Secret No. 24: There is nothing a little girl talk can't fix.

"Where is she?" Brooke muttered as she checked her watch. She'd called Peyton twenty minutes ago.

"I'm sure she's on her way," Haley replied. She could tell that Brooke was anxious. Haley hadn't been all that surprised when she returned to her room to find Brooke there. Lucas had told her that her sister was worried about her. Haley knew it wouldn't be long before Brooke approached her wanting some answers.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Brooke practically sprinted to it before Haley could even stand up.

"Peyton. Finally!" Brooke exclaimed. "What took you so long?"

"There was a lot of traffic. Sorry," Peyton apologized with a shrug as she walked into the room. "So, what's this all about?"

"Why don't you have a seat first?" Haley suggested.

Peyton sat down at the end of the bed and faced her sister. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Probably not—but not in the way that you think," Haley added.

"Haley's finally going to tell us where she and Luke went," Brooke declared.

"Um, no offense, but couldn't she have just told us over the phone?" Peyton inquired.

Haley shook her head. "No. You see, where Lucas and I went also has to do with what happened between Nathan and me last year."

Peyton's eyes widened. "Oh…"

"Wait, what?" Brooke asked, surprised. She hadn't known that there was a connection between the two. This is bigger than I thought.

"I'm just…um…I'm just going to come right out with it. After graduation, Nathan proposed."

"Proposed what?" Brooke questioned, confused.

Peyton's eyes, however, became as big as saucers when the realization dawned on her. "He asked you to marry him?"

"What?!" Brooke screeched. "Not uh!"

Haley nodded her head. "Yeah, he did."

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "What did you say?!"

"Obviously no," Peyton interrupted.

"Right," Brooke stated while shaking her head. "Sorry. I'm just a little shocked at the moment."

"So was I when it happened," Haley replied. She then proceeded to tell her sisters everything. She explained in detail the proposal, the summer afterward, her final conversation with Nathan that August, about the letters and Stanford, and her trip to Charleston with Lucas. When she was finally finished, both Peyton and Brooke stared at her dumbfounded.

"I had no idea," Brooke muttered.

"I'm so sorry, Haley," Peyton said while taking her hand and squeezing it. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't sure how you guys or everyone else was going to react. Besides, it was something very personal between Nathan and me. I didn't really want it spreading around that he'd proposed and I'd rejected him. I kind of just felt like it was something I had to handle on my own."

"Aw, Tutor Girl, you can tell us anything," Brooke reassured her. She then wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders. "No matter what."

"Yeah," Peyton agreed. "We're always here for you."

"Thanks you, guys," Haley replied gratefully. She had to admit that she did miss the comfort that her sisters so often provided her.

"So, um, just out of curiosity…" Brooke began, "If your fear of being screwed over by someone like dad wasn't an issue, would you have said yes to Nathan?"

"Brooke!" Peyton scolded.

"What?"

"Don't be so insensitive."

"I'm just being honest. He did screw us over when he left us—"

"But you don't have to say it like that."

"Well—"

"You guys, it's okay," Haley interrupted. "And to answer your question, Tigger, I would've said yes. A part of me always wanted to say yes."

"Wow," Brooke commented. "You're that sure of Nathan."

Haley nodded. "He's the one. It's just scary taking that extra big step, you know?"

"I can't even imagine it," Brooke said. "I mean, I love Lucas. But marriage that early…I don't know if I'd be ready."

"I honestly don't know what I'd have done," Peyton added. "But if you know that Nathan's the one, you can't let him go."

"I know," Haley replied. "It's the whole reason why I came back."

"Have the two of you talked since your big fight last week?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah," she answered. "I actually visited him earlier today."

"How did that go?" Peyton questioned.

"We didn't really talk everything out. I just gave him the letters and song that I wrote," Haley informed them.

"Well, that explains why you freaked out when we touched that box," Peyton concluded with a teasing smile.

"Sorry about that," Haley apologized. "I guess I was a little embarrassed."

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, I think that it's sweet," Brooke declared.

Haley nodded. "I decided to let him have the letters because they were so personal. I'm hoping he'll want to take another chance with me. As much as I've loved being close to him these last few weeks, I just can't continue having everything so up in the air. I want more."

"You mean that whole friends with benefits thing the two of you had going on?" Brooke questioned.

Haley frowned suspiciously. "Have you been talking to Lucas?"

Brooke shrugged casually. "Maybe."

"Remind me to kill him later."

"I don't mean to put a damper on things, but…um…what happens if he doesn't want to get back together?" Peyton asked tentatively. "What will you do then?"

"I guess I'll have no choice but to let him go—as much as I can anyway. It'll break my heart, but at least I'll know that I tried," Haley stated. She could feel the tears welling up but held them back. "I'm trying not to think about that right now, though."

"Good. You should try and stay positive," Brooke encouraged. Her sister had been through enough pain already. She wanted Haley to hold onto whatever hope she had. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Whether things work out or not, we're here," Peyton proclaimed as she went to sit next to Haley on her other side. Haley welcomed her sisters' embrace.

