Brooke and Chase by Amicia Bianchi (good book recommendations .txt) 📕

My eighteenth birthday was in a few hours and sleep just wasn't coming. Brooke was on my mind and I couldn't get her out of it but I didn't seem to mind. I just laid back on my bed with my hands behind my head on the pillow and crossed my legs.

I sighed, maybe I could do something for her to show her how much I appreciate her help. Well when I find my mate I won't have to worry about this problem hopefully.

Before I knew it my mind had floated back to Brooke trying to explain the reason behind her recent change in behavior. Maybe she felt that she "had the cat in a bag" since I agreed to let her help me plan the party.

Whatever her reasons are I'm still going to have to let that argument rest, possibly finding my mate tomorrow is my main priority. I'm just going to have to force her out of my mind starting tomorrow...

Suddenly the alarm on my bedside started ringing. It was twelve o'clock, well happy birthday to me…

~hours later~

Somehow I eventually fell asleep but I woke up to find that I was already late for school. I decided to just not go, I would find something to do. I did want to do something for Brooke, maybe I should decorate. She had wanted to do something to it but eventually decided against it. What could I use to decorate the place?

I thought about it for a moment, suddenly a light bulb went off in my head. I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to get ready. When I came out I got dressed and headed downstairs. I ate, got into my car and drove to the store…

 I had contacted everyone again yesterday just to abate my paranoia then spent hours laying out my plans and going over them. Afterwards I'd stayed up looking up at the ceiling, everything I could have possibly done I had.

My house staff were officially back, as of yesterday, and I got them to help me with the party. I'd finally solved the food problem by talking my chef into fixing some of Chase's favorite dishes but I, otherwise, gave her free rein over the menu.

She was a world renown chef and having eaten her gourmet meals for nine years I trusted her completely, only telling her to make the menu diverse. I had compiled a list of who needed rides and discussed possible routes with my driver, who'd agreed to split the work between us. There was nothing left for me to do but I couldn't sleep so I just sat up, finally allowing myself to think of Chase. By the end of it I'd decided I definitely needed to move on and for an instant thought to try to do so with that guy but then I remembered he was Amanda's boyfriend.

Now that I thought about it… Who in there right mind willing throws their boyfriend or girlfriend at someone else?

Maybe someone who wants to get away from them but why wouldn't you just break up with them instead of throwing them at someone, like your best friend's girlfriend or boyfriend for a month?

What is that going to do? After a month he's yours again, so what does that do for you?

Absolutely nothing. So why do it?

I still couldn't figure that part out. So I finally just decided to give it up, I need to stop trying to analyze this sick game.

It was the product of some twisted thought so how could it ever make sense? I sighed.

They aren't friends for nothing seeing as they both agreed on it like it was a completely sane idea. Suddenly a thought hit me.

Wait, she thought I was his girlfriend… How did she get that idea?

I knew everybody in school thought we were but she was his friend shouldn't she know him better? And he never denied it, instead went along with it when he knows that I'm really not his girlfriend.

Why?

I sighed again.

What happened to giving up the logic because of it all being a jumble of insanity?

I agreed breathing in deeply, slowly before slowly exhaling. I needed to sleep, but I can't, I got up out of bed leaving the light off. I went to my bathroom, I opened my vanity mirror on the wall. I grabbed a bottle of sleeping pills and took one out and put the bottle back. I closed the cabinet, took the pill before going to the kitchen. I got a glass of water drank it and took the pill, then went back to my room.

I got back in bed and eventually a dreamless sleep took me. It didn't feel like I had slept that long before I heard my alarm clock blaring. I reached over and turned it off, went into the bathroom and started my day. I didn't know what I was going to do when I saw Chase but I was planning on just being my casual self. I hadn't planned on this happening but what I would do now was stick to the plan. I would continue to be professional.

"Professional," I told my reflection in the big mirror in my bathroom after my shower. I nodded before walking out and getting dressed.

Once I was finally ready I fixed myself a small breakfast, ate, then grabbed my car keys and left. Since Dana, my chef, was going to cook for the party I told her not to worry about my breakfast and come later.

