A/N:

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Thank you to: STEPHOTH123 (you're an amazing and loyal reader, don't know what I would do without you!)

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Chapter 11

Haley POV

"So…," I said after a half hour of silence of us both sitting on the wall. Why neither one of us made a move to get up and leave, I had no idea. "Any reason you're spending your day sitting on a wall?"

Alyssa continued staring ahead and took her time replying.

"I cut school after lunch and can't go home because Dad's there packing and if he found out I skipped school he would kill me. I'm not living there right now anyway, and I left my keys to Brooke's place in my locker," she said in a monotone voice.

"Oh. Where's your Dad going?" I asked, curious but also not knowing what else I could say. The word 'Dad' sounded completely foreign on my lips, and I couldn't mentally connect this 'Dad' who would get mad at his daughter for skipping school to 'Nathan' who was the king of skipping himself.

"Basketball game in Charlotte," she responded. "Any particular reason you're spending your day sitting on a wall?"

Even though we had struck up an exchange of questions, not quite a conversation yet, neither one us turned to face each other.

"I guess you could say I'm cutting too," I said. "And there isn't many places that would be welcome to have me right now.

"Don't you like your job?" she asked.

"Of course I do," I said quickly, and it wasn't a lie. I was living my dream after all, it was the whole reason I left Tree Hill.

"Then why'd you leave?" she asked and I could sense the curiosity in her voice.

"I don't know. I guess I just felt lost or something," I just said, defining it for the first time.

"I can actually relate to that," she said.

I wanted to press further but didn't know if she would appreciate it or not.

"So why'd you leave anyway?" she asked, opening her bag and taking out a calculus textbook and notebook, to give her something to do but also appear casual. I wondered how long she was waiting to ask me that one, not that I blamed her at all, I just wasn't ready for it.

"Um well I …"I stuttered, trying to figure out how to phrase it. She didn't push me though, and didn't act like she was waiting. She just adjusted her leg so she was now sitting sideways and balanced her textbook on the wall and began writing down answers in her notebook.

"I guess I just had you really young. I was seventeen when I was pregnant and I had all these dreams and plans and then when we went to college I just felt out of place and suddenly it all just hit me that I was never going to get to do the things I'd always had in my mind as a possibility. It wasn't that I was going to do it, and my pregnancy got in the way, I mean I was planning to go to college and be a teacher but even then the possibility that it could happen one day was always there, but now with a baby and responsibility I knew it would never happen and that freaked me out. I just wasn't a mother and I needed to get out of there."

"Right," she responded casually. Was that all she was going to say?

"Alyssa, you do know if I had stayed it wouldn't have been good for you," I said, and for the first time since I'd arrived she looked up at me and bit her lip.

"Pink and Mariah Carey both have kids whist having a career," she said, and I gulped.

"With Nathan it was always go on tour or be in my family," I said, voicing some of my thoughts.

"It was?" she said, her voice sounding odd, but I didn't know her well enough to know what it meant.

"It—" I started but before I could say anything Alyssa spoke.

"Do you know anything about Calculus?" she said, saying the last thing I expected her to say in the middle of the topic we were currently discussing. I pretty much gathered she didn't want to talk about it anymore and I was slightly relieved because I wasn't sure I knew what else to say.

"Sure," I said. "I used to love it in school."

"Nobody likes math," she said looking at me sceptically.

"Believe it or not, I actually did," I said. "I used to tutor people."

"Oh I get it! You were a nerd!" she said grinning.

"I was not a nerd!" I defended myself, but I was smiling.

"I'm not judging," she said.

"I wasn't a nerd!"

She looked at me with her eyebrow raised, something I could never do myself and she got from Nathan. Back when we first got married I remember one night I spent hours trying to raise one eyebrow without raising the other, whilst Nathan laughed at my attempts and drove me mad by showing me he could do it himself.

"Ok, fine, I was a nerd," I admitted, and she smiled. "I guess school and music had always been my thing. Do you like Calc?"

"Math sucks," she said looking at me like I had just asked her a ridiculous question.

"What about music?" I asked.

