Chapter Four
The next day, Haley was reading the entertainment section of the newspaper, marvelling at how the smallest thing about a celebrity's life was considered news.
The fact that Lindsay Lohan was in rehab seemed reason enough to devote two pages to the starlet's career, detailing the ups and downs of her career, as well as her love life.
Boring, Haley thought to herself as she turned the page to find out which movies were premiering that week. "Not like I could see any of them," she remarked bitterly as she viewed her surroundings in her private but suffocating hospital room.
"Knock, knock," a male voice greeted her enthusiastically.
When she looked up, she smiled brightly at the friend standing in the doorway. "Hey, Jake," she said and her smile widened when she caught sight of his daughter in a cradle, "and Jenny."
"Hey, Haley," Jake said as he set Jenny down on a table close to the window of her room.
"Where were you yesterday?" Haley asked, wondering why her friend hadn't shown up when all the others had.
"Somebody caught a bit of the sniffles," Jake replied, looking at his daughter tenderly.
Haley frowned at him. "She looks fine to me," she said, looking at him again, this time smirking because she had caught him in a lie.
Jake rolled his eyes. "I had a date," he replied nervously.
Haley's face brightened. "Really, who was the lucky lady?" she asked.
"Jenny's friend from daycare came over," Jake replied.
"What?" Haley asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"It was a play date," he explained.
"Ah," Haley nodded.
"But I did meet someone," he announced.
"Who?" Haley asked.
"Natalie's mom," Jake replied.
"I gather that Natalie is the name of Jenny's friend from daycare," she said.
"Yeah, her mom's name is Erica," Jake said.
"Dude, your eyes lit up when you said her name," Haley teased.
"That's because I really like her," Jake explained.
"That's great, Jake," Haley congratulated him. "Any plans for a second date?"
"It's not for another two days," Jake replied.
"Right," Haley said.
"So, Peyton told me about the fight," Jake said, looking at her inquiringly.
"Which one?" Haley asked and there was an edge in her voice now.
"The one you had with Lucas," Jake replied, looking at her more closely again for a reaction to his name.
Keeping her face calm, Haley nodded. "And?"
"Are you really going to let Rachel come between the two of you?" Jake asked.
"He's the one that took her side," Haley argued.
"It's not like he could have just left her there, standing in the hallway while he visited you or deserted her completely when he's the one who drove them to the hospital," Jake pointed out.
"Why couldn't he have left her standing in the hallway?" Haley asked.
"Haley, you know how that would look to Rachel who is his girlfriend," Jake said.
"Yes, and Luke is the one who made the fact that he was leaving with her about choosing sides," Haley argued. "He didn't care how doing that would look to me so why should I care about his relationship?"
"You two are best friends," Jake pointed out.
"And the two of you were good friends for years until that whole mess with Nikki and Peyton but you let that come between you," Haley shot back.
"That's because Lucas refused to believe us when we said that nothing was going on," Jake argued.
"And why is it my responsibility to mend our friendship?" Haley asked irritably.
"You can be the better person here," Jake attempted to persuade her.
"If you're suggesting that I apologize to Rachel, I don't care about being a better person," Haley said.
"You could apologize to Lucas," Jake tried again.
"No," Haley refused, shaking her head solemnly.
"Why not?" Jake asked.
"Because I'm not the one who's wrong this time," Haley replied.
"What?" Jake asked.
"With Peyton, I crossed the line when I vilified her for making fun of Lisa and continued to hate her even after those two had patched things up, but Rachel is the one that went too far by calling me a cripple and a gimp," Haley replied.
"She actually called you that?" Jake looked horrified.
"Yes," Haley replied.
Jake took out his cell phone and dialled a number quickly.
"Hello?" Peyton said on the other line.
"I'm not going to convince Haley to apologize," Jake said firmly.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because she shouldn't," he said.
"That's not the point, Jake. Her friendship with Luke is on the line here," Peyton said.
"And there are certain things called principles," Jake pointed out.
"What are you talking about?" Peyton asked.
"I don't think Haley should have to apologize to the person that called her a gimp," Jake said.
"Then she should apologize to Luke at least," Peyton replied.
"Or the one that defended that person," Jake argued.
"Give me the phone," Haley said, holding out her hand to Jake.
He gave her the phone with a smile on his face because he knew what was coming.
"What do you think you're doing?" Haley demanded of Peyton as soon as she put the phone up to her ear.
"I'm just trying to help," Peyton replied.
"Thanks for caring but stop helping," Haley said.
"Haley, you're stubborn which is why I needed Jake to push you to apologize," Peyton said.
