like a girl

“I can believe it. You’re such a hot mess. Emphasis on mess.”

“Maybe we wouldn’t be here if you’d done it right the first time. I wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted this to happen again all along.”

“Did you really? Why did you stop?” Lucy asked, quirking a brow at Brooke curiously. For her, there had been nothing else besides dance, which was probably because her mother could really only afford for her to do one thing. “Abigail Pierce. She’s actually one of my best students at the moment, but I think she likes cheer more than she likes ballet, which is completely what I would expect for a teenager. She’s at about the age where you have to decide what your commitment level is.”

“Yeah, I was really big into it when I was young. It just... didn’t really work out for me. Bad timing, I guess.” That was the easiest way to put it, instead of saying that it was just too hard to dance after her family passed away, it being the constant reminder of the night she lost two people she loved. “Oh, Abby, yeah, she’s one of my flyers. Eell, it is high school. A lot of girls like the idea of being another popular cheerleader. Lord knows I was the same way.”

“You were engaged? You were engaged to Knox Abernathy?” Had she known this and conveniently forgotten about it? “What were your reasons?” She asked suddenly curious. “You think so?” She’d been mostly overdramatic about this whole thing, but Brooke’s words brought her a level of reassurance. “I like cowboys, I could go to Montana, might fit in there. Maybe I’ll meet a nice cowboy and we’ll live on a ranch and have lots of kids.” As much of a joke as it was, it was something she’d thought about.

“Yeah, twice actually. I tell myself the first time was a mistake and the second time I was drunk,” Brooke admitted, shaking her head. She wouldn’t lie, it was a dark time in her life. She wanted to have a family so bad, that she was willing to marry someone she didn’t actually love. “Yeah, I do think so.” Maybe she really was a sucker still believing in finding love, which is why she’d never left this damn town. “Well what’s keepin’ you here? I don’t think I could imagine startin’ my life all over again in a new place, as enticing as it seems sometimes.”

“Oh lordy don’t joke.” Hannah said shaking her head, hand resting on her stomach. “I’m still having  a hard time thinking about having five, let alone six.” They were stressing about the edition of two new little ones in a few months the idea of a sixth right now gave Hannah even more heartburn then she had these days. “Since Tommy? My oh my,” Hannah joked giving Brooke a grin. “Then take your time, there is literally no rush. Just enjoy yourself. Dating is fun, at least that’s what I hear I barely remember. Plus something tells me its different then when we were 16.” Hannah joked.

“What makes you think I’m jokin’?” Brooke teased, a hint of playfulness in her tone. “I think you’ve made a commitment to the little league football team. There are, what? 11? I’m sure you could manage a few more,” she joked. Of course, she’d completely support Hannah leading a ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ lifestyle, only if it’s what she wanted. “That’s more than 2 years now, isn’t it?” That fact alone made Brooke shake her head. “Yeah, dating’s a lot different, plus I don’t have to worry about a curfew or sneaking around.” Definitely a lot different than when they were 16. Back then, she was pretty sure it’d been a lot of double dates with Kiran, Hannah, and Tanner. Oh how the times had changed.

“God, I cannot believe this is happening again.”

Sienna Daniels had been one of Brooke’s best friends for as long as she could remember. They’d been there for each other, through thick and thin, and Brooke could safely say she was one of the people she’d trusted most in the world. Which is exactly why she found herself sprawled across Sienna’s couch. A cheesy rom-com movie played softly in background movie as Brooke poured herself another glass of wine, glancing over at her friend as she spoke, “You know I never did get to tell you about that ‘blind date’ you set me up on. Tuck Gordon, I really should’ve guessed it.”

“In that case, tell the cheer girls I’m flattered to make it up their list. They’re welcome to try out for the JV team if they’re interested, bet you’ve got a good kicker somewhere in the bunch. I’d consider it a personal favor. – You don’t wanna know how many of my guys ask about tryin’ out for cheer. And they uh, well, maybe I shouldn’t tell you this part. But I’ve had to bench a few of ‘em cause they wouldn’t stop callin’ you Coach….Porkher.”

“Oh, don’t go tellin’ that to any of them. They just might try out then, and then you’ll have lines of 16 year olds that are only tryin’ out for a chance at bein’ around you and the rest of the boys, and a whole day of try outs wasted. Trust me, you don’t want to have to deal with that one. Porkher, huh? Next time they call me that, you should give me a call, I’d be happy to teach a few horny boys a lesson about respectin’ women.”

“If you keep holdin’ on to that hope, you’re just committing to a lifetime of disappointment. Sounds pretty fucking awful if you ask me. Maybe it’s time to start choosin’ your battles.” He rolls his eyes. “You’re not bored.”

“Wow, you really sound like a downer right now. And here I was thinkin’ I held that title,” she replied, taking another sip of her drink, simultaneously flagging down a bartender for her next. “I’m talkin’ to you, of course I’m bored.”

