A/N: Chapter trois (see, my French again). Thank you for all the lovely reviews from last chapter, it is greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: Only chapter three and I have already run out of creative ways to tell everyone that I don't own anything. This is going to be a long story…

What have you been doing lately?
Your life could use improving greatly.
I just wanted to know what's going on, but everything that goes is going wrong.

What Have You Been Doing Lately?—Relient K

"You play basketball?"

Haley sighed. Before she even looked, she knew who the voice belonged to.

"It's a pretty place." She answered, shortly, not wanting to speak to Nathan right now. She managed to avoid him all day at school and now she just wanted a relaxing weekend without thoughts of him. She figured it would be hard to do that if she spoke to him.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed, walking to sit next to her on the bench, "But that's not what I asked. Do you play?"

"No."

"Do you want me to teach you?"

She didn't answer him, just looked at him questioningly.

"I'm going to go now." She finally stated, standing to collect her things.

"No, don't," He grabbed her arm and stopped her movements, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

Haley sat down hesitantly. His voice sounded weak and desperate. Like the boy who was her best friend's voice.

"Are you okay?" She asked carefully, not wanting to push him, which is something she learned not to do a long time ago.

He looked at her sadly and shook his head, then looked ahead of them at the river.

"It is a pretty place."

She smiled with concern and placed her hand on his back, startling them both. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Nathan sighed and continued to look ahead of him before speaking up.

"I know he's pretty infamous around here but you haven't been here that long so you probably don't know about my dad."

Haley didn't respond; she didn't want to lie to him.

"He's an asshole. The only thing that's important in his life is basketball." He pauses and runs a hand over his face, "He's constantly pressuring me and my brother and sometimes it's just too much. I know I shouldn't let him get to me, but he does."

Brother?

When did that happen? But of course, she couldn't ask.

Haley pushed aside her curiosity over the newfound family member and nodded sympathetically at the boy in front of her. Of course, she already knew all of this, but it still hurt her.

He laughed bitterly before turning to her, "I'm sorry. I don't even know why I told you this. I don't tell anyone about my problems. I don't get why I want to open up to you."

Haley's heart was pounding in her chest.

Nathan's heart was pounding in his chest.

Their moment was broken at the ring of his cell phone. She watched Nathan put fake enthusiasm in his voice as he spoke to the person on the other end.

As he pressed the end button on the phone, he looked at the girl beside him who just looked lost. He felt bad for everything he did to her; sleep with her, forget her, humiliate her, open up to her, push her away. He knew he was messing with this girl but he just couldn't bring himself to stop.

"I gotta go." He started, seeming to interrupt her thoughts. "Thank you for listening to me ramble." He mumbled and got up and started to back away, waving awkwardly; both saying goodbye through fake smiles.

Flashback

"Haley, please open the door!" He almost yelled, pounding his fist against the hard wood.

A moment later, an eleven year old Haley appeared at the door, looking equal parts tired and confused.

"What is going on, Nathan? It better be good for two in the morning."

She closed the door after he walked in and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Then was the first time that she saw the tears on his face. She immediately grew concerned and pushed him down onto the couch, gathering him into her arms.

"What's wrong, Nathan?" She asked, almost in tears herself. She couldn't stand it when her best friend was hurt.

"Dan."

Haley understood. Dan was the cause of all of Nathan's problems. That, and his practically MIA mom. She felt bad for Nathan; she was the only person he had.

"What happened?"

"He hit me."

Haley gasped. She's known that Dan was cruel and terrible to Nathan but she never thought that it would have gone this far.

"I don't even know what I did, Haley. I was sleeping in my bed and the next thing I know he's storming in and punching me."

When he began to sob harder, Haley held him tighter.

"And Mom isn't even home and I just didn't know where else to go."

"You can always come here, Nathan."

"I know."

End Flashback

Haley regretted it the second she walked into the small, homey café that Lucas said his mother had used to own.

It appears that Deb Scott has taken over. She was never fond of the woman who seemed to have abandoned her son the first miserable eleven years of his life but that was not her issue right now.

Haley spent more time with Nathan than her own family when they were kids, meaning she was practically Deb's daughter too. She would have to recognize her; mother's tuition or something. Right?

Correct.

"Haley!" She heard Deb say her name in surprise and shock.

Haley offered a weak smile and walked over to the woman who was approaching her with her arms wide open.

Haley reciprocated the hug and sat on a stool at the counter after she pulled back, while Deb made her way back to the other side of the counter.

"I can't believe this. I, I don't know what to say. How've you been Haley? Oh, you look so beautiful; I love the blonde hair."

"Thanks. Everything's been good." She lied, interrupting Deb before she could throw any more questions at her.

