"Anyway, so you take the CD's that you're sick of or never should have bought in the first place and you bring them back and they –" Claudia explained laughing as she and Brooke walked down the street.

"And they give me cash?" Brooke asked and Claudia nodded her head. "Maybe I can buy my bed back." Brooke joked.

"So, Nathan's going to Charlotte tonight with Lucas and this is my first night alone in the apartment." Claudia changed the subject excitably. Brooke gasped.

"Do you know what we should do? We should have a slumber party." Brooke exclaimed smiling.

"Oh." Claudia muttered.

"Seriously, we haven't done that since like, junior high."  Brooke replied smirking.

"I dunno." Claudia said reluctantly. Claudia missed Haley so much and didn't want to have her first real slumber party without her. "I haven't done that since... ever." Claudia continued laughing it off and Brooke about had a heart attack.

"Claudia!" Brooke gasped, she was stunned.

"I wasn't popular in junior high." Claudia replied laughing.

"No! Then we have to. This is like a rite of passage. I mean, when did you learn to put on eye shadow and stuff your bra and make out?" Brooke asked confused and over whelmed.

"I don't know." Claudia smiled as she shook her head.

"OK, I'm calling Peyton. This is going to be great." Brooke organised smiling.

"Well, look I-I was kinda looking forward to having a night alone in the apartment." Claudia said hoping that Brooke would have changed her mind.

"And I was kinda looking forward to being rich but we all adjust don't we?" Brooke joked as they entered the record store. Claudia nodded at Chris.

"Hey, what's up!" Claudia smiled at Chris.

"Hey." Chris said as he moved behind the counter. "Alright, what you got?" He asked as he dropped the pricing tool.

"Here you go." Brooke said as she passed the box over to Chris who placed it down on the counter.

"Alright." Chris said as he began to flip through the CD's. "Crap." He stated before he flipped through some more. "Crap." He continued to say as he looked at some more. "Crap. As he held up a CD. "Crap!" Chris exclaimed as he made it to the end. Brooke and Claudia exchanged looks. 

"Lucky for you, crap sells." Chris smirked at Brooke who just scoffed. "D'ya listen to my demo yet?" Chris asked Claudia, who looked at him awkwardly.

"Um... yeah I did. It's –" Claudia began to explain before Chris cut in self-righteously.

"Good; I know." Chris stated pompously. Brooke looked away, she was aware that he was flirting with Claudia. "I'm working on this other song I could really use some female vocals on. Maybe you could come by the studio and lay something down for me." Chris suggested and Brooke looked at him with a raised brow.

"Huh!" She shouted.

"Track. Lay down the track." Chris stated. Brooke didn't believe and looked away as Chris switched his gaze to Claudia.

"OK. Yeah... sure. That sounds fine. How's –" Claudia stuttered awkwardly before Chris cut in.

"Tonight. Let me get you the address." Chris smirked and Brooke gaped at Claudia.

Brooke and Claudia left the record store after Claudia got all the information she needed. Brooke turned to face Claudia angrily.

"Hello! Tonight, slumber party." Brooke exclaimed and it clicked to Claudia.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Um... I can say no." Claudia apologised as she got her phone out to call Chris. 

"No! It's fine. I'll come over early and set up." Brooke explained and Claudia looked scared.

"What do you mean 'set up'?" Claudia asked suspiciously/

"You have no idea." Brooke replied as she smiled evasively.

___

"It's another mechanic stripper!" Brooke said as her and Claudia walked down to the half-brothers. Lucas looked up at weirdly. 

"Nope, it's only Lucas." Claudia laughed as she pouted. Brooke smiled at her. 

"OK! Guess we're off." Nathan said coming round the side of the car. Claudia smiled at him before she ran up to him.

"Alright! Well go... whoever they are!" Claudia exclaimed as she jumped on, she was trying to act like she knew basketball. Her sport was soccer.

"Bobcats Claudia!" Nathan replied and Claudia smiled.

"Alright, well, I love bobcats. They're so cute." Claudia expressed still hugging onto her husband.

"You're such a girl." Nathan replied laughing at the cuteness of his wife.

