Author's Note: Hey everyone! I first want to thank all of you for your reviews, I love and appreciate all of them so much! Well, I finished Chapter 4! I don't really think it's all that great, at least not up to my usual par, but I really wanted to get this chapter out to you. Remember, there's big drama in this chapter, so beware! Anyways, here's chapter 4! As always, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are the property of the WB.

Rating: PG to PG-13

In the Presence of an Angel

Chapter 4

Monday came around the next day and Haley went to school while Brooke stayed behind at the house because the bruise had not cleared up yet. The bruise was healing, but the discoloration could not be covered up, no matter how much makeup was applied so Brooke had opted to stay home.

Because of the rift in her friendship with Lucas, Haley sat alone at one of the outside table during lunch that day. In the History class they shared, Lucas sat in the back of the class instead of sitting beside Haley as he usually did. She could see that he was still angry over what had happened at her house the other day by the pulsing of his temple and the periodic clenching of his jaw. She ate silently as she read her book until she heard yelling and looked up to find a crowd forming in the quad. She decided to investigate so she threw her trash away and grabbed her stuff then walked over the ever-growing throng of students, cheering and urging the fighters on. When Haley saw who the two fighters were, she immediately pushed through the students to the open ring that had been formed by the onlookers. In the middle, throwing punches and grabbing for each other, were Lucas and Nathan.

"Lucas, Nathan, STOP," she yelled. The two brothers continued to grapple and she desperately looked for someone to help. She spotted Jake and Tim, who had just appeared in the crowd, and called out to them, "Jake, Tim! Help, please!" Both of the boys grabbed the other two, Tim taking Nathan and Jake taking Lucas, as they struggled to break free. "Let me go," Lucas shouted. "What's your problem man," Nathan asked as he wiped his mouth of blood. "You! You're my problem," Lucas responded angrily, pure hatred burning in his eyes. "Lucas, what's this about," Haley commanded as she walked up to him. "I know," he said coldly, staring into her eyes. She was scared at the glare he was giving her and the voice he spoke in. She replied in a confused tone, "Know what, Lucas?"

"Don't lie right to my face Haley. I know you've been sleeping with HIM," He said in a low, menacing growl and his eyes as cold as ice. "What? I am not sleeping with Nathan. How could you even think that! We're just friends and that's it," Haley screamed at him. He replied in the same cold tone, "Oh really? Then how come I saw you and him hugging from outside your window after I left and you coming out of your bedroom in only a towel when I came over? If you aren't sleeping with Nathan, then how come I saw him leave your house at nine in the morning yesterday, huh?" "I was having a tutoring session with him! It was so early in the morning because I had plans for the rest of the day!" "Plans for what? To sleep with him? Because none of those so-called plans involved me." "Believe it or not Lucas, but my life does not revolve wholly around you. I do have other friends, you know," Haley retorted back fiercely.

"That still doesn't explain all of what I saw,"he returned loudly, glaring at Nathan then turning back to her, "How could you sleep with him, huh? After all those times I warned you about him? He's just using you to get to me!" After he said this he immediately turned to face Nathan and issued another punch. This started up the fight again and Haley, in fear of both of them getting hurt despite her furious state at Lucas, began to pull harshly on his sweatshirt, "Lucas, STOP!" However, he did not listen and pulled back his arm to deliver another punch to Nathan when his fist made contact with Haley's jaw. He quickly spun around to face her, remorse and tears filling his eyes, "Hales, I'm so-" But he did not have the chance to finish his sentence. Haley placed a hand to her jaw as she stood there, stunned, for a few seconds before she turned and ran from the scene, tears streaming down her cheeks.

