"I guess I never thought of it like that," Haley commented deep in thought.
"I'm sure Lucas hasn't either. He'd probably hate the thought of it,"
Jake said with a little laugh. "No he probably wouldn't. How do I deal
with seeing him and Peyton together though?" Haley begged for advice. "You
tell him how you feel," Jake replied simply. "I can't do that. He
shouldn't have to choose between me and Peyton. That wouldn't be fair,"
said Haley. "Is that how you really feel or are you just worried he'd
choose Peyton?" Jake asked. Haley was quiet for a minute trying to figure
out if that was subconsciously why she hadn't spoken to Lucas about this
yet. "No. Lucas wouldn't end our friendship for anything or anyone,"
Haley said convinced she was speaking the truth. "I just don't want to be
the cause of his unhappiness." "Maybe Lucas needs to know how you feel
before he can ever really find happiness," Jake suggested. "What's that
supposed to mean?" Haley asked thoroughly confused. "Just that maybe Lucas
doesn't really know what or who he needs in order to be truly happy," Jake
answered as he closed his history book.
"So enough about me, wasn't I suppossed to get something out of spilling my guts. I think I was suppossed to find out what you are hiding from everyone." Haley turned to Jake with an amused look on her face and just laughed at his look of panic. "Fine but you have to go with me to my house. I promise to tell you everything there after all we did have a deal. Haley grabbed her keys and followed Jake out the door.
Meanwhile Lucas had just dropped Peyton off and headed to the courts to shot some hoops to clear his head. Peyton was trying so hard to get him to fall for him it was painfully obvious. But no matter how much Lucas tried he couldn't give his heart to her something was just off. "Damn it, why is everything so screwed up. Why can't I just be happy with Peyton. Or better yet why does my best friend hate me." Lucas slammed the ball down and stared up at the sky searching for answers. Keith had been driving past the courts when he saw Lucas at the courts. "Hey Luke don't you think you should be heading home. Oh and Haley doesn't hate you. She could never hate you. You know that."
"You don't understand Keith. She's barely spoken to me the last couple of weeks. All day she avoided me," Lucas said hoping his uncle could shed some light on the workings of the female mind. "That doesn't sound like Haley at all. Normally when you piss her off she just tells you and gets over it," Keith said wondering what could be going on to make the teenager act so strangely. "I know," Lucas said with a sigh. "At this point I'd love for her to yell at me." "Did you do something to upset her?" Keith asked as he shot the basketball. "I don't think so. Like I said we've barely spoken the last couple of weeks," Lucas answered retrieving the rebound. "Maybe that's the problem. You two used to spend practically every moment together and now that you're playing basketball and hanging out with new people, you hardly ever spend time together any more," Keith responded. "Maybe. But wouldn't she just tell me that? She's told me before when we've gotten busy that we needed to schedule some time to do something together," Lucas reminded him. "But before you weren't busy with other friends. She probably feels left out. She doesn't really fit into that new crowd," Keith said. "Could have fooled me," Lucas mumbled picturing Haley and Jake this afternoon. They seemed comfortable together. Like they'd been friends for a long time. He hated to see Haley like that with someone else.
"Bottom line Luke something is wrong. Either you can continue to sit here and complain or go fix it." Keith took one final shot and headed to the truck. "Luke tomorrow is Saturday and she opens the cafe just talk to her, but get home so you don't worry your mom." Luke grabbed the ball and piled into the truck. Luke still didn't feel like going home so he called his mother to let her know that he would be late. Lucas decided that maybe now was the time to talk to Haley.
He went by her house but she wasn't home. That was odd, she had asked Jake to take her home hours ago. I wonder where she could be?
Jake placed his backpack on the table near the door and turned to look at Haley. "Are you sure you want to know my secret? It's pretty big and I wouldn't want you to feel strange about keeping it from everyone you know." "You can trust me," Haley said genuinely, "but if you don't want to tell me it's ok. I understand." "I trust you," Jake said before motioning for her to follow him further into the house. He approached a closed door and Haley just looked at him curiously. "I'd like you to meet the most important woman in my life," Jake said as he opened the door. "This is my daughter Katie." Haley couldn't hide the shock she felt but she did her best not to make Jake feel awkward. "She's beautiful," Haley said when she finally regained the ability to speak.
"Thank you. Katie's mother left her on my doorstep with just a note. Apparently her mother was to caught up in her own life to worry about her child. But you know she is mine and I love her to death. The only reason I don't want everyone to know is I don't want sympathy, I feel blessed not burdened to have my daughter in my life"
"She is adorable Jake. You have done a great job raising her. I feel silly now comparing my secret to yours. Here I am complaining about some boy and you are a single dad raising a child."
"Haley come on. Your secret just like mine could majorly alter your life if somone finds out. And this isn't just some boy you like. This is your best friend that you are in love with. But I know I promised to drop it for tonight so I will take you home cause it is getting late."
