Hey guys, so this story used to be entitled Finding You Again. I started it back in 2007 and recently found motivation to continue it, however I really need to change the plot line/direction it was heading in so I can continue. I was in such a different place all those years ago than I am now. I recieved alot of great feedback from the original version so I didn't want to give up on it, I just needed to give it a few updates.

I hope you all will give it a chance! Please R/R. Your feedback means everything!

Intro: Nathan, Haley and Lucas have been best friends since the early days of childhood. Nathan and Haley began to drift apart during highschool due to his increasing popularity and eventually become starngers. With some help from Lucas, can they find their way back to eachother? Peyton went to highschool with the 3, but Brooke is introduced during college. Taylor is Haleys sister and she is married to Clay. Lydia and Jimmy are Haley and Taylors parents, and Dan is Jimmys brother. Karen and Andy are Nathan and Lucas' parents. I think everything else will be explained. Please be aware that some of the themes are dark.

I own nothing!

Haley knocked on the wooden door, swallowing hard when she heard his voice echo through from the other side.

"Come in"

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, not bothering to close it behind her.

Nathan was seated at his desk, his focus on the computer screen in front of him. She could see the tension sink into his shoulders when he realized it was her, and she sighed.

"What do you want?"

"I guess I deserved that" Haley sat on the edge of his bed, his back still facing her. An awkward silence settled through the room and after a few minutes Haley felt as if she would suffocate if something didn't break it.

"I'm sorry"

Nathan sighed frustrated and logged off the computer. He spun around in his chair, his eyes connecting with a nervous looking Haley. "I don't understand why you freaked out. You're the one always telling me to go after my dreams and not to let anything stand in the way. And the one time I do you bite my head off and tell me I'm not good enough" He paused, running a hand through his black hair anxiously. "I mean really, does that make any sense to you? I'm always there for you and the one time I need you to tell me I'm doing the right thing, this is how you act"

Haley sat still, her eyes downcast not being able to meet his gaze. The guilt was starting to settle in overdrive, and the knots in her stomach were making it unbearable.

"Look Haley, I'm tired so if you're not going to say anything could you just leave so ..." Nathan started but was cut off.

"I'm sorry about what I said okay?!" She exclaimed, jumping up off the bed and pacing around the room. "I didn't mean any of it" Haley shook her head, and took a deep breath before stepping closer to Nathan. "I'm so proud of you. You're finally going to let everyone see how talented you are, and I couldn't be happier for you. I know you're going to be great."

Nathan smiled slightly at her words. "Then what's going on?"

"I'm scared" She admitted quietly. She was standing in front of him now, their knees touching as he was still seated in his desk chair. "I'm scared that basketball will bring you into this whole new world, and there won't be room for me in it"

"Hales..."

"Just let me say this, please?" She asked and Nathan nodded signaling for her to continue.

"You know how most of the guys on the team act, and I just don't want you to change into that. You mean everything to me Nate, and I'm just scared of losing you" Haley shook her head and laughed slightly. "God I'm like the most selfish person ever, huh?"

Nathan stood and reached his hand out, gently wiping away the tears that were making their way down her cheeks. "Haley you know how much I love basketball right?"

She nodded.

"Well it doesn't come anywhere close to how much I love you. Basketball is just a game, and me joining the team won't change that fact. I'm playing because I miss being on the same team as Lucas. When he started playing for the team, that didn't change your friendship with him. You guys are still as close as ever. And it will be the same for us. You will always be in my life Haley, no matter what, nothing will ever change that. You're my best friend, you'll always come first" Nathan finished with a smile and laughed when Haley threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Promise it will always be me and you?"

"I promise" He whispered as he returned the hug and left a light kiss on her temple.

And he had kept his promise, for awhile at least.

End of flashback

'You only get out of this what you put in Haley' The older woman spoke softly but there was a sternness in her voice. 'We can sit here and talk about the weather for an hour. We can sit in silence. Or you can let go of whatever is holding you back and let me help you'

'What do you want me to say?' Haley sighed, running a hand through her long brown hair. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be anywhere.

'Say whatever you think will help you' She coaxed.

