A/N at the beginning today...realized that I'm eight chapters in and no disclaimer. Obviously I don't own OTH or anything to do with it. This was a super long chapter (but my personal favorite) so I split it into two. But then I really wanted you to have both parts at once so I'm posting both. Thank you again for all the encouraging reviews. They really make my day. So, always, thought/suggestions or just let me know what you think. And now, on with the story....Carys
Haley looked like a lamb about to be slaughtered. She pleaded desperately with her eyes to Kate to save her. Kate, who usually was good under pressure, also seemed dumbfounded by Brooke's actions. In fact the whole party seemed to have stopped when Brooke started yelling for Nathan. Haley caught Peyton's attention but it seemed she too did not know what to do. Nathan took his time strolling over to where Kate, Brooke and Haley were standing.
"What?" he asked as he stood before them, hands deep in his jean pockets. Everyone was watching in anticipation for what Brooke would say next. It seemed like even the music stopped, although it didn't.
"Jagielski," Brooke yelled out which wasn't really necessary because he was standing right behind her.
"Yes Brooke?" he asked making her jump around.
"Your apartment empty?" she asked.
"Yes, Jenny is at a sleep over. Why?"
"Is it open?" Brooke demanded.
"Again, yes."
"Good." Brooke grabbed Nathan and Haley each by the hand and dragged them across the hall. She flipped on the lights and then pushed them down together on the sofa. "I'd just like it to be noted for the record that I have grown as a person. Proof being that I didn't smack the two of you around in front of the whole party, which I think is a sign of great maturity on my part."
"Brooke, what exactly do you think you are doing?" Nathan asked.
"I've come to realize that our incestuous little high school group all have definite roles that we play. You and Luke do the jerk/nice guy switch off depending on the day, Peyton is our deep and troubled artist, Jake is the all around great guy, Haley is our sweet and innocent and me...well I'm the shit disturber. Second to that, I also have a history of both breaking you two up and putting you back together and I'll have you know that I take my role very seriously. So I feel it's my responsibility to lock the two of you in this apartment until you can come to some sort of agreement that you are either meant to be together or be mortal enemies. Because let's face it, you guys staring across a room at each other watching to see if the other is looking is just plain pathetic."
"We work together now Brooke and it's important that we maintain some sort of friendly relationship." Haley said.
"Bullshit. That line might work on people who haven't known you your entire lives, but it doesn't work on me."
"I've said all I need to say." Nathan said as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"Did you tell her that you loved her?" Brooke shot back.
"Brooke, really. This is not necessary. Nathan and I like the way things are now. It works for us. Nate and I worked things out when he first got to Boston." Haley said.
"That's not what I heard." Brooke said.
"Well, then you heard wrong." Haley said.
"OK Haley, did you tell Nate why you left?" Brooke asked her point blank. Haley's answer was silence. "Well did you?"
"He didn't want to know." Haley said quietly.
"Well I want to know." Brooke said. "But before I can know, he has to. So I am now going to leave you to your own devices. Beat the crap out of each other, have sex on this crappy couch... I don't care. Just don't come back into that party pretending that you are friends. Cause let me give you a tip, you'll never be just friends. You have too much history for that." And with that she stalked out.
Nathan and Haley sat on the couch in silence for five minutes without moving an inch. Nathan was the first to break. He looked over to see what Haley was doing. Her head was down so her hair covered her face and her shoulders were shaking. He instantly put his arm around her thinking she was crying
"Don't cry Hales. Brooke can be a little....harsh." he said. Haley lifted her head and let the laughter out.
"Harsh is a nice way of putting it." Haley said through her giggles.
Nathan, relieved that Haley wasn't crying, started laughing too.
"I think I now know why Brooke is such a successful actress. She has the dramatic down cold." Nathan offered.
"Truer words have never been spoken." Haley agreed. Once the laughter subsided Haley spoke up. "I don't want to be your enemy Nathan."
"You're not my enemy Haley. I don't even really know you anymore."
"Do you think she's right Nathan?"
"About what?"
"That we will never be friends?"
"I don't know. Maybe. She was right when she said we have a lot of history." Nathan said.
"But isn't history by definition supposed to be in the past?" Haley asked.
