Author's Note: What's up, I'm not sure if you guys still want me update this anymore, but I'll do it anyway just because I love writing this story. I enjoy writing in first person, I gives me a happy. Okay, so moving on... if you want me to continue this story please review so I know I'm not just writing to myself. Now wouldn't that be embarrassing? Guys? Well, I want to have an up coming chapter with Nathan in it, but I can't decide who I want it to be with. Since my story is told from strictly the female POV, it will not be told from his POV. I was thinking either; Deb because that would make sense, a mother going to see her child in jail, Karen because she's practically Haley mother and deserves to yell at him or Brooke because, well she really wants to kill the bastard. Let me know who you would want to see confront him. Anyways, here's chapter sixteen...
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Haley's POV
I grew up in a big family. Okay, huge by some people's standards, but I never felt unloved. I've read lots of those stupid books about big families and the youngest kid is always this big, whiny baby. They go on and on about not getting enough attention or not being loved or something else equally ridiculous. Let me tell you something, I'm the youngest kid in a really big family and I honestly can't think of a single time when I felt like that. Maybe it's because I'm not an insecure person, or maybe it's because I like to have my freedom. Or maybe it's because they were never really my real family. Sure, I was technically a member of the James clan, I went to all the horrible family dinners and exchanged the expected pleasantries with people I hardly even knew, but they weren't my real family. My heart belonged in another home. With Luke and Karen. They were my family. They always will be. I've been here for almost thirty hours and not one member of my biological family has come to see me, but both members of my real family have. They mean everything to me. Those two and my girls. They are all I'll ever need. I don't need HIM. I don't. I won't let myself.
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"It's going to be okay, baby," Karen says in my ear. I can barely hear her over my tears. "I've got you, baby. I've got you." I want to believe her, I really do. I don't want to let this thing ruin my life and me. I've worked too damn hard to just sit back and let some jerk off take it from me. I refuse to let this change everything. I nod my head, wanting to make her feel like she made me feel better.
"Don't let go," I whisper to her. I can feel her arms tighten around me. She shakes her head, but doesn't say anything. She's crying too, I can feel her tears on my shoulder. We're wrapped up like this for a few minutes until we have both calmed down more. She pulls back from me, but still has her hands on my face, her thumb wiping away a few tears that are still on my cheeks. I give her what I hope is a 'I'm okay now' smile, but judging by the look on her face, it wasn't very affective.
"Wipe that fake smile off your face this minute," she warned me with a watery smile. I can tell that she's joking, but I know that part of her is serious. "I don't want you to feel like you have to put up a brave face for me. Maybe you can fool Brooke and Peyton, but you can't fool your mother, go it?"
"Actually, I think those two have figured it out already," I admitted. I gave her a real smile, hoping she will believe it. I'm assuming she does because she ruffles my hair before pulling away to sit in the chair that everyone seems to like sitting in. "So, and you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, how did you find out? About me, I mean?"
"Peyton called me," she answers. I can just imagine how the conversation went. Glad I wasn't there to hear that one. "Apparently they can't give out a patients information to anyone but their parents and since yours are in Europe for the next month with no way of contacting them, they called me cause I'm your emergency contact."
"It's a good thing you weren't still in Italy, huh?" I muse. She seems to tense up when I mention that. Huh, I wonder what that was about? I gotta ask her about that later.
"Yeah, good thing," she agrees with a little apprehension. "Anyways, Dan drove me over and I came in to see you, you were still out." That make sense....wait! Dan drove her?
"Wait! Dan drove you?" I ask, mirroring my thoughts. Why does this day just keep getting weirder and weirder? I'm I still dreaming? That has to be it. Either that or I'm in the twilight zone. She gives me an amused smile at my outburst.
"He came running in the Café right after Peyton called me," she retells me. "The cops had called to tell him what his son did. Deb didn't know yet." Oh, man. I completely forgot about Deb. That couldn't have been an easy thing to hear.
"So, when's Nathan getting out?" I ask her. If Dan knows then I'm sure her got his star basketball player out of there the moment he was able to. No son of Dan Scott would ever see the inside of a jail cell. She shakes her head. Huh?
