The table had been silent. Ever since the arrival of Haley and Nathan, things had simply gotten worse. To call it awkward would be an understatement. Brooke had managed to keep her eyes down on to her plate for the entire lunch, so far. Not that it really mattered. No one was really paying attention to anything except their food.
Deb had simply received complements on her cooking, and then the table had fallen silent. Everyone had been holding their breath, wondering who the first degrading comment would be made towards.
“Nate, could you pass the mashed potatoes?” Lucas asked his brother quietly. Everyone around the table silently thanked him for being the one to break the silence.
“Sure. Here you go.” Nathan handed him the bowl, and then looked around the table. His eyes landed on his sister in law. The poor girl looked as if she were about to explode. Frankly, he didn’t blame her.
Dan looked over at Lucas, a smile crossing over his features. The man was everything he’d ever hoped for in a son. He was good looking, responsible, rich, and still talented at basketball.
Then his eyes landed on Nathan, the son he’d raised for sixteen years. A frown grew on his face. How ungrateful Nathan had always been never ceased to amaze him. And what he’d become was just a disgrace to the family. Married at sixteen, and now a man of absolutely nothing. The boy still lived in a cramped one bedroom apartment, for God’s sake!
“So,” Dan smirked, “How’s it been going, Nathan?”
“It’s been fine, Dad.”
“Still an ‘architect’?” Dan used air quotes around the word ‘architect’, causing everyone at the table to roll their eyes. He’d always managed to find a way to degrade his son.
“Yeah. And apparently you’re still an asshole.” Haley quietly scolded her husband, but it was to no avail.
Dan simply laughed. “This coming from the man that lives off his wife’s paycheck.”
“Oh, you are so out of line.” Deb spoke through gritted teeth.
Lucas, always the peacemaker, attempted to stop the family. “Come on, Guys. Not now.”
“Honestly Nathan, is there no way you can possibly be like your brother?” Dan gestured towards Lucas.
“Dan!” Deb’s fists tightened.
“That’s funny, Dad. Up until a few years ago, all you ever told me was that you were happy I wasn’t like him..” Nathan chuckled.
“Look, this was obviously a mistake. Maybe we should just go..” Haley stood, but Deb held out a hand to stop her.
“Nonsense. I invited you two to this lunch because I wanted you here. Don’t let Dan’s childish behavior push you away.”
“Deb,” Dan laughed, “I’d hardly call it childish. I’m just saying-”
“I know what you’re saying, Dan.”
Lucas sighed. “Deb..”
“It’s not your place, Lucas.” The blonde woman replied, her eyes never leaving her husband’s.
“Don’t say that to him. Lucas is just as much a part of this family as Nathan..”
The arguing continued once more between the two parties. Lucas and Haley attempted to make peace, and interject a few times, but it was for no reason. The table was soon full of insults and anger being thrust around.
Tears filled Brooke’s eyes, and she scolded herself mentally. “I need to use the restroom.” She excused herself.
Lucas sighed, but let her go. She wasn’t heard by anyone else, really, because the table was so loud compared to her quiet voice.
Nathan watched after her. She’d been through so much. Over the years, and especially now. And from the looks of it, she was breaking. Brooke Davis-Scott was no longer the happy-go-lucky girl she’d been in high school.
“Uh, I have to go to the bathroom.” He stood, following in her general direction.
He found her in one of the many bathrooms of the house. The door was slightly ajar, and she sat with her back against the bath tub, her legs stretched out in front of her.
He smiled softly, and took a seat beside her.
“Are you okay?” He asked carefully, after a few moments.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She smiled - but it was fake. He wondered if all her smiles had been fake, over the years.
“Sorry about everything in there. That’s the last thing you deserve.”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged.
Nathan looked over her profile. Her face had a really pretty shape. She had a perfect nose, and her lips were located at exactly the right place beneath it.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Brooke.”
She bit her lip. “Why does everyone always think I’m lying when I say I’m okay? Nathan, if I said I was fine, I meant it!”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just get worried about you sometimes, Brooke.”
“I’m sure.”
