Gloria Estphan,(SP?) song.
Chapter 20: Love on Layaway
If I could only have one wish this holiday
Without a second thought I'd have to say
The continuing yells from her mother finally woke her from her sleep. She looked out the window, the busy streets and rooftops of New York below were covered with white. At least, that's what she saw from their Penthouse view, but she knew that it wasn't white. It never stayed white in New York, the filthy cars flung threw it, causing it to turn a dingy brown color. She loved the fake view from her bedroom window, why couldn't it be white when she got downstairs?
She tapped her broken alarm-clock, as it finally went off, a hour late, silencing it from it's horrible opera music setting that she couldn't get it off of. Dragging her disappointed body out of her room and down the hallway, she found her mother ignoring the words coming from Kenny's mouth as she hummed along with the Christmas music on the radio. Haley had just released her newest album a few weeks ago, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. So Hannah flew to Tree Hill for Thanksgiving by herself, and spent the extended weekend with Nathan. Haley however, had been everywhere that weekend, promoting her album. She and Chris had been on TRL that Tuesday, the Today show Wednesday, Macy's day parade Thursday, Regis and Kelly Friday, a Movie Premiere Friday night, a few in- store signings Saturday morning, a concert Saturday night, and Sunday she had done her regular Make a Wish foundation work. Hannah could tell her mother was worn out, seeing as, she hadn't stopped her grueling schedule since.
"Your backpack is by the front door, and your breakfast is on the table. Have a good day last day sweetie." Haley said tiredly as Kenny shoved some papers in front of her. She kissed the top of Hannah's forehead. Hannah sighed as she grabbed her bagel off the table and backpack off the ground. Why did they decide to have us go to school until the 23rd? Don't they understand it was murdering the poor children's brains? She thought as she flipped out her cell phone when she reached the sidewalk.
- -
That you can't find what I want in any store
I just want you to be mine and nothing more
Brooke was over, "talking" loudly with Nathan. Nicole groaned as she turned over, ignoring their angry tones. She couldn't make out what they were yelling anyways, and she was much too tired to get up and open her door to find out.
Hannah's ringer went off on her phone right as she was about to fall back asleep. The common noises of New York were heard in the background as she muttered a hello.
"Let me guess, you're not even up yet!" Hannah exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's what normal teenagers do at eight o'clock in the morning." Nicole murmured, half into her pillow, half into the phone.
"Not ones who have school!" She shouted.
"It's your last day. And remember, you have two weeks after Christmas of break time. I only have one."
"Yeah, but.. What am I going to do while you are at school that week?"
"Same thing I did this week: Sleep." Nicole said, hearing Hannah say hi to a few people as she entered the school. "You guys still flying down here after you get home from school?"
"Yeah, I hope." She sighed. "Did you hang the mistletoe?" She smirked.
"Yes..." She yawned. "So I guess that means we're still doing project NH?"
"Duh." Hannah smiled, closing her locker. "You can't expect them to do anything about it by themselves can you?"
"I don't know Hann... Sure dad told you all that stuff, but what if they really don't feel that way."
"Oh, please! One, when did you become the level- headed one? Two, you should have heard his voice, you could tell he still loved her, and three, Brooke said she could tell they were still crazy about each other. I mean, you had even said YOU noticed a change in him!"
"Yeah... but..."
"BUT WHAT! We're doing it, I don't care what you say. We'll see tonight. Bye." She rushed off the phone, running to her first class as the bell rang.
"Perfect. Just perfect." Nicole huffed as she slipped out of bed and walked sluggishly down the stairs. The yells from the kitchen stopped when they heard her coming down the stairs. She caught something about Christmas though.
"Goodbye Nathan." Brooke said curtly, glaring at him.
"Bye!" He rolled his eyes at her.
"What was that all about?" Nicole chuckled, pouring some coffee.
"I.. Don't have a clue actually. Something about Christmas and I better dress correctly or something." He laughed, staring at her confused. "Since when do you drink coffee?"
"Um. Since Hannah thinks she's cool and calls me to complain at annoying hours of the day."
He amusingly shook his head. "Of course, everything is blamed on Hannah.. How could I forget?"
"Well! If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have almost died! Or I wouldn't have had to spend most of my summer in a leaky- roofed cabin or-"
"Or you wouldn't have met your mother." He protests.
"You don't know that. You would've caved eventually." She smirks knowingly.
"That's doubtful. I'm not really Haley's number one fan, if you didn't notice." He says, zipping up his basketball bag.
