Broken Strings

Both Brooke and Peyton weren't in school again and there were the odd murmurs throughout the day but no one had really connected the dots. Nathan and Haley had traded in their latest updates on the two, but there was no real progress to report. Brooke stayed holed up in her room refusing to come out while Peyton wouldn't talk to anyone that tried to contact her.

The school day went by uneventful. Most students were happy when the mundane ended and they were able to leave school. Obviously, not everyone left the premises when the final bell rang. The basketball team and cheerleaders were still around and so were people with less popular extra curricular activities.

Theresa was excited as she was taking her first practice in charge. With Brooke not showing up to school, she couldn't help but smile throughout the day after Nathan told her. She knew that even though it was temporary for now, next year this would be hers and she was looking forward to it everyday.

Unfortunately for her, Rachel was also happy by this news. As this was her final year, she wanted to oust Brooke from her captain position. In her eyes, this was going to be a hostile takeover and started now.

All the girls were going through the routine while Theresa walked up and down the line. She stopped at Rachel, who wasn't following the routine that everybody else was doing. She had hoped that Rachel wouldn't give her any grief today as she previously done to Brooke since she joined the squad. Theresa knew she couldn't be a push over and this would be the first test of things to come.

"Rachel, what do you think you're doing? Follow the routine."

Everybody stopped and watched the red head answer. "I think what I'm doing is far better and I say we use it."

"That isn't what Brooke wants us to do." Theresa placed both hands on her hips.

"Brooke isn't here so you're in charge and I think we should my routine instead." She said smiling, hoping that Theresa would be the push over that she had thought. The reaction she got wasn't quite what she was expecting.

"As you said, Brooke isn't here. I'm in charge and I say we do the routine that we've been doing." She said with more authority, stepping towards the red head. All the other cheerleaders started whispering amongst each other, speculating on what was going to happen next.

The Scott brothers along with the rest of the basketball team were walking into the gym, when they saw what was happening with the cheer squad. Lucas wore a grin as he saw his girlfriend step towards Rachel. "God she's sexy when she's angry."

Nathan looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Didn't need to hear that bro."

Rachel turned away from Theresa and diverted her attention to Nathan. "Come see how a real cheerleader does it." She shouted across the gym.

Nathan looked at his older brother, who was laughing, and he shook his head. "I hope none of you are causing any trouble; Nathan doesn't date troublesome cheerleaders."

Nathan hit Lucas in the back, after his comment "Nathan doesn't date." He muttered under his breath, as the boys walked over to Whitey.

*****

Haley had been trying to get hold of Peyton, since the party, and she was currently trying again, while she was at the back of Karen's cafe. With Haley's last attempt, Peyton finally answered.

"If you're just calling to talk about Brooke, then save your breath." The blonde spat angrily.

"Hello to you too." Haley answered startled.

Peyton wrestled with how she was going to respond next. She put her free hand through her hair and spoke more softly. "Sorry."

"Did it ever cross your mind that I might be worried about you?" There was just silence coming from the other end of the phone. "I take your silence as a no. I coming round to see you and if you're not there I'm going to kick you're ass. I'm bringing food with me too."

Finally giving up, Peyton answered. "With a threat like that, how can I say no."

After ending the call, Haley walked from the back and bumped into Jake. Luckily for the two of them, his hands were empty.

"Hey. How's Brooke doing?" Jake inquired. The brunette had been on his mind and he had called a couple of times but she didn't answer.

"She's ok." Haley burrowed her eyes in confusion. "Why do you ask?"

"She was in here with Nathan yesterday and she looked upset. She told me that she was seeing someone but me kissing her didn't go down very well."

"She told you she's seeing someone." Haley tried to hide her surprise but she was sure that it must have been written all over her face. She then wondered how much of the truth Brooke told the young father.

"Yeah. Do you know who he is?" He was wracking his brain, going through all the possible names. The only ones he could think of were the guys that he had spotted at his party but he knew he hadn't seen everybody.

"It's not my place to say."

"I understand. I know how she likes to keep things to herself; trust me, I know. I just wanted to know who she turned me down for."

Haley was even more surprised than before and didn't care about hiding it this time. "Do you still like her?"

"Yeah. Kind of asked her out when she was here. I completely got my wires crossed."

"I guess that's happening to a lot of people lately." She responded sounding slightly disappointed.

"Are you sticking around?" He asked.

"Not for long. Just gonna finish some homework, grab some food and then head over to Peyton's."

The bell at the door rang which made both of them turn their heads to the front of the shop. Jake turned back to her. "I better go and see to those customers."

*****

Peyton wasn't sure what had made her answer her phone this time. She had ignored Haley's previous calls; in fact she had ignored everybody's calls except her father's. Something that he had said had prompted her to speak to her friend and even let her into the house. The two of them were in the kitchen, dishing the food, which Haley had brought round, onto plates.

"She misses you."

Peyton didn't know how to react to those three words. Was she happy, sad or both? She found it best to go with how she was initially feeling. "I thought we weren't going to talk about her."

Haley knew she shouldn't have mention anything but she couldn't let the opportunity pass her by. "We won't but I need to get this off my chest. I'm worried about you but I'm especially worried about her. She's missing school, even cheerleading and she's drinking again."

"So, she drank before."

"It's not like before. She's drinking herself to sleep. She was in a state on Friday and Nathan and I had to take her home. She pulled a box from under her bed, full of drink and wouldn't stop. Nathan's worried and hasn't ever seen her like this."

"It's not my problem anymore." Peyton knew that if Brooke was missing cheerleading and Nathan was worried, then it was something for her to be worried about too. She couldn't help get pass the hurt she was feeling to do anything about it. Her pride was her biggest stumbling block and it was a big one at that.

Haley could see pass the wall that Peyton was currently putting up and she was a little frustrated by it. "Don't act like you don't care when you so obviously still do."

"Tell me, why do you care so much about what goes on between Brooke and I?" Peyton spat.

Haley slumped into the chair, exhaling heavily at the question she was asked. "I can't believe you're asking me that."

"Then just tell me." Peyton could feel herself boiling over but she just didn't seem to be able to stop herself. She wasn't really angry with Haley but she was taking it out on her.

"Because you make each other happy. You actually wear a smile on your face when you're around her. I've seen her change so much. You balance each other out. Is it so wrong to want my friend to be happy."

Peyton let out an exhausted breath, releasing some of the anger that she had been building up. She knew she had to stop taking it out on Haley and became less aggressive. "I'm not setting myself up for her to throw it back in my face."

"She won't throw it back in your face. Please just talk to her." Haley pleaded.

"There's nothing left to say." Peyton sank further into her chair, hoping to get lost in it. "She had her chance and she blew it."

"You could listen to what really happened and finally tell her what's been on your mind and why you had such a problem before all of this happened."

"Or maybe I don't."

"Well are you going to at least go back to school or are you content in having to repeat a year." Haley took a bit of her food and smiled at the blonde, knowing that it would help turn the evening around.

Peyton just rolled her eyes thinking it was just like Haley to turn all of this in something academic. "I can always transfer instead."