“Come on, don’t be like that,” She almost smiled, turning to look him in the eyes, “You know you’ve always been my friend. Since like, the fifth grade. I care about you, whether or not you believe me.”
“Thanks.” A genuine smile crossed over her lips. It was tiny; barely enough to show the large dimples in her cheeks.
“I know that everything’s been tough for you lately. But I want you to know I’m here. I’m not just your husband’s brother, you know.” He nudged her, and she giggled.
“Thanks, Nate.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him so that he could place a kiss on her forehead.
“I miss the old you, Brooke Davis.” He whispered against her hair.
“Me too.” A solitary tear ran down her cheek.
The two stood up, and Brooke nodded thankfully, before leaving. He watched after her and sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bath tub.
Now, to deal with his own problems..
-
“Thanks for lunch, Deb.” Brooke hugged her mother-in-law awkwardly.
“Thank you for coming, Brooke. I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did.”
“Don’t sweat it.” She grabbed Lucas’s hand, pulling him towards the door.
“Lucas,” Deb stopped him, “Um, today, I didn’t mean-”
“I know,” Lucas smiled warmly, reaching out to give her a hug, “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Deb nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “You have a great heart, Lucas. And you too, Brooke. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you two.”
“Thanks, Deb.”
The two left quickly, and as they drove off, Lucas turned towards Brooke.
“That wasn’t as bad as it could have been, was it?”
“No. Not quite that bad.” Brooke said, remembering her conversation with Nathan.
Deb had simply received complements on her cooking, and then the table had fallen silent. Everyone had been holding their breath, wondering who the first degrading comment would be made towards.
“Nate, could you pass the mashed potatoes?” Lucas asked his brother quietly. Everyone around the table silently thanked him for being the one to break the silence.
“Sure. Here you go.” Nathan handed him the bowl, and then looked around the table. His eyes landed on his sister in law. The poor girl looked as if she were about to explode. Frankly, he didn’t blame her.
Dan looked over at Lucas, a smile crossing over his features. The man was everything he’d ever hoped for in a son. He was good looking, responsible, rich, and still talented at basketball.
Then his eyes landed on Nathan, the son he’d raised for sixteen years. A frown grew on his face. How ungrateful Nathan had always been never ceased to amaze him. And what he’d become was just a disgrace to the family. Married at sixteen, and now a man of absolutely nothing. The boy still lived in a cramped one bedroom apartment, for God’s sake!
“So,” Dan smirked, “How’s it been going, Nathan?”
“It’s been fine, Dad.”
“Still an ‘architect’?” Dan used air quotes around the word ‘architect’, causing everyone at the table to roll their eyes. He’d always managed to find a way to degrade his son.
“Yeah. And apparently you’re still an asshole.” Haley quietly scolded her husband, but it was to no avail.
Dan simply laughed. “This coming from the man that lives off his wife’s paycheck.”
“Oh, you are so out of line.” Deb spoke through gritted teeth.
Lucas, always the peacemaker, attempted to stop the family. “Come on, Guys. Not now.”
“Honestly Nathan, is there no way you can possibly be like your brother?” Dan gestured towards Lucas.
“Dan!” Deb’s fists tightened.
“That’s funny, Dad. Up until a few years ago, all you ever told me was that you were happy I wasn’t like him..” Nathan chuckled.
“Look, this was obviously a mistake. Maybe we should just go..” Haley stood, but Deb held out a hand to stop her.
“Nonsense. I invited you two to this lunch because I wanted you here. Don’t let Dan’s childish behavior push you away.”
“Deb,” Dan laughed, “I’d hardly call it childish. I’m just saying-”
“I know what you’re saying, Dan.”
Lucas sighed. “Deb..”
“It’s not your place, Lucas.” The blonde woman replied, her eyes never leaving her husband’s.
“Don’t say that to him. Lucas is just as much a part of this family as Nathan..”
The arguing continued once more between the two parties. Lucas and Haley attempted to make peace, and interject a few times, but it was for no reason. The table was soon full of insults and anger being thrust around.
Tears filled Brooke’s eyes, and she scolded herself mentally. “I need to use the restroom.” She excused herself.
Lucas sighed, but let her go. She wasn’t heard by anyone else, really, because the table was so loud compared to her quiet voice.
