Author's Note: Hey, everyone. It's me again. I hope you all liked the last chapter even though there wasn't anything exciting in it. For those of you confused because I never really clarified it or actually said it; yes, Nathan is Brooke's baby daddy, but since she lost the baby, I guess he isn't anymore. Also, I know a lot of you want Haley and Nathan to meet up again in the future so don't worry, they will. But in case you are all thinking that it's going to be like all the other fics, where he comes in and everything is magically alright, think again. Just so none of you get your hopes up, they will NOT be getting back together. I don't do Naley. Sorry.
PS: lattertyluver23- While I do admit that I love Britney Spears (That's right! What?), the whole talent show thing doesn't have anything to do with Crossroads, purely accidental. I swear. They just need the money and Haley just happens to be able to sing.
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It only took the girls a half an hour to find where the talent show was. They stopped at a bank to withdrawal the last of Brooke's money so Haley could enter the contest. Haley was going crazy with nerves. She hating singing in front of people, every time she tried it she ended up bailing at the last minute. Plus, the added pressure of their entire future riding on her head, she was pretty scared. She looked out the window at all the people in the crowd as Brooke pulled into the parking lot.
"Look at them all, Tigger," Haley said, her nerves hitting an all time high. "The only person I've ever sung in front of is Nathan. And even then, I was dying." Brooke glanced at her as she looked for an empty spot where she could park.
"Are you saying you can't win?"
"No," Haley corrected her. "I'm saying I can't do it period."
"Why not?" She smiled when she finally found a spot. She pulled in right away before sticking her tongue out at the guy in the minivan who had been waiting to get that spot. The guy honked his horn and gave her the finger before driving off to continue his search. All that just added to Haley's nerves.
"I don't do crowds well, you know that," Haley explained. "Don't you remember that time in English class when I ran out during my poem presentation?" Brooke frowned at the memory. If she remembered correctly, her and Theresa had spent the rest of the day teasing her about it.
"Was that when me and Theresa bothered you for the..."
"Yeah," Haley answered. "Thank you for that, by the way." Brooke gave her a sorry look. Haley waved it off, not caring about that right now. "What am I supposed to do?"
"I could flirt with one of the judges?"
"That's like stealing five thousand dollars," Haley pointed out. "There's a big difference between that and a dirty motel room."
"Fine," Brooke sighed. She turned off the car and turned to get a good look at Haley. It wasn't until then that she saw just how nervous the girl was. She felt sorry for the girl. "Hales, you don't have to do this if you don't want to." Haley shook her head.
"It doesn't matter if I want to," Haley replied. "I have to. We need this money, Tigger, and you know it. We have a total of what left?" She flipped through the money in her hands. "About...two hundred and fifty."
"There's other ways," Brooke pointed out. "We can get money from somewhere else. If you don't think you can do it, then don't."
"Yes, I do," Haley corrected her. "Winning this money is our best shot." Brooke sighed, deciding that there was no reason with her.
"Then what are you going to do?"
"I guess I'll just picture that I'm singing to Nathan." Brooke gave her a strange look before opening her door and stepping out. Haley did the same thing and followed Brooke as she walked over to sign up.
"Name?" the woman demanded, without looking up from her clipboard. Brooke saw that Haley was too distracted to answer, so she stepped up.
"Haley James." The woman wrote it down.
"Talent?"
"Singing," Brooke answered. The woman wrote that down as well.
"Money?" She finally looked up and held out her hand for the money. Brooke looked back at Haley only to find her staring off into space. She sighed and grabbed the money out of her friend's hand and handed it to the woman. She put it in a container that was being shared with the man beside her.
"Sing your name and the song the you will be singing." She handed Brooke the clipboard and pen. "Then just take the sheet over there and give it to the woman in the blue, she's the MC." Brooke nodded. "Next."
"Nice talking to you, too," Brooke mumbled, moving out of the line so the next person could enter. She pulled Haley along with her. At the motion, Haley snapped out of her daze.
"What are we doing?"
"Fill this out," Brooke instructed, shoving the clipboard and pen into her hand. Haley looked at it in confusion for a moment before she understood what she was supposed to do. She shook her head and filled in the empty spaces.
"Now what?" she asked when she was done. She took off the sheet and handed the clipboard back to Brooke. Brooke slid the board down the table to the woman who had given to them.
"She said to go over to Blue Lady and give it to her," she answered, pointing to the woman in the blue jacket standing beside the backstage entrance. Haley nodded and they made there way over to the woman.
"Hi, ladies," she greeted them. They both gave her a smile. One was happier than the other.
"We were told to give this to you," Brooke explained, handing over the piece of paper. She looked it over and nodded.
"Just go on back," she said, motioning to backstage. "You can get all set up with the DJ and someone will come get you when it's almost your turn."
