Leaving Normal 3 - Alone
May. 23rd, 2008 01:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missmara13Another little snippet from the 'Leaving Normal' Universe. I do plan a longer story at some point, probably relatively soon, but I want to establish the relationships first.
"Why aren't you telling me anything, Brooke?" Seth Cohen, her cousin, demanded as he and Haley James, Brooke's best friend, cornered her outside of Karen's Cafe.
"There's nothing to tell," Brooke replied.
"You're hanging out with the goddess that is Summer Roberts and there's nothing to tell?" Seth said skeptically.
"I am not hanging out with Summer Roberts," Brooke said. "I'm just... spending some time with someone who spends time with her."
"Yeah, a guy your boyfriend hates," Haley pointed out. "Luke and Ryan have gotten into it more than once. What is going on, Tigger?"
"Nothing," Brooke repeated.
"You've been acting strange ever since the shooting," Haley said. "You haven't been... you. What is going on with you, Brooke?"
"Nothing, I just... Ryan was really sweet stopping to check on me because he saw me fall. He..."
"Yeah, but it's not like he saved your life or anything, you weren't even hurt," Seth said.
"Guys, just stop, okay? Everything's fine, nothing is going on."
~~~
Brooke looked up suddenly as she heard a knock on her window and walked over to open it, smiling as she saw Ryan crouched down on the roof outside. "Hey," she said.
"Hey," Ryan replied. "How's..."
"All gone," Brooke said, lifting her shirt enough to show him the handprint had disappeared. She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?" Ryan asked.
"Keep such a big secret without telling anyone?"
"If anything happened to Nathan and Summer because of me... I'd never forgive myself. That makes it easy for me."
"I don't want any of you getting hurt or... or worse... but I hate not telling something this big to Seth and Haley. I know they'd keep quiet, but... I also know it's just too big of a risk. You need me to keep it, so... I will."
"I'm sorry I put you in this position."
"All you did was save my life, Ryan," Brooke said. "I'm the one who demanded answers from you."
"Can I..." Ryan began. "When I... when I healed you, I saw... you. Flashes of your memory... and I want to return the favor. I want to show you... show you me."
"Okay," Brooke whispered.
Ryan slowly took her hand and pressed it to his chest, over his heart, then closed his eyes.
Brooke gasped as a flood of images hit her.
Wandering in the cold and dark, scared and alone.
Finding Nathan and Summer at school and finally not feeling alone anymore.
Seeing Brooke for the first time when she was 8 or so, spinning around on a stool in the cafe, laughing.
Seeing Brooke again, at school more recently, seeing her smile as he walked past, but knowing the smile wasn't for him. It could never be for him.
Brooke gasped again as the images faded and she found herself still sitting on her window ledge with Ryan crouched outside on the roof, his hand holding hers to his heart. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Your welcome," Ryan said. Then he looked down at their hands and released hers. "I should go. Before Luke or somebody shows up."
"Yeah," Brooke agreed, not moving her hand.
Ryan smiled and moved away, heading for the ladder down to the ground.
Brooke let her hand fall to her lap as she watched him go. "Ryan?" she called after him.
"Yeah?" Ryan asked, turning back.
"Your secret's safe with me, I promise," she said.
"Thanks," Ryan said, starting down the ladder.
As his head disappeared over the edge of the roof, she climbed out the window. "Ryan?"
"Yeah?" Ryan asked, slightly amused, as he stuck his head back up again.
"You're not alone, not anymore," Brooke said. "I just... I just wanted you to know that."
"Thanks," Ryan whispered. "Is that all? Or should I wait just below roof level for a couple minutes?" he asked, teasing her.
"Shut up," Brooke said, smiling. "I'll see you around."
"See you around," Ryan agreed, nodding before heading down the ladder one more time.
Brooke sighed and leaned back against the wall, wondering how much harder this could all get.
The End
"Why aren't you telling me anything, Brooke?" Seth Cohen, her cousin, demanded as he and Haley James, Brooke's best friend, cornered her outside of Karen's Cafe.
"There's nothing to tell," Brooke replied.
"You're hanging out with the goddess that is Summer Roberts and there's nothing to tell?" Seth said skeptically.
"I am not hanging out with Summer Roberts," Brooke said. "I'm just... spending some time with someone who spends time with her."
"Yeah, a guy your boyfriend hates," Haley pointed out. "Luke and Ryan have gotten into it more than once. What is going on, Tigger?"
"Nothing," Brooke repeated.
"You've been acting strange ever since the shooting," Haley said. "You haven't been... you. What is going on with you, Brooke?"
"Nothing, I just... Ryan was really sweet stopping to check on me because he saw me fall. He..."
"Yeah, but it's not like he saved your life or anything, you weren't even hurt," Seth said.
"Guys, just stop, okay? Everything's fine, nothing is going on."
~~~
Brooke looked up suddenly as she heard a knock on her window and walked over to open it, smiling as she saw Ryan crouched down on the roof outside. "Hey," she said.
"Hey," Ryan replied. "How's..."
"All gone," Brooke said, lifting her shirt enough to show him the handprint had disappeared. She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?" Ryan asked.
"Keep such a big secret without telling anyone?"
"If anything happened to Nathan and Summer because of me... I'd never forgive myself. That makes it easy for me."
"I don't want any of you getting hurt or... or worse... but I hate not telling something this big to Seth and Haley. I know they'd keep quiet, but... I also know it's just too big of a risk. You need me to keep it, so... I will."
"I'm sorry I put you in this position."
"All you did was save my life, Ryan," Brooke said. "I'm the one who demanded answers from you."
"Can I..." Ryan began. "When I... when I healed you, I saw... you. Flashes of your memory... and I want to return the favor. I want to show you... show you me."
"Okay," Brooke whispered.
Ryan slowly took her hand and pressed it to his chest, over his heart, then closed his eyes.
Brooke gasped as a flood of images hit her.
Wandering in the cold and dark, scared and alone.
Finding Nathan and Summer at school and finally not feeling alone anymore.
Seeing Brooke for the first time when she was 8 or so, spinning around on a stool in the cafe, laughing.
Seeing Brooke again, at school more recently, seeing her smile as he walked past, but knowing the smile wasn't for him. It could never be for him.
Brooke gasped again as the images faded and she found herself still sitting on her window ledge with Ryan crouched outside on the roof, his hand holding hers to his heart. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Your welcome," Ryan said. Then he looked down at their hands and released hers. "I should go. Before Luke or somebody shows up."
"Yeah," Brooke agreed, not moving her hand.
Ryan smiled and moved away, heading for the ladder down to the ground.
Brooke let her hand fall to her lap as she watched him go. "Ryan?" she called after him.
"Yeah?" Ryan asked, turning back.
"Your secret's safe with me, I promise," she said.
"Thanks," Ryan said, starting down the ladder.
As his head disappeared over the edge of the roof, she climbed out the window. "Ryan?"
"Yeah?" Ryan asked, slightly amused, as he stuck his head back up again.
"You're not alone, not anymore," Brooke said. "I just... I just wanted you to know that."
"Thanks," Ryan whispered. "Is that all? Or should I wait just below roof level for a couple minutes?" he asked, teasing her.
"Shut up," Brooke said, smiling. "I'll see you around."
"See you around," Ryan agreed, nodding before heading down the ladder one more time.
Brooke sighed and leaned back against the wall, wondering how much harder this could all get.
The End
