Author's Note: Hello all! I figured that since we have had three chapters
with only Brooke and Haley in them (and a brief appearance from Karen) it
was time to see what's going on back in Tree Hill to see what everyone else
is up to. This will take place the next morning, so we can see what
everyone's reactions are. Well, maybe not everyone's, I'll see if I can
work them in. Anyway, I'm hoping I'll be able to give Nathan what he
deserves in this chapter, but we'll have to wait and see. Okay, so here's
the next chapter...
OTH
Karen Roe stood behind the counter of her Café in a daze. She had been standing there for the last ten minutes, cleaning the exact same spot. She wasn't able to sleep at all last night, she was too busy worrying about Haley to relax enough to sleep. She was also trying to figure out what had made her feel she had to go. Karen tried to think of anything in the recent past that may have caused Haley pain. She couldn't think of anything that would cause Haley to leave. She sighed and looked around the almost empty restaurant. She was glad that Luke was on vacation with Keith this week, she was dreading telling him that his best friend had left. She knew he would be devastated. God, what was she going to say to him? Well, at least she had an entire week to think of what to say. She snapped out of her trance when she heard the door open. She looked up to see Peyton walking up to her. She had a smile on her face.
"Hi, Peyton," she greeted her as Peyton stood in front of the counter. "What can I get you?" Karen was glad to have something to take her mind of Haley.
"I was wondering if you knew were Brooke was?" Peyton asked her. Karen tried to think of the last time she had seen her son's ex-girlfriend. "I know she comes in here a lot to talk to you. I was just wondering if she came in here yesterday or this morning?"
"I haven't seen her this morning, but she might have come in yesterday," Karen answered. "I'm not sure, I wasn't here yesterday." Peyton nodded her head.
"Okay, then I'll just ask Hales," Peyton decided. Karen's face fell when she heard her name, but Peyton didn't seem to notice. "I think she was working yesterday. Is she working today?"
"Uh, Peyton," Karen began. Peyton heard the tone in her voice right away. "Haley left." Peyton didn't fully understand what she was saying, but she nodded.
"Okay, I'll go by her house and ask her," Peyton replied. "That way if she doesn't know where Brooke is, we can go to the mall or something." She started to back away.
"No, Peyton. Haley left," Karen repeated. Peyton looked at her in confusion.
"What do you mean she left? She's at home?"
"No, she left Tree Hill," Karen explained. Peyton's face fell. She walked back over to the counter and sat on a stool. Karen looked at her in sympathy. Peyton sat there for a moment and tried to wrap her head around it.
"For good?" Karen bowed her head and nodded.
"That's what she said," Karen answered. "She came by last night after closing. She just told me she was leaving."
"Did she say why?" Peyton asked, also trying to think of any reason Haley might have to leave. She, like Karen, came up with nothing. Karen shook her head and shrugged.
"She just said she had to go. Didn't say why," Karen replied in sadness. "Can you think of any reason she might leave? I tried to think of something, but I came up empty."
"I don't know." Peyton stood up. "But I know someone who might. I'll come back and tell you if I find out anything." She turned around and jogged out the door, passing Jake and Jenny on the way out. "Hi Jake. Bye, Jake."
"Nice to talk to you, too," he called out to her as he walked into the Café. "What was that about? Where's she off to in such a hurry?"
"Off to find some answers about Haley," Karen answered, taking off her apron. She looked at her watch to see that it was only eight in the morning. This was going to be a long day. At least she could finally take a break now the Jake was here.
"What's up with Haley?" he asked, setting Jenny's carrier on the counter. He grabbed his apron and began to put it on. He looked around and was surprised to find it so empty.
"She left last night." Jake stopped his movements and looked up at Karen in surprise.
"For good?" Karen nodded. "Why would she do that?"
"That's the million dollar question."
OTH
Peyton pulled up to an empty spot and turned off the car. She got out and walked up the stairs, hoping she remembered which apartment was Nathan's. She found the one she was sure was his and knocked on the door. She knew that he was probably still sleeping, but she figured that he was the only one that might have any answers. After about a minute she heard movement inside. The door opened and there stood a blonde chick.
"Can I help you?" she asked, in a tired voice. Peyton looked her up and down. She wasn't wearing anything, but a bed sheet she was holding around herself.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Peyton apologized, thinking she had the wrong the apartment. "I think I have the wrong place. I was looking for Nathan Scott." The girl nodded her head.
"Then you're in the right place." She opened the door further to reveal Nathan standing in the doorway of his bedroom in just his boxers. Peyton looked at the blonde then back to Nathan. It wasn't long before she put two and two together. She stared down Nathan. The blonde looked between them. "Are you his girlfriend or something? Cause he kept talking about this whiny chick that he was playing." Peyton broke her staring contest with Nathan to look at the blonde.