When I made it to school I immediately fell into the routine that I've started since agreeing to plan this party. I started talking to people, basically seeing if I had talked to everyone, making sure if they were all coming, and if more people needed rides.

Since I had been going around talking to people they had seemed to all just fit me in somehow. It's like they had let me into their groups, I felt comfortable talking to all of them. I made it my mission, not to just approach them and invite them but, to actually talk to them, then work it into the conversation. In as short a time as possible because I had a lot of other people to speak to.

Soon school started and I went to my first class. I had stopped walking with Chase to class because I would usually be all over the hallway talking to people and it had just hit home that after today I'd be walking with my friends. It didn't strike me as odd when I hadn't notice him in the hall or in class when I got there. I didn't realize he was absent from school until the teacher called roll and he wasn't there to answer.

I just shrugged it off, thinking that he might come late, it was his birthday. When the morning announcements came on they did their usual then started calling birthdays.

"Happy birthday Chase, love Brooke. And remember everyone the party is tonight if you need transportation or you cannot attend, contact me."

I hadn't sent in that announcement and I don't know who did but I was just glad they didn't start reading off my phone number. My face was a deep crimson color because suddenly all of the students in class were looking at me.

Some students in the hallway stopped before passing the door to look at me also, smiling because they all knew me and I bet the rest of the school was smiling too. I put my head down not looking any of them in the eye, a chorus of laughter rang out. I hide my face with my hair and soon the announcements were over but my embarrassment was not.

By lunchtime I'd figured out who the culprit was and as I got to the table I confronted her.

"Jen, how could you?" Jennifer tried her best to look innocent but the ever present spark of mischief hadn't left her eyes.

"How could I what?" She asked with feigned nonchalance.

"Obviously I didn't send in that announcement this morning," I said pointedly.

"Then I wonder who…" she trailed off when the amusement started showing.

"I think you know the person," narrowing accusatory eyes at her I added, "very well."

She just laughed but someone else pitched in on her behalf.

"What makes you think it was Jen?" questioned Max Sarento, her ex boyfriend, who was conspicuously sitting next to her.

I wasn't quite sure what that meant because I still didn't know why they'd gone separate ways but it had apparently been a mutual agreement. The few times I'd attempted to ask she got uncharacteristically upset and said it was complicated so I quit trying.

"I just know," I answered never taking my eyes off her. She shrugged.

"Although you're denying it, I'd say it's rather fitting since you two have been coming out with your relationship…" I cut her off, shocked.

"We have not," I refuted blushing at the idea of such a thought earning me a skeptical look and a raised eyebrow.

"Sure honey, you say that but we've learned to just take it as it comes because first you told us you guys weren't together and we believed you. But then he comes to the table whispers some naughty things in your ear, you turn into a tomato and he invites you to his 'birthday party'. Ever since he's been sitting at our table and now every time you want to ditch us early on weekends you use Chase as an excuse. Plus when Chase calls you're always like, 'hold on you guys I really have to answer this' then you go like five miles away just to answer it where nobody can hear anything. And although you say the phone calls are about the 'party' we know better. We're not stupid, Brooke think about it: what guy invites a girl to a party at his house that no one else has been invited to?" I was shocked but as I looked around the table others were in agreement with her, even Sophie.

"I wasn't-"

"If it had been me I wouldn't have bothered to invite anybody else. Because it's not everyday a guy, who's usually very private, leaves you in charge of his guest list." She teased successively.

I watched appalled as Jen was high-fived by the girl next to her some others cheered on her antics and Max just smirked at her. I opened my mouth to speak but Sophie intervened. She was the only one who gave Jennifer a slightly less than pleased look then sighed.

"The times we've asked you've denied being in a relationship but right after that you act secretive about him and then we end up finding out something else. So now we've come to the point where we understand that you're shy about it so we resigned ourselves to letting it be slowly revealed. We got it, you'll tell us everything when you're ready, until then we'll settle for bits and pieces. So we stopped asking." I was completely shocked that they'd cooked this up.

I couldn't say anything I just looked the acquiescence