As soon as she pulled into the driveway, Haley rushed out of the car into her house, passing Brooke without noticing her and then continuing on to her room. She flopped down onto her bed and grabbed her pillow, sobbing into it as her tears flowed down in torrents. Brooke entered quietly and sat beside her on the bed, beginning to rub her back in smooth, comforting circles. "Haley, what's wrong? What happened," she asked softly as she stroked her hair. "Lucas... he jumped to conclusions and... and he thought I was sleeping with Nathan..." Haley managed to get out through her sobs, "they were fighting... and then Lucas and I were yelling... and he hit Nathan... then he went to hit him again... and he hit me..." Brooke gathered Haley in her arms and hugged her tightly as she too began to cry, "I'm so sorry..."

Once Haley had calmed down a little bit and her cries were reduced to hiccups and small sniffles here and there, Brooke asked, "How did he think that you were sleeping with Nathan?" "Remember on Saturday when I went downstairs to greet Luke and I was wearing only a towel," Haley inquired. 'How could I forget...I wanted to rip that towel right off and kiss you all over, to feel your body beneath my hands... If only it had been a few inches shorter...' Brooke thought as a slight blush tinted her cheeks. Brooke then nodded for Haley to continue. "Well, there was that, and when he left, he saw us hugging in my window behind my curtains and he thought I was hugging Nathan. Then he said he saw Nathan leave the house early yesterday morning... well you get my drift."

Brooke nodded then took her hand, "Come on, let's get some ice on your jaw. Even if it doesn't bruise, it'll still hurt like hell in the morning." Haley chuckled lightly, "We switched roles." Brooke looked confusedly at her, "What?" "We switched roles. First I was taking care of you, now you're taking care of me," Haley explained. Brooke smiled, "We did, huh?" "You know, I'm in the mood for some ice cream and a comedy." Brooke then asked, "What movie?" "You pick, it's your turn," Haley responded as she moved out of Brooke's arms and lay on her side of the bed. "Okay, let's watch this one," Brooke said and Haley replied, "Nice choice, put it in." "I will, but let me go get the ice for your bruise and the ice cream first. What kind do you want?" "Rocky Road," Haley told her.

Brooke grinned widely at this, "My favorite!" "You better not hog it all," Haley warned her with a mock glare. "I guess I'll have to eat it all by myself then and you won't get any," Brooke replied childishly as she stuck out her tongue. "And whose ice cream is this?" "It's mine now," Brooke responded as she laughed. Haley scoffed and picked up a pillow then launched it at her, successfully hitting Brooke's head. This only caused Haley to laugh harder and Brooke to stare at her in open-mouthed shock. Brooke promptly grabbed the pillow off the floor and hit Haley. A full on pillow fight then ensued for the next fifteen minutes until both collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily from laughing and chasing each other around.

"That was fun. I haven't laughed like that in ages," Brooke said as she turned her head to look at Haley. "Me too," Haley replied. "So what do you want to do now," Brooke asked as she turned on her side and propped her head up with her elbow. "I'm kind of tired. I think I'll take a nap," Haley yawned and stretched. Brooke yawned too, "Don't yawn, you're making me tired." "You can lie down and take a nap with me if you want," Haley suggested. Brooke scooted up further up so her legs weren't dangling off the bed and closed her eyes. "I think I'll take you up on that offer," she said in a sleepy voice as she yawned again.

Haley scooted up too and turned her back to Brooke, shifting deeper into the bed and pulling the covers over herself. With Brooke behind her, she could feel her warm breath on her neck It made her skin tingle with anticipation, waiting for Brooke's touch. Haley fought back a moan of disappointment when that touch never came. 'I don't think I can take much more of this...' she thought as Brooke shifted, putting her closer to Haley's body. As Brooke lay behind Haley, the smell of her hair and the perfume she was wearing driving her senses wild, almost beyond coherency. She slowly breathed in her scent, savoring it, and smiled then closed her eyes. She longed to touch her but knew it would only complicate things, or even worse, ruin their friendship. Soon she fell asleep and began to dream of Haley. Subconsciously in her slumber, Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley's waist. Even though Haley had begun to drift off herself, she felt this movement and smiled.