"If you want to keep the pretty hair of yours, I suggest that you leave. Now," she warned her. The girl looked over at Nathan, who wasn't saying anything. He didn't meet her gaze. "You're not gone yet."
"Um, excuse me. Who do you think you..." Peyton pushed her outside and slammed the door in her face. She turned back to Nathan, ignoring the girl banging on the door. "Can I at least have my clothes?!"
"Who the hell was that?" Peyton demanded, stepping forward. Nathan rubbed his head and didn't look at her.
"Just some chick I met at a party," he answered, turning around and going into his room to get dressed, Peyton following right behind him. He turned around to look at her. "Do you mind? I'm getting dressed."
"I don't care right now," she snapped at him. "What was she doing here, Nate?" He cringed when she said his name like that; she only called him that when she was really pissed off at him. He rolled his eyes at her.
"If you can't figure that out, you really haven't gotten any in a long time."
"What were you thinking?" He pulled in his pants. "How could you do that to Haley? I thought you loved her?" He laughed.
"Maybe I should go into acting. Apparently she thought so too." Peyton had to suppress the urge to smack him because he was the kind of guy who would hit her back.
"How can you say that?" Peyton spat at him. "You too were in love! How could you cheat on her?" Nathan shook his head before he pulled a shirt on.
"God, you two sound exactly alike," he told her. He pushed past her and walked into the kitchen. "I heard all of this last night for her, okay? I really don't need to hear it again, thank you."
"Last night?" Peyton repeated. Everything finally clicked in her head. "She caught you with her, didn't she? That's why she left." Nathan stopped what he was doing when he heard her.
"She left?" he asked her. Peyton nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "And right now, I don't really blame her. You're an ass Nathan." She started to walk to the door, but he caught her arm.
"Why do you care so much, anyway?" he asked her. "You come charging in here and throw out my date and yell at me! It's not like I cheated on you!"
"No," Peyton whispered. "You just cost me my friend." She pulled her arm out of his grasped and walked out the door, pushing the blonde out of her way on the way out.
OTH
That's it for now. I hope you guys still like it. I know some of you probably wanted to know what Luke's reaction was gonna be, but I haven't thought of that yet. I think we're gonna check in on Tigger and Tutor Girl next chapter, but tell me if you think I should write more about what's going on in Tree Hill or if I should stick to the runaways. Please tell me what you think. Thanks for reading. I'm outtie.
OTH
Karen Roe stood behind the counter of her Café in a daze. She had been standing there for the last ten minutes, cleaning the exact same spot. She wasn't able to sleep at all last night, she was too busy worrying about Haley to relax enough to sleep. She was also trying to figure out what had made her feel she had to go. Karen tried to think of anything in the recent past that may have caused Haley pain. She couldn't think of anything that would cause Haley to leave. She sighed and looked around the almost empty restaurant. She was glad that Luke was on vacation with Keith this week, she was dreading telling him that his best friend had left. She knew he would be devastated. God, what was she going to say to him? Well, at least she had an entire week to think of what to say. She snapped out of her trance when she heard the door open. She looked up to see Peyton walking up to her. She had a smile on her face.
"Hi, Peyton," she greeted her as Peyton stood in front of the counter. "What can I get you?" Karen was glad to have something to take her mind of Haley.
"I was wondering if you knew were Brooke was?" Peyton asked her. Karen tried to think of the last time she had seen her son's ex-girlfriend. "I know she comes in here a lot to talk to you. I was just wondering if she came in here yesterday or this morning?"
"I haven't seen her this morning, but she might have come in yesterday," Karen answered. "I'm not sure, I wasn't here yesterday." Peyton nodded her head.
"Okay, then I'll just ask Hales," Peyton decided. Karen's face fell when she heard her name, but Peyton didn't seem to notice. "I think she was working yesterday. Is she working today?"
"Uh, Peyton," Karen began. Peyton heard the tone in her voice right away. "Haley left." Peyton didn't fully understand what she was saying, but she nodded.
"Okay, I'll go by her house and ask her," Peyton replied. "That way if she doesn't know where Brooke is, we can go to the mall or something." She started to back away.
"No, Peyton. Haley left," Karen repeated. Peyton looked at her in confusion.
"What do you mean she left? She's at home?"
"No, she left Tree Hill," Karen explained. Peyton's face fell. She walked back over to the counter and sat on a stool. Karen looked at her in sympathy. Peyton sat there for a moment and tried to wrap her head around it.
