It can't be you!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary:Haley's world is turned upside down when her past become her present.
Pairings: Naley – Brucas or Layton? Help me on that one!
Rating: PG. could get higher in later chapters.
Haley looked in shock at the boy in front of her. "Lucas? ... Oh my god ...what are you doing here?" Haley jumped into his arms and gave him a tight hug. "We took a road trip." It took Haley a second to register what Lucas had said. 'He said we... why did he say we' she thought to herself trying hard not to jump to conclusions. Lucas could be referring to anybody. Haley slowly shifted her eyes to the figure at the table Lucas had come from. She thought her heart had literally stopped.
There he was. Just sitting there, looking at her, studying her, Nathan Scott. Haley opened her mouth to say 'hi' but nothing came out. 'Say something shit Hales say something ...anything.' The brunette screamed inwardly. Finally Haley gathered all the courage she could muster and she said it. "Hey Nathan."
He couldn't believe it. It was Haley. Haley James. She was exactly the same. Same chestnut brown hair. Same captivating chocolate eyes. Nathan was hurt to see her squirm when she realized Lucas wasn't alone. After two years of being apart and one of the smartest girls in highschool comes out with 'Hey Nathan'. He wanted to scream and yell at her but his head put his mouth into action. "Hey Hales. Long time no see."
He said it with a cold tone like she was a cousin that you see every five years and make small talk with. She watched the boy go back to eating his sandwich. Lucas broke the silence that had taken over the three of them. "Haley you want to join us?" asking this earned Lucas a glare from his little brother, which he ignored.
Haley kept sneaking glances at Nathan wondering what the hell was in that sandwich to keep him that occupied. When Lucas broke in Haley slapped a fake smile on her face. "Sorry I cant. I got to get back to work." Quickly Haley used the work excuse. She knew that since she worked through lunch she could take a break now but Haley had to get away. "No rest for the wicked huh?" Lucas said trying to lighten the mood. Haley forced a laughed out. Then another silence filled the space between them.
The theme tune to 'The Godfather' came out of Haley's pocket. She nearly jumped a mile when her phone started to vibrate. "That's me" Haley claimed the noise like it was a bad thing. Nathan finally looked up at her. She stuck her hand in her pocket and retrieved a small black camera phone. Lucas had sat himself in his seat waiting for her to finish. When Haley caught Nathan looking at her, he swiftly turned his head to look out the café window. Haley rolled her eyes at the man while answering the phone. "Hello... oh hey what are you up too... oh nothing much..." Nathan looked back to Haley when she said that this was 'nothing much'. He saw the brunette turn away from them and he heard her lower her voice but this just made Nathan more curious to know who she was talking with.
"Tonight... I can't...Mick...fine ok you twisted my arm... bye." As Haley hung up the phone she shoved it into her pocket. She looked at the Scott brothers and smiled sweetly at them. "Ok... I really gotta go so I probably see you's around." Haley began to walk to the exit but turned back to face them. "It was good to see you both again"
Nathan looked at her and saw the genuine smile as she looked at him. Then he lowered his head down knowing just then on the phone she was making a date with this 'Mick'. What kind of name was 'Mick' anyway? When Haley had gone Lucas didn't wait a second before tearing into Nathan. "What the hell was that?" Lucas asked. "What was what?" Nathan said taking a drink of his coffee. "You know what! You just totally ignored her." Nathan looked at his now empty mug and stood up. "You ready to go?" he said it so calmly just as if, a few minutes ago, Haley hadn't been standing right in front of him. Lucas shook his head. Sometimes, Lucas really didn't know what was going on in Nathan's head.
Once Haley turned the corner she stopped and leaned up against the nearest building for support. She thought her legs would give way beneath her. "No". Haley said aloud. If it didn't bother him to see her then she wouldn't let it bother her either. But she couldn't get the sick feeling out of her stomach. She hated that after two years he could still do this to her, have such a considerable affect on her. Haley hated it even more when it seemed that she had no affect on her what so ever.
Haley walked up the stairs to the office her boss was in. "hey sue, can I have a minute?" the black haired woman looked up at her and nodded. "The thing is I think I'm coming down with something... and since I did work through most of lunch, I was wondering if I could go home early" Haley put on her most innocent face. "Yeah go home and get into bed. I'll see you Monday morning. Haley gratefully smiled at her boss and walked back out the way she came in. she had to talk to someone.
As the two brothers walked down the street in complete silence together, Nathan's mind kept wondering back to Haley. She hadn't changed much. She still looked good, real good. Do you think she has a boyfriend? Nathan asked himself. Probably that 'Mick' guy. Lucas saw Nathan scrunch up his face and knew instantly that he was thinking about her. "You know, you could have been a bit nicer to her" Lucas said looking straight ahead of him. "Nicer to whom?" Nathan asked playing dumb staring at his brother. Lucas grumbled at his stubbornness. "Fine. You want to pretend that we didn't see Haley we'll do that..." Nathan looked down at his feet not knowing what to say. "So what are we doing tonight?" It was the first thing that came into his head. Lucas scoffed at Nathan's persistence. 'This is going to be one hell of a summer' Lucas thought.
Haley ran up the stairs to her apartment hoping Payton would be there. "Hello... Pay you home?" Haley screamed into the empty living room. "Yea I'm in my room" Haley ran into her friend's room and saw Payton on her bed drawing in her sketch book "You're home early. Good day?" Haley laughed and jumped on Payton's bed. "I saw Nathan." Haley decided to just spit it out. Payton looked in shock at Haley. "Where?" she said it in a comforting voice. "In Callaghan's. I went in to get lunch and there they were, Nathan and Lucas." Haley was talking at lightening speed. "Ok Haley slow down. What happened?" Haley's head hung low at the question. "He just totally ignored me. Like I wasn't even there." Haley could feel the tears well up behind her eyes. "Haley come on, you know how Nate is. He was probably in shock. I mean you haven't seen or talked to each other since the summer we went to college." "No, Pay you should have heard him" Haley couldn't keep the tears back any longer. "Ok ok shh. Just tell me what exactly happened." Payton and Haley sat for a good hour talking about Haley's five minute encounter before brook came barging in the front door.
"Honey I'm home. Is anybody else?" Brook thought it would be weird to be talking to herself but she was saved by Payton's voice called out to her. "Yea. In here." Brook walked in the bedroom with a huge smile which soon disappeared when she saw Haley's blotchy red eyes. Payton looked at Haley and then at Brook. "Guess who's in town!"
Ok so how is it so far? You like? You hate? Please r&r. I just saw the last show on TV a few days ago and I'm gonna die without my weekly dosage but didn't the whole Nathan Haley marriage thing came out of nowhere. Or was that just me. Anyway I'll rap it up. Check out my other fic, it's called 'Lies are Kinder"