"Didn't you once tell me if I didn't know my history I would be doomed to repeat it?" Nathan smiled.
"Yes, but I seriously doubt either one of us is about to forget. I guess what I am trying to say is...well I've missed my friends. I missed Luke and Peyton and Jake and even Brooke, tonight notwithstanding. And you." Haley admitted. "I mean... you said it, we don't really know each other anymore so why don't we start there? Just get to know each other again. "
"Things will never be the same Hales."
"I know that. I just want a chance to get to know you. Who knows, maybe we'll find out we really are mortal enemies, or maybe we will prove Brooke wrong and be friends again. I'm not looking for anything more than that just a chance. Do you think that's possible?" She said.
"Anything is possible Haley. Hell, Tim has a real job with responsibilities. I think that proves it." He grinned.
"OK then. Well, I should let you get back to Mel. She is probably wondering what the hell is going on," Haley said.
"About Mel...Haley I never would have brought her tonight if I had known you were coming." Nathan explained.
"It's fine Nate. If we are going to be friends then we can't worry about what the other person might or might not be feeling. Mel is a great girl," Haley couldn't believe she got those words out, "and I have no claim on you. Just like, when you come to me at work I won't pull any punches with you either. If we stand any chance of being friends we need to be totally honest with each other from this moment forward. Deal?" Haley stuck out her hand.
Nathan thought about it for a split second and then took her hand in his. Haley immediately felt like she had been shocked but she saw no such reaction on Nathan's face. It made her a little sad. "Deal." He said.
"So let's get back to the real party." Haley smiled and stood up. They had a long way to go but she felt really good about their first steps.
"Hales," He said as she walked toward the door. She stopped and glanced back at him, "I missed you too."
Brooke found her a few minutes after they had re-entered the party. She pulled her aside. "So am I to assume that because neither one of you have black eyes, that you took door number two?" She asked with a smile.
"No, we did not have sex Brooke. We decided to start over. To see if we are really enemies..."
"I guess it's a start. Aren't you glad I came tonight?" Brooke said.
"Surprisingly, yes." Haley smiled.
The rest of the party was uneventful by comparison, which was fine by Haley. She had enough drama that night to last her at least a month. Haley and Kate left at around one.
"So you're friend Brooke is quite..." Kate was looking for the right descriptive.
"I know, there isn't a word that quite captures Brooke. She's an original." Haley offered.
"How did it go?" Kate asked.
"We agreed to get to know each other again. We'll see. I'm glad it happened though. It makes the upcoming road trip a little less terrifying."
"And you were worried that I'd open my big mouth." Kate grinned.
"Thanks for coming Kate. I really appreciate it."
"No problem sweetie. That's what best friends do."
Sunday was a quiet day at home which was well deserved. Haley even stayed away from the arena, but not from her run. There was a park near her apartment that she took the opportunity to try out. Kate was leaving Monday morning for LA for an overnight trip so the girls stuck close to home most of the day. Brooke called before she left, promising to keep in touch which Haley was looking forward to. Haley spent Monday and Tuesday getting ready for the trip. There were so many details to take care of that she lived at the Center. She still managed to get her run in but it was usually at around ten o'clock at night. On Tuesday she had company in the gym. Lucas was there picking up some last minute things before they boarded the plane the next morning and was surprised to see Haley in the training room.
"Do you sleep here too?" he asked.
"It feels like it." She said as she stepped off the treadmill. "Are you ready for the road series?"
"I think so. I don't know how much floor time I'll see but..."
"I'm sure you'll be starting in no time Luke. Your game has been steadily improving." Haley commented.
"Ya...I'm just antsy to play more. It's like when I went to Duke. I came out of Tree Hill as a starting senior who got all the playing time I wanted, to being the rookie begging for five minutes."
"Anything in this life worth having is worth earning." Haley said.
"Does that apply to Nathan too?" Lucas asked.
"I suppose it does."
"Are you ever going to tell him why you left?"
"Is this you asking or him?" Haley said. "Because I offered to tell him and he didn't want to hear it."
"Maybe more me than him." Lucas admitted.