Haley watched as the other woman scrawled on her notepad. Probably writing how uncooperative she was. How she was incapable of help. How she didn't want help. It wasn't that she didn't want to feel better. She did. On most days. But other days .. well the other days are what got her here in the first place.

Haley opened her mouth to speak but then hesitated. This was stupid.

'Just start at the beginning, Haley'

Haley rolled her eyes. The beginning was the last place she wanted to go. Wasn't describing the night Nathan promised it would always be the two of them enough of an indication of how painful the beginning actually was? It only got worse from there. Haley sighed again, this was pointless. She wanted to just get up and leave nobody was forcing her to stay. She looked from the older woman to the door and back again. Just leave, Haley. The thought was so persistent, she swore she was saying it aloud. Haley took a deep breath and let the words tumble out before she could stop herself.

The rest of freshman year was like nothing had changed. The only thing that was different was instead of spending Thursday nights at the movies I spent those watching Nathans games. He looked so happy on the court with Lucas, and I was happy for him. He was living his dream, and it was amazing to see it all unfold. That summer was supposed to be filled with days of lazing around the beach and just hanging out with one another. And then my parents were taking Lucas and Nathan with us to California to visit my older sister Taylor while she had some time off from college. That was the plan anyway, but they both had gotten accepted to this really prestigious basketball camp called High Flyers. So they went to their camp, and I went with my parents to California.

Seeing Taylor again was really great, despite the age difference between us we still remained close. As good as it was to see her though I still missed Lucas and Nathan. Especially Nathan. When I got back to Tree Hill, I waited anxiously for them to come home. They were due back the week before school started, and I made sure I was the first one to see them after they arrived from the airport. When they walked through the door, they both looked like they could be Calvin Kline models or something. They each had bulked up a lot over the summer; I guess 8 weeks of nonstop practice has that effect. Along with Nathans new found muscles, he also adapted a new attitude. It seems that at High Flyers, people treated him more or less as a god. He was the only freshman ever admitted, after all. Instead of leaving his new status behind, he brought it home with him. Suddenly there were girls pawning over him all the time, and guys wanting to be his best friend. Lucas had always been used to all the attention, but his popularity sky rocketed as well. Suddenly they were the new it boys. The Hot Scotts.

I guess that's when things started to change.

After school started back up with Nathan and I in our sophomore year, and Lucas in his junior year, things only changed more. My friendship with Nathan became strained to say the least. Suddenly he had new obligations then his best friend. I guess I couldn't really blame him. If I was getting invited to all the weekend parties, and asked to sit with the so called cool people at lunch, I wouldn't let someone stand in the way of that. I mean I really would, but he didn't share that perspective. A few months into the year, he started dating Rachel Gatina. She was head cheerleader, and one of the most popular girls in school. I would have been happy for him, except to say that the girl hated me was the understatement of the decade. Her opinion of me couldn't have interested me any less, but somehow it began rubbing off onto Nathan. Whenever we would see each other he would be on me about trying out for cheerleading or joining a sports team. He said he just wanted me to experience new things, make more friends. But I knew he was staring to become embarrassed of me. After all, how could a Hot Scott be best friends with plain old Haley James? I told him that I wasn't going to change who I was just because he didn't like my social status. Somehow it escalated into a fight about Rachel and how we never hang out anymore; I told him his choice was simple. Me or her. The next day he didn't show up by my locker, or wait for me after class. The day after that he walked passed me in the hall like I wasn't even there. And by the end of sophomore year, we were like complete strangers. Needless to say, he chose her. I shouldn't have given him an ultimatum, I didn't even really mean to. The words just came out. But when I realized that he chose her, I was too hurt to take them back.

