Title: Aftermath
Summary: After the school shooting, Lucas and Haley have a lot more to deal with than either of them can handle.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
AN: This story begins at episode 3x17 of One Tree Hill, and continues from there. Most of the content in this chapter is how things happened in the episode, but following chapters will be practically all my original and crazy ideas. The text in italic's are flashbacks, and the text in quotation marks and italics are thoughts. Each chapter is supposed to represent one day and I tried to write each chapter like an episode, so the lines are meant to show the beginning of a new scene, so if some bits seem a bit incomplete that's why lol :) The history of the characters are the same really except that Lucas hasn't found out about his HCM yet. Everything else is explained in the story.
Tuesday
Lucas sighed as it happened again. He now seemed incapable of getting the basketball through the hoop. He set himself up flawlessly, and it wouldn't go in. He aimed the ball perfectly, and it wouldn't go in. He even tried one of his – newly named by Nathan – 'weak ass jumpshots', but still he had no luck. The basketball seemed to refuse to go through the hoop today. Today, and everyday since Keith had died.
Nothing seemed to go as smoothly as it did before.
"…and let us all take a moment to remember our brother Keith" the priest finished monotonously.
It was glacially cold and the skies above were grey. Everyone, dressed in black, stood with stern faces, and their heads bowed, whilst they remembered Keith. A great man, a caring man, who had changed all of their lives; whether it was directly and intentional or not.
Lucas and Karen stood for ages after the service had ended. Side by side, in silence, they stood gazing down at the heap of soil entombing Keith's coffin. Karen reached out and grasped her son's hand, reassuring herself that although she had lost Keith, she still had Lucas. They stood hand in hand for a moment before Lucas broke the connection and wrapped his arm around his mother, somehow knowing that she needed the support.
They remained like that in a comfortable silence, both knowing that this day was the ending of the life they once knew.
Lucas watched as the basketball, once again, hit the rim of the hoop and plummeted back to the floor. He gazed up at the hoop. All his dreams that seemed so close before, now seemed so far away.
When Lucas felt a sharp pain in his chest he doubled over and rested his hands on his knees. It had been happening a lot lately, especially when he played basketball. Lucas usually ignored the pain, but the growing intensity of it made that harder and harder to do.
"Order up!" Haley shouted from the kitchen as she finished plating up two cheeseburgers and fries. She sighed deeply as she looked at all of the small pieces of paper stuck to the top of the cooker with menu items scrawled on them. She wiped beads of sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand, the heat in the kitchen starting to get to her.
"Finally" she said exasperated, as Ashley finally walked through the kitchen door, balancing a tall stack of dirty dishes and cutlery.
"Oh, were you calling me?" Ashley asked clearly baffled.
"What do you think?" Haley asked getting more and more annoyed by the second.
"I thought you were, but then I thought 'when did we start saying order up'?" she explained putting down the stack of dirty items in the already full sink.
Haley rolled her eyes and started brandishing the knife she was holding at her "See that's your problem and it's also why the orders always get backed up. You spend too much time thinking and not enough time doing what I pay you to do!"
"Whatever" Ashley chirped, ignoring the comment completely "Besides you're not paying me to do anything, Karen is" She paused "And put the knife down Haley, you look crazy" she added taking off her apron.
'You drive me crazy', Haley thought. "Wait, what are you doing?" Haley asked noticing that the girl was taking off her apron.
"Going on my lunch break?" Ashley replied simply.
"There's like a dozen customers out there waiting to be served!" Haley exclaimed putting down the knife and putting another two burgers on the grill.
"I know" Ashley started "That's why I'm taking my break" she explained slowly, as if Haley wouldn't understand if she spoke any faster.
Haley sighed. "Ashley please, I need you to stay and help me out here"
"I'm sorry Haley, but no can do. My feet hurt and I've got a headache"
'I get a headache just listening to you' Haley thought inwardly. "There'll be an extra twenty dollars in your pay packet if you stay" Haley said.
"Forty" Ashley demanded.
"No way! Twenty-Five"
"Thirty"
"Twenty-Seven, final offer" Haley snapped.
"Done" Ashley agreed tying her apron back up "I'm not going back out there though" she finished starting to prepare a salad
"Fine!" Haley, spat having no option but to go and serve all the hungry and impatient customers. Haley picked up a pen and a writing pad and walked out into the front of the diner. 'When was this day going to be over?'
Lucas walked slowly down the street. He frowned as he passed what used to be Keith's Auto shop. He came to a complete halt when he reached his mom's café. He looked inside and saw Haley, his best friend, rushing around taking orders and serving customers. Her hair was tied back in a messy ponytail and the silver heart pendant he had got her for her birthday was visible around her neck.
