Chapter 8 (part 3):

Breakfast had been the epitome of perfection and neither Nathan nor Haley wished to ruin the calm which had settled over them, the friendship they had recently formed again. For as long as they could afford, they sat at the kitchen table, talking, laughing, their bond growing stronger as each minute passed. Both tried to ignore their growing sense of dread toward the approaching school day. For they knew that at school, the smallest thing, something a random person might say or do, could potentially set them off. And so soon after settling their differences, at least temporarily, they could easily be torn apart. And all that had taken them so long to gain would be lost, most likely forever this time. But when Nathan, afraid of losing Haley again, gently asked, "Should we skip today,"

Haley protested, saying, "We have to go. We'll have to face them sooner or later."

He took her hand, running the pad of his thumb over it softly, saying, "Shouldn't we give it a day or two?"

She looked into his eyes and saw the terror there. The same terror which she knew was mirrored in her own eyes. They were terrified of losing each other. But she knew what they had to do. Looking down, but not removing her hand, she whispered, "Probably." Looking back up again, she noticed he was staring intently at her, not knowing what to make of any hidden meanings that might lay behind her words. "Hey, we'll make it through," she whispered as he looked at her, doubt shining in his eyes. "Together," she added, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

He nodded, disappointed, casting his eyes to their entwined hands and gripping her's tighter. "It'll be fine. I promise," she muttered, dropping his hand and pulling him into a hug.

He hugged her back, not knowing what to expect from the day ahead, but knowing it wouldn't be good.

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Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Tim were clustered around Nathan's locker. They were all worriedly awaiting the moment when a heartbroken Nathan would make an appearance. None had been able to reach him the night before and they all knew what that meant. Either he had spent the night with Haley or she had rejected him yet again and he was in no mood to talk to anyone. They were in favor of the latter. "Where could he be?" Tim asked anxiously, for, despite, his shallow, dim-witted ways, Nathan was his best friend and he really cared about him.

The others were silent, hoping Nathan's absence wasn't due to his interaction with Haley the day before. "You know," Lucas began, "I used to wish Haley would come back, not just for me, but mostly for Nathan. Now I wish she had stayed far away."

Brooke kissed him quickly and said, "Babe, just give her some time." But he wasn't listening to her. He was staring at something down the hall.
She turned and was shocked at what she saw. Nathan and Haley walking down the hall. Together. Nathan's arm was around Haley's shoulder and she was leaning into him. They both looked scared, but at least they had each other.

As the two approached, Haley gave a small, timid smile, whispering shyly, "Hey guys."

Immediately, Brooke jerked her away from Nathan and into a tight hug, whispering a quick, "Thank you," in her ear before she was pulled away by Lucas. With the exception of Nathan, none knew what Haley would be like now, but they assumed she had made some sort of progress and that she'd let Nathan help her.

Even Tim was ecstatic, joyfully bringing her into an instinctive hug of his own. Surprised, she relaxed and smiled, hugging him back. "Ok, boys," Brooke grinned, "I'll take her from here."

Nathan groaned, "Come on, Brooke."

Haley smiled helplessly, reassuring him, "It's alright. Meet you here after class?"

He nodded, still disappointed. She gave him a hug before disappearing with Brooke.

Peyton laughed. "She has no idea what she just got herself into." The others laughed with her.

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As of lunch time, Haley had managed to avoid Kristen, Rhonda, Katie, Jen, and all the other juniors and seniors in their clique, sitting far away from them in class and rushing to meet Nathan before they could catch her afterwards. As the bell indicating lunch rang, she breathed a sigh of relief and wandered through the halls to the cafeteria. Upon entering, she scanned the room for one face in particular and smiled when she caught sight of him waving her over.

She could feel many pairs of eyes on her as she strode to Nathan's table and took a seat between him and Lucas. It was just like old times: Her, Nathan, and Lucas. But now, she had Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Tim too. She smiled at the thought. A few years ago, if you had told her she would be friends with Brooke Davis or Peyton Sawyer, she would have laughed in your face. But she had learned to look past peoples' images and this is what she found:

Brooke appeared to be a selfish, spoiled, rich, popular cheerleader. She was considered a bitch, a slut, a whore who didn't care about anyone. But if you looked deeper, you would find that underneath it all, she had an amazing heart. She was tough, but if you were fortunate enough to gain her love, it was unconditional. A few select people knew that she was a caring person who loved her friends more than life itself. She would never give them up for anything.

And Peyton. Peyton Sawyer was looked at as a misunderstood punk artist who didn't give a damn about anything other than her music and her artwork. People always seemed to think she was depressed, that she was only different because she longed for attention. But if any of these stereotypical people had bothered to look deeper, they would've been amazed at what they saw. Though tragedy had struck her life many times, she was still a good person. Though she didn't always express it in an obvious manner, she would do anything for those close to her. It generally took a lot to get her to let you in, but once she did, she would do her best to stand by you and be there for you when you needed her most.

Haley was very intuitive and it hadn't taken her long to reach this conclusion. She smiled at both of them now as Nathan took her hand. She turned her smile to him. The concern evident in his eyes was directed at her and made her feel warm and safe. With a nod of her head, she assured him she was ok. And only then did he smile in relief, but he didn't release her hand. And for some reason, the simple gesture made her happy.

But her smile quickly faded as she saw who was approaching their table. Kristen, Rhonda, Katie, Jen, and three guys named Jeff, Carl, and Steve stopped, surrounding Haley's chair as best they could. "Haley," Kristen cooed, her voice making several sitting at the table flinch.

Haley swallowed. "Yeah?"

Smiling, Kristen continued. "Well, we were wondering if we could talk to you out in the hall."

"Actually..." Haley began.

Kristen frowned. "We're not asking."

Giving Nathan''s hand a squeeze, she slowly let go of it and stood, following the group out into the hall. Looking around to make sure the hall was empty, Kristen's voice once again penetrated the nervous silence. "So, Haley, you said you moved here from New York, right?"

When Haley nodded, she grinned, almost maliciously it seemed. "You wouldn't happen to know my cousin John, would you? In a gang called The Skulls, goes by the name of Jack? Cuz when I mentioned you, he said you guys were tight."

Haley bit her lip and closed her eyes. Seeing this, Kristen's grin widened. "He just got out of jail. I was thinking about inviting him down for a visit."

Haley shook her head, finding it hard to believe this was happening to her. 'Why now!' she thought. After everything she had accomplished in the five days she'd been back. She knew that Jack coming to visit would ruin it all. The door banged open and the group rushed to reenter the cafeteria as Haley slid down the wall to sit on the floor, burying her head in her arms as the tears began to escape. Nathan, who had come out to look for her, raced to her side and knelt down, gathering her in his arms. "I'm gonna take you home, ok?" he said, standing and holding her in his arms.
She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder and her arms around his neck as he carried her to his car. The car ride home was silent save for Haley's muffled sobs. Arriving at her house, Nathan took her inside and settled on the couch with her.

She gripped his arm, saying, "Nathan, I think I should tell you what happened in New York."