I had lost my best friend, and it was Lucas who helped me to deal with that fact. Unlike Nathan who got lost in the stereotypes of high school, Lucas stayed true to himself. Sure, he indulged in his popularity every so often, but he never left my side. My junior year came and went and Nathan and I didn't utter a single syllable to one another. If it wasn't for Lucas I honestly don't know where I would be right now. He helped me in so many ways; I don't think I could ever repay him. We became inseparable up until the day he left for college. He got accepted to UCLA on a basketball scholarship, and was majoring in literature. I was happy for him, he deserved the world and it seemed as if he was getting it. When he left, I was scared that it was happening all over again. That I was once again losing a best friend, but Lucas promised he would call and come visit every chance he got. And this Scott kept his promise. It was ironic in a way, I felt closer to Lucas who was in a whole different state, than I did to Nathan who was just down the block. That summer went by pretty fast; I visited Taylor who had just finished up college and was moving in her with her fiancé Clay. The two had been high school sweethearts and stayed together though all four years of college without a single break up, everybody knew to expect wedding invitations so when he proposed, it was no big surprise. I was happy for her; she was living out her fairy tale life.

When I returned to Tree Hill, I was left to face my senior year alone. Don't get the wrong idea about me, it's not like I didn't have any friends. I did. I just didn't have the connection with them that made everything seem okay no matter what. The kind of connection I had developed with Lucas, and once had with Nathan. Speaking of Nathan, he and Rachel had been dating on and off ever since sophomore year. From what I heard through the gossip mill was that they hooked up, broke up, dated other people, and then hooked up again. It seemed to always come back to them being together in the end though. As for basketball, he was at the top of his game. He had scouts looking at him from every state and colleges' making him offers to play for them. The way he was going, he would follow in Lucas' footsteps of getting a basketball scholarship. It's not like I particularly cared about this information but I didn't live under a rock. Everywhere I went in school it seemed somebody was talking about him. Not to mention that I was still extremely close with Karen and Andy, so the topic was bound to come up. Even if I wouldn't admit it aloud, I was happy his dreams were coming true. His life seemed to be perfect at any given moment.

Mine on the other hand was starting to fall apart. My parents were fighting more than normal which made the 3 floor estate feel smaller than a studio apartment. They fought about every possible thing, from their failing marriage to what Mom had cooked for dinner. I started to dread going home and having to deal with all their yelling, so I picked up every extra shift at the café that I possibly could; which wasn't hard because it helped Karen out a lot with the holiday rush. I figured that it was just a typical period that people went through when they were married for so long. I mean they were bound to start fighting sometime right? I thought if I just gave them their space, it would pass. But it didn't. I came home one night after a double shift at the café to find a note taped to the counter.

I love you, Haley

Those were the four words scribbled across the small piece of stationary paper. Four simple words and they changed my life forever. It's weird how something so incredibly small can have such a drastic impact. I found my father in his study later that night; he was sitting at his desk with a glass of wine in hand. I could see her wedding ring resting on the cherry wood and when our eyes connected, and I saw the raw pain reflecting through them; I knew she wasn't coming back.

My emotions were a mess after that night. I hated her for leaving, but at the same time I just wanted her to come home so I could hug her one more time. I was either crying or breaking things. And just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse it did. Dads' brother Dan had been coming by the house more than ever. Him and Mom never got along so now that she was no longer around, he had an open invitation. He owned a car dealership outside of town and never got tired of flaunting his money. He never married or had kids, he had no interest in the domestic side of life. Dan was all about making money and hanging out with girls half his age. Mom never respected his lifestyle and Taylor and I never became close with him because of it. Dad would defend him, mostly out of brotherhood, but in the months after Mom left, they became best friends again. I hated how he would look at me when he was over. His eyes were always roaming over my body like I was one of the girls from his bars. It made me feel violated. Dad began spending a lot of time around the women in Dan's life and accompanying him to the parties he would go to. Almost like he was making up for lost time. He started drinking more and more. He went from having a glass of wine in the afternoon, to a glass of scotch while he worked in his office, to drinking the whole bottle before dinner. Then as soon as Dan would come over, they would just open another bottle. I know he started doing drugs, too. He would be blackout drunk at times and moments later be talking a mile a minute. I guess it was his way of dealing with the fact that his wife of 27 years had just left him. He was drinking through the pain. It was mildly reasonable at first. I thought that once he came to terms with it, he would go back to normal and I would get my Dad back, and Dan would disappear back to whatever hole he crawled out of. Because honestly I needed Dad then more than ever. But he didn't. The drinking got to the point where he was barely able to function anymore. I tried to talk to him about it, tried to explain how I needed him, how I couldn't keep it together on my own. Instead of listening though he did something that I never in my life thought he would.

