She Is-He Is

CHAPTER III

WRECK OF THE DAY

"Tree Hill" Haley murmured to herself as they enter the town. "Brooke please be here" she whispered.


"Miss we're here" the cab driver said bringing Haley out of her deep thoughts "huh? What?" she frowns..."we're here...the address you gave me, it's here" Haley nodded as she saw the familiar house, in front of her.

"oh right..Sorry about that...here" she handed the driver her fair "can you help me with my luggage? Please?" the driver smiled and immediately went out of the cab to take Haley's luggage out of the trunk. "Thanks" she curtly said.

The cab has long been gone but Haley still hasn't moved on her spot in front of the huge house. She's seen this house before in the many pictures Brooke had sent her over the years; it's as if she's actually been here even before she set foot on the actual property. Haley took a deep breath before walking to the long pathway leading to the front door.

"Excuse me miss? Can i help you?" an old man with a shovel in his hand asked.

"Oh sorry...my friend lives here" the man gave her a skeptical look "Brooke Davis, Brooke Davis is my friend" as soon as she mentioned the name the old man flashed his genuine smile and she felt relieved.

"Oh go ahead Hun just knock on the front door" the man kindly said.

"Thank you" she gave him a small smile before she continue her walk to the front door. Once she reached the door she settled her luggage on the tiled floor at the balcony and knocked.

"C'mon man! Are you still not talking to me? It's not my fault your charm didn't work with that girl on the plane, don't go blaming that on me, it's all you Nate" Lucas reasoned out as he try to get his brother to talk to him again.

"Fine! Whatever Lucas, it's still your fault" Nathan huffed and stalked off out of the living room straight to the room he normally occupies whenever he stays at Lucas' house. Lucas just rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Brooke!!! I'm here!!!" a happy Haley calls out before entering Brooke's room "hey best friend what's up?!" she didn't notice her distraught friend right away.

"hey! I said what's up? Let's...." she stopped talking when she saw Brooke crying "Brooke! What's wrong? Why are you crying? C'mon sit here" she pulls her up from the floor to sit on the bed

"tell me what's wrong? Is it your parents again?" she waited for Brooke to calm down.

"Tutor girl...I'm leaving"...once again Brooke broke into sobs "what?!!! What do you mean you're leaving? Where to? How long?" a panicky Haley asks..

"hales it's my parents they're having money issues and we have to sell this house, they've been having problems for months now...I didn't even know about it" a shocked Haley just stares at her "c'mon hales say something...I'm leaving...for good!!"...

"no! No no no... This can't be happening tigger NO! Tigger this can't be happening! We're going to high school together...that was always the plan" she hysterically said.

"omg! Tutor girl! You should be consoling me not the other way around! Geez! Some friend you are" Haley gave her a death glare and Brooke matched it with her own...a few seconds after both started laughing hysterically.

When they're done both went silent. It was Brooke who spoke first "We're crazy! I'm going to miss this" she said solemnly.

"What are we going to do? Can't you stay with our family instead? Your whole life is here Brooke, your friends, I'm here" Haley said looking down at her hands clasped together on her lap.

"I tried that one with my parents hales, and they wouldn't let me out of their grasp, they said I'm too young to be living out of their supervision, and before you say anything i did try and reason out by telling them that your family is great and that they'll take care of me like I'm their own, they didn't buy it hales" Brooke took one of Haley's hand and held it with hers as she lays her head on her shoulder, both girls didn't say another word instead they reveled in the silence and the comfort of being with each other.

Haley was brought out off her reminiscing when the door creak open and a brunette girl stood in front of her. "hi" she said, her eyes watering... "Haley??"

"Lucas. What the hell do you want??" a still pissed off Nathan stood in front of "his" room's door with his brother on the other side "Geez! Nate take a chill pill! You left your luggage in the living room lil' brother, I'm nice enough to bring it to you so stop biting my head off! Tell me really what's the problem? What's wrong?"

