"So." Haley's voice was muffled as she moved around her bedroom. "Have you talked to Peyton yet?"
"No..." Brooke replied, still feeling guilty about their fight the day before. "Why? Have you?"
They were on the phone while trying to get ready for the game. It was an away game, the girls had to find their own way to the school. Brooke had offered to drive, but she was unsure if that meant that she was still picking up her blonde best friend on the way.
"I sent her a text." She admitted. "But I never heard back. The only time I've ever seen her act like that is... Oh crap."
The team captain instantly knew why her red haired friend had trailed off. She reached for the calender sitting above her bed. The current date was Friday, September 10th, 2004. The day before had been September 9th, the date of Anna Sawyer's car accident and death.
"Hales?" She asked weakly. "I... I gotta go... I'll grab you after I grab Peyton, alright?"
Brooke couldn't remember if she'd said goodbye or not. She grabbed her gym bag and pompoms, flinging them into the backseat before pulling out of her driveway and doing ten over the speed limit to get to her best friend's house.
Peyton sat on her bed, flipping through a magazine while she debated on whether or not to call Brooke. The three girls usually drove to the away games together, always finding safety in numbers. She wondered if Brooke was still angry with her, she just didn't know the right way to apologize, or explain her actions.
She could always drive herself if she had to, but she missed her girls. She wanted to be able to laugh about nothing, and blast music, and just be a teenager, and be carefree with her best friends.
Just as Peyton went to pick up her phone to call the brunet, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her burst out laughing.
"Safe yet?" Brooke asked, slowly glancing around the room. She flung the white pair of panties at her best friend before slipping inside. "No hostile tone, no bitter complaints, no yelling at your best friend?"
Peyton smiled. That was the thing about Brooke, she could never stay mad for too long.
"Oh my god!" She gasped dramatically. "A smile!"
"Alright." The blonde drew out, shaking her head. "I was a mess yesterday. I'm sorry."
Brooke moved to stand in front of Peyton's webcam, turning so her ass faced the camera. She always gave her best friend such grief about the webcam perves she had watching her. Because she never went offline, she usually forgot about it even being there, and dressed in front of the camera.
"Apology accepted!" Brooke cheered. "A-P-O-L-O-G-Y? Because I love you. Get your skinny ass up, and let's go beat the pirates."
Before Peyton could stop her, the brunet had suddenly flashed her bloomers at the webcam.
"What are you doing?"
"What?" She asked innocently. "It's a web cam. It's what they're for. Come on."
Peyton stood up to follow her out,
"Oh, but wait." Brooke grabbed the blonde's pompoms, chucking them at her. "Now we're even."
"You're dead!" Peyton warned, chasing her out of the room. "Dead!"
Brooke squealed and jumped into her car, waiting for her skinny best friend to join her. They took a moment to catch their breaths before the brunet pulled out of the Sawyer's driveway, heading just down the street to retrieve Haley.
"Peyton?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry..." Brooke began, reaching for her hand. "I didn't even realize that yesterday... I should have been there for you, and I wasn't, and I am so sorry..."
"Brooke..." Peyton drew out, giving her hand a squeeze. "I was a mess yesterday... I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, I just..."
"Don't ever apologize." She said, turning into Haley's driveway. "I'm always here for you, Blondie."
She squeezed her best friend's hand again. Together, they watched as Haley James made a less than graceful exit from her house. They burst out laughing.
"Peyton?" Brooke asked, reaching up to brush a few stray tears away.
"Yeah?"
She smiled. "Your mom would be so proud of you, P. Sawyer."