"I know." Claudia smirked before the married couple kissed. 

"Can we go now?" Lucas asked and Nathan looked over at Lucas. "You saw her, she's back, let's go!" Lucas shouted excitably.

"Come on, man! Look, this is the first night we've spent apart since we got married." Nathan explained and Claudia's heart filled with warmth. She smiled before she kissed him.

"Well the girls are having a slumber party." Brooke shrugged to Lucas.

"Really?" Lucas asked looking at Claudia with a raised eyebrow. Lucas knew that Claudia has never had a slumber party before.

"Oh, that's cool." Nathan said before he looked down at Claudia. "So you won't be alone tonight." He continued and Claudia nodded her head.

"Yep." She whispered.

"What're you gonna do until then?" Nathan asked and Claudia freaked out internally.

"Uh...Probably just gonna... hang out with Brooke." Claudia lied as she looked at Brooke, desperately hoping that she would cover. "Right Brooke?" Claudia asked sternly and Brooke looked frazzled.

"Yeah!" Brooke lied. "Just us girls." She muttered looking over at Claudia, who was weakly smiling at the boys, regretting her decision.

 
___

Music is playing to one of Claudia's tracks. Claudia stood with earphones in front of a microphone waiting for her part to come on.

"Boy you're so fine. And I want to tell ya so. I'm much too shy. Want to make you mine. But I don't know how." Claudia sang and Chris stopped the track.

"Alright Claudia, hold up. I'm just not feeling it." Chris shouted as Claudia sighed and took off the earphones."Hold up a second OK?" He said before he came into the recording room. "Alright Claudia, listen. A lot of girls can see on-key OK?" Chris began to explain and Claudia collapsed into a chair. "I'm gonna need something a little bit more from you alright? Something... a bit further south than your brain. You know what I saying? Listen, it's not about technique. It's about giving me something of yourself. Something that no one else gets to see. You can't play it safe in here Claudia, I'm not gonna let you." Chris continued to explain. Claudia was singing a song about how a girl loves a boy, but he doesn't know she even exists. She wrote it one day and it only took her twenty minutes.

"OK, well, I'm trying!" Claudia groaned. 

"No you're not!" Chris replied sternly and Claudia raised an eyebrow.

"Yes I am!" Claudia shouted back as she stood up.

"No you're not, you're really close to something. You know, and you've got the talent but for some reason, you won't go there." Chris said as he walked around her. "If you won't go there, maybe you're just wasting my time." Chris shrugged and Claudia stared at him before she caved in.

"Okay." Claudia whispered in defeat.

"Come here." Chris said and Claudia sighed, the music began to play and Chris held onto Claudia's sheet music so he would know the words. "Just follow along OK?" Chris said and Claudia nodded before they both sang. The song sounded great. 

___

"Hey you guys." Claudia said walking into her apartment, to be greeted by all the girls- including Anna. 

"Oh! Claudia!" Peyton exclaimed with guilt ridden all over her face.

"Hi!" Brooke squealed.

"Smells good." Claudia smiled as she took off the coat.

"Where you been?" Peyton asked trying to stall.

"Nowhere, I'm just gonna go take a shower." Claudia said as she took off her top and headed to the bathroom.  

"Um! Claudia?!" Peyton shouted as Claudia opened up the door. Claudia screamed and Brooke cringed. Claudia came running back in with her top on. 

"Why is Felix in my shower?" Claudia hissed as Felix exited the bathroom with a towel round his waist, he used the other one to dry his hair. 

"Ahh... I love slumber parties." Felix smirked, Anna looked down, embarrassed. Claudia and Peyton looked at Brooke who was scowling at Felix as he dried his hair smirking. 

___

"You know, I'm just not clear on this. So the shower at your house is broken and you had to have Felix come all the way over here and use mine?" Claudia asked confused as she looked at Anna.

"Um.." Anna said awkwardly as she painted her toe nails.

"Uh-huh." Brooke nodded.

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted and Brooke looked at Peyton and made the 'shut up' face! Peyton did one right back.