"Love listening to it, but can't sing to save my life. Writings my thing." she said, and I was slightly taken aback. Not because she claimed not to have any musical talent but because in my head I had always pictured her being either a mini me or a mini Nathan, but I was just realising now she didn't have to be either of us. She was her own person.

"Like Lucas," I said. "He started writing in high school too you know."

"I still find that strange?" she said.

"What?"

"That you know things about people in my life," she said.

"To tell you the truth it kind of freaks me out too that you know these people just as well as I once did," I said honestly.

"True say," she said.

"So writing's your thing huh?" I said intrigued.

"Well it would be if I was actually any good at it," she said, and I sensed there was more behind that statement.

"What do you mean?"

"You got lucky. You love music, and you have the talent for it. I love writing, but I just don't seem to have the knack for it," she said.

"I'm sure it can't be th—"

"What the hell is going on?!"

Xx xxx xxx xxxx

Brooke POV

"Clothes over Bros," I answered, balancing the phone on my shoulder while I struggled to the back room with an armful of hangers.

"Hey skank, what's wrong with your cell?"

"Sorry it's in my drawer," I said dropping the hangers on the floor resulting in a loud crash.

"What was that?" Rachel asked.

"That was the sound of an extremely long day," I said exhaling and heading back to my office, motioning to Millie where I was going.

"What's wrong?" she immediately said, sounding serious.

"Nothing," I said.

"Come on Davis, this is me you're talking to," she said, and I knew I wouldn't be able to convince her I was ok.

"There is just a lot going on at the moment," I said.

"You know I'm not just going to let you leave it," she said.

"Well Haley came back and then—" I started.

"Are you out of your mind! Haley is back and you're waiting until now to tell me?!" Rachel yelled down the phone.

"It's been a little craz—" I tried.

"Brooke Penelope Davis! Tell me everything now!" she demanded.

"Well Haley came back to ask Nathan for a divorce, then Lyssa found out about Haley," I said.

"Shit. Is she ok?" Rachel said.

"No. She says she is, but I know she's not. She's mad at me and Nathan for not telling her," I said sighing.

"Oh honey," she said.

"And you know, I feel guilty getting all upset over it because really what does any of this have to do with me?"

"What are you talking about?" she said.

"I mean Nathan has a right to get upset, his wife is back and his daughter is upset. For me, it's just one of my old friends coming into town and my friend's daughter going through stuff," I said.

"You are talking complete crap you know," she said. "You aren't just a random friend that pops in and out of their lives Brooke, you have just as much of a right to be upset about Haley being back as Nathan does!"

"Yeah but—"

"Brooke, you three are more like a real family than actual real families out there! You have every right to be just as upset over all of this as they are, don't feel guilty about that!" she said.

"Thanks Rach," I said leaving my office and going back to the front of the store, which was now empty apart from Millie and Leslie who were folding clothes.

"I can't believe Peyton didn't already try and convince you of that," Rachel said.

"Yeah well I haven't seen much of her," I said.

"Why not?"

"It turns out Lucas was sending Haley pictures and updates of Lyssa over the years and Peyton defended him," I said.

"What is with you and withholding the story!" Rachel yelled again.

"Sorry! But every time I start to talk, you cut me off!"

"Fine! Speak now, I'm listening," she said.

"We found out and said some stuff to Luke, and Peyton flipped out at me. I haven't spoken to her since."

"What a bitch!" Rachel said.

"Rachel!"

"Sorry, but she is! You can say whatever the hell you like to Lucas, he's was your boyfriend first!" she said.

"I knew you never let go of that!" I said. Even though Rachel and Peyton were civil toward one another, they weren't exactly best friends. Rachel had always been a little icy toward Peyton, still on Team Brooke from my fight with Peyton in senior year. Even when me and Peyton were friends again she never could understand why I forgave her so easily. "And Rach, we're not in high school anymore! Lucas in her husband."

"Of course I never let go of that! Someone who goes out of your boyfriend for the second time I might add, is not your best friend!"

"Rachel that was a million years ago, I'm over it!"

