"chapter 28- the hardest thing"

the cheerleaders danced & the marching band played as the beverly high team took the stage at the pep rally. playoffs were finally here & it was beverlys time to prove, to everyone that they were a force to be reckoned with.

"winton mark, scott anderson, jeff austin. then we got shane butler. you can't forget asher adams & of course jj parker, jordan baker." coach baker announced and as jordan ran across the stage he looked out into the audience not seeing brooke madden & his heart sunk.

he hadn't seen brooke since that day at the hangout when they fought & she left in tears. she wouldn't answer his calls or texts. it was like she fell off the face of the earth, and jordan was terrified. that he was going to lose the best thing that ever happened to him.

"and last but not least your division player of the year, spencer james." coach baker announced into the microphone as the crowd cheered.

"now, i've been hearing all this stuff about logan high knocking out the first seed in the playoffs two seasons in a row. they are calling them the giant killers. not no more. we are ready for logan high, y'all. we are ready for logan high." coach screamed as the crowd when ballistic.

"brooke shouldn't you be at your schools pep rally today, cheering that boyfriend of yours on?" madison teased laughing as her daughter brought her a cup of coffee.

"i just wasn't feeling it, i don't know we aren't in a good place right now." brooke sighed.

"well maybe you should talk to him, tell him how you feel." madison suggested, sipping her coffee.

"i'm sick & tired of having to talk about shit, i just want to be happy without any complications." brooke revealed as she watched her father walk down the steps.

"dad." brooke said shocked, at the sight of her father.

her parents hadn't talked since the shoot, that ended in brooke having a complete mental breakdown. & she knew things were soon about to blow up when her dad stepped into the kitchen.

"madison, how are you?" steve greeted.

"i'm okay, you?" madison replied.

"i'm doing alright." he answered grabbing a coffee & brooke let out a sigh of relief, at their oddly friendly exchange.

"brooke, why aren't you at the pep rally." steve pointed out.

"that's exactly what i said." madison laughed.

"i just didn't feel like it, okay." brooke groaned.

"i know asher's probably disappointed you didn't go." steve laughed.

"what's so funny about that dad?" brooke asked.

"i see the way that adams boy looks at you, that's all." steve chuckled.

"& hows that?" brooke questioned crossing her arms.

"when that boy looks at you brooke, it's like the world stops for him. & nothing else exists but you." her father revealed causing her mother to smile, as she reminisced on when steve to used to look at her like that.

"the hardest thing is watching someone you love, love somebody else." madison said breaking her silence, causing steve to glance over at her & when their eyes met.

the whole entire world around them came to a stop. there was no one else around, no sound, no worries, no today, no tomorrow, no yesterday. there was only them, just like the first time he'd ever seen her. & in that moment they both knew. when they parted ways, it was the biggest mistake they'd ever made.

brooke watched as her parents gazed into each others eyes for the first time in years, and her heart felt warmth.

but she wondered, maybe she'd made a mistake when she gave her heart to jordan baker without really giving asher adams a chance to prove himself to her.