"Thank you."

"I was wondering. Are Lucas and us the only ones you've told?" Brooke questioned. "Because I know that Mom has been worried about you, too—"

"I already talked to her yesterday on the phone," Haley said. Actually, she'd mostly cried. Her mom, too, when she found out why her daughter was hurting. "She was actually the one who gave me the extra strength I needed to go see Nathan today."

Haley had really taken her mother's words to heart. Lydia didn't want Haley running from things in life to avoid her past. She wanted Haley to live and allow her own experiences to guide her. She'd also pointed out that Jimmy's leaving her hadn't been completely terrible. If it hadn't been for him, she would've never found Larry—who'd also become a soul mate to her. She loved him and couldn't be happier about having another child. Life always had a way of working itself out.

"You gotta love Mom and her pep talks," Brooke said with a smile.

"Yeah," Haley agreed.

"So, little sis, what are you going to do now while you wait for Prince Charming's answer?" Peyton asked.

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. Go to class, do homework, try to prevent myself from strangling Carrie—"

"If I don't get to her first," Brooke interrupted. She hadn't told Haley or Peyton about their confrontation, but Brooke was far from done with that skank.

"Yeah, I heard about her," Peyton added. "If you plan on kicking her ass anytime soon, let me know about it. We can make it a family function."

"Play nice you guys," Haley warned but smiled anyway.

"Well, how about we get out of here before she comes back?" Brooke suggested. "I'd like for us all to talk some more. We can go out to lunch together—my treat."

Peyton and Haley smiled before declaring simultaneously, "Lead the way, Brookie."

"Lookin' good." Brooke turned to the right to see Chase standing next to her.

"Excuse me?"

"Your designs," Chase stated as he took a seat next to her. Brooke was in the library working on some more of her sketches. Ever since their lunch yesterday—in which Peyton had explained to her and Haley about Jake leaving school—Peyton had been in a weird mood. That's why Brooke decided to leave their room. She wanted to give Peyton some space.

"Oh. For a minute I thought that you meant me," Brooke laughed.

"Well, I'd tell you that you look good, too, but I really rather not get my ass kicked by Lucas," he teased.

Brooke smiled. "Eh, Broody wouldn't mind."

"Broody?" he chuckled.

"It's just a nickname I have for him."

Chase shrugged. "To each his own."

"Whatever, Skater Boy."

"I'm never telling you any of my childhood dreams again," Chase declared while shaking his head. Brooke smiled cheekily at him before returning her attention to her designs.

"So, is that for Rogue Vogue?" he asked.

Brooke nodded. "Yup. It's one of them. I decided to add it to the line I'm going to showcase."

"Have you started making any of the clothes yet?"

"I've got about four and a half dresses done," she answered.

"Just out of curiosity, how do you have a half of a dress?" Chase questioned, laughing.

"Don't ask," Brooke replied while rolling her eyes.

"And how many pieces are in the line total?"

"Twenty."

"Whoa," he mumbled.

"I know. That's why I'm doing as much as I can now and during winter break."

"Ah, winter break. I can't wait. Three more weeks and we're free," Chase declared.

Brooke nodded in agreement. "I know. Although, we'll have to survive finals first."

"Crap," Chase muttered. "You just took away my happy vibe."

Brooke shrugged. "Sorry. I'm sure you'll get it back later."

"I don't think so. You've ruined me, James."

"Believe it or not, that's not the first time a man has said that to me," Brooke announced with a smirk.

Chase rolled his eyes. "It's nice to know that a gorgeous girl like you doesn't let it go to her head."

"I know, right?" Brooke joked back. A smile then formed on her face at his compliment.

"So, anyway, have you signed up for classes next semester yet?" Chase questioned.

"Yup. My schedule is all planned out. What about you?"

"I just finished fifteen minutes ago."

"Do you have it with you?"

"Yeah," Chase said before rifling through his backpack. He pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to her.

Brooke read over the list of classes and pouted. "We don't have any together."

"Too bad."

"I know," Brooke agreed. She was really disappointed. She'd become really good friends with Chase.

"But hey, that's no reason why we can't still see each other. We could still get together next semester."

"Yeah, definitely. Then we can complain about all of the annoying people in our boring classes," she explained.

"Exactly," Chase stated, laughing. "So, are you almost done with that sketch?"

"Why?"

"I landed some free movie tickets. You interested?"

"To what movie?"

"Anything we want to see."

"Really?" Brooke questioned, interested. "So, if we, hypothetically, wanted to go see that new romantic comedy that just came out, that would be alright. Right?"

Chase smiled knowingly. "I guess."

"Good enough for me," Brooke proclaimed. She needed to get out of this library anyway. After awhile, the silence usually started to get to her. "Let's go, Skater Boy."

"Ow, damn it!" Peyton exclaimed as she stubbed her toe on the foot of her bed. She'd just gotten out of the shower a minute ago when she heard her cell phone ringing on her nightstand. Peyton had been in such a hurry to get it that she wasn't looking where she was going.

