"Hey stranger," Ally said with a smile as she threw her magazine on the ground. She sat on Haley's bed, her arms crossed over her stomach, her eyebrow raised, "So, where the heck have you been?"

"I umm, got lost," Haley muttered quickly before she walked across her room, never looking at Allyson. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's good to see you too," Ally shook her head, "I didn't want you to get in trouble so I decided to bail you out by coming over and lying my butt off for you to the 'rents. They're very gullible in case you're wondering."

"Thanks," Haley said, though she was paying little attention to Ally's words and more to the mere presence of her best friend. The guilt flowed through her body as she stripped off her shirt and threw on her pajamas. Why did Allyson had to be here right now? She was feeling so... relaxed and finally happy when she left Nathan's house and now, she felt nothing but guilt.

And, it made sense. She should've felt guilt. She betrayed her best friend. God, what was wrong with her?

"Something up?" Allyson asked as she walked closer to Haley. Not getting a reply, she got off the bed and tapped her on the shoulder.

Haley jumped back from the jolt, stumbling into Allyson before she backed away, putting her hands out in front of her.

Allyson looked at her, worried, "What's been going on with you lately?"

"Nothing," Haley said, quickly.

A little too quickly.

"You're ditching, you've been all secretive and nervous around me. I mean, I thought it was just stress or something but-"

"Yeah, it's just stress," Haley jumped at the chance for an excuse, "With school."

Ally cocked her head to the side, frowning, "Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm-I'm not," Haley struggled to keep her voice steady.

"You're stuttering and you're not looking me in the eye," Ally grabbed at Haley's hands and saw that they were clenched into fists, "You're lying to me. I've known you for my whole life, Haley, I know you."

"I can't talk to you about this," Haley said as she pushed past her. She rushed into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it as she slid down her door, her knees curled up against her chest. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she bit back to the urge to cry as all the emotions inside her collided into one another.

Never before had she felt so confused. So happy, so sad, so angry, so guilty.. so everything at the same time.

She couldn't lie to Ally anymore. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, she had been lying to her best friend since the whole thing started. She had lied to her to protect her, or so that was Haley's excuse. But, it wasn't the truth. She lied to Ally to protect herself. She lied to Ally because she was too scared to do anything.

She lied to Ally because she didn't know what else to do.

She was so used to protecting Ally her whole life and now, for once, it was her that needed the protecting and the guidance. And, she had no one to turn to. Haley had ruined it all.

There was no way she could keep up her lies after this. Ally had already had her suspicions and she knew. She had to have known.

Either way, Haley had to tell her. If she had any respect for her best friend, she had to tell her.

Getting to her feet, she tried her best to maintain balance as she reached her hand out towards the doorknob. Her hand was shaking so much that she could barely unlock it. Finally opening the door, she stood inside the bathroom, still unable to look her in the eye.

Ally remained quiet as she watched Haley, confused, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry," Haley whispered quietly before she leaned against the doorframe, her knees shaking too hard for her to maintain balance.

"Haley, what is going on? You're freaking me out."

"I'm so so sorry," Haley kept repeating, "Please don't be mad at me."

"Haley-"

And for the first time that night, Haley looked up and stared into Ally's eyes. For the first time that night, she saw the worry and confusion in her best friend's blue eyes. She heard her voice, tinged with genuine sympathy and she realized the truth. She finally realized the harsh reality of her whole situation.

She had betrayed her best friend. It was as simple as that. She had developed feelings for her best friend's infatuation and then proceeded to kiss him, even though she knew that she would be hurting Ally.

It wasn't the actual kissing and developing feelings that was the betraying part. It was the fact that Haley was too scared to tell Ally. She knew, somewhere deep inside that if she had told Ally, she would've understood.

Because Ally was her best friend. Because that was what she was there for. To understand. To support. To be there through the rough times.

But, Haley didn't see all this. Not until now.

Not until it was too late.

She couldn't lie to her anymore.

"I kissed him," Haley whispered softly, her voice cracking.

"Who?" Though she didn't need to ask. Ally already knew, deep down inside, she knew. She wasn't as dumb as everyone thought. She just didn't like thinking the worst of every situation. But, she knew from the day Haley started acting odd around her. She could tell in her best friend's voice, the lie and the deceit. She just didn't want to face it.

Tonight was the breaking point.

"Nathan."

"Oh." That was all that came out of Allyson's mouth as she stood in the middle of Haley's room. Her arms hanging limply at her side and the worry and confusion fading from her eyes and face. She was simply.. blank.

Haley looked at her worried and searched her face for any sign of a reaction. There was nothing. That was what worried her the most. Angry yelling, crying, and screaming she could've handled and expected. No reaction was definitely unexpected.

