Chapter 2 – She Was a Leopard
Night had fallen over Tree Hill. The street lights had come on, and Lucas's room was only lit by a small lamp by his bed. Brooke was still in that room, the book in her hand, and time had gotten away from her. Lucas hadn't made an appearance yet and for that she was grateful. If Lucas caught her reading this book she knew that she would never hear the end of it. She wanted to see him again, on good terms, especially after the way they had parted that night in New York. Brooke hadn't accomplished any of her goals today. She was supposed to see everyone again with smiles and laughs. Instead she was in Lucas's room. Brooke was in his room alone, lying on his bed, and reading the book entitled 'The Girl Behind the Red Door'.
She was a Leopard. The girl on that court cheering me on during my first game… she always stoodnext to Nathan's girlfriend… that girl was a leopard in every way imaginable. She had that sly smile that formed graciously onto her lips when you knew her thoughts were anything but pure. The way her body moved to her own creative cheers.
I had never thought of the screams and yells from the shallow cheerleaders as creative till I saw the way she moved to the words. Yet, that was all it was, my on looking fascination, the same fascination I had been having for Peyton Sawyer. A tortured artist was something a lot of guys wanted. The girl who was broken… you don't have to worry about broken girls judging you for they have little room themselves to judge. With girls like Brooke Davis, you knew that you had to spill your heart and she would either rip it to shreds or nurture it. That night on that court I figured she was a heart breaker, a ripper of emotions… but that sly smile of her was that of a temptress
Later that night after the game that I chocked during I was about ready to pull out of the stadium parking lot when Brooke had popped her little head from my backseat and to my surprise with no clothes on. She said a few words to me that I would never forget. 'Feels good doesn't it?' She was right, that night, that game, being part of a team. It felt better than anyone could know. Brooke was also right when she said that this was the night everything would change.
For a girl that I had never seen hold a book, she spoke words of wisdom…I shouldn't have expected anything less from her… after all she was a temptress… a succubus… the kind of girl that if you let into your life would ravage you and hurt you in a way that felt so good… but would leave you dead… Brooke left me that night with a possession of hers. A leopard print bra… I knew I didn't need a girl like that into my life. I needed a girl with substance… that night in my car I didn't see any of that in my tempting succubus… all I saw was the sly leopard girl.
Brooke was suddenly pulled away from the book when she heard the loud shrieking ring of her cell phone. With a jump she shut the book close and reached into her pocket. Pulling out the phone she saw on the little screen it read 'P. Sawyer'. She flipped it open and brought it to her ear.
"Hey P.Sawyer, unpacked already?" Brooke stood up and slid the book back into its place into the nightstand.
"Unpacked? Brooke, I finished unpacking hours ago, it's almost nine, where are you?" Before Brooke could say anything Peyton continued. "Actually… I don't want to know. I need to know why you aren't here. I thought we were meeting at Tric. Lucas is here and it's weird and awkward and I need my best friend to help me with my glares…"
Brooke laughed and shook her head as she heard Peyton speak. "Glares of love or hate, because I'm telling you P. Sawyer all my glares are a little rusty… haven't used them since high school." Brooke grabbed everything off of the bed that she had pulled out of his nightstand earlier and strategically placed them all back the way they had looked before.
"Well I'm sure your sex skills are a little rusty too but I'm not asking you to whip those out, are I?" Brooke raised her eyebrow in offense to Peyton's remark but she blew it off knowing the girl had been stressed.
"Listen, I'll be there in a few minutes. Love ya, Sawyer." Brooke said but immediately heard the other line hang up. She rolled her eyes and stepped away from the bed, everything looked pretty much like it had when she arrived. A few pillows were out of place but she knew that wasn't the type of think Lucas noticed.
On the other side of town a little blond boy was snug in his bed while his mother tucked him in for the night.
"Momma, can daddy read me a story?" Little Jamie asked with his big blue eyes looking up at Haley. Haley smiled at her four year old son but her smile changed quickly to one of sympathy.
"Baby, daddy's not feeling well again tonight, you know how sad he gets sometimes." Haley ran her fingers across her son's cheek before leaning down and kissing it softly. "I promise that I will talk to him and I will see if he can read you a story tomorrow." Giving him a gentle wink she stood from his bed. Checking to make sure that his green dinosaur night light was glowing, she turned his lamp off.
