AN: Thank you all for the reviews last chapter. I know many of you were probably screaming at your computer by the end. This is definitely one of my more angst-y fics, but I hope you'll hang in there. For those of you who were curious, I'm actually going to grad school for book publishing with a focus in editorial. Why not make a career out of something I love, right?

I've also recently joined Twitter. My handle is at Bindy_417 if you'd like to follow me. Feel free to tweet me with questions about my fics, books you love, or anything writing/editing related. Or if you just want to say hi. Here's the next chapter for you guys.

Chapter 26

It was the middle of the night, and Haley was wide awake. She wished that it was simply Brooke's snoring keeping her up. The girl had the tendency to sleep with her mouth open. Alex wasn't much better. She snorted as much in her sleep as she did when she laughed. It was like a chainsaw and a backfiring car engine going off at once.

Part of her insomnia Haley figured had to do with her leftover high from her performance earlier. It had been so much fun, and she was proud that she'd taken a chance. So many people had congratulated her on a job well done. Chris, of course, was beaming like a proud papa the entire time.

When she had finished, Haley had joined her friends on the bleachers to watch the game. She'd been sandwiched between Brooke and Peyton. They weren't fooled by the smile she gave the crowd. Haley was putting on a brave front, but they were her best friends. They could sense the depth of her pain and how tough the next couple of hours would be. They'd been extra attentive, and Haley was grateful for the support. It was exactly what she'd needed.

Lying in the dark now, the only companion Haley had was her regrets. There was so much she'd wished she'd done differently. She knew that Nathan was right in everything he'd said. They didn't want to keep hurting each other, but that's exactly what they were doing. Neither could keep going on like that. It wasn't fair to either of them.

Maybe someday, when their wounds healed, they could be friends. The idea of cutting Nathan out of her life completely left her feeling hollow inside. It was a long shot, because Nathan pretty much said they needed to let go. They would be on opposite sides of the country soon, leading different lives. But Haley had to at least hope. She wouldn't be able to make it through the day otherwise.

Haley sat up with a sigh and headed to the bathroom for a glass of water. No sooner had she cracked open the door and stepped inside did she hear the crying. It sounded like it was coming from the shower. Frowning, Haley walked over to investigate.

Stacey was huddled in the corner, sobbing into a handful of Kleenex. Haley rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. She hadn't been aware Stacey even had tear ducts. The girl acted like a bitchy ice queen most of the time.

"Are you okay?" Haley tentatively asked.

Stacey looked up, startled. "Go away."

Normally Haley wouldn't have a problem running in the other direction. Stacey had been awful to her, and Haley didn't owe her anything. But something, intuition perhaps, told Haley to stay. She'd cried plenty this summer and knew the difference between a few stray tears and a full-blown sob fest. Whatever was bothering Stacey ran deep.

"Look, I know we're not friends. We're barely even acquaintances," Haley said. "But if you want to talk about it, I'll listen. Either way, I won't tell anyone about this."

Stacey eyed her warily before pressing another tissue to her moist eyes. "Damien broke up with me." At Haley's silence, she sneered, "Yeah, I thought so. You must be loving this."

Haley took a seat on the shower floor opposite her. "No, I'm not. I'm sorry." Oddly enough, Haley meant it.

"I should've known it would happen when he found out. He's such a jerk. All he cares about his himself and his future."

"Found out," Haley repeated. Her mind jumped to one conclusion. "Are you...?"

Stacey frowned before shaking head. "No, I'm not pregnant. It's worse."

What can be worse than that? Haley wondered but decided to let her finish.

"I'm broke," Stacey revealed. "My father's company went belly up. We lost everything."

"Oh," Haley muttered. She would've never guessed by the way Stacey acted. She'd shown up at camp with her mean girl attitude and designer luggage fully intact.

"Why else would I come back to this stupid camp this summer to train to be a dumb counselor? I couldn't work retail in all the places I used to shop. My friends would've seen me, and I would've been humiliated," Stacey cried. "They don't know what happened, because my parents are trying to keep it quiet to save face. I can't even go to Dartmouth like I planned. My college fund is what's keeping a roof over their heads right now. I'm lucky if I can afford to go to NC Community College."

Haley was speechless as Stacey cried over her lost future. She'd had no idea how much she was dealing with. It just proved how you can never truly know what someone else is going through. "Stacey, I'm really sorry," Haley sympathized. "I'm sure you'll figure out something."

"How do you know? You've got a full scholarship to Stanford. Even if you didn't, you could ride Nathan Scott's coattails all the way to the NBA. If I thought I could actually break the two of you up, I would've. But even I know when I'm barking up the wrong tree," Stacey huffed. "Damien is a self-absorbed neanderthal, but he at least has a basketball scholarship. I thought that if I made it work with him, I could get something out of it.

