Chapter 1 Miss Independent

Brooke Davis peered out her car window and took in this quaint little house that stood in front of her. In a million years she never thought that she would be happy to live in a house so little. After all she had grown up with the best and biggest of everything that life had to offer. Her parents had given her everything she ever asked for. Maybe that was it though, maybe she was so happy because this little house was all hers. She was finally starting a life for herself by herself.

Brooke had endured some hardships in the past five years. She had harbored a love for Lucas Scott that had swept her off her feet and taken away almost her entire sense of self. It had devastated her when he caught her cheating with her then best friend Peyton Sawyer. Her heart never let go though and she harbored a secret love for him for quite a while.

She remembered the day that it all changed. The day she came back to Tree Hill to start her senior year of high school. Lucas had professed his love for her before she left to go and spend the summer with her parents. They had talked only a few times through out the summer and she had anticipated them starting their relationship over again upon her return. She had anticipated it until she walked into her bedroom at Lucas' house and found him and Peyton making out furiously in the bed that Brooke had to sleep in.

Brooke realized that there wasn't a chance for her and Lucas ever. He was meant to be with Peyton and Brooke could finally accept that. However, she could not live in Lucas' house and watch the two of them together all the time. So Brooke begged her friends Nathan and Haley Scott to take her in. After sleeping on their couch for months she decided that she needed to start making it without the shoulder of her friends to lean on.

Brooke begged and pleaded with her parents for them to pay for an apartment for her to live in. She wanted to prove to both her parents and herself that she could be responsible and take care of herself. Those months were the most freeing of her life. She longed for the day when she would finish college and start living her life on her own terms and without her parents' money.

Well today was that day. Brooke graduated from UNC Greensboro only a few days ago but had been working for months to find a good job so that she could really be free. Her hard work paid off and she found a job working for an upscale woman's clothing store in Florida as a buyer. She would be responsible for helping decide what the store would sell. It wasn't her life's goal though, she wanted to own her own store and sell clothes that she herself would design. Now wasn't the time for giant risks though, she would start slow and work towards that goal.

Brooke walked into the house and took it all in. There were only two bedrooms, one she would use as a bedroom but the other she would turn into an office. The kitchen was small, but that suited her well, she could master a lot of skills but cooking certainly wasn't one of them. Her dining room was also small and connected to the spacious living room. None of that was her favorite part. It was the huge back porch that afforded her a breath taking view of the city of Tampa that really won her over. She lived a top a hill and looking down made her realize how small the world really was. Every time she looked down at the city she knew that she could tackle it, that it was here that she could achieve her dreams.

After hours of unpacking boxes Brooke decided to hop in the shower and go and find somewhere to eat some dinner. After getting out of the shower she threw on some sweats and peered into the mirror. She was always pretty happy with what she saw, her complexion was always soft and milky and contrasted to well with her dark brown/auburn hair. Her mouth was always her favorite feature though. When she smiled she had two very definite dimples and that coupled with her perfect white teeth and full lips formed the patented Brooke Davis smile. It was that patented smile that got her almost anything she wanted when it came to boys.

She decided to head down to just grab a salad and McDonalds and then head back home to finish unpacking. Once she got to McDonalds she started through the drive thru but then remembered that they only way she would meet people is if she actually was around people. Brooke took a deep breath and got out of her car and headed inside.

Brooke headed to the counter to order and once she got her food headed over to a small table by the window where she could enjoy her salad and watch all the cars drive by. As she was eating she got lost in her thoughts. She was thinking of all the stuff she wanted to buy to decorate her house. Then she thought about how all that would have to wait because she wasn't going to beg mommy and daddy to pay for it all anymore. When they bought her a few suits to get her started in the real world she swore that that was the last time she would take anything from them. From here on out it was Brooke Davis against the world.

Brooke was close to finishing up her salad when a familiar voice quickly ripped her out of her daydream, "Brooke Davis, is that you?"