Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter (pam211, arubagirl0926, naley23love & especially stagediva23 for her kind words). I understand that last chapter may not have gone in the direction that some of you were hoping but I hope that you stick with the story as there's going to be a lot of storylines developing! The next Chapter I told y'all would be fun but it actually went down a different path. There are some funny parts but I also had to explain a few things. Anyway I hope you enjoy it none the less.
February 2025-
"GIRLS NIGHT!" exclaimed Brooke in excitement.
"What?" questioned Haley; choking slightly on her drink because of Brooke's sudden outburst. Brooke had stopped by the school in Haley's lunch break.
"Girls night tonight! A kind of slumber party for us girls. The guys can go have a... a guy's night," Brooke was still grinning from her genius idea.
"Where did this come from?"
"Well I figured that things have been tense lately with everyone and we all need to just take time out to spend time with the people that matter. We don't really get to spend much time together with our careers and families so I thought that tonight would be perfect."
"You're right; it's a great idea Brooke." Haley knew that she had been stressed recently and hopefully a night in with the girls would help her to relax.
"I know, I'm a genius right?"
Haley couldn't help but laugh. "Something like that. So your house tonight then?"
"Actually, I was hoping that we could have it at your house?" Brooke was no longer smiling but pleading with one of her best friends.
"Oh I don't know Brooke; I'm not good at slumber parties. Remember the one that we had in high school?"
"Yeah and I loved that night if you take away the whole sex in your bed thing and me telling Peyton about you and Chris. But that's not going to happen this time. Plus slumber parties are always better with alcohol."
"What about the kids?"
"They can join in the fun too."
"But why can't it be at your house?" Haley begged.
"Because there's more room here and the boys can use my place. Come on teacher mom, you know you want to." She nudged Haley enthusiastically.
"Okay fine. Girls night it is!" Haley agreed.
"Eeeeeee!" Brooke squealed excitedly.
"Guys night?" Nathan scoffed at Julian's recent suggestion.
"Yeah, guys night." Julian nodded his head in agreement and flashed his perfect grin.
"You expect me and the guys to have a slumber party at your house? Dude, what are you...a girl?" Nathan had come round to see Julian on his way from work; Brooke was still at the store.
"No not a slumber party, what do you take me for?"
"Do you honestly want me to answer that question?" Nathan laughed.
"Nah best not," Julian chuckled. "I was thinking more beer, food and errrm play station?" he tried to remember what Brooke had suggested he do with the guys because he didn't really have much experience when it came to entertaining guy friends.
"Right? You actually have no idea what you're talking about do you?"
"Of course I do." Julian tried to cover up for the fact that he didn't really like doing what the other guys liked to do; he had never been the sporty kind of guy.
"Julian?"
"Okay fine. It's all Brooke's idea but I thought that it would be good to have all the guys round and Q and you know just crash here."
"Yeah sounds great, but listen Hitchcock leave tonight's activities to me."
"Fine. So will you tell Luke?"
"Sure, I'll call him. But seriously Julian, no slumber party girl crap, deal?"
"Deal," Julian nodded.
"No manicures, late night pillow fights or cheesy 80s movies?"
"No to the manicures and pillow fights but I can't promise anything when it comes to "cheesy" 80's movies. And for the record, 80s films are genius. Haven't you watched 'The Breakfast Club'?" he asked in disbelief.
"Okay Spielberg, I've heard it all before. I'll catch you later. 7 ish?"
"Yeah 7 is good. But it's Hughes."
"Whatever Scorsese." Nathan got up from the stool at the kitchen island and walked to the front door.
"It's Hughes," Julian shouted to Nathan.
At 7 o'clock, Alex, Brooke, Peyton, Sawyer, Ella, Annie and Avery arrived at Haley's door, Brooke knocking too enthusiastically.
"Come on Haley, open up," Brooke shouted through the glass on Haley's front door. Her arms were loaded with bags, as were the other girls.
"It's freezing out here," Peyton complained.
"I'm coming," could be heard through the door. "Geez, excited much Brooke?" Haley laughed as the girls all made their way into the house out of the cold nightly winds.
"Of course surrogate mom-to-be," Brooke hugged her and then headed to the living room where Lydia was curled up on the couch with a notepad on her lap and pen in her hand. "Hey girly." Brooke hugged her niece and sat next to her.
"Hey foxy," Peyton hugged Haley and followed Brooke into the house, piling all of their bags on the floor. Avery, Sawyer, Alex, Ella and Annie joined the others in the living room with Haley and Lydia.