"Whatever," she said. "But anyway you do not know Lucas because you know Peyton, you know him because he's your friend too so you can say whatever you want to him."

While she was talking I was leaning on the counter staring onto the street, which was practically empty until two people caught my eye.

"Rach, I got to go," I said quickly.

"Wait! We're in the middle of a conversat—"

"Call you later Rach," I said hanging up.

"Millie, watch the store," I yelled running into the street, my destination in mind.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Xx xxx xxxx x

Haley POV

Me and Alyssa both jumped at the sound of the voice which was much louder than our own.

I looked up to see Brooke standing in front of us, hands on hips, looking extremely vexed. She looked like a completely different person with shorter hair and in 'work' clothes but I could still feel that Brooke Davis fire from where I was standing.

"Brooke!" Alyssa said, jumping off the wall.

Brooke immediately pushed Alyssa behind her, as if to protect her, which annoyed me a little. It wasn't like I was going to physically hurt her.

"Lyss, why don't you go talk to Millie for a while," Brooke said to Alyssa, her words not sounding like a question.

Alyssa nodded and gave me a little wave before crossing the road and going into a store called Clothes over Bros, which took me back to Brooke's clothing line in high school and I wasn't surprised at all she had made her dream a reality.

"Are you out of your mind or are you just completely stupid," Brooke said, noting sugar coating her words at all.

"Come on Brooke, I just saw her sitting her and we talked. That was it."

"You made your choice Haley, you can't just waltz back here like we were sitting around waiting for you to come home!"

"I wasn't trying to do anything Brooke, we were just talking!" I said trying to defend myself.

"She's just a kid! You can't go playing with her emotions like that!"

"I wasn't 'playing with her emotions'," I said.

"You know for once in your life Haley, be a grown up and make the responsible decision. You're going to 'innocently' talk to your daughter, then you're going to leave, leaving her hurt and leave another person heartbroken in your path of destruction," she said icily. Nobody had ever talked to me like that before.

In that moment I realised she was right. What the hell was I thinking?

Xx xxx xxx xxx

Lucas POV

I heard the front door close and immediately jumped out of my chair and walked out my office.

"Daddy!" Sawyer screamed happily, running toward me with her arms outstretched. I picked her up and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey Princess, how was your day?" I asked her, walking through the hallway to find Peyton.

"It was fun! I got a sticker in my book today for good work," she said happily.

"Good job honey," I said and she started squirming to be put down. I placed her on the floor and she disappeared into the play room whilst I headed outside. Peyton was unbuckling a sleeping Jimmy from his car seat and I rushed forward.

"Here, let me," I said, opening the door wider.

"I got it," Peyton said, speaking to me for the first time since yesterday, the only other form of communication we'd had was when she left the pile of blankets and a pillow outside our closed bedroom door telling me where I wouldn't be sleeping that night. Peyton picked up Jimmy, who readjusted in his sleep and wrapped his arms around her neck.

I closed the car door behind her and followed her upstairs.

"Come on Peyton, talk to me," I said, not liking the silent treatment.

"What do you expect me to say? Lucas you lied to me!"

"I'm sorry! Haley didn't want me to tell eve—"

"Frankly I couldn't care less what 'Haley' wanted! Screw Haley, I'm your wife! You don't keep secrets from me!" she whisper yelled, not to wake Jimmy who she had just put in his bed and stormed out. I followed behind her, gently closing Jimmy's door.

Peyton leaned over the banister on her way over to our bedroom to check on Sawyer who was happily watching television and as soon as I walked into the room I found her glaring at me.

"I'm sorry Peyton, I am! I don't know what else to say," I said, honestly feeling guilty. In hindsight, I could admit that lying to Peyton probably wasn't the best idea, but at the time, I didn't think it would hurt anyone since Haley had no intention of coming back, and would probably just make things worse. By keeping the secret I could be there for my brother and my best friend.

"Lucas! For sixteen years you didn't say anything! Through all of those conversations we'd had about Haley, you didn't think it would be a good idea to saying something?"

I sensed it was a hypothetical question so didn't answer but she looked at me expectedly like she was waiting.