"Hello?" she finally answered in an irritated voice.

"Peyton, honey, it's Mom," Lydia stated.

"Oh, hey, Mom," Peyton replied as she readjusted her towel. She sat down on her bed and rubbed her sore toe.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just hurt my foot trying to get to the phone," she explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. If it's not a good time then—"

"No, it's fine. What's up?" she asked.

"Well, there was something that I needed to discuss with you," Lydia said.

Peyton frowned. Whenever her mother got that serious tone, it was never good. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if you were still planning on booking bands for the big New Year's Eve concert at Tric."

"Yeah, of course. We do it every year," Peyton pointed out. She still remembered when she'd organized the first show. It was their first year living in Tree Hill when Tric was just starting to get popular.

"I know that, but I was wondering if you wanted to maybe skip it this time," Lydia suggested. "I know that you have a lot going on, and I don't want you getting even more stressed out." Peyton instantly knew that her mother was referring to the situation with Jake and Jenny.

"Actually, I was looking forward to booking the bands and planning the concert," Peyton replied. When she wasn't with Jake and Jenny, Peyton liked to keep herself busy. It was when she was alone that her fears for them started to surface and eat away at her.

"Oh, really?" her mother questioned. "Are you sure? Because there's no pressure to—"

"Mom, I'm positive," Peyton reassured her. "We should still have the concert." Besides her artwork, music was the other way that Peyton dealt with the hardships in her life. Not only would the planning of the show keep her busy, but the music aspect of it would help to relax her a bit more.

"Okay, then. As long as you're sure," Lydia conceded. "And while we're on the topic of this, I sort of had another idea to run by you."

"What is it?"

"I think I might have a way to help Jake and Jenny." Peyton's eyes widened in surprise as her mother told her about her idea. A smile then formed on her face. It was perfect.

"When the stars go bluuuuueeee…How was that?" Haley questioned into the microphone.

"Perfect, James. Good work," Chris replied. "You can come out of there now."

Haley took off her head phones and made her way out of the sound booth. "Is that it?" she questioned.

"Yup. The song is officially done," Chris declared. Haley had some free time today, so she agreed to accompany Chris to the recording studio. His song for his music class was due in a couple of days, so they had to finish it.

"Great," Haley said with a smile. "Can you make a copy of it for me, too, when you get a chance?"

"Sure," Chris replied.

"Thanks."

"So, are you going to tell me how it went?" Chris questioned as he started to pack up his things.

"How what went?"

"Don't be coy with me, James. What did Nathan say when he heard your song?"

"I don't know. I just handed it to him and left."

"What?!"

"I wanted him to listen to it by himself, so he can make up his own mind about it."

Chris shook his head, disappointed. "Where's the fun in that?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "You'll live."

"Have you spoken to him since?"

Haley shook her head. "No. But then again, it's only been a day."

"Well, I think that song you came up with was great. Chris Keller told you the lyrics would come as soon as you let your emotions out," Chris stated proudly.

"Okay, I'll admit it. You were right," Haley declared.

"The Keller always is," he beamed. Haley just laughed. She was used to Chris' ego by now. The two continued to talk and joke around as they made their way back to Chris' car and then their dorm. Haley had to admit that she wasn't as annoyed with him as she had previously been. He had his moments. If she didn't know any better, she'd almost wager that they'd sort of become friends.

"You were a cheerleader in high school?" Chris questioned as he pulled up in front of their dorm.

"Yes," Haley answered as they got out of the car and made their way into the building.

"Oh my god," he laughed.

"Why? What's wrong with that?"

"You just don't seem like the type. Besides, I try not to associate with cheerleaders."

"Well, it's a little too late for that," Haley teased.

"Unless there are at least three of them," he added while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, gross!" Haley exclaimed before smacking him in the arm.

"What can I say? Chris Keller's got to have some kind of standards."

"You seriously scare me sometimes," Haley laughed as they walked down their hallway. A moment later, her laughter died down when she noticed a man standing in front of her dorm room door. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Who is that?" Chris questioned.

"I don't know," Haley replied as she approached him. "Can I help you?"

"Wow, you're even prettier in person," the guy stated while looking her up and down.

"Excuse me?" Haley questioned. She and Chris exchanged confused looks.

"I'm Tristan. Here. These are for you," he said while passing her the flowers.

"Um, thanks…but, do I know you?"

"I'm on your page. I just thought I'd stop by and introduce myself. I'm also currently a nine-point-two," Tristan declared. "I was hoping that we could get together sometime."

"What about my page? Are you sure you're not looking for Carrie?" Haley asked. She had absolutely no clue what this guy was talking about. This is weird, she thought.

"I don't know anyone named Carrie. I came for you. But I can tell that this is a little bit of a shock, so I'll leave you alone now. Just e-mail or IM me when you're ready," Tristan stated. "I'll see you around."

"But…" Haley trailed off as the guy walked away.

"What the hell was that about?" Chris mumbled.

Haley shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea."