as dubious about the situation as Brooke felt.

"Go dance you guys! Mingle!!" Haley yelled from the seating booth, waving her arms insanely to the point that she fell off her seat and ungracefully onto her ass. Brooke winced as Haley staggered back onto her feet and flashed her a wide smile. Brooke rolled her eyes again and moved irritably over to the dance floor, her new man friend in toe. For the sake of Haley's happiness she allowed herself to dance beside this clueless idiot for at least one song. When the song ended, she looked over to find Haley watching her, sipping merrily from her fifth drink. She sighed and decided she would have to wade through a few more songs. The whole time Mr I-smile-for-no-good-reason kept checking her out and the longer she stayed the more hopeful he seemed. Brooke had to straighten him out.

"Listen buddy I'm don't know what you're hoping to get tonight, but it ain't gonna be me. So why don't you take your ass in those stylish Armani shoes and get walking. "She snapped over the new song playing and gave him the evil eye. To her surprise he sighed with relief and stopped dancing.

"Really? Thank god! I've been trying to find an excuse to leave for ages." He said with an air of relief that dented even Brooke's high self esteem.

"But…you were checking me out! I saw you!"

"I was checking out your top Hun," he replied with a laugh. "I don't think you're very drunk friend realized how very gay I am."

"Oh...damn, yeah sorry about her. It's her big day tomorrow she's a tad...on crack. Guess the shoes were a dead give away really, my bad." Brooke smiled feeling slightly foolish. Her gaze drifted over to the "crackhead" whom was now four of the padded seats as a makeshift bed. Brooke sighed and her smile grew incredibly. Her companion watched this silent interaction with a questioning look. He looked over to Haley snoozing in booth and then back at a daydreaming Brooke. He let out a gasp of revelation as he came to the obvious conclusion.

"You like her don't you!" It was more of a statement than a question and it was confirmed when Brooke's neck cracked painfully as she whipped around to face him. She tried to splutter out a rehearsed speech of denial but from the expression on the guy's face it was clear nothing she could have said would have changed his mind. The current song came to an end and she sighed, folding her arms defensively and pouted.

"Am I that transparent?"

"Not really, but this area is kind of mi expertise," He said with a warm smile. "Does she know?" Brooke shook her head sadly as she turned to look at Haley again. The adorable way she was curled up on seats was melting her heart and even from here she could make out the steady rise and fall of Haley's chest. "Are you going to tell her?"

Brooke looked at him as if he were severely retarded.

"She's getting married tomorrow, remember? I can't do that to her! I can't ruin the one day she's been dreaming of for her whole life. She wouldn't even have sex before marriage! That's how big a deal it is for her." The guy gave her a confused look. "Oh yeah she's already married but that was an unofficial ceremony and now she wants the real deal, family, friends, bridesmaids. Which I'm one of by the way. Can life get any crueler?" She sighed heavily, chewing on her lip anxiously. He considered Brooke a moment and looked over at Haley.

"She seems like a great girl, not that I'd know, but I can tell she's special. If you really like her, if she's always on your mind and this isn't just a passing crush then you should tell her. The least you can do is get it off your chest or it'll eat away inside you until one day you scream it at an even worse time. Or you end up doing something stupid to yourself. Deny love and it'll hurt like hell I guarantee." His words washed over Brooke like a cold shower. It finally made sense, pushing back her feelings obviously wasn't helping her; in fact it was driving her crazy. I have to tell her. Now. She looked back at the unconscious form of Haley. Okay, maybe not now…but there must be someone here I can confess to. She scanned the club quickly and as if by magic she caught the site of her blonde best friend heading off across the dance floor and out the back of the club.

"Listen gay guy- sorry I didn't catch your name."

"It's Mark, and go do what you have to do." He said kindly with a small smile. Brooke returned it and hugged him despite the fact he was practically a stranger with god knows how many ailments or diseases.

"Thank you, Mark." Brooke said sincerely then set off through the jostling crowd of clubbers towards the exit Peyton had taken. She heard Mark wish her good luck and turned to wave briefly before pushing through the crowd again. When she stepped out through to the back of the club she was greeted by a cold breeze and a dark alley. She looked left and saw a dumpster surrounded by bags of garbage. She looked right and saw a collection of cardboard boxes and packaging materials that had been thrown out, and behind that she caught a glimpse of Peyton's white tank top in the moonlight. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for what she was about to do. Brooke began to walk over to where Peyton was but the sudden sound of another voice startled her and she crouched behind the largest box in the alley so that she wouldn't be spotted. Listening intently now, Brooke realized the voice belonged to someone male. In fact they sounded just like-

"Nathan?" Brooke whispered to herself in puzzlement. What the hell is he doing here? Shouldn't he be at his bachelor party with Lucas and the other guys? Completely focused on the conversation taking place between the two, Brooke cocked her head so she could hear best as possible.

