"I am so sorry Haley but I am working I can't give you the money. You should phone Lucas." Claudia explained as she sat in the bathroom in the children's centre. 

"Okay, I will try him." Haley groaned on the other line, she was away to hang up but Claudia had to ask her something.

"How the hell did you lot end up in jail anyway?" Claudia asked laughing.

"Well, when you left for work the police literally came like ten minutes later and arrested us all for wearing stolen property." Haley explained and Claudia looked at her confused.

"But it is Brooke's clothes?!" Claudia shrieked confused.

"We are speaking about this later. I need outta jail." Haley laughed and Claudia just nodded her head.

"Bye Hales." Claudia replied before she ended the phone call. She walked out of the bathroom and Cherry a six year old girl came up to her. 

"What do you think?" She squealed as she showed Claudia her new pink shoes.

"Wow, I want a pair." Claudia smiled as she bent down do look at the shoes.

"Yeah but Claudia, you do not wear shoes. Silly you." Cherry laughed before she walked off. Claudia laughed a little before she walked over to the basketball court. Mark, the little boy who played with Nathan a couple of weeks ago walked over to her.

"So are you and Nathan a couple?" Mark asked as he shot the ball in the little hoop. Claudia grabbed a ball and threw it into the big hoop and missed. She was having flashbacks as to when her and Nathan were still juniors and Claudia needed to be able to score the ball to pass Gym. 

"I hope so." Claudia smiled back before she shot the ball again and it went in. It gave her a sign of hope.

Later that morning Claudia walked over to the lunch table to grab her lunch, then she looked at the time and realised she had a thing to do with Chris.

"Maurice, I have to make a phone call. I will be back." Claudia smiled before she ran into the spare music room, she sat at the piano. She took out her phone and called Chris.

"Hey, Chris." Claudia said when he answered the phone.

"Look Claudia now is not a good time." Chris replied and she heard a lot of shuffling and a car engine. Chris put his phone on speaker mode so Nathan could hear what Claudia was saying. They were currently in a car right now driving to a poker game so Chris could win his money back.

"Chris are you in the studio? I can't make it today." Claudia explained as she listened closer and all she could hear was the song 'Holiday'. "Are you with Nate?" Claudia asked shocked. More muttering happened.

"No, why would you say that?" Chris asked, he was lying really bad. Claudia chuckled.

"Because Nathan is the only weirdo to have Holiday in his car." Claudia replied laughing and she could hear Nathan groan under his breath. "Hey Nate." She smiled.

"Claudia, play us a song." Marie shouted as she ran into the music room, "Ooo who are you on the phone to." Marie asked sitting on the stool beside her.

"Some people I know." Claudia smiled at Marie. "I will speak to you later." Claudia said on the phone before she ended the phone call. "What would you like to hear?" Claudia asked smiling cheerfully at Marie. 

"Right to be wrong." Marie grinned, it was her favourite song that Claudia sang.

"Okay then." Claudia smiled before she began to play. 

https://youtu.be/wcpEte4plbw

___

Claudia walked into her apartment to see Brooke watching a soap opera in a different language, Claudia shut the door behind her confused.

"What are you watching?" Claudia asked puzzled as she dropped her bag on the floor. 

"I don't know but it seems sad." Brooke shrugged as she lay across the couch.

"Did you talk to Lucas." Claudia asked as she walked closer to Brooke. Brooke nodded her head. "Sorry." Claudia sighed as she stood in front of the couch. "Oh, where'd we go so wrong?" She exclaimed dramatically as she sat down on the couch beside Brooke.

"Well," Brooke said as she turned off the TV and sat up, "I slept with Chris Keller and you went on tour with him." Brooke replied and Claudia looked at her.

"No, I mean..." She began to say before she shook her head. "OK, yeah. But,..." Claudia stuttered, she couldn't think of anything. "When did we start letting boys dictate our happiness?" Claudia asked, finally getting there.

"I was nine." Brooke replied and Claudia laughed.

"Well, I-I don't care, it has to stop. You've got too much talent with your fashion line." Claudia explained blowing off what Brooke had just said.

"Not anymore." Brooke replied gloomy.

"Oh, so what, so they stole a couple of designs, they didn't steal your talent!" Claudia grinned and Brooke looked at little better. "I'm sure you've got more." Claudia smiled encouragingly.

"Coupl'a unfinished dressed." Brooke shrugged.

"So finish them." Claudia replied and then she can up with an idea. "Listen, we'll, um,... we'll put together a website and... we'll sell them ourselves." Claudia exclaimed smiling. 