"I—" I started but she interrupted me anyway.

"You lied to your brother, who is now by the way not too happy with you, and I don't blame him, lied to me, and lied to your friends, and not to mention made me have a fight with my best friend!"

"I didn't ask you to yell at Brooke," I said, "You agree with what she was saying anyway."

"Of course I agree with her! But unlike you I have loyalty and will be on your side regardless!" Peyton yelled.

"I am so sorry," I said sitting down on the bed putting my head in my hands. At the mention of Nathan I felt even worse. In the last sixteen years, a day hadn't gone by without me speaking to him a couple of times, even if it was just a text or email here or there, but I have never seen him this angry before, even when we were kids and hated each other. I tried to call him this morning but he sent my call to voice mail.

"So you've said," Peyton replied, passing me my pillow and blanket which I had brought up this morning, to take back downstairs with me.

Xx xxx xxx xxx x

Brooke POV

"Lyssa?" I said walking into the shop. Millie pointed to the back whilst serving a customer and I headed around the corner. Alyssa was sitting in my swivel chair swinging from side to side and looked up as I walked in.

"What was that?" she asked, referring to the episode outside.

"Look, you should just stay away from her ok," I said.

"Why should I? she's my mother isn't she?" Lyssa said, and I could sense the attitude coming one, and I didn't want to be on this side of it.

"Lyss, look, sometimes things aren't as simple as you think—"

"No, what I think is you and Dad are being completely selfish and trying to keep me away from her!" she yelled. "If it wasn't for him I could know her right now!"

"Why would your Dad purposely keep you away from your Mom Ally? It makes no sense," I said getting slightly irritated, not with her but with the situation. I know it wasn't her fault because she didn't know everything but hearing someone criticise Nathan when all he had done was work damn hard to look after his little girl made me mad. He went through a lot, and nobody would choose to be in that situation 'on purpose'.

"I know about the ultimatum Brooke, you can cut the crap!" she yelled. I closed the office door to make sure the customers didn't hear us.

"I know you're upset right now Alyssa, but that doesn't mean you can suddenly talk to me like that," I said sternly.

"I know. I'm sorry," she said rubbing her head.

"Now explain to me rationally what you are talking about. What ultimatum?"

"The one Dad gave Haley. Either stay her with us and be my Mom or go on tour."

"Where did you hear that!?" I said enraged at the ridiculousness of that actually happening. In fact it was the complete opposite. Multiple times after she left Nathan tried to call her and leave her messages about seeing Ally but she never called him back. About two months later he gave up trying.

"Haley told me," she said.

"Ok. First off don't believe anything Haley James tells you," I said. "Secondly don't ever think your Dad would do something like that! Haley left on her own accord and blew everyone her off to go be a pop star. I don't want to put it like this honey, but being a Mom? That was the last thing on her mind."

"So Dad didn't make her stay away?" she said looking wary.

"Of course not!" I said.

"Then why did Haley tell me he did?" she said looking upset. "And why won't anyone just tell me the truth!"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," I said more to myself.

Xx xxx xxxx xxxx

Alex POV

"Come on Sweetheart, the next half is about to start," Mom said, checking the time on her watch.

"I'm coming," I sighed, pushing a straw into my extra-large coke, which would hopefully keep me busy until we got to leave. "And it's a quarter not a half."

"Right," she said. "You know what I mean."

She walked toward the gym and I followed in the slowest pace I could, not wanting to spend any more of my time sitting there watching my so called 'brother' and his team lose. The only entertaining part of this whole night was watching Coach Scott pace, and look panicked, glancing over at a camera crew every so often.

"Isn't this fun? Getting to spend time together while we support Austin," she said as we sat down on the bench.

"Sure," I said, humouring her, but she didn't pick up on my sarcasm.

"The next two weeks will be great while you're with us. Alan's working next week, so I was thinking you, me and Austin could do a few things? You know go on a few day trips," she said taking a sip of her coffee.

Oh god. Kill me now.

"If you boys wanted to call some of your friends around for the evening, that would be nice too," she said, and I didn't reply, not bothering to tell her we didn't have the same friends or run in the same circles.