"Whoa, what's with all the bags?" Lydia asked open mouthed, placing her notepad in on the table next to the coach. The once tidy living room, now looked like a bomb had hit it. A bomb known as Brooke Baker.
"Well my gorgeous niece, this is what we will be doing tonight aaaand" Brooke sang. "Peyton here raided Tric and managed to..."
"Gather a whole range of alcoholic treats." Peyton smirked as she was clearly proud of her thieving skills. "None for me though, obviously."
"Now this is my sort of slumber party," Sawyer smiled grabbing the nearest bottle of alcohol from one of the bags.
"Hold up there boozy, this is for the adults. You girls will be sticking to soda with me, ha ha!" Peyton took the bottle of tequila from her eldest daughter's hands.
"Hey guys!" Julian opened his front door to greet Nathan, Quinley and Lucas.
"What's up Uncle Julian?" Quinley high-fived his uncle. The other guys followed; Nathan bumping fists with Julian and Lucas giving him a half hug half pat on the back. Julian always responded awkwardly to these forms of male greeting. Growing up, his friends had been fellow mathletes and girls, so he only became familiar with guy actions when he made friends with Nathan and then eventually Lucas and Chase, although he never really got used to it.
"Q!" Caleb screamed and jumped into Quinley's arms.
"Hey Cale, how are you dude?"
"I'm staying with my daddy tonight."
"That's great. You know what? I think I might be staying here tonight too."
"Really? Dad can Q sleep in my room?"
"Whatever you want little man," Chase smiled at his son affectionately.
"So what are the plans for tonight Nate?" Julian joined the guys on the couch.
"First, get a drink in you," he handed Julian a bottle of beer from the pile on the floor. "Then order pizza and then I'm going to thrash you all at Poker." Nathan smirked his signature smirk.
The girls had all got into their pyjamas and laid all of their pillows and blankets on the floor in the living room. They were all spread out around the room; Brooke, Lydia and Alex on the large couch, Haley and Peyton on the smaller couch, Sawyer on the chair in the corner of the room and Avery, Ella & Annie on the floor. All of them were eating Chinese food except Brooke who was doing French plaits in Alex's hair.
"Wow Aunt Peyton, you sure can eat a lot," Lydia gasped at the amount of food on Peyton's plate and the amount that she had already eaten.
"You best get used to it; your mom is going to be eating just as much in a few months too."
"Yeah but only if the treatment works. We've got a doctors appointment tomorrow," said Haley.
"Are you nervous Hales?" asked Alex, putting a forkful of rice into her mouth.
"A little, but other people do it so it can't be that bad. It works pretty much the same as IVF and you turned out okay," she turned to look at Peyton.
"I admire your bravery Haley James Scott."
"Brooke, come on, you're embarrassing me." Haley was going slightly red.
"No it's true Haley, I do." Brooke persisted.
"Can we not play this game, you'll make me cry."
"What game?" asked Annie puzzled.
"Where you each say something good about the other person," clarified Haley remembering the game that they once played in the school library.
"So let's play," Annie said excited, putting herself into a new sitting position.
"Okay, I love how Sawyer doesn't care what anyone thinks. She is who she is and if someone doesn't like it then it's their problem," Lydia praised her now uncomfortable cousin who was pulling her Sixteen Cities t-shirt over her knees.
"I wish I had Peyton's legs!" Alex said in sudden outburst which caused everyone to laugh. "No I'm serious. They still look great even when she's pregnant."
"Thanks Alex. But your strength is pretty overwhelming," commented Peyton.
"I'm not..."
"You might not think it but you actually are," Peyton cut Alex off.
"She's right Al, you've come so far in all the years that I've known you." Alex turned to face Brooke behind her who still had hold of her hair. "And now you've got all this stuff going on with Chase but you still put a smile on your face."
"Yeah but that's for the kids, you'd do the same. Speaking of, where's Avery."
"I think she went to the kitchen," said Ella.
"I'll go check on her." Haley got up from the couch with her empty plate in her hand, watching where she stood so as not to hurt anyone or break anything. As she left the room, she could hear, "I love Aunt Brooke's big heart and how she's always there no matter what." Haley walked into the kitchen to find Avery with a glass of coke in her hand.
"Hey girly, is everything okay," Haley asked making Avery jump slightly.
"Umm yeah, why'd you ask?" Avery turned to Haley who she hadn't heard come into the kitchen.
"Well I noticed that you hadn't touched your food." Haley nodded to the plate of food that hadn't been touched by Avery on the kitchen counter. "Not like it?"
