Chapter Twelve – Collide
When I came here there was more.
Now I've come back to destroy,
And I've got nothing left
And it's a shame what we've become,
When we hurt the ones we love,
And it's a place I can not go,
Anymore…
Rachel woke up early the morning of the surprise party. But sadly, not by her own choice. Peyton had called at eight am wanting her and Jake to be over at her house by ten to help set up. Rachel was all up for the idea of throwing the party, but not the part of waking up at the butt crack of dawn. It wasn't even so much the waking up at the butt crack of dawn part, it was the getting Jenny up, bathed, clothed, and into the car, part. As much as Jenny was lovable, Rachel had come to know over the past year of living with her that she could be just as evil. Maybe even a little more evil then nice. And on top of all that Jenny frankly wasn't Brooke's biggest fan. In her eyes, Nathan and she were meant to be together forever, and Brooke was the only reason preventing that. So much for a happy ending in the whole scenario. Infact the only good thing, in Rachel's point of view, about this whole extravagant surprise party was that Peyton had offered and hired a baby sitter for Jenny, so that Rachel and Jake could have an afternoon off for just the two of them after the party.
When we collide we lose ourselves.
When we collide we break in two,
And as we push and we shove and we hurt the ones we love,
It's a hard mistake.
When we collide,
We break…
So for the last two hours Rachel had been hanging streamers, blowing up balloons, helping Peyton hand the "Welcome Home Mr. and Mrs. Scott" banner from the kitchen ceiling. Everyone who had RSVP'd was present, including a few that hadn't, Jenny was with the sitter, and Jake had left an hour ago to pick up Nathan and Brooke from the airport. Rachel checked her watch. 4:00 pm. They should be there any minute.
"Hey curls." Across the room Chris pulled Peyton aside. "Jake just called. He said he was pulling on to the street."
"Thanks for telling me." Peyton laughed nervously then turned towards her invited guests. "Ok everyone! Jake just called. He's pulling up onto the street, so get down!" Peyton said loud enough for everyone to hear her. "And remember people, this is a surprise party. So yell 'surprise' when they walk in. Got it?" Peyton turned her attention to Rachel. "Do me a favor and get the lights, Rach. Thanks."
Rachel walked over and shut off the lights and hid with everyone else. The front door opened and Jake walked in first. "I know she in here somewhere." He told Nathan and Brooke. "She was here when I left." Brooke walked in next, closely followed by Nathan.
Jake turned on the lights and everyone jumped up out of their hiding spots. "Surprise!" They all called. Nathan laughed.
Brooke squeezed Nathan's hand and smiled. "Awe, you guys!" She laughed.
Peyton and Rachel rushed over to Brooke and Nathan to greet them. Mean while, in the very back of the crowd Lucas kept his distance and with him, so did Haley. She kept telling herself that she was just sticking back there with Lucas because she sympathized with his situation. But in all reality, his situation was hers. Except hers involved wedding rings.
When the cold comes crashing down,
And the fight lost what it's about.
I could tell that you'd left.
It's a shame what we've become,
When we hurt the ones we love.
It's a place I can not go,
Anymore…
There were drinks, food and games. Everyone was having a good time, except Lucas. The party had been going on for the last three hours and he had stuck through most of it, pretending to be happy for Nathan and Brooke, but secretly was displeased. He had wanted to be the man she was walking down the isle to. Not the best man of the man. But then there's Haley… Lucas sighed. The only reason Lucas had lasted so long in that house with all those people there to congratulate Nathan and Brooke, was because of Haley. She had stuck by his side for the most part of the evening, except once when she went to the restroom. But even then she was back before Lucas hardly noticed her gone. But when Brooke pulled Haley away from Lucas to join in with her and a group of girls, Lucas made his way out of Peyton's house, through the backdoor and out onto the beach.
It was already getting dark outside and Lucas secretly hoped that the party would end soon so he wouldn't have to make up some lame excuse as to why he had to cut out early, let alone just bail completely with no explanation. Deciding he would just sit there on the beach for a while then rejoin the party, Lucas leaned back onto his elbows and watched the ocean. He watched as the turquoise water crashed against the sharp edges of the rocks just a little off shore. Too caught up in the waves and his own thought he hardly noticed Haley walk up behind him and sit down next to him an hour later.
"Hey wannabe emo." Haley smiled tucking her legs underneath herself.
"Hey wannabe rock star." Lucas smiled.
"No. That would be Chris." Haley laughed. "I'm just a wannabe. Period."
Lucas turned to face Haley. "What makes you say that?"
