Rescue Me

A Good Friend

Nathan walked into the room and found Brooke laying on her bed.

"Change of plans. Haley is gonna stay too." He said.

Brooke scoffed. "Yeah, I get it. Wouldn't want to leave the boyfriend alone with the brainless slut."

"Brooke-" Nathan started, but Haley cut him off walking into the room.

"It may come as a shock to you, but not everyone thinks you're a brainless slut." She said making Brooke roll her eyes. "In fact I'm sure you lost that role to a certain blonde."

Brooke sighed. "Which one?" She huffed.

Haley shrugged. "By the sounds of it I'd say both."

Brooke chuckled. "I like your girl, Nathan. She's smart." She winked at Nathan and he chuckled.

"Well she is my tutor." His laughter faded. "Brooke, I know losing your guy and bestfriend at the same time has to suck, but you still have me. So don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Brooke groaned. "I wasn't doing anything, Nate."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Then why did you lie? You weren't watching a movie because I didn't hear a tv on!" Nathan started to get upset at her denial so Haley reached out and laid her hand on his arm to calm him.

Brooke sat up on her knees. "I didn't lie! I was watching Bring It On, but a movie about friendship, cheerleading, and a guy getting caught cheating hit too close to home so I turned it off. It gave me a headache so I went to get the aspirin. That's it! When you came in I was just struggling to open the stupid thing!" She yelled getting off the bed. "Nathan..." She sighed and walked over to him. "I promise I wasn't doing anything stupid, okay?"

Nathan scanned her with his eyes then he took her into his arms. "Okay. I believe you, Cookie." He kissed her head then let her pull away from him.

She pouted. "Now I want cookies." He laughed.

"I will go get you cookies." He said making her grin.

"Yay! Thanks, Babe."

He laughed then he turned to Haley who was watching them closely.

"Watch her for me, okay? Oh, and do you want cookies or something else because I want a pizza."

Brooke gasped and he turned back to her. He sighed. "Yes you can both have some of my pizza, but only if I get a cookie."

Brooke pouted. "Fine, but just one cookie."

"Then you only get one slice." He teased.

She gaped at him. He just laughed and turned back to Haley. "You good with cookies and pizza?"

Haley just nodded. "Yep."

"Cool. I'll be back." He leaned in closer and she puckered her lips, but he gave her a peck on the cheek and walked away.

"Play nice you two!" He called over his shoulder.

Haley turned to Brooke and saw Brooke glare.

"So, um, how are you?" Haley tried, but Brooke just scoffed and went back to laying on her bed.

Haley sighed and sat down on Brooke's chair and took a breath. "For the record I am very disappointed in Lucas. I never thought he would be that kind of guy."

Brooke sighed then she sat up and gave Haley a small smile. "Well, for the record, I'm so proud of Nathan. I always thought he was that kind of guy, but then you came along and he fell in love and now he's this great guy. He's better with you."

Haley smiled. "I have to be honest, for a minute, when Nathan was calling you Cookie and you called him Babe I just, I thought you two had a thing and you would steal him away from me, but now I know you wouldn't do something like that."

Brooke started laughing. "You thought- Nathan and I-" She was laughing so hard she could barely talk. "-because of our nicknames for each other?" She finally stopped laughing and took a deep breath to compose herself. "Wow, no, Nathan is like a brother to me. He only calls me Cookie because when we were growing up he called me Brookie Cookie, but over the years he shortened it."

"Oh." Haley chuckled then she frowned, her eyebrows furrowed. "But you call him Babe..."

Brooke chuckled. "Yeah, it used to be Baby Natey, but he made me shorten it. So now I either call him Babe or Nate."

"Oh." Haley blushed.

Brooke chuckled. "Nathan and I have been friends since diapers. We had the same nanny to raise us because our parents didn't really want us. Then Nathan got into sports so his dad claimed him, but my parents still don't want me." Brooke sighed. "And I lost my best friend and the first guy I started to fall for. I only have Nathan now."

Haley bit her lip and stood up, she walked over to Brooke's bed and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry Lucas hurt you."

Brooke frowned and nodded. "Not your fault."

Haley sighed. "I know, but Lucas is kinda like a brother to me so I feel bad that he did that to you. And Peyton, I can't believe, I thought you two were best friends."

Brooke sniffed. "So did I. I never thought she would hurt me like this. I was there for her through so much; her mom, being adopted, fighting with Nathan, but she was never really there for me when I needed her. She was always more selfish, but I never thought she could stoop this low."

Haley nodded and gently slid her arm around Brooke. "If you need a friend, I know you have Nathan, but if you would rather talk to another female, you can talk to me. About anything."

Brooke looked at Haley. She looked for pity, but saw none, just honest concern and sympathy.

"Thanks. Can I tell you something? And please don't tell Nathan or Lucas. I'm not ready for them to know yet."

Haley nodded sincerely.

Brooke sighed and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I think that I might be..." She took a shaky breath and let some tears fall. "...pregnant." Brooke admitted and then she started sobbing.

Haley's jaw dropped. Her shock took her breath away, but she managed to pat Brooke on the back.

Brooke cried in her arms and Haley held the girl as her shock faded away to anger and she thought about Lucas becoming just like Dan Scott.

Nathan walked in the room with a bag of cookies in one hand and a pizza in the other, but they didn't see him.

"What did I miss?" He asked in concern. Nathan set the stuff down on Brooke's desk and walked over to his favorite girls. "Haley?... Brooke?"