Chapter Six: You Look A Little Unhappy.

Haley leant against the bathroom door. She was running late for work because Brooke had been in the bathroom for almost 20 minutes. She could hear water running but a strange feeling began festering in the pit of her stomach. Somehow she knew that Brooke wasn't really taking a shower. Haley hesitantly knocked on the door, unsure whether her new housemate would let her in. After no reply, she was about to knock again when the door suddenly opened and an ashen-looking Brooke ushered her in.

The first thing Haley noticed was the pregnancy test sitting on the bathroom sink. The feeling in her stomach became stronger.

"Brooke, are you-"

"No." Her brunette friend shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"But you thought you were?" Haley questioned. "Are you late?"

"Yeah. It's negative though." Brooke seemed saddened by the result. Haley placed a hand on her arm. "I don't understand."

"It might just be stress. You haven't really had an easy couple of weeks." She watched as Brooke sat down beside the bathtub. Haley joined her and put a hand in her friend's lap. "Are you okay?"

She got a shrug in reply. "I don't know. I know I'm not ready for a baby but at the same time I'm sad. A mini-Lucas would have been kinda nice, y'know?"

"Brooke…"

"I know, Haley. It would have made things even more complicated. But is it so bad to want a part of him? I feel like I'm owed that much." Brooke sighed and batted back tears. "I hate feeling like I'm the one who gets nothing."

"What would a baby have solved?" Haley's question lingered in the air for a few moments before she squeezed Brooke's hand. "This is better, Brooke."

Her reassurance did little to help Brooke but she squeezed Haley's hand back and returned a weak smile.

"I better get off your floor. You need to get to work." Brooke said as she wiped her tears off of her cheek with the side of her hand.

"I can stay with you a little while longer." Haley told her. She didn't want Brooke to feel that she didn't have time to help her.

"No, no." Brooke shook her head forcefully. "No, I need to get up anyway."

"Brooke-"

"I'm really fine, Haley. I know I don't look it right now but I'm just finding it hard to move on." Brooke sighed. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me all the time. I'm happy to do it."

"I know – but it's stuff like this that make me realise how glad I am that I'm not alone right now."

Haley hugged her friend. "There's ice cream in the freezer," she joked. Brooke chuckled quietly and nodded.

Haley knocked on Nathan's front door and waited for her ex-husband to open the door. She was startled when Carrie ended up on the other side.

"Oh, hi…" She cursed herself for appearing clearly surprised to see the other girl. Carrie just smiled. "Is Nathan here?" She questioned.

"He took Jamie to get ice cream. He should be back soon." A silence fell between the girls until Carrie cleared her throat. "Why don't you come in? They'll be back soon."

Haley hesitated. Since the divorce, she had never really spent time at Nathan's house, and since he and Carrie started dating, she had never spent more than five minutes in her company. Least of all, she had never spent any time alone with the girl who lived with her ex-husband.

She tried to think up of an excuse but she knew that Carrie would probably know why she declined the offer. Giving a small nod, she saw Carrie smile at her and invite her in, leading her straight to the kitchen.

At first Haley fought the urge to look around the house. She hoped she would only be there for a few moments until Nathan arrived so she could take Jamie home. She vaguely noticed the framed pictures on the end table near the entrance to the kitchen. The pictures were just a reminder of her husband's new life.

Carrie motioned for Haley to sit at the breakfast bar and started filling a kettle with water to make coffee with.

"Coffee is okay?" Carrie questioned. Haley nodded and nervously played with the keys in her hands. "How's Brooke?"

Haley furrowed her brows at the enquiry as to how her friend – and somebody Carrie didn't even know – was keeping. "Um, she's fine."

"That's good."

"You have a nice kitchen." Haley complimented. Carrie smiled widely.

"Thank you. It's my favourite part of the house. I love cooking so I wanted it be somewhere I can spend a lot of time in. I don't care what the living room, back yard or bedroom looks like."

Carrie chuckled but Haley was still caught up in the word 'bedroom.' She swallowed the lump that started to form in her throat and tried to think of something else. Carrie noticed Haley's sudden tension and decided to talk about something other than Nathan that they had in common.

"Jamie seems excited about his birthday." Carrie began. Haley offered a smile. "I can't believe he's going to be five in a couple of weeks."

"I know. I don't know where all the time went. It just seems like yesterday he was a baby." Haley sighed.

"He made a birthday list today." Carrie told her. "He sure wants a rabbit."

"I know. He hasn't shut up about it for weeks. I don't really know about it though. He's still young so allowing him to be in charge of a living animal is probably a little premature right now."

"I agree." Carrie replied, surprising Haley. She thought that Carrie would be encouraging her to get one – or even buy one for Jamie herself. "Nathan is keen on the idea but I had a pet when I was six and when she died, it was really tough."

