Chapter Thirty-Six: Just As Needed

Author's note: This is not the end. This is a transition chapter. Soon everything will be changing again.

Mildly disgusted with herself, Haley impatiently tapped her fingers on the desk in front of her. She realized that once again she'd become one of those girls who were at a loss without their boyfriends.

Nathan and Lucas had gone to drive Leigh, Karen, Keith and Ryan to the airport. After an emotional parting with Ryan, Haley knew she had a whole day to fill and nothing to fill it with.

"Hey," came a low voice from the door. Haley turned her attention gratefully to it.

"Peyton. Come in," she said, her voice somewhat cold.

"How are you doing? We haven't talked since the hospital," she said.

"Peyt, we haven't talked since June. But I'm great," she said.

"I'm sorry. It just got so hard, with you and Brooke falling in love, then Jake admitting his feelings. It was so much safer with Davis somehow. There's more to her than you ever saw," said Peyton.

"I don't want you to feel estranged," said Haley.

"I don't want to either," she replied.

"I'm going to miss you. So much. And Brooke, and even Nathan," said Haley.

"Nathan loves you. He isn't letting you go," promised Peyton.

"I know. I need both of you though," said Haley softly. Shyly she put her arms around her best friend, missing the days when it had all been so simple. Feeling complete for the first time since her original estrangement, Peyton hugged her back.

Haley's eyes fell on the pictures stuck to Peyton's mirror, and she once again marveled at how much everything had changed in that one short summer. No more Chris and Haley, no more Brooke and her hookups, no more Jake and his endless brooding.

Brooke sensed the wistful mood of the room as soon as she stepped into it, and just as quickly decided to rectify it.

"Guys, it's our last summer holidays before I have to become a soccer mom, our last day before I have to jet off to LA again, and you two are having a love fest in your bedroom? We need to get out of her," she said. Haley looked up and smiled.

"I don't want to go out. None of us have any need to hook up any more. There's nowhere we haven't been. Let's buy junk food and rent movies and cumulate our beauty supplies and have a real girl's night," suggested Haley. Brooke reflected on the sense of queasiness that followed her everywhere. Peyton reflected on how the three of them would soon be indefinitely split.

"Can we watch Cruel Intentions again?" asked Brooke, breaking the long silence.

An hour and a half later the three girls were still on the bed in Peyton's room, now dressed in their pajamas, eating junk food and steadily working through the supply of magazines that Brooke had bought for the long plane ride from LA.

"So what do we think of this Ryan? Do we trust her?" asked Brooke. Haley looked up in surprise. The idea of not trusting Ryan Scott had never occurred to her.

"Well it seems severely doubtful she'll ever go after either of our boyfriends, she's a nice kid, she's honest, she is in no way backstabbing, and pretty damn innocent. All of these things added up mean that she's far more trustworthy than we are," said Haley.

"She's cool," agreed Peyton.

"She doesn't like me, I don't think. Neither does Karen," pouted Brooke.

"Could be because I went to lunch with her and instead of waiting for her to suggest you come along, you bolted so she wouldn't have the chance to. But the whole pregnancy issue's got to be a tough one," said Haley.

"We had absolutely no idea what to tell them, especially after Luke filled me in on the whole deal with Dan and Keith and all that. So we're kind of hoping they accidentally find out through tabloids," said Brook sheepishly. Haley knocked her over the head with a pillow, and she quickly hit back. As the girls began to actively pillow fight, Peyton's mind flashed to a similar scene. One with Davis.

She shook the thought quickly out of her head again.

"So," said Brooke eventually, bored by their antics. "Did it hurt?"

Haley looked up in confusion. Looking between her two friends, she could tell quickly that she was the only one lost. Comprehension drew on her.

"No! I mean, we haven't," she said blushingly.

"Seriously? Nathan and you are so hot for each other," said Brooke.

"Brooke, lay off her. We haven't, either," said Peyton.

"Yeah, but you have. Haley hasn't. She needs to get laid," said Brooke decidedly.

"Hey! I think Haley should decide when Haley gets laid. I'm not ready," she said uncomfortably.

"Are you still up for that waiting for marriage thing?" questioned Brooke.

"I don't know. I want to, but I still don't know how much I can trust Nathan. I think he loves me, but he doesn't know how to handle it. He's so immature. I don't really feel like I can trust him yet."

Brooke frowned. It had been about two weeks since the original hookup, and now Haley was already having doubts?

"I think you can. He went through a lot of crap just to be with you," said Peyton.

"Why haven't you?" asked Haley.

"I don't know. Our whole relationship is exactly normal. We've been asexually together for years, it's hard to just jump into that even when we know we both want it," said Peyton.

"I've never found it hard to get into it," said Brooke, smirking.

"What made you decide to sleep with Lucas so early on?" asked Haley.

"Honestly? At the time, because he was hot. I'm in love with him now, but I never meant for it to turn out like that. Part of me wishes he'd never forgiven me, Sometimes he just looks so resentful," said Brooke wistfully.

"Has it ever occurred to you that it could be Lucas'?" asked Haley.

"Every day. But either way someone's going to get hurt," prophesized Brooke, abandoning the magazine she'd been reading in favour of staring in to space.

Lucas Scott smiled as he entered Peyton's bedroom to find the three girls curled up together asleep, bodies vaguely linked. He didn't want to disturb them. Part of him wanted to curl up next to his girlfriend and stay forever where she was happy.

She stirred as he walked over and tucked her hair behind her ear. She smiled as she caught sight of his own loving face.

"Hey baby. Already?" she asked.

"Sadly. Want to say goodbye? Flight's in two hours," he said.

"No. We took care of it last night. Let's go," she said reluctantly. She squeezed Haley's hand lightly as she left.

Because all good things must come to an end.