"But nope, he has a thing for you, too. The only reason he put up with me this summer was because he thought I was this spoiled little brat like him. Plus, I was sleeping with him. As soon as he found out the money was gone, he dropped me like a bad habit. It didn't help that he was pissed from his team's loss today. There was no reasoning with him."

"Stacey, it may not seem like it right now but you're better than that."

Stacey blinked in response. "Excuse me?"

Haley was just as surprised by the declaration, but it was the truth. "I'm serious. I know we hate each other, mostly because you're always such a bitch to me, but even I can recognize how strong-willed you are. If you hadn't told me all of this, I never would've known something was bothering you. You don't need Damien or any other guy to dictate your future. You always seem to land on your feet. I have no doubt you'll do it again." She was quick to add, "Although, it couldn't hurt to be a bit nicer to everyone. Mean people suck. No one is going to go out of their way to help someone they think will stab them in the back."

"I'm a bitch. It's who I am," Stacey declared before sighing in defeat. "But you probably have a point."

"I do."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," the blonde lamented, "but I wish I could be more put-together like you. You always seem to have a plan."

"Is that what you think?" Haley scoffed.

"Well, you have been a bit of a cry baby this summer," Stacey acknowledged. "But I suppose I would be, too, if I'd lost Nathan Scott. Hell, I'm over here wasting my tears on Damien. So who am I to talk. At least you know that he loves you. Nathan wouldn't have flipped out on Jake in the mess hall if he didn't still care."

"My life isn't perfect either. Nathan and I...well, we've ended it. For good this time."

"Wow." Stacey looked shocked. She shifted awkwardly before admitting, "I know I gave you a lot of flack, but I thought you guys were the real deal."

"Me, too," Haley said sadly.

"I'll deny it if you tell anyone, by the way."

"I figured you would."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead. It just happened. I'm still trying to absorb it all. That's why I couldn't sleep." Haley laughed softly. "This whole day has been pretty weird actually."

"Yeah." She dabbed at her eyes and cleared her throat. "So, since Nathan is technically on the market again, do you think he and I-"

"If you finish that sentence, I swear I'll kill you," Haley warned. "Or at the very least dye your hair a different color this year."

Stacey grinned to let her know she was joking, but then scowled at the memory. "That was so not funny. It took weeks for all of the green to come out of my hair. My parents thought I'd turned into some rocker chick."

"You deserved it."

"Like I said, I'm a bitch." The blonde shrugged. "Well, Damien's free if you're interested. Have at it if you want."

Haley's face scrunched up in disgust. "Yeah, no thanks."

"Wise choice. The only thing smaller than Damien's brain is his dick. So not worth it."

Haley covered her mouth to hide her laughter. A second later, Stacey had joined in. Nothing about this summer had turned out like Haley planned. If someone had told her she would've ended up in the bathroom having a heart-to-heart with Stacey in the middle of the night, Haley would've thought they were on crack. She must have truly fallen down the rabbit hole.

"Was that too mean?"

"Well, it is Damien. He's got it coming."

"Right. This whole being-nice thing is hard."

"You're a work in progress."

"So, does this mean we're, like, friends now?"

The girls eyed each other for a moment before shaking their heads. "No way." They weren't that delusional. While some things changed, others would always be the same. In a way, it was almost comforting.

The entire camp was bustling with activity. While campers tried to make the most of their last days, the counselors were prepping to bring Camp Aldrich to a close for the season. The sun was bright with the temperature in the high eighties, but there was a definite chill to the air. The end of summer was fast approaching.

"Hey, Nathan, great game," said a guy as he passed.

"Thanks," Nathan replied. It was days later and people were still talking about it. The championship game had been the very definition of competition. A good ole' knock-out, drag-out fight. Some had said it was too close, but Nathan disagreed. The game that could've been lost if a team hadn't come together was the most worthwhile. The most satisfying. He was proud of what they'd accomplished.

"Nate," someone called. It was Grubbs. "Are you going to be around tonight?"

"I don't think I have anything. What's up?"

"I need some help setting up for the concert tomorrow. It requires some heavy lifting."

Nathan wouldn't mind helping but hesitated anyway. "I don't have to be with Keller, do I?"

"No," Grubbs assured him, chuckling. "He's conveniently appointed himself 'talent coordinator.' But we all know it was just to get out of the real work."

"As long as I don't have to deal with him, then I'm good."

"Good. So it'll be you, me, and a few other guys. And as a thank you, I'll teach you how to make a couple of new drinks. I call them panty primers. They'll make you a hit at that fancy school of yours. You'll totally get laid."

