I love you like a crack whore loves crack...and sex. -Brooke Davis
-x-
"Texas! What parents in their right mind, make their baby girl go to Texas for the summer!" Haley complained for the fortieth time today. I love her to pieces, but she could get annoying.
"Think of it this way Haley bub" Rachel started, throwing a lazy arm around her, "When you get back, you'll be a new woman, after visiting the fattest state in America" Me and Peyton laughed at that. Rachel had a way with words.
"And besides at least you're not Rachel, who has to go to Riker's Camp for Disorderly Teens" I taunt the red head, it was true, after getting caught in the mail room with a student teacher, Rachie's parents decided it was time she got some sort of discipline, apparently this Riker guy was a miracle worker.
Rachel scowls at me, "Listen Cookie I know you're going to miss me" She boasts, and god damn it she's right. I try not to think about it, because I don't want everyone to go their separate ways but I know 3 days from now we all will be, and for the entire summer no less.
"And you!" Peyton cries out suddenly, "Leaving me here! While you spend the entire summer in California with the rich and famous!" She exclaims.
"Don't remind me" I groan, looping my arm through the blonde's.
"Ooo Look!" Rachel points, "A new thrift store, they always have such retro things" She grins, pulling us with her. I know, she totally doesn't strike you as the thrift store type. But she's totally into vintage, dunno why, her and Peyton have that in common. Oh along with their wierdo taste in music. They love that emo, punk, rock stuff, that depresses the hell out of me.
The door chime dings behind us as we enter the deserted store, "Business is booming" I say sarcastically, earning a snicker out of Haley.
Rachel's attention is quickly caught by a shimmery pink halter top. And for something so eighties chique I have to admit, it's pretty cute.
"I have to have it" She squeals, I leave her to trying it on, and go in search of Peyton, she always found something cute at these places and I usually stole it from her. When I finally found Peyton, she was holding a pair of denim jeans in her arms. Feeling deflated, (since I have a bazillion pairs of jeans already) I walk over to her.
"Whatchya got there?" I ask casually.
She turns to me, "They're cute right?" She asks unsurely.
I nod, "Sure, but you never struck me as the rhinestones kinda girl" I laugh, pointing at the rhinestones on the back pockets. She looks at them distastefully, practically rethinking the entire pants situation.
"I'm trying them on anyway" Peyton decides.
"Trying what on anyway?" Haley asks, poking her head into the closed off dressing room.
"Peyton's got rhinestone hot pants" I grin as Haley's eyes widen.
"What about hot pants?" Rachel asks, appearing in the really close quarters.
"Peyton's got some hot pants" Haley informs her, and during this time, Peyton has successfully ripped off her jeans and is in the process of pulling on the pants.
"Peyton!" Haley gasps, she's never been that comfortable with nudity, "We're in public!" She whispers angrily.
Completely ignoring her, Peyton turns to us, wearing a pair of jeans that look so good on her that I'm jealous.
"Woo woo!" Rachel whistles, smacking Peyton's behind, "You look hot! Seriously Peyt, I'm so trying those on!" She says appreciatively.
"Seriously Peyton, those looked great on you" Haley admits, and I nod in appreciation.
"Rachie, you know those are gonna be a 2 or three inches too short" I comment, Rachel's the tallest out of us, the girls a friggin' amazon and I'm not kidding. She's 5'8, how tall is that!?
Rachel dismisses this, and grabs the pants from Peyton. We all knew what to expect, they'd be too short and too tight, considering that Peyton is practically a stick figure. But what amazes each of us, is that they fit Rachel just as well as they fit Peyton. And as we stare at each other, dumb struck and confounded, Rachel shimmies out of the pants and looks at me.
"Fine, give me" I say, holding out my hands.
"Not you too" Haley groans, as my pants hit the floor, revealing a light pink thong.
"Chill out Hales, it's just my underwear" I say, pulling up the pants. It's entirely possible that a pair of pants fit Peyton and Rachel, because they're both tall, but me, I'm 5'4 so there were will be a lot of leg left afterward.
But to add confusion to confusion, the pants fit me like a glove.
"Brooke, you look…" Peyton trails off, that good huh?
Rachel nods, "This is too weird, Brooke those look f'in HOT!" She says, her green eyes widening. And then there was one. To prove that these pants really were special, Haley was needed.
"No, absolutely not, I refuse" Haley said immediately, vigorously shaking her head. But the three of us inched closer to her.
"C'mon Hales, it's either you put em on, or we pull 'em off" Rachel said mischievously, wiggling her fingers in emphasis.
"Yea tutor girl, don't make us bring out the big guns" I mock threaten, kinking an eye brow.
"Give 'em here" She sighs, clearly out numbered.
"But don't expect them to look amazing, like they do on the three of you" She warns, "Because they won't and I'll be the one out of the loop, because I don't have-
"Haley" Peyton interrupts.
"What?" She asks.
Rachel points a finger, "Look for yourself" She says, nodding her head towards the mirror.
These were definitely not your average, every day, normal blue jeans. They made my butt look great, they gave Peyton a butt, they made Rachel look less freakishly tall and gave Haley the confidence she's always wanted. And miraculously, they were the same pair of pants, that fit each of us like a second skin, hugging us in all the right places and making us look and feel beautiful.
I'm the first to speak, I usually am, "This has to mean something" I whisper, as we stand there in our underwear, gazing at one another.
Slowly, Rachel nods her head, she believes in stuff like this, because in certain senses she kinda like me. I like to think that there are certain things that we can't explain, and things always happen for a reason.
