Chapter Seven: The Same As Always
Haley, who had just come back from lunch with Lucas, was wandering around her apartment.
One room was the one she'd set across for the child that was coming to live with her in a matter of days. Seeing as she hadn't yet learned the name, age, or even gender of them, she had yet to personalize it. One room was her one-a large four poster bed, a flat screen television, two small sofas, a luxurious en suite bathroom. Her living room had elegant, expensive furniture and a baby grand in the corner. Her family room was decorated in more macho brown leather furniture. Her dining room had eight chairs around the mahogany table, that which were rarely if ever full.
Besides this she had four empty bedrooms, two other rooms, a study she rarely entered and a music room she spent a lot of her time in. Haley couldn't help but think it was a waste, that she never shared it with anyone.
The phone was again in her hand, her finger again hovering over the numbers, in preparation to dial, when it rang, startling her.
"Hello, this is Haley James," she said, hoping it wasn't a crazed fan.
"Ms. James, this is Nancy Evans, I'm a foster care representative for the state of New York," said a brisk, businesslike voice.
"Hey," said Haley, not knowing what else to say.
"I'm to inform you that your request to be a foster mother has been accepted and we have located a child for you," continued the voice. Haley grinned.
"Great, what's the name?" she asked. There was a slight pause.
"Child number 643. A Gabriela Travers. She's thirteen, and her mother died of a drug overdose when she was a child," said Nancy. Haley immediately felt pity over the child that would soon be in her charge.
"That's horrible. When should I come get her?" asked Haley, surprised and confused that the child was a teenager and not a small child, which she'd expected.
"Tomorrow, if that works with your schedule, Ms. James," said Nancy. Underneath her monotonous voice, Haley detected a tinge of reverence.
"That will be great, I'll be there," said Haley.
"That's great, we'll prepare the child," she said, as the two women hung up.
Haley stared around her apartment again, suddenly afraid. She'd expected a baby, or a toddler. She could handle babies. She'd had plenty of experience with Jenny Jagielski and all her nieces and nephews. Teenagers were a completely different story.
Resolve finally hitting her, she ran out of her apartment, calling her driver as she did so to come pick her up outside.
Scrolling through the address book of her blackberry, she came to the address she was looking for.
Haley's trepidation mounted as she knocked on the door, cream paint peeling, the smell of cigarette smoke noticeable on the stairs.
When no one answered her knocks, she gently pushed the door open and surveyed the decrepit apartment within. She called out experimentally:
"Taylor?"
"What, you've never heard of knocking?" came a disembodied voice. Taylor James came around the corner and stopped short at the sight of her little sister. "Hal? Hey."
Taylor's voice had started out harshly but it softened when she saw her little sister, looking so professional, so beautiful, yet so lost. They stared at each other, taking in each other's images. Haley was shocked at how similar they looked. They both had similar long, straight brown hair, slight, short figures. Taylor's eyes were blue and Haley's brown, but both of them felt that they looked more like sister than they had ever before.
"Hey Tay," she said gently, resisting the urge to scorn her sister's home.
"What are you doing here?" asked Taylor, bringing them back to harsh realities. The simple truth was that the two had not come into contact in years.
"I wanted to see you. I missed you," admitted Haley.
"Perfect Haley isn't so perfect anymore," remarked Taylor. Haley would have been offended, had it been farther from the truth.
"Not so perfect," she echoed.
"You look good," said Taylor, telling a half truth. Haley tried to repeat the sentiment, but found she could not.
"This place is…"
"I can afford it," said Taylor defensively.
"I need your help," said Haley. She'd been thinking of ways to say what she wanted to say all the way in the car ride over, and had come up with nothing.
"What is it?" she asked, taking a single step toward her sister.
"The thing is is that I'm taking in a foster child. A girl, Gabriela Travers. And I know we haven't talked in a while but I'd really like to change that and she's thirteen and I know nothing about teenagers and…" Taylor cut Haley off.