"Sweet dreams, Jimmy Jam." Haley said with a smile as she closed his bedroom door. She knew that closing his door would eventually lead to him running into her bedroom later in the night but she didn't need a boy who trying to sleep overhear his parents fighting, and she knew that was about to happen.
Haley made her way down the hall and into a small office from a spare bedroom that she had set up for grading papers and creating lesson plans and there sat her husband. Nathan Scott. The once basketballs star was now in a wheelchair and scruffier than a homeless man. She knew what he was doing and it disgusted her as a wife and as a mother. Haley stood in that doorway watching as her husband gazed over WebPages of pornography. They hadn't been intimate in a long time and that mostly had been because of his accident, and then his downfall into self pity. She cleared her throat to get his attention and he barely acknowledged her.
"You're son misses his father." Her voice was stern, but he barely blinked. Haley wanted to give up, to cry, to fall on her knees and admit to defeat but she needed to be strong for that entire family.
Haley opened her mouth to say more but she knew it would be lost on him and honestly she was tired, she didn't have the strength to fight that night. Instead of delivering harsh words to try to snap him out of his pity she simply nodded.
"Goodnight, Nathan." The words were simple but they were words that held more softness than words that had been spoken between them in the longest time.
Peyton was sitting at the bar at Tric with a shot of green liquid up to her lips. Knocking it back she le tit burn down her throat and that is how Brooke found her. Walking into the club Brooke immediately took a seat next to the blond.
"Peyton, what's wrong?" Brooke knew what was wrong; something about Lucas, but anyone's normal reaction was to ask what was wrong. Peyton just looked at Brooke with one of the previously discussed glares before spinning 180 degrees in her chair so she was now facing away from the bar and towards the stage. Lucas was sitting there on the edge of the stage talking with a manager that Karen had told Lucas to hire.
Brooke saw him and she smiled, he looked exactly as he did that night a few years ago and as she saw him Lucas turned his head toward the car and his eyes met hers. Brooke's smile grew wider and before a second thought about Peyton she hopped off the bar stool and headed towards the stage. Lucas had done the same, he immediately stood, excused himself from the employee and he met her in the middle of the dance floor. Trying to ignore the writing teenagers he and Brooke embraced in a hug.
"Oh Brooke Davis I've missed you." He held her close his eyes closed and he kept his arms around her hugging her. Brooke smiled against his shoulder and mindlessly breathed in some of his cologne.
"I've missed you too Lucas Scott. You look exactly the same as I last saw you." The embrace ended and they just looked at each other with a smile. It was their look. That unique gaze of just complete and utter... understanding of each other.
Brooke quickly snapped out of it when she realized Peyton was still mad over at the bar. With a polite smile she shrugged.
I should get back to Peyton because if Peyton's not happy…" Before she could finish herself Lucas interrupted with a nod.
"Aint nobody happy." Lucas said with a nod and smile. She tried to hold in a laugh and she nodded.
"You got that right." Giving him a small wink she headed back over to the bar where she found Peyton in the same position that she had left her.
"Sorry, I just hadn't seen him in so long." Brooke didn't know why she felt the need to explain herself… but she did.
Peyton didn't say a word to Brooke; instead she ordered herself another shot and kept her eyes on the bartended.
"You know when I saw him earlier this morning at the river court…" Peyton began. "He looked happy, content there and I saw something in him that I love… he was happy."
Brooke listened to her and she wanted to say something back to Peyton but she stopped herself. Now was not the time or place to deal with Peyton and she knew that.
"Listen P. Sawyer, I need to get back to my hotel room, as do you, need a ride?" Brooke offered before picking her purse up from the bar. After Peyton gave her a confidently shake of her head Brooke left the club and got into her car. With an accomplished smile she held up Peyton's keys that she had snagged, before starting her car Brooke pulled out her cell phone and called a cab company.
"Hello, my name is Brooke Davis could you please send a cab to the night club Tric and just wait till a tall drunk blond comes out. Offer her a free ride. My credit card should be on file and just charge it for however long your cab has to stay out here. Thank you." Brooke hung up her phone before she made her way to her hotel room.
That night the girls went to bed in the same manner and with the same emotions… but what was racing through their minds were completely different things. While Peyton wondered why Lucas didn't want her Haley contemplated her situation with Nathan.
Brooke on the other hand, lay down to bed in her luxurious hotel room, well as luxurious you could get in Tree Hill. There were four simple words she read over and over again in her mind. She was a leopard.