I know it's taken me a major long time to update, my apologies. I'm so busy these days. I hope to update again soon and I also want to update my other story, Haley goes punk. Thanks for the support even after all this time.

"Calm is the sea. The salt enters the wound. My take on you is simple...You're such a comfortable liar." -Chevelle

He didn't want to take advantage of her.

But what was he supposed to do when she came to him in tears, telling him to take her home...when she collapsed on her bed the moment they got there...when she asked him to hold her...when after an hour of crying she kissed him...

What was he supposed to do?

Nathan held her waist as Haley kissed him from on top. He pulled her closer and things got more intense. Her kiss was different than he remember...she still tasted like the angel she was but there was a feeling of pain and sadness in her now. He wanted so bad to make her pain go away. Haley stopped for a second and pulled Nathan's shirt off. He looked up at her: it was everything he wanted but it felt wrong.

"Haley, wait..."

"No, Nathan my first time should be with you. I know that now." She went back to kissing him but he pushed her away.

"You're upset. You're not thinking straight. I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"I won't regret this..." Haley started but Nathan didn't catch the rest. He was distracted by footsteps from the other room. Loud, echoing, terrifying footsteps...the sound of evil was coming towards them. Nathan shivered as he looked at the door. Then the "evil" came...all 3 feet of it. The cutest, most innocent looking little girl appeared.

"Haley!" She screamed as she came into the room. When she noticed what they were doing she commented, "o0o What are you two doing?"

"Kali, you're not supposed to know about that stuff. Let's go get you some chocolate pudding." Haley said as her sadness turned into a genuine smile.

"She's my little cousin. Her parents work full time so I take care of her from time to time." Haley explained to Nathan as she left the room.

Nathan shook his head. He was literally petrified of the little girl before she came in. Something about her scared him. I must be going crazy. He thought, reviewing the strange last few hours of the day.

---

"Time spent waiting off shore, the calm before the storm..."

Mixed colors covered the sky as Lucas walked through the school parking lot. Strips of black and gray were on one side, while the sun set on the other making the heavens full of pink, purple, and blue. Why would Haley do that? There has to be some kind of reasonable explanation. Lucas couldn't believe what he had just seen. A hint of hope glistened from the last evidence of daylight before it disappeared. The sky turned pitch black. He knew he was kidding himself. He had seen it all with his own eyes. He had been hurt by the person he trusted most.

Then Lucas noticed Peyton walking towards her car. She moved slowly, caught up in thoughts of despair. The last few days had left her in pieces. With her dad always away from home, she felt alone in the world. She didn't see Lucas as she got into her car and slammed the door shut fast. She wanted to drive somewhere far from here. Lucas had to run to get to her in time. He opened the passenger seat door and breathed out, "Take me for a ride." Without another word they drove off with no destination in mind.

---

"Who's that boy you were with?" A smiling little Kali asked Haley as she stuffed mounds of chocolate pudding into her mouth.

"That's Nathan." Haley replied, not wishing to get into details about it with the little girl.

"Oh...where's Lucas?" Kali had known Lucas just about as long as she had known Haley.

"He's not here right now."

"Where is he?"

"I don't really care where he is." Haley murmured quietly under her breath.

"What?"

"I said I don't know where he is."

"Oh...is he your boyfriend?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He's just not."

"He should be." Kali persisted.

"No, he shouldn't because he was but he was a bad boyfriend." When Haley said this was exactly when Nathan walked into the room.

"Fine, I can take a hint." Nathan said joking until he noticed Haley was serious.

"Hey, it'll be ok. I'm here for you." He said putting his arms around her. This upset Kali who started launching pudding at Nathan with her spoon.

"What's her problem?"

"I don't know. Kali stop." Reluctantly, she listened to her aunt and came up with an even more tormenting idea.

"Haley and Lucas sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes kissing. Then comes love. Then comes a baby in a baby carriage." Kali sang cheerfully.

Haley's face fell. She watched through window as rain clouds started to form.

---

"Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one. Hollow heroes separate as they run. You're so cold. Keep your hand in mine." –Breaking Benjamin

They decided to pick a direction and just drive. Peyton sped down an unknown highway towards infinity. She felt power from the steering wheel and freedom at the sight of the open road. Neither one of them said a word. No one wanted to break the trance of emotions they were flowing through. Wind blew against the exterior of the car. The sky was gray and full of clouds. They winded down a one-road passage against a mountain. The car descended and you could hear the first raindrop hit the roof of the car. Then more came and a watery paradise surrounded the car. Lucas could see a perfect kind of sorrow as he looked out the window to a town below that he had once been happy in. He reminisced all the good times...every last one of them, she was there: birthday parties, late nights on the phone, long afternoons after school, the day he got into his first fist fight and she had been there to clean him up. He had never seen this coming. He always thought it was fate that they'd end up together. But fate gets nervous sometimes or maybe it forgets or maybe it was never there at all. His once passion filled blue eyes were now so cold, so full of betrayal. It started to rain harder. A tear he didn't know he had flowed down his cheek. Peyton watched him, wondering what he was thinking. Maybe she already knew.

"Peyton! Look!" Lucas screamed but it was a moment too late. Peyton tried to grab the steering wheel but the car had already flown out of control. They crashed full speed into the side of the mountain. It just as easily could've been fatal, but they both got out of the car, uninjured. Lucas looked down the edge of the mountain, shivered and decided that wasn't a good idea. It was miles down.

He grabbed his cell phone and called his mom. No answer. He tried Keith but he didn't answer either. "Strange." He tried a multitude of other numbers but for some reason none of them picked up. Both Peyton and Lucas were getting soaked, he desperately scanned his phone book trying to find someone to call. "Jake's out of town. Brooke won't answer my calls. That only leaves..." It was such a bizarre coincidence. He dialed Haley's number hesitantly.

---

"Ring! Ring!" Perfect timing. Haley rushed out of the room to answer the phone. But Nathan simply grabbed the phone in the kitchen before her.

"Making yourself right at home, aren't you buddy?" Kali said with a grin way more mature than someone her age should have. "Don't get your hopes up."

"Hello." Nathan said as he ignored the evil child.

"Nathan?" Lucas felt like cussing him out but he realized that they needed a ride and so far he was the only one that knew how to pick up a phone. There was no other choice. "We got into a car crash."

After he got off the phone with Nathan, the rain had turned into a storm. They decided it would be better to wait inside the car. They closed the door and came up with the brilliant idea to hold each other for heat. And heat is exactly what they got...

Tune in next time to see what happens next... Please review!!!