Haley is the skeptic, always looking for the scientific answer in everything, she thinks there isn't one then it isn't possible. But even she looks sold. Slowly I look over at Peyton, and the fake blonde is wearing the same expression as the rest of us. These pants, this summer, and our sisterhood, it all means something and we're about to find out
We obviously bought the pants, dazed and confused, we all decided that even though they only cost 8.50, we all should pitch in, because they fit all of us.
So here we sat, in a small circle, in the middle of Peyton's bedroom. The pants in the middle, as if we were going to perform some sort of voo doo magic on them or something.
"I think each of us should get a turn" Haley suggests.
We nod in agreement, "How about, we all get it for one week each, and then you pass it along to who ever is next" Rachel adds.
"I like that, and oh! When you send the pants, you have to write a letter, to the person getting them next" Peyton pipes in.
"And when we all meet up again, at the end of this summer, we should write/draw something that describes this summer" I finish.
"We need rules!" Haley is the first to say, as she dives in to Peyton's desk drawer, looking for paper and a pen.
It wouldn't be Haley if we didn't have rules.
Haley jumps back in her spot, smidged in between Rachel and Peyton, right across from me.
"Okay so rule number one…" She trails off, encouraging us.
"You can't wash the pants!" I jump in, receiving disgusted looks from each of them.
"Ewh Brooke!" Peyton laughs.
"Seriously Brookie, so gross" Rachel chimes in, laughing right beside Peyton.
"Washing the pants, means washing the magic, c'mon guys" I whine, hey I think I'm being pretty reasonable here, when God gives you pants like these, they're not meant to be washed at low heat with brandless fabric softener. You cherish and uphold them.
Haley chuckles, "Alright no washing the pants, next!" She says over the commotion.
Rachel sits up, "No double cuffing!" She yells loudly, pointing at Haley.
"One time guys, seriously!" She defends, writing it down.
I nod approvingly, "Seriously, double cuffing is just about as tacky as tucking in your shirt, while wearing a belt"
"That's rule number three" Peyton, nodding towards Haley.
"You go Hales" Rachel urges.
Haley takes a deep breath, "Oh, you can not, let a boy (or anyone else for that matter) take off the pants" she says, and how rude is it that all three of them turn to look at me simultaneously, talk about being singled out. "You may however, take them off yourself, in said boy's presence" She finishes, well at least she's meeting me halfway.
I wait for her to finish, "You have to write to your BFF's through out the entire summer, and call and text, no matter how fun you're having with out them" I suggest.
"No peeing in the pants!" This lovely submission came from Peyton. We laughed so hard it took half an hour to get to rule number seven.
"Nothing life altering can be done, with out telling your sisters, i.e. piercing, tattoos, marriage etc."
"You have to remember to that you always look hot in the pants, so never think anything less, because your sisters will know and we will spank you upon our reunion" This was given by Rachel, she knows just what to say…NOT.
"You must pass along the pants, as according to the specifications set down by the sisterhood"
"C'mon guys, we need one more" Haley reminded us.
"Pants, equal love. Love yourself, like you love your best friends" Peyton shrugs, and we all love it, because it's so true.
The three days, before my departure to the sunny state of California, went by in a haze of good bye parties, packing and crying. We had decided that the pants would go with me, since I was leaving first. I'd send them to Rachel, who'd send them to Haley who would then express them to Peyton.
I knew this day was coming, the day that I'd have to leave them and I thought I was braced for it. But now, standing in the crowded airport, staring at my three best friends, my Louis Vuitton luggage at my feet, I know how unready I really was for this. And I begin to feel like leaving for this summer was a gigantic mistake.
And as if reading my mind Peyton says, "You're gonna do great, go rock California, B.Davis" And I see tears well up in those green/blue eyes.
Immediately, the waterworks spring a leak, and I'm hugging them as if my life depends on it.
I'm sobbing now, "Guys, tell me not to go, tell me I'm better off in Tree Hill, tell me we're just gonna spend the summer together like always" I cry.
"C'mon cookie, we all have to go, we're gonna write, and call and text, promise" Haley assures me.
Rachel kisses the top of my head, "You're gonna have a blast, Cali, is party central" She laughs, it's not genuine, she's just trying to be strong, "Just don't forget us, while you're clubbing it up with Paris Hilton" She says, in a warning tone.
"I love you guys" I sniff.
"We love you too Brookie" They said simultaneously.
I take a deep breath, "Okay, I'm just gonna go" I say, wiping away the rest of the tears, "I'm just gonna go, and not look back, because if I look back I'll wanna come back and I can't do that…" I decide, but my feet are firmly planted in front of my three best friends.
"You'll be fine Brooke, it had to happen someday" Haley whispers, her light brown eyes flooding with unshed tears.
And with one last glance, I turn around, and as I promised I don't look back. Even when I heard Rachel whisper how much she'd miss me. Or when I heard Peyton's quiet sob.
There comes a time in every girl's life, where she has to leave the people she loves and the things she cherishes most behind. Where the things she took for granted, and missed opportunities come flooding back in a sea of sadness. But the little glimmer of hope, is that for once she's doing it on her own. And that was the true test, whether or not she could make it on her own, or crumble beneath the pressure. This was our time, and we'd be strong enough to face it on our own, but still have the support of our sisters, in the form of the pants.
-x-
A/N: Sisterhood of the traveling pants…ONE TREE HILL style. Lol tell me what you think!!