And, she didn't know what the hell to do.

"Ally?"

"I have to leave," Ally said numbly as she turned around, walking out the door.

"Ally, wait!" Haley called out to her as she followed her friend down the stairs. "Ally," she grabbed onto her arm and held onto it.

Allyson made no move to remove Haley's hand. "I have to leave," she repeated again, her voice flat.

"Ally, please, say something. Don't leave like this. I am so sorry. I know it was wrong and I should've told you but god, I was so confused and I didn't want to hurt you. And, this is so bad. I'm making excuses for myself when there are none. I'm so sorry, please just," Haley struggled for words as her voice hitched, "just say something. Anything, please."

Her eyes were lifeless as Ally looked up, turned around and walked out the door. And there was nothing Haley could do except watch her walk away.

She had never hurt so much before. Her heart was pounding so hard that she wanted to rip it out of her chest, though she was convinced that it would be cold and black.

After all, what kind of normal human being would do something like that to their best friend? What kind of normal human being would make their best friend hurt so deeply?

Haley closed the door and trudged up the stairs. She closed the door to her room and sat on her bed, her whole body cold. She had goosebumps and yet she didn't even notice.

Her hand traveled up to the soft skin of her face and she realized that her face was dry. Wasn't she supposed to be crying? Wasn't she supposed to be sobbing like there was no tomorrow?

Yet, she was sitting there, completely still and completely tearless.

Maybe, she was heartless. Or, maybe it just hurt too much to cry. It hurt too much to do anything.

She deserved this though. This was her punishment for not telling Allyson earlier. This was her punishment for being selfish.

This was her punishment for being happy.

--

"Ally?"

Allyson continued to walk down the streets of Tree Hill, her arms at her sides and her head downcast, never hearing the voice behind her until she felt someone grab her shoulder. Even then, she simply stopped, lifting her head slowly.

She never spoke.

"Allyson?" Lucas asked, worried, "Are you okay?"

She stared at him blankly, "Is this real?"

"What?" he asked, confused, "What the heck happened to you?"

"This can't be real," she continued, never hearing his words. "Because, my best friend would never hurt me like that. She loves me and she hates him. She couldn't. This isn't real," she said to herself as she swallowed hard.

"Who? Haley?" Lucas asked, trying his best to decipher the meaning behind her words.

"It's not real," Ally said, trying her best to convince herself, "Right?" She looked up into Lucas's eyes, her own shining with tears. "Please tell me it's not real."

"Ally, what happened with Haley?"

"She kissed him. How could she kiss him?" She paused, "I mean, it doesn't even matter because he's not mine and I shouldn't even care but I do, it hurts because I like him so much," her voice got higher as her words became more rushed, "And, I know I shouldn't be so infatuated but I can't help how I feel and god, this is my fault because I'm so stupid and clueless and this is all my fault and-"

Lucas grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, "Ally, calm down."

"It's real, isn't it?" She whispered softly, "This is real. Haley really kissed Nathan, didn't she?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow, a world full of understanding finally hitting him at her words. He felt a pang in his heart as he realized who Ally truly liked. He knew before but confirmation from her mouth was a completely different issue.

It hurt more then he thought it would.

But, still, he pushed that pain aside and focused on comforting her, "It's okay, Ally."

She shook her head sadly, "No, it's not. It's really not. I don't know what I'm suppsoed to do anymore. She's my best friend and she still is, even after this. I can't just ignore her but I don't... I don't want to see her or Nathan right now. I just, I want to rest."

"Do you want me to take you home?"

Ally looked up, finally realizing where she was, "How did I get here?"

"I'm not sure," Lucas said with a gentle smile, "This is where I found you."

"Oh," she said flatly before closing her eyes, trying to clear her mind. "I want to rest, Lucas."

"Okay, we'll get you home and then you can rest."

"Thank you," she whispered softly as she leaned into his body as they walked.

--

Haley had decided that she was going to hell. It was official.

Okay, so she technically didn't believe in a heaven or hell because she believed in reincarnation. But, if there was a place where the evil souls went to, that was where she would be.

In a world filled with the damned.

She knew that to anyone else, the story would've seemed tame. Okay, so she kissed her best friend's crush, big freaking deal. It was just a kiss.

A kiss that might've ruined a relationship that meant more to her then anything else in the world.

That was what mattered to her at the moment. It wasn't just a kiss. She had spent a while denying it but what happened between her and Nathan, wasn't just a kiss.

It was a revelation. It was the start of something Haley didn't want to stop but knew she had to, for Ally's sake. She had to go back and taste something she shouldn't have and it was her own fault. Now, she had to face up with the consequences and try to patch things up with her best friend.