He hit me.

The next day he apologized profusely and swore he never would again. He promised things would get better, but then again promises don't mean anything when you're too drunk to see straight and it's still before noon. Or too high to know what you're actually doing. This proved to be true, because the next night he didn't like the dinner I prepared and hit me again. By this time it was Christmas and Lucas was home one break. When he came over I told him about my Mom leaving last week. He was so confused. How had this happened? He asked why I didn't call and tell him sooner, and I just said it was because I was trying to figure things out on my own. I told him how Dan had been staying at the house a lot now. How him and Dad would drink and do whatever drugs Dan was supplying. Lucas hated this fact. He knew that we were never close with Dan. He knew the reasons. I tried so desperately to cover the evidence across my body with makeup, but I was never able to truly hide anything from Lucas. When he asked how I got the bruise under my eye I thought about saying how I bumped into a cabinet, but something compelled me to tell him the truth. And I did. As soon as the words left my mouth he went ballistic, yelling how I had to turn him into the police and how I couldn't stay here. I couldn't do that though, and I knew I had to start making up excuses. I managed to calm Lucas down and went through a story of how it only happened once and it was because he was drunk and having a hard time dealing with my Mom. I felt guilty about lying to him but I had no choice. If the police got involved they would take him away and I would be completely alone. I couldn't let that happen. And I couldn't let Lucas get hurt trying to protect me. Lucas made me swear to him that if my Dad ever hit me again that I would call him and then the police. I promised. After that he held me, he let me cry on his shoulder and vent about how I felt like I was losing control of my life. He told me that he would always be there for me no matter what, and I believed him.

Christmas came and the Scotts celebrated together. Both Karen and Lucas invited me to join, but I politely declined. I couldn't face Nathan. So I stayed home with the Christmas tree that for the first time didn't hold presents under it, while my Dad and Dan celebrated doing God knows what elsewhere. Lucas left a few days after, citing he had to get back to practice. He made me promise once again that I would call him if I needed anything, and once again I did. Taylor and Clay came down right after New Years to visit. They had spent the holidays with Clay's family and in that moment I was so envious of my sister. She was gaining a new family while her old one completely fell apart. When I first told her about Mom leaving over the phone she offered to come home that same day, but I told her there was no need. I told her that we were handling things here and we would see her when she originally planned to come. I didn't want her dropping everything in her life for us. My dad didn't deserve it, and I didn't need it.

Clay was even sweeter then I remembered and I was excited that in a few months I would officially be able to call him my brother in law. The week that they stayed with us was nice. Jimmy and Dan made their guest appearances but they were out for the most part. When Taylor would try talk to him about what was going on, Jimmy would just mumble a response and take another sip of his drink. He never stayed long enough to finish a conversation. I knew Taylor was concerned, I knew she understood things were much worse than I had let on. But I assured her I was okay and that Jimmy would get through this slump. Jimmy still hit me most nights, trapped in a fog of liquor and probable cocaine. I refused to call him Dad anymore, because this man who drinks constantly and hits his youngest daughter isn't my father. I broke my promise by not calling Lucas, but I didn't feel guilty about it anymore because I knew the moment he found out he would fly out here to be with me, to protect me. And I didn't want him putting school and basketball on hold because of me. It wasn't fair to him and I would never ask that of him. So each night when we spoke on the phone and he said "So things are still okay at home?" I simply agreed. The first time I had to go to the hospital was a particularly hard night. I hated how bad things had become, hated even more that I was beginning to lose hope. I didn't see a way of coming back from this anymore. I had 3 fractured ribs. I recited a story of how I had fallen down the last few steps to the nurse. It was the truth, I just left out the part of being pushed for not walking fast enough. It was so strange how things could change. We weren't always a perfect family, very far from it. Taylor was closer with Jimmy than I was growing up. But even then she could see his temper, which was part of the reason she chose to go out of state for school. Still, how was he rationalizing that I was somehow to blame for Lydia leaving? If anything, it was him. Mom became Lydia now as well because somewhere along the lines I started blaming her for Jimmy's behavior. Neither of them were acting as parents anymore, neither of them wanted the title.

