Everybody's Changing
"Luke, I'm not going back.." Haley's tears welled in her own brown eyes as she confessed to her bestfriend that she wasn't coming home.
He stood, running his hand over the back of his neck as he did so often when he was nervous, "But Hales.. You can't just leave it. Tree Hill is your home."
She knew this was coming, his attempt to get her to reconsider and she had already tried to prepare herself for it.
Haley took and deep breath and took his hands in hers, "Lucas, this is my life now. I can't go back, not after what I did. But I want you to know, that you will always be my bestfriend." Her voice cracked and the tears flew freely down her tinted cheeks.
Lucas shut his eyes inan attempt to wake-up, because this had to be a dream. She couldn't just not come back, that wasn't her. That wasn't the Haley he knew; it wasn't his Haley. When he opened them, she was still standing there, with a grief stricken expression on her face.
"As comforting as that is Hales, it won't be the same. You can't just become some big Rock Star and forget about us, forget about Tree Hill." He was beginning to feel agitation towards her and he tried to bury that feeling; he couldn't be angry with her, not now.
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she looked up and into his beautiful blue eyes, "Please, don't make this harder than it already its, Luke." She pleaded.
"How do you expect me to go back..and know that you're not? Don't expect me to be your little messenger Haley, because I won't. I won't tell everyone that the newest Mrs. Scott is not coming back to her home; to her husband…," Lucas was never one to get choked up over much; but he always, always wore his heart on his sleeve and the tears were beginning to form in the corner of his eyes, "..to her best friend who loves her more than anything." He was about to continue when she broke in.
"Lucas! Stop! I've already made up my mind, okay? I'm staying…and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Hales, you're not happy here…I can see it in your eyes, they tell me all I need to know." He was pushed backwards slightly and she continued to push him backwards until her sobs overtook her and she collapsed against him.
"Luke, make it stop. Please, take me back." As confused as he was, he found the urge to ask.
"Back where, Haley?" He whispered.
Taking a breath she replied, "To Normal."
He sighed, that was a place they'd shared before either of them became 'popular' and 'corrupt'.
Looking down at her now blonde streaked auburn hair, he realized that she would never be the same, and neither would he. Everyone was changing into an unrecognizable version of their former selves; and he for one, didn't like it. So, he made a promise to himself that he was gonna fight like Hell to get her back; to get his Tutor, Tomboy, Genuine and Carefree Haley back and maybe he'd find himself along the way.