The four hour drive felt much longer than it was. But eventually, she finally arrived at Brooke's house. Brooke was waiting on her front step, and when Haley pulled up Brooke ran down the front steps to hug her best friend. Haley clung to Brooke, and eventually they walked into the house together.

"Hales, are you okay? I mean, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after the attack. I should have went to see you, not just talked to you on the phone." Brooke said distressed.

"No, Brooke, its because of you that I got away from Grant. Now I don't have to ever see him again Brookie. I love you for that, best friend." she reassured her friend.

Brooke took Haley up to her room. Brooke then helped her unpack her clothes, and proceeded to tell Haley all about her relationship with Lucas. Haley got the impression that Brooke really liked Lucas. But Brooke agreed to make Haley's first day of school all about Haley, they would drive to school together, just the two of them. Brooke was confident that Lucas would survive one day without her. Haley needed her. It wasn't going to be easy for Haley to get used to a new school, trusting new people after what happened with Grant. Haley slept fitfully that night, she was nervous about school tomorrow, she was scared to look in the eyes of boys. She was mostly afraid of what she would do if she met someone that she was attracted to, and how she would react.

When 7 o'clock came around, Haley reluctantly pulled herself out of bed, and had a quick shower. The water flowing off her face, was painful as hell, but Haley just tried to deal with it. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She glanced in the mirror, and looked at her face. The bruises looked horrible, everyone at school was going to think she was a freak. As if she needed another reason to dread going to school.

Brooke was concerned for her friend, she had never seen her this scared before. When she pulled up in front of Tree Hill High she hopped out of the car, and took Haley's hand, knowing she was going to need help to get through this day. First they went to the office, to get Haley her timetable, Haley was happy she had 3 classes with Brooke. At least she would be okay for 3 classes today. Haley knew Brooke would never let anything happen to her.

"Hales, do you want to meet my friends, and go sit with them?" Brooke asked Haley.

"Sure Brooke" she answered trying to appease Brooke.

They went to a table with a group of people sitting there.

"Alright friends, this is my best friend in the whole world Haley James. Make her feel welcome." "Haley this is Lucas, Nathan, Jake, Peyton, Skills, Bevin, and Mouth" she said pointing out people in turn.

"Hi everybody, I'm Haley" she introduced herself shyly. Brooke gestured her to sit in a chair beside the boy named Nathan while Brooke took the one right next to her which was beside Lucas. She caught Nathan staring at her, she could only imagine what was going through his mind. The bell rang and Brooke ushered her off to their first class, Literature. Haley had always loved literature, but after her accident nothing seemed to hold the same significance for her anymore. The teacher a middle aged balding man, glanced at her timetable and sent her to sit in the back of the room. Haley noticed that Nathan and Lucas were both in this class. The class went by, Haley was mostly bored because she had done "The Grapes of Wrath" months ago. Haley was worried for her next class, Brooke wasn't in it. So far, she had caught several people staring at her face. It made her uncomfortable. The bell rang, and Brooke showed her to the next class before running to her class. She noticed for the second time that Nathan was in another of her classes. She was glad however that lunch was next. To be honest Haley was hungry, she hadn't eaten breakfast because she was too nervous but now she was famished. Math wasn't too bad but she was still relieved when the bell rang. She gathered up her things when she heard a voice.

"Um Brooke asked if I could take you out to the table to meet her there, is that all right with you?" Nathan asked.

"Um okay. Whatever" Haley said picking up her bag and walking out of the room with Nathan.

"So, I know this might be rude, but what happened to your face?" he asked curiously. He saw her take in a deep breath.

"I fell down the stairs" she lied, trying to make it sound realistic.

"That really sucks. Looks like its painful" he mused.

"It is" she replied. For the first time he noticed the shadows in her eyes. She looked like someone who had been through something bad. It was that moment, he knew she was lying. You didn't look that sad if you fell down the stairs. By this point they had reached the table, and Brooke hugged Haley.

"Hey girlie, how was the first half of your day" she asked concerned.

"It was okay. I just wish people would stop staring. I feel like a circus freak" Haley confessed.

After lunch was over, Haley and Brooke walked to the next class, health.

"Hales, this is a good class, Mrs. Breckner is nice. She shouldn't be too hard" Brooke reassured her friend. Haley noticed for the first time today that Nathan wasn't in her class.

The teacher swept into the room and smiled at Haley.

"Welcome new girl. You didn't miss much this semester, we just finished Human Sexuality. Everybody meet Haley James, she is new to this class, I expect you all to make her feel welcome" Mrs. Breckner said to the class.

Haley tried to muster a genuine smile, but it was hard.

"Okay, I know all of you enjoyed the previous weeks studies on sex and everything. But today we start on a harder to discuss topic…sexual assault." she explained. Brooke instinctively reached out to grab Haley's hand, knowing this would be a hard topic for her to hear about.

