Long time no… write. lol. Sorry guys, I started school this Monday and I haven't been sleeping well (until yesterday night) so it's been taking me twice as long to do my homework and plus… my teachers have decided to bombard us with homework (even the first day I had a few hours of work). Blah… anyway, thank you for those of you who wished my happy birthday :) .

This chapter is also on the short side but the next one won't be short so I hope you forgive me.

Chapter Thirteen

Swing Life Away

Haley looked up at Nathan working at his desk. Why did they have to be in school? Haley frowned. He was so sweet. At least what he said to her in the dream was.

It was confusing that there was suddenly this drama in the dreams. At first they seemed as if they'd just be something nice and sweet, which they were. When she 'met' Chase the first time she didn't think he would be a big deal in the dreams; just someone to give her a taste of her tutoring.

Nathan looked up and smiled at Haley when he saw she was looking at him. She smiled back.

The bell rang. Haley got up and began gathering her things.

"Hi Mr. Scott," Brooke raced through the room and grabbed Haley's hand pulling her towards the door. "Bye Mr. Scott."

"Bye Brooke. Bye Haley," Nathan laughed.

"What?" Haley asked as Brooke continued to pull her, the hall beginning to crowd with students.

"Just wait and keep up." Brooke turned a few hallways and then stopped, peering around a corner. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and checked the time, then she turned to look at another hallway.

"Brooke, can you-"

"Shh," Brooke held up her hand.

A few seconds past and Brooke signaled Haley to come closer to her. She smirked. Haley followed her gaze to three good-looking, confident guys who just turned the hall the girls were looking at. "Narayan Lee, Chris Keller, Damien West," Brooke pointed them out.

Brooke took a salad from the salad bar and took one for Haley as well. "I was sitting in my tech class and this guy, Narayan, asked me if I knew a Haley James. So duh, I said she's one of my best friends of course I know her. So he writes me this on a piece of paper and hands it to me," she held up a note which Haley took and looked over. It was an address. "And he told me to give this to you and to tell you that you can bring any friend you want." Haley looked at her confused. "Yeah, I know," Brooke read her expression. "I was the exact same. So I asked about it and he told me that his friend wants you there."

"What friend?" Haley asked. Who the hell would want her at a party?

Brooke grinned. "Chris Keller. Senior. Popular. King of the school." She made sure she stressed every single word. "I can't believe this! I wish for a senior and you get him. And he's perfect. Did you see them? They're hot, they're like… kings. They rule this school inside and out. It's like- perfect."

Brooke punched in her pin number and waited for Haley to do the same.

"He's got a record deal waiting for him when he's done with high school. His parents won't let him start working on his career yet because they know he's going to be huge so they want him to at least first get a high school diploma. The record label does too, knows that he's going to be big that is, that's why their waiting for him."

Haley handed Brooke the note. "So what's this about tomorrow?"

Brooke's smile doubled in size. "It's a senior party. Can you believe it?!" she nearly shrieked. "And it's an invite for Haley plus friend so… hi friend," Brooke hugged Haley with her free hand. "Did I tell you that you're the coolest person ever and how great of a friend you are? You can borrow all my clothes including all my designer stuff."

Haley remained silent.

"Hales?" Brooke looked hopefully at Haley.

"I don't really want to go, Brooke," she continued walking without looking at the brunette.

"What?" Brooke stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean you don't want to go? It's a senior party!"

"Take Emma," Haley shrugged after she stopped and turned to Brooke.

"Emma? What? Haley! I can't take Emma. What don't you understand about 'Haley plus friend'?"

Haley stood there without saying a word.

"Besides, I don't want to take Emma. Not that I have a choice in the matter. Haley, please, you know how much this means to me." And it did. She wasn't even making a puppy dog face. This was a senior party; it was serious for Brooke, and Haley knew that. Brooke would probably excommunicate Haley from the school or something if she wouldn't go.

"When did you say it was?" Haley sighed.

Brooke smiled again. "It says eight but we should start getting ready around five."

Haley shook her head. "You can start getting ready at five; I'm going to be getting ready at ten to eight."

"No way are you going to just throw something on. You're going to look like any gorgeous and fashionable New-Yorker walking the streets. This is going to be amazing! Who knew that you'd be the one to get us both an invite to a senior party?!" She paused. "You are taking me, right?"

"Who else?" Haley looked down at her lunch. Friday was going to be hell.

After Haley finished her homework, she walked to the café.

Lucas asked her to come by whenever she could during the day. Did he know anything more about the dreams? She really did need to talk to him.

When Haley entered the small café and the bell rang announcing her presence her heart nearly stopped and her smile widened. Instantly her smile faded. She couldn't look excited.

"Mom, this is Haley," Lucas introduced when Karen turned around to look at who had just entered. "Haley, this is my mom Karen." He smiled at Haley knowingly.

Haley took a few steps forward and politely shook Karen's hand, although she wanted, more than anything, to just tightly hug her second mother. "Nice to meet you," she smiled.

"Likewise," Karen returned the smile. "So you're interested in working here?"

Haley nodded. "I would love to."

"Love to?" Karen laughed. "That's some enthusiasm. When could you work?"

"After school, weekends, possibly mornings," Haley offered.

"Which days?"

"Any day really."

"Where'd you pick her up, Luke?" Karen turned to her son and laughed.

When we were in elementary school, Haley explained to herself. I'm from a big family, and I think you guys needed me more. She smiled.

"In the café," Lucas said truthfully.

"Do you want to start Saturday?" she turned back to Haley.

"Yes, Saturday's good," Haley nodded. This was going to be great. It would surely take her mind off of her stupid school life.

"Okay, then kids. I'll see you later and I'll most definitely want to get to know you, Haley."

"Bye," Haley and Lucas replied.

Karen left.

Haley looked after her and finally plumped in-front of Lucas in the stool.

"How have your dreams been? Anything new?"

"Chase Adams," Haley took the salt in her hand and began to play with it.

"Bastard," Lucas gritted between his teeth.

She looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess. But it's fine."

"How is it fine? He wasn't a very nice guy. I mean he went into it a very nice guy and felt like he should mess with Nathan because he was this protector of some sort but, honestly, none of what he was doing was his business. Especially when he told girls-"

"You're too good for him… you deserve better," Haley quoted.

"Damn, these dreams always manage to freak me out." Lucas shook his head. "Way to use exact wording."

Haley smiled.

"Anyway, Nathan hated him more than anyone, obviously. But I still think that beating him up wasn't really that great of an idea."

"Beating him up?" Haley looked at Lucas confused.

"Yeah. You know, what Nathan got suspended for."

Haley continued staring at Lucas blankly.

"He got suspended on school grounds for beating the crap out of Chase. If the principal wouldn't have come to stop Nathan, there would be one more punch before Chase would probably need to be hospitalized. It was pretty rough."

Haley opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"You didn't get to that part in your dreams, I'm guessing. Sorry for spoiling it for you," Lucas smirked treating it as some book Haley hadn't read until the end.

"But he promised me he wasn't going to do anything more," Haley thought of her conversation with Nathan. He sounded pretty definite. They agreed together that Chase didn't matter.

"Then he lied," Lucas simplified the situation for her. "Nathan got suspended for a week. Fighting on school grounds and creating a disturbance. You should've seen the crowd of people that gathered around the fight."

Haley grew frustrated. "But he told me he wasn't going to do anything! What do you mean he lied?" she clutched to the salt shaker, anymore and she would break the glass.

"Sorry?" Lucas offered seeing her anger. "This isn't up to you, Hales."

Haley exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down. "Okay, enough about me." Talking about her stupid dreams is bound to end up in her head exploding or some other medical issue. "How are you and Lindsey doing?"

"Who?" Lucas looked at Haley confused.

"You and Lindsey," Haley repeated herself.

"What Lindsey?" Lucas questioned, with that same lost expression.

"Lindsey Strauss," she answered recalling one of her best friends. Lucas stared at her in silence. "You weren't friends with her?" Haley asked, this time it was her turn to be confused.

"I don't think I know a Lindsey Strauss," Lucas answered cautiously.

Haley put down the salt shaker. "Not even in high school?" Lucas didn't reply. "She was in high school with you. Come on, Luke… she was your best friend."

"Haley, I don't know a Lindsey, I told you."

"But… but she was in your homeroom," Haley recalled.

Lucas shook his head. "The last person in our homeroom roster was Tom Stratton. I remember because he stopped showing up during some random week of school. So since Strauss is after Stratton, she wasn't in my homeroom."

Haley looked at Lucas, distressed. "Then who did you hang out with in high school?"

"My Rivercourt guys mostly: Skills, Fergie, and Junk."

"But not really, you spend most of your time with us. The Rivercourt guys made fun of you for being around us all the time, saying there was something between us and you'd always get mad at them for saying that."

"You must have missed something."

Haley shook her head. "No, I haven't missed a thing. You and Lindsey are my best friends. She moved from Massachusetts in the middle of our Sophomore year. Come on, Luke! Remember."

"Haley, I can't remember a single person from a graduating class of 264 people."

"But she was your friend," Haley almost whispered. She was your best friend.

A/N: I'm really interested to know what some of your theories are about the dreams because some of the things I'm hearing are things I've never thought of before… that'll be very interesting to read. Anyway… please review! (even if you have something negative to say).