Chapter Eight: When the Past and the Present Collide
Taylor all but forced Haley out of the house when the latter's bouncing around, fixing things, and double and triple checking everything in the place began to drive her crazy.
Haley stared out into the bustling street as her driver made his way toward her in the car. She knew where she needed to be, knew why she needed to be there, but desperately didn't want to go. Even as a child, she'd been reluctant to face the necessities of life-going to the dentist, the first day of school. Picking up the pieces of her life.
She reluctantly directed Jared across town, mulling through a conversation plan as they went.
Peyton Jagielski stared at Haley, standing nervously on the threshold of her home, anxiously tucking her hair behind her ear, showing her nervous habits.
"Can I come in?" asked Haley, before Peyton could have a chance to say anything. Peyton nodded, her curls bouncing. Silently she stepped aside and allowed Haley James to step into her home.
Haley looked around, picturing her old friend and her children, her husband in the moderately sized, artistically decorated apartment. She saw traces of them everywhere: pictures of Jake playing with his two kids, Peyton carrying a baby Ben in his arms, smiling a secret smile, Peyton's framed artwork everywhere. Haley smiled, noting how much more like a home it was than her own.
"What do you want?" asked Peyton eventually.
"Peyton, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but don't you understand how hard it's been for me?" asked Haley.
"That's too bad but I have trouble feeling sympathy. You left him," she replied coolly.
"And then I went back! Did he ever tell you that? Tell him that I came back, wanting to try again, ready to be his wife and he pushed me away?" asked Haley. Peyton allowed herself to glance into Haley's warm, honest brown eyes before pulling away.
"He did not," she said, losing ground.
"I didn't think so," she said gently.
"But you hurt him so badly. What's going on between you and Lucas?" demanded Peyton. Haley visibly shrank.
"Nothing. It was just a train. We're trying to be friends," said Haley.
"Do you want him?" asked Peyton. Haley sighed.
"Sweetie, he's Lucas Scott. I'd be lying to say there was never a Joey Loves Dawson thing going on," admitted Haley. She paused, gathering her thoughts, and spoke again: "But Dawson and Joey don't end up together."
Peyton stared at the peeling paint on the ceiling, utterly confused. She was a naturally forgiving person, but there was no getting around the fact that she hated anyone who'd hurt her friends. And Haley had set off a train reaction-Haley had hurt Nathan and Lucas, which had hurt Brooke, which had hurt Peyton. She'd destroyed everything, leaving terror in her wake.
"Nathan still loves you," she said eventually. Haley almost smiled.
"No he doesn't. He loves what I used to be. Peyton, I'm not her anymore," she said.
"Do you still love him?" asked Peyton, ignoring her. Haley swallowed to make her throat less dry, and told the truth as best she could:
"I think so," she managed to say. Peyton seemed oddly satisfied.
"Oh," she said.
"How's Jake?" asked Haley. Peyton's face very nearly relaxed into a smile.
"He's great. We're great. Jenny knows I'm not her mother and regard me as such anyway. Jake stays home and takes care of them, I'm here as often as I can. I have an ultrasound next Thursday for the baby," said Peyton. She looked blissfully happy. Haley felt glad that Peyton, who'd grown up almost parentless, had stepped into a ready-made family at sixteen. Everything had worked out according to plan for her.
"How's Brooke?" asked Haley.
"Good. She'll always be Brooke, you know? She works in PR, she knows everyone," said Peyton briefly, leaving out the more painful aspects. Haley looked past her friend, seemed to see her clearly.
"She hates me, right?" asked Haley.
"Kind of," admitted Peyton.
"I kind of have to go. Actually, I really have to go-I'm getting a foster child today," said Haley.
"Cool," said Peyton, looking surprise and impressed.
"Yeah. Taylor's actually going to help me out. It's a girl-Gabriela Travers, thirteen," said Haley.
"That's awesome," said Peyton.
"Call me," said Haley, leaving before Peyton had a chance to respond.
Haley's heart was light for the first time since the train ride. A plan was forming in her mind: she had befriend Lucas, was working on Peyton… if she could do the same to Brooke, Jake, even Nathan, could she finally be at peace with herself?
Taylor was waiting for Haley in the entrance hall, flicking pennies into the fountain, when Haley ran up.
"Come on, the car's waiting," said Haley briefly.
"So where'd you go? Lucas'?" asked Taylor.
"Peyton's, for your information," said Haley loftily.
"Fine, whatever. But he is a fox. No one would blame you," said Taylor.
"Except for maybe his brother? Who, by the way, I was once married to?" said Haley, as the two reached the lobby of the building.
