Ch.6 We See Only Faces
The weekend had been quiet and Rachel hated the quiet. Brooke had wanted to just stay in her room all day and Nathan had been with Haley all the time, doing who knows what probably memorizing the elements table. Rachel had indulged in some pampering time heading over to Chapel Hill to a spa and some shopping, she had pleaded and begged Brooke to go with her but the stubborn girl had refused.
As Rachel got ready in front of the bathroom mirror as Brooke showered, she took a really good look at herself, where would she be in ten years? She had all good grades but she had no passion for any of the classes she took. Would she end up a trophy wife, business woman, stay at home mom, or some old cat lady? Hell did she even want a husband, have kids? Rachel sighed and just kept curling her eyelashes. Life was just so much hard work, if all she could do was sleep she'd do it because reality was just too complicated.
Nathan breezed through the house trying to avoid running into Brooke or even Rachel, Rachel was the worse of the two considering she could smell a secret a mile away. He quickly text Haley telling her he was on his way to pick her up.
As he waited on the red light to turn to green he thought back to when they had been 11 year olds. When the girls slept over at his house they would insist on playing the Xbox nonstop. His mom use to tease him about how he would end up being married to one of them and Dan would roll his eyes and pray to god it wouldn't be Rachel, he would threaten to disown him if he had red headed grandchildren. Nathan laughed at this memory and remember vividly when they would all go outside behind his house where there was a creek. Brooke hated going there because of all the frogs and lizards but still followed she never wanted to be left out of anything. They had been trying to get on the other side of the creek by crossing a log, Nathan had crossed over first and he grinned wickedly when he saw how Brooke held on to Rachel's hand as the both were shuffling over he screamed," Brooke a lizard's on you!", she screamed and lost her footing, she fell pulling Rachel with her. Nathan had almost peed his pants watching them, Brooke had been hysterical and as Nathan rolled on the ground laughing he hadn't noticed that Rachel had already gotten out so when he looked up he met her fist.
That had been his first black eye given to him by Miss Rachel Gatina.
As he pulled up the curb and honked the horn to let Haley know he was there, he couldn't help but compare Haley and Brooke, they were both beautiful girls. He liked learning new things about his girlfriend but it didn't beat how he knew his best friend like the back of his hand.
Haley loved it when Nathan picked her up for school; it gave them a chance to talk or to just have quiet time together. She smiled as she took him in with her eyes, he was beautiful and amazing, and he had these dark blue eyes that stole her breath every time she looked in them.
" Haley I'm not going to be able to take you home after basketball practice, I have to wait on Brooke and Rachel to finish their cheer practice so that I can give them a ride home too." Haley couldn't help be frown at this. Didn't all three of them have cars?
" What's wrong with their cars?"
" I'm making it up to them about Friday so I have to give them a ride home every day for a whole month. In the mornings they catch a ride with Peyton or Bevin." All that Nathan could think in his mind about Haley was "please don't be mad, please don't be mad, please don't be mad".
" Sure it's ok I can catch a ride with Skills and Mouth." Nathan felt like ten years had been lifted off his shoulders with relief he felt at hearing Haley's calm answer.
Brooke was sitting in third block chemistry waiting for the bell to ring for fourth block which was cheer practice for her, she didn't get anything in chemistry. When she thought she had it all figured out, it was backwards and when she finally caught up the teacher had started to move on to a different area. When was she gonna catch a break in this class, at least the teacher was nice enough to let her do extra homework to bring her grades up when she needed to.
Great while she had been thinking about what a slow learner she was the teacher had moved on to talk about some polymers, what the heck this was chemistry class not polymer science…wait this was going to be on the test! Ugh…
Brooke hurriedly wrote a note and slipped it in Nathan's locker telling him that her and Rachel didn't need a ride from him after practice. She really hated distancing herself from him but it was necessary, in the morning when she had woken up and his face was the first thing she thought of and this odd fluttery feeling had settled in her heart…she was scared at what it was and was hell bent on destroying it.
"Brooke?" she spun around so fast she actually ending up hitting her elbow hard against the metal locker door, she looked up being trapped between those beautiful dark blue eyes and wanting to run away from those eyes also.
" Heeey Nate what's up?" she was relieved to hear herself not stutter at all.
