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Chapter Nine

At home that night Lucas sat at the kitchen table, his letters from Haley on the table in front of him. He barely noticed his mom coming through the door, laughing along with Keith as they returned from dinner. The pair stopped as they saw him, gazed fixed on the table, yet looking at nothing in particular.

"Honey are you okay?" Karen asked placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know what to do mom, Haley wants to meet me."

Karen pulled up a chair next to her son, placing her hand on his. "I thought you liked Haley?"

"I do that's why I don't know what to do. Do you really think she will believe I'm the same guy as the one in the letters?"

"Lucas, for the past month I have heard nothing but Haley this, and Haley that and how close you feel you too have gotten to each other. I know that when she sees you, she'll know the truth."

"You think so?" he asked, almost like a child being reassured that nothing bad was going to happen.

"Your mom's right." Keith replied. "You're a good kid, and Haley will see that too."

"Thanks Keith." Lucas stood and gathered all the letters into a pile. Karen also stood.

"It's going to be okay."

Lucas embraced her. "Thanks mom." With a small smile he left the room.

Lucas had spent a very sleepless night agonising over what to do. His head was telling him that if Haley found out that he was the mysterious L, she would abandon him and he would be worse off than he was in the beginning. Now that he knew her, he couldn't imagine not. But his heart told him that she didn't care who he was, they were friends, they shared their biggest secrets and she wouldn't judge him. The truth was as time went by, Lucas' feelings towards Haley changed, before he didn't need to think about it, but now that they were meeting he realised just how much he had fallen for her. He thought the timing of her letter ironic, he had tried multiple times, and failed that day, to write the letter he always knew he would have to write. The one which explained everything, the one that told Haley that he had read her journal and lied about it, the one that could make or break them.

When he got up that morning he had decided he would meet her, he couldn't stand the thought of her waiting for him and the heartbreak she would inevitably feel if he didn't show up, he couldn't do that to her. But would knowing the truth be worse?

Haley hadn't gotten that much sleep either, she worried about meeting the mysterious L, and what he would think of her, which only scared her even more, as she usually didn't care what people thought of her. Giving up on sleep, she got up and took a shower.

She and Lex walked into school that morning, and were met with the hustle and bustle of the student body. It was a Friday, not only the end of the school week, but the day of the big game. The cheerleaders were already dressed in their uniforms promoting pep in an already worked up environment. Brooke Davis head cheerleader was handing out flyers for the event.

"Big game tonight at 8pm, don't miss it! There'll be an extra special half time performance, certainly not one to be missed!" she said with a smirk.

"Can you believe that people actually go to these things?" Lex asked Haley.

"People want to fit in."

"I know but is there really a need for the girls to go around wearing short skirts, kicking their legs in the air, waving pompoms?"

"Yeah!" one guy yelled as he walked past them.

"Apparently they have his vote."

"It's just, how does that promote pep?"

"It's a strange world, but some how order retains." Haley replied with dry wit.

"The only reason I'm going to this thing is because you are my friend, and I would do anything for you."

"Well thank you for breaking your habit just this once."

"You're welcome."

Lucas packed his bag ready for the game. He was nervous about tonight, not because of the basketball match, but because tonight could be make or break for him with Haley. He just hoped that she would hear him out. He picked up his bag and made his way downstairs where Keith and his mom were waiting.

"There, I think that about does it." Lex replied, applying the finishing touches to Haley's make up.

Haley was not really one for make up, at least not to the extent of most of the girls in her school. She looked natural with a simple brown eye shadow swept across her eyelids, a little mascara and some clear chap stick, not glossing her lips but giving them a soft delicate look. Despite Lex's protests Haley would not dress up, she didn't want to go to the basketball game looking like she was on her way to dinner at a fancy restaurant, she wanted to look like Haley. Instead she wore her favourite blue jeans, her black boots and a white gypsy top.

"Well how do I look?"

"Amazing, this guy is gonna freak." Seeing Haley's expression she added. "In a good way."

Haley paused. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

Haley paused, she had been debating whether or not to tell her friend, but knew that she would only support her in whatever decision she made.

"There was another reason why I was so nervous about tonight."

Lex nodded, allowing her to continue.

"I think I like this guy."

"Yeah." Lex replied sitting on the bed, leaning over to put her shoes on.

"No Lex, like him, like him."

Lex looked up, flipping the hair back that had fallen into her face over her head. A small smile soon turned into a grin.

"I knew it!" She said jumping up from the bed to grab Haley by the shoulders.

"Lex calm down." Haley replied squeezing her eyes shut tight, as if trying to block out the noise.

Lex loosened her grip on her shoulders and took a deep breath. Haley opened one eye slightly to make sure it was safe to come out of hiding, before opening the other.

"I knew it." She said quieter this time.

"Its no big deal."

"No big…" Haley squinted again as Lex's voice grew in pitch. "No big deal?" she almost whispered, Haley shrugged.

"This is a big deal, this is a big frickin deal. Are you gonna say anything to him?"

"No, no…no" she added a final no for emphasis.

"Why not?"

"Because, for a start I have no idea who this guy is, for all I know he could be the, the janitor." Both of them were silent for a moment.

"Eeww." They said in unison, shaking their heads.

"I just, I just want to see who this guy is, before I start getting my hopes up." Lex pulled her into a hug.

"Aww buddy. Everything will be fine, I can tell, it's a gift."

"I hope you're right." She replied pulling away from the hug.

"You ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."