A/N: It's been a while and I thought I should at least post something. Things have been hectic and I hope it calms down soon. Enjoy.

Lost

Peyton had been sitting at her mother's grave instead of making her way to school. She had avoided answering Brooke's calls and made sure she couldn't get in the house with the spare key. Brooke wasn't the only person she was avoiding; everyone was on the list. Peyton was upset but determined not to shed a tear. She just sat with her legs crossed and the feel of her hands on the grass. She would always visit at least a week but in the short space of time that she had been back, she had visited a couple of times a week. She was making up for lost time but also it helped her to think and clear her head. The one thing she could always get at her mother's grave was clarity but today it seemed unobtainable.

She kept going over things in her head. 'Things just never seem to turn out how you plan them' she thought to herself. She was actually going to let Brooke know why she was acting the way she was about Jake. She had let it get too far and didn't mean for her feelings to manifest into resentment. She was sure that he wasn't even a bad guy but that didn't matter, especially now, she really had a reason to hate him. She didn't want to see, that in his eyes he didn't do anything wrong. To everyone else, he was a single guy kissing a single girl but all she could see was her girlfriend, Brooke kissing her ex boyfriend.

Peyton wanted to get that vision out of her mind but she was finding it increasingly difficult, as she couldn't get Brooke out of her mind. Most times the brunette consumed her thoughts and she was hoping that this wouldn't be one of those times.

*****

Brooke walked into school feeling emotionally and physically shattered. She had the biggest pair of sunglasses to hide her puffy eyes. She had spent the rest of the weekend crying and trying to get a hold of Peyton. She didn't want to go to school but the off chance of Peyton turning up, gave her the reason to go. Nathan had once again driven her to school. He waited in the car park with Brooke while she scanned for the black comet. She had a small window of hope that was dwindling as the minutes went by.

Nathan looked at his watch and then pulled Brooke in a side hug. "The bell is gonna go soon, we better get to class." Brooke just nodded and followed Nathan into school.

Haley was closing her locker when she saw Nathan and Brooke. Without words passing through three sets of lips, Haley shook her head and Brooke knew that she hadn't spoken to the blonde either. She let the two of them walk pass her as she spotted Lucas walking towards her. She waited for him to approach as they both had the same class.

"I see you fixed that haircut of yours." Haley pointed at his newly shaved hair.

"Did you really think I was going to walk around with half my hair shaved off?" He responded, while he felt his head. He wasn't quite used to his new hairdo.

"You might have been able to pull it off." Haley couldn't help but laugh, remembering all the things that Lucas got up to during Jake's party. "I've never seen you so drunk. In fact, I've never seen you drunk at all. By the way, thanks for the late night voicemail."

Lucas looked mortified, not remembering making a phone call. "What did I say?"

"You were just shouting my name and giggling. It was quite funny. I especially loved the song."

Lucas held his head in his hands. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. With this new found voice of yours, you should sign up for open mic night." Lucas joined in and laughed while the two of them made their way to class.

*****

Rachel was sitting in class talking to Bevin. She wouldn't class the two of them as friends. She didn't actually have friends at high school. She was in her second year at Tree Hill, for the first time she managed to make a second year. Every other school she managed to get expelled from or her parents had to move because of work.

No one really ever knew what her intentions were about or even what she was about. All they knew was that she would do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She had a plan and nothing was going to get in her way. She wanted the squad and the basketball captain all to herself. There was just one problem and she was walking in with one of her targets. She had thought that her plan at the party had worked seeing as Brooke disappeared shortly after the kiss. There was obviously a big flaw in the plan that she wasn't aware of. Both her and Melissa had previously watched how attentive Nathan was to Brooke recently and they both internally cursed the brunette.

"Why are you always staring at the two of them?" Rachel spun her head round to look at Brittany, one of her fellow cheerleaders.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Rachel answered, trying to sound clueless but without it actually working.