"And you'd help me?" Brooke asked grinning and Claudia nodded her head.

"Obviously!" Claudia laughed but then she pointed at Brooke. "You have to help yourself first though, missy." Claudia smiled pointing at Brooke. Brooke smiled and held her fist out for Claudia. 

"Clothes over bros?" Brooke replied and Claudia laughed as she knocked fists with her. 

"Clothes over bros." Claudia smiled and Brooke thought to herself smiling. This is the moment when an empire was created.

___

Claudia, Peyton and Haley were all sitting on the couch laughing. Claudia was so happy that she had all of her girlfriends back.

"Brooke, come on, just show us what you have so far!" Peyton shouted, they were waiting for Brooke to reveal her designs.

"Come on." Haley exclaimed and then Brooke walked in with a box and a CD player. 

"OK, so these are just prototypes... but, I introduce you to my new line;" Brooke explained as she held up a top which had Peyton's heart embroidered on the front, "Clothes over Bro's." She finished grinning.

"Ooo." Claudia replied concentrating on the top.

"Brooke, that's awesome!" Peyton exclaimed.

"Thanks, but there's more." Brooke continued as she tossed the tops at them.  "We've got the flaming heart ring-t." Brooke said as she held up a red t-shirt. "We have... C over B sweats." Brooke said as she held up a light blue sweatshirt. Claudia grinned at the designs. 

"I like that." Claudia grinned.

"And the tutor girl, best friend, P. Sawyer inspired, Clothes over Bro's concert jerseys." Brooke exclaimed as she threw it at the girls as well. 

"These are awesome, Brooke." Haley complimented as she held the concert jersey in her hand. Brooke smiled over at Claudia.

"I also added in one of these roommate inspired bohemian tops." Brooke smiled as she threw the top over to Claudia. It was white top that was crocheted at the back. It was perfect for Claudia.

"Brooke, these rock. I am buying them all." Claudia squealed as she held the top.

"I know. But, every designer needs her couture line, so I am now introducing you to Clothes over Bro's; upscale." Brooke shouted as she played the CD in the player. Peyton, Claudia and Haley all exchanged confused looks. Bevin walked out of the bedroom, wearing a dress. 

"Whoa!" Peyton smirked.

"Oh my gosh! Brooke!" Haley squealed as she looked at the dress grinning.

"I need that dress." Claudia said in awe as Bevin spun. 

"You made that?" Peyton asked and Brooke nodded her head.

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed smiling proudly at her best friend.

"I made that." Brooke grinned proudly.

"Brooke, that's gorgeous." Claudia said as another girl walked in wearing a dark form-fitting clothes.

"It's so cute, right?" Brooke asked and the girls spun.

"Oh, see, that's more me." Peyton stated in her southern accent as another girl walked in with a black dress.

"Ohh... that's so pretty." Claudia said longingly as another girl walked in wearing a deep red dress. 

"Oooh, oh my! That dress equals danger!" Peyton exclaimed and Brooke nodded her head. 

"Trouble." Brooke grinned and all the girls laughed. Brooke turned the music off. "And they're all available at Clothes over Bro's dot com." Brooke continued proudly and all the girls started to clap.  

"Good work, dude." Peyton said to her best friend.

"Yay!" Haley clapped.

"These are one hundred percent going to sell." Claudia smirked at Brooke. 

___

Claudia and Brooke were both sitting on the couch looking at the tops that Brooke had designed.

"Pretty great, huh?" Brooke asked proudly and Claudia smiled.

"Yeah. Hey, I don't think you need the apostrophe though, in Bro's. It's not really very grammatically correct." Claudia corrected, she just couldn't help herself.

"It's my fashion line and I'm keeping the apostrophe." Brooke smiled as she took the top back from Claudia.

"OK, well, good for you. You did it all yourself anyway." Claudia replied encouragingly.

"Not really, you got me there." Brooke said modestly.

"Yeah, I kinda feel like a big fraud." Claudia scoffed.

"What!? Why?" Brooke asked loudly. Claudia took a deep breath.

"Because I told you to put yourself before boys and I secretly spent the whole day thinking about Nathan." Claudia sighed, she looked at Brooke guilty. "I just can't control it." She groaned, Nathan was on her mind twenty four seven.

"Why, did something happen?" Brooke asked grinning cheekily.

"You know I told you that... Nathan kissed me at the masquerade party?" Claudia asked sighing.

"Yeah." Brooke replied as she nodded her head.

"It might not have been Nathan." Claudia whispered. "I think it might have been Chris. Some guy phoned the recording studio today and said that Chris owed them money for the batman costume. The same costume that Nathan wore." Claudia explained.

"Cringle?" Brooke asked jokingly and Claudia rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't think so." Brooke replied honestly. "Wow... how could you kiss Chris Keller and then think that Chris was Nathan?" Brooke asked shocked and Claudia shrugged.

"Maybe I just wanted to believe that it was Nathan so bad that." Claudia admitted embarrassed. "What if I was wrong, though?" Claudia asked and Brooke didn't know what to say. "He could just be trying to keep things pleasant until the divorce is final." Claudia sighed becasue a bit of her thought that it was true. That Nathan really did want a divorce. 

"I do not believe that." Brooke replied and Claudia gives her an unconvincing look. "I don't!" Brooke stated sternly and Claudia didn't know what to say. "But it's hard, isn't it? I mean, I... I love my clothes... but there is an ache in my heart where Lucas used to be and... I don't think covering it up with a... stylish and smartly priced sweat top's gonna make it go away." Brooke explained and Claudia looked down at the top she was wearing. It was the top Brooke had made her- the bohemian one. 

"It is stylish, though." Claudia replied smiling sadly. Brooke placed a comforting hand on Claudia's shoulder. They both smiled sadly at each other. 

___

Nathan was sat on his bed and Claudia walked in awkwardly.

"Hey." Claudia said awkwardly before she walked further into his room, Nathan turned his head to face her.

"Hey, thanks for coming." Nathan replied.

"Yeah, thanks for calling me." Claudia stated, the pair of them were walking on eggshells. "What's wrong?" Claudia asked smiling a little.

"Your song is great, Claudia." Nathan said and Claudia was taken by surprised but she was also confused as to how Nathan got the song. 

"Thanks." Claudia smiled looking down at the floor, it was kind of awkward her speaking to Nathan about music- considering that is what drove them apart.

"Chris played it from me. It's a... it's a long story but, uh,... it's really great." Nathan explained and Claudia nodded her head. 

"I knew you were in the car with him." Claudia grinned sheepishly.  

"I just wanted you to know that." Nathan smiled and it filled Claudia's heart with warmth.

"Oh. Okay." Claudia replied before she mentally slapped her across the face. 'Oh okay, really Claudia'. She thought to herself.

"My mom left... for good, I think." Nathan stated and Claudia stood their shocked. "Oh, and, apparently, my dad's the mayor now." Nathan scoffed and Claudia just shook her head angrily. "So,... yeah, today's really sucked ass." Nathan finished annoyed.

"Oh, Nathan," Claudia said compassionately as she sat on the bed beside her, "I'm so sorry." She continued sincerely. Nathan shook his head and they just looked at each other. 

"You know, for most of my life, I would have gone through all this alone." Nathan stated and then he smiled at her. "Then I met you." He continued and Claudia grinned, "and I finally found someone I could depend on when life got like this... so I guess I called you... coz I wanted to know... if that was still there." Nathan continued embarrassed slightly. Claudia looked at him sincerely.

"Nathan, of course I am going to be there for you." She replied heartfelt. Even if they weren't together Claudia was always going to be there for him. "Always and forever." She continued grinning before they both sighed. Claudia tucked her hair behind her ears. "I wanna ask you something, um," Claudia started awkwardly before she took a deep breath, she lifted up her legs and crossed them over, "... the night of the masquerade party, d-did we... did you kiss me?" Claudia asked nervously, Nathan didn't reply for a second as he thought to himself. 

"Of course I did." Nathan answered kindly, Claudia smiled relieved. They kissed and Claudia quickly pulled away, she realised Nathan did not kiss her.

"Oh, no you didn't." Claudia stated shaking her head, Nathan laughed bemused. "That kiss wasn't half as good as this one." Claudia smirked as she touched his face. "But I love you for lying to me!" Claudia laughed and Nathan smiled at her. "Thanks for calling, it meant a lot." Claudia whispered before she kissed him on the cheek. She got off the bed and walked to his door. 

"Claudia!" Nathan called after her, Claudia stopped and turned around smiling. 

"Yeah?" Claudia asked leaning on the door frame.

"Stay with me tonight." Nathan replied and Claudia grinned at him relieved.

"I am so glad you said that." Claudia smirked as she closed the door and walked over to him. Nathan and Claudia were kissing, Nathan pulled away and took his t-shirt off. Claudia saw his wedding ring around his neck and smiled. "You still wear it." Claudia whispered to herself. She pulled him back down, on top of her, by the ring and they kissed again.