Chapter Five

Beatiful Letdown

Haley packed the remaints of her keepsakes, clothing, and other very important artifacts, then zipped the suitcase shut. She searched around the room for anything she might have forgotten, but found nothing. Everything sat in corners of the bedroom, taped up tightly in brown boxes or packed away in a suitcase. This was it. This was her goodbye. It had only been a week since graduation, which made all of her friends and classmates suspicious to the fact that she was leaving so early, which she claimed was to find a nice apartment, and get settled in. She had not hesistated to dry out Dan's bank account, wanting only the very best life for her son or daughter. Well, the best life she could possible give them without a father figure. Of course, no one knew that she was pregnant, no one except her parents. She had not spoken to Nathan since Prom, and had already said her goobyes to ever who mattered, basically Lucas and, well, that was all of them... except...

"Word around Peyton's house is you're leaving." Brooke appeared in the doorway, a huge smirk plastered on her face. "Your Dad let me in, in case you were wondering."

Haley quirked up an eyebrow. "Who isn't leaving, Brooke? School is over with, there's nothing left for me in Tree Hill."

"Except for your friends, and your family, everyone who cares about you. What's the hurry, anyway?" she asked, taking a seat at the foot of Haley's bed.

"No hurry. Just kind of anxious to get away from here. Begin a new... journey." She replied with a small laugh.

Brooke nodded, supplying a solemn smile. "Because of Nathan?"

Haley's head shot up. "No, not because of Nathan. Just... because..."

"Just... because... of Nathan. Come on, Tutor-Girl, who else have you got to pour your heart away to? Lucas doesn't count, he's a guy."

Haley sighed and joined her on the edge of the bed.

"There's something that I've been wanting to get off my chest for a long time."

"Tell me about it." Haley threw a catious glance up at her friend, not sure if she should explain furthur. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

Maybe she wasn't sure about this, telling someone the truth, especially someone she had only recently began to fully trust. But she was sure Brooke would never tell a soul what Haley asked her to keep secret.

"I'm pregnant."

"What.... ?" Her tone was soft, sympathetical, but firm. "I was late for a couple of weeks, I didn't think much of it, but apparently it was a bigger deal than I hoped."

Brooke slid closer toward her, squeezing Haley's hand. "Does Nathan know?"

Haley immediatley followed this with a shake of the head, signaling to Brooke that he hadn't known. She couldn't believe she was having this discussion with her, but it felt so good to finally let it out of her system.

"You do plan on telling him... don't you?" Haley again responded by shaking her head wildly, holding back the tears, as she was pulled into a tight hug.

"Haley, you have to tell him. You have to." She whispered into the other girls ear, but she only buried her head farther into Brooke's shoulder and sobbed harder.

"Please, Brooke, I'm moving to Orange County, not Charlotte, I didn't want anybody to come after me, especially Nathan, if he knew about this... oh, I know he would come looking for me. So please, please.. your lips are sealed, remember?"

Brooke faced her straight on, searching her eyes. She knew Haley knew what she was doing, Haley always knew what she was doing. But she-Brooke-didn't know the whole deal to this, and she decided to leave her trust with Haley. Her friend. For Haley's sake, she would not tell Nathan.

"Okay. I won't tell him." She whispered, not sure if she would regret it, and how soon.

"Promise?" Haley returned, wiping her tears away with the tip of her thumb.

Brooke nodded slowly, painfully. This was wrong, so wrong. "I sure am gonna miss you Tutor-Girl."

"You too Tigger, I'll miss you too."