"Wait a second. Y-you don't have a bed do you?" Claudia stuttered as she finally got it. Brooke looked guilty as hell. "Did you... tell me you didn't have sex in my bed. Brooke." Claudia shouted pissed as hell, Brooke's mouth stayed open for a little too long.

"I'm already washing your sheets." Brooke exclaimed and Claudia about threw up.

"Oh my god! Eurgh! Brooke! Eurgh!" Claudia shouted angrily.

"They already yelled at me, what is the big deal?!" Brooke asked and Claudia shook her head.

"The big deal is that first of all; you did not thank me for helping you with the CDs." Claudia began to shout as Brooke opened her mouth to protest. "Second of all; you had sex IN MY BED!" Claudia continued to shout, Brooke pointed at Claudia's bedroom as she tried to get a word in but couldn't. "And third; you ate all the brownies." Claudia shouted, she really wanted a brownie.

"Actually, I had a couple." Anna interjected.

"That's not the point." Claudia shouted as she pointed to Anna but continued to look at Brooke. 

"Claudia's right. The point id that I've been deceptive. It's not so much that... I lied to anyone's face." Brooke smirked as the talked pointedly at Claudia who was scowling. "It's more about what I didn't say." Brooke added and Claudia threw her head back groaning.

"Urgh! OK. There is a big difference between a lie and a little white lie." Claudia tried to justify.

"Really!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Claudia exclaimed back.

"OK, wait, what white lie?" Peyton asked lifting her green gel eye mask.

"Nothing!" Claudia shouted, she didn't want anyone else to know that she lied to Nathan. She was upset with herself enough as it is.

"Claudia lied to Nathan!" Brooke said and Claudia quickly shook her head.

"Not exactly!" Claudia  lied.

"Yes you did!" Brooke lied. 

"About what?!" Peyton asked intrigued.

"Nothing." Claudia replied calming down.

"Claudia." Peyton said sternly which ticked Claudia right off.

"You know what, if we're talking about bad behaviour, you might wanna sit this one out!" Claudia stated turning to face Peyton. Brooke scowled at Peyton.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Peyton asked offended as she walked up to her two best friends.

HALEY: That's supposed to mean that Peyton's the one you should be looking at, not me. (Anna watches from the couch, intrigued.)

"Why?! She not the one acting like a perfect-little-Stepford-wife!" Brooke shouted and Claudia glared at her.

"Oh!" Claudia shouted outraged.

"Why are you picking on Claudia? She's throwing us a slumber party." Anna asked confused and Brooke looked over at her.

"Actually, she was throwing us a slumber party, you just butted in!" Brooke exclaimed angrily as she pointed at Anna.

"Brooke! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Peyton shouted, defending Anna.

"WHY!?" Brooke shouted, everyone's voices were raising by the millisecond.

"What're you gonna do? Snort her?" Claudia snapped at Peyton who gasped as Brooke looked shocked. "Listen, I didn't throw this slumber party for you, you threw it for yourself and you know it!" Claudia explained pointing at Brooke.

"Well, at least I didn't lie to my husband about hanging out with Chris!" Brooke exclaimed.

"WOAH!" Peyton shouted looking at Claudia.

"Brooke, well... Peyton did cocaine with that Rick guy." Claudia exclaimed, regretting it straight afterwards.

"Claudia!" Peyton exclaimed.

"WHAT!" Brooke screamed as she turned to face Peyton.

"You had sex in her bed!" Peyton shouted at Brooke, but we all knew that wasn't as bad as taking drugs.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? CRACK WHORE!" Brooke shouted, fuming with Peyton and Claudia.

"SLUT!" Peyton shouted and Brooke turned to face Claudia.

"LIAR!" Brooke shouted pointing at Claudia, who tore off Brooke's nose strip. Brooke yelled, Peyton screamed and Anna laughed. 

"Man, Tree Hill's got some drama." Anna laughed as she continued to paint her toe nails. Peyton, Brooke and Claudia all exchanged furious looks. 

___

Peyton and Anna sat on the floor, they were not doing much. Claudia stood at the kitchen counter depressed with marshmallows and Brooke sat on the chair, she was reading a magazine. No one was saying anything. Claudia walked past Brooke, holding her marshmallow, and fell into the chair next to Brooke sighing.

