'Hey Squad, I sort of got into an accident, and I don't think I can cheer tonight. So, ya'll are going to have to do this one without me. Just don't do the pyramid and repeat the same choreo,' I sent out a text on the Cheerleaders' group chat as I made my way up the steps as slowly as I could.

As time went by, my body ached more and more. I guess the adrenalin rush was finally out and all I could feel was bee stings all up my side.

I got out of the tight clothes I had on and gently lathered cream all over the bruises. It hurt at the softest touch. I popped a Tylenol in my mouth in the hopes that it would be enough to ease the pain.

I heard my phone vibrate on my bed while I was still taking care of all the lesions.

"Hey Pey," I said on the phone, wincing as I touched an extremely sore spot.

"Brooke! How are you? How bad did you get hurt?" she asked me, extremely worried.

"I don't know Pey. My side is completely purple and it hurts hore and more as the time goes by," I answered honestly.

"Then, let me take you to the ER honey! What if you fractured something?" she said, I could see her fiddling to collect her purse and things.

"I didn't think of that but, no. You know how it gets with my parents never here," I said. Peyton was one person who knew how I felt, living alone. Hell, her life was not all too different, with her dad running a shipping crew. But, he was back every second week and he called every night, so it was still very different.

"Brooke! We will just tell them that those psychos who birthed you don't deserve you and the only family they need present to sign the documents is right there with you. Now, give me fifteen minutes to get there. I love you." she said, not having it.

I tried to get up and get dressed for going to the doctor, but I felt so weak and tired, especially with how cold the cream felt on the swellings. Falling asleep on my bed, sleeping on the side that wasn't hurt, I didn't stir until Peyton's voice gently woke me up.

"Oh honey!" she sighed, her eyes going looking at all the purple and brown marks on my body.

"Well, at least I'm not bleeding!" I joked as I let her help me out of bed and into a loose top and sweatpants, not bothering with underwear as it would just cling to me. The cold cream making my shirt stick just accentuated my pain as Peyton grabbed an icepack and wrapped it in a hand towel for me to ice the swellings.

She helped me slowly get into her Comet and drove me to the hospital.

"How did you even get home!" she asked me.

"Funnily, Lucas helped," I answered truthfully. "I didn't want to call 911 due to the hospital hassle, so I just called the closest towing company. My seatbelt was stuck, so I could not get out of the wreckage. Apparently, his uncle owns an Auto Shop and he came with the pickup and pulled me out of the car."

"Did not expect that," she answered.

"Tell me about it! All my shopping is still in the trunk," I laughed until I winced as even breathing hurt my ribs, laughing was plain torture.

"Also, B. Davis! You don't have to act so stupid okay! Just call me the next time, I am here for you. We don't need Bitchtoria and Ted."

"Okay, don't make me laugh, P! It really hurts!" I said holding myself to control my laughter.

"So what do we have here?" an Asian doctor came to us, drawing the curtains around for privacy.

"I got into an accident," I answered, lifting my shirt up so she could see the bruises. "I put some cold cream on and had tylenol."

"That sounds good," she said, examining the cuts.

"Her ribs really hurt, I was afraid she could have fractured something or bled internally," Peyton chimed, her voice thick with concern.

"You have got a good friend here," she remarked. "Brooke, your chart tells me that you're sixteen. Can we call a parent to be here with you? Nothing looks broken, but I would like you to do an x-ray to make sure there is no hairline fracture. Meanwhile, keep icing those wounds."

"Good luck trying to get a hold of them," I laughed.

"Yeah, they kind of are never around much," Peyton explained.

"Do I need to call CPS?" the doctor asked worriedly.

"No!" both of us yelled together.

"They just work in California, so sometimes, they leave me here. I am okay," I smiled.

The Doctor looked at us, trying to make up her mind about what was the right call.

"Look Doctor, I have all of her health insurance information. We can manage this without her parents. Can you just, please take care of my best friend?" she pleaded.

This was enough for the doctor to stop interrogating us and ask one of the nurses to wheel me up for the X-ray.

"Well Brooke, I don't see any visible fractures. You are good to go," she said to me once she had inspected the results.

"Thanks P. Sawyer," I said to her once she had helped me back in bed. "Now, go get to the game! You're already late. Don't late Rachel take over my squad!"

"Brooke, you don't want me to stay with you?" she asked.

"And miss out on Nathan's rager! Oh please girl, I need to live vicariously through you. Now get your butt out of this house!" I instructed.

"Glad to see the accident didn't take the Cheer Nazi out of you!" she joked before leaving.

Good God, what was I going to do tonight! I could not sleep alone at night. The emptiness and the nightmares were too big. I would feel the darkness looming as the loneliness would become all too real. That was the real reason I went out every night, to find the next boy to share a bed with. That was the reason I spent so much of my time at Peyton's. I was scared and lonely and abandoned. I know, it was stupid for me to complain when I had a luxurius house and platinum limitless credit cards at my disposal and there were kids on the streets. But, it felt the same nevertheless.

I didn't bother eating anything, even though I knew I shouldn't have been taking Tylenol on an empty stomach. But, I just needed to somehow manage sleeping.

I put two in my mouth, stripped off my clothes and lay in bed naked, numerous ice packs covering my bruised body. I could not sleep but my body felt too tired to move.

Hours passed and I just lay there in the same position. My phone had been chiming with texts, but I just did not feel like talking to anyone.

Soon it was late at night, my phone chimed again with a text which made me wonder who was awake so late at night. To my sheer surprise, it was Lucas. I looked at the time on my phone which read 4:07 am.

'Hey, hope you're feeling better,' the text said.

'Yeah, Peyton did take me up to the ER, no fractures.' I responded. It surprised me why I was responding to him, especially after the stunt he had pulled with me that day, even though it was out of pure concern for my well being.

'How are you awake? I thought you would be knocked out by painkillers.' he texted back.

'Yeah, I just can't sleep, I guess. How are you still awake, Nate's party that good?'

'No, I just couldn't sleep either so I came out for a run.'

'Your girl for the night proved to be lame?' I asked with a couple of emojis.

'Oh, if only. Tim blew up the electricals. He dropped beer onto a socket by the DJ booth. The party was over before it started.'

'Well, now everyone knows it, there is no party without Brooke Davis!' I sent, with crown emojis.

'You sure you're okay Brooke? You have literally been up all night due to the pain. You had aspirin?'

If only he knew, the pain was more psychological than physical.

'Yeah, I had tylenol. It just stings alot even when I breathe.'

'If you want, I can come check on you. I am not too far from here.'

'No, it's okay. I am fine.' I responded all too quickly.

Why was Lucas Scott so concerned about my wellbeing? I wondered.