Some things in his life always remained the same. Haley, fortunately, was one of them. She looked up from what she was doing briefly and she saw him. She smiled warmly, that smile that could always make him feel better now matter how screwed up he felt. Lucas tried his best to smile back and then kept on walking. Haley watched him as he went, his basketball in his hand and his hood covering his head. Some things would never change.
Lucas stepped in silently through the front door of his house. He looked around the spotless rooms, it had never felt less like a home. He put his ear gently to his mom's bedroom door. It was silent, he couldn't even hear her crying.
Karen sat on the floor of her room, photographs of Keith, Lucas, Haley and herself scattered around her. The scrapbook that Brooke – self-appointed wedding planner - had made for her rested in her lap. The clippings of dresses and flowers were tarnished as Karen's tears hit them.
The most unbearable thing about it all was that she and Keith had spent the majority of their adult lives as friends, and the moment that they became more than that he was taken from her. That was what hurt her the most. That was why she blamed her own son for Keith's death, why she'd relinquished her responsibilities to her son and her business and that was also the reason why she hadn't left her room since the night of the funeral.
"Tutor-girl, what the hell? You were supposed to meet me at school, like an hour ago!" Brooke complained walking through the café door.
"Yeah" Haley mumbled incoherently, not really hearing what Brooke had said. She rushed around Brooke picking up plates from different tables. Brooke moved out of her way, but unintentionally ended up being in her way, "Move" Haley said pushing past Brooke to unload the plates in the kitchen.
Brooke scoffed, "I might actually have to start calling you Tutor-bitch" She laughed and then stopped abruptly. She grabbed Haley by her shoulders, forcing her to stop moving. "What's wrong?" Brooke asked concerned about her room mate.
Haley sighed "Nothing. I'm just a bit busy, as you can see." Brooke did notice that the café seemed unusually popular today.
Brooke narrowed her eyes "You're supposed to be taking the night-"
"Hey" an angry customer called out, interrupting Brooke "I asked for-"
"Hey" Brooke shouted back, interrupting him and throwing him an evil glare "I'm talking, which means you don't talk!" She turned back to Haley. "Now where was I? Yeah, you're supposed to be taking the night off!"
"Brooke I can't, I'm sorry. There's a huge pile of dishes that need to be washed, and the coffee machine needs to be replaced and, and that guy over there needs…something!" Haley rambled out of exhaustion.
"Tutor-girl listen to me, and carefully because I'm only going to say this once. You deserve a night off"
"Well thanks, but I don't really feel like partying-"
"It's not a party! It's more like a….communal healing session" Brooke said in that 'Brooke-knows-everything' tone of hers.
"Right" Haley said dryly narrowing her eyes, "What do you want me to do?"
Brooke beamed "All I want you to do is to stay in the Tutor Centre, and if anyone comes in and they need someone to talk to, then listen" Brooke explained. Haley was rendered speechless by the care and thought that Brooke had put into this so called 'communal healing session' thing.
"Okay, I'll be there" Haley nodded. Feeling wrecked already, but obliged to help out her good friend.
"Great!" Brooke grinned clapping her hands and returning to her normal self, leaving the café with that trademark bounce in her step.
Lucas was sitting on his bed reading when he heard the door knock. He was more than surprised to open the door and see Nathan looking back at him.
"Wow" Lucas voiced involuntarily.
"What?" Nathan asked furrowing his eyebrows.
"Nothing, its just things must be really bad for you to come knocking on my door". Lucas joked. "I didn't know you even knew where I lived" Lucas laughed.
Nathan laughed "Well it looks like the Lucas Scott doesn't know everything!" Lucas laughed, for the first time in a long time.
Nathan shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and raised his eyebrows after a couple of moments of uncomfortable silence. "So, can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure" Lucas said scratching the back of his neck and stepping back, making room for Nathan to pass him.
"Why weren't you at practice yesterday?" Nathan started breaking the silence.
Lucas sat back down on his bed "Why, you miss me?" he asked dodging the question.
"Hardly" Nathan laughed, "Me scoring all those baskets? It was just like old times".
"You wish" Lucas grinned.
"So where were you?"
"I was taking care of some things. My mom hasn't been doing that good". Lucas admitted.
"Sorry man" Lucas nodded and changed the subject.
"What's the latest with you?"
"My mom's coming home today. She's got a clean bill of health". Nathan smiled. Lucas smiled back.
"That's great Nate. Some good news is well overdue in this family"
"Tell me about it. So you gonna be at the party tonight?" Nathan asked
"What party?"