As the year progressed I found a new friend in Peyton Sawyer. She was a cheerleader which is probably why we never really talked before. We had the same Trig class 3rd semester and she asked if I could help her out on some of the problems. I agreed and soon after that we found that we had a lot in common. My first assumption of her being just another brainless blonde cheerleader was entirely wrong. She was amazingly talented at drawing and held a deep passion for music. We became close and I found that I liked having a female friend. I was so used to only hanging out with Nathan and Lucas, it was nice to be able to talk about shopping and what boys we thought were cute. Even though Peyton might not know it, she got me through some of my hardest days.

College letters began arriving and when I got my acceptance letter to UCLA on a full academic scholarship I couldn't have been happier. I called Lucas within the next second and told him the good news, he said he always knew that I would get in. UCLA was really the only school I wanted to get into. I would be with Lucas and it would give me a chance to move to the same state as my sister and Clay. Not to mention that Peyton had also gotten accepted, it was the perfect school. Peyton and I were supposed to go out that night and celebrate, but she had gotten a phone call from her Dad. He worked overseas on a fishing boat and they never really got a chance to talk much, so of course I understood when she took a rain check on celebrating. It didn't alter my mood one bit though, I was the happiest I think I've ever been. In a few short months I would be starting at one of the best colleges in the country with Peyton and my best friend at my side. And needless to say getting out of Tree Hill and away from Jimmy and Dan was a cause for celebration all on its own. Nothing could ruin my happiness. School was officially over and I was valedictorian. Graduation was only a few days away and Lucas was coming down to watch it. Taylor and Clay were even coming. I was never so anxious before.

And then it happened.

Jimmy had come home drunk as usual, with Dan in tow. But something was different this time. He was angry, not only at me, but with Dan too. They had spent awhile arguing downstairs, their voices echoing through the house. I don't know what the problem was, but they kept referring to some girl from a bar they had been at previously. I remember thinking how pathetic they sounded, arguing about a girl who was probably more interested in the drugs and money than the two of them. The door slammed and I thought they both had left. I walked to the top of the staircase to see if anybody was still there, but Dan was already on his way up. I tried to shut my door again but he moved so fast. He came into my room and was yelling about how I was going to leave Jimmy now, just like my mother. That we were the reason for Jimmy's troubles. So ironic considering the trouble started when he showed up. I tried to run out but I couldn't, he blocked my way each time. I was never so sacred before. The look in his eyes it was so dark, menacing. He was almost unrecognizable. He was mumbling something about being able to get any girl that he wanted, that he was the one with the power. Nothing he said made sense. He pushed me and I fell backwards onto the bed, I expected him to turn and stumble away but instead he came closer. I tried to scream but his hand came down to cover my mouth. The next thing I knew he was on top of me and my arms were pinned above my head. The next few minutes after that were all a blur. I remember when he was finished he just walked away, like nothing had happened. I remember putting my clothes back on and running out of the house as fast as I could. I remember seeing Jimmy passed out on the couch as I made my way towards the door. Unreal to think he came back in the middle and just went to sleep. I thought about waking him up, but was scared that would somehow make it worse. I had no idea what was happening anymore. I just knew I needed to get out of that house. Somehow I ended up on the Scotts doorstep and without hesitation I knocked, knowing Karen and Andy weren't coming back from Charlotte until the following night.

