Here's another chapter! Hopefully, this will clear up some of the questions. I'm sorry it's taken so long to finally get back to updating the story, but I'm definitely going to finish it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny. Haley spent the morning studying for her first biology quiz on Monday. It was early afternoon, and she was bent over her desk, scribbling away on a scrap of paper, when a knock sounded on the door. "Who is it?" she called, looking up from her notes.

"It's Bradin," Haley rolled her eyes. What did he want? She set down her pencil, got up and opened the door.

"Hi," she said, waiting expectantly. He seemed somewhat taken aback.

"Um, if you were busy, you could just say so," he said, shifting nervously. "I was just wondering if you wanted to work on the chemistry prelab."

"Sure. I'm about done studying for the bio quiz," Haley said. "Where do you want to work on it? I don't think my desk is going to work."

"Well, it's nice outside, we could go outside to the table in the back," Bradin suggested. She shrugged.

"That'll work. Do you have the lab?"

"Uh, I'll go get it." He disappeared down the stairs. Haley grabbed the homework and a calculator before following him. She spread the pages across the table. Bradin suddenly appeared to her right, and she tried not to jump.

"Sorry," he apologized, sitting next to her. "Where do we start?" She stared at him, disbelief covering her face.

"Haven't you taken chemistry before?" she asked, not realizing how condescending her words sounded. Bradin flushed.

"Yeah, I have," he retorted. "My lab doesn't have the same questions as yours does." Haley peered at his paper. She flipped it over.

"You're looking at the wrong side," she said, in a somewhat kinder tone.

"Oh, I knew something was wrong," he joked, trying to cover up the awkward moment.

"Let's just move onto the lab," Haley said. They both read the directions.

"This looks hard," he commented. "I'll go get the book, since it looks like we need some equations."

"Thanks," she smiled at him. To her surprise, he returned the smile, and to her horror, she had a funny feeling in her stomach. She covered neatly by hastily erasing her paper, but in her hurry, she also erased another answer. Thankfully, Bradin was not present to see her flustered self.

"I'm back," Bradin said "We are studying for the bio quiz, right?" he said, holding up the biology textbook. Haley was about to speak up, when he grinned impishly at her, and produced the chemistry book from behind his back. She quickly shut her mouth. "Did you really think I was that stupid?"

"No," she said defensively, then admitted. "Yes, maybe a little." Haley studied the biology textbook. "It's still in the shrink wrap," she said accusingly. "You haven't even studied yet."

"Nope," he said airily. "It shouldn't be that hard."

"We have to memorize the names of all of the bones in the human body," she said. "Do you know them already?"

"Most of them. I should probably brush up on the few." Haley stared at him with skepticism written all over her face.

"Oh, really?" she asked. To her amazement, he proceeded to name off all 206 bones. "How did you memorize those so quickly?"

"I've known them since I took second year biology…last year."

"Wow," she said, clearly impressed. "I know most of them, but I still get a few of them confused."

"I can help you with them if you help me with this chemistry homework," he teased, his green eyes glinting mischievously at her .

"Deal," she agreed. They shook hands on it. "But I get the better end of the deal since we had to do this anyways."

"I think I get the better deal since I know something that you don't," Bradin said. Now it was her time to blush.

"Got me there," she admitted. "All right, you win." She slammed the chemistry book shut and stood up.

"Whoa there," Bradin said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," she said.

"Listen, I'm sorry for teasing you so much," he apologized. "I'm just being a jerk."

"I'm sorry too, for insinuating that you're not smart enough for these classes," Haley said. She felt ashamed for the things she'd said earlier.

"Hey, it's okay. Are we good?" he asked, his green eyes piercing hers.

"Yes. Of course."

"Why don't we get started on this?" he said, gesturing towards the papers.

"I guess we're starting with a nice boring lab," she said. "Glassware. We have to explain the differences in measurements between beakers, Erylenmeyer flasks, burets and the like."

"The exact same thing I did last year," Bradin sighed. "I thought this year would be more interesting."

"Yeah, I learned this already too. But it looks like we're working on densities of liquids and solids next week. Boiling water and making ice."

"At least, they should be easy," he said happily.

"We have prelabs for all of these," Haley said, perusing the lab manual. She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "It looks like they have at least 20 questions. Each." They exchanged disgruntled looks.

"Let's just get this done, okay?" Bradin said. They began diligently working on labeling the images and pictures. After the second page, Haley set her pencil down and rubbed at her blurry eyes.

"This is going to be a long year," she muttered. Bradin observed her shrewdly.

"Why do you always have to work so hard?"

"I don't work that hard," she said defensively. "I have so much to do in the next few months."

"Like what?"

"Well, I need to apply for college and take the SATs. That's going to take a lot of time. Then, I need to apply for scholarships. I'm hoping that whatever college I get into will give me a scholarship. This year is going to be tough enough. I must have been insane to try and take five AP classes. Not to mention the electives I wanted to take," Haley said. She yawned hugely.

"You are insane," Bradin said. "Why don't you drop a couple of those classes."

"I've got to. Colleges want these AP classes. They don't want me to take worthless swimming and music classes," she explained. "I've got to get in."

"Why? Why bother going to college?"

"I want to help people."

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep going like this," Bradin said. "Look at yourself. You're yawning all the time. I can see from here that your eyes are bloodshot."

"Now you sound like my grandma," Haley protested, but her voice didn't sound angry. Bradin had not heard her talk about her grandma since she had arrived.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, somewhat perplexed at his question.

"Not just now, but with…other things."

"You mean, like with my mom," she said in a quiet voice. She looked down at her homework and began to play with her pencil between her fingers.

"Yeah."

"I think you know what it's like. But you lost both your parents at the same time. I only lost one," Haley told him.