"Your still going through with this, aren't you?"

"Peyton, I told you. I can't leave Haley now, we're together and you have to accept it. The wedding is going to happen whether you can deal with it or not."

"So that night meant nothing to you?" Peyton accused, her arms folded tightly against her body. "You're passing me off as a mistake?"

Nathan didn't respond as he focused on some place beyond Peyton, wistfully wanting to be somewhere else. "That's bull and you know it. We both knew what we were doing that night and neither of us were drunk. So that leaves only one explanation doesn't Nate." She stared hard at him waiting for an answer. After a moment Nathan murmured something almost inaudible that Brooke had to strain to hear.

"I love her Peyton. I don't love you. So yes, in my eyes I made a mistake with someone I don't want to spend the rest of my life with." He looked sincere but apparently Peyton wasn't convinced. Despite the hostile atmosphere a smile spread over her features.

"Then how comes you let me do this…" She closed the gap with one step and pressed her lips softly against his. There was a beat and it looked as if Nathan was about to pull away but to Brooke's horror he fell into the kiss, embracing Peyton passionately and fervently moving his hand up and down her back as his lips moved with hers. The kiss grew intense and more passionate than anytime Brooke had seen Nathan kiss Haley.

Brooke felt sick. Gut wrenchingly, full out sick at what she had just witnessed. She had managed to sneak back inside the club unseen but Brooke doubted they would have noticed her even if she'd been banging a drum and shouting at the top of her lungs the way they had had their tongues down each others esophagus's. Not really paying attention to the repetitive dance song being played or the masses of dancing, withering people, Brooke moved off to the booth she'd been in only ten minutes ago. Her situation seemed a lot more appealing ten minutes ago.

Sitting down carefully not to stir Haley from her drunken slumber, Brooke leaned against the back rest that lined the booth and sighed long and hard. Glancing down at the table in front of her she spied her unfinished drink and downed it in one go. Not feeling any better she took Haley's discarded drink and finished that too. She winched at the strength of the alcohol in it and it became clear why Haley was out cold. Her problems hadn't vanished but at least the alcohol made them a little hazier so she couldn't remember them with as much clarity.

Movement beside her alerted her to Haley awakening groggily. "Rise and shine Tutorgirl" she said softly, stroking Haley's golden locks as she sat up and considered Brooke through tightly drawn eyelids. Suddenly she recoiled to the loud music that was practically causing every object not nailed down to vibrate. Haley clutched her head and groaned.

"Did I miss my party?" she asked glancing around herself unsurely. Brooke shook her head and smiled as Haley gave the DJ a distasteful look. "My head hurts. I don't think I'm the clubbing kind of girl." She stated with the cutest pout Brooke had ever seen from her.

"Come 'ere." Brooke invited as she patted her lap and Haley gratefully lowered her head down onto Brooke's lap and laid out along the seats like before. Haley fidgeted for a moment while she found a comfortable position and then sunk into the soft curves of Brooke Davis, smiling contently. Brooke's throat was suddenly dry and it wasn't from the great amounts of vodka she had consumed. She gulped and then gently stroked the side of Haley's face hoping it would help her fall back to sleep. All she could think about was giving this girl infinite comfort while her fiancé and best friend were doing god knows what outside. The bare thought of it was making Brooke tear up. She didn't want Haley to suffer but if she didn't know the truth maybe longer down the line she would discover it for herself and it would hurt all the more. Losing love hurts just as bad as denying you ever felt it, Brooke summarized to herself, feeling Haley turn over and stare up at her.

She had the giddiest smile upon her face and her pupils were large and reminiscent of an adoring puppy. "Mm you pretty Brooke. Yous gonna be da pittiest bridesmay there. And Nate 'ill look so 'andsome." Haley let out a low sigh and snuggled further into Brooke's lap unaware of the tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. Brooke drew a shaky breath and glanced over to the bar and noticed the guy Mark looking over at her. He smiled hopefully at her and toasted her with his drink. Brooke smiled back and blinked, feeling a few painful tears trickle slowly down her solemn face and gather at the corners of her mouth and chin. She reached up to wipe them away but it only seemed to cause more to trickle lonely paths down her cheeks. "Brookie?" Haley drowsily called out.

"Ye-eah?" Brooke replied, unsuccessful in stopping her voice from cracking.

"Love you."

Brooke had to stop herself from full out sobbing. And taking a deep breath she said the three little words that she had been dying to scream for the past few months. "I love you too Haley."

End of chapter 4

A.N: D.I.B: Thank god I finished this, its 3 am now and it was worth staying up to get this done and out to you very patient friends of mine. As always please review, feedback makes all this worth while. Chapter 5 may take a while it depends on how much work me and Tutorgurltigger have.

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