Disclaimer: I own nothing OTH related.
Author's note: Hey everyone. I'm almost done with my exams so I can concentrate better on this story. Hope you haven't given up on it. Thanks for the reviews:)
Chapter X: In da club
The gang walked into Avalon and Rachel headed straight towards the bar with Jake in tow. Some unkown band was already warming up for Fall Out Boy and Brooke was on the dancefloor faster than a speeding bullet with Mouth trailing behind. Nathan and Haley went looking for seats.
"I forgot how good of a dancer you are!" Brooke shouted in Mouth's ear since the music was so loud.
„Who has cancer??!" Mouth shouted back.
Brooke laughed: "No dancer! You! Good! DANCER!" she screamed while using sign language as well.
Mouth made an O with his lips and then mouthed a thanks to Brooke. They carried on dancing the night away.
"Two vodkas on the rocks and one Sex on the beach!" Rachel yelled at the bartender. After paying him she motioned Jake to grab his vodka and picked up the other two drinks herself. She spotted Brooke and Mouth on the dancefloor and told Jake to go get them. After Jake complied she walked over to Nathan and Haley's table and put the drinks down. She took her fur coat off and sat down next to them.
"So how is little Jamie?" Rachel said smirking.
Haley put on her best fake smile and said: "Fine, he's just fine."
"Oh good." Rachel said fake smiling back.
"Why are you even asking? You hate kids." Haley said to her.
"What no!" Rachel pretended to be shocked at that statement "A lot has changed since you last saw me Haley, I mean I don't exactly love kids but I don't hate them either. I've got a stepdaughter now after all."
"Right." Haley said while rolling her eyes: "How is Jenny doing by the way?"
"Oh she's perfect, I love that girl" Rachel said with a fake grin.
Haley couldn't reply because Jake, Brooke and Mouth all came up to the table and sat down.
"Here is your drink." Rachel said while pushing the Sex on the beach cocktail towards Brooke.
"Thanks. Are you trying to get me drunk?" Brooke asked her friend.
"Only a little. I just want you to have a good time" Rachel said smiling.
Brooke smiled back: "This is a really nice place, I've never been here before" she said and then took a sip of her cocktail.
"I've been here a couple of times, it's a great place to go see a show and still be able to sit down when you want to. They don't allow too many peopl e in at the same time so it doesn't get too crowded." Rachel said.
Everybody nodded, they all thought this was a great place.
"It kinda reminds me of Tric, the way it's set up I mean" Jake said to the group.
"Yeah that's true, the stage looks similar to the one at Tric too" Haley replied.
"Well that makes sense since Peyton used to run this place" Rachel said.
Everyone was startled by hearing her name, Peyton, it was like she was dead or something.
"What did you say? Peyton managed here?" Brooke asked.
Rachel took a sip of her vodka while everyone waited for her response: "Yeah before her drug use got out of hand she managed this place and she made it hot. Until her life spiraled out of control and then she was fired, this place hasn't been as popular since. Peyton had a real knack for this stuff but you guys knew that already."
"I had no idea." Brooke said in a low voice, a big lump was forming in her throat. She found it difficult to talk about Peyton, the guilt was too much too handle. She downed her drink in three sips and tried to avoid everyone's glare.
Haley could sense that Brooke was feeling weird about this so she asked her if she'd like to go to the bathroom with her. Brooke nodded yes and they headed for the ladies'.
Brooke put her purse down on the table and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked great on the outside but on the inside she felt like she was dying. Why did Rachel have to bring up Peyton? She was starting to enjoy herself and not thinking about the mess her life had become until Rachel opened her big mouth. Brooke sighed and then pulled out lip gloss from her purse. A moment later Haley walked up to the sink next to her and washed her hands.
"How long are you going to keep blaming yourself for Peyton's problems?" Haley said while drying her hands with a paper towel.
Brooke sighed as she slicked on her lip gloss. She put the gloss back in the purse and then turned to Haley: "Look Haley I'm not one of those people that always assign blame on themselves. I'm simply not like that, I only blame myself for things that have actually been my fault. And this is no different. If it weren't for me then Peyton wouldn't be on drugs and that's that."
"Brooke you don't know that!" Haley yelled at her best friend. "Peyton has always had a weakness for drugs, she got it from Ellie…that has nothing to do with you!"
