The call was short and to the point – they would meet for dinner at a casual restaurant. Haley dressed in her favorite jeans and one of her many button down shirts. As she surveyed her look in the mirror she vowed to get a makeover. Kate would probably be up for it.
Peyton was at the table when Haley arrived. She had no problems picking her out of the crowd as she looked exactly the same. Still had the beautiful blond curly hair and slightly pessimistic face, which promptly broke into a smile when she saw Haley. They hugged and then took their seats.
"So how are you Peyton?" Haley asked.
"I'm good. I nearly dropped the phone when Lucas told me he ran into you. For a while we were pretty sure you died." Peyton got right to the point.
"Been in Boston the whole time," Haley shot back.
"So I hear. Luke says you're a doctor."
"Sports medicine. I work for the Celtics actually."
"Really? What's that like?" Peyton seemed genuinely interested.
"Hard work but fun. And you, what are you up to?" Haley asked.
"Well, I finished art school in April and now I'm just doing free lance stuff. Did Luke tell you Jake is in Boston too?"
"He mentioned that. Are you two together?"
"Me and Jake?" Peyton said. Haley nodded in reply. "Depends on the day." Peyton took a sip of her drink and gave Haley a wry smile. "Oh, who am I kidding? Eventually we'll get married, but for now....well how about you? Are you dating anyone?"
"No time. My job keeps me pretty busy and before that there was school. So, should we order?" Haley suggested picking up her menu.
"We could," Peyton started, "or we could just talk about the elephant in the room."
Haley laughed. "I'm so glad you haven't changed Pey, still direct."
"Not direct Haley, just protective of my friends."
"OK." Haley lost her smile.
"I'm not trying to be a bitch but when Lucas called and said he'd found you...well I was surprised. You see I always knew that call would come but I thought it would be Nathan on the other end."
"Can I ask you something?" Haley said. She leaned onto the table top, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Sure, but then I get to ask something too." Peyton replied.
"Fair enough. Here's what I'm thinking. Lucas said that Nathan did well at Duke – maintained his full scholarship all four years, graduated with a real degree, not some athletic cop out degree. He went first round in the NBA draft to a top team and obviously you are still friends..."
"What's your point Haley?" Peyton interrupted.
"Well, you were about to lecture me about how I did Nathan wrong, right? How I ruined his life, how awful a person I was. I mean, Lucas made a point last night of telling me how Nathan looked for me, made sure I felt some guilt for that. What I want to know, did one of you even stop to think for one second that I gave up everything that meant anything to me so that Nathan could have that life? So before you go lecturing me about how hurt Nathan was by my leaving, think about what I gave up."
"Haley...I'm," Peyton started to apologize.
"Don't say you're sorry, because I am not. I made a decision and after talking to Lucas, and now you, I'm sure I made the right one. Look, I think this dinner was a bad idea. I'm gonna go. I'll see you around Peyton." Haley got up from the table and walked out. She was halfway down the block when Peyton caught up with her.
"Haley! Haley wait!" Peyton called out.
Haley stopped and turned so Peyton could see the tears coursing down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry. You're right. I only saw Nathan's side. Look, once upon a time we were friends and friends are there for each other. So, I'd really like to hear your side. I want to know what things were like for you. There is nothing better for girl bonding than break up stories, so let's go back to my place, crack open a bottle of vodka and share sob stories. OK?"
Haley nodded in reply. Peyton linked her arm through Haley's and led the way to her apartment.
Back at Peyton's the girls threw back some drinks and reminisced about high school. There was plenty of laughter and good memories.
"So what is the story with you and Jake?" Haley asked after a couple of hours of drinking.
"We're together and he's really amazing but I am just not ready to get married yet. I mean I know in my heart he is the one...I don't know. Maybe it's my childish way of sticking it to my dad." Peyton explained.
"What do you mean?"
"Right, you don't know. My dad and Luke's mom have been together for about four years now but they won't get married until either Luke or I do. Something about not wanting to limit our options which is the stupidest thing ever. There isn't anything between Luke and I and there hasn't been for a long time. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad and Karen together, they really make sense...but marriage is a big deal."
"Don't I know it. I still think it's kinda sweet though." Haley smiled.
"Haley James, you are still a sucker for the romantic bullshit." Peyton grinned.
"It's Scott actually." Haley corrected quietly.
"What?" Peyton was confused.
"It's Haley Scott. I never changed my name back." Haley said.
"Hold that thought for one second. I need a second opinion here." Peyton got up, went out the door of her apartment and started banging on the one across the hall. Haley couldn't hear what she was saying but when she returned she had Jake in tow. He seemed a little dozy until he saw Haley and then his face broke into a huge grin.
"Holy shit, is that really you Haley?" He asked. "Come here and give me a hug."
Haley got up carefully due to all the alcohol they had consumed and gave Jake a hug. The three of them each took a seat in the living room and Peyton refilled their drinks.
"So how are you Jake?" Haley asked.
"Better now that I know you're alive. Where have you been, what have you been up to?"
"Honey, our tutor girl has been busy. Meet Dr. Haley Scott, assistant team doctor to the Boston Celtics." Peyton offered.
"Really?" Jake asked.
"The rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. Close your mouth Jake. What is it that shocked you more, Doctor or Scott?" Haley grinned. The alcohol had definitely loosened her tongue.
Jake laughed out loud. "Both. Man it's good to see you."
"Thanks. So how's Jenny?" Haley asked.
"Asleep."
"So Jake, we have to help Haley here." Peyton said.
"I don't need any help." Haley replied indignantly.
"Oh, yes you do. You said you are seeing Nathan in what, four weeks? Maybe we could arrange a group get together, you know safety in numbers?" Peyton suggested.