" What was that you just slipped in my locker?" Nathan watched as her dimples disappeared and a shadow seemed to take over her eyes.
"Oh it was just a note to tell you that me and Rachel don't need that ride anymore."
" It's Rachel and I-" Brooke couldn't help but interrupt and lash out, " Sorry Nate but I'm not use to proper language, I don't practice it while I bang my tutor." Nathan's face contorted to a red/ purple mask of outrage and leaned down to her face to eye level.
"Don't you ever bash my relationship with Haley ever again. Got it?" Brooke didn't bother answering him, just pushed him away and headed to find Rachel.
As Nathan watched Brooke walk away and saw her hips swaying hypnotically, he suppressed a groan and ran a hand down his face trying to clear his mind of what had happened the day before. He had clung to her, memorized all her curves and hidden spots and now…well now he was a screwed up person. He couldn't even bring himself to talk to her.
"Ugh" he frustratingly punched the stupid locker.
"Dude I know you're like suppose to be sane and everything but what did that locker ever do to you?" Lucas grinned from ear to ear like a dumbass and Nathan was kind of relieved to see his half-brother.
" Man I was just toughing it up, you know, character" that was so lame but it was something if they were talking without arguing…like normal people.
"Come on little brother, looks like you need to keep your mind of a couple of things." With that Lucas led him away from his tormenting thoughts and onto the roof of the café where there was a homemade miniature golf course.
The burning that was in her legs kept her pushing forward, it was Rachel'S philosophy that if it didn't hurt or burn you just weren't giving it your all.
She led the squad through some serious workouts like running the bleachers and doing repetitive sets of pushups and abdominals with Brooke. She ignored the girls complaining and tortured moans, she kept pushing them forward.
Brooke was doing everything robotically and Rachel had had enough, she strode to the ice chest that had their waters and Gatorades, she grabbed a handful of ice and put it all down Brooke's shirt. Brooke shrieked and slapped at her chest trying to get rid of the ice chips that burned her tired hot body.
" You filthy whore!" she launched herself at Rachel and tackled her to the floor, the red head was prepared and easily maneuvered herself on top.
The rest of the squad wasn't surprised, this tended to happen at least twice a week, they never really harmed each other physically, just a couple of bruises. Peyton went to get the rest of the ice chest and poured it over the squabbling girls; they jumped apart shrieking and cursing.
Pretty soon they were all having a melted iced war; the gym was filled with laughter and yells.
Peyton, Rachel and Brooke sat together, shivering and smiling as the squad kept on having fun."I guess we needed that break."
Peyton and Brooke gave Rachel a WTF look," Chick you're like a cheer dictator!" Rachel just sucker punched Peyton when she heard this.
"Hey Peyton we're still catching a ride with you right?"
"But Rachel told me you guys were going to just ride with Nate." Peyton crinkled her forehead in confusion; something was up with this girl.
"Yeah Brooke what happened?"
"Something came up and Nate's in a mood, I just don't want to deal with him." How long could she seriously keep this from Rachel?
Lucas watched as Nathan drove home and he thought to himself that he was so glad that whatever was tormenting Nathan wasn't happening to him. He had a wonderful mom, Haley as a best friend and the Peyton the best girlfriend ever. Now that he thought about it he hadn't spoken to Haley in about two weeks and he kind of felt bad, what if Nathan was so trouble because there was something going on in his relationship with Haley?
He scrolled down the contacts in his phone and called her.
"Rachel just don't say anything until I'm finished ok? I kinda may of have…I slept with Nathan!" Brooke threw herself on her bed face down and waited to hear the screeches of Rachel to reprimand her of what a horrible person she was. Nothing happened so she rolled over and prompted her head on her hand to look at Rachel who was sitting on the bed next to her's.
"What?" Rachel was shocked…well not really but the sex part was shocking. Brooke's face twisted in pain as she retold everything, not exactly everything just that it happened when Rachel left them alone yesterday. She listened and didn't say a word, just got off her bed to sit on Brooke's and wrap her arms around her.
"Oh Brooke this is just a big mess on our hands, not just yours ok? " Brooke just nodded and laid her head on Rachel's shoulder. They stayed like that until they heard the front door slam shut and giggles and a deep laugh reached them. Nathan was home and so was Haley.