Do No Harm

Hit and Run (1)

"Look, Haley, I'm sorry. Can we at least talk about this?" Lucas asked.

"Talk about what?" Haley asked. She was looking down, up, around the room, anywhere but at him.

"I know you're upset about this," Lucas said.

"You're dating Peyton Sawyer. You've always had a thing for her. It's really no big deal," Haley said, getting up from his bed.

"It is a big deal. Haley, do you really think that after all this time, I can't tell when you're lying?" he asked. Haley remained silent. "You're totally freaked out by me and Peyton aren't you?"

"No, I'm totally fine with it," Haley said. Lucas looked at her doubtfully. He held her gaze for a minute but when she didn't look away, he shrugged. When Haley was lying, she looked away. So, she must be telling the truth, right?

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked. Haley nodded.

"More than sure. I'm happy for you… both," Haley said smiling. He chuckled at her and pulled her close to him.

That had been three years ago and Lucas Scott was sure his then best friend was telling the truth. But he was wrong. Dead wrong. Haley was more freaked out by the fact that Lucas had started dating Peyton Sawyer than he realized. Six months into their relationship, Haley and Peyton had had a major disagreement. They had had a huge blow out in front of half the class.

Haley had claimed that while she was tutoring one of the less popular students in the ninth grade, Peyton and her even snottier best friend Brooke Davis had started tormenting the poor girl. Haley had left the table for a few minutes to get something from her desk in the actual tutoring centre. When she came back, the student was near tears and Peyton and Brooke were still bothering her.

Now to a normal person, this would not be a big deal. The average student would just walk away and pretend that nothing had happened or convince themselves that it would only be worse if they intervened or worse that the student being harassed actually deserved it. But Haley James was not that type of person.

Haley James was not the type of person who could just ignore someone else's pain. She could not ignore it when people were doing something wrong. She could not watch while another person suffered. She could not sit still when something could be done. She wore her heart on her sleeve and she had an overwhelming kindness that a lot of people took advantage of.

So, naturally, Haley had stood up for the student that Brooke and Peyton were harassing and started in on them, calling them despicable, heartless and uncaring. Peyton and Brooke were not thrilled to say the least. By insulting the two most popular girls in the school, Haley had just basically written her unpopular status in stone and the amazing thing was that she couldn't care less.

"At least I stuck for her," was all she said to Lucas when he questioned her actions. Lucas had begun to tell her that she had just put him in a very bad position with Peyton being his girlfriend. When she realized what he meant, she had been furious.

"You're mad at me because I defended someone who was being picked on?" Haley demanded incredulously.

"I'm not mad at you, Hales. I just think you got the wrong idea," Lucas said. Haley took a step back and looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? Lucas, there was no misunderstanding what happened," Haley said.

"Well, it was none of your business," Lucas said. Haley's face twisted with rage.

"I cannot believe you are standing there defending what Peyton and Brooke did," Haley said.

"Well, Haley, what do you expect me to do? Peyton is my girlfriend and she is popular," Lucas said.

"So? That doesn't give her the right to go around, tormenting people. And your relationship is certainly not an excuse for you to turn a blind eye to something that is wrong," Haley retorted.

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Lucas asked.

"No, I don't. What they did was wrong. They did it because they could and they did it for the sole purpose of being mean," Haley said. Lucas shook his head.

"Haley, do you realize what you did when you stood up for Leah?" Lucas asked.

"What did Ido that was so wrong?" Haley asked sarcastically.

"You put me in a position where I have to choose between my best friend and girlfriend. It's not fair to me," Lucas said. Haley started laughing at him. He looked at her in confusion.

"You're actually serious?" Haley asked.

"Yes, I'm serious. I care about Peyton, Hales. You really insulted her with what you said," Lucas said.

"Good," Haley commented.

"What?" he asked.

"You heard me," she said.

"I can't believe you," Lucas said.

"No, I can't believe you, Luke. You're so concerned about poor Peyton when the real victim is Leah. Do you know that Leah spent the rest of the day in the sick room because she was so upset? I stayed there with her for more than an hour, trying to talk her out of never coming back to school. That's how badly they upset her; to the point where she considered never coming back to school and she's in grade nine," Haley said.

"I'm sorry for what Leah went through…" Lucas began.

"No, you're not," Haley began. "Be honest here, Luke. You don't give a damn about Leah. You're upset because your girlfriend was insulted and that the person who insulted her is me and that puts you in a difficult position." Her tone was mocking at the end of her sentence.

"I do care, but you're right; I am upset about that," Lucas said.

"Well, at least I stuck up for her," Haley said firmly. Then she looked Lucas right in the eye. "Would you have?" Then she turned around and walked away from him.