"You know we could call Brook and Tim and invite them out here for the big game. First time Luke and Nate have been on opposing sides since...well, since that one on one game in high school." Jake replied.
"What are you talking about?" Haley asked
"Lucas called me tonight. After his physical yesterday the Celtics closed the deal. Lucas is moving to Boston as we speak. The announcement will be made on Monday." Jake explained.
"Wow. You know four days ago my life was quiet and normal. Then Lucas walks in the door and now look at me." Haley said.
"You still love him don't you?" Peyton said.
"Who Luke? He was my best friend for sixteen years, of course I love him." Haley replied.
"Not Luke, Nathan."
"Nathan and I are ancient history Pey, Luke just pointed out that maybe I owe him an explanation. I am nervous about that because I don't know what I am going to say. I am not still in love with him."
"Liar." Peyton smiled.
"I beg your pardon?" Haley looked appropriately shocked.
"Don't forget I was there when you two hooked up. I saw what you had and while I don't know exactly why you left, and I'm not gonna pry, but that fact that seven years later you still carry his name speaks volumes." Peyton explained.
"Ya Hales, I'm not buying it either." Jake agreed.
"What happened?" Peyton asked.
Haley took a sip of her drink. Maybe it was the vast amounts of alcohol she consumed, or the nostalgic feeling that had been the entire evening, but she suddenly felt like she could tell them what happened. She not only could, but she wanted to.
"If I tell you, you both have to swear that you will never tell Nathan or Lucas. Promise?"
"OK," they agreed.
"Alright. In a nut shell, if I had stayed with Nathan he would have lost his scholarship to Duke."
"Lost? Lost how?" Jake asked.
"Nathan's dad came to me shortly after our one year anniversary and told me that if I didn't leave Nathan and Tree Hill that he'd tell the recruiters about Nathan using performance enhancers that time." Haley stated.
"Why would he do that?" Jake asked.
"Because it was a win win for Dan. See if I told Nathan what Dan had asked me to do, he would have said fuck it, he would have stayed with me and then Dan would have opened his big mouth and no scholarship for Nathan. Most colleges will not give full rides to athletes who use controlled substances. It wouldn't have mattered that it was only that one time, his scholarship would have been history. If that had happened the only way Nathan would have been able to go to college was if he took the tuition money from Dan and then he would have been under his thumb again. Either way Dan would have won – I would be out of his son's life, or his son was back under his control. He would have been happy with either of those outcomes. Nathan worked so hard to get out from under that, and I couldn't let him go back because of me. And Nathan was so bullheadedly stubborn that he would have given up Duke just to piss Dan off and we all know that Duke was Nathan's dream. On top of that, the fact that he was going there under his own steam made him so proud and that his father nothing to do with his success was icing on the cake. And it was Duke turned Nathan from a great player into a pro. I knew that five years ago, and I was right. So I walked away. It was the right thing to do." Haley explained.
"Don't you think that is a little unfair Hales?" Peyton asked.
"To who?"
"Both of you. You robbed Nathan of the biggest decision of his life and you lost the love of yours." Peyton pointed out.
"It's not like I have a horrible life Peyton – I graduated from Harvard for Christ's sake. I have a great job that I love, a beautiful apartment, no student loans. I'm happy....and Nathan is doing exactly what he was meant to do. Sure the price was high, but in the end, I think it was worth it."
"Well, you are a bigger person than me," Peyton said.
"I just couldn't let Dan control Nathan's future like that. So instead of a lose-lose situation, it ended up a win-win. I won and so did Nathan."
"So what are you going to say to Nathan when you see him?" Jake asked.
"What's he like now?" Haley replied.
"For the most part he's the same guy. Still a touch too arrogant for his own good."
Peyton laughed.
"What about after I left?"
"I'm not gonna lie to you Haley. You ripped his heart out. He was messed up for months. Basketball, work and school, that was it. Lucas was the one who finally got through to him." Peyton said.
"How?"
"Well, no punches were thrown but there was yelling and screaming...and probably basketball. It was just before Christmas when they started looking for you. That seemed to put some purpose back in his life. I don't know, I mean he's still himself but different too. He's a phone book junkie for one thing and that road trip him and Luke took the first summer after college was apparently a riot." Peyton answered her.
"Did he date?" Haley asked.
"Did you?" Jake shot back.
"No." Haley looked at her hands in her lap.
"Ya, well neither did he, at least not really. I think that's more because he's afraid to get hurt again. There hasn't been anything serious, that's for sure." Peyton said.
"Guys, seriously, what am I supposed to say to him? I can't tell him about Dan...Maybe I should just move to Mexico?" Haley joked.
"You know, I think we should all sleep on it. Haley, you are welcome to my bed...I am going across the hall to my boyfriend's place." Peyton gave Jake a playfull look and then turned back to Haley. "Tomorrow morning you and I will go out to breakfast and we'll start to make a plan. OK?" she offered.
"Are you sure? That I can stay here I mean?" Haley said.
"Absolutely. Tomorrow is another day." Peyton said dramatically.
It took Haley a long time to fall asleep, despite all the alcohol. It felt good to see her old friends again. She really had missed them so much. The past forty-eight hours had definitely been eventful and if Lucas was going to be playing for the Celtics starting Monday then things were only going to get worse...or maybe better. The last thoughts as she drifted off to sleep were the same as they had been for the past five years, of a slightly crooked grin and beautiful blue eyes.
A/N - this story seems to be writing itself! I have the outline done for the next chapter already so I should post soon (no Nathan yet but soon I promise). Thank you so much for all the encouraging reviews - they inspire me to keep going. As always, let me know your thoughts/suggestions.