"No it's great, I'm just not-not very hungry," she stammered.
"You're sure that you're okay Ave?"
"I'm fine." Avery quickly left the kitchen with a fake smile upon her face. Haley had heard that "I'm fine" many times before and sometimes from herself. Avery was clearly hiding something but Haley couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly. She followed Avery into the living room, who had now reclaimed her seat on the floor in-between Annie and Ella.
"What did I miss," asked Haley as she joined Peyton back on the couch.
"We were just telling Brooke that we wished that we could look that good in the silky material that she calls pyjamas," Peyton chuckled. Brooke was wearing a silky vest and shorts combo that didn't leave much to the imagination.
"I am wearing pyjamas!" Brooke defended herself, emphasising the 'am'.
"Pyjamas are supposed to be comfy best friend," Peyton explained.
"These are comfy," she said pulling at her silky short shorts. "We don't all have to wear our husbands band tees ."
"Lucas loves me wearing his t-shirts."
"And I get some good loving off Julian by wearing this, although he does prefer me naked," Brooke confessed.
"Ewwwww!"
"BROOKE!"
"There are children present," Sawyer sarcastically commented.
"Fine let's change the conversation away from my sex life," Brooke laughed with Alex.
"Who haven't we complimented yet?"
"Avery," Annie said nudging Avery with her shoulder and smiling.
"I envy your beauty Ave," said Haley. "You have natural model looks; you definitely gained the best part of your mom and dad girly. Don't change okay?" Haley hoped that her comment had sunk in with Avery but only time would tell.
The guys were sat around the table in the dining area surround by pizza boxes, beer and money. They were playing poker after Caleb had gone to bed. Quinley had won the last 6 games.
"Q, how are you doing it?" Lucas asked handing another $10 to his nephew.
"I'm a good face reader. After the first few games, I started to pick up on your poker faces. You need to be more subtle guys." Quinley gathered all of the money from the middle of the table in front of him.
"Poker faces?" Nathan was unaware of the faces that he pulled whilst playing poker.
"Yeah, poker faces. Dad, you run your hand through your hair when you get dealt a bad hand, Julian scrunches up his face, Uncle Lucas scratches his chin and Chase taps his nose," Quinley explained.
"You're definitely your mom's kid son," Nathan laughed to himself.
"Well, I'm out. You've robbed me for all I've got Q," said Chase getting up from the table. "I'm going to get some fresh air." He picked up his bottle of beer and walked away from the table towards the doors that led to the balcony.
"I'll come with you. You guys can carry on playing," Julian said.
Chase and Julian walked onto the balcony and sat in the chairs that were faced looking out onto the beach. The crash of the waves could be heard quietly. After a silence between them, Chase spoke.
"I've been meaning to mention to you and Brooke that I'm looking for my own place to live."
"What? That's crazy Chase. We love having you here."
"And I love being here and I'm grateful for everything that you've done for me but it's time for me to grow up and stop wallowing in my own pity. Me and Alex are over Julian, I need to accept it and get my shit together for the kids. I can't sleep in your guest room my whole life, especially now that you're about to start your own family. It will be better this way; Caleb and Avery can stay over then."
"You and Alex will work things out Chase!"
"Not this time. She still carries around all of these insecurities that are getting in the way."
"Can you blame her?" Julian shouts at Chase which shocks both of them. "I'm sorry…that was a little harsh. It's just I've seen how hard Alex has taken all this and I've only heard her side of the story. She's like a sister to me Chase and you're one of my best friends, I hate seeing you like this. Do you want to tell me why she always feels second best?"
"Because I guess I could have treated her better," Chase confessed.
"What happened all those years ago Chase?" Julian asked with his signature sensitivity in his voice.
"Me and Alex got together after Utah, she was kind of like my rebound relationship. I was looking for something fun and not too serious. But Alex was obviously looking for more. I eventually got back together with Mia but I stayed friends with Alex, she had become kind of like my best friend. Me and Mia were still having problems though, she carried around this bitterness because of mine and Alex's relationship. She found it weird that me and Alex were still friends." Chase could remember everything that happened between his love triangle with Alex and Mia. He took another gulp of his beer and carried on with the story. "Alex put up with all my complaining. I guess I knew deep down that she still loved me but I still turned to her with my problems. Me and Mia had a fight one night and I slept with Alex. That's how Avery ended up in our lives. I was torn about who to be with before Alex told me about the pregnancy, but when she told me that we were having a baby, everything became a lot clearer. I don't love Mia anymore…I haven't even spoke to Mia in like ten years."
