Brooke and Nathan sat in the living room face to face each with huge smiles on their faces because in Nathan's hand was an envelope from Duke University and finally Nathan started to open it. His eyes scanned the paper for a few seconds before he shot up and exclaimed making Brooke jump up and grab the letter from him. 'He got in!' She exclaimed in her head and felt so proud of Nathan for getting in to his dream school. "I'm so proud of you." She told him as he picked her up and spun her around.

"I have to go tell Mark!" Nathan set Brooke down and rushed out of the apartment leaving Brooke to finally realize that Nathan getting into Duke meant, Duke was in North Carolina and they lived in Boston. The smile on her face slipped away as she realized that Nathan would be going back to North Carolina while she stayed in Boston and there was no way she could leave Boston because her clothing line Clothes Over Bros was finally getting off the ground and her line was set to premiere in New York during fashion week that there was no way that she would have time to pack everything up and go back to North Carolina and finish everything for the line.

All the thoughts in Brooke's head were starting to give her a headache so she reached for the phone and dialed Peyton's number hoping that she wasn't with Luke because Brooke really needed her friend right now since Jen and Jake were out of town to go see Jake's parents. After the 3rd ring Brooke heard Peyton's voice on the other line.

"Hello?"

"It's me." Brooke hated how depressed she sounded.

"Brooke, what's wrong?"

"Nathan got into Duke."

"Brooke that's great!"

"Yeah Peyton it's great that he's going back to North Carolina." Peyton's smile and happiness for Nathan vanished as soon as Peyton heard North Carolina.

"Well why don't you come back with him?"

"Peyton I can't, my line is finally getting off the ground and there's so much to do for the launch of the line that I don't have time to pack everything up and head back to North Carolina. I know it makes me sound like a selfish bitch but for once in my life I'm going to follow my dream."

"Brooke you aren't a selfish bitch just because you're making your dream come true but Nathan got accepted to Duke and he's probably going to jump at the chance to go, so what are you going to do?"

"I don't know Peyton. I know what's going to happen when he goes back, he's going to find some amazing cheerleader and fall madly in love with her and it'll be Brooke who? Long distance relationships don't work out in the end Peyt, so part of me is wondering if I shouldn't just break it off with Nathan so he follows his dream without worrying about little old me."

"Brooke…"

"What are my other options Peyton? Tell him not to go to Duke? Tell him that I don't want him to follow his dream so he can stay with me and watch me follow mine? I'm not going to be like Haley."

"You don't have to break up with him, tell him not to go to Duke, or make him watch you follow yours. You can make it work it'll just take work Brooke and since when does Brooke Davis give up on something she wants?"

"Peyt, what if he finds someone better than me?"

"Brooke I know that Nathan loves you more than anything in the world he's not going to find someone better than you."

"I don't know what to do anymore."

"I have a suggestion, talk to Nathan about all of this."

"No! I couldn't do that because he'll feel bad for getting into Duke and I can't do that."

"You have to have faith in Nathan and your relationship or else it won't work."

"Thanks Peyton."

"It's nothing."

"Well Nathan's home so I'll talk to you later." Brooke hung up just as Nathan opened the door and walked in his previous smile replaced with a worried smile. "Hey what's wrong?"

"Mark just made me realize what getting into Duke really meant."

"And what was that?"

"It means that I would have to leave you."

"Nathan going to Duke is your dream."

"I know but I don't want to lose what we've worked so hard for."

"I don't want to lose you either but I won't make you choose between me and your dream. I'm willing to put our relationship on hold while you go to Duke and do your thing and I do mine."

"I don't want to do that."

"I know Nathan it's just an option, I mean we could try and make it work." Nathan was silent for a few moments thinking about what he could say to make this whole situation better.

"We have sometime before we have to make a decision so let's just enjoy our last couple of months before the years over, okay?" Brooke nodded and sat at the kitchen table trying to work on her homework trying to take her mind off of the whole Duke thing. Nathan too sat at the kitchen table working on his own homework but he couldn't stop thinking about how things were going to change if he decided that going to Duke was the best option for him because to be honest his priorities have changed drastically since he decided that he was going to Duke then onto the NBA.

That night as Brooke lie in bed next to a sleeping Nathan she yet again found herself thinking about them and how much she did not want to be like Haley who wanted Nathan to wait for her while she went off and did her music thing. Right then at 2:33 in the morning of November 18th Brooke decided that no matter what Nathan was going to do whatever his heart desired and she was going to stand by him through thick and thin. She smiled at Nathan's sleeping form and slid down further into the covers and wrapped her arms around Nathan as she drifted off to sleep.

Nathan woke up shortly after Brooke drifted off to sleep and turned so he was facing her, he couldn't believe how lucky he had become since moving in with Brooke. He just wished that everything would work out in the end for them because losing Brooke didn't sit well with Nathan, actually it made Nathan physically sick every time a thought of losing Brooke entered his mind.

The next day at school Brooke and Nathan seemed to be polar opposites with their moods, Brooke having a huge smile on her face and Nathan having a blank look on his face for most of the day and it was starting to worry Brooke because Nathan should be the one in a fantastic mood not her. During English Nathan couldn't shake his mood for the life of him and it was starting to bother him because it wasn't like he and Brooke had broken up or anything.

"Hey Nate what's wrong?" Leave it to Brooke to pick up on his mood and immediately try and make it better.

