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Chapter Six

"So are you going to write back?" Lex asked Haley, drumming her fingers on the underside of her lunch tray.

They were standing in line at the cafeteria, and as always the queue seemed to go on forever. Every now and then Lex would push herself up onto her toes to try and see what the hold up was.

Haley was lost in thought, and Lex's question brought her round.

"Huh, write back?" She asked puzzled, wondering how much of the conversation she had actually missed.

"You know missing journal returned, secret letter in your locker, any of this ringing any bells?"

The truth of it was, before Lex had distracted her from her thoughts, she was thinking of the letter, more importantly the person who had written it. Someone had taken the time to, not only return her journal, but to write a letter apologising and explaining everything. Everything that is, apart from their identity.

"Do you think I should, write back I mean?"

"Sure, why not." Lex replied as the queue started moving. Finally, she thought, only for the queue to stop after two paces.

Haley adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Well, what would I say?"

"How about thanks for a start?" She looked to Haley whose face pleaded with her for help. "Just say how happy you are that you got it back safely and thank him."

Haley paused. "Him?"

"Oh it is so definitely a him."

"How can you tell?" Haley asked with a surprised smile.

"Women's intuition, that and the handwriting." Haley nodded impressed.

Two people ahead in the queue, Lucas tried to eavesdrop on Haley's conversation without drawing attention to himself. He wanted to know what she thought of his letter, for some reason he seeked her approval, maybe it was because of what she had written about him, or maybe he desired to be judged by someone who actually mattered. Either way he wanted to hear from her, he wanted to get to know her, the real her, and if he had to do that through secret letters in her locker, then so be it. Part of him also felt relieved that if she did write back, he could let her see the real him, and not the person he pretended to be. He wanted her to get to know the real him without all the baggage and misconceptions that his name carried.

"So just leave it in my locker and hope that he checks it."

"Yeah, just think of it as your personal mailbox." Lex replied.

"But don't you think it's kinda weird, I mean lockers are supposed to be private, hence the lock."

The queue had finally moved and Lex placed her tray on the side, scanning what was on offer.

"I guess, but it's not like he was routing around in there was it. I mean nothing was touched or moved right?"

"I guess." Haley replied reaching for a carton of juice, and placing it on her tray.

"Call him on it, in your letter. Say it was sweet, but what about your privacy?"

Haley looked up from her tray. "So we've decided that I'm writing back have we?" Haley grinned.

"Heck yeah." Lex replied, slinging her arm around Haley's shoulder with a laugh.

Lucas hadn't thought of it that way before. First he had read her journal, and not told her about it in the letter, and now he had snuck into her locker, what was he gonna do next, follow her into the bathroom! But there was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to wait and see if she would reply, then he would go from there.

Haley sat somewhere in the middle when in math class. Right at the front were your eager math loving students, usually referred to as the geeks, but Haley saw no need for name calling, and it certainly shouldn't be something that defined them, just because they were interested in doing well. At the back were the jocks surrounded by the cheerleaders, again names given by the student population, which only left the middle. Neutral territory. For those who fit neither category. Haley thought it reflect the high school food chain, jocks and cheerleaders at the top of the chain feeding off the smaller, weaker students who only wanted to get through school and actually survive. Math was an okay subject, she didn't despise it, but then again she wasn't forming a math cheerleading group either. As it was a slow lesson, she began thinking about her reply to the mysterious letter.

I have no idea who this person is, so how am I gonna know what to write, or even how to write it? Right think, what was Lex's advice, just start by saying thanks.

Haley picked up her pen and found a clean page on her notepad.

I just wanted to thank you for returning my journal. It was so kind of you, I was worried that some had picked it up and I wouldn't get it back. You've probably guessed how important it is to me, it's like my own outlet for all of the things that happen to me, for my emotions, my thoughts. Its like the perfect best friend, you can tell it anything and it will never argue with you, judge you, take sides, or tell everyone what you've written. That's why I'm just so grateful that you returned it. Even though you did break into my locker to do so, I am so happy to have it back, thanks again.

Haley

She hadn't intended for it to, but the letter had said so much more than she had planned. But once she had started writing she couldn't stop. Not one for hiding who she was, she decided not to change a word, she would leave it in her locker after school and see what happened.

Lucas missed his fourth shot in a row, it was only practice, but his game was off. He had been thinking about what Haley had said, what if she wrote back telling him to stay out of her locker and to leave her alone, what if she didn't write back? Shot number five was also a miss.

"Scott!" Whitey yelled. "What the hell's the matter with you boy?" Lucas picked up the ball and made his way over to Whitey, while the rest of the team continued with practice.

"Sorry coach, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Well hopefully you can get it sorted by the game on Friday." Switching from basketball Whitey to advice Whitey, his voice softened.

"Son, do you need to talk?"

Lucas smiled lowering his gaze to the floor. "I'm just looking at things differently coach, trying to figure out what I want from life."

"Those are some pretty big thoughts for someone as young as you. No wonder your game is off." Lucas smiled.

"I know it seems like it now, but don't be in a rush to grow up, before long you'll be looking back and wondering what happened to the last forty years, believe me. But that's not to say that you shouldn't think about the important things, just try not to let it consume you, if your too busy thinking ahead, you might just miss what's in front of you."

"That was really…deep."

"Thanks."

After this chat with Whitey, Lucas felt as if a small portion of the weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Practice had gone better, and once it was over, Lucas headed to his locker to get the rest of his stuff. He slowed to a stop beside Haley's locker, wondering if she had left him a note, he soon realised that his heart rate had suddenly increased as his hand moved towards the lock. He took a deep breath, looked around then opened the locker, there sat the envelope he had left his letter in, he gingerly reached his hand inside the locker, picking it up. Turning it over, he opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper. Hearing someone approach he shut the locker door and grabbing his stuff from his own locker, made his way home.

He ran straight upstairs without even a greeting to his mom. Shutting the door behind him, he sat on his bed and pulled the envelope from his bag. Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the paper and began to read, a small smile forming on his lips.

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