"I don't understand," Julian said confused and trying to take in everything that Chase had just told him. "So you love Alex and she's the one you want to be with?"
"More than anything," Chase looked at Julian and Julian could see the pain and honesty in his eyes. "But it just doesn't seem to be working anymore."
"Then fight for it Chase. I've had to deal with Brooke and her insecurities in the past but I loved her and vowed to never give up on her. You should be telling her everyday how great she is and how much you love her. She deserves that. You cant hide from your problems, you've got to hit them straight on and work them out."
"I know. I could have tried harder to show her how much she meant to me. I took her for granted and just thought that she'd always be there," Chase dropped his head in self-pity, the alcohol was working its way into his system.
"Ever think about marriage?" Julian asked after a brief pause, taking another swig of his beer.
"I used to," Chase confessed.
"Remember when you told me about how you would sit on the stairs as a kid and watch your parents dance, every night before bed?" Julian smiled at the memory. Although he wasn't there to personally experience the romantic gesture, the way Chase described it, made him feel like he was. He had even managed to fit it into one of his film scripts. "Didn't you want to let Avery and Caleb experience that with their parents?"
"Me and Alex have never been the 'normal couple' you know, we've always been dysfunctional in some way and it used to work for us. Marriage can ruin people and I realised a long time ago that Alex doesn't react well to change. I didn't think we needed a piece of paper to prove to people how much I loved her."
"You need to tell her; everything that you've just told me, she needs to know how you really feel." Julian patted Chase on the back. Chase just nodded his head in agreement and continued to look out over the beach.
In the Scott's house, the girls had moved on from complimenting and giving each other make-overs; they were now watching a marathon of moves. They had already watched 'Grease' at Alex and Lydia's request and 'The Notebook' at Haley and Ella's request. They were now watching 'Seven Dreams Till Tuesday' which was popular amongst all of them, mainly because it was so familiar; the setting, the director, the costume designer and the lead actress.
"You were beautiful in this scene Alex," said Haley trying to choke back the tears. Even Sawyer was getting emotional, although she'd never admit it.
"Why didn't you stay in the film industry Alex?" Lydia asked, passing the bowl of popcorn to her mom.
"I hit a dark place after this movie and the only director willing to work with a washed up actress who had been in rehab more than once, was Julian. But I got pregnant with Avery and I'm glad because she saved me," Alex pulled Avery onto her lap and hugged her. "I couldn't abandon her, I wanted to be in her life and I couldn't do that if I was on a movie set everyday. So I just left it all behind."
"But what about all your money? You must have had a lot of money but now…"
"Annie!" Peyton warned.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it the way it came out," Annie replied sheepishly, apologising to Alex.
"It's okay. I did have a lot of money, from modelling and acting but I wasted it on drugs and alcohol. Any that I had left over was spent on Avery when she arrived."
"Lesson to be learnt from Alex's mistakes girls, say no to drugs and alcohol." Brooke advised the young teenage girls.
"She's right but you can also learn a lot from Brooke too" Haley said, pausing the film.
"Really Tutor mom and what would that be?"
"Ummm maybe to not be so promiscuous in high school" Peyton sarcastically commented with a hint of seriousness in what she was saying.
"P Scott?" Brooke gasped in shock. Haley was trying to stifle her laughs along with the other girls but a giggle escaped her. "You're not so innocent in all of this Haley James Scott. The girls can learn a lot from you too. Teenage marriage and pregnancy practically speaks for itself. And ladies, rule number 1 when it comes to girl code, no stealing best friends boyfriends," Brooke glared at Peyton who was sat open mouthed.
Before anyone could say anything else, Haley had thrown a pillow straight for Brooke but hit Sawyer instead. Haley always did have a bad aim. Within a minute of Haley's badly thrown pillow, a couple more were being hurled across the room. A full fledged pillow fight had broken out and the girls couldn't help but laugh at their immaturity. Something's never change, no matter how old you may be.
Authors Note: Reading this Chapter back, it seems to go really fast, like the dialogue is fast moving, I don't know. Anyway, I've finally explained how Chase really feels which will lead us to next chapter. I've tried to progress Avery's storyline further too and now someone has noticed that she's not acting herself. I hope som of you appreciated the 'Sixteen Cities' mention ;) Hit the review button then guys, constructive criticism is just as much appreciated as the good reviews :')
Next Chapter: VALENTINES DAY! Lots of couple time (hopefully funny & serious scenes)