"That's great." Deb smiled, "How have your siblings been? Your parents?"

"My parents are okay. How have you been, Mrs. Scott?" She asked, desperate to get the conversation off of her and her family; especially the former question.

"Haley, how many times have I insisted you call me Deb? It's been going good here. I like running this café. And, you know, it gives me more time with Nathan since I don't have to travel anymore." Deb paused while she appeared to be deep in thought.

"Nathan! Have you seen him yet? Oh, Haley, he's going to be thrilled to see you!"

It took every ounce of restraint in Haley not to let out a bitter laugh.

"No, I haven't seen him yet," She lied, "But, in case you were wondering, I'm staying and I just got back and need to unpack and everything, so could you please not tell him that you saw me? I'll find him in a couple of days; I just don't need him interrupting my moving process." Haley rambled, she knew she had to stop, everyone knew that she rambled when she was nervous or lying.

"Yeah, sure. You should hurry up, though, he'll be angry if he finds out that you were here for a while and haven't spoken to him."

"Sure will." Haley smiles and gets up to leave. She's lost her appetite.

She doesn't know why she does it, but she does. Even though she's done a pretty good job of convincing herself that she doesn't care that her best friend doesn't remember her, she really does. It's confusing and sad and it just hurts.

"Has Nathan ever mentioned me? I mean, at all in the past five years. Do you really think he missed me?"

Deb smiles, sympathetically. She can tell that the girl is really unsure of her son's feelings towards her.

"He definitely misses you, Haley."

"He doesn't mention me?" She half asks, since she knows the answer.

"It's not about you," Deb begins, refusing to come out and bluntly answer her question, "It's about his pride. I can tell he's lonely, Haley, and he never was when we were in California. I don't think he opens up to anyone anymore. So I can tell he's missed you."

"But he's never mentioned me." Haley stated, clearly hurt. She doesn't believe that Deb knows what is going on in Nathan's head; she had never known what was best for her son.

"Haley-"

"It's fine. I didn't really expect him to. But does he really not talk to anyone? Is he really alone?"

Deb smiles sadly, "He has friends but none that he speaks to; none that are even as half as close as you two were. I always hoped that he would become good friends with his brother, but I doubt that will ever happen."

"Brother?" Haley asks Deb, since she feels she has a right to now.

"Yeah, his brother. You know, the reason we had to come to Tree Hill." Deb answers, confused at the perplexed girl in front of her.

"You didn't know why we left?"

Haley only shakes her head.

Deb feels bad for Haley; now she understands why she is so insecure about her relationship with her son. She doesn't know what to say to Haley, or what to do to make her feel better. She can tell she is confused and she also looks a little hurt.

"Haley, I think you should talk to Nathan about this. He would want to be the one to explain it to you."

Haley shakes her head 'no' and offers a forced smile in Deb's direction.

"I'll see you around."

+++++++++She Paints Me Blue++++++++++++

She didn't know where she was going once she left the café.

She was going to go to the River Court, seeing as it calmed her down every other time she's been there, but then she remembered that she was never able to be alone there. She didn't want to talk to Lucas about it and she definitely did not want to see Nathan.

Haley was, of course, confused. Yet, she was also hurt. Did Deb say that they left California because of this brother? Why didn't Nathan tell her?

She found herself at Jake's house and knocking on his door before she could even think about doing otherwise.

She calmed down once she saw the yawning baby in Jake's hands.

"Hey, Haley. You want to come in?"

"Please." Haley nodded and smiled, reaching her hands out for the baby as she walked passed her friend. The baby happily complied.

"So what's going on?" He asked as she took a seat in the mahogany rocking chair at the corner of the room and he began gathering Jenny's toys to put into the plastic bin.

"I went to Karen's café; you know, the place Lucas suggested?"

"Yeah, it's a great place."

"I ran into the lady who owns it."

"You met Deb?" He asked, surprised. He's only been to Lucas' new house once before and that was after a few years. He was shocked he already introduced Haley to his family.

"You know her?" She asked, surprised that the lady who owned the café and a boy who occasionally went there for some coffee were on a first name basis.

"Yeah, she's Lucas'," He paused, trying to find the correct label, "half-mom?"

"No, she's Nathan's mom."

"Yeah, hence her being Lucas'… half-mom."

"What?" Haley asked in genuine confusing.

"Nathan and Lucas are half-brothers."

"What?"

"You didn't know that?"

What?

A/N: Yay! It's done! I'm hoping that this chapter was more exciting than the last few. I'm excited for the next chapter also!

I will, again, send you a preview of chapter 4, once I have something to send (I didn't start writing it yet, I'm falling behind).

Thank you for all of the reviews and the love! I really appreciate it!

-Megan AKA ToBecomeAClown