"I don't know." Haley sighed. "I mean, who am I kidding here? I don't belong in this world with you guys. I belong at home, alone, playing my guitar and working at the Hot Dog on a Stick on the corner of 5th and Main. I don't belong here, not anymore."
"Haley, we may have not hung out as much over the past couple years, but I know damn well you don't work at Hot Dog on a Stick."
"I know, but that's not the point." She laughed. "The point is I don't belong here. The only real reason I did before was because of Nathan and you." She confessed. "Now, Nathan's remarried to Brooke which still confuses the hell out of one Haley James former Scott." Haley laughed.
Lucas laughed. "And me?"
When we collide we lose ourselves.
When we collide we break in two…
"You…you…I don't know about you, Lucas?" Haley sighed with a smile. "Don't get me wrong these last few months with you have been amazing. And for the past couple weeks, I got my best friend back. But we both know that isn't going to last forever. You'll get caught up with Nathan and Brooke and their whole marriage life drama crap they've got going on, and me…me…well, I'll get caught up in my work and my job, and before you know it we'll drift apart again."
"How do you know?" Lucas asked sitting up. "How do you know that this wasn't how it was meant to be? That you weren't supposed to get that pity invite? That I wasn't supposed to invite you as my date? How do you know this isn't exactly how it was meant to happen? We don't have to drift apart again."
"I don't know, Lucas. I don't know what to say. Things don't just come this easy. All my problems can't be solved in a blink of an eye." Haley sighed.
"How about in a kiss?" Lucas asked.
It took Haley a minute to catch on to what he had just said. "What?"
Lucas leaned forward and kissed Haley and she didn't exactly push him away. A million thoughts ran through her head at that moment, during the kiss. Oh! I knew he wanted him! Was the first one that stood out clearly. What the hell am I doing? Was the next. Haley gently pushed Lucas away.
And as we push and we shove and we hurt the ones we love,
It's a hard mistake.
When we collide,
When we collide…
"What?" Lucas asked. "What's wrong?"
"Us." Haley sighed with a smile. "Us, Lucas. We're wrong." Haley pushed herself onto her feet and walked away with out another word.
Little did either Lucas or Haley know that some was watching them from afar.
It's a hard mistake,
When we collide…
Brooke Scott had taken herself, and her drink out on to the back porch for some air. Inside blared of music and hot, sweating bodies. Brooke could party with the best of them, but she need a little breather after hearing Dan talking to his girlfriend about some perverted, kinky, thing he was going to do to her in bed that night. Stepping outside and closing the sliding glass door behind her, she watched the water. A little further up the beach, near the shore line Brooke could see Lucas, and what looked to be Haley. Yep, definitely Haley. Brooke thought recognizing Haley's powder pink sundress. What are they doing out there? Brooke thought. Well, if I have to go back into that party, sure as hell, so do they. Just as she was about to walk down to the shore and force them back into the party with her, she saw something she suspected they didn't want to be seen.
Oh my god! Lucas kissed Tutor Girl! Brooke's brain was screaming. Oh my god! He kissed her! Oh my god! Wait - how do I feel about this? Brooke didn't have a chance to pander that inner question any longer. Just as soon as the kiss happened Haley pushed Lucas away and was heading back to the house. Oh! Diss! Tutor Girl blows off Lucas! Brooke laughed in her head deciding she liked Lucas and Haley better as not a couple. Brooke looked back into the party and opened the sliding glass door and walked in. Leaving it open for Haley, she made her way through the crowd to Peyton.
"I'm getting kind of exhausted!" She confessed. "I think I'm going to grab Nathan and head home, ok?" Brooke yelled over the blaring music.
Peyton nodded. "Alright!" Peyton yelled back. "I'll call you tomorrow!"
Brooke nodded and headed into the crowd to find her husband.
It's a mistake,
When we collide we lose ourselves,
When we collide we break in two,
And as we push and we shove and we hurt the ones we love,
It's a hard mistake,
When we collide,
When we collide…
Did I leave this open? Haley thought as she walked up on to the back to the house taking notice to the open sliding glass door. Oh, god. What are you going to do with yourself, James? She asked herself. Everything that was sacred between me and Lucas is now shattered, thanks to some stupid kiss. Some stupid kiss that I didn't even want in the first place. Haley paused. Did she really regret the kiss? She looked out onto the beach to where Lucas was. No. No I didn't. I love him. I've always loved him. She told herself. But am I ready to be more then just friends? Haley sighed as she watched Lucas stand up and walk off the beach to his car. What am I going to do?
It's a hard mistake,
When we collide, we break,
We break…