"Don't play dumb with us Rachel. Even I can see that you've got a thing for Nathan." Bevin interjected. The other girls were surprised by her insight and she was proud as she wore a big smile on her face.

"Not like anyone has a chance when he's draped all over Brooke." She responded, sounding bitter.

"You're one of those that think they're dating." Bevin questioned, while laughing too.

Before Rachel had the chance to respond, Brittany cut in. "Brooke and Nathan aren't dating and they never have. In fact they don't date other people either. They just hook up with people, no strings attached."

"So you're slutty enough to have a chance." Bevin added while the other two just looked at her. These words seem to give Rachel an added boost of confidence and she wore a smile for the rest of class as she thought of the possible plan of action.

*****

Nathan had taken Brooke to Karen's café to grab some lunch. She didn't want to be around everyone, crowding round her for one reason or another. Nathan went to order leaving Brooke to sit at the table. Jake, on his first full time shift, walked over to her.

"Hey Brooke." She looked up to notice the big smile on his face.

"Hey Jake." He didn't seem to notice the sadness that her voice carried or the fact that she wasn't maintaining eye contact.

"I just wanted to thank you for the party."

"Your welcome. I couldn't let you turn eighteen without having one."

"Brooke, I was kind of wondering if you would want to give things another try."

Brooke, who was looking away, quickly shot her head back at him, thinking that his question had come out of the blue. "I don't think it would be a good idea for many reasons."

"Is it to do with Nathan or your parents?" He enquired, as he couldn't think of any other reasons why she would reply like that.

"No. I'm already seeing someone or at least I was." She sniffed, trying to hold back the tears that were fighting their way through.

"What happened?" He asked, taking a seat opposite her.

"Lets just say that you kissing me didn't go down to well." She answered. She was looking in Nathan's direction and feeling uncomfortable by the conversation.

"Didn't you explain that it was a dare?"

"I haven't had the chance. My calls and messages haven't exactly been answered or returned." She turned her head to him and looked at him properly for the first time.

"Do you want me to talk to him and explain?"

Brooke internally laughed. 'My ex boyfriend, trying to convince my girlfriend that she has nothing to be jealous of. Who will be shocked the most.' She couldn't help but think that. It also didn't go unnoticed that he assumed she was seeing a guy. She didn't want to get into anything else. "No, that won't be needed. Excuse me." She got up and walked over to Nathan. "Can you drop me home on your way back to school?"

He turned round to her and pulled her into a hug. "Are you sure?" She nodded into his chest as he placed a kiss in her hair. Nathan directed his next words at Karen. "Can I get it to go instead?"

*****

Brooke flopped onto her bed, beginning another session of tears. Nathan didn't want to leave Brooke alone but she insisted; she didn't want him to see her the way she had been since Friday night. She pulled her box from under her bed and grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and a photo album. She didn't even bother with a glass; she drank straight from the bottle. She opened the photo album, her little secret from everyone. Photos of her secret would normally bring nothing but a smile to her face but this made the tears stream even more. Her fingers traced the face on the photo as she reminisced on the day it was taken. She had spent the day with Peyton, the anniversary of their first month being a couple.

After drinking half the bottle, she grabbed her bag and pulled her cell phone out. She dialled Peyton's cell and after ringing a couple of times, it went to voicemail. She decided to call her home number, something that both girls had never done. They had made a deal to never call each other on their home phones, in case either of their parents was actually home, as they had also bought into the story that the two of them didn't get on.

To no surprise, the phone rang out to voicemail. This time, Brooke didn't hang up. She heard, what she assumed to be Peyton's father speaking. After the tone, the sobbing brunette spoke. "Please just pick up the phone and talk to me Peyton. You have to know that things aren't what they looked like. I'm not into Jake and have no intention of starting anything with him." Brooke was wiping the tears from her face when she heard a dead tone on the line. She immediately called back but all she got was an engage tone. Brooke threw her phone across the room and pulled the half empty bottle to her lips.