"Yes you are. You just haven't noticed." She replies shortly, sticking her cold cereal spoon in her mouth and carrying her bowl off to watch television.
--
No brand new clothes could fill my lonely soul
When the snow falls on the ground and it gets cold
Hannah sighed deeply as the traffic to the airport inched forward. They were going to miss their flight. The Sinatra Christmas CD that Haley was listening to helping her peevish state much. Not to mention the snow falling outside was beginning to get heavy, causing her to irritation with the world to grow. Finally sprinting through the terminal, Hannah and Haley end up looking at none other than a board that reads: Delayed. Some people who had raised an eyebrow at the girls running wildly down the airport had realized that it was Haley James who stood in front of them, and a crowd began to gather near to them.
"Great. Just great." Hannah pouted as Haley went up to check on the status of their flight. She had to admit it ticked her off even more that her mother could sit there as she waited in line, smiling and signing autographs like there was no tomorrow.
"Well, the snow storm has caused them to delay most flight. She said we can either wait here all night for our flight, or come back tomorrow for the eight am flight. But she lead me to believe that it would be best to take tomorrow's flight.
"Fine. Let's go home."
--
No expensive gift you put under my tree
Will keep me warm this holiday if you're not holding me
"Need some help?" Nicole asks. The sight of Brooke, standing on a chair, attempting to string lights on a Christmas Tree, frankly, it frightened her.
"Yes!" She pleaded, watching her remove her scarf, coat, and hat. "Gettin' cold out there isn't it."
"Yeah. Dad says that it's the coldest winter here. I went on the internet and checked, it's not, but close. The lowest was in '89."
Brooke looked down at her surprised. "Okay, and I am being dead serious here, who are you and why are you turning are poor little Nicole into Haley?" She stared at her, seriously waiting for a response.
"Shut up Brooke, or I'll tell Uncle Luke that you bought yourself a new dress or four when you were supposed to be out Christmas shopping."
"SHHH! God, shut up, he'll hear you."
Nicole chuckled. "Where is he?"
"Not sure, he's creeping around here somewhere though." She grumbled.
"Nice way to talk about your fianceé." She smiled, handing her an ornament.
"Nicole, I think I'm pregnant." She blurted out, causing Nicole to drop the ornament. The sound of the shatter causes Lucas to appear from his office.
"Everybody alright?" He asked, alarmed.
"Yeah. Everyone is fine. Just fine." Brooke smiles fakely, and Lucas eyes them suspiciously, nodding and retreating back to his office.
"Nicole?" Brooke starts meekly, knowing it wasn't a good way to tell her. "Honey?"
"Brooke, I... I think I should be getting home. It's dark out." She lies.
"Do you need me to drive you?" She asks, worried, not about her safety, but more about her feelings.
"It's just around the block. I'll... I'll talk to you.. Uh. Later." She mumbled, tearing her coat and things off the rack and running out of the house.
--
I don't want diamond rings, perfume or brand new shoes
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
"Can you hear me?" Haley laughed, waving a hand in front of Hannah's face as they once again look at the delayed board the next morning.
"I can hear you. I'm just not listening." She told her curtly.
"I'm glad your honest at least." Haley laughed bitterly. "Anyways, the guy next to us just told us that he was told we would be boarding inside the hour. We won't will the party, I promise."
--
Santa bring, on your sleigh, just for me this holiday
The one I want and make my dreams come true
"Nicky...?" Brooke asked timidly into the house, peeking her head through the front door.
"She's with Karen, Brooke." Nathan grunted as he shoveled a large amount of cereal into his mouth, reading the sports page.
"...Nathan? How scared were you?" She asks, barely above a whisper.
"Huh?" He squints in confusion, looking up at her from his paper.
"When Haley told you she was pregnant?" She clarified.
"I don't know. I was still a teenager, my biggest worry before that was how many points I scored or if I failed my Chemistry test. Pretty scared I guess." He shrugged. "Why?"
"I... I think I may be pregnant Nathan." She squeaks weakly.
"Good for you Brooke." He smiles, going back to his cereal.
"That's all you're going to say?" She asks blankly.
"Brooke, in all the years you've known me who have I ever given an over-dramatic congratulations to?" He asks, rolling his eyes.
"Haley." She whispers. "Anyways, I should go, I wouldn't want to keep you from your cereal."
He frowns at the spot she had just occupied. Haley. Was he that obvious? No, he didn't have anything to be obvious about. She didn't say anything about now, right... he loved her before. That he could truthfully admit, he HAD loved Haley in high school. Now it's different though... right?