"And he failed and let me make myself clear; I didn't do anything wrong. I have nothing to apologize for," Haley said.
"That's not exactly true," Peyton said.
"What?" Haley demanded.
"You did insult her," Peyton reminded her.
"I was standing up for myself and need I remind you that both you and Brooke insulted Rachel too," Haley said.
"So?" Peyton asked.
"So maybe you should apologize to her," Haley said.
"Not a chance," Peyton said dismissively.
"Then apologize to Luke for ridiculing his girlfriend," Haley suggested calmly.
There was nothing to be heard on Peyton's end but dead air for what seemed like eternity as the blonde sat at her desk in her bedroom fuming at her friend.
"Peyton?" Haley questioned.
"I can't believe you actually suggest that I apologize to Luke after everything he's said about me," Peyton finally said.
"Bygones," Haley quipped.
"He called me a slut, accused me of sleeping with his best friend and then dumped me in front of the entire school," Peyton exclaimed.
"And yet you still love the cretin," Haley reminded her.
"That is neither here nor there, Haley," Peyton said.
"Actually, it is relevant, Peyton, because you still love Lucas but refuse to do anything about it," Haley said.
"What's your point?" Peyton asked.
"Either fix your relationship with Lucas or don't but stay the hell out of mine," Haley said.
Peyton nervously walked up the front steps to the side entrance of her former boyfriend's bedroom and knocked on the door.
Lucas opened the door and stared at her in disbelief. "What are you doing here, Peyton?"
"We need to talk," she said, raising her head so that she was looking at him.
"Look, if this is about Haley, Nathan already chewed me out and I'm going to apologize to her tomorrow," he said.
"Why tomorrow?" Peyton asked, looking at him in confusion. It wasn't even five in the afternoon.
"Nathan told me that she was still mad when he saw her this morning and that I should give her more time to cool down," Lucas said.
"What about Rachel?" Peyton asked.
Lucas looked at her and smiled weirdly. "I guess I'll have to get used to the fact that my girlfriend and best friend hate each other again," he said.
"Shouldn't be too hard given your past experience," she joked.
His face grew slack at the mention of their relationship. "Yeah, so I guess I'll see you later," he said as he began to close the door on her.
Peyton reached out and blocked the door with her hand. "Wait, Lucas," she said.
He opened the door fully again and looked at her questioningly. "What?"
"I didn't come here because of Haley," Peyton said.
"Then why are you here?" he asked.
"I need to tell you something," Peyton said.
"Okay," he said and looked at her expectantly.
"Can I come inside?" she asked, looking at his bedroom. "I don't want to do this here."
"Okay," he said, moving aside so she could come in.
He sat down on the bed while she paced around nervously trying to gather her thoughts.
"Peyton?"
"Yeah, sorry, this is hard," she said as she met his worried glance.
"Just say what's on your mind," he said.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out.
"For what?" he asked, looking at her in confusion.
"Us," she said.
"What?"
"What happened with us," she added.
"Peyton," he began slowly.
"I know that you think I was cheating on you with Jake but I swear that I wasn't," she said.
"I promised Nikki that I wouldn't tell anyone about the pregnancy and then I promised Jake that I wouldn't tell anyone about Jenny after Nikki split and he was a wreck after that- he needed my help with Jenny and that's all it was," Peyton continued.
"I don't know what to say," Lucas said, looking at her undecidedly.
"And I'm sorry for not telling you the truth when you asked me what was going on," she said.
"Why are you doing this now?" Lucas asked, staring at her in disbelief.
"Because I miss you," she admitted.
"Peyton, I know that nothing was going on between you and Jake now and I am very sorry for everything that I did," Lucas started to say.
"Really?" she asked, looking at him hopefully with relief written all over her face.
"But things can never go back to the way they were," he said.
"What?" Peyton sat down at his desk chair.
"I'm with Rachel now," Lucas said.
"And?" Peyton cocked her head to the side.
"I'm not leaving her," Lucas said.
Peyton faltered. "Wait, you think I apologized so you would leave Rachel and take me back?" she asked.
"You said you missed me," Lucas nodded.
"And I do but I meant I miss talking to you and seeing you without everything being weird and tense," Peyton replied.
"So you don't want to get back together?" Lucas asked, looking at her uncertainly and unsure of whether or not he was relieved if she didn't.
"No," Peyton shook her head. "I want to be friends again."
"Don't you think us being friends would be a little awkward?" Lucas asked carefully.
"Not unless we make it awkward," Peyton replied.
"I guess we can give being friends a try," he said, smiling at her.
"Great," Peyton lied, hoping her eyes did not betray her real feelings.
