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𝗙𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀
::  xxvi. | it's ok not to be ok

"How was that?!" Chad yelled very loudly. He was wearing noise canceling headphones. Reminder, it's three in the morning.

Mia held the button down that spoke directly into the headphones, "It was good!"

Chad scrunched his nose at the loud sound that came through the headphones. He took them off, placing them over the mic. Mia came in through the door.

"Good but I think it needs some female vocals?" She batted her long eyelashes, a way to get him to agree with her.

"I think it's fine just the way it is." He politely declined.

He soon then left Tric to head back home. Only for two reasons. One, he thought Mia would want some studio time alone. Two, he got a text from Peyton saying she's ovulating. So you know what that means.

On the other hand, Ashely's been spending a lot time at Brooke's house. Julian came back for a little while to see Brooke but left again for something important. Since he was out, Brooke agreed she could crash at her place while Chad and Peyton had their fun. But little did she know, Ashely had her fun a few nights ago.

For the past few days, Ashely has been throwing up a lot. Once again, like for past few days, she rushed to the bathroom early in the morning. You can say around 3ish maybe. Of course Brooke heard and once again came running out, knocking on the locked bathroom door.

"Please open the door ash, I can help. Please don't shut me out. I'm worried." She lightly knocked on the door. All she can hear from the other side is Ashely puking.

Ashely was scared herself. She wasn't sure what she was going to do. She was sure though that she needed a friend. As she still leaned over the toilet, she stretched her arm back and opened the door. Brooke immediately came in and went by her side. Rubbed her back and held her hair up.

After all the puking, Ashely flushed the toilet and just sat on the bathroom floor with her head resting against the wall. Brooke sat across from her on the floor.

"Are you...?" Brooke didn't want to assume anything out of respect.

Ashely shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I don't know if I want to be . . . at least not yet."

"What happened?" Brooke breathed out. A question she was dying to ask.

"One time. That's all it takes, right?" Tears started to swell up in the blonde's eyes, "You can't do anything when the condom breaks. How could I have been so irresponsible?"

"Come here." Brooke slid over next to Ashely, then bringing her into an embrace. Ashely rested her head on her friend's shoulder. As of right now, Brooke is all she has in this situation. For now, she was ok with that.

• • •

Chad was over at Haley's house. It was a teacher's work day, therefore she wouldn't be able to watch him. Nate was busy with practice since the big game was coming up soon. Considering what happened last time, he thought he owed it to them .... mostly Jamie. He did leave him with two women and what Haley would quote from Jamie, it sucked. That was mostly because of their bickering and arguing which sad to say, he understood enough of.

Haley quickly rushed downstairs to the kitchen, seeing her son eating cereal and Chad sitting next to him. She walked up to Chad and hugged him. "Thank you so much."

"No problem, hales. Love this little guy." Chad's hand ruffled Jamie's hair.

"Yeah, so much that you left me alone with my crazy aunts." The little boy talked with his mouth full.

"Jamie!" Haley gave him a certain look which he knows all too well but so does Chad.

"It's alright, hales. They are crazy." Chad agreed with Jamie with a chuckle.

Haley soon exited the house, got in her car and began to make her way to Tree Hill High. Chad was now stuck with a seven year old. He didn't mind it though.

"They were that bad, huh?" Chad turned to his nephew who had just finished his cereal.

Jamie got up from the stool and carried his dish to the sink, "They were fine up until dinner time. They sure know how to keep an argument going."

"You're not wrong." Chad stood up as well, "Hey, I saw you got a new hoop. Wanna play twenty one?"

Jamie turned to him with a smirk, "Oh you just made your death bed."

• • •

Ashely had just finished peeing on a stick and now she was waiting on the couch in Brooke's living room alone. Brooke had to run out for awhile but Ashely knew if she told Brooke, the burnette would've canceled everything and just came straight home. Ashely just didn't want Brooke to stop her life to help her. This was a mess she made, so she was going to clean it up herself.

After about another minute or so, she stood up and walked over to the kitchen island that the test was laying on. She closed her eyes as she picked it up. She was so nervous to open them. She didn't want it to be true but she also did. And so she finally opened her eyes.

It read . . . she was pregnant. Positive.

She was carrying a little girl or boy and she was terrified. Maybe deep down, she wanted it to say not pregnant. She broke the test in half and dumped it in the trash. She calmed herself down a bit and got a drink of water. As she was drinking her water, Brooke came through the front door.

"Sorry, I had to run out." Brooke closed the door behind her.

"No worries. I bought the test while you were out." It was now or never. She was going to make it reality by saying it out loud.

"What did it say?" Brooke gently placed her bags down then walked over to Ashely to be by her side.

"Positive. What else would it have said?" It was clear to Brooke that Ashely felt uncomfortable talking about it and so she did what any other friend would do. She changed the subject, just a little. Still the same topic but the subject was different.

"I had a pregnancy scare once." Brooke never told anybody that.

"Yeah?" All the worried lightly lift off Ashely's shoulders, knowing that her best friend sort of went through the same problem.

"High School. It was when Luke and I were dating. Missed my period. I was scared out of my mind." Brooke couldn't help but think of that time. It was so long ago.

"But were you pregnant?" Ashely was trying to find pieces to connect.

Brooke shook her head, "That's not the point. The point is I had someone in my corner during that scary time— Luke. Now you have me." Brooke took Ashely's hands into her's, "Ash, you've always been independent. You always been the one getter girl. You always put people's needs and happiness before your own. It's time someone did that for you. Please, let me help you."

"I appreciate it but I got this." Ashely pulled her hands from Brooke's, "It's my mess so I have to clean it up."

Ashely gave Brooke a quick, small smile before making her way back to the guest room and closing the door behind her. Brooke was worried. Her friend was pregnant and she didn't know what to do to help. She promised Ashely she wouldn't tell anyone. Just how long can she keep that promise?

a/n:
the drama just
keeps building 🤷🏼‍♀️