"You think I do? Come on, I got this at thirteen," said Taylor, twirling around and showing Haley the scorpion on the small of her back. "You still got yours?"
Haley's hand wove around her body and she felt the spot, before she turned around and showed her sister the 23 that was still branded on her.
"Why do you think I know any better?" asked Taylor gently, after a glance at the small blue number.
"Because you helped raise me," said Haley, her voice breaking. Both of them immediately thought backwards fifteen years, back to the days when their parents had been so busy with their many children that Taylor had been forced to 'educate' her little sister.
"Apparently I didn't do to well," said Taylor, noticing the sadness in Haley's eyes.
"None of it was your fault. None of it was anyone's fault, except maybe mine," she said.
"Nothing's anyone's fault after ten years, Haley-bub. So you want me to visit?" asked Taylor.
"No, I don't," said Haley. Taylor raised a blonde eyebrow. Haley cast another look around the tiny apartment.
"What?"
"No, I don't want you to visit. I want you to stay. Pack your stuff," said Haley authoritatively, folding her arms and leaning against the wall.
"What are you talking about?" asked Taylor.
"I'm serious. You can come live with me. I'm lonely and I need your help, and this place is…" said Haley, finding herself unable to completely diss her sister's life.
"A dump, I know. Did Mom and Dad tell you to do this?" asked Taylor suspiciously.
"No. Lucas did. Kind of," said Haley.
"You're still talking to Lucas Scott? Damn, he was hot," said Taylor.
"Sort of. We ran into each other. So you coming, or not? There's a Jacuzzi. And flat screen TVs. And I have a chauffeur. Come on, Tay," begged Haley, surprising both at them at her eagerness to have her sister back in her life. Taylor wavered for a second.
"There's no way in hell I'm going to be able to pay half the rent," she cautioned. Haley laughed in relief.
"Don't worry, I own the place. Come on, let's get moving," she said. Taylor shrugged, pretending not to be remotely excited at the prospect, and ran into her room to pack.
Only when the two were back in Haley's car, Taylor's duffle bag between them, did Lucas Scott come up.
"So what were you saying about Luke?" asked Taylor, eyeing the interior of the expensive car.
"Oh, I was coming back from California and we were beside each other on the train. We're trying to be friends again," said Haley, as Jared, the chauffeur, passed the park.
"And did you..?" Taylor left her question open, but the implication was clear.
"God no," said Haley. Taylor raised an eyebrow at her sister's strong reaction.
"But you've done it since Nathan… right?" asked Taylor, feeling an unexpected wave of self doubt.
"Yes. With a few guys. Nothing special. Lucas saw me half naked though," said Haley, spilling more of the story.
"Really? Did he stare?"
"Sure. He is a man," said Haley, rolling her eyes as the two arrived in front of Haley's luxurious building.
Ten minutes later, Taylor was wandering around the apartment, failing completely to hide her amazement.
"This place is huge. Freaking huge. And there are like thousands of rooms," she gushed.
"Yeah," said Haley, feeling inadequate.
"Shit, I would have left my husband for this in a heartbeat. The elevator opens right into your apartment," she continued.
"Uh huh," agreed Haley.
"You have a fountain in your entry room," said Taylor.
"That came with the place," said Haley.
"Why didn't my place come with a fountain?" wondered Taylor aloud. Haley giggled.
"Put that on your next classified: needed: one bedroom, south facing, working fountain," suggested Haley.
"God, like I'm ever leaving here. Even when a teenager arrives. Speaking of which, when is she coming? And what's her name again?" asked Taylor, flopping down onto the couch.
"We're to pick her up tomorrow. And Gabriela Travers. Hopefully she won't mind Gabby," said Haley.
"Yeah. So where do you stand with Nathan?" asked Taylor. Haley rolled her eyes at her sister's lack of tact.
"No where. I haven't seen him in years. I don't know if I even want to see him," said Haley. Taylor awkwardly took her sister's hand in comfort.
"You were young," she said simply. Haley stared at her sister for a beat.
"We're older now," she said simply.