"Hi boyfriend" Brooke grinned popping out the crowd of dancing Tree Hill High students.
"Do you really think a party's appropriate Brooke?" Lucas deadpanned. Looking around the hallway disapprovingly at people that were dancing and laughing as if someone wasn't murdered in this very school not too long ago.
"It's not a party" Brooke told Lucas, as she had told Haley earlier, "It's more of a cleansing for every kid in school, you know. Everybody's here, everybody's invited everybody's together so just, check it out okay?" Brooke beseeched, before giving Lucas a run down of all of the things she had organized proudly.
"We've got co-ed bathrooms, science lab for drugs and pharmaceuticals, health class for condoms and people probably using them, Spanish class has kick ass margaritas and there's Tutor-girl, in the Tutor Centre, for anybody who needs a little extra help" she stopped walking so she could look at Lucas. He looked down into her eyes. "Tonight we're all together and we stop judging each other and let everybody heal their own way. If you need to do this alone I understand but if you need me I'm here". Brooke finished.
Lucas nodded and without saying a word to her, walked away.
Haley walked quickly through the crowded hallways until she found herself outside the Tutor Centre. She felt her heart beating faster, and the palms of her hands were becoming clammy. When she outstretched her hand towards the door handle she felt her whole body heating up. She backed away from the door, a bewildered expression on her face. She wasn't scared to go in the Tutor Centre, was she?
After fighting his way through masses of people for about ten minutes, Lucas headed towards the Tutor Centre. He wanted to speak to Haley, he needed to. Haley had always been and would be the person he went to in times like these. He was disheartened when he entered the Tutor Centre and saw that she wasn't there. He backed out of the room and roamed the halls of the school, doubting that this party would be 'healing' for him in any way.
"Have you seen Haley?" Nathan asked Brooke, bumping into her in the hallway.
"No. She was supposed to be in the Tutor Centre, but she's not. Have you seen Lucas?" Brooke asked in return.
"Err, he was in the library with Peyton the last time I saw him".
Brooke frowned upon hearing Peyton's name. "Okay, thanks" Brooke said quietly disappearing into the sea of students.
Nathan sighed, knowing that he probably just dug Lucas deeper into the hole he was already in.
Brooke entered the library undetected. She heard the hushed familiar voices of her BF and her BFF. Brooke stepped back behind the bookcase and let the shadows conceal her presence.
"God I'm such a girl" Peyton's voice and laugh was unmistakable to her.
"You love me." Lucas' voice was almost inaudible.
"Okay that is so not fair!"
"You probably just wanna kiss me again"
"Dude shut up! Okay I kissed you but I…I thought I was gonna die, and you took care of me, so, you know we-" Brooke bit her lip as she heard this. 'Peyton had kissed Lucas, and if she wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation she probably would have never found out. Lucas sure as hell wouldn't tell her, and neither would Peyton – unless she had a death wish', Brooke thought.
"Yeah I know. If I told you, I loved you, would you hold it against me?" Lucas' tone was playful.
"When I said that-" Brooke felt her eyes welling up. 'Peyton told her boyfriend that she loved him. What the hell?' voices were screaming at Brooke in her head.
"Because I do, Peyton" Brooke figured, that if it was physically possible, her heart would have ripped – straight down the middle – there and then.
"But it's okay" He continued "Because there's this girl, you might know her, her names Brooke Davis and I am completely in love with her." Normally Brooke would have been more than elated to hear this, but she was too pissed off for it to register in her brain.
"You don't know how good it is to hear you say that!" Brooke scowled, she now detested that voice "-'coz I thought everything was gonna go weird again, and I really don't want it to." Peyton paused whilst Brooke ran down in her head different ways to get revenge on her ex-best friend. "We're okay right, you and me, we're good?"
Lucas didn't reply as far as Brooke could tell.
"Alright, I should go"
"Peyton, I'm sorry about your mom. Both moms, I don't feel like I've been there for you in the way I should have. I'm just sorry for that"
"You know how proud Keith must be of you right now"
"I don't know if that's true"
"It is. Let Brooke help you out with this, okay? Don't shut her out"
"Why did she say something?"
"No, I just, know how you are. I'm the same way. She gave you her heart Luke, you should give yours back. I'll see you." Tears stung Brooke's eyes. She now knew that if Lucas did finally stop blocking her out, and started loving her the way she'd always wanted to be loved by him, it was only because Peyton told him to.
"Hey, don't kiss anyone out there"
"You suck, you know that?"
Brooke kept deadly silent as Peyton walked passed her and out of the library. When Lucas did also moments later she let her tears flow freely. Her pained cries filling the empty library.
