Chapter Seventy Four
After spending an hour at the ice cream shop the guys took the kids, Ashley, and the puppies back to the Orphanage. When they got there they walked in and as soon as the puppies were released from their leashes the kids took off running toward the playground with them - all except Sarah who remained with Ashley, a death grip upon her with one hand and a notepad and pen clutched in the other as that has become her only way of communicating. Brooke who had kept her office door open so that she could keep watch for when they come back, came out of her office then and she followed them out onto the playground. They went and found a shady spot under a tree where they could see all of the kids and be able to talk as well. Nick sat down and gently pulled Ashley down next to him and she cradled Sarah and she sat there petting Abbie who got comfortable beside her. The rest of the guys, Riley, and Brooke all sat around them.
"So…Brooke…about that bet," AJ spoke up. Brooke rolled her eyes.
"Can I not come out here and hang out with you guys without you constantly bothering me about it?"
"Well a deal is a deal, honey. You said if he won you'd go out with him," Riley pointed out.
"Fine. He won. I'll go out with him…just leave me alone about it."
"Well you kind of have to talk about it….you know so you can make plans?" Kevin replied gently, not wanting to piss her off any as she is technically his 'boss' right now and she is the key to him adopting Elenore.
"Yeah…so what I was gonna say was, how about tonight?" AJ suggested.
"I'm busy," Brooke replied indifferently, as she lay back against the tree comfortably.
"With what?!" Riley asked, not believing her for a second.
"With the Orphanage. Papers that I have to do in my office. Children…you know…stuff like running an orphanage?"
"All of those things can be taken over by a substitute," Riley insisted.
"I really shouldn't," Brooke insisted, giving Riley a look. Riley narrowed her eyes.
"Brooklyn Kathleen Morgan!" Riley lectured. Brooke raised her eyebrow at her as her best friend never uses her full name unless she is very frustrated with her. "You're going on this date tonight even if I have to fill in for you myself!"
"Hmm…that's funny. Because the last time I checked, I was the boss around here. Not you." Brooke replied rather grumpily. "Now if you will excuse me, I think I will get back to work now." She added, and she got up and headed back toward the building. Riley groaned in frustration and she reached over and took AJ's hand into hers as she can see he is hurt that Brooke is avoiding him. She squeezed his hand gently.
"Don't worry honey. I'll talk to her," She reassured him gently, then she got up and followed after Brooke so that they can have the same old argument that they've been having since they were in high school together.
"I'm talking to you as a best friend who is sick and tired of seeing you dodge every great man that comes your way! AJ is a great guy and you promised him a date and he doesn't deserve to be avoided like this!" Riley told her when they got inside the building and the door was closed.
"Riley we're not having this argument again."
"Yes we're!" When they reached Brooke's office she opened the door, went inside and shut the door in attempt to shut Riley out, but Riley stuck her hand out and pushed it open before she could. Brooke went and sat in her chair and got out a bunch of files and Riley shut the door behind her before turning and looking at her. "You may be 'big bad and scary boss' to everybody else but you know I'm not afraid to tell you my opinion!"
"Yes I know. That is why I hired you. To give me your opinion about business. As far as my private life goes, I'm good thanks."
"Obviously you aren't. You're a sad, depressed, and lonely 23 year old woman who does nothing but work ALL the time! You dodge every man that comes your way and you're bitter! Do you want to be this way your whole life? Because that's the way its going to be if you keep avoiding people the way you do."
"I am perfectly fine. I am not lonely. I have my friends, I have the kids, I enjoy my job. Life couldn't be better."
"Is that why you spend most of your time hiding away in this office crying?"
"I do not sit in this office and cry! I do paperwork!"
"That is what you pretend to do. But I am your best friend, Brooke. I know you better then anyone else here."
"Obviously you don't know me enough," Brooke replied, not looking up from her papers.
"Yeah….because you don't let me. Ever since senior year every time I try to get close to you, you push me away. Just like you do to everybody else."
"I would like to be left alone, Riley. Please." Brooke replied, and Riley can hear her voice crack a little. Riley sighed.