Haley nodded as she thought of her old pet rabbit that died when she was young. "I know what you mean. I don't want him to have to deal with stuff like that yet."

"Well you can explain it to Nathan. I keep telling him but he thinks Jami can handle it. Truthfully, I think Nathan wants one himself." Carrie rolled her eyes and earned a small chuckle from Haley. "We'll have to let him down gently."

"I think he can handle it." Haley said, before adding: "I'm not so sure Nathan could though."

Carrie's smile grew wider, pleased that her first real conversation with her boyfriend's ex was going so well. "Do you have any idea of what you're going to do for Jamie's birthday?"

"Jamie wants a party since all his friends have been having parties so I think I'll bite the bullet and throw one for him. He has twenty kids in his class."

"Oh wow, are you prepared to handle that many?" Carrie winced. Sure she loved spending time with Jamie. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to spend a few hours with twenty five-year-olds. She was unsure whether Haley even wanted to.

"No. My house is kind of small so I'm going to ask him to choose five friends. He's going to be disappointed."

"Why don't you have it here?" Carrie suggested, "If you want to. We have a big yard and we can put a ballpen thing there or something to keep them amused. You can have full control of the party." She added in an attempt to quell Haley's fears that she was trying to take over her life.

She wasn't, of course. She wanted Haley to like her. Carrie felt bad all those times Nathan would awkwardly ask her if she was alright with waiting in the car while he picked or dropped Jamie off at Haley's, and she was tired of feeling like an outside. Besides, she'd seen how Haley reacted every time she saw Carrie in the car. At least if they were friends, then the two women wouldn't feel so uncomfortable all the time.

"It's a wonderful offer…" Haley began and Carrie's heart sank at the apparent rejection of her efforts, "but I don't know if I can put you through that."

"It's not a big deal. Nathan would love it. I promise I won't be in your way." Carrie said. She wondered if it was her presence that was deterring Haley. But Haley's features softened.

"Oh I'm not worried about you. It is very kind to offer and I know it would be so much easier to have it here. I don't want to put you under pressure or concern yourself with keeping twenty kids entertained."

"I grew up in a big family like you, Haley. I would love it. I could take care of the food and you could make the cake? Both Nathan and Jamie say you make the most amazing cakes." Haley blushed. "Plus we could split the cost and the work load. I'd really like to get to know you more."

Haley thought about it for a moment before agreeing. Carrie was right. It would be easier and it made sense. She really ought to get to know Carrie since she lived with Nathan now and was a part of both his and Jamie's lives. Nathan would be glad at the very least.

"Sure. We can do it in two weeks – on the Sunday?" Haley suggested. "The day after his birthday, if that's okay with you?"

"That's fine! We can even hire a clown!" she clapped giddily. Haley frowned.

"Oh – no clowns." She shuddered. "Maybe a magician?"

"I know a reptile guy?"

"Sounds great!"

Nathan didn't know if he should be impressed or scared when he saw his ex-wife and current girlfriend conspiring in the kitchen when he returned home. The two women informed him of their plans for Jamie's birthday party. Carrie had been so enthusiastic and looked so relieved and pleased at the fact she and Haley were getting along. When Haley and Jamie left, Carrie couldn't stop from smiling and he chuckled at the fact she was blushing like a teenager.

"You feel better now?" Nathan asked as he hugged her. Carrie nodded and kissed him. "I told you she'd love you."

"I know. I'm just glad it went well. I know she's important to you and Jamie." She said softly. Nathan nodded.

"Yeah, and didn't I tell you she's kind and couldn't hate anybody?"

"Yes you did." She kissed him again. "I'm very glad you went and got ice cream."

Nathan decided to go and thank Haley himself for making an effort with Carrie. He knew they wouldn't be best friends immediately, but it was a strong start.

She seemed surprised to see him at her door the next afternoon. "Did you forget something?" She asked when she opened the door. It wasn't his day for Jamie. "It's not your day for Jamie."

"Or 'welcome' and 'come on in.'" He joked and she apologised and let him in. He made his way to the living room. "Where's Brooke?" he asked when he didn't spot the brunette. Over the last month he had become accustomed to her presence there – even if they didn't talk very much.

"She went to pick Jamie up from school." Haley explained. "So what's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. For making an effort with Carrie." He told her sincerely, causing her to blush.

"Oh, that's okay. It's no big deal." She replied.

"Yes, it is, Haley. I don't want to feel like I have to keep the two of you separate. She's as much a part of my life as you and Jamie are and I'm just really pleased that you're both trying." Nathan gave her a hug and she smiled against the feel of his arms around her and frowned when he pulled away after only a few moments.

She cleared her throat. "Speaking of the party, I was thinking. You know that Brooke lives here and I was wondering if I could bring her to Jamie's party."