"I'll see you at the hospital tomorrow," Lucas said.
"Assuming Haley forgives you," Peyton pointed out.
"You don't think she will?" he asked.
"Well, Rachel really insulted her and you defending her didn't help your case much," Peyton replied gently.
"I better go work on my speech," he said, looking a little nervous.
Peyton stared at him in confusion. "What speech?"
"My apology speech," Lucas replied shyly.
Peyton's eyes brimmed with amusement. "You're writing an apology speech?"
"Well, I want her to forgive me and for that, my apology has to be really good," Lucas said.
"Hence turning it into a speech," Peyton teased.
"Bye, Peyton," Lucas frowned at her.
"Bye," Peyton said, laughing her head off on her way out the door.
"Promise me you will give him a chance and hear him out," Nathan said to Haley the next morning when he came to visit her in the hospital after telling Lucas to wait outside in the hall.
"Of course I'm going to listen to what he has to say," Haley said, looking at him as if he were being ridiculous.
Nathan eyed her carefully. "Without interrupting?"
"Oh," Haley realized.
"Hales?" Nathan looked at her questioningly. "Do you promise that you will not interrupt his apology?"
"I guess," Haley replied, rolling her eyes at the fact that she had to promise such a thing. "I will not interrupt him unless he says something stupid."
"That's not really a promise since you could consider anything he said stupid and nobody would be able to refute it because it's your opinion," Nathan said.
Haley smiled at her boyfriend's brilliance. "Exactly," she said, smirking smugly now. "But you wouldn't be able to say that I broke my promise, would you?"
"Sometimes you're too smart for your own good," Nathan teased, shaking his head at her.
"But I do promise that I will be open-minded," Haley said.
Nathan considered this for a minute and he kept a solemn expression on his face. "That's good enough for me," he finally said and kissed her on the mouth.
"Come on in, Luke," he called to his brother in the hallway.
A few seconds later, Lucas walked in with his head up so he was meeting his angry best friend's gaze, determined not to look down in guilt, something he knew Haley hated.
"I'm told you have something to say to me," Haley said.
Lucas nodded. "Rachel was out of line when she said those things about you and I crossed the line when I defended her," he started.
The thought that there was nothing more obvious than that passed through Haley's mind as she stared at him but she remained quiet, urging him to continue.
"And I am really sorry for choosing her side over yours again," he said, emphasizing the word to let her know that he was aware that he had done the same thing to her twice. "I never meant for you to think that you're not important to me because you are- you're my best friend, Hales."
Nathan and Lucas both looked at her expectantly for a response to his apology. "Haley?" Nathan asked when she said nothing.
"Am I really your best friend, Luke?" Haley asked softly.
"Yes," he nodded insistently.
"Are you sure?" Haley questioned.
"Of course I am," Lucas replied, looking at her strangely.
"Haley, what are you getting at?" Nathan asked.
Haley met her boyfriend's curious gaze and shrugged. "Well, I want to know exactly where I stand with him," she said.
"And now that you do?" Lucas asked, looking at her hopefully.
"You are a crappy friend," Haley concluded.
"I am," he acknowledged.
"This is the second time you've taken the side of some girl- who in this case, might as well be a stranger when compared to how long you've known me- whom you've been dating for less than a year over mine," Haley informed him, her voice getting angrier by the second.
"I am an idiot," he excused.
"You really are sometimes, Luke," Haley agreed.
"And I'm sorry," Lucas said.
Haley squinted at him, a move he was famous for. "You say that but are you really?" she asked.
"Yes, I am," Lucas said.
"I hate Rachel," Haley said seriously.
"I know," Lucas said.
"And I make no apologies for that," she added.
"You don't have to," he nodded.
"What are you going to do if we get into another fight?" Haley asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know," he replied honestly.
Haley looked at him incredulously. "You don't know?"
"Well, it really depends on what the fight is about," Lucas replied.
"Okay, what if Rachel opens her mouth and says something insulting to me?" Haley asked.
"We'll leave," Lucas replied.
Haley raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean like you did the first time?"
Lucas shook his head. "No, this time I will be getting her away from you and dropping her off somewhere and then I'd come back. I will not be taking her side," he said.
"And what if Rachel has a problem with that?" Haley asked.
"She probably would," Lucas said.
"That's not an answer," Haley pointed out irritably.
"Then she'll have a problem with it," Lucas shrugged.
"You're forgiven but I'm still mad," Haley said finally.
Lucas let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," he exclaimed.
"And Luke," Haley started to say.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"This is your last chance," Haley told him seriously.