The door opened and Nathan stood on the other side. "I really need you, Nate" I remember choking out those words as the sobs racked my body. He just looked at me for a moment, like I was a ghost. I probably looked like one. He stepped towards me and I thought he was going to hug me, gather me in his arms like he had done countless times before and be there for me like he was when we first started high school. Instead he gently pushed the hair out of my face before leaving a soft kiss on my head and whispering "Lucas is here" in my ear. With those words he walked passed me and got into his car, disappearing down the driveway and into the darkened road. Before I could even figure out what had just happened, Lucas had me in his arms. He came out of nowhere. I could hear this awful screaming and it took me a moment to realize it was coming from me. Lucas looked terrified, he begged me to tell him what was happening. I couldn't get the words out though, I was sobbing uncontrollably and felt like I couldn't breathe. I kept grasping at his shirt, desperate to hold onto him tighter. Like if I didn't hold on for dear life, he would disappear. Lucas held me against him and we both sunk to the floor. I remember him telling me to 'Breathe Hales, just breathe'. But I couldn't, I felt like I was suffocating. Like I was drowning on dry land. I couldn't catch my breath no matter how many times I tried to slow down my heart rate. I crawled away from him towards the front door, literally on my hands and knees, and reached up to pull the door open. I needed air. It had started raining by that point and I just laid there, in a fetal position, gasping for air and getting soaked by the rain. And Lucas laid right alongside me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and pulled me against his chest. It soothed me enough that I was no longer choking on my own tears. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but he never rushed me. When I finally stood up fully, he matched my stance and stayed in front of me. I knew my appearance was disheveled, but I didn't see the blood matted down legs until the same moment he did. He moved my arms away from my chest and could see my shirt was torn. I couldn't make eye contact with him, I kept watching the blood trickle from my thighs down the length of my legs. He moved my chin to face him and when our eyes finally connected, he was the one to choke back tears. I didn't have to utter the words of what happened, I could tell he knew. He wouldn't make me say it aloud. Lucas pulled me closer to him again, he just kept whispering that it was going to be okay because he would protect me now. And he did. He saved my life that night. Had Nathan walked away without Lucas being there, I don't know what would have happened. But I do know that the way I was feeling, I was on track for not waking up the next day. It scared me how okay I was with that thought. There's only so much loneliness a person can take. Lucas begged me to call the police or go to the hospital but I refused. I didn't want anybody to know, I didn't want to talk about it. Lucas knew when to stop insisting, he always knew my limits. For a moment I thought he was going to make the call himself, but he didn't. Instead he sat on the bathroom floor while I showered. And when I collapsed into the bathtub, my knees drawn to my chest as the sobs racked my body again, he cried with me. I stayed with him that night, neither of us slept at all, but we lay intertwined in his bed and that was comforting enough. I felt so defeated, so broken. But with Lucas there, at least I recognize some concept of hope.

The next day Lucas brought me to the house. I didn't want to go inside at first, but he held my hand and promised it would be quick. He helped me pack all my stuff up into two piles. One of what I would be taking with me to California and one of what I would be putting into storage. We loaded all of the boxes into Nathans Ford Explorer, which he had borrowed. I was hoping to be out of the house before Jimmy, or worse, Dan, came home, but we weren't. I remember that as soon as he walked in the door, half drunk, Lucas lunged at him. He just kept punching him and calling him a bastard. He screamed over and over again 'Where is Dan? Huh?'. Jimmy never answered but each time Lucas said his name I felt like I was going to be sick. After a minute Jimmy began to hold his own and started throwing punches back at Lucas. I remember running up to them and trying to pull them apart, but just getting shoved aside in the process. I was screaming at them to stop and when they finally broke apart I grabbed Lucas' hand and tried to pull him out of the house; pleading with him to just let it go. As we were stepping through the doorway I gave Jimmy one last look. He had cuts all over his face and his hand was placed over his ribs. I hated him with every cell in my body. I hated him for making Lydia leave. I hated him for hurting me. I hated him for making me lie to Lucas. I hated him for bringing Dan into our home. I hated him for not protecting me. I think I hated him more than I ever once loved him. He stared at me and when he opened his mouth as if to say something, I walked out. I moved in with Peyton that night, telling her I had a falling out with Jimmy. She was more than welcoming.

