Thanks to those who reviewed, it meant the world to me! This story is very personal to me, with a Naley spin on it. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see happen. Hope chapter 2 is another good one for you!
I lay awake in my bedroom, and I can feel the letter that is currently on my desk mocking me from across the room. Why don't you just open it, you wimp? What are you so afraid of? I mentally answer it back with "everything". I can't be pregnant right now, I don't know for sure yet, but all I know is that it can't be true. I'm a freshman in college whose boyfriend is across the country in California right now. I sigh in frustration, getting up from my bed as I do so. I walk out of my room, down the hallway, and to the kitchen. I see my two best friends there and I suddenly feel comforted. Peyton looks at me from her position on the stool, and Brooke does the same from across the counter.
"Hey hales, did we wake you?" Peyton says before sipping on what I assume is a steaming mug of hot tea.
"No, I never got to sleep in the first place." I say, pulling out the stool next to her for myself. Brooke quickly pulls another mug out of the cabinet, throws a tea bag in it, and hands me the soothing beverage. "Thanks" I say, sadness dripping from my voice.
"Haley, no more moping. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around you because I'm afraid to say or do something that might upset you." Brooke says, coming over to me and hugging me.
"Brooke, I'm okay…really. Things are just off right now and the person that I love is across the country, wouldn't you be upset too if Julian was where Nathan was?" I said with tear brimmed eyes. Brooke and Julian Baker had been dating for maybe a few months, but they were definitely head-over-heels about each other. He was a couple years older than us and was attempting stardom with his own movies.
"Of course Haley, you have a right to be sad, but I'm just saying that because I'm not in your position right now I don't know what to say to help you." Brooke said, walking back to the kitchen and pulling out a tub of Ben & Jerry's and three spoons. The three of us took a spoonful out to the container and savored it for a while, Peyton eventually breaking the silence.
"Why don't you tell us what would help you right now?" She said before dipping into the ice cream again.
"I honestly don't know, hell I'm not even sure if I can open that letter" I said, looking down into my lap feeling like a complete failure of a girlfriend. "Can I say something to you guys if you promise not to freak out?"
"I can't make that promise, but shoot" Brooke says leaning closer to Peyton and me.
"Well, I'm afraid that I might be pregnant" I say in one breath, afraid to look at their reactions.
Suddenly, a spray of hot tea soaks me. Peyton closes her hand over her mouth is shock and what I had just said, and what she just did.
"Thanks for that Peyt." I say, getting up to wipe myself off.
"Haley! You didn't even tell us that you guys had sex!" Brooke says, her face going from shock to hurt.
"I'm sorry, it just sort of happened" I said continuing to wipe at my clothing.
"When?" Peyton said, her voice filled with evident curiousity.
"well, a few weeks ago…before he left." I said, mentally counting backwards.
"Okay, so when is your next period supposed to be?" Brooke said, chiming in.
I walked over to the calendar on our fridge, finding the date of my last period and counting to now. "Um, looks like in a week. I guess we'll have to wait until then to find out if my life is over." I said, slumping back on my stool.
"Your life will not be over Hales, trust me." Brooke says, not sounding convincing at all.
"Maybe you should read his letter, he'll worry if you don't answer him back" Peyton says as she puts the ice cream back in the fridge, her wild curls all over the place.
"You're right. I guess I should-" I begin
"Grow a pair? You're absolutely right." Brooke says smiling widely so her dimples are prominent.
"Gee, thanks Brooke." I say, smacking her lightly on the arm.
I return to my room and grab the envelope off my desk, retreating back to the kitchen afterwards. "it's now or never" I tell myself, looking at the envelope before opening it. I slowing slide my finger through the flap and begin to tear. I pull the letter out of the envelope, taking my sweet time before reading the letter.
"Haley it doesn't take this long to open an envelope" Brooke says in obvious frustration in my movements. Peyton shoots her a glare before urging me on.
I slowly open the folded paper and seeing his beautiful penmanship makes me want to cry. I glance at the letter before I begin to read it, relief washing over me.
Dear Haley,
How are you, beautiful? I hope everything is okay back home, and that Brooke and Peyton are taking care of you like they promised. Everything here is going well, everyday is a struggle but I'm pushing through for you. I try harder everyday to make you proud because you're it for me, Haley. I know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you and I can't wait for that. It'll be difficult because of the choice I've made, and I hope that it doesn't hurt you. This life is forever, the men I've met here are now my brothers, but you will always be my girl. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together, just you and me. I love you, always and forever.
The waterworks began and they seemed like they'd never end.
"oh gosh, Haley what is it?" Brooke says from behind me, even though I knew she had been reading over my shoulder the whole time.
"He doesn't want kids, and stupid me could be pregnant right now" I say, sobbing.
"Where does it say that because I don't see it." Brooke says, snatching the letter from my hands.
"He said 'I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together, just you and me'." I retort back angrily.
"I don't see anything wrong with that, it's sweet!" Peyton says "I wish Lucas would say that to me!" Both Brooke and Peyton smile at the thought of their boyfriends.
"JUST YOU AND ME! He doesn't want kids." I yell as both of the girls, knocking them from their daydream.
"Haley, you don't know that that's what that means. He just wants to be with you forever." Peyton says trying to knock some sense into me, but failing.
"What am I supposed to do? If I am pregnant I can't tell him in a letter. That means I'll have to wait 11 more weeks to tell him." I say, pleading with my best friends to give me an answer I know that I won't get from them.
"Why don't you wait? See if you miss your period and then we'll go to the drugstore for you. There's no point to worry about it right now because what's meant to be will happen." Peyton says
"Peyton's right, you know. She may be a blonde, but she's definitely not dumb" Brooke says getting a look from Peyton. "What?" she says innocently, and Peyton and I can only laugh at our goofy friend.
"I love you guys, thank you for tonight. I better go to bed though, got to be fresh for classes in the morning!" I say, hugging each of my friends and taking the letter back with me to my bedroom.
"Night Tutor Girl" Brooke says, and I can feel her smirking behind me. I laugh to myself and close my bedroom door behind me, shutting out the world.
I don't know what to think anymore, but I know I have to wait a week to be certain of my future. There's no need to worry…like Peyton said, what's meant to be will happen. But what if I'm meant to be a girl who's pregnant right now? This can't be happening to me when Nathan is all the way across the country. I grab my Ipod from my nightstand and let the music soothe me to sleep, for now it is a distraction, but in the morning I have to face another day of not knowing.
R & R
Hope you liked this 2nd chapter. I still don't know exactly where this story will end up, but I'll definitely make it a good one. Leave some love, it's my motivation =].