"Awesome," Nathan chuckled before checking his watch. He told Grubbs he'd catch up with him later. There was somewhere he needed to be.

When Nathan reached the main dock, he could see that the majority of the boats had been secured. A few CITs were washing them down, so they could be stowed away properly. Nathan spotted Lucas at the end. He and Tim were loading supplies into one of the larger rowboats. Jake sat inside and organized it all, so the weight was equally distributed.

"What's all this?"

"This, baby brother," Lucas began, "is our last chance to go fishing this summer. Just us guys, our poles, and the great, wide lake."

"Is it just me or did that not sound right?" Nathan joked.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Shut up and get in."

"Kat made sandwiches," Tim added and looked around. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I also got my brother to send me a special care package. There's ice cold beers in the cooler."

Nathan was sold. He was dying for a drink after the last few days he'd had. "When do we head out?"

"Now," Lucas said and gestured for him to hop in.

Reluctantly, Nathan took the seat next to Jake. They hadn't really talked since their big fight, aside from a few polite nods and a "what's up?" Nathan knew he needed to man up and take the plunge already. Time was running out.

They each grabbed an oar and established a set rhythm. Occasionally Tim would get out of sync, but there was nothing new about that. Eventually they picked a spot to stop and settle. It was a good distance away from the camp. When they were certain that there weren't any other boats on the water, they popped open the cooler.

"Come to daddy," Tim groaned and took a swig. He sighed happily a second later. "Good stuff. My brother always comes through."

Lucas passed out the fishing poles and bait. As he placed the worm on his hook, Nathan couldn't help but picture Haley squealing in repulsion. She hated bugs and anything that reminded her of snakes. She might have conquered her fear of docks, but he never did manage to get her into a boat. It filled him with sadness that he never would. Someone else would surely come along to challenge and protect her. Nathan cast his line a little harder than necessary at the thought.

The guys talked for a bit about random things. Tim was the first to swear he'd felt a bite. He kept bragging that he'd caught a big one and quickly reeled in his line. "He's a tough sucker. Probably a bass. Definitely the size of a small dog."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Dim," Nathan warned.

"I got it. It's coming!" Tim exclaimed. With one hard yank, the catch was revealed. The huge grin on his face immediately disappeared. "What the hell?"

"Congratulations, Tim," Lucas laughed, "you caught a chunk of weeds and a deflated beach ball."

Tim swore under his breath and chugged some more beer before freeing the crap from his line. It was several minutes before Nathan felt a tug on his own line. Instead of making a big deal like Tim, he gently reeled his line back. When there was another sharp tug, he knew he had something and reeled faster.

"Nate, you have something?" Lucas questioned.

"Yes," Nathan replied just as Jake said, "I do, too."

They both reeled furiously with Lucas and Tim cheering them on. Apparently, Tim wasn't the only one with bad luck. Nathan and Jake huffed when they realized it wasn't a fish but each other's lines they'd caught.

"Shit," Nathan muttered at the messy ball of tangled string.

"I think I can fix it," Jake offered and set to work.

Nathan didn't say anything and chose to grab another beer. His phone vibrated in his pocket. It was crazy how his reception would work in one part of camp but be completely useless in another. It was Grubbs letting him know what time to meet later.

"Almost done," Jake announced as he detangled the last small knot. "And...voila!" He handed Nathan back his hook.

"Wow, you are good at fixing things," he muttered. "No wonder you hooked Haley." An awkward silence followed as Jake stiffened next to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

"Yes, you did."

"Look, guys," Lucas intervened before things could get heated. "This is supposed to be fun. It's been a while since we've hung out like this, and who knows when we'll get the chance again. We don't have that much time together left. So can we please not fight and make the most of it?"

"No," Nathan declared. Now was his chance to try and mend things. "I'm not going to let it go. I have something I've needed to say for a couple days now. Since we're all together and there's no escape, I think it's the perfect time for this." He turned to Jake. "I'm sorry that I punched you. I was being a jealous idiot, and I guess I'm still a little sore about the whole thing. I should've just talked to Haley instead of picking a fight with you."

Jake nodded. "I didn't mean to rile you up, either. What you and Haley do is your business. It was just that I know how much she was hurting. Then I saw Toni approach you like some concerned girlfriend and I thought...well, my mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion like everyone else. Haley's become kind of like a sister to me, and I got protective."

"Look, I did kiss Toni," Nathan admitted. He quickly continued, "But that was after I thought the two of you were hooking up. It was a mistake, and we're nothing more than friends. I swear."

"Does Haley know that?" Lucas asked. "Is that why you and Haley broke up for good?"

