never thought i'd be back||OPEN

[Brooke Lynn]

The train slowed to a stop at a station that didn't even look like a station. The sign that said 'Welcome to Oakwood' was peeling, the one behind the sign that said 'I'd Love to Help!' was half asleep, and only few were around, more leaving than there were arriving. Only one got off the train before it left once more, and they looked as though they did it reluctantly, and wished to get back on as soon as they made it off. She looked as though he should have gotten back on, as she did not fit into the scene of Oakwood, Indiana.

Brown boots knee high, skinny jeans skin tight, tank top barely covering, Brooke Lynn did not fit into the Oakwood scene. None would have guessed that eight years ago she had lived in that town, not that she would have admitted it. She flicked a piece of her ponytail behind her back as she pushed her large sunglasses to the top of her head. Brooke's dressing style may have been different then that of years ago, but her appearance was still the same, and if looked at close enough, anybody would recognize her as the runaway child of the Lynn's.

Brooke looked around the train station and a look of utter disgust appeared on her face. The place hadn't changed a bit since she left, a fact within itself that was disgusting. Brooke hated the town and couldn't believe she had been conned into finding the dirt behind the Carnival of Fears. Why did she have to speak up and accidentally let them know she knew a bit more about it than others - because she used to live in the retched town? She had never wanted to go back. But no, it was her story. They'd given her the whole summer, but she was going to do it as quickly as possible, so she could get out of the town as soon a she could.

Brooke looked around at the place she stood the look of disgust still placed upon her face. Snobbish some may call her, but when you hate a place so much, you'd look at it like such too. She was sure to run into people she knew, but she wasn't going to go looking for them, especially not her parents. The question was, how soon?

[Leo Madison]

Leo was having issues. His fiancé was missing. She'd told him she was going to visit friends in the city for a day, not this long... She hadn't called, and no matter how hard Leo tried to tell himself that she was simply staying with friends longer than planned. Then Leo began to think of the Carnival. Maybe she'd been taken, or killed. And he hated himself for wishing that Sophia wouldn't come back. If she never came back then he and Kim could simply go off on their own, make a life together, one what was covered in gold and love, because Leo already knew he had to leave Sophia. It wasn't meant to be, but he didn't know how to tell her goodbye, or what that would mean for him.

And this did not make anything any better.

Leo couldn't believe he's recognized her so easily, it had been so many years since he had seen her last. They'd broken up only a few days before when she had skipped town, never to return--until now anyway. Leo had only been stopping by to tell the man who sold tickets that his wife needed for him to get more medicine for their daughter after he was done working.

Leo had come out of the building to see Brooke Lynn standing on the platform. And he wasn't sure he could get out without her noticing., But would she even want to talk to him? What was she doing here anyway? Leo deciding to turn and start walking away. Only problem was that in order to get home he had to walk through her field of vision.

[Brooke Lynn]

It seemed her past decided to catch up with her immediately. Except this one didn't want to talk with her, and she didn't blame him. The thing was, she wanted to talk with him. He was probably feeling mad at himself that he'd broken up with her, what with her being so big then. Yes, he was probably kicking himself in the arse. And Brooke was just going to rub it in his face that she was better than him, that he'd been stupid that day he'd let her go, (though if he hadn't than they still would have been dating when she ran away, for she still would have run).

"Leo Madison," Brooke said, letting her sunglasses drop back over her eyes as she stepped out from under the shade and back into the sun. A few looked her way but she ignored them, used to being looked at. She lived in California, after all, and was labeled the best dressed, was a big gossip writer, and was in the top 50 list for the best dressed in all of America. Yes, Brooke was used to being looked at.

"It's been awhile," She said, stopping a bit from him, and waiting for him to look her way once more.

[Leo Madison]

Dammit. She'd seen him.

He stopped and turned easily, his hands tucked into his pockets. "Hello Brooke." He said lightly, just as freidnly as ever. Leo was too friendly a person to seem utterly annoyed, even if he was in fact annoyed. "Yes, it has been a while." He agreed. but he was happy to leave her in the past, he had enough women in his life causing him trouble, both in good and bad ways. And he didn't like Brooke very much as a person, he hadn't when she'd left, so he doubted she grew to be much different now.

She looked so terribly out of place here now. It was almost comical the way she held herself.

[Brooke Lynn]

Leo was as friendly as always, but Brooke could tell there was another emotion below it, though what, she could not say. It seemed nothing in the town had changed, and that sickened Brooke most of all. She lowered her sunglasses, and gave Leo the once over, thinking he was still as cute as always. Not that she was interested, she didn't like anybody in that town, and he was near the top of her list.

"That's all I get?" Brooke said, moving her sunglasses to the top of her head again, and placing her hands on her hips so he could see how she had changed over the years. "'Hey Brooke, yes, it has been a while.' Not a hair of me has been seen in Oakwood for eight years, and now I'm back in the wretched town," Bitterness had entered her voice at that point, but she took a deep breath and smoothed her voice over getting back to the point at hand, "And that's all you say? Why, I'm quite disappointed in you Leo."

Brooke raised her eyebrows waiting to hear what Leo would have to say to that.

[Leo Madison]

Leo raised an eyebrow, she was acting like a child--she was a year older than him, and he was far more mature. She acted as if she ruled the world, as if he was ruining her fantasy instead of what was really happening--her coming out into town, a place she hated. "Well I can't say I missed you." Leo said a little bluntly for him. But she was too straight forward. "And I was anticipating your bad attitude. Why did you come back if you dislike the place so much?" he asked.

No one had ever thought she would return. Her distaste had been so obvious. Leo could here in her voice she wasn't glad to be back. Had her grand plans fallen through? And she had to grovel in her hometown. Leo had always thought she'd rather live in a box than come home. So why was she here again?

[Brooke Lynn]

"Didn't miss you either, hun," Brooke said examining her fingernails. She needed to file them.

There was the question, and she flinched slightly at it, him having hit the soft spot. The reason she came back. She pressed her lips tightly together as she looked back up at Leo, her eyes narrowed. She hated that the thing she was so proud of, the thing that made her so well known, was the thing that forced her back to her hometown, a place unknown, where she tried to hide from everybody and hated s much. In an interview about her past (as they had found out about her street days) she'd given them all they wanted to know about her time on the streets. Though when they asked how she'd ended up on the streets, she'd forced out that she ran away from home. When asked where she was from, the interview ended.

Brooke hated Oakwood. And she was back.

"The Carnival," Brooke spit out with wrath in her voice. She took a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting her temper to get up. (It was a good thing yoga was in once, or she would never have learned some techniques to calm down. Even though it went out of style, and she stopped, she still kept the techniques.) "My boss, she heard about it, rumors, and wanted somebody to get the dirt on it. She.....heard that I used to lie here," Brooke wasn't going to let him know that it was her that accidentally let it slip that this was her old home, "And decided I was the one for the job."

Brooke smirked at him before saying, "Don't worry, I'll be out of here as soon as possible. As soon a I get what I need, I'll be gone. The more people are willingly to talk, the faster I'll be gone."

[Leo Madison]

Of course, the only reason people ever came. The Carnival. Good. Then she should just stay there and not bother the town's people about it. She must have become some kind of journalist then, working her way up since she left. She'd been pretty young, so she was doing well for herself with such little education.

"Well, let me save you some trouble, four people have died and twenty gone missing in the last five years." Leo told her, pointing down the road. "Go past the houses and you'll hit the carnival." Hopefully she wouldn't ask him anything else, as far as he was concerned, this conversation could be over.

[Brooke Lynn]

Perfect. Brooke knew Leo wanted her out of town as fast as possible, and she had a feeling it was more than just her wretched personality. She'd seen him try to escape her eye when she had first arrived, and Brooke had a feeling that Leo had something going on that was just gossip worthy, and Brooke loved gossip. But first, the Carnival.

Brooke opened her purse and pulled out a paper and notebook. She flipped open the notebook and quickly jotted down the information Leo had told her. "And I think I can remember where the damned thing is, this town isn't that big." She said, looking up from her notebook at him. No thanks, nothing. She had another thing on her mind.

"I doubt anything worth my while has been happening here compared to the places I've been, but since I'm going to be here, I may as well get caught up on what's going on here," Brooke said, it obvious where she was getting at. She wanted the towns gossip, and more importantly, why he seemed even more anxious that she was there, as though he already had enough on his plate.

[Leo Madison]

Leo gave her a fake smile, oozing with distaste. He had no time for people so rude who always had ulterior motives. "I'm sure you remember where the wall is, you'll learn all the gossip you want to know." He wasn't going to say a thing. But teh problem was he knew his name was all over that wall. Not to mention it was by the carnival, it would save her time.

"Look do you need anything else?" leo asked her starting to walk again. he did not have time for this right now.

ooc- sorry this kinda sucks, im watching enchanted

[Brooke Lynn]

Ah, the wall. Brooke had written on that wall many a times, and it was write by the Carnival, so it would even save her some time. Yes, she may have made sure to have forgotten a lot of things in Oakwood, but that was not one of them. That was one thing she actually liked about the place, and wished there was one in every town. But, there wasn't, you could only find them in small towns, or schools (as she'd seen from interviewing celebrities in schools, she'd found such out). You could get more gossip from gossip walls than gossip magazines because there you were anonymous, and everybody wrote anything. It wasn't always fact, but if you added all that was written, you could always figure out the truth in it.

He was walking away? Oh no he didn't. Brooke was not done with him. She knew he would purposely avoid her from then on, and she was going to get all she wanted then. Starting with her story.

"So, what do you think?" Brooke finally asked, upset it hadn't started at the beginning. "I came from a town unheard of and ran away. Now I'm one of the biggest things in California. I write for the biggest gossip magazine - all over US - with an education only to grade nine, and am invited to all the hottest parties - I've even been written about myself a couple of times! Big, no? I'm bigger than this town will ever be." She'd done it. Her parents had said it couldn't be done, that she'd always be an Oakwood girl, if she did make it out, she'd end up back. They said she'd never be big. That's what they'd fought about the day she had run away. Well, she'd done it. She'd showed them.

[Leo Madison]

"I'm glad you're living a life you're happy with." Leo said with a nod, and some sincerity. he didn't wish her ill, he just knew that was not the sort of life he wanted, but it it made ehr happy, more power to her. "I'm impressed with your hard work." he said for her benefit, it was remarkable how well she'd done in such a short time, but he couldn't say he was glad. Her attitude took away from any attractiveness she had. No one wanted to be pleased with a terrible persons accomplishments.

It did make him feel a little small. he just worked the farms, went to community college. Was supposedly marrying his high school lover..... What would he have if he ended up with no Sophia, and no Kim.... All he had was relationships--family, friend, love... what was he without those? What was Brooke without her job?

[Brooke Lynn]

Brooke didn't care that he was happy she was living a life she was happy with (though most of that was probably to get rid of her, she did hear some sincerity in it). No, it was the last part she was looking for. He was impressed with her hard work. A smile appeared on her face when he said that. Hard work. That was who she was. Nothing else. Relationships - her last one had been Leo. Ya, she went to party, but that was just for work. She worked hard to get herself up so high, and she was still working hard to get the heads job when she retired. To get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Brooke was going to do it all.

Brooke only ever worked, or did stuff related to work. She learned that from the streets. You have to work hard to get what you want. That was how she got up high so quick. Work and fashion (which, in a way, had to do with work). But Brooke's work could be fun at times, though it left her with no friends. Not that their was any real friends in the life she lived. Without her job, she was nothing. She was back on the streets, which made her nobody.

"How about you? Where has your life gone?" Brooke asked, wanting to see what life would of been like if she had stayed in Oakwood.

[Leo Madison]

"Its the same as always, working at the ranch, and at Mac's. Engaged to Sophia, I've been the talk of the town lately, you'll read all about it." he said almost mockingly, giving her a fake smile. The rumors about Kim had started and he didn't know how bad yet, not everyone was talking about them. So they had some time. And with Sophia missing....

"She's missing, Sophia, I'm sure that'll look great in your story," he joked lightly, hands deeper in his pockets trying not to pull out his own hair. he hated talking to Brooke, he wasn't sure why, but he was pretty sure it had to do with how she thought she was better than him.

She might have been more successful in a monetary way. But Leo was a good person, with a future ahead of him, a dream.

[Brooke Lynn]

Engaged? At this age? And Brooke hadn't had a relationship since him....wow, she almost found that sad. But, no, her job was her top priority, once she was the best of the best, than she would think of other things such as relationships. Plus, engaged in the low twenty's was so four years ago, people waited a bit longer now a days.

But Brooke also heard something else in his voice, and with the mention of the wall she knew their was something else behind the engagement. Then - Sophia, disappeared? Well, that was interesting. Sophia....Sophia.....did she know that name? Yes! She did! Sophia Giddieon! God, when her and Leo went out that girl wouldn't take her eyes off of him. She got her boy after all. But Sophia was missing.

"I can only put it in my story if she disappeared at the Carnival - did she? Oh, and sorry for your lose, though to tell you the truth, you don't look too sad," Brooke said with a smirk, as she had her pen on her paper once more. "No wonder you really don't want me here - or more so than should be normal - you're already having girl trouble without me added to the mixture." Brooke mused.