"Fine," She replied softly. "I'll be with Brian if you should need me. You know, for business and stuff. Since that's all I'm here for and all." And with that, she turned toward the door. She opened it up and walked out shutting it behind her. Brooke stared at her closed door for a couple of moments with a cold hard look as if it were Riley and tears fell from her eyes. After a few moments she looked down at her papers on her desk and she cried out in frustration, knocked the papers to the floor and she went under her desk, hugged her legs to her chest and she began to cry. She just wishes everybody would leave her alone about the whole dating thing. They don't understand…they will never understand. As soon as Riley had stepped outside Brooke's office door and closed it behind her she heard Brooke's cries and leaned her head up against the door as she feels completely helpless. She doesn't understand why she is like this. All she knows is it started in the middle of their senior year. She was just fine in freshmen year and every year in between but when senior year came around everything seemed to go downhill. She got really quiet, she went from very popular to very bitter and had very little friends. Riley was pretty much the only one who tolerated her and she was excellent with kids…obviously. That was her passion. But everything else she seemed to just push away. She barely even talked to Riley even. She was fine as long as she didn't try to see what was wrong with her. Every time Riley asked what was wrong - like every best friend does when they sense something is wrong, she would put her wall up. But Riley loves her so she tolerated it. Every time a guy came a long she was fine as long as they were just friends…but then he would fall for her and well…she couldn't have that. Riley stood there listening to her cry for a couple of minutes, then not being able to take it anymore she walked away and headed for the playground. When she got out there she went and sat down next to Brian and they all noticed her tears.
"Honey what's the matter?" Brian asked curiously and he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.
"I feel completely helpless Brian…every time I try to help she just pushes me further and further away…."
"How long has she been like this?" AJ asked softly.
"Since senior year. All through out, Freshmen, Sophomore, and Junior year she was fine but when Senior year came around everything went downhill. Don't take the rejection personal Aje…it's not you, it's her." Riley explained softy.
"Obviously something happened to her in senior year then," AJ replied. "I want to know what it is…maybe if we knew, we could help."
"Good luck finding it out.…I've been trying to get it out of her since the day she became this way."
"What was her life like before she was like this?" Brian questioned.
"She was very popular…she had all kinds of friends, she was the most beautiful girl in school…was even on her way to becoming prom queen too."
"Did she have boyfriends?" Ashley spoke up suddenly.
"Absolutely. Brooke had boyfriends even when she was in pre-school. Boys had crushes on her everywhere she went…they fought over her and stuff…it was pretty entertaining sometimes."
"What about in senior year?" AJ asked curiously.
"In senior year she was single…but she had her eyes on someone. He was the best football player on the school team…every girl wanted him. Brooke was head over heels in love with him."
"Did she ever go out with him?"
"Not that I know of…" Everybody was silent for a couple of minutes.
"Was she a partier?" Kevin asked after awhile.
"Yes we both were. We went to parties all the time until about the middle of our senior year when she went anti-social and started to calm way down…she went from being the most popular girl in school, from going to parties all the time, to volunteering in the toy box classroom where she helped out with the little kids. Taking care of kids became her passion…and she sort of shut everything else out. When she got out of high school she opened up this orphanage."
"Maybe something traumatizing happened at a party one day…maybe with Mr. Football player? And you were off doing something else and didn't see it happen?" Howie suggested. Riley shrugged.
"If it did I wouldn't know…because she doesn't tell me anything." Meanwhile, on the other side of the playground, Dakota, Josh, and Elenore were sitting in the sand and were building a sandcastle when suddenly Chris joined them. Josh, Elenore, and Dakota looked at him curiously and Elenore slid her hand into Josh's and she scooted close to him as she eyes Chris nervously. She doesn't want him to start saying mean things about her again.
"Hi…" Chris spoke softly.
"Hi." Josh replied rather shortly and he looked at Chris like he is ready to pounce if he should say or do the wrong thing.
"What'cha doin?" He questioned, though it's pretty obvious what they're doing.
"Building a sand castle…"
"Cool…can I help?"
"You mean can you help me AND Ellie and Kota?" Chris nodded.
"Yeah…" Josh looked at Elenore. Elenore nodded her approval. He looked at Dakota then and Dakota picked up a bucket.
"You can goes an' gets us some water," She told him. Josh continued to watch Chris just waiting for him to refuse.