"It's one of the reasons. She knows, but she's hurt."

Tim slammed his bottle down on the floor and threw his hands in the air. "I don't get it," he said. "I know I'm not a genius or anything, but even I could see that you and Haley are perfect for each other. I've tried to stay out of it, because I thought you needed to do your thing. But I'm sorry, I don't understand how either of you can just let go without a fight."

"All we've been doing is fighting."

"Maybe so, but it's the wrong damn battle. You're taking the easy way out. The Nathan Scott I know doesn't know how to lose. Not when it's something that he truly wants."

"What I want and what's best for her-for us-are two different things."

"And you think that's your call?" Lucas inquired. He didn't sound angry or defensive; he was honoring his promise not to take sides. "Wasn't that what you were so pissed at her for?"

"I get what you guys are saying but it's complicated." Nathan didn't expect his friends to understand their decision. Sometimes, when the emptiness in his heart got to be too much, Nathan questioned it himself.

Whenever he felt his resolve start to wane, Nathan would imagine Haley singing in front of an applauding crowd. It was so much different than when she cheered for him. Music was her heart and soul, and she wouldn't bare it for just anybody. That had all changed this summer. It was a quiet confidence that had developed over time and taken root. Nathan hated to admit it, but Chris and Jake were the ones who'd challenged her. Haley had thrived without him. In spite of him. Nathan would be damned if he got in the way of that progress.

"Look, I don't want to start arguing with you guys, too. Camp is over in a few days. Let's make the most of it. Once we get back to Tree Hill, it's off to college. This is probably the last time we'll all be together for a while. So are we cool?"

Jake was the first to agree. "Yeah, we're cool, man. As long as I don't get another sucker punch to the jaw. You might want to apologize to Peyton, too. I think she was more pissed about you punching me than I was."

Nathan chuckled. "Deal." He looked to Lucas and Tim.

"I just want you to be happy, Nate Dogg," Tim pouted.

"Thanks, Tim, but I'm going to be fine."

He cracked a smile. "BFFs for life."

Nathan grinned back, deciding not to ruin the moment and tell Tim that the whole "for life" thing was redundant when you're best friends forever.

"I already told you I have your back," Lucas declared. "Besides, I'm going to UNC. It's not that far from Duke. We'll probably be sick of each other before we know it."

"You will be the enemy," Nathan pointed out.

"Go Tar Heels!" Lucas cheered, pumping his fist.

Nathan raised his beer bottle in the air. "To good friends and the future." Lucas, Tim, and Jake raised their own bottles and clanked them together.

"And in the spirit of college," Tim interjected, "the last one to chug his beer has to go skinny dipping."

Nathan smirked, accepting the challenge. "Oh, you're on."

The last composition class of the summer had just ended. While it was nice of Grubbs to surprise everyone with pizza for their last jam session, the band room was a mess. And unluckily for Haley, she got to clean it up. The guys claimed they had to set up for the concert tomorrow, and the campers had conveniently fled. Haley pulled out her phone to text Brooke that she wouldn't be joining them for dinner.

In a way, Haley was relieved. A lot more people had been trying to approach her after her performance. While she was grateful for their compliments, it also made her slightly uncomfortable. She never could get used to being the center of attention, good or bad.

With a sigh of reluctance, she grabbed the trash and made her way around the room. Chris's section was the messiest. Not that Haley was surprised. She would be sure to tease him about it later when they had their final rehearsal. Haley was set to perform several times. She had a couple of songs with both Chris and Jake. Then one of her own. She still hadn't decided which of the original songs she'd written this summer she should perform.

The stakes were much higher this time around. Now that everyone knew what she could do, they wouldn't expect any less. Haley was excited to rise to the challenge. The nerves, of course, were still there. She didn't think she'd ever get rid of those. Then again, that rush of adrenaline did give her an edge.

Once the room was clean, Haley picked up her guitar. She wanted to have some time alone to play. Going through her roster of songs, she thought, might help her make a decision. She'd just finished her second one when she heard the door behind her open.

"Chris, if that's you then you're taking out the garbage. I already had to clean up after your messy butt and I'm not..." Her words instantly dissolved when she saw that it wasn't Chris but Toni standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" she snapped.

"I was hoping we could talk."

"I have nothing to say to you." This was so not what she needed right now. It was bad enough having to face Nathan every day and act like she was okay with their decision. The only reason she hadn't had another meltdown was because Toni had been M.I.A. Nathan might have told her the kiss meant nothing, but it was like an open wound that refused to heal.

Toni took a step forward and folded her arms, standing her ground. "Then please just listen, because you really need to hear this."