"He's not getting out," she informs me. She must see the shocked look on my face. "Dan told him that he can rot in there for the rest of his life for all he cares." That has got to be a first. Dan Scott saying something right. Yep, definitely in the twilight zone.
"Interesting," was all I said on the topic. "How's Deb doing?"
"She was mad at Dan at first, she wanted to get Nathan out, but he said no." Now you see, I would have thought it would be the other way around. But Dan has been trying to be a better guy since the accident. Not sure how long that's going to last but... "She came around, though. Realized it was the right thing to do, leaving him in there. She actually came and dropped of some food for Peyton and Brooke downstairs."
"Brooke was telling me that," I put in. "I was asking about all the people that had come by. She said you left with her." I guilty look crosses her face and I know I should tell her that it's okay, but I really want to hear why she had to leave. She takes a hold of my hand.
"Oh, baby, I didn't want to leave," she explains, I can literally hear the guilt in her voice. "I was going to stay the whole time, I swear, but when I saw you...you looked so broken. I couldn't stand seeing you like that."
"But you stayed with Luke." I say. I couldn't help it, it just slipped out. "I'm sorry, that's not fair. He's your son; of course you'd stayed. He's the most important thing in the world to you..."
"And you're my daughter," she tells me. "I don't care what anyone says, you are mine. I love you just as much as I love Luke." She looks down at our intertwined hands. "With Luke, I knew that when he woke up he would be okay. With you, what happened to you, it hurts far worse than any physical pain ever could. I just didn't want to see my baby hurt like that. I couldn't. It would kill me."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." She shakes her head, telling me it's okay.
"That's okay, I wanted to talk to you about Luke anyway," she says. I know what she's going to ask. "I wanted to ask if it was okay if I told him? He would want to know. He might even come back to see you..."
"He already did," I confess. She gives me a surprised look. I guess she doesn't' know about Jake and Nikki. "He was here when I woke up."
"How? I didn't tell him. I'm the only one who knows where he is."
"Jake told him." I hope this is okay with Luke. He didn't tell her for a reason. Oh, well, too bad for him. That's what he gets for leaving me.
"Jake?"
"Yeah. Nikki is Jenny's mother." Her eyes widen at the new information. "Jake takes Jenny up there once a week to be with Nikki."
"I can't believe he didn't tell me about this." Uh oh, she sounds mad. Luke's gonna be mad at me. Oh well, who cares. "And I can't believe he came back and didn't come and see me."
"He only stay for like twenty minutes," I tell her, hoping that will make her feel better for some reason. "He had to get back so he could go to work." She complains for another few minutes before she finally gets over it. I guess I better not tell her he's going to call me on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"So, when are you getting out of this place?"
"The nurse said tomorrow," I say. "They just want to run a few more tests and I'm outta here. They said the police would probably be coming to talk to us."
"Oh, they're already downstairs." They are? I wonder why they haven't come up to talk to me yet. "They were talking to Brooke when I came up." Oh, I guess that's why. Make sense. Ask the only witness first. Then ask the victim.
"Brooke's here?" I ask her. She nods. "When did she get back?"
"I picked her up on my way over here." I nod. She looks like she struggling about something. "I don't know I f I should be telling you this, but when I got there she was sobbing on the floor in the middle of your room. I asked her what was wrong, but she didn't really tell me. Maybe you can ask her?"
"I'll remember to ask her about when she comes back up."
"Thank you, it's been bothering me." She's such a sweet woman, worrying about Brooke like that. I love her so much. She's always been more of a mother to me then mine has ever been. I should really tell her that.
"I love you. You know that right?" She gives em a strange look.
"Of course. Why?"
"I just wanted to make sure you knew that." I tell her. She continues to look at me weird. "You're more of a mother to me than mine ever could be. It just occurred to me that I have never thanked you for that." Now she's smiling at me.
"I love you, Haley," she says back. "I have since the moment I saw your cute little face. You have always been a part of our family and I don't know if you've noticed, but that family has been falling apart lately. It's good to know that you'll always be here."
"Always," I tell her. She smiles and brings me into a hug again. It never really occurred to me that I was that important to her. Sure, I knew she loved me, but I always thought it was just because I was Luke's best friend, not because she considered me a daughter. It's good to know that the feeling is mutual. I'm all she's got and besides Peyton and Brooke, she's all I've got. God, I hope that's enough.
