Forgiveness and Stuff
"Lucas! Lucas!" Haley yelled, trying to catch up to him. Lucas didn't slow down any. "Come on Luke. I want to talk to you."
"Haley - don't," he said when she caught up to him.
Haley kept her eyes on him, and he carefully kept his gaze straight ahead. "Don't what?" she asked.
"Don't try to justify you betraying me, and more importantly, lying to me."
She bit her lip. "Luke, you don't understand -"
"I understand perfectly," Lucas cut her off, stopping in his tracks. "You lied to me Haley, what's not to understand?"
"It's not all black and white. If you knew the whole story this wouldn't be that big a deal," Haley remarked.
Luke half-laughed, "You're the one who made it a big deal. If it's not a big deal you wouldn't have lied to me." He paused. "You would have told me from the beginning. I thought we were best friends," Lucas said, not bothering to hide how hurt he was.
Haley's eyes burned. It broke her heart to hear the emotion in his voice. She knew him, and she knew what she did hurt him more than he wanted to admit. She walked over to the bench some feet away. Luke followed her. "I did it for you," she said softly, trying hard not to let the tears escape her eyes. One tear and it was all over.
Lucas sighed. He didn't want to hear, but at the same time he did. He wasn't ready to throw away their friendship. "Did what?"
"I'm not friends with Nathan, Lucas. He came to me. He needed a tutor. At first I said no because of you but then being me I felt bad. I shouldn't feel bad after all he's done to you, but I did."
"Haley. Haley - slow down. Take a breath now and then," Lucas told her.
"So I did. But on two conditions; one - he leaves you alone," Haley paused.
"And two?"
Haley closed her eyes. "And two, you never find out."
Lucas looked at her, waiting for more.
"I knew, if you knew I was doing this to get him to lay off you then you would stop me. Or at least try to. You know how stubborn I can be." Lucas laughed a little. "But Luke I know you better than anyone. It's killing you, the stuff he does to you. As much as you don't want to admit that - I can see it. And it hurts me."
Luke ran a hand through his hair, thinking about what Haley had said. Keeping his eyes on the ground he asked, "Why did you stand up for him?"
"Stupidity I suppose," she said. "Maybe I'm just gullible and naïve. He said he'd leave you alone if I tutored him to keep him on the team. I thought with being on the team at stake he'd take me seriously," Haley answered him.
Lucas nodded. "Do you like him?"
"What?" Haley asked. "Like him as in?"
"Any sense of the word."
Haley laughed. "I'm stupid but not that stupid."
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Forgive me?" Haley asked, looking at him.
Lucas turned to look at her. He could see the remorse on her face. "Yea, do me a favor though."
"Anything," Haley jumped in.
"Next time you want to help me, talk to me about it first."
Haley smiled. "Agreed, I swear."
"Then, you are forgiven," Luke said.
Haley threw her arms around Lucas. "I knew you missed me."
"Not as much as you missed me," he smirked.
"Probably not."
Haley stayed there with her arms around him, just enjoying this. She still had her best friend. He didn't hate her. Life was great at the moment. Now she just has to tell Nathan to either get a different tutor or get kicked off the team.
"Lucas! Lucas!" Haley yelled, trying to catch up to him. Lucas didn't slow down any. "Come on Luke. I want to talk to you."
"Haley - don't," he said when she caught up to him.
Haley kept her eyes on him, and he carefully kept his gaze straight ahead. "Don't what?" she asked.
"Don't try to justify you betraying me, and more importantly, lying to me."
She bit her lip. "Luke, you don't understand -"
"I understand perfectly," Lucas cut her off, stopping in his tracks. "You lied to me Haley, what's not to understand?"
"It's not all black and white. If you knew the whole story this wouldn't be that big a deal," Haley remarked.
Luke half-laughed, "You're the one who made it a big deal. If it's not a big deal you wouldn't have lied to me." He paused. "You would have told me from the beginning. I thought we were best friends," Lucas said, not bothering to hide how hurt he was.
Haley's eyes burned. It broke her heart to hear the emotion in his voice. She knew him, and she knew what she did hurt him more than he wanted to admit. She walked over to the bench some feet away. Luke followed her. "I did it for you," she said softly, trying hard not to let the tears escape her eyes. One tear and it was all over.
Lucas sighed. He didn't want to hear, but at the same time he did. He wasn't ready to throw away their friendship. "Did what?"
"I'm not friends with Nathan, Lucas. He came to me. He needed a tutor. At first I said no because of you but then being me I felt bad. I shouldn't feel bad after all he's done to you, but I did."
"Haley. Haley - slow down. Take a breath now and then," Lucas told her.
"So I did. But on two conditions; one - he leaves you alone," Haley paused.
"And two?"
Haley closed her eyes. "And two, you never find out."
Lucas looked at her, waiting for more.
"I knew, if you knew I was doing this to get him to lay off you then you would stop me. Or at least try to. You know how stubborn I can be." Lucas laughed a little. "But Luke I know you better than anyone. It's killing you, the stuff he does to you. As much as you don't want to admit that - I can see it. And it hurts me."
Luke ran a hand through his hair, thinking about what Haley had said. Keeping his eyes on the ground he asked, "Why did you stand up for him?"
"Stupidity I suppose," she said. "Maybe I'm just gullible and naïve. He said he'd leave you alone if I tutored him to keep him on the team. I thought with being on the team at stake he'd take me seriously," Haley answered him.
Lucas nodded. "Do you like him?"
"What?" Haley asked. "Like him as in?"
"Any sense of the word."
Haley laughed. "I'm stupid but not that stupid."
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Forgive me?" Haley asked, looking at him.
Lucas turned to look at her. He could see the remorse on her face. "Yea, do me a favor though."
"Anything," Haley jumped in.
"Next time you want to help me, talk to me about it first."
Haley smiled. "Agreed, I swear."
"Then, you are forgiven," Luke said.
Haley threw her arms around Lucas. "I knew you missed me."
"Not as much as you missed me," he smirked.
"Probably not."
Haley stayed there with her arms around him, just enjoying this. She still had her best friend. He didn't hate her. Life was great at the moment. Now she just has to tell Nathan to either get a different tutor or get kicked off the team.