"Well, that is a slight technicality," agreed Taylor, as they stepped into the shiny black car and drove off.
The two of them hurried into the foster care center, anticipating and terrified all at once. They were ushered into a small office, with a round smiling woman behind the desk.
"Miss James?" she said pleasantly, looking between the two of them.
"That's me," said Haley, reaching out her hand. The woman shook it.
"I'm Daphne Cartier. And this is your… close personal friend?" asked Daphne Cartier, attempting to appear diplomatic. Haley blushed, but Taylor had to bite the inside of her cheeks to hold in a laugh.
"This is my big sister, Taylor James. We're roommates, and I'm single," said Haley, blushing furiously.
"I apologize, dear. Now I just need to fill out some forms, and then we can bring in Miss Travers and the three of you can go," said the woman. Haley nodded, and proceeded to sign, initial and read fine print while Taylor stared out the window, and occasionally over her little sister's shoulder.
"Haley?" whispered Taylor eventually.
"What?" asked Haley irritably, immersed in a document.
"Can I borrow your phone?" persisted Taylor.
"Why?"
"Because I need to make a call," muttered Taylor.
"Yeah, I figured. Here, go," said Haley, handing Taylor the phone and continuing on with her papers.
Ten minutes later, Taylor was back and Haley was finished. The round woman, Daphne, came back into the room, leafed through the papers, and smiled falsely.
"That's all in order. Miss Travers is waiting for you in the entry way," she said. Haley hurriedly stood, shook her hand and walked out of the room.
There were several children standing, obviously waiting, but only one that could possibly be Gabriela Travers-a lone figure, standing in the corner. She looked younger than thirteen as they approached but as the two got closer, she suddenly looked much older.
The first thing the two noticed about her was her hair: long, straight, vibrantly red hair, left to hang over her shoulders. Haley swiftly admired it. Her eyes changed continually from gray to green, occasionally stopping at blue. They looked to Taylor like a storm at sea, or the sea itself. She was short, Haley's height, and had freckles all around her face. But because of how light and almost transparent the freckles were, because of the wisdom and pain in her face, she looked much older than a young teenager.
"Hi, Gabriela?" asked Haley, sticking out her hand. The girl looked from Haley's outstretched hand to Haley. Slowly she reached out her own and shook with a surprisingly firm grip.
"Or Gabby," she said, looking between them.
"I'm Haley, and this is my sister Taylor," said Haley. Taylor smiled at Gabby, who's eyes twinkled slightly, showing emotion for the first time.
"You live together?" she asked.
"Yeah. The apartment's huge, I think you'll like it. Is that all your stuff sweetie?" asked Haley. Through this, Gabriela looked fairly amicable, but she seemed to grow darker at the mention of the term of endearment.
"Yep," she said. She easily hoisted the small duffel bag into the air.
"We can go shopping for some new stuff, if you want," suggested Haley, as they began to move out.
"Thanks," she said.
Her eyes widened when she saw the long black car, but she said nothing, even as she climbed in and saw the spacious interior, the comfortable seats, the back of Jared's head, covered in his cornrows, his head bopping along to hip hop coming through the radio. As soon as he heard Haley come in, he flicked it off, turned around and flashed his brilliant white smile, one that none of the three could resist smiling back to.
Gabby didn't say anything on the ride back, but listened with masked interest to Haley and Taylor's animated conversation, their attempts to converse with her. Taylor was better at it, she occasionally got more than one word answers.
"So, this is your room," said Haley awkwardly, ushering the teenager into the room Haley had picked out and decorated for her. Gabriela said nothing but the other two saw her take in, with wide eyes, the large, high bed, the en suite bathroom, the view of the city, the entertainment center in the corner. The walls were painted in lavender, most of the furniture was white.
"Thanks. It's really nice," she said eventually.
Taylor gently grabbed her sister's arm and tugged her away. The two ended up in a living room and collapsed on separate sofas.
"She's really quiet," said Haley.
"So were you, and now you never shut up. It'll be fine," said Taylor.
"If you say so. She's pretty though."
"Very. Hey, doorbell. Go answer it," said Taylor, rolling back her head and closing her eyes.
"No. You're closer," argued Haley.
"I will give you a thousand dollars to go answer that door right now," said Taylor, her eyes still closed, her hand combing luxuriously through her hair. Haley rolled her eyes, laughed, and leapt up to answer the door.
Haley's eyes widened when they came into contact bright blue eyes, short dark hair, six feet of muscles and a hardened facial expression. She almost gasped when he took in her voluptuous curves, her blonde hair, her lightly made up face. He took a half step toward her, both of them unsure.
"Nathan?" she said eventually, a statement as well as a question.