Okay… So, I did read everyone's reviews… I promise you I did, I however, feel that I had to do this. So, I'm really sorry, but don't stop reading cause I love you guys, you all rock.

Leaving Town

Chapter 9- Time To Say Goodbye

The after party of Whitey's funeral was held on the beach, what he wanted. He didn't want everyone to spend their time wandering around, depressed over him. He was about life, and living, so it only made sense. They should celebrate his life, that he had a good, long one, not cry over the fact he was gone, because, even if they didn't know it, they would always carry around a piece of him, something he had taught them.

"Okay, I would like to welcome to the stage Haley James, a very talented singer, here to sing just for Coach Durham… and Whitey, I hope you can hear this up in heaven, because Haley has a voice of an angel, give it up for Haley James," Brooke said, into the microphone, announcing Haley to the stage they set up on the beach.

Haley sat on the stool with her guitar at her leg, and pulled the microphone closer to her, "Wow, thank you, and this is for you Coach Durham. And hopefully you can hear this," Haley said, and picked up her guitar. She started strumming it softly, then gradually growing louder as she began to sing. It was a sad, but uplifting song, and she did have the voice of an angel.

When she finished the whole crowd clapped, with tears in their eyes, and hope and joy in their hearts. For some, it was their first time hearing her, for others, it was there first time in over five years. Then for some, it was like the first time all over again. No matter what it was, everyone enjoyed it, and that's what mattered.

They went back to the DJ, playing songs of their high school days, the younger generation there for the party, booing, while the older, laughing at the stuff they listened too. They were all laughing it up, until Haley walked over to them.

"Nathan, can I talk to you for a minute," then looking at everyone else, "alone?"

Nathan looked at her, and saw some of the same pain in her eyes he as saw last night, "Yeah, sure," he said, looking around then following her to an empty spot away from the party.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk, you listen."

"Okay…"

"Nathan, you kissed me. You know why we got divorced five years ago? You told me you no longer loved me. I moved on, I dealt with it, and then I moved on. I remarried, I loved him, not like I loved you, but I still loved him. After he was gone, I spent a time grieving him, and moved on, it's what you do. You morn your loss and move on, and I'm sorry Nathan, but Matt just broke up with me last night for crap's sake, and you kiss me this morning, not even waiting 24 hours. That hurts me. And I'm sorry if I hurt you in saying this, but I don't want you to be that guy. I don't want anyone to be that guy. Even though Matt was a jerk for the past couple of months, he was still my boyfriend. I need time, time to sort out my feelings, anger, hatred, sadness, happiness, relief, it's all swirling in my head. I just need time to sort it out. But you kissed me this morning, okay, do you seriously want to be that guy? The rebound guy. Shut-up, don't answer that. If you become the rebound guy, it'll always be a what if, what if I was just trying to fill the sudden hole in my heart, what if I wasn't thinking clearly, what if I made a mistake, okay, I don't want any what ifs. So, today, after coach's party, I'm going to go back to my hotel room, pack my things, and Meredith's and catch the next train home. But," she took a picture out of her back jeans pocket with a number on the back, it was one of the pictures Matt took of just her, and she looked amazing, "That's my new cell number on the back, call me in a couple of months, anything before, and I'll know your rushing me, and more than a year, and I'll know you've moved on, which I will me really happy for you. I'm not gonna wait forever, and you shouldn't have to wait for me, No! don't say anything, let me finish, if I am over Matt by the time you call, and I haven't met anyone else, I'll consider you, if you call too soon, I'll forget about you, and if you don't call, I will make a mental note you have moved on, as I probably have to. So, it's basically up to you to know when to call. I guess it's our test of fate. So, goodbye Nathan," Haley said and walked away, collecting Meredith from Taylor before she fully left, and Nathan stupidly watched her go, until she was out of sight.

Haley packed their things up and headed to the train station and got on the next train home. That was her plan on what to do, and she did it, she left… again.

Nathan stood on the beach until it was just him with Brooke, Peyton and Lucas staring at him from a distance, even Jake couldn't stand to look at Nathan's grief for that long. Nathan had lost her again, and he just let her slip through his fingers, just as the picture did as he kept turning it over and over in his hands, looking at her smiling face, then her phone number, and back to her face.