"Of course you can. It would be weird not to." Nathan said.

"I know. But along with your parents and my parents, we also invite…"

"…Lucas and Peyton." Nathan finished off. "I see the problem."

Even though Lucas and Peyton usually went to Nathan's house for Jamie's birthday, Lucas sometimes came to see Haley; though it was mostly one awkward cup of coffee out of politeness and a conversation about Jamie. Since the whole 'Brooke thing' happened, she hadn't seen or heard from either of them at all. And now they were going to have a joint birthday party with an extra guest, it posed a problem.

"Jamie loves Lucas." Nathan said. Jamie looked forward to his visits from Uncle Lucas as they were few and far between, even though they spoke on the phone at least once a month.

"I know – but we cannot put Lucas, Peyton and Brooke in a room together."

"Lucas will be hurt and Peyton's going to be pissed Brooke was there over them. She still hasn't forgiven her."

"Because she hasn't tried-" Haley began to argue but realised it was probably best not to quibble over that right now. "What do we do? I can't uninvited Brooke. She'll be heartbroken."

"She knows they usually come, right?"

"No," Haley shook her head. "I forgot myself."

Nathan ran a hand uneasily through his hair. "Let's not tell them." He told her.

"What?"

"We won't tell Lucas and Peyton about the party. They'll be down from New York at the end of the month for Peyton's mom's anniversary anyway. It makes more sense for them to fly down once rather than twice. If Lucas asks, I'll tell him we're busy or something so to come down later in the month. That way we can avoid them seeing Brooke."

"That seems logical." Haley agreed. "Um, does Carrie speak to Peyton at all?"

"Sometimes, but I'll tell her not to mention it. We'll say we're going out of town that weekend or something."

"Okay. Listen, I'm not going to mention to Brooke about Lucas and Peyton coming down at the end of the month either. I mean, she probably knows Peyton comes down but I'll try not to make a big deal of it. If you hear anything about their plans-"

"I'll let you know." Nathan's phone began buzzing. "That's my mom. I have to go." He said as he made his way to the front door. "Thanks Haley. For Carrie and everything."

"It's okay. I'll see you later." He patted her on the shoulder before answering his phone and making his way back to his car.

"That's weird." Peyton said as she got off the phone. Lucas looked up from his cereal. "Deb just told me that Jamie's having a birthday party on Sunday."

"Really?" Lucas asked. "Is she sure?"

"She seemed pretty certain." She sighed as she put the phone on the kitchen table. "Did we get an invite?"

"No, I haven't seen one." Lucas shook his head and headed for the mail pile. "Anyway, when I called Nate last week, he never mentioned it."

"Maybe he assumed we knew. I mean, we go there every year."

"Yeah, but usually he asks if we're coming on Jamie's birthday or on your mom's anniversary."

"You know, the invitation probably got lost." Peyton reasoned. "Deb told me the party was at Nathan's house this year. Apparently he and Carrie are throwing one with Haley."

"Haley? That's the first time they're having an occasion together since the divorce." Lucas raised his eyebrows. "I wonder how they talked Haley into that one."

"Shall I call Carrie?" Peyton asked. "Just double check the details?"

Lucas thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, don't worry. I mean, it's on Sunday, we know it's at Nathan's. We'll just look for a flight and turn up." He turned his laptop on. "It's weird that they didn't mention it before."

"Maybe it was just assumed. I have midterms at the end of the month anyway so I guess this weekend is the best time to go. I can visit my mom's grave before we go to the party." She smiled. "I'll go out and get a present for Jamie."

She took her car keys and gave him a wave before leaving. He vaguely waved back and started browsing online for flights. He found some a little while later and booked them, planning to return to New York on the same day. He was fortunate that Tree Hill was only a two hour flight from New York – even though he and Peyton didn't take advantage of that fact nearly enough. She was usually busy with school and things had started to pick up at work.

He frowned again when he thought about how Nathan hadn't mentioned it and why he had to hear it from Deb first. It was strange but then again, he hadn't invited Nathan and Carrie over for New Year's and they showed up. Maybe they just assumed Lucas and Peyton would automatically show up anyway.

Yeah, that was probably it, he told himself. Nothing to worry about. Nathan wouldn't avoid inviting him especially when Deb and Dan were invited too.

While he waited for the plane confirmation to finish printing, he remembered that he had seen a train set that Jamie would like. He decided to call Peyton to tell her, but as he looked through his cell phone to find her name, he spotted Brooke's instead. His thumb hovered over her name and he contemplated calling just to see if she'd pick up.

Instead his cell phone rang and Peyton's name popped up, startling him out of his thoughts. Feeling guilt overwhelm him, he almost forgot to answer the phone in time. Pressing the button on its fifth ring, he answered it.

"Hey, baby, I booked the plane tickets."

To be continued…