"Thank you," Brooke said, before the two of them walked behind the curtain. They were surprised to find that it was pretty crowded back there. They walked in further, looking as the people practiced for their turn. They reached the DJ and told him what to do.
"No problem, ladies," he told them and he went right back to work. They finally found a quite place and sat down.
"Do you want me to want back here with you?"
"No, it's okay," Haley answered. "I think I need a minute alone to gather my thoughts and nerves." Brooke nodded and stood up, patting Haley on the knee on her way. Haley gave her a smile, thanking her for the gesture.
"Good luck," she said. "And remember, it's just you and him." Haley nodded. Deciding that she was okay, Brooke made her way to the front to fine a spot. As she was on her way, she grimaced when she saw that one of the judges was the guy in the minivan. She hoped that he hadn't seen Haley in the passenger's side. She finally made it to the front of the stage and waited for her friend's name to be called.
Haley sat backstage, trying not to freak out. She was taking deep breaths, in and out. She tried to concentrate on what happened a few nights ago with Nathan. If she just focused on that, on the anger and the pain she felt then, she wouldn't be able to feel the nerves and fears she was feeling now. She brought a hand to her face and wiped away the sweat falling down.
"Haley James?" someone called for her. She looked up and raised her hand. The woman spotted her in the corner. "You're up next." All the colour faded from Haley's face and she nodded.
"Okay," she said to herself. "Just chill out, James. You can do this." She stood up and walked over to where the woman was telling her to stand. She handed her the microphone and left to get the next person ready. "It's just you and him."
"Up next we have the beautiful singing of Haley James," the announcer called. "So, ladies and gentleman, singing Sarah McLachlan's Full of Grace, please put your hands together for Haley James!"
The crowd cheered and the curtain opened. Haley was blinded by the light of the sun. They really shouldn't have had this outside. She stepped out onto the stage where so she was out of the sun. She looked around and began to panic, but calmed down a little when she spotted Brooke at the front of the stage. Brooke was cheering her on. The crowd was silenced when the music started. Haley didn't know what else to do, but to sing.
The winter here's cold, and bitter
It's chilled us to the bone
We haven't seen the sun for weeks
Too long, too far from home
I feel just like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness, I feel like letting go
Haley made her way into Nathan's apartment when her didn't answer the door after ten knocks. She could hear music coming from his bedroom and made her way to go find him. She was surprised to find it closed, since it never was. She gently pushed it open and was devastated to find Nathan on top of another girl.
If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I can love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love
"How could you Nathan?" she cried as the blonde made her way out of the bedroom and into the living room. "I thought you loved me?" He laughed under his breath.
"Well, then you thought wrong," he stated. "I don't know what gave you the impression that we were exclusive, but we aren't." Haley looked at him in shock. "We were just having fun, you know. Nothing serious."
"No," Haley cried, shaking her head. She couldn't believe that after everything they had gone through, it was all just for fun to him.
So it's better this way, I said
Having seen this place before
Where everything we say and do
Hurts us all the more
Its just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness, I feel like letting go
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked. "I thought you said you were going to hang out with Peyton." Haley's stomach dropped to her feet as she remembered what she had come there for. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, just as a tear fell down her cheek.
"I came to tell you that I'm pregnant," she whispered. Nathan was floored for a moment before he came to his senses. He put on a stone cold face. Haley knew what he was about to do. This was exactly what she was afraid of.
"And?" he asked as if it were nothing. "What do you want me to do about it? I wore a condom. It's not my fault you aren't on birth control." Haley looked up at him and was surprised by the hard look on his face. He was serious.
"What are you saying, Nathan?" she asked him. "Are you telling me that you aren't going to take responsibility for this? You're going to leave me to deal with this alone." She wiped away her tears. "Just like your dad?"
"What I'm saying is I want you out of here," he said, raising his voice and taking a step forward. "I want nothing to do with you or your damn kid!" She couldn't take it anymore and fled from the bedroom, past the blonde and into the night.
If all of the strength
And all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love
Haley snapped out of the memory and was pulled back into reality by the sound of the crowd. The song ended and the crowd just got louder. She looked around in surprise, not believing she had zoned out like that.
"Go, Hales!" Brooke cheered from the crowd. Haley looked in her direction and Brooke gave her a smiles and thumbs up.
"Thank you," she said nervously to the crowd. She bowed and left the stage in a rush. Brooke quickly pushed her way through the crowd and made her way backstage to meet Haley. When she got back there, she found Haley sitting on the floor in the corner they had been in before. She walked over to her.
"Girl, you kicked ass!" she cheered. Haley looked up at her with tears in her eyes. Brooke looked down at her sadly. She slid down the wall to sit beside her on the floor. "You and him?" Haley shook her head.
"Me, him and her," she corrected. Brooke nodded in understanding and pulled her into her arms. She held onto her as she cried.
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I'm sorry if it sucks. I tried. Hope you liked it. Please tell me what you think. Thanks.