TROUVAILLE | BROOKE DAVIS

thirty

"So, Parker who are you taking to the formal?" Lucas asks at lunch, causing her to choke on her water. She realized that Lucas didn't know about her and Brooke, and there was no way that she could tell him without things being awkward. Haley pats her back as she coughs, trying to clear her throat. Lucas raises an eyebrow at her, "You okay?"

"Great," Parker said, "Um the formal?"

Lucas nods, "Yeah, do you have a date?"

Parker looks over at her best friend, but Haley is already shaking her head. Parker looks back at Lucas, "Um I think I'm going stag."

"No, she's not," Brooke says taking a seat at the table, "She's coming with me."

"Oh?" Parker says surprised, "But I thought you were going with Peyton?"

"You're coming with us," Brooke says with a smile, "Besides, it's not about who you come with, it's about who you leave with."

"Right," Parker says.

"Don't wear lavender, I don't want to clash and meet at Peyton's house later so we can get ready together," Brooke says, she leans toward Parker but pulls away as she realizes what she's doing, instead she holds her hand up for a high five, earning a strange look from Haley and Lucas.

Parker high fives Brooke, her eyebrows furrowing as she does so. Brooke smiles, "I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Parker says, "See you."

Brooke walks away from the table and Parker avoids the eyes of her two best friends. She knew Haley was trying to fight her laughter, hiding her wide smile behind her hand.

"Was it just me or was that interaction really awkward, even for Parker?" Lucas asks.

"I don't know, that seemed pretty normal to me," Haley says, a smile on her lips.

"Are you and Brooke okay? I heard some people talking about an argument you two had in the yearbook?"

"We're fine," Parker says, looking over at Haley, "Want to go shopping for a non-lavender dress?"

Haley laughs and nods, "Sure."

After school, Parker and Haley head over to the mall. Parker tries on several dresses, but none of them seem like the one to her. When they enter their sixth store, Parker groans.

"I've never had to try before!" Parker exclaims.

Haley laughs, looking through a rack of clothes, "You don't have to try, just don't wear lavender."

"Haley, I have to try. Brooke is a fashion goddess and I want to look good next to her," Parker tells her. Her eyes drift to a light grey, almost silver, dress. She looks over at Haley before walking toward the dress and tracing her fingers over the fabric.

"Grey?" Haley asks her.

"A safe color. Doesn't pop too much but matches with lavender," Parker says grinning proudly, "The slit allows for me to show off my amazing legs as well. I'm gonna go try it on."

Parker takes the dress off the rack and heads toward the changing room, Haley on her tail, "You know you sounded a little like Brooke when describing that dress."

Parker steps into the changing room, "What can I say, Brooke's rubbing off on me."

She changes out of her clothes and into the dress. She looks at herself in the mirror and smiles before stepping out and showing Haley the dress. Her best friend raises a surprised eyebrow and nods her head approvingly.

"Parker you look great. That dress does make your legs look good."

Parker smiles and looks down at her dress and then back at Haley.