"I'm sorry I freaked out on you about the bed. At least I have one." Claudia apologised not looking at Brooke, Brooke still looked sad. 

"I'm sorry I called you a liar." Brooke pouted and Claudia smiled at her. "You fibbed to Nathan; it's not a big deal." Brooke blew off.

"No, it-it is a big deal." Claudia groaned really upset.

"OK, cease fire!" Brooke shouted at the group of girls. "Girl talk." She smiled as Claudia laid down and Brooke tapped her leg. 

"I should have told Nathan that I was gonna be with Chris," Claudia said as Peyton and Anna joined them on the couch, "and I don't know why I didn't cos, like, the words started coming out of my mouth and then it was just... too late to take it back." Claudia groaned upset with herself.

"OK, you don't have feeling for Chris, do you?" Peyton asked and Claudia smiled honestly.

"No. It's just the first time I've ever wanted something for me. It's not for my parents, it's not for Nathan, it's just... for me and Chris can... help me get it." Claudia explained and Peyton smiled at her.

"So... what's wrong with that?" Peyton asked.

"Exactly! I-I don't know why I should feel embarrassed for saying that I know what I want and I'm gonna go after it like..." Claudia began to rambled on before Anna cut in.

"Like a guy." Anna stated sadly and everyone looked at her. 

"Nathan never apologises or... or lies for what he wants. I mean... I don't know why I feel like I had to." Claudia stuttered as she sat up.

"Claudia, trust me, you can go after what you want and still be a girl." Brooke explained comfortingly, and Claudia nodded her head.

"I know. I totally know and that why this is so stupid!" Claudia groaned as Anna nodded her head and Peyton look down.

"On the topic of stupid," Brooke said as she looked over at Peyton, "cocaine, P. Sawyer?" Brooke asked confused as hell.

"I'm an idiot." Peyton muttered in a sad tone. Brooke shook her head slightly.

"Well you're not gonna do it again, right?" Brooke asked.

"No! No. Um... I don't want to. But I'm not going to." Peyton stated sternly and Claudia looked at her sad. 

"Okay." Brooke nodded her head.

"I'm really sorry." Claudia apologised and Peyton looked up a her. "Sorry I just blurted that out. I...I should have talked to you about it at the club but I just... I just didn't wanna handle it." Claudia explained stuttering and shaking her head.

"No. It's um... It's my fault. But I just... really want us all to be... good enough friends that we can talk about stuff. You know? Even when it's ugly... especially then." Peyton stuttered and Claudia nodded her head.

"Yeah." Claudia whispered softly. Brooke still looked sad and she stuck her hand out to Peyton, who took it. Peyton smiled sad and she was close to tears.

___

The girls were all speaking to Brooke about her arrangement with Felix, much to Anna's dismay.

"Brooke? Don't you wanna fall in love?" Claudia asked looking at Brooke.

"Yeah, I do. Some day." Brooke replied sadly.

"Why not now?" Claudia asked soberly. Peyton looked at Brooke, waiting for her response.

"Look, Tutor Wife, I love you but if it was up to you, we'd all be getting our marriage licence with our drivers licence and I-" Brooke began to say before Claudia cut her off.

"I'm not talking about marriage. I'm just talking about... falling in love." Claudia said reminiscing about her time with Nathan and how much she loved him.

"And I'm tired of feeling bad! OK? I'd rather feel nothing. It's... better, it's easier." Brooke justified. 

"No. it is not better Brooke! Like... it's not you! Ok, I admire you so much for the chances you take but... this just doesn't seem like you." Peyton interrupted as Brooke looked sad. "It's less than you." Peyton muttered.

"It's just about sex-" Brooke began to say again before Peyton cut in, again.

"OK, we both know... sex is never just sex." Peyton argued.

"I love my brother but there is a double standard for girls and there always will be." Anna explained.

"Yeah, and I'm saying screw the double standard!" Brooke exclaimed.

"That's good Brooke. You should say it. And so should I and every other girl who is tired of playing their game... by their rules. Don't be too fat... or too thin or too... dark or too light... don't be too sexual or too chased or too smart or too dumb! Be yourself." Anna exclaimed before she looked sardonic. "But make sure you fit in." She muttered.