"Okay," was all Chris said when he noticed the dangerous look in his best friend's eyes. He knows better then the be mean to Dakota. He knows Josh just might kill him if he does something like that. Besides, he doesn't mind getting the water…and after thinking about it all morning he's slowly starting to get used to the fact that Josh is friends with them. He knows if he doesn't want to lose his best friend, he's going to have to learn to be friends with them also. He took the bucket and ran off toward the drinking fountain. Josh raised his eyebrow as he watched him for a couple of minutes, then he looked back at the girls.
"Well okay then…" He said softly, and he went back to digging. When Chris got back he sat down and placed the bucket of water next to him. He picked up a shovel and he too started digging. After awhile when Josh finished digging he reached for the bucket of water just as Dakota had it set in her mind to do so also, causing their hands to brush up against each other. Josh stiffened a little and he and Dakota both pulled back.
"Oops…I'm sorry" they spoke at the same time.
"No go ahead…you do it," He replied softly. Dakota looked at Josh curiously for a moment as she noticed he is very nervous for some odd reason, then she picked up the bucket and she began to pour some of the water into the mote that he and Chris had dug around the castle and Elenore and Chris grinned at Josh who was blushing. Elenore would give anything to tease him right now but she can't with Dakota present and it's driving her crazy. Suddenly they heard the door open and they all looked over at it and they saw Spencer come running out in an excited mood and Kori following close behind him. It was Josh's turn to grin as he noticed Elenore staring intently. Spencer went running over to them and Kori went over and joined the grownups.
"Hey Kor…how was your walk with Scott?" Kevin asked interestedly. Kori sat down next to Ashley and sighed.
"Tense…" She answered, and she wrapped her arms around Ashley and hugged her tight. Ashley tensed up a little bit, but eventually relaxed and gave into her sister's hug.
"I understand why Ash has such a hard time trusting me….sort of….cause I'm doing the exact same thing to him."
"Are you gonna give him a chance?" Ashley asked hopefully.
"I'm gonna try to….on one condition," Kori answered, looking her sister in the eye.
"What?" Ashley asked curiously.
"If you give me a chance…"
"I thought that's what I was already doing…" Ashley replied stubbornly.
"I mean you have to stop shooting down everything I say…every time I try to have a normal conversation with you, you find some reason to be mad at me. I want things to be normal between us…I want you to lose the attitude around me…stop being so indifferent. Show me that you actually WANT things to be better…and only then will I agree to give Scott a chance."
"I think that's a good deal," Nick replied looking very amused. Kori obviously put a lot of thought into that.
"Kay…I'll try…" Ashley replied softly. "For Spencer's sake. I want him to have his daddy…"
"Not just for Spencer's sake. You're always doing things for Spencer's sake. Why not for mine? Why can't you do one thing to make me happy?"
"Id take what you can get Kor…you know she just uses Spencer as an excuse. 'For Spencer's sake' is really her secret way of saying 'for your sake'. She's just too stubborn to admit it." Nick replied.
"I am not stubborn!" Ashley protested stubbornly and she looked up at Nick with narrowed eyes. Nick chuckled.
"Oh yes you are," he replied and he leaned down and rubbed his nose lightly over hers. Ashley scowled. She looked back at Kori who pulled her back into another hug.
"That's nothing new. She was stubborn before all this ever happened too."
"Was not!"
"Was too," Kori replied. "And I loved you for it. Quite the rebellious streak you had…" Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, I need you to do me one more favor before I give Scott a chance…." she replied after a few moments of watching her sister pout because she knows she's been defeated.
"What?"
"I'm inviting Wiley to come back….I'm gonna call him later. I want you to give him a chance also."
"Your gonna invite him back? But he just left…"
"Yeah well…I miss him…" Kori spoke softly.
"I'll give him a chance on one condition," Ashley replied, smiling at her sister evilly. Two can play her game. Kori narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"Be honest with me…are you two dating?"
"I already told you this answer, Ash. No, we aren't dating."
"But you like him…right? In that way?" Kori thought about her answer for a couple of minutes.
"Yes…very much so…and he means the world to me, and he's a great guy and it would mean everything to me if my little sister would approve of him." Ashley looked at her for a couple of moments.
"Okay…I'll try," She replied softly. She was silent for a couple of seconds before going on. "For your sake…"
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