I wasn't planning to go to the game anyway, planning to spend the night in my room, but when Alan couldn't go because of work, Mom forced me to go with her instead, not understanding why I wasn't excited to go support my brother. No matter how hard she tried over the years, forcing us together was never going to make us 'brothers', and she was just too oblivious to realise that.

I took a long sip of my cold drink and looked out onto the gym. A few of the Ravens, including Austin were passing the ball to one another, whilst the rest of the team were either taking a drink, or sitting on the bench. Coach Scott was staring up at the scoreboard.

"I'll be back in a minute," I said to Mom, who just smiled and nodded encouragingly whilst I got up looking for my next form of entertainment.

I made my way down to the floor and walked past the Ravens and sat down next to Coach Scott.

He looked left to see who was there, but I didn't acknowledge him. Instead I took a long noisy slurp through my straw.

"Great game huh?" I said.

"Alex, I'm really not in the mood right now," he said, his foot unconsciously tapping.

"What are the camera's for?" I asked, looking to the side where a small camera crew was based, cameras pointing toward the Ravens.

"Documentary for basketball to go on TV .If we lose any more points I'm pretty job my job will come into question," he said sounding stressed, which I why I think he gave me the last piece of information.

"Wow. Can't wait to TiVo that one," I said snorting and Coach Scott glared at me. "So we're down forty points. Think we can make it sixty by the end of the game?"

"Alex!" he said in his 'teacher voice'. I wonder if his teacher voice was the same as his parent voice.

"fine," I said.

"You don't have to come to next lesson if you join the team now," Coach Scott said and I snorted.

"Doesn't make a difference to me, I would have skipped anyway."

"I won't give you detention for a month," he said.

"Nope," I said popping the 'P'.

"The next quarter starts in five minutes Alex, I don't have time for this, just tell me what you want," he said.

I stared at him wondering how far he was willing to go. Right now he looked pretty desperate.

"I'll join the team now," I said and instant relief filled his face.

"Great!" he said getting a spare uniform out of the bag.

"If you do me a favour," I said.

"What's the favour?" he said looking wary.

"Dunno, haven't thought of it yet, but you'd owe me a favour," I said smiling.

"No way. I am not about to be blackmailed by a student into doing something ridiculous," he said.

"Fine, then forget it," I said turning around to leave.

"Wait!" he called, and I turned to face him.

"Nothing illegal!" he said looking like he hated himself in that second.

"Nothing illegal," I agreed.

"Nothing that will put my job on the line," he said.

"Fine. Do we have a deal?"

Coach Scott looked at the scoreboard one more time, then at the bleachers where Principal Turner was talking to the camera crew.

"Deal," he said holding out the uniform, which I took with a smile, and I heard him mutter something about 'what he'd let himself in for' under his breath.

"You have got to be kidding!"

I looked up at the same time as Coach Scott to see Austin walking toward us looking livid, seeing the exchange of the Ravens uniform. "He is not joining the team!"

"Sure I am," I said, seeing another positive of joining—I get to piss off Austin.

"Coach Scott!" Austin whined.

"Alex's is joining the team," Coach Scott confirmed to Austin.

"That's not fair! There are people on the team sitting on the bench," Austin said, but I knew he could care less about some of them. It was more about the fact that I'd be intruding on his turf.

"Austin, we need Alex otherwise this game is going to go worse than it already is, and if the two of you can't work together, you can sit the rest of the game out," Coach Scott said. I was sure he was bluffing. There was no way he would take out Austin from the game, but he knew as well as I did that Austin wouldn't want to be taken out either.

"Fine," he huffed, but giving me a dirty look which I could care less about.

xxXXXxx xxxxXX XXX

So Haley and Ally had their first chat, Brooke yelled at Haley, and Ally misunderstood everything Haley said! And not to mention we get to see Rachel. I love Rachel and couldn't wait to bring her in. I always thought she was the only true friend Brooke ever had, and didn't like how they just wrote her off like that in the show once Brooke forgave Peyton.

Also review numbers have dropped. Bear with me guys, and comment! Please!