Jake and Haley headed back to her house talking about anything and everything that had been going on at One Tree Hill. Jake pulled up the car to her sidewalk and leaned over and gave her a hug. "Haley it will all work out I promise, if you need to talk call me." "Thanks Jake it helped to talk." After Haley had exited the truck Jake waited for Haley to get inside. Once Jake's truck had pulled off Lucas headed to the front door seething with anger but why is what he couldn't understand.
Haley barely had time to close the door before there was a knock sounding from the other side. Opening the door without glancing to see who it was first was definitely a mistake, Haley realized when she saw an angry Lucas standing in front of her. "Hey," Haley said cautiously not knowing exactly how to handle the situation. "Did you have fun with Jake?" Lucas asked with bitterness clear in his tone. "I guess it was nice," Haley answered, "we spent most of the time studying." "What happened to coming home after the diner? I thought he needed to get somewhere and you were headed home," Lucas asked suspiciously. "There was a change of plans," Haley shrugged. "Is there a reason you're acting like an ass?" "I just don't appreciate you avoiding me all day and then lying about where you're going with him," Lucas answered as he stepped past Haley into the house. "Make yourself at home," Haley said sarcastically as she closed the door. Obviously Lucas wasn't going to let her play the avoidance game any longer.
Luke turned around and glared at Haley. "I asked you a question. Why are you lying to me, we have never lied to each other. I feel like I don't even know you anymore Haley. You avoid me and not to mention that you snapped at Peyton for no reason this afternoon. What is going on with you Hale?" Haley snapped her head around ready to smack Lucas. "Oh so let me get this straight. I all of a sudden have a problem because I don't feel the need to worship the ground Peyton walks on like you do. Want to talk about now knowing someone, I would have never pictured you as the type to follow around a girl like a little lost puppy dog. I guess the blonde cheerleader has a way with men." As Haley was about to finish her tirade on Lucas her cell phone rang.
"Hello."
"Hey Haley, it's Peyton. Look I know you were angry at me earlier but I was wanting to make it up to you. Since you and Lucas haven't spent much time together recently I thought we all could go out. It would be fun Jake, you, me, and Lucas. Come on what do you say, let's all double date."
There was complete silence on the other end of the line. Haley felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Swallowing her pride she did the only thing she could to keep her feelings safe. "Sure Peyton just let me talk to Jake about it."
"No it's alright I already called him and he said it was fine with him." Haley hung up the phone and just glared at Lucas. "Well that was your little girlfriend and apparently you have been complaining to her about our friendship. Seems we have to go on a double date tomorrow. I think we are done talking for now. I need to get a shower. Just leave Lucas. Oh and for the record our friendship is none of Peyton's damn business. From now on talk up your problems you have with our friendship, with me not Peyton." Haley held the door open for Lucas and slammed the door after he walked out of it. Lucas stared in shock at what had just happened between them. In 18 years of friendship they had never talked to each other like that. Haley feel down to the floor in a fit of tears.
"So enough about me, wasn't I suppossed to get something out of spilling my guts. I think I was suppossed to find out what you are hiding from everyone." Haley turned to Jake with an amused look on her face and just laughed at his look of panic. "Fine but you have to go with me to my house. I promise to tell you everything there after all we did have a deal. Haley grabbed her keys and followed Jake out the door.
Meanwhile Lucas had just dropped Peyton off and headed to the courts to shot some hoops to clear his head. Peyton was trying so hard to get him to fall for him it was painfully obvious. But no matter how much Lucas tried he couldn't give his heart to her something was just off. "Damn it, why is everything so screwed up. Why can't I just be happy with Peyton. Or better yet why does my best friend hate me." Lucas slammed the ball down and stared up at the sky searching for answers. Keith had been driving past the courts when he saw Lucas at the courts. "Hey Luke don't you think you should be heading home. Oh and Haley doesn't hate you. She could never hate you. You know that."
"You don't understand Keith. She's barely spoken to me the last couple of weeks. All day she avoided me," Lucas said hoping his uncle could shed some light on the workings of the female mind. "That doesn't sound like Haley at all. Normally when you piss her off she just tells you and gets over it," Keith said wondering what could be going on to make the teenager act so strangely. "I know," Lucas said with a sigh. "At this point I'd love for her to yell at me." "Did you do something to upset her?" Keith asked as he shot the basketball. "I don't think so. Like I said we've barely spoken the last couple of weeks," Lucas answered retrieving the rebound. "Maybe that's the problem. You two used to spend practically every moment together and now that you're playing basketball and hanging out with new people, you hardly ever spend time together any more," Keith responded. "Maybe. But wouldn't she just tell me that? She's told me before when we've gotten busy that we needed to schedule some time to do something together," Lucas reminded him. "But before you weren't busy with other friends. She probably feels left out. She doesn't really fit into that new crowd," Keith said. "Could have fooled me," Lucas mumbled picturing Haley and Jake this afternoon. They seemed comfortable together. Like they'd been friends for a long time. He hated to see Haley like that with someone else.