Lucas didn't want to leave, he didn't want to go back to California with me still in shambles in Tree Hill. I was comforted by the fact that if I asked him to stay, I knew he would. I didn't deserve him. I reminded him it was only 2 weeks until graduation and then I would see him for the ceremony. I promised him that I was okay. I wasn't. But I was determined to heal. Somewhere within those late nights with Lucas, he was able to remind me of how much time I still had to explore this world. I didn't feel so trapped anymore. I knew this was my time to get out of this town, to get of the nightmare that consumed my life the last year. I'll forever be thankful for that reminder. Lucas left and I spent my time with Peyton. We grew closer and even though I never disclosed the details of what was going on, she had a special way of comforting me. She and Lucas had that in common. We planned a trip together for the summer and it gave me something to look forward to when the thoughts started to become too much. It wasn't so much that I was excited about a vacation, I was excited to see how big the world truly was and what else it had to offer.

I along with Peyton, Nathan, Rachel and the rest of the senior class graduated on a Sunday. While I was giving my customary Valedictorian speech, my eyes locked on Lucas and despite everything that I had been though that year, I knew I would be okay now. When the time came for all the graduates to throw their caps up in the air, I stood with Peyton and we laughed uncontrollably because we were so excited. We shared a hug and she whispered in my ear "It's your time, now." She gave me a knowing look and I simply smiled. She was right. As Peyton went to talk with some friends from cheerleading, my eyes found Nathan. He was standing a few feet away and our eyes instantly connected. I didn't realize how much I missed him until that moment. All I wanted to do was run over and hug him, feel his arms wrap around me and for him to kiss my cheek like he used to do. But I knew none of that would happen. I hated him for not being there for me, but I hated the situation even more.

Lucas appeared in front of me and I jumped into his arms. He picked me up and spun us around, our laughter filling the air. When I looked back to the spot where Nathan had been, he was gone. Taylor and Clay came up to us and they each gave me a hug. When my sister inquired about where our father was I shrugged and rattled off some excuse about him working or being hungover. I never did tell Taylor the extent of how bad things were, or anything that went on with Dan. In a way I thought I was protecting her. Another part of me simply recognized it as I was too weak to do so. Like if I continued to speak about it, it would somehow become real. Karen and Andy made their way over next and they too gave me a hug. They congratulated me on being valedictorian and went on to say how happy they were I would be attending the same college as Lucas.

He along with Karen, Andy, Taylor and Clay all wore smiles of pride on their faces. As did I. I was proud of myself. I was proud that I had enough strength to get through this nightmare of a year. It gave me the confidence that I needed to believe in myself more. Things were still broken, I was still damaged. But I knew these adventures that I was about to embark on would help. I knew that if I could get through it all while being in Tree Hill, I could only manage even better outside of it. High School ended but my story hasn't. Next week I'm off to Italy for the summer with Peyton. After that it's UCLA where I'll major in literature with Lucas while Peyton studies art. As for Nathan? He has gotten a full ride for basketball to Duke, UNC, and UCLA. It's undecided which school he'll attend. I wish him the best of luck in life. At the end of the week I'm leaving Tree Hill along with everything in it behind. I'm going to start over in a new place, with new people. It's time to make new memories, time to let everything go that once held me back.

'Thank you for sharing that, Haley' The woman spoke, studying Haley's behavior as she folded her hands on top of her notepad.

Thank you? Haley waited, expecting her to say more. The tense silence stretched between them and the white walls of the office began to feel like they were closing in.

'This was a waste of time' Haley retorted, getting up and heading towards the door.

The woman stood. 'Haley, please. There is only so much we can do in one session. I strongly urge you to reach out to a colleague of mine once you get to California' She scribbled a name and phone number on the pad and ripped off the paper, extending it towards Haley. 'Know that I think you're one of the strongest young women I have ever spoken to during my years here. You're courage to push forward is inspiring'. Her voice was softer now and she took a step closer. 'But please, those thoughts will come back. I strongly recommend that you continue the sessions once you set up in California. I believe it will help' She stated honestly.

Haley sighed, wiping away a stray tear that was falling down her cheek. 'I'll think about it' She grabbed the paper from the older woman's hand and folded it in half before shoving it into the back of her jeans. Without another word she turned on her heel and walked away, listening to the heavy door close behind her.

It was time to move on.

What do you guys think? Please R/R x0Laura