TROUVAILLE | BROOKE DAVIS

six.

Jesse rushed downstairs, looking at his older sister, "Did Dad call?"

Parker and Grace shared a look, knowing what this was about. Every year, the basketball team had a booster club Father and Son's game. Currently, their father was in New York or California dealing with business. They never knew where their parents were and as long as Parker and her siblings went to school, no one in town said a word.

"Not yet," Parker said, not wanting to upset her brother.

"I talked to him last month about it. He said he'd be able to get off and come," Jesse said excitedly.

"Oh," Grace said unsure of how to respond, "Well if he calls, I'll let you know."

"Same here," Parker said with a forced smile.

Jesse grinned at both of them before rushing back upstairs, getting ready for school. Parker looked over at Grace, who silently continued to eat her breakfast.

"He's going to be crushed," Parker said, "You know Dad's going to bail on him."

"I know," Grace muttered, "But I can't keep breaking his heart. Jesse is still a kid and he still thinks the world of Dad, no matter how many holidays he misses."

"Maybe," Parker knew her next words weren't going to be true, "Maybe Dad just might show up."

Grace scoffed, "Yeah and Mom will send a post card from Milan."

"Whatever," Parker said, "See you at school?"

Grace rolled her eyes, "You always leave so I'm stuck with Jesse."

"I like to be early," Parker told her with shrug, "And you like to be barely on time."

"Ha ha," Grace said as she placed her bowl in the sink.

"I also have to deal with Lucas and Haley being upset with each other," Parker says as she heads toward the door, "Wish me luck?"

"You'll be fine. You've always been the peacekeeper," Grace told her with a smile, "Oh before you go, pizza for dinner?"

"Sure," Parker told Grace with a smile, "See you later."

When Parker entered the school, Brooke rushed up to her, almost as though she had been waiting for her.

"Hey Parker," Brooke said shyly. They hadn't exactly talked since Nathan's party and Brooke probably thought Parker wanted nothing to do with her, which wasn't true.

"Brooke, what's up?" Parker asked with a smile.

"Well Peyton and Nathan broke up, so she's been AWOL," Brooke told her. Parker stopped in front of her locker, putting in her combination.

"I don't think it's because of her break up," Parker said as she grabbed her books for first period.

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked as Parker closed her locker.

"I mean isn't it around the time that her mother passed?" Parker said as she looked at Brooke. The only reason Parker knew about it was because she remembered Peyton missing a month of school trying to recover from it.

Brooke's mouth fell open and she let out a groan, "I'm a terrible friend."

"No you're not," Parker told her.

"Yes, I am!" Brooke exclaims, "You aren't even friends with Peyton, and you know what she's going through."

"I only remember her missing a month of school in second grade," Parker told her, "It was the year I moved to Tree Hill."