Persimmon was curious as to why Brooke didn’t have anything nice to say about Preston– and she almost started to ask, but decided to leave it for the moment. “—Well, Jamie Callahan asked me out a few weeks ago, but that didn’t go very well,” she murmured, cheeks blushing a slight pink at the thought of what she’d done. “–Tuck Gordon?” Persimmon’s smile brightened. “That’s so excitin’, how did that happen?”

Men in Frostford were truly a toss up. Some of them were just plain ill-mannered, but even Brooke could admit there were a few good ones out there. "Jamie Callahan? What happened with him?" Brooke's curiosity peaked. She thought Jamie was an awfully nice man, very much the type to treat Persimmon right. "Yeah, we kind of had a... moment at the bar a few weeks ago, and then Sienna went and set us up on a blind date."

“Brooke. Right, sorry, old habits die hard,” Babs says with a little bit of nervous laughter before smiling at Brooke in return. “Soooo, is there gonna be a second date? By any chance? I swear the information stays strictly between you and me.”

“It’s no worries, Babs.” Brooke was doing her best to just be supportive, knowing that most of the town wouldn’t share her own view. She was happy for Nash and Babs. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe there will be, I’m just takin’ things slow for right now.”

“I’ll pass the message along,” she offered a smile. “Though,” she ran her fingers through her hair, “between you and me, is this because of Kiran? ” It couldn’t just be a coincidence. But maybe she should’ve just kept her mouth shut about that. She bit down on her bottom lip before shifting her gaze, “Sorry, I – We can just ignore that … How have you been? ”

"Audrey, I really don't wanna put you in the middle of it." Brooke shook her head. Of course it was why. Things with her and Kiran were tenser than ever, and she just didn't feel comfortable seeing his mother. "I've been good. School's finished up, so I've got a little bit of free time. How have you been?"

“I get it. What teenage is actually going to read that when they’re fuelled by dutch courage?” Elle laughed. She was glad that Brooke didn’t take badly to the comments about Kiran; they didn’t need more than one awkward conversation in an evening. “You weren’t? I can’t imagine you like that…” She had a lot to learn, though. “Yeah. My dad was Marines, and so was my brother. Guess it was only natural that I was going to end up finding my own.”

"Exactly. Plus, it's basically a tradition around here. All the kids climbing up the water tower after the football games— I think some of my kids still do it," Brooke smiled, thinking fondly of her old memories. "Oh, yeah, no. I was kind of... well I guess the easiest way to put it is a bitch. I was head cheerleader, the whole queen bee type and everything," she admitted. "It does sound like it worked out good for you. I'm glad."

“I may have also already ordered these little miniature honey dippers and these cute little rollin’ pins with the honeycomb pattern from Etsy too. And now that I see all these bags and say that out loud, I’m startin’ to wonder if I’m okay. Goodness,” she breathed out, shaking her head at the impulse to above and beyond. At least it was for a good reason. “I was gonna order these cute little honeycomb shaped shelves for display too, but I’m hopin’ to just convince Boone to make them for us instead.” The mention of the venue caused her brow to raise. “You know Sienna’s parents have that beautiful flat land out back. You think her momma could keep quiet?”

“Oh God, you really are goin’ crazy, aren’t you? I love it,” Brooke grinned. She was a sucker for a good party, and a baby shower really was no different, especially if it was for one of her friends. “Boone, huh? I don’t see why he couldn’t, with school out for summer I’m sure he’s got plenty of time on his hands. Are you thinkin’ small ones? Many one’s where we could ut the cupcakes and desserts in on display?” Brooke was just about ready to start searching up online for more ideas, as she couldn’t contain her excitement. “I don’t see why not, Sienna’s parents have always been so kind to all of us. I think it’d be great, we could get out some picnic tables and balloons out back, make it look real nice and pretty.”

Angelina thought about it for a moment, eyes immediately locking on the beautiful diamond ring that adorned her left ring finger. She knew better than anyone else that money couldn’t buy happiness, only temporary fixes. Like putting a bandaid on a wide open wound. “It’s not … just about Nash. Either way, I’m just not focused on finding love at this point in my life. I am far too busy with business, dating is almost impossible.” Not true at all, it was just that she would go running to spend time with Brooke or one of the other girls the moment she got free time. “But let’s talk more about you.”

Brooke knew better than anyone that money couldn't buy happiness, or even love. If that were the case, she would've married Knox Abernathy the first time they got engaged, knowing that her and her future children would never worry financially. But that wouldn't be love, or happiness. "I think you're makin' excuses, Ang, so that you don't have to worry about messing up. But if this is what you want, then fine." She should've been the one giving up on love, after years of failed relationships, but maybe she did have a little hope, especially when it came to her friends. "Me? What's there to talk about?"