After all, that was what mattered more. That was the way it had always been, friendship over a temporary romance.

The problem was, Haley's whole heart was not put into the decision. And, that right there, was a key factor in the whole deciding issue. There was a feeling at the pit of Haley's stomach that maybe, just maybe, she could have both.

A best friend and a boyfriend.

The problem was, did they want her?

She didn't know. Hell, even now she didn't even know if Nathan was even serious about her. There was never any real reassurance, just a few heartfelt moments that she always managed to ruin. But, that wasn't enough for a substantial relationship.

The thing was, she couldn't plan this out because she didn't know how to go about it. She had never truly been in a serious relationship before and this was all new territory for her and that scared her. She didn't know how to act. She didn't know what to do.

She didn't have control.

And, tonight was perfect proof of what would happen if she lost control. All hell would break loose.

One simple kiss and look where she was now. She could fix this though because she refused to let her and Ally's friendship dissipate into nothing just for a guy and just over a kiss. She had to let Ally know the truth, including all the painful and confused feelings.

She had only told Ally a little of the entire story. Ally had to know everything, from start to finish. Haley knew that if she kept anything from Ally, it would only lead to resentment and contempt. And, Haley couldn't let that happen. Ally meant too much to her.

She was her best friend. And, she needed her.

It was as simple as that. Right now, she didn't know if she needed Nathan or not. True, she knew she had a strong attraction to Nathan and she certainly liked him, which she realized when she finally became truthful with herself.

She would've liked to find out if Nathan would one day become something more but right now, that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was repairing the friendship that Haley had so carelessly broken.

She would fix it though. There was no other way about it.

--

Nathan sat on his bed, slightly confused yet excited about what had happened. Haley James kissed him. Hard, passionately, and with desire and need. It was all that he had craved for. One simple kiss made him feel alive and warm beyond belief.

No other girl had had such an effect on him before, nobody did, until Haley. That was what made her special. That was what made him want her. At first, it was just a simple way of fun, messing with her head as well as Allyson's. But, now he found himself caring and wanting to be with her without hurting her feelings... or Allyson's.

He cared about both of them.

That should've scared him. Commitment and niceties with the best friend weren't usually on a guy's usual important list but to him, it was important because he knew that it was important to Haley.

He was such a lame.

But, surprisingly enough, he didn't care. Because for once, he was happy. He was feeling complete bliss with a simple kiss. And, that made being a lame and being 'uncool' worth it.

Haley was worth it.

He knew she was. The only problem was Allyson. Nathan didn't know how she was going to handle that issue. He had a feeling Allyson wouldn' t take to the whole idea very well but it was too damn bad, the girl would just have to get over it and accept it because he wasn't letting Haley go.

Not when he finally got her.

--

"Rise and shine, sunshine!"

Haley cracked an eye open tiredly before she moaned, "Brooke, why are you here and why this early?"

"It's 10:30, toots, I am late," Brooke grinned, "Your mom was nice enough to let me in and hey, come on, we've got to get ready for Lucas's birthday get together."

"That's tonight?" Haley asked before she sighed, "I totally forgot."

"Way to be responsible, tutor girl," Brooke said with a frown, "Well, whatever, I'll forgive all if you just get your butt up."

"I don't wanna get my butt up," Haley muttered into the pillow, "I wanna sleep!"

"I'll let you sleep the rest of your life away after today!" Brooke said determinedly as she pushed Haley a few times, "Andale!"

Haley groaned as she rolled off the bed, "I hate you."

"I love you too, hmm, fabulous morning hair by the way."

"Bite me, Brooke," Haley grumbled as she headed towards the bathroom. She was in the shower, trying her best not to fall asleep when she heard Brooke barge through the door. "What the hell are you doing?" Haley screeched, "I'm still in here."

"Geez, I'm not gonna look or anything," Brooke said nonchalantly, "Besides, you're really not my type. I like them lean, broody, blonde, and hmm, oh so yum."

"Brooke, I'd really prefer it if you not have sexual fantasies about Lucas when you're in my bathroom."

Brooke grinned before she sat on the toilet seat, "So, what are we making?"

"I don't know," Haley said as she yawned, "You're the one that's supposed to be planning this."

"Yeah, and you're the one that's supposed to be helping me!"

"And by helping you, you mean do all the work for you," Haley deadpanned.

"Well, not all," Brooke said with a small smile, "Just some."

"Most."

"Maybe like 50-50." She paused, "Okay, maybe 60-40. 70-30 at the most."

"Brooke," Haley groaned.

