Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A few days passed since moving in, everything I'd pack with me all bought to Nathan's place. Thankfully he owns a car, which I realise needs to be one of my next purchases to find a cheap second hand car.
As for everyone, they'd been way too focused on their usual routine of class, study, homework, sleep, eat and repeat, to have been able to socialise or catch up since the night of the drama.
Today is Haley, Brooke and Peytons' first day off, or at least morning, being quiet enough for a long over due catchup.
Awaiting for one another's orders to be finished, they eventually grab their cups and walk over to a quieter part of the cafe, tucking themselves away in the corner.
Once they were settled in, Peyton was the first to speak amongst the quiet trio.
"Have you had one too many late nights out, B?" Peyton asks, only to add, "You look like hell."
"Peyton!" Haley snaps at the remark.
"What? She does, and if I know Brooke, this means that something is obviously bothering her." Peyton retorts at Haley.
Brooke doesn't respond and shields her face behind the cup of coffee, which was hardly making a difference to the way she felt.
"She's not wrong, I guess." Brooke sighs.
"Oh, well, what's up?" Haley asks.
"I don't know, just something doesn't feel right." She stops for a moment and ponders for herself, before continuing, "Like, I haven't made the right decision about something, but I just can't figure out what. You know when you start to wonder if you've made the right choice? Maybe something that you can't take back?"
Both Haley and Peyton nod at Brooke.
"But what is it? Did I ruin a dress design and my teacher is going to have my hands for it?" She eyes off either of her hands, like they were a weapon to be discarded of but she shuddered at the thought. "No, it can't be that... maybe, it was...no, not that either." She balls fistfuls of her hair into her hands and props her elbows on top of the table, almost knocking over her coffee.
Haley reaches over to rub her back and eyes off Peyton, hoping she'd take the hint to say something.
"Morning ladies," Lucas cheers, and always seeming to pop up, just when he is needed.
"Ah, Lucas Scott, welcome." Haley half smiles at him, when he notices the gesture, one she has given to Peyton as a hint, to make notice of a sad Brooke.
"What's wrong, Brooke?" He instinctively kisses he top of her head and places his hand on the small of her back, once Haley removed hers from the way.
"I think, I don't need to say anything now." Peyton crosses one forearm against her front, balancing her elbow against it to bring up the cup of coffee to her mouth, silencing any remarks she wants to mutter out.
"Are we even meant to be together?" She whimpers our, unexpectedly to the group.
"What did I miss..." He asks unsurely.
"I just don't know, what to think anymore." She buries her face into her arms when she presses them against the table, so to cover herself from their watchful eyes.
"I think you're being over dramatic.." Peyton rolls her eyes and stands up from the table, "Anyway, I need to go."
"Why? You don't have a class on until-"
"I got things to do." Peyton cuts off Haley.
"Like what? Clearly your friend needs you."
All it took was the look on Lucas' face to hit something hard inside of Peyton. She felt a large lump get caught in her throat that she had to swallow. She knew there'd be no point explaining herself or arguing. She has nothing more to say, or felt the need to be here any longer than she already had.
"I-I gotta go." Unfortunately she manages to knock over the mug, one that Brooke had almost knocked before.
She could barely reply an apology as she exits the cafe as quickly as possible.
"Just let her be," Haley says, as Lucas watched on helplessly, wanting to have been there for both Brooke and Peyton.
— Off in the distance I watched on to Brooke, Peyton, Haley and now Lucas.
I cursed to myself the moment I heard the glass shatter against the floor it had harshly been tossed against. I tried to plead with Samantha, to make someone else clean up the mess, but she wasn't having it.
I took my time to go to the kitchen to get a broom and shovel. By the time I got back, Peyton had stormed out of the cafe and the three others remained.
"Why me? Why?" I groan and slowly go over, keeping my head low, maybe they wouldn't notice me.
"I need to go, too." Brooke finally gets up from her chair and brushes harshly against me, both of us speechless from the impact, but she continued to go for the door, mouthing a sorry, if I read her lips correctly. Or it could have been slut? Slurry? Who knew.
Lucas gave my arm a squeeze and chased after Brooke, Haley in line, to also eye me off before dashing out. Their silence hurt more than if they had of said something.
I started to clean their mess, wishing I was part of their catch up, enjoying my iced coffee along with them. But those days were over, or for who knows how much longer.
I wince when I suddenly feel the prick of glass graze against the side of my hand. I'd been too busy worrying about them rather than focusing on my cleaning task.
I quickly finished what I had been over for and retreated to the back to get a bandaid; at least some pain could be fixed with something as simple as a bandaid.