"For good?" Karen bowed her head and nodded.
"That's what she said," Karen answered. "She came by last night after closing. She just told me she was leaving."
"Did she say why?" Peyton asked, also trying to think of any reason Haley might have to leave. She, like Karen, came up with nothing. Karen shook her head and shrugged.
"She just said she had to go. Didn't say why," Karen replied in sadness. "Can you think of any reason she might leave? I tried to think of something, but I came up empty."
"I don't know." Peyton stood up. "But I know someone who might. I'll come back and tell you if I find out anything." She turned around and jogged out the door, passing Jake and Jenny on the way out. "Hi Jake. Bye, Jake."
"Nice to talk to you, too," he called out to her as he walked into the Café. "What was that about? Where's she off to in such a hurry?"
"Off to find some answers about Haley," Karen answered, taking off her apron. She looked at her watch to see that it was only eight in the morning. This was going to be a long day. At least she could finally take a break now the Jake was here.
"What's up with Haley?" he asked, setting Jenny's carrier on the counter. He grabbed his apron and began to put it on. He looked around and was surprised to find it so empty.
"She left last night." Jake stopped his movements and looked up at Karen in surprise.
"For good?" Karen nodded. "Why would she do that?"
"That's the million dollar question."
OTH
Peyton pulled up to an empty spot and turned off the car. She got out and walked up the stairs, hoping she remembered which apartment was Nathan's. She found the one she was sure was his and knocked on the door. She knew that he was probably still sleeping, but she figured that he was the only one that might have any answers. After about a minute she heard movement inside. The door opened and there stood a blonde chick.
"Can I help you?" she asked, in a tired voice. Peyton looked her up and down. She wasn't wearing anything, but a bed sheet she was holding around herself.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Peyton apologized, thinking she had the wrong the apartment. "I think I have the wrong place. I was looking for Nathan Scott." The girl nodded her head.
"Then you're in the right place." She opened the door further to reveal Nathan standing in the doorway of his bedroom in just his boxers. Peyton looked at the blonde then back to Nathan. It wasn't long before she put two and two together. She stared down Nathan. The blonde looked between them. "Are you his girlfriend or something? Cause he kept talking about this whiny chick that he was playing." Peyton broke her staring contest with Nathan to look at the blonde.
"If you want to keep the pretty hair of yours, I suggest that you leave. Now," she warned her. The girl looked over at Nathan, who wasn't saying anything. He didn't meet her gaze. "You're not gone yet."
"Um, excuse me. Who do you think you..." Peyton pushed her outside and slammed the door in her face. She turned back to Nathan, ignoring the girl banging on the door. "Can I at least have my clothes?!"
"Who the hell was that?" Peyton demanded, stepping forward. Nathan rubbed his head and didn't look at her.
"Just some chick I met at a party," he answered, turning around and going into his room to get dressed, Peyton following right behind him. He turned around to look at her. "Do you mind? I'm getting dressed."
"I don't care right now," she snapped at him. "What was she doing here, Nate?" He cringed when she said his name like that; she only called him that when she was really pissed off at him. He rolled his eyes at her.
"If you can't figure that out, you really haven't gotten any in a long time."
"What were you thinking?" He pulled in his pants. "How could you do that to Haley? I thought you loved her?" He laughed.
"Maybe I should go into acting. Apparently she thought so too." Peyton had to suppress the urge to smack him because he was the kind of guy who would hit her back.
"How can you say that?" Peyton spat at him. "You too were in love! How could you cheat on her?" Nathan shook his head before he pulled a shirt on.
"God, you two sound exactly alike," he told her. He pushed past her and walked into the kitchen. "I heard all of this last night for her, okay? I really don't need to hear it again, thank you."
"Last night?" Peyton repeated. Everything finally clicked in her head. "She caught you with her, didn't she? That's why she left." Nathan stopped what he was doing when he heard her.
"She left?" he asked her. Peyton nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "And right now, I don't really blame her. You're an ass Nathan." She started to walk to the door, but he caught her arm.
"Why do you care so much, anyway?" he asked her. "You come charging in here and throw out my date and yell at me! It's not like I cheated on you!"
"No," Peyton whispered. "You just cost me my friend." She pulled her arm out of his grasped and walked out the door, pushing the blonde out of her way on the way out.
OTH
That's it for now. I hope you guys still like it. I know some of you probably wanted to know what Luke's reaction was gonna be, but I haven't thought of that yet. I think we're gonna check in on Tigger and Tutor Girl next chapter, but tell me if you think I should write more about what's going on in Tree Hill or if I should stick to the runaways. Please tell me what you think. Thanks for reading. I'm outtie.