"Ladies and gentleman, I know none of you have ever experienced sexual abuse. I will tell you, not from experience. Sexual assault is one of the most painful things that can ever happen to you. We are lucky here in Tree Hill, rapes are rare. But being raped makes you question your life, makes you feel alone, unworthy, dirty. You feel like you can never live your life the same again. You lose your ability to trust. I am also telling you that it can be avoided. You can assure you wont be raped. It doesn't have to happen to you. I can teach you how to prevent…" she explained.

"How? How can you prevent a rape?" Haley demanded, surprising herself, but she couldn't bear to hear anymore.

"You cant prevent it. I mean, sometimes I guess you can. But a lot of times, its out of your control. If a person forces himself on you, attacks you, destroys your perspective on the world. Wrecks your ability to trust, its hard to come back from that. Maybe even impossible." Haley ranted. Brooke squeezed her hand.

"Young lady, I am the teacher, we will just assume that I am right. I don't know what gives you the right to tell me I'm wrong." Mrs. Breckner spat. Feeling the tears coming, Haley got up and fled the classroom, not able to stay there a minute longer. Brooke got up and followed her, telling Mrs. Breckner she would be right back.

Brooke found Haley sitting in the girls bathroom. She wrapped her arms around her friends thin shoulders. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"No. I couldn't hear that. That teacher doesn't know what she's talking about. She made me feel like its my fault that Grant raped me. Brooke. Was it my fault?" Haley begged.

"No of course not. You didn't ask to be assaulted. You didn't deserve it. And someday you will believe that. And someday Grant will get what he has coming to him." Brooke told Haley.

"Thank you Brooke. I know you have to go back to class. I'll be okay." Haley said to her.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I think so. I'll just go sit at our table." she reassured her friend.

"Ok, I'll see you later Hales" Brooke said hugging her friend once more, before getting up and walking back to class. Haley sat there a while longer before getting up and walking outside. Back in class, Brooke told Mrs. Breckner that Haley was fine, but wouldn't be back today.

"That was some stunt your friend pulled" she told Brooke.

Brooke instantly stiffened "Haley's had a rough time recently. Some things happened."

"That doesn't excuse her mouthing off to me." Breckner insisted.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Haley is my best friend. I have known her forever. Haley doesn't talk back. She doesn't fight. When she does, its because she is very passionate about what she's arguing. Is it so hard for you to maybe think that maybe just maybe Haley understands what she's talking about?" Brooke asked before walking back to her seat.

Outside where she sat for lunch, Haley sat with her head in her hands. She was ashamed. She was hurting. Haley instantly stiffened when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Can I join you?" a voice asked.

Haley turned and saw Nathan. She nodded slightly.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" he asked.

"Aren't you?" she retaliated feeling the walls build up.

"No, I have a free period. Why are you here?" he asked again.

"I had a fight with Mrs. Breckner." she explained.

"You fought with Mrs. Breckner?" he said incredulously.

"Yeah. She was saying stuff that I don't believe. And I called her on it" Haley said passionately.

"Really. I kinda need to do the same thing right now" he said.

"Okay?" she said guardedly.

"What happened to your face. I know you didn't fall down the stairs. I can tell, there is a lot of pain in your eyes, someone had to of hurt you. What happened?" he asked cautiously.

"Promise you wont tell anyone?" she asked defeated.

"Promise" he said solemnly.

Haley then started telling him the entire story.

"I was dating this guy Grant Samuels for a few months. My whole life, I wanted to wait until I was married before I had sex. Grant didn't understand that. At the beginning he was supportive, and I really starting falling for him. But in the last month he started pushing harder I still wouldn't give in though. About 5 days ago though, my parents her out of town, Grant came over. I told him he shouldn't be here, I didn't like it when he was around without my parents being there. I asked him to leave but he followed me upstairs to my bedroom. I asked him to leave again, but he closed the bedroom door, and shoved me against it. I screamed as loud as I could, so he hit me. He must have found some perverse pleasure in it because he continued to hit me. He hit me until I lost consciousness. I remember waking up a few minutes later being completely naked on my bed. My hands tied above my head to my bed frame so I would fight. I remember watching him come out of my bathroom, and roll a condom onto his cock. He then thrust into me as hard as he could. But he was taking his time, I wanted to make this last. I could already feel bruises forming on my face, and it hurt so bad. The combination of that, and him forcing himself inside of me, made tears build up in my eyes. There was no exposed skin, that he didn't attack. I have teeth marks all down my side, my chest, my legs, my neck. I couldn't escape. So I just closed my eyes until he was done. Finally he pulled out of me, and untied my hands. He kissed me on the cheek and told me he would see me tomorrow. Then he left." she finished telling him the story. She had needed to let this out. "I'm sorry I told you all of that Nathan, thank you for listening. But I shouldn't have told you everything." she cried.

"Haley, its okay. I understand you now. Telling someone might make it easier to let go. Its okay. It was hard to hear, but I just want to help you." he insisted.

Haley just leaned over, and he let her ruin his shirt with her tears. They stayed like that, until the bell to go home for the day rang. Haley was happy, it was Friday, and she got a weekend off now even though it was only her first day at Tree Hill High.