Nathan watched after her. She’d been through so much. Over the years, and especially now. And from the looks of it, she was breaking. Brooke Davis-Scott was no longer the happy-go-lucky girl she’d been in high school.
“Uh, I have to go to the bathroom.” He stood, following in her general direction.
He found her in one of the many bathrooms of the house. The door was slightly ajar, and she sat with her back against the bath tub, her legs stretched out in front of her.
He smiled softly, and took a seat beside her.
“Are you okay?” He asked carefully, after a few moments.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She smiled - but it was fake. He wondered if all her smiles had been fake, over the years.
“Sorry about everything in there. That’s the last thing you deserve.”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged.
Nathan looked over her profile. Her face had a really pretty shape. She had a perfect nose, and her lips were located at exactly the right place beneath it.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Brooke.”
She bit her lip. “Why does everyone always think I’m lying when I say I’m okay? Nathan, if I said I was fine, I meant it!”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just get worried about you sometimes, Brooke.”
“I’m sure.”
“Come on, don’t be like that,” She almost smiled, turning to look him in the eyes, “You know you’ve always been my friend. Since like, the fifth grade. I care about you, whether or not you believe me.”
“Thanks.” A genuine smile crossed over her lips. It was tiny; barely enough to show the large dimples in her cheeks.
“I know that everything’s been tough for you lately. But I want you to know I’m here. I’m not just your husband’s brother, you know.” He nudged her, and she giggled.
“Thanks, Nate.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him so that he could place a kiss on her forehead.
“I miss the old you, Brooke Davis.” He whispered against her hair.
“Me too.” A solitary tear ran down her cheek.
The two stood up, and Brooke nodded thankfully, before leaving. He watched after her and sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bath tub.
Now, to deal with his own problems..
-
“Thanks for lunch, Deb.” Brooke hugged her mother-in-law awkwardly.
“Thank you for coming, Brooke. I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did.”
“Don’t sweat it.” She grabbed Lucas’s hand, pulling him towards the door.
“Lucas,” Deb stopped him, “Um, today, I didn’t mean-”
“I know,” Lucas smiled warmly, reaching out to give her a hug, “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Deb nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “You have a great heart, Lucas. And you too, Brooke. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you two.”
“Thanks, Deb.”
The two left quickly, and as they drove off, Lucas turned towards Brooke.
“That wasn’t as bad as it could have been, was it?”
“No. Not quite that bad.” Brooke said, remembering her conversation with Nathan.
The Season 6 DVD set, is 7 disc set, due to come out August 25, 2009. At may local stores. Want it early, go to Amazon.com. Porices start from 40-60$
Info taken from Bethanyjoysource.net
The DVD Extras:
•Unaired Scenes
•One Tree Hill Goes Back in Time: Recreating the 1940s in episode 11, We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me).
•Slammin’ with One Tree Hill: Playing the new sport of SlamBall, a cross between basketball, hockey and gymnastics.
•One Tree Hill Celebrity Soundtrack: Guest musical artists discuss their contributions in this look at the role of music in the series with a spotlight on episode 10’s USO concert.
•One Tree Hill - The Director’s Debut: Following first-time helmers Chad Michael Murray, Bethany Joy Galeotti and James Lafferty through the process of directing their first episodes.
•Commentary on two episodes by series creator Mark Schwahn and key cast and crew.
•Gag Reel
Info taken from Bethanyjoysource.net
The DVD Extras:
•Unaired Scenes
•One Tree Hill Goes Back in Time: Recreating the 1940s in episode 11, We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me).
•Slammin’ with One Tree Hill: Playing the new sport of SlamBall, a cross between basketball, hockey and gymnastics.
•One Tree Hill Celebrity Soundtrack: Guest musical artists discuss their contributions in this look at the role of music in the series with a spotlight on episode 10’s USO concert.
•One Tree Hill - The Director’s Debut: Following first-time helmers Chad Michael Murray, Bethany Joy Galeotti and James Lafferty through the process of directing their first episodes.
•Commentary on two episodes by series creator Mark Schwahn and key cast and crew.
•Gag Reel