"what's wrong?" a surprised and confused Brooke asked, She waited for her answer but was once again taken aback when Haley flung herself to her and held onto her as if her life depends on it. Brooke didn't know what's wrong and what her old friend is doing in front of her house but she didn't get to ask again when she heard Haley broke down into loud sobs. "Come here..let's go inside" Haley nodded as she lets go of Brooke and nodded, Brooke wordlessly led them to her huge living room and sat her on the lounge chair while she took the other one opposite to her.

"What are you doing here Haley?" Brooke asked coldly, Haley looked up to meet her gaze and saw Brooke's face void of emotion, she stood up

"I'm sorry Brooke, i shouldn't have barge in here like I did...I'm sorry" she was about to walk out when all of a sudden everything went black and the last thing she heard was Brooke's voice yelling her name. "Haley!!!!"

"Nathan! What really is the problem? What's so special about that girl? It's not like this is the first time you've been turned down...oh yah right THIS IS THE FIRST" Nathan glared at him... "Sorry...Sorry I'm just kidding' God! Nate chill!" he raised his hands in the air, mocking defeat.

Lucas ushered himself further in the room and sat on the bed, Nathan however stood far away from him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"For your information PUCAS! I wasn't turned down. That's the last thing that'll ever happen to me. And for your information again it's entirely your fault that I didn't even get to ask her, not even her name!"...

"Oh c'mon Nate! Get over it! What's done is done...not unless you want to search the whole of North Carolina for the "plane" girl of yours." Lucas rolls his eyes and Nathan grew quiet.

"Hey are you still mad at me? Seriously what's with this girl that you're so hung up about? This is so not you" he said seriously.

Nathan sat down on the floor. He let out a long sigh before talking "It's just that, this girl seems so sad"..."and what you feel like making her happy?" Lucas said sarcastically interrupting him "shut up! & let me finish will you???!!!" Lucas didn't say another word he's beyond curious now.

"so i was saying, I just...I don't know..." he struggles to find the right words and the right thoughts to describe how he felt and still feeling. He sighed again before he continues telling Lucas everything that happened on the plane.

"Doc what's wrong with her?" a worried Brooke asks, after Haley collapsed in the living room, she immediately called their family doctor to their house to check on Haley's condition.

"Doctor is she sick or something?" her voice laced with worry...."No need to worry too much Ms. Davis...your friend is perfectly fine..."...

"fine? She doesn't look fine to me at all, she collapsed Doctor Smith!" she hissed. "Calm down Ms. Davis, trust me your friend is just fine, she's just stressed and severely dehydrated, seems to me she haven't taken anything in days...not even water" Brooke stared at the now unconscious Haley lying on her bed

"Just wait for her to wake up and make sure to make her eat and drink once she does. I'll go ahead now Ms. Davis" she nodded and spoke

"I just don't understand why she'll starve herself for days that girl right there have all the money in the world, and she definitely doesn't look like someone with an eating disorder" the doctor nodded. "Just ask her once she's awake, I'll go ahead now Ms. Davis"..."Thanks Doc" she said not taking her eyes of Haley. God i miss her so much she thought.

"I hate to break it to you little brother, but there's a 99% possibility you'll never see this girl again, not without knowing her name, there's no way you can find her now." He said apologetically.

"I know that Luke that's why I'm pissed! If i have at least her name it'd be easier" Nathan said irritated ... "Well tell me exactly what you'll do if you see her again?" he raised his eyebrow

. "Well... It's just...i don't know but i somehow felt like she needs someone right now" he said pensively. "And you want to be that "someone"?"

Nathan didn't answer and Luke instantly caught his answer and he felt sorry for his brother, this is the first time Nathan cared for anything or someone and it saddens him that his brother didn't even get a chance to explore that side of his personality the part that "cares", a flood of guilt washed him after all it's his fault Nathan didn't get to ask for the girl's name. "C'mon little brother let's get some beer".

"Hey" Brooke smiled down at Haley who's gotten back her consciousness. "Hey...what happened?" she asked holding on to her still throbbing head.

"No hales...you tell me...what happened...you collapsed hales... what's wrong?" Brooke asked with so much concern it warmed Haley's heart, God I miss my friend she thought.