The Rehearsal Dinner
"Hello hello everybody!" Haley spoke into the microphone. Peyton stood there backstage waiting. Back in high school, Brooke did a whole show for Naley right before their wedding and tonight Haley was doing the same for Brooke and Lucas. Peyton just wanted the night to be over. For the first half of their relationship Peyton had a role in many of the reenactments. Sometimes being Brooke and sometimes being herself. But when they started the second half of the show, Peyton got to sit at a table and watch the rest as she had not been around when they had gotten back together the final time.
"Thank you so much for coming tonight!" The crowd yelled and cheered. "As many of you know, Brooke and I have been best friends for so long. And tomorrow, we will finally officially become family. I love you Brooke." More cheers and whistles came. Nathan popped his head from behind stage and yelled, "Thats my wife!" The crowd laughed. "Thank you Nathan," Haley laughed. "As many of you know, back in high school Brooke put on a whole show of important moments in our life and relationship. Tonight we will be doing the same. So within the next 10 minutes, please take a walk to the buffet and bar and come back and sit back and relax. There will be a brief intermission after act 1. Thank you." Haley put the mic down and walked back behind the stage.
The curtains opened to a cardboard cut out that had been made to look like a car. Jake had been sitting on a chair behind a "window" with a blonde wig on. The crowd chuckled at the sight. "Well I just played in my first Raven's game and made the winning shot." From behind, Rachel popped up. Jake pretended to be startled, "What, what are you doing back there? How did you get in?" Rachel ignored him pretending to change out of her cheerleading uniform. "Did you feel it?" She questioned. "Jake responded, "feel what," and Rachel responded, "this is the moment it all will change." And the curtains closed.
The curtains opened to Haley standing at the mic. "After that moment, Lucas told Brooke to read a book and after he would go on a date with her." Haley walked off stage. Skills and Bevin walked in while Mouth was on the side of the stage with a sign saying "Blue Post."
"Brookie Cookie how we getting in here shawty we ain't 21," Skills said. Bevin pulled out 2 cards, "Baby on these it says Gretchen and Henry are both 21." The two moved towards a table pretending to play pool. Bevin looks at skills with the stick in her hand and 1 ball left on the table. "Lucas Scott if I make this shot, you have to do something that I want." Skills nodded his head. Bevin hit the ball and missed. So then she tried again. And again. And again. The whole crowd had been laughing. Finally Bevin took the ball in her hand and placed it into the hole. She huffed. "Whats your take on tattoos?" she said with her hands on her hips. Skills raised his eyebrows and looked at the crowd, "Baby lets just get to the part where my boy got to make out with the goddess Brooke Davis." The curtain closed with everyone laughing.
The curtain opened, Peyton and Mouth had been walking up "the path to Lucas's door." Peyton spoke first, "I am so sad my parents are making me move I can't believe we are poor." "I know, I am going to miss you Peyton, I mean Brooke," Mouth fumbled from his nervousness. "What will you miss most? And you cant say anything about how hot I am." Mouth smiled pointing to the "red door," they had walked up too. He gestured to the door, "I am going to miss the girl behind the red door." Mouth opened the fake door and behind it on a table stood Brooke's dollhouse. "My mom convinced your parents to let you stay. I wasn't ready to lose you Brooke." Peyton moved to hug Mouth towering over him, "I wasn't ready to be missed Lucas Scott." A chorus of "awwwwws" came from the audience.
Haley came out to the mic. "Now Lucas has been my best friend for forever. And one thing I can tell you is Lucas's timing is the worst." "Hey!" Lucas shouted from his seat with a smile. "Sorry BIL, but the next scene will just show you how terrible with timing he is."
Next walked out Rachel and Jake. Peyton knew what scene this was and it would be a hard one. Rachel was pretending to close a full luggage and put them on the ground. "BEEP BEEP." The crowd heard. Jake walked out with the ridiculous wig on and hand in his pockets. Rachel shifted back and forth, "I guess thats my taxi." Jake leaned forward kissing Rachel. "Jake, I mean Lucas what was that." He had a big goofy smile on his face, "I love you Brooke." Rachel continued, "What about the crap in the closet?" Rachel turned to the side making direct eye contact with Peyton knowing she just called her stuff crap. Jake continued, "I keep that stuff as a reminder of how badly I screwed up things with you. To remind myself, If I ever got a second chance, I'd never let you go." BEEP BEEP. Rachel stood up with the suitcase in her hand, "I gotta go." Peyton felt a little green backstage. Was that all she was? A reminder of the mistakes Lucas had made with Brooke?
Nathan then approached the mic, "Once Brooke had come back from California, she still was guarding her heart. Lucas scared her and it would take sometime for him to get her walls down, but he broke her little by little."
Skills, Mouth, Jake, Junk, and Fergie all came out with red solo cups making a circle around Peyton. "Oh my god Brooke Davis you're so hot." "Brooke Davis Shawty were you be at." "Brooke my heart skips a beat around you." The group kept giving "Brooke" aka Peyton compliments. Nathan walked on stage with the blonde wig. From the crowd, "Daddy you look so silly!" Jaime laughed. The circle around Peyton opened up. "Brooke you want to play this non exclusive bs?" "Lucas Scott," Nathan cut her off. "I'm the guy for you. I know we're just part time and that's cool, do whatever, have your fun. But one of these nights you're going to realize it. I'm the guy for you, Brooke Davis… you'll see."
