~Whispered Secrets~

Chapter (10) Let's Play Pretend

A/N: I know I say the same thing over and over again but Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing, and encouraging me to continue. Always loving the reviews and please keep them coming.

Haley: Tell me what Lucas?

Lucas stammered a little bit trying to come up with something believable. "Um that I was sorry, that's all, right mom? he said looking at his mom giving her that 'go with the flow' look.

Karen: Uh yeah, that's it. (Lucas bowed his head at how unenthusiastic his mother sounded, he knew she did it on purpose but hopefully Haley didn't catch on and would take his word for it)

Haley: right, okay (Haley saw the eye language between Karen and Lucas but she decided not to push it…..right now any way and she put her head back on Lucas's laps and continued watching her cartoons.

While Haley seemed engulfed in her cartoons Lucas gave his mother a 'that was close' look' and she shot him a 'sorry' look before smiling at him and heading for the kitchen. He smiled to himself because he knew his mom wasn't really sorry, and he couldn't be mad at her because it was just her attempt to make him happy, Haley happy and them two together would make her happy. Even though it was a failed attempt he loved her for it.

He went back to watching his cartoons with Haley and stoking her Hair. His eyes were on the TV but his thoughts wasn't. he would be leaving tomorrow and it surprised him how him and Haley just managed to leave that out of all their conversations. It never came up. He didn't think he was avoiding it or she was avoiding it but some how it just never came up. But he knew they would have to talk about it, no matter how hard it was going to be, but he knew he hadn't been introduced to hard until he had to say good bye to his mother, to Keith and to ….Haley. "Haley" Lucas said above a whisper but she heard. "yeah"

Lucas: I'm leaving tomorrow (he said a low voice as if she didn't know)

Haley: I know (she said matching his voice, her eyes looking up at him from his lap)

Lucas: so don't you think we should talk or something (he said unsure of what they should be doing but he knew they should be doing something, this being their last day together)

Haley: yeah…. But in the middle of Tom and Jerry (she knew it wasn't because of Tom and Jerry it was because she didn't want to talk about it…not now, not ever. Because then she would have to realize that this was actually happening she was losing her best friend to some college, to all these new people, to life, to the world, who didn't deserve him. She just wanted to live in denial a couple more hours or how ever long it would take Lucas to bring it up again today. But for now she just wanted to forget about tomorrow and play pretend. Pretend that she would be able to lay on Lucas's lap and watch cartoons while he played in her hair tomorrow and the day after that and every single day for the rest of her life. Pretend that nothing was changing and nothing would change, that he wasn't leaving tomorrow and she wasn't leaving either. She was good at pretend besides she mastered it when she played the role of best friend and when she said I love you when she really was in love with him, when she hugged him and she didn't want let go, when she told her self times like this meant nothing when she knew to her meant everything.

Lucas: Alright, after Tom and Jerry (he said smiling at her and turning their attention back towards the T.V.) * Maybe we'll after I tell you I'm in love with you, maybe we'll talk after I've already boarded the plain, or maybe I'll just send you a letter or an email or maybe we'll talk when it's to late, when we let the time go by to busy in denial to busy playing pretend that we'll part and we'll never have that talk, exchange the words that maybe could have rewrote our history, our life. But if you want to play pretend, I'll play to because did I mention I always had a thing for fiction.*

A/N: I know this is short but the next chapter should be up soon. Please R/R