"You know I can't. I feel bad enough that I told Peyton and Jake the whole story but in my defense it was an emotional night and I'd had a lot to drink. Nathan thinks I've moved on, and it seems to help him to believe that. I made a mistake when I asked you to lie to him about me being here. If I tell you what happened back then and he ever found out that I told you before I told him...any friendship we manage to build would be gone. I feel lucky enough to be blessed with a second chance, I don't think I'd get a third."
"Well, in case you were interested, we definitely had words about me knowing you were in Boston." Lucas grimaced.
"Was it bad?" Haley asked.
"Let's just say I would have rather he yelled and screamed at me."
"I know that feeling." Haley agreed. "Listen, you should get home and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day. And I need to shower."
"Sure thing Doc. See you on the plane." Lucas left her to clean up.
When Haley got home that night she was surprised to find Kate still up. Usually after a turnaround flight for Kate, she had such bad jet lag that she went straight to bed.
"What are you doing up?" Haley asked.
"Wanted to talk to you." She replied, handing her a cup of coffee. "Brooke was on my flight yesterday."
"Really?"
"I like her Haley. She is really great."
"I know. All of them are. You know how in life you have stages of friends, some from childhood, some from high school, the ones in college and then your work friends?" Haley started to explain. Kate nodded in agreement. "Well, I got really lucky with the friends I had in high school because they are all good people."
"You know when you told me the story of your divorce, the first thought I had was how crazy you were to get married at sixteen. I mean who does that? But after meeting everyone I get it," Kate said. "but at the same time I am totally confused."
"Confused? Why?"
"Were you scared?" Kate asked.
"Of Dan?"
"Were you scared because you were only sixteen and you had a life people only dream about having? Because I cannot for the life of me figure out why you let it all go? After meeting Nathan and seeing you together there is no doubt in my mind that the chemistry is there, even after all this time. And your friends...well, if Brooke is any example, they would have had your back."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. And the proof is in the fact that you even though you disappeared off the face of the earth to them for five years, within days of meeting up again, they are totally there for you. Brooke filled me in on a lot of stuff. She freely admits that you weren't the best of friends back then, but she genuinely likes you, and when she yelled out for Nathan on Saturday night, well I was worried. But her first instinct, five years after seeing you last, was to put the two of you back together. That a real friend Hales. So what could Dan have done that forced you to give it all up? Because I get the impression that if he had pushed you, there would have been five sets of hands pushing him back."
"Dan held all the cards back then Kate." Haley said.
"Not for you he didn't. Maybe for Nathan, but I don't necessarily buy that either. Dan didn't have anything on you."
"Maybe he did." Haley said. "Maybe he had my number all along."
Flashback"Come on Haley...you really don't think this thing with my son is going to last do you? Once he goes to college he won't need you anymore, you'll have served your purpose." Dan said, standing in their apartment living room.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"You surely aren't naive enough to think that what you have is going to last forever? You are a means to an end for Nathan. He may not realize it now, but marrying you was just another way for him to stick it to me. Once he's at Duke, I won't be there and he won't be able to throw you in my face anymore and your usefulness will be done. Look, we both want the same thing for him. An NBA career. If you love him as much as you say you do, just leave. Then he can think that he did it on his own and you can spare yourself the pain of being told to your face that you weren't the love of his life, because basketball will always be the love of Nathan's life."
"You don't know Nathan anymore, maybe you never did. Nathan loves me." Haley stated.
"But more than he than he loves the game? You may be right, I don't know my son very well these days, but am I lying? Because basketball has been his passion since he was six years old and he first picked up a ball. Can you really compete with that?" Dan asked.
"So what, this threat about the scouts is a lie?" Haley asked.
"Oh no. I'll definitely tell them if you don't go. I just want to make sure that you know why you are leaving, because it's for yourself as much as for him. And ten years from now, when you are watching Nathan on Sportsline, playing to a sold out crowd, adored by millions...I want you to remember that it was a choice for you to leave. Not an easy choice, I'll give you that but we all have tough choices to make. Think of this as a way to avoid the inevitable. You can sleep better later on knowing that you left for a good cause. Good for you and good for Nathan.
"Don't you really mean good for you?"
"What ever you need to tell yourself Haley."
End Flashback