"Bottom line Luke something is wrong. Either you can continue to sit here and complain or go fix it." Keith took one final shot and headed to the truck. "Luke tomorrow is Saturday and she opens the cafe just talk to her, but get home so you don't worry your mom." Luke grabbed the ball and piled into the truck. Luke still didn't feel like going home so he called his mother to let her know that he would be late. Lucas decided that maybe now was the time to talk to Haley.
He went by her house but she wasn't home. That was odd, she had asked Jake to take her home hours ago. I wonder where she could be?
Jake placed his backpack on the table near the door and turned to look at Haley. "Are you sure you want to know my secret? It's pretty big and I wouldn't want you to feel strange about keeping it from everyone you know." "You can trust me," Haley said genuinely, "but if you don't want to tell me it's ok. I understand." "I trust you," Jake said before motioning for her to follow him further into the house. He approached a closed door and Haley just looked at him curiously. "I'd like you to meet the most important woman in my life," Jake said as he opened the door. "This is my daughter Katie." Haley couldn't hide the shock she felt but she did her best not to make Jake feel awkward. "She's beautiful," Haley said when she finally regained the ability to speak.
"Thank you. Katie's mother left her on my doorstep with just a note. Apparently her mother was to caught up in her own life to worry about her child. But you know she is mine and I love her to death. The only reason I don't want everyone to know is I don't want sympathy, I feel blessed not burdened to have my daughter in my life"
"She is adorable Jake. You have done a great job raising her. I feel silly now comparing my secret to yours. Here I am complaining about some boy and you are a single dad raising a child."
"Haley come on. Your secret just like mine could majorly alter your life if somone finds out. And this isn't just some boy you like. This is your best friend that you are in love with. But I know I promised to drop it for tonight so I will take you home cause it is getting late."
Jake and Haley headed back to her house talking about anything and everything that had been going on at One Tree Hill. Jake pulled up the car to her sidewalk and leaned over and gave her a hug. "Haley it will all work out I promise, if you need to talk call me." "Thanks Jake it helped to talk." After Haley had exited the truck Jake waited for Haley to get inside. Once Jake's truck had pulled off Lucas headed to the front door seething with anger but why is what he couldn't understand.
Haley barely had time to close the door before there was a knock sounding from the other side. Opening the door without glancing to see who it was first was definitely a mistake, Haley realized when she saw an angry Lucas standing in front of her. "Hey," Haley said cautiously not knowing exactly how to handle the situation. "Did you have fun with Jake?" Lucas asked with bitterness clear in his tone. "I guess it was nice," Haley answered, "we spent most of the time studying." "What happened to coming home after the diner? I thought he needed to get somewhere and you were headed home," Lucas asked suspiciously. "There was a change of plans," Haley shrugged. "Is there a reason you're acting like an ass?" "I just don't appreciate you avoiding me all day and then lying about where you're going with him," Lucas answered as he stepped past Haley into the house. "Make yourself at home," Haley said sarcastically as she closed the door. Obviously Lucas wasn't going to let her play the avoidance game any longer.
Luke turned around and glared at Haley. "I asked you a question. Why are you lying to me, we have never lied to each other. I feel like I don't even know you anymore Haley. You avoid me and not to mention that you snapped at Peyton for no reason this afternoon. What is going on with you Hale?" Haley snapped her head around ready to smack Lucas. "Oh so let me get this straight. I all of a sudden have a problem because I don't feel the need to worship the ground Peyton walks on like you do. Want to talk about now knowing someone, I would have never pictured you as the type to follow around a girl like a little lost puppy dog. I guess the blonde cheerleader has a way with men." As Haley was about to finish her tirade on Lucas her cell phone rang.
"Hello."
"Hey Haley, it's Peyton. Look I know you were angry at me earlier but I was wanting to make it up to you. Since you and Lucas haven't spent much time together recently I thought we all could go out. It would be fun Jake, you, me, and Lucas. Come on what do you say, let's all double date."
There was complete silence on the other end of the line. Haley felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Swallowing her pride she did the only thing she could to keep her feelings safe. "Sure Peyton just let me talk to Jake about it."
"No it's alright I already called him and he said it was fine with him." Haley hung up the phone and just glared at Lucas. "Well that was your little girlfriend and apparently you have been complaining to her about our friendship. Seems we have to go on a double date tomorrow. I think we are done talking for now. I need to get a shower. Just leave Lucas. Oh and for the record our friendship is none of Peyton's damn business. From now on talk up your problems you have with our friendship, with me not Peyton." Haley held the door open for Lucas and slammed the door after he walked out of it. Lucas stared in shock at what had just happened between them. In 18 years of friendship they had never talked to each other like that. Haley feel down to the floor in a fit of tears.