A/N: Hey, I'm not making excuses 'cuz I don't have any to make except this is the first time looking at my story in a while. I'm good now and ready to write good or bad. But I'm not promising anything so yea. Thanks for the reviews and support here is chapter nine...I think.

Disclaimer: Do not own OTH or characters.

Chapter Nine:

Shortly after Brooke went to bed everybody else left and Luke went to bed as well. Brooke may have gone to bed but she certainly didn't fall sleep. Next door, it sounded like World War Three. Brooke could have sworn she saw furniture flying out Haley's bedroom window when she looked over. 'I hope Haley's okay…I wonder how Ryan and his dad can sleep with that going on…maybe they have ear plugs. Oh Brooke! Your girlfriend is having a HUGE fight with her mother and all you can think about is if her brother and dad have ear plugs?' Brooke shook her head and looked out the window again. Oddly, all the lights in the house were off and the screaming stopped.

Outside a car was starting and Brooke got up to see who it was. Haley's car pulled out the driveway and it appeared to have bags and boxes that could be seen from the back window of her Trans Am. Brooke didn't know what to think at this point. Where was Haley going? Was she alright? Would she call in the morning? Or would she blow her off the next few days? Brooke knew she couldn't wait for Haley and picked up her cell pressing speed dial 1.

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Haley was driving along the dark road in the early morning fuming. Her knuckles were turning white from griping the steering wheel so tight. She could believe her mother, how could she do that? How could she kick out her only daughter? Just thinking of her mother made her grip the steering wheel tighter. "Okay Haley, you need to calm down here. Just take a deep breathe." Something caught Haley's eye on the dashboard, she smirked, "Yeah, a deep breathe," Haley reached for the cigarettes when her cell phone rang. She groaned, "Cell phone? Or ciggs? Only two hands Haley. Ugh who are you kidding?"

Haley grabbed her cell phone not bothering to see who calling. She flipped it open and snapped, "What?"

"Hey, it's me," the other end said.

Haley immediately felt bad. She hadn't meant to snap like that; well at Brooke anyway. "Hey, look I didn't mean to snap at you like that. In fact, I didn't even know it was you. Sometimes I jus—"

"Well gee; it's a good thing to know you don't bother checking if it's me first. And I thought we had something special, I guess it was all just a game to you huh?" Brooke smiled, she was glad Haley wasn't in a pissy mood to her.

Haley rolled her eyes, "You're a real drama queen you know that? If you—"

"What; so now I'm a drama queen? I would really watch what you say to me Ms. James; you're on thin ice right now." Brooke laughed. She could picture Haley rolling her eyes at her; which is exactly what Haley did.

"How can I when you don't even let me get a word in edge wise? You're always inter—"

"What exactly does that mean?"

Haley just stared ahead thinking her girlfriend was absolutely crazy, "What? Brooke, what the hell are you talking about? You don't make any se—"

"Edge wise," Brooke simply stated, "What does that mean? I mean I know what it 'means' and all, but what's the point of saying it? It's pointless; whatever British old guy made it up, he must've been like drunk or something you know what I mean?" Brooke explained. Haley opened her mouth but she couldn't think of anything to say so she closed it back up. When Brooke didn't hear anything on the other line she smirked in triumph. "You have no idea, do you?"

"I guess I don—"

"You know Haley you shouldn't say stuff when you don't know what it means." Broke teased.

"Brooke! Will you stop doing that! It's—"

"Doing what?" Brooke couldn't help but laugh; she knew exactly what she was doing.

Haley huffed and Brooke could picture the cute pout that was on her face, "Please stop, you know exactly what you're doing."

Brooke laughed again, but did what was asked of her, she didn't call for no reason, "Okay, okay, I'll stop…I swear. So…uh, whatcha doing?" Brooke tried sounding casual, but Haley knew better.

She sighed, "Let me guess, you saw me leave didn't you?"

"What happened?" Brooke asked lightly, not wanting Haley to blow up at her or anything.