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Done for now. I know that chapter was probably boring, but I've always loved Karen and Haley's relationship. Just a side note though, I started this story right after TFCITD so I didn't know how evil and skanky Nikki really was, so you'll have to forgive me. In my story, she's good I guess. Anyways, tell me what you think and who you want to talk to Nathan the most. Peace.
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Haley's POV
I grew up in a big family. Okay, huge by some people's standards, but I never felt unloved. I've read lots of those stupid books about big families and the youngest kid is always this big, whiny baby. They go on and on about not getting enough attention or not being loved or something else equally ridiculous. Let me tell you something, I'm the youngest kid in a really big family and I honestly can't think of a single time when I felt like that. Maybe it's because I'm not an insecure person, or maybe it's because I like to have my freedom. Or maybe it's because they were never really my real family. Sure, I was technically a member of the James clan, I went to all the horrible family dinners and exchanged the expected pleasantries with people I hardly even knew, but they weren't my real family. My heart belonged in another home. With Luke and Karen. They were my family. They always will be. I've been here for almost thirty hours and not one member of my biological family has come to see me, but both members of my real family have. They mean everything to me. Those two and my girls. They are all I'll ever need. I don't need HIM. I don't. I won't let myself.
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"It's going to be okay, baby," Karen says in my ear. I can barely hear her over my tears. "I've got you, baby. I've got you." I want to believe her, I really do. I don't want to let this thing ruin my life and me. I've worked too damn hard to just sit back and let some jerk off take it from me. I refuse to let this change everything. I nod my head, wanting to make her feel like she made me feel better.
"Don't let go," I whisper to her. I can feel her arms tighten around me. She shakes her head, but doesn't say anything. She's crying too, I can feel her tears on my shoulder. We're wrapped up like this for a few minutes until we have both calmed down more. She pulls back from me, but still has her hands on my face, her thumb wiping away a few tears that are still on my cheeks. I give her what I hope is a 'I'm okay now' smile, but judging by the look on her face, it wasn't very affective.
"Wipe that fake smile off your face this minute," she warned me with a watery smile. I can tell that she's joking, but I know that part of her is serious. "I don't want you to feel like you have to put up a brave face for me. Maybe you can fool Brooke and Peyton, but you can't fool your mother, go it?"
"Actually, I think those two have figured it out already," I admitted. I gave her a real smile, hoping she will believe it. I'm assuming she does because she ruffles my hair before pulling away to sit in the chair that everyone seems to like sitting in. "So, and you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, how did you find out? About me, I mean?"
"Peyton called me," she answers. I can just imagine how the conversation went. Glad I wasn't there to hear that one. "Apparently they can't give out a patients information to anyone but their parents and since yours are in Europe for the next month with no way of contacting them, they called me cause I'm your emergency contact."
"It's a good thing you weren't still in Italy, huh?" I muse. She seems to tense up when I mention that. Huh, I wonder what that was about? I gotta ask her about that later.
"Yeah, good thing," she agrees with a little apprehension. "Anyways, Dan drove me over and I came in to see you, you were still out." That make sense....wait! Dan drove her?
"Wait! Dan drove you?" I ask, mirroring my thoughts. Why does this day just keep getting weirder and weirder? I'm I still dreaming? That has to be it. Either that or I'm in the twilight zone. She gives me an amused smile at my outburst.
"He came running in the Café right after Peyton called me," she retells me. "The cops had called to tell him what his son did. Deb didn't know yet." Oh, man. I completely forgot about Deb. That couldn't have been an easy thing to hear.
"So, when's Nathan getting out?" I ask her. If Dan knows then I'm sure her got his star basketball player out of there the moment he was able to. No son of Dan Scott would ever see the inside of a jail cell. She shakes her head. Huh?
"He's not getting out," she informs me. She must see the shocked look on my face. "Dan told him that he can rot in there for the rest of his life for all he cares." That has got to be a first. Dan Scott saying something right. Yep, definitely in the twilight zone.
"Interesting," was all I said on the topic. "How's Deb doing?"
"She was mad at Dan at first, she wanted to get Nathan out, but he said no." Now you see, I would have thought it would be the other way around. But Dan has been trying to be a better guy since the accident. Not sure how long that's going to last but... "She came around, though. Realized it was the right thing to do, leaving him in there. She actually came and dropped of some food for Peyton and Brooke downstairs."