"Hey man, you seen Haley?" Nathan asked Lucas, seeming to be finding everyone but the one person he was looking for.
"Nah. I checked in the Tutor Centre but-" Lucas started.
"She wasn't there, yeah I know!" Nathan was beginning to get frustrated.
"I'm taking off, so if you see Brooke, will you tell her I'll speak to her later?"
"I think it would be better if you told her yourself. She's been looking for you"
"She was?"
"Everybody head to lock down, I've got a shooter here. Shooter in the hallway!" a drunken boy shouted loudly. He was near Lucas, which was unlucky for him. "Come on everybody-"
Lucas grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Everyone in the vicinity turned to look.
"Pull you head out of your ass, and show some respect!" Lucas instructed the boy harshly. He then quickly left the school without another word to anyone.
"I don't like this new flaky Tutor-girl, she's never where she says she's gonna be" Brooke said with a small smile, finding Haley in an empty classroom. She pushed the events of the library to the back of her mind and focused on Haley. She was definite that Haley was hiding something from her. "You know" Brooke started sitting down opposite Haley at the small desk, "It's times like these when I'm looking for someone that I realise, just how big this place really is" Brooke smirked.
"Why weren't you in the Tutor Centre Haley?" Brooke asked quietly her voice full of concern.
Haley frowned slightly. She knew things were serious when Brooke called her by her actually name. She shrugged. "I couldn't go in there Brooke. It was weird, I- I can't explain it…I just couldn't". Haley responded, knowing it was a pretty sorry excuse for an answer.
Brooke nodded, thinking she knew what the problem was.
"Haley, are you sure that you're okay with what happened that day?"
Haley glared at Brooke. "Two people died Brooke. How could I possibly be okay with that?"
"That's not what I meant and I think you know that." Haley looked away from Brooke and down at the table. "You were locked in that room, with a guy who turned out to be a murderer. I'm sure there were times in that room when you thought you were going to die, times when you thought that Jimmy was going to shoot you or someone else in that room. You've been helping a lot of people to come to terms with what happened that day Haley. Me, Nathan, Peyton, Lucas; and you've been running that café single handed. You hardly - if ever - take any time out for yourself and what I don't get is…whose been helping you?" Brooke looked at Haley, waiting for a reaction.
"I don't need help Brooke" Haley bit, not wanting Brooke or anyone else to think that she was a little girl who needed protecting from the world. Crap happens, she knew that and she could handle it.
"Then why couldn't you go in the Tutor Centre? It's just a room Haley, and you can't avoid going in there forever. You are Tutor-girl remember?" Brooke told her, anger present in her words. Both Haley and Lucas where trying to block her out when all she wanted to do was help. Brooke stood up from the table abruptly and turned to leave.
"Brooke" Haley called, desperately wanting to tell Brooke everything. Tell her that she definitely wasn't okay with what happened that day, and that she wasn't coping, at all.
"Yeah?" Brooke smiled encouragingly; pretty sure that Haley was about to confide in her everything she'd kept bottled up. No such luck.
"I'm going to head home, okay?"
Brooke's smile dropped "Yeah. I'll see you later" She finished leaving Haley alone in the room.
Haley wrapped her arms around herself and blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall.
Haley took small detour past the café, on the way back to the apartment that she and Brooke shared. She wasn't surprised when she spotted Lucas inside. She had had the feeling that there was something – in this case someone - important waiting for her in the café.
"Hey you" Haley said warmly with a small smile as she approached Lucas in the café.
The café was being lit by just one lamp leaving most of the room in darkness. Lucas sat with his arms folded at the counter.
"Here" Lucas said after a few moments silence. He pushed the open tin towards her. "I'm taking my predictions back. They're not gonna come true now anyway, not without Keith." Lucas paused "My mom thinks that this was my fault" Lucas continued quietly
"She would not say that" Haley replied defiantly. She highly doubted that Karen would be as malicious as to blame Lucas for the murder of someone he loved so much.
"Yeah, well she pretty much did"
Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I shouldn't have gone back into that school" Lucas added
"She's wrong! Luke, Keith would've gone back into that school if you were in there or not because that's who he was. This was not your fault!" Haley finished looking into Lucas' eyes. "That's not it, is it? There's something else..."
"How could you possibly know that?" Lucas asked perplexed. Scared by how well Haley knew him, at one point he was actually convinced that she could read his mind.
"Well, one, I'm your best friend, it's my job to know these things" she smiled "…and two, I know you Lucas. What is it?"
Lucas' smile dropped. "I…I think there's something wrong with me Hales".
AN: Thanks for reading, you're thoughts and comments are appreciated. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions then they can put them forward because the plot isn't set in stone :)