"My mom kicked me out," Haley said as if it was nothing.

"What!" Brooke gasped.

"She kicked me out," Haley repeated.

"I know what you said, I just…" Brooke couldn't believe this. How could a mother do that to their child? Where was Haley supposed to go? "Haley?"

"Yeah?" Haley sighed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stay at a friends place till I can get my own place," Haley explained. She hoped Brooke didn't ask which friend; otherwise she'd be dealing with a jealous Brooke over the phone.

"What? Why don't you just stay over here? You know my parents wouldn't mind." Brooke was curious as to whom the friend was, but she decided to wait to ask.

Haley sighed again, but it was more of an exhausted sigh, "I know that, but it's about time I stop worrying them. I mean I know I've probably worried them more than you and Luke combined. Besides, I think it's about time I also live on my own, you know? Be my own person for once."

"But Haley you are your own person, a wonderful one too," Haley smiled, Brooke was too good to her sometimes, "Please, just come home," Brooke pleaded.

"I can't, I need to do this, I'll be fine," she reassured Brooke, "Don't worry about me,"

Brooke closed her eyes a whispered, "But it's hard not to," She hoped Haley hadn't heard but she had. This was one of many reasons Haley thought Brooke was too good for her. Knowing Haley wasn't turning around, she changed the subject, "So who are you staying with?"

"I told you, a friend," Was all that came out of Haley's mouth.

"Yeah, I got that part, but which friend?" Brooke may have let one thing go, but not this.

"Does it really matter? Because I don't think so."

"Haley," Brooke whined.

"Fine," Haley gave up, "I'm staying with Lauren,"

Brooke definitely got tense upon hearing this, "Lauren, as in your ex Lauren?"

"Well no, not exactly," Haley tried, "Okay, yes fine, Lauren my ex."

Brooke did not like what she heard, she also couldn't believe it, "So let me get this straight; you're staying at your ex girlfriend's place, rather than your current girlfriend's. How the hell does that work?"

"Brooke," Haley sighed, "Please don't make this a big deal okay,"

'Don't make it a big deal?' "Haley! What am I supposed to make this?" Brooke argued.

"Nothing, because that's exactly what it is…Nothing!"

"Haley—"

"Look, if you trust me than you don't have to worry about anything," Haley paused, "You do trust me don't you?"

Brooke didn't know what to say. Of course she trusted her, but there always seemed to be that nagging feeling, when Haley wasn't with her, that anything could happen. Plus, this was Haley James; it was hard not to wonder.

"Brooke?" Haley asked worried.

"Of course I trust you, but she's your ex Haley, your ex."

"Brooke—"

"Look, I know this is futile, you're not going to listen to me, so I'll just see you on Monday at school, okay? Bye," With that Brooke hung up, leaving Haley to feeling horrible. Brooke looked at her phone and couldn't understand why she got the way she did; she never was the jealous type. She decided to get some sleep and hoped Haley would forgive her on Monday. 'That's it, just give her a day to cool off, and on Monday things will be cool…except that she'll be living with her ex, but what else is new huh?'

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Haley knew Brooke was upset, but there really was nothing to worry about. Lauren and she only dated for one month. It wasn't even that great. Well, okay...it was, but both of their hearts weren't in it. They had both just come from long, heartfelt relationships that both ended with their hearts crushed. When they found each other they were destroyed, wounded, and broken. It's fair to say they used each other to fill their holes and patch up their wounds. They both knew they were using each other, but they didn't care; because they were so sick of being hurt and alone. After a month they realized they couldn't carry it on like it was going, and agreed to stay friends, good friends…the best. Haley knew she could rely on Lauren and Lauren knew she could rely on Haley. Brooke would just have to get over her jealousy.

A/N: Okay that's it for right now, I was going for long, but I'm kind of tired. There was really like two parts to this, cuz I have it all written down on paper, but I want to put this up, then asap put up the second part, except it will be chapter ten, so yea. Thanks to all who've replied and read.