"Brooke was telling me that," I put in. "I was asking about all the people that had come by. She said you left with her." I guilty look crosses her face and I know I should tell her that it's okay, but I really want to hear why she had to leave. She takes a hold of my hand.
"Oh, baby, I didn't want to leave," she explains, I can literally hear the guilt in her voice. "I was going to stay the whole time, I swear, but when I saw you...you looked so broken. I couldn't stand seeing you like that."
"But you stayed with Luke." I say. I couldn't help it, it just slipped out. "I'm sorry, that's not fair. He's your son; of course you'd stayed. He's the most important thing in the world to you..."
"And you're my daughter," she tells me. "I don't care what anyone says, you are mine. I love you just as much as I love Luke." She looks down at our intertwined hands. "With Luke, I knew that when he woke up he would be okay. With you, what happened to you, it hurts far worse than any physical pain ever could. I just didn't want to see my baby hurt like that. I couldn't. It would kill me."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." She shakes her head, telling me it's okay.
"That's okay, I wanted to talk to you about Luke anyway," she says. I know what she's going to ask. "I wanted to ask if it was okay if I told him? He would want to know. He might even come back to see you..."
"He already did," I confess. She gives me a surprised look. I guess she doesn't' know about Jake and Nikki. "He was here when I woke up."
"How? I didn't tell him. I'm the only one who knows where he is."
"Jake told him." I hope this is okay with Luke. He didn't tell her for a reason. Oh, well, too bad for him. That's what he gets for leaving me.
"Jake?"
"Yeah. Nikki is Jenny's mother." Her eyes widen at the new information. "Jake takes Jenny up there once a week to be with Nikki."
"I can't believe he didn't tell me about this." Uh oh, she sounds mad. Luke's gonna be mad at me. Oh well, who cares. "And I can't believe he came back and didn't come and see me."
"He only stay for like twenty minutes," I tell her, hoping that will make her feel better for some reason. "He had to get back so he could go to work." She complains for another few minutes before she finally gets over it. I guess I better not tell her he's going to call me on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"So, when are you getting out of this place?"
"The nurse said tomorrow," I say. "They just want to run a few more tests and I'm outta here. They said the police would probably be coming to talk to us."
"Oh, they're already downstairs." They are? I wonder why they haven't come up to talk to me yet. "They were talking to Brooke when I came up." Oh, I guess that's why. Make sense. Ask the only witness first. Then ask the victim.
"Brooke's here?" I ask her. She nods. "When did she get back?"
"I picked her up on my way over here." I nod. She looks like she struggling about something. "I don't know I f I should be telling you this, but when I got there she was sobbing on the floor in the middle of your room. I asked her what was wrong, but she didn't really tell me. Maybe you can ask her?"
"I'll remember to ask her about when she comes back up."
"Thank you, it's been bothering me." She's such a sweet woman, worrying about Brooke like that. I love her so much. She's always been more of a mother to me then mine has ever been. I should really tell her that.
"I love you. You know that right?" She gives em a strange look.
"Of course. Why?"
"I just wanted to make sure you knew that." I tell her. She continues to look at me weird. "You're more of a mother to me than mine ever could be. It just occurred to me that I have never thanked you for that." Now she's smiling at me.
"I love you, Haley," she says back. "I have since the moment I saw your cute little face. You have always been a part of our family and I don't know if you've noticed, but that family has been falling apart lately. It's good to know that you'll always be here."
"Always," I tell her. She smiles and brings me into a hug again. It never really occurred to me that I was that important to her. Sure, I knew she loved me, but I always thought it was just because I was Luke's best friend, not because she considered me a daughter. It's good to know that the feeling is mutual. I'm all she's got and besides Peyton and Brooke, she's all I've got. God, I hope that's enough.
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Done for now. I know that chapter was probably boring, but I've always loved Karen and Haley's relationship. Just a side note though, I started this story right after TFCITD so I didn't know how evil and skanky Nikki really was, so you'll have to forgive me. In my story, she's good I guess. Anyways, tell me what you think and who you want to talk to Nathan the most. Peace.