𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘||𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐆𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐘

𝟖. 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫

✧

     BROOKE WAS SERIOUSLY REGRETTING accepting Hanna's invite to this double date with Sean and Noel. She wasn't a massive fan of the fact he hadn't asked her himself and rather sent one of her best friends to do it for him. But also she couldn't help but wish that it wasn't him at all.

     It wasn't his fault, but he had already done three things that Brooke didn't like. Well, she didn't not like them, but they were things that he knew she wouldn't like. First he insisted that she ordered the pizzas despite the brunette hating ordering. Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest, which she only didn't like because it felt like he was forcing her to act coupled when she wasn't even sure she wanted anything with Noel. Then he started to drag up the past, the past that only reminded Brooke of bad things like, the person she used to be, her ruined relationship, situations that were buried deep for a reason and her dead best friend.

     She had made an effort to put some effort into the date. But she could not get him off her mind. It was getting frustrating, to the point that for the two hours that they were into the date she had spent at least one and a half of them in silence, brooding in a quick sand of her own thoughts, slowly sinking into a mood that was not fit for the date she was on. "This concert should be great," Noel said happily from his seat beside her as they sat around Hanna's kitchen table with the half empty box of pizza sat between them.

     Something else to ruin the evening was Sean. Brooke knew that he was Hanna's boyfriend and that it didn't really matter if she liked him or not, but he drove her crazy in the worst way possible. "The most important thing about a band is the name." Said boy insisted. "I should know, cus I had one." He spoke cockily, making Brooke roll her eyes. Any chance to brag he took. At least Noel was some what humble about his wealth. Humble wasn't the perfect word to describe it, but in comparison to Sean it certainly seemed like it.

     Hanna scoffed, beginning to stack her and Sean's help while the blonde offered her no help. "You had five guys in Greg Samson's garage." She corrected a smile on her face none the less.

     Noel chuckled too, stretching and then using it as an excuse to rest his hand on the back of Brooke's chair again, tapping his fingers on her back. "What was the name?" He asked absentmindedly.

     "We had the best name ever," Sean assured. "Tick Beaudine." He revealed making them laugh, even Brooke laughed lightly at the horrific so called name for a band. "It was some guy I saw in a western when I was a kid." He defended.

     Noel shook his head with a chuckle, turning the hand that was behind Brooke to look at his watch to see that it was almost time leave for the concert. "Guys we should get going," He said, hopping up
out of his chair.

     "Thanks for the pizza, Noel," Brooke smiled politely, looking up at him as she stood up herself, stacking her and Noel's plates and taking them over to the counter beside the sink.

     Noel grinned and sent her a playful wink, one that Brooke could only reply to with half a smile. He turned back to the table after and spotted Hanna closing the lid on the box to carry it over to the fridge. "Don't put it away. It'll be perfect room temperature when we get back." He assured, shortly interrupted by the doorbell ringing. "That's the guy back with the crazy bread." He said suddenly in a wave of excitement.

     "No! No, it's too late for that," Hannah complained, despite the delivery driver already being there with the food in hand. Brooke refrained from pointing that out.