"But your dad…."

"It's kinda hard to miss someone you never knew."

"So you didn't ever talk to him?" Bradin asked.

"Nope. Didn't even know he was alive until he was dead," Haley said matter-of-factly. Bradin looked at her strangely.

"But…I thought that's why you moved."

"You mean, from Kansas?" Haley said incredulously. "You thought I left to go live with him?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "Maybe that's why we stopped talking."

"You know why we weren't friends anymore," she said, shifting uncomfortably. "Because of him. Because of what happened."

"I don't want to think about it," he said roughly.

"Well, it's too late for that," she shot back. "I'm not disappearing anytime soon, so you're going to have to face it sooner or later."

"What? Like you do?" Bradin retorted sarcastically. She turned over her arm, and the jagged scar flashed at him. He paled considerably.

"I'd do anything to forget it. But this doesn't really let me," she said, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. A matching scar on the under part of his arm appeared. "I don't see how you can forget."

"I just don't think about it"

"Coward," she muttered. Now he was angry.

"What'd you call me? What's it to you? At least you got away!" Bradin yelled at her. "He still stuck around for a few months. And I had to face him…without you."

"Bradin," she tried to speak, but he stopped her.

"Just don't say anything."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"It doesn't change what happened."

"Yes, it does. If you hadn't come...." Haley said, swallowing hard.

"What was he going to do to you?" Bradin found himself asking. "Why were you alone with him in the first place?"

"He asked me to help him set up a science experiment that afternoon. But when I arrived, that wasn't what he wanted."

"Was he going to…you know," Bradin swallowed hard.

"I don't know. It never got that far. But, it makes sense, doesn't it?" she answered slowly. "I just remember being scared. Really scared. We were sitting at his desk, and then I wanted to go get a drink, but he asked me to stay. We worked for a couple more hours, until I wanted to call my mom to let her know I'd be late. That's when I found out he locked the door. Then he…." Haley looked stricken and paused. "Why were you there, anyways?"

"Basketball practice. My mom was late picking me up. He always said that we could come hang out if he was there after school."

"You shouldn't have come."

"I'm glad I did."

"I would have been okay," she said.

"Oh really?" Bradin said in surprise. "He had a knife, Haley. Exactly what were you going to do?"

"I don't know. Something. I'm just sorry you got hurt," she admitted. "It's my fault that you got hurt." Bradin gently took her hand in his. She blinked in surprise, but didn't pull away.

"It wasn't your fault. He did this."

"I wish it had never happened."

"So do I," he admitted.

"Why did you have to come?"

"I couldn't let him hurt you," Bradin said. "He could have killed you." She smiled weakly.

"I thought he was going to beat you to death."

"He could have if you hadn't of hit him with the buret," his voice trailed off.

"How did you explain it to your parents?"

"I told them I'd tripped and fallen down the stairs."

"And they believed you?" she asked incredulously. "The black eye, the large cut, all the bruises?"

"Well, what did you tell your mom?"

"I'd broken a beaker and cut my arm," Haley said. Bradin lightly traced the jagged scar that trailed down her arm. "She believed me."

"I could've killed him myself for what he was going to do," he said angrily.

"There's nothing we can do about it now," she said. "Who would people believe anyways? A nice, respected teacher or two kids who've made their shares of mistakes."

"We got into a lot of trouble back then," Bradin laughed. "I can't think of any time I got in trouble that you weren't there with me."

"Times were different then."

"But what happened to us? To you? We were best friends. And then you left."

"I'm sorry, Bradin. I had no choice," she looked away and sniffed almost inaudibly.

"And I had to face him without you. For the next three years, he held it over me. I wanted to tell someone so many times, but you're right. No one would have believed us." Bradin sighed. "Why did you leave? Was it because of him? That wasn't the real reason, was it?"

"No, it wasn't."

"But you left like the next week. Just like that. No good-bye, no nothing."

"Bradin, I'm sorry. My grandma got sick. And my mom wanted to be near her. She'd been applying for jobs in Seattle for weeks." Haley tried to explain.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Mom thought it would be best to not try to hold onto the past," she said sheepishly. "I didn't know what else to do. Please don't be mad." She sniffed louder, a few tears fell onto the page.

"Don't cry. Please," he pleaded. "What's wrong?" He squeezed her hand gently. She turned away, and he caught a glimpse of her arm. Haley tried to pull her arm away, but was unsuccessful. "What are these?" he asked, staring at the scars on her arm. Comprehension dawned on his face. "Haley…."

"It's nothing," she said dismissively.

"What are these from?" Bradin examined the various needle marks that covered the crook of her arms.

"No, I'm just a frequent blood donor."

"It looks like they practice darts on your arm," he said.

"Sometimes they miss," she said, finally pulling away from him. "Don't look so worried." Bradin looked at her with a cautious expression on his face.

"You're sure that's all?" She sighed heavily.

"Yes."

"Okay," he answered. "I'm sorry, I just overreacted. For all I knew, you could be doing drugs or something like that."

"That's not likely," she laughed, her tears gone.

"Didn't think so." Bradin said. "But I don't really know you anymore."

"Do you think we could…maybe try to be friends again?" she asked hesitantly. "Start over?"

"I think that…would be a good idea."

"Well then," she said. "I'm Haley."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Bradin." He burst out laughing and she joined in. "I can't believe I just did that."

"That's one of the things I liked about you," Haley admitted. "We could always just be ourselves. I could be a complete idiot, but you didn't care. I guess maybe things have changed too much." She folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them.

"Maybe it's not too late for a second chance," Bradin said; he smoothed her hair back from her face. She smiled tiredly, an unreadable expression crossing her face.

"Maybe not."

Well, I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading:)