Wow! I was really surprised at the response to the first chapter! Thanks and I will try to update twice a week!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 2: Former Foes and Fears
Back on the beach…
Sipping on a drink and socializing, Nathan seemed to be having a good time to all his peers. Yet inside, he was miserable. This school year was already starting off on the wrong foot. He was once again on bad terms with his brother, he and Haley were estranged, and not to mention to red head following him around. Speak of the devil…
"Rachel, what are you doing?" He asked the girl who was constantly by his side.
"What do you mean? I just want to spend some quality time with you," she replied, running her arm along his bicep. "Which would be really quality if we got out of here and went back to my house."
Brushing her off, Nathan shook his head. "No Rachel, I told you, I'm not interested in you."
Scoffing, Rachel tossed some fallen locks over her shoulder. "Somehow I don't believe that."
"Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm in love with someone else," Nathan retorted.
"Well, it would just be some fun. Come on, your girlfriend never has—"
"I'm married." That seemed to shut her up real fast.
"W-What?"
"Yeah, I'm married, and if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my wife." With that, Nathan left Rachel standing alone on the beach, heading back to the fire. He felt guilty about how he had been treating Haley since they both returned home this summer, but he honestly couldn't bare another heartbreak. It nearly killed him the first time, evidence of that lying in the scar on the left side of his chest. It's not like I can avoid her forever, Nathan thought. I mean we have generally the same friends, and we will probably have a class or two this year. Might as well make the most of it and at least be friends. Approaching the bonfire, Nathan saw Lucas and Brooke, flirting themselves to oblivion, Peyton spinning one of her "loser rock" records, and Tim attempting miserably to pick up some girls.
"Hey guys, have you seen Haley? I need to talk to her," he said, gathering his friends' attention.
Lucas glared at his younger brother. "Depends on what you have to say to her."
"Look, I just want to apologize to her. It's gonna be a long year if we all hate each other. I just want to be friends with her for now, maybe we can reconcile down the road, but—"
"Hold up!" Brooke interrupted, "Did you just use the word 'reconcile' in a sentence? How do you even know a word like that?"
"Jeez Davis, I'm not that stupid. And you seem to forget that I married my tutor," Nathan commented back, rolling his eyes. "Back to the point, has anyone seen her?"
"Yeah, she started walking home like 20 minutes ago," Brooke answered. "She's probably already at the apartment at this point."
"That or she hopped on another tour bus." Nathan winced at Peyton's snarky comment, who receive a glare from both Lucas and Brooke which told her to 'knock it off.'
"Anyway," Brooke continued, "She's probably already in bed. Maybe you can talk to her tomorrow?"
"I can't. Moving back in with Dan, he's getting back on my ass about training, and I doubt he will see Haley as a valid excuse to dip out."
Pondering, Brooke attempted to come up with another time he could talk to her roommate, knowing how desperately Haley wanted to be on good terms with her husband. "I guess you will just have to wait till school on Monday."
"Yeah, I guess so," Nathan solemnly answered, walking back to get a drink, brushing past his red head stalker, who had finally processed the information about her eye candy being married. So what if he's tied down, I always get what I want, and I want Nathan Scott.
Back in the alley way…
Haley continued the walk home alone. She walked past the movie theater that she and Lucas often went to, the one that Nathan and his gang of followers had kidnapped her best friend at over eight months ago. How much simpler those times were, she thought to herself when she felt someone grab her arm and yank her into the alleyway, to then be pushed roughly against the cool brick wall. Eyes wide, Haley let out a gasp, mixed with recognition and complete and utter fear.
"Chris?"
The spiky haired boy smirked. "Hi Haley, long time no see."
FLASHBACK
As Haley packed her bags, silent tears fell from her face, longing to be home with her husband already. She knew he was hurt and probably wouldn't embrace her with open arms, but Haley couldn't stay on the tour one more second without him. She NEEDED him. Nathan was her always and forever, and single handedly she had jeopardized all of that. Finishing stuffing her clothes in her suitcase, a knock sounded from her door and a person entered the room.
"Chris, what are you doing here?" she questioned distractedly. She honestly had more important matters on her hands.
"What's this I hear about you leaving?" he sneered.
"I need to go home, back to my friends, to my family, to my husband. I'm sorry but I can't stay on this tour any longer. It's just too much."
Chris was seething. How dare she leave him. Doesn't she know how much he cares about her. This entire tour he has been there for her, and she packs up and leaves like it's nothing! Doing the only thing he can think of doing in that moment, he reaches out and smacks her across the face, leaving a bright red mark immediately on her cheek.
Shocked by what just happened, Haley cried out in pain. Her mind simply couldn't process what had just occurred. Chris, someone she thought was her friend, had hit her!
"You don't get to leave me here. I have been there for you this entire time, not Nathan! And now you're running back to him and I just—" So angered, Chris aimed another blow to her stomach, knocking the breath out of her and making her fall to the floor upon impact. "I hope you have a good life, Haley Scott." With his last remark, he kicks Haley in the stomach and storms out of the room.
Sobbing at the events that had just occurred, Haley grabbed her bag and dashed out of the room, hoping never to have to encounter Chris Keller again, as long as she may live.
"Chris, what are you d-doing here?" Haley questioned, shaking with fear of the scrawny man in front of her.
Chuckling, Chris tightened his grip on the small blonde's shoulders. "Funny story actually. You see, when you decided to leave the tour, the managers thought I was no longer of any use to them since I couldn't perform "When the Stars Go Blue," so they released me from the tour. So after a summer of failing to get any other producers to actually listen to my music, I thought I'd pay you a visit, you know, after all you've done for me," he spit out, heavy sarcasm on the last part.
"Chris, I'm so sorry. I never wanted that to happen to you, but—"
Chris cut her off with a strong punch to the face. "Shut up you stupid bitch! It's all your fault and you deserve everything coming your way!" He continued to hit and kick the poor girl, until he ultimately decided to choke her. Just when her airways closed and she could no longer breathe, car headlights swept past the alley and Chris dropped her and took off in the fear of being caught. Slumping against the brick, Haley rejoiced that help had arrived, but everything went black before she could realize that no one was coming to rescue her.
Back at the apartment…
After the party, Brooke walked in tipsy and tired, most of the effects of the alcohol wearing off. Never turning on the lights in her bedroom, she immediately got under the covers of her round bed, succumbing to sleep easily. Before she lost all consciousness, she whispered, "Good night Haley," failing to realize that her roommate was not even in the apartment.