And that was the last conversation he had with her. When he thought about it, the downfall of their friendship started when Lucas had joined the basketball team at the beginning of that year. Before then he had been a lot like Haley. He didn't really stick his neck out for other students the way she did, but he still openly defied the social rules. Then he and his brother Nathan had gotten close and had been introduced to the popular world and all of his old rules had been thrown out the window. He even started picking on other students. Not nearly as bad as Nathan and the others but either way in Haley's book, it was still wrong.

Haley had expressed her disgust of his actions right away. When they were walking down the hallway and he insulted someone, she would immediately chew him out for it. In fact, one time she had walked away from him and refused to speak to him until he apologized to the person in public for what he said.

It was their difference in opinion that had led to the fact that they were no longer friends anymore. They had not spoken or hung out in nearly three years. He knew that she was still around, of course. He had heard of many times where once again Haley had defended someone or done something totally unheard of that Peyton or Brooke would bring it up. The most outrageous thing yet had happened about a year prior when Haley was working in his mother's café and he, Nathan and a few others had stopped by to get something to eat after a big game. He would never forget it and in his opinion, neither would anyone else.

"Haley, could you be a dear and ask them what they want to eat?" one of the other waitresses asked. Haley nodded but then looked at the group of six or seven kids who had just entered the café and sat in the corner booth. She grimaced. It was Lucas Scott, Nathan Scott, Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, Tim Smith, Jake Jagielski and Theresa Edwards. She shrugged and walked over to them.

"What can I get for you?" she asked. Peyton and Brooke snickered at her. Haley rolled her eyes and waited patiently.

"How about a few more minutes?" Theresa asked. She was not being mean, Haley knew that.

"Or a different waitress. Preferably one who can dress better," Brooke whispered to Peyton and they both snickered. Haley just smirked.

"Would you speak up? It's kind of hard to hear you insulting me when you whisper," Haley said. Brooke looked at her in surprise.

"Well, I was just wondering, who picks out your clothes?" Brooke asked. Apparently this was very amusing to the lot of them.

"Hey, don't bother her, Brooke. It's a step up from what things her sister wears," Peyton said. Haley stiffened.

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Haley asked through gritted teeth. She looked at Lucas and he was actually smiling at what his girlfriend had said.

"I think it's pretty obvious what I mean," Peyton said.

"Your sister dresses like a slut," Theresa explained, cracking up at Haley's outraged expression.

"Dresses like one and is one. I hear she makes her way around," Brooke said.

"Just bring three burgers, three garden salads and six cokes," Lucas said. Haley nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, she returned with their food. They started in on Taylor again. Haley just ignored it. She knew they were trying to get a rise out of her and she was so not going to let them get the best of her. She placed their food in front of them and started to walk away.

"Well, her sister is nothing compared to that brother of hers," Brooke said.

"You're so right. What a screw-up," Theresa said. Haley stiffened. Her brother Zach was two years older than her. He had been arrested a few times and was known around town as punk.

"That delinquent should stay locked behind bars where he belongs. I honestly never met someone who was born to be in prison," Peyton said. Haley turned around with the two pitchers of water in her hands; walked up to the table and poured them over Peyton and Brooke. Some of the water landed on the others as well.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! People are always telling me that I am a born klutz," Haley said, smirking in amusement as the girls all squealed.

"You idiot!" Theresa exclaimed. She ignored Theresa and looked at Brooke and Peyton.

"You can say whatever the hell you want about me but you cross the line when you insult my family," Haley said. Then she looked at Lucas' outraged face. "Or anyone else for that matter."

"You're so dead," Brooke warned. Haley just laughed.

"Look into my eyes," Haley said, "Do I look scared?"

Lucas walked into class and sat down in between Nathan and Peyton. "Hey, baby," Peyton said. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her. Coach Whitey Durham entered the classroom with a grim look on his face. Lucas dismissed it, chalking it up to the fact that he had probably had a bad morning.

"Coach, is something wrong?" Nathan asked. Whitey looked at them and frowned. He nodded.

"Well, what is it?" Brooke asked from behind Lucas.

"You'll hear about it over the announcements," Whitey assured them.

"Is it really that bad?" Peyton asked. The announcements came on and people stood for the National Anthem and then when they sat down the principal's voice came over the PA.

"It saddens me to tell everyone this but there was an accident in front of the school a half an hour ago. While crossing the sidewalk, Haley James was hit by a car and dragged for about half a block," the principal announced. A shunned silence fell upon the whole class.

Nathan knew something was wrong when he had driven to school that morning. He had seen a bunch of police cruisers about half a block away from the school. He could tell there had been a victim as he had seen someone on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance.

"She is not dead but still remains in critical conditions. The extent of her injuries is unknown at this time. We ask everyone to keep the James family in their thoughts. People are welcome to stop by the hospital to stop by and pay the family a visit," the principal finished. Nathan's eyes immediately darted to his brother. Lucas looked shocked.

"Did they catch the guy?" Nathan asked for his brother. Whitey shook his head.

"Hit and run," Whitey replied.