___

"OK, I've never had a problem that ice-cream couldn't solve, and I've had some problems." Brooke joked and Claudia nodded her head as she shut the fridge with syrup in her hand.

"OK, I've never had a slumber party," Claudia said as she placed the syrup on the table, "so I'm gonna say this," Claudia continued as she used the remote to turn up to the music, "sob-fest is over!" She exclaimed. 

"Alright, we'll see, what d'ya wanna do?" Peyton smirked as Claudia lifted up a pillow.

"Pillow fight!" Claudia shouted as she smacked Peyton round the side with a pillow.

"Oh, it is on now" Peyton laughed as she turned around and ran for a pillow. Claudia smacked her again. Peyton took Claudia down. Brooke and Anna joined in- it was a full on pillow war. The popcorn went flying, pillows tore and feathers went flying everywhere. 

"Oh, my head!" Claudia laughed as more pillows tore and happy screams filled the room.

"Oh my... god!" Peyton exclaimed as they all collapsed. Feathers came down on them. 

___

"Oh... my gosh!" Claudia groaned as she woke up. Brooke sat on the stool at the kitchen counter, smirking at Claudia, with a tub of ice-cream. "Urgh! Do you think there's such a thing as a sugar hangover?" Claudia asked before getting up, Brooke just shrugged. 

"I think what you need is a little taste of the snake that bit ya!" Brooke giggled as she knelt down in front of Claudia smiling. 

"Ice-cream for breakfast?" Claudia asked and Brooke tempted her.

"It's Butter-pecan." She smiled and Claudia gave in.

"Alright." Claudia smiled as Brooke gave her an extra spoon, Brooke ate a bit as well.

___

Brooke and Claudia entered the balcony and Peyton sees them.

"Uh-oh!" She laughed, Claudia was still eating her ice cream. It was her cure.  

"So, neighbour girlLooks like we have a few things in common after all. I'm sorry I was kind of a witch before." Brooke apologised.

"It's OK. It's hard to let new people in sometimes. I'm used to it." Anna smiled forgivingly.

"Well, don't get too used to it." Brooke said smiling as she indicated to Peyton and Claudia. Claudia felt like Haley was no longer with them, that Anna stole that from Haley as well. "You're with us now." Brooke smirked as Peyton pulled a feather out of Claudia's hair. She holds it and blows it away, Claudia did the same thing and everyone laughed. 

"You're a mess!" Peyton laughed at Claudia before she messed up her hair.

___

Claudia was listening to her and Chris's track when Nathan walked in, home from the Charlotte. 

"My husband!" Claudia exclaimed as she discreetly closed the laptop.

"Hey!" Nathan smiled as he dropped his bag and took his shoulder bag off. "What was that?" Nathan asked, Claudia got nervous for a minute before she calmed down. 

"Oh, just a works in progress." Claudia replied evasively, waving it off. "I don't want you to hear it yet." She continued as she stood up and walked around the counter.NATHAN: (Smiling) OK. 

"Well? Did you have fun with Lucas?" Claudia asked as she hugged him.

"Yeah, we had a great time." Nathan answered smiling, he finally had the brother that he could do things with. Dan could no longer stop them from being brothers.

"Good." Claudia muttered.

"How bout you?" Nathan asked looking down at his girlfriend.

"Hmmm, good." Claudia smiled before she kissed him and placed her head on his chest. "Really good." She frowned, depressed, but Nathan could not see her. He smiled and rested his chin on her head. Claudia felt guilty and really wanted to tell him but knew she couldn't.

***

A/N: Hope you guys are all enjoying this book. This was a really long but fun chapter to write. I have decided that I am just going to use a Joss Stone song for Chris and Claudia's duet. It is called I Don't Know How. You will just need to imagine Chris's voice in it. 

Also, who is your favourite character on One Tree Hill, season 2?

P.S. Last Night I planned out all my chapters and I am so excited to start writing them. I have the all planned up to the episode when Claudia is on her tour. It will be a fun episode because she gets a make over.