- . -
I'll be good every day, I'll put some love on layaway
And spend it all this Christmas on you
"Welcome to Tree Hill." Haley reads in a horrible fake man voice. "Why thank you. I'm dreadfully glad to be here." Haley says, mocking a french woman's voice. Hannah rolls her eyes, unamused.
"Yeah, and we're only like 20 hours late. We could've driven here in half the time."
"Oh, we're fine... It's only one o'clock. And you need to get in a better mood or you are staying in the house tonight. Got it?"
"Whatever." She huffs.
They roll into Nathan's driveway, quickly getting out, hit by the surprisingly cold weather.
"NICOLE!" Hannah squeals into the house.
"She's with Karen, getting ready for tonight." Nathan answers, as Haley walks into the house, and no, that was not the breathe just taken from him at all. Definitely not. "Hi Haley."
"Hey Nathan." She smiles . "How are you?"
"Doing better. I just got a phone call from the doctor, I get to play next game."
"Nathan, that's awesome!" She grins, nudging Hannah.
"Yeah dad, cool." She states unenthusiastically. "I'm going to go take a shower."
"What's wrong with her?" Nathan asks.
"I dunno, she's just been acting very Peyton- like lately. I think she's mad at me. Or the airlines... or just the world in general. You never know anymore."
"So you have the next Peyton and I have the next Brooke. How is that fair?"
"Do YOU want her? She's driving me nuts. I'd take Brooke over Peyton any day." Haley says, checking behind her, knowing herself, she'd be the one to say it then have Peyton standing behind her.
"I'm not sure we're aloud to just trade them off at this point."
"Yeah we could... we could just... say we couldn't tell them apart! And they had a identity crisis and couldn't remember who was who." She jokes.
"I like this plan." He smiles mischievously.
"Me too." She smiles. "Anyways, I need to go make sure Miss. Sunshine isn't trying to drown herself, and I need to get ready. By the way, you aren't wearing that are you?" She references to his sweats.
"Haley, the party isn't until six. I have time to change."
"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure your dressed properly, Scott. I don't want to have to go all Brooke on you, but I will." She says, walking out of sight.
- ' -
Gonna put some love on layaway for you
Gonna spend it all this Christmas on you
"Hey Cheery." Lucas smiles at Brooke as she comes into their bedroom. "Hey, wait, baby, what's wrong?"
"Luke..." She whispers, handing him a brown paper bag. He pulls out a pregnancy test.
"Pr- pregnant? Aa- are you?" He chokes out.
"I haven't taken it yet." She swallows. "I'm too scared."
"Brooke. I'm not saying I'm not scared, but it'll be alright if you are. We will get through it, together. I promise. Alright?" He tells her, lifting her head. She nods before going into the bathroom.
She set the timer for two minutes. 120 seconds, and counting. His leg was subconsciously shaking and his heart was racing. 105 seconds. His new dress shoes were extremely interesting. 94 seconds. He rubbed her back reassuringly. 82 seconds. She told him to breathe. 68 seconds. His neck tie starts to become just a little tight. 52 seconds. He popped a tick tack in his mouth. 40 seconds. He accidently swallowed it. 29 seconds. She laughed at him, she actually could laugh. Unbelievable. 15 seconds. She was talking about how cute baby clothes are, and the extra room they had which they could make into a nursery. 7 seconds. He still couldn't breathe. It rang shrilly. She walked back into the bathroom to retrieve it. He paced the bedroom. Tears streamed down her face as she returned.
"It's negative Luke."
-..-
If I could win your heart and show you how I feel
Ain't no way you're gonna find a better deal
Her black high heels clicked as she slowly walked down Nathan's stairs, obliging the loud calls that echoed through the mansion. The silky black fabric hit just above her knee and came to a V on her chest. She struggled with her light green sweater and earrings as she walked.
"Don't fall, mom. Don't you dare fall." Hannah cautioned.
"I am not going to fall." Haley swears as her eyes meet Nathan's.
"Famous last words." Nicole mutters.
"You look beautiful Haley."
"Thanks." She blushes. "You're tie is... a disgrace." She laughs as she wraps her arms around his neck, grabbing the length of his tie.
Over her head, he notices Hannah and Nicole suppressing their giggles. He glares at them and mouths Shut Up. They don't listen. "Get in the car girls."
I've been saving all my loving for so long
And after Christmas is over it still keeps going on
NEXT: Who new plays a small role in the next chappy?
PROJECT NH: In effect
NOTE: The Brucas thing... I have a point. I know it was sorta random and w/e, but I promiseI do for once have a point.