Brooke walked towards the door and turned to Haley: "You don't understand…" she said and then walked out the door.
Brooke was walking back to their table but somehow managed to take the longest possible route, she wasn't ready to join the party again so she found herself a barstool and took a seat. She looked over the people who were standing at the bar. There were a couple of handsome guys there who were eying her but she couldn't care less, in the past she might have snatched up some random guy and slept with him to numb the pain for a night but that was a long time ago. The bartender placed a drink in front of Brooke: "On the house. Looks like you could use it." he smirked.
"Thanks." Brooke fake smiled him and grabbed the drink. She knocked it back and then got up, she was ready to leave. The good mood she was in earlier was gone and from the looks of it, it wasn't coming back. As she made her way to the door someone bumped her on the shoulder and because of it she dropped her purse and everything in it spilled out. "Damn it." she muttered under her breath as she got down on all fours and started to gather all of her stuff.
"Well if it isn't miss Brooke Davis, hotshot designer, on her hands and knees in my old club. What are you doing? Had too much to drink?" A familiar voice hovering over her said.
Brooke looked up, it was Peyton. Her oldest friend. She looked better than Brooke had expected but still horrendous compared to her old beautiful self.
"No I dropped my purse." Brooke said as she put the last of her stuff in her purse and then stood up: "It's good to see you Peyton. How have you been?"
"How the fuck do you think I've been!?" Peyton snapped. She folded her arms and glared at Brooke.
"I don't know…you look good" Brooke said.
"Right..look why don't you just do me a favor and stay away from me and my hang out spots. In other words; get out and don't come back here again." Peyton said coldly.
"I'm sorry but I didn't know this is where you hang out. I was leaving anyways so.." Brooke said looking down. She couldn't handle Peyton's defiant stare any longer.
"Oh right. You're probably going home to sulk over Lucas, poor Brookie who never does anything wrong lost the man of her dreams…again" Peyton mocked, she leaned in closer to Brooke: "The problem with you and Lucas is that he will never be over me. I will always be there in his head and in his heart and there is nothing you can do about that."
Brooke felt the rage building up inside of her, she had tried to keep her cool but Peyton had crossed the line: "Lucas and I breaking up has nothing to do with you! Back in high school sure but you haven't been an issue for us for a long time now! He hasn't even talked to you in two years!"
To Brooke's surprise Peyton started laughing like a crazy person: "Is that what you think?" She said smirking at Brooke "Actually Luke and I have been talking a lot lately, since he dumped your sorry ass."
"What?" Brooke was taken aback.
"Yeah, in fact, he's here tonight. To see me." Peyton said pointing her index finger at herself. "I'm thinking tonight's the night, Lucas and I are gonna be back together and you can go rot in hell for all I care."
"You are so delusional. What about Julianne?" Brooke said.
"Who?" Peyton said in a agitated voice.
"The new love of Lucas' life. Don't tell me he hasn't told you about her, I mean, considering how close you guys have become?" It was Brooke's turn to mock now.
"What the fuck are you talking about? There is no Julianne or whatever the hell her name is. Just get out you fucking bitch and don't come back" Peyton said and then walked away from Brooke.
Brooke looked at Peyton walk away. She felt tears coming on but tried her best to keep them at bay. Suddenly someone grabbed her shoulders from behind and turned her around: "I saw that go down, are you alright?"
"Yeah Nate I'm fine" Brooke said trying to sound like she was not about to cry.
He pulled her in for a hug and scanned the room, he was going to find Peyton and give her a piece of his mind. After a moment his eyes halted on a tall blonde girl talking to a guy he did not expect to see. "I don't believe it" he muttered.
"What?" Brooke said as she pulled out of the hug, she followed Nathan's eyes to find Peyton and Lucas talking by the stage: "Oh my god she was telling the truth, he came to see her."
"We don't know that, it could be a coincidence" Nathan sighed.
"I don't think it is" Brooke said to herself.
"I'm doing good." Peyton said smiling at Lucas.
"Good. At least one of us is." Lucas said.
"Oh is something wrong?" Peyton asked him.
"Brooke stopped by today. It was pretty brutal." Lucas sighed.
"Oh…I'm sorry." Peyton said. She took a step closer to him: "Luke, who is Julianne?"
Lucas looked at her with questions in his eyes: "How do you know about her?"