Rachel walked over to the mic. "Hi everyone," she waved to the crowd. "Now Brooke and Lucas were on a rollercoaster in high school. Both making mistakes, but showing everyone that you can grow from your mistakes and stand by you word and who you are. Brooke and Lucas have both proven that people who are meant to be together, always find their way in the end."
Haley walked on stage with a box in her hand. "Knock knock" she said out loud. Nathan opened "the door." Haley stepped forward clutching the box to her chest. "They're are 82 letters in here and they're all addressed to you. I wrote them all this Summer one a day but I never sent them because I was afraid."
"Brooke," Haley cut him off just like Brooke had on this night. "I was afraid of getting my heartbroken again like before, because you hurt me so bad. And I was afraid to be vulnerable. And I was afraid of you and the way you make me feel. And I know that doesn't matter now after what I did, but I just thought you should know. This is how I spent my Summer Luke. Wanting you, I was just too scared to admit it." Haley placed the box down, and walked away. Nathan called out "Brooke," and walked towards her just like Lucas had done that night. "What you did with," Nathan paused and looked at the crowd, "he who shall not be named," the crowd chuckled, "It's ok." He had his hands on her arms pulling her. "It's not it cant be it's too much to forgive." "Well I just did and you're going to have to deal with it. I'm the guy for you Brooke Davis and I know the last time we were together .." Haley cut him off, "I love you." "I love you too Pretty girl." Nathan leaned in kissing Haley and dipping her down. The crowd stood up cheering!
Millie came out to the mic. "Everyone give it up for Brooke and Lucas's love story." Everyone began clapping. "We will be having a 15 minute intermission until act 2. Please stop at the buffet, the bar, bathroom, whatever you may need and we will resume in 15 minutes." The curtain closed. Peyton looked up noticing everyone making moves. Jamie and Jenny had been dragging Brooke to the food and she saw Lucas go to the bar. Maybe this can be my time to talk to him she thought and moved towards the bar. She walked up next to him. Him never turning to make eye contact. "Isn't it such a great show Luke? It's almost identical to the one Brooke put on for Naley." Lucas brought his glass to his lips and turned, "Except this time I am not going to lose Brooke. Her best friend isn't going to tell her their in love with me." Lucas went to walk away and Peyton grabbed his arm, "Lucas please," he took his arm out of her grasp. "Don't touch me. I don't want you here don't you remember me telling you that?" Peyton with tears in her eyes, "Lucas," he turned around to see Brooke, Nathan, and Haley staring at the interaction. "Broody stop. I don't know whats wrong with you, but you need to apologize." Lucas shook his head and walked away. "I got it," Nathan said following his brother. "Peyton, I'm sorry I don't know whats gotten into him. You and Brooke go back to your seats act 2 is going to start."
Everyone returned to their seats. Peyton saw Lucas come back and sit next to Brooke, he kissed the side of her head and then whispered in her ear. "Act 2 will begin," was said over the mic. Peyton wasn't in the mood. After being yelled at by Lucas, now she had to sit through how they had gotten back together after they had broken 1 was Lucas's second trip to California. The scene had been the beach picnic where Lucas kissed Brooke and then called Haley asking for help. This was the initial start to them being Brucas again. Scene 2 was Brooke getting off the phone with Karen, her flying and showing up at Lucas's front door telling him she was moving home. Scene 3 was Brooke's store opening. Lucas giving one of his special speeches for Brooke and her accomplishment. Scene 4 was Lucas's book being published. The call telling him, and his first stop on the book tour when Brooke showed up to surprise him and he gave another speech.
And the last scene was their engagement. Haley and Nathan walked on stage with Jamie in the middle. "This spot is always going to be our spot Lucas Scott and I am so happy to share it with our godson." Nathan continued, "You know what would make this better?" Nathan got down on one knee. "Stop stop!" Jamie shouted. "Mama, daddy this is not how it happened I would know I was there." The crowd erupted in laughter. "Jamie baby not everything is 100% accurate." "No no," he responded. "Dada, uncle Lucas whispered in my ear saying it's time. Then he got down on one knee, told Aunt Brooke she's the most amazing person in the world and he loves her. And she would make him even happier if she said she would become Brooke Scott." Then he turned to Haley, "Then mama Aunt Brooke cried and jumped in Uncle Lucas's arms. Then I screamed that Aunt Brooke will finallllllllllllllly be related to me because her last name will be Scott." Jamie proudly smiled at the crown and waved, "I love you Aunt Brooke I cant wait for tomorrow!"
The cast and crew came out bowing in front of everyone. Peyton watched on. Jamie had ran off the stage and flew at his god parents. Karen and Victoria were hugging bidding farewell. Jenny was reaching up towards Rachel asking to be lifted. She started to think. She didn't;t even know these important times happened in their lives. She gave up. She was the one who decided to isolate herself. She began realizing maybe she had been wrong. Brooke had been there when all of Lucas's dreams had come true and he had been there for hers. Was this just a dream she held onto the thought of her and Lucas being end game?
She had been taken out of her thoughts at the sound of Haley's voice, "Thank you all so much for coming tonight! I hope you enjoyed Brucas's story and we cannot wait for their special day tomorrow! Bye everyone!" Peyton stood up and walked towards Haley. "Hey Pey, Nathan is sending Brooke and Lucas home," she nodded towards where Nathan was talking to them, "and we are going to clean up." Peyton nodded her head and started to throw things out. She walked past the table that had the posters and pictures of Brooke and Lucas. She didn't feel the hate she had felt all week while looking at them. Had this been a sign? Had she started to move forward with the realization that Brooke and Lucas are meant to be together? A smile crept on her face, she felt at ease. Maybe she could be happy for them.