"I don't know." Brooke looked at him with an eyebrow cocked wondering how could someone not know what was wrong with them. "I really don't know what's wrong."

"Everything's fine Nate, so stop worrying and just be happy. You got into Duke after all." Nathan finally smiled for the first time all day and wrapped his arms around Brooke glad for her to try and lighten the mood. "Plus we're celebrating tonight so get ready to be happy babe." Nathan looked at her and wanted to make a smart ass remark but with just one look Brooke knew what he was going to say and swatted his chest lightly laughing at him as they walked to their next class together.

"So what are we doing tonight to celebrate?" Nathan asked as they sat down in Chemistry watching everybody file in behind them.

"It's a surprise."

"Like that word's gonna make me stop asking about it."

"Just because you ask me doesn't mean I'll answer." Nathan smirked and leaned in so one could hear them.

"Don't think that I don't know how to get what I want out of you."

"Bring it on Nathan; I'm ready for a challenge." She replied her face only millimeters away from his, Nathan smirked and leaned close to her ear again lightly breathing on it as he spoke.

"You're on." Brooke shivered slightly as his breath warmed her ear and tickled her slightly, she was sure going to enjoy the best that Nathan had to offer but no matter what he did he wasn't going to find out what Brooke had in store for their little Friday night celebration.

After Chemistry was over Nathan and Brooke went their separate ways with Nathan going to PE and Brooke going to History with Jen. "Hey I talked to Jake about the party tonight and he's in."

"Good now don't say anything in front of Nathan because I want it to be a total surprise." Jen smiled and nodded her head laughing on the inside about how Brooke didn't know that Jen was also helping Nathan plan a little celebration of his own for her. She loved how much Brooke and Nathan cared about each other that they were celebrating their achievement and Jen was sure that tonight was going to be perfect with all the things that Brooke had planned and Nathan had planned.

Jen walked into the cafeteria and spotted Nathan without Brooke next to him and she made a b line towards him sliding into the seat next to him. "I talked to Jake and he said that Luke and Peyton are at our place waiting for the party tonight."

"Good and Brooke knows nothing right?" Jen smiled and nodded yet again laughing on the inside at the two of them that knew nothing of what the other was doing. Jen got up and moved across from Nathan so Brooke wouldn't think that anything was going because Nathan had been planning this little surprise for almost a week now while Brooke had just decided the night before to do all of this for Nathan.

Brooke arrived home at the apartment without Nathan since he had some basketball thing and it gave Brooke time to finish getting everything ready, she wanted tonight to be perfect. She smiled when there was a knock on the front door and rushed over flinging the door open revealing Deb, Keith, Karen, and Cooper all with huge smiles on their faces. Brooke motioned for them to come in as she rushed into the bedroom to lay out the outfit suggestion for Nathan that she had picked out in the middle of the night and left a note for him to meet them at Jake's place.

Jake opened the door and smiled at Brooke and all the adults with her as he let them in and as he closed the door he winked at Jen giving her the signal to go pick up Nathan and take them to their party location. The group made small talk catching up while Jake waited for Jen to text him telling him that everything was all set for Jake to suggest that they head over to the restaurant for dinner and when Jen texted him that everything was set Jake jumped and they made their way to the restaurant now none of them knew that this was also for Brooke and Jake couldn't wait to surprise his new best friends. When they got to the restaurant Nathan and Jen met them outside and Nathan's jaw hit the floor when he saw Deb, Keith, Cooper, and Karen get out of the car with Brooke.

"Surprise!" He looked at both Jen and Jake and each sported a smirk on their face. "I thought I would invite your family out here to celebrate you getting into Duke." Both Nathan and Brooke looked at Jake and Jen as they shared a not so silent giggle at their two friends. "What's so funny?"

"Well you see we've been playing double agents with the two of you. You see Nathan has a surprise for you too for ya know you getting your line off the ground and surprise they happen to fall on the same day." Jake chuckled as both Brooke and Nathan smiled at each other hugging each other happy that the other had gone to so much trouble.

"How about we go eat and celebrate?" Cooper asked his stomach raging with hunger breaking Nathan and Brooke's hug. Nathan laughed and nodded his head letting Brooke go ahead of him so he could hug his mom and Karen since they had made the trek out to see him. He couldn't believe that Brooke had gone to this much trouble for him just being accepted to Duke.

"Congrats Nathan I know how much getting into Duke means to you." Nathan smiled and hugged Karen happy that she was in his life after all the drama that went down between him and Luke over the years. Karen then walked into the restaurant to find Brooke and congratulate her for making her fashion dream come year. After Nathan hugged everyone Deb pulled Nathan's arm telling him to stay back because she wanted to talk to him.

"Before we go inside I just wanted to tell you how proud of you I am and I love you." Nathan smiled and hugged his mom leaving his arm around her shoulder as they walked into the restaurant and towards the rest of the group. Brooke smiled even more when she saw Nathan with his mom, it always made Brooke happy to see Nathan happy but something about his smile made Brooke smile even more.

The rest of the night was spent laughing and reminiscing as they celebrated Nathan's admittance to Duke and Brooke finally doing something with her life. For now it was good to have fun and not have to worry about anything except what was going on in that moment of time. All thoughts of the next year were pushed out of Brooke's mind as Nathan wrapped his arm around her waist. At least at this moment in time everything was good and drama free.