"Brooke told me. Who is she? And how come you haven't mentioned her during one of our talks in the past few weeks?" Peyton said.
"I made her up alright!" Lucas was getting annoyed: "Brooke needed a reason so I gave her one. Wait, what did you say when she told you about Julianne?"
"Nothing, I brushed it off when she mentioned the name. Anyway why would you make up another woman ? You needed to give her a fake reason why you were leaving her?" Peyton asked.
"Yeah I needed some cover story that wouldn't invite a lot of questions. Telling her I was leaving her for another woman was the only thing I could think of." He said looking into Peyton's eyes. They were hazy.
"But why would you do that?" Peyton asked him.
"I can't tell you. Not right now anyway. I need to figure out a way out if this mess and maybe then…" he paused.
"Then what?" Peyton said.
"Then I'll explain everything to Brooke and hope that she forgives me and takes me back." He said.
"What? You want her back?!" Peyton raised her voice a little.
"Yes of course I do, I only left her because I was forced to do it. I never wanted to leave her, like I told you: I still love her and I always will." Lucas gave Peyton a small smile and then it faded.
Peyton looked down at the floor: "I thought you had given up on her. I mean you told me you had screwed things up but I figured there was no turning back after that, especially since you hurt her so many times before. I was waiting for you to figure out that she's not the one for you Luke…I am." She didn't look up at him until she spoke the very last words.
"Peyton I don't know what to say." Lucas said.
"Say it's me. You told me once that it was me you wanted standing next to you once all your dreams came true. Tell me I'm still that person for you" She said with a voice that had started to break.
"I can't do that Peyton. I made a mistake that day because Brooke was that person for me then and she still is now. I'm sorry…" He said.
"No no no I don't understand!" Peyton yelled, she was getting angry: "You say she's the one but how come things have never worked out for you then?! HUH?! Tell me Lucas!??" She said waving her hands at him.
He grabbed her arms and looked into her eyes. They were still hazy, she must have taken something bad. "Peyton please calm down!" He begged her: "I want you to know that you still mean the world to me as a friend and I want nothing more than to help you."
Peyton shook herself free from his grasp and then slapped him: "I don't need your help Lucas Scott! You disgust me! I hate you!!" She yelled and then stormed off.
Lucas held his cheek in pain, he wondered if he would ever see the old Peyton Sawyer again. The Peyton Sawyer that had changed his life for the better. He made his way to the door and left.
Across the room Brooke and Nathan had observed the whole interaction between Lucas and Peyton. They hadn't heard anything but from the body language it didn't look like they were having a heart to heart.
"Oh man that was brutal." Nathan said when they saw Peyton slap Lucas.
"I kinda feel bad for him..I know I shouldn't but still…" She said.
"Forget about him, come dance with me." Nathan said offering his hand.
Brooke shook her head: "No Nate I'm sorry but I just don't feel like dancing. Not after seeing that."
"All the more reason to dance! Come on it'll take your mind off it." Nathan said. He started to do a little dance to the music and Brooke laughed. He was still the terrible dancer he was in high school.
"Oh what the hell." She said and then took his hand. They made their way to the floor and Brooke tried her best to dance without chuckling at Nathan's horrendous dance moves.
A few minutes later Fall Out Boy started playing and everybody had a good time, including Brooke. Around 6 A.M. she was sitting in a taxi heading to her hotel. She had a smile on her face, partly because she had a good time and partly because she was a little drunk. Her cell phone rang and she flipped it open without looking at the caller id.
"Hellooo." She said into the phone.
"Uh hello. Brooke is that you?" A man's voice on the other end said.
"Yep my name is Brooke Davis. And who are you mister?" Brooke said giggling.
"It's Larry. Larry Sawyer." He said.
"Oh hi Larry how have you been?" Brooke said trying to sound serious.
"I'm not so good. You see the reason I'm calling is that Peyton overdosed on heroin earlier tonight. It's not looking too good for her. I want you to come to the hospital." Larry said.
Brooke was in shock. She had seen Peyton a few hours ago and she had seemed fine.
"Brooke, are you still there?" Larry's voice came from Brooke's phone which was in her lap.
She picked it up: "Yes I'm still here and I'm coming to the hospital right now. Which one is it?"
"Mount Sinai." He said.
"I'm on my way." Brooke said and hung up.