"Hey, you just woke up and you're already moaning and groaning. Stop that. "

"I'm sorry that I'm not as umm, energetic as you are."

"Hey!" She said with a pout, "You making fun of me?"

"No, no," Haley said quickly, "I'd never do that."

With an evil grin, Brooke flushed the toilet and smiled even wider when Haley yelped in pain.

--

"Hello?" Ally said softly as she lied in bed, her covers over her chest, the phone cradled in the nook of her neck.

"Hey, did I wake you up?"

Ally shrugged, "No, I've just been a lazy bum, staying in bed. I should probably get up." She smiled, "Not that I mind, but is there a reason you called?"

"Just wanted to say 'hi' and see how you were doing." Lucas tried his best to keep his voice steady.

"I'm good," she answered, "Thanks for caring."

There was an awkward silence before he asked, "Did you talk to Haley?"

Ally sighed as she bit her lip, "No. I don't think I want to talk to her right about now."

"You liked him that much?" He asked, his voice slightly strained.

"Not so much the liking him part. More the fact that it hurts to think about her, much less talk to her."

"It'll get better, you guys will move on from this."

Ally smiled and nodded, "I know. She's my best friend. We'll get through this but I'm just not ready to do it yet. The wounds are still open and all that other poetic crap."

"Way to be feminine."

Ally laughed, "Yeah, that's me, alright. Hey," she paused, "Isn't it your birthday today?"

"Yeah," he said with a grin, "It is."

"Well, birthday boy, you better get on over here so I can give you your birthday punches."

"Right, I'll be sure to zip my way through town to go to your house to get beat up."

Ally smiled at his words, "Scared of little ol' me?"

"You punch hard, girl," Lucas said, teasing.

"Seriously though, we'll go out for lunch, my treat. I'll even sing you 'Happy Birthday'," she paused, "If you actually want to hear me sing that is."

"Are you tone deaf?"

"Not so much as tone deaf as always flat," Ally answered honestly, "I'm not terrible. Just not good either."

"I'll pass on the singing then."

"Smart boy," Ally said, grinning, "So, I'll meet you on my porch in a half hour."

"Gotcha."

"Au revoir, birthday boy."

--

Peyton stood outside the Scott's mansion, her hands in her pockets, shifting her balance nervously from one foot onto the other. She reached a hand out to ring the doorbell but found herself frozen in place.

She had to do this. She had to tie up the loose ends with Nathan.

She didn't love him. She just thought of him as a friend, nothing more, nothing less. She refused to undermine herself and him by making it into something more.

Their relationship had been based on lies before. She didn't want their friendship to be too.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to put her forefinger on the bell. The surface was smooth and Peyton could make out the small scratches from the wear due to the weather and frequent use. She forced herself to put pressure on the doorbell and actually ring the damn thing.. but she couldn't do it.

She couldn't face Nathan again.

There was just something about him, something that scared her. He had a quality about him that just drew everyone towards him but once he had you in his grasp, it was so hard to get out.

And, Peyton wanted nothing more to get out at that moment.

She couldn't stand another cold glare or a numb voice telling her that she didn't mean anything. She knew his blows to her self esteem meant nothing since he was frustrated and just lashed out without thinking.

But, it still hurt her.

She wanted to get away from it all, away from the pain and drama of having a relationship with a guy. She just needed time to herself. Which was why she needed to ring the doorbell and explain all of it to him but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Looking for me?"

Peyton jumped and gasped loudly, turning around, holding her hand to her chest, "Oh, god, Nathan. You scared me."

"Any reason why you're standing on my doorstep?"

She laughed lightly, "I know this seems," she paused, "Weird but I've got a reason."

"Being?"

"We need to talk."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, "Nothing good ever came after that phrase."

"Yeah, I'm umm, breaking up with you, Nathan."

"Funny," he said sarcastically before he sat down on the steps, motioning for her to do the same.

"Right, sorry, wrong time for humor there." Peyton sighed as she sat next to him, "What happened between us, it was wrong."

He turned to her, examining her closely.

"And, it's done," Peyton said, no anger or harshness in her voice, "We shouldn't have started whatever it was in the first place."

"Okay," he said simply.

"That's it?"

"You were expecting dramatics?" Nathan asked curiously.

"Brooding artist here," Peyton said grinning, "You seem different."

He shrugged.

"Something happened," Peyton said as she caught on, "You have this little smirk slash grin on your face. You only do that when you're like, giddy inside."

"Do not ever use the word giddy to describe me, Peyton Sawyer, I may just have to expose all your dirty secrets to the world."

"Right, right," Peyton said laughing, "Noted."

"I am happy though."

"Good."