Chapter 5
Haley woke up at half past 5, she was still exhausted, but she had a lot to do before she picked up Megan. She took a hot shower, put on a strapless white dress that had a big black ribbon which wrapped neatly around her torso, she put on a little perfume, slipped on her black strappy high heels, put in her black dangle earrings, and pulled her curly hair into a curly bun. She went into Megan's bedroom and picked out an outfit for her to wear to Dan and Deb's: a light blue polo, brown sandals, and a khaki skort. She packed coloring books, crayons, an etch-e-sketch, an empty notebook, and some fruit snacks into a bag, and tried to locate her car keys. She walked into the kitchen and saw them laying on the counter.
"Going somewhere?" Asked a voice behind her.
"Yes, I have some errands to run before picking my daughter up." She put a little more emphasis on the word 'my' then she meant to.
"Oh, I see. So is this what you wear to run errands?" He asked giving her a look over. He approved.
"No, smart as, it's not. We all have breakfast together every Saturday at Dan and Deb's. You can come. Wear something nice, meaning shower, and be there by nine." She replied rudely, she didnt know why but part of her really wanted to just yell at him all day.
"Okay, sure." He said, a little taken back by her bitcy attitude.
"I must go now. Good Bye." She said shortly
"Yeah.. Bye."
Lucas woke up with no one next to him. Brooke had a class. He didn't think it was very fair that she'd be like on in a million to have an early morning Saturday class. Who does that? He needed her. He wanted to wake up and breathe in the sweet scent of her perfume, and hold her in his arms until Haley called telling them to wake up or they'd be late. Like how did she always know what they were doing anyway? He walked into the kitchen where he found a note lying on the counter.
Broody-
Good Morning Sleepy Head! You got in late! I have my class remember, so don't be upset that I wasn't there to wake up with you! I know, it sucks. Shower, get dressed, and I'll meet you at Dan and Deb's for breakfast.
Love your one and better-be-only fiancé,
Brooke
'She is such a sap.' He thought to himself. It was crazy how she knew exactly what he was thinking, and he loved it, and he loved her.
Haley threw the bag and her purse onto the passenger's set, and started her silver Expedition. She went to the cleaners, picked up her laundry, took some money out of the ATM, returned her library books, dropped off her prescription at the pharmacy, and bought some toilet paper. She arrived at Peyton's at 8:15 where she found both girls playing tic-tac-toe quietly, as Jake read the paper, and Peyton showered. Hse sat down on the couch opposite Jake and helped Megan into her outfit.
"Did she drive you crazy all night?" She asked Jake, as she pulled up Megan's skort, who gave her an affronted look.
"No, actually she was strangely quiet. She fell asleep early, and didn't wake up until like 45 minutes ago."
"Wow! I wish she'd do that for me." She said tickling the child's belly. She giggled and went back to play with Jenny.
"Good Morning, Haley!" Said a smiling Peyton, who walked in and sat on Jake's lap.
"Dear, I am trying to read the paper."
"Yeah, So?"
"So it would help if you moved."
"Are you saying that you want me to move?" She asked, putting on her most innocent, pleading face.
"No! I said it would help, but I like a challenge." He stated suggestively. He burried his head in her neck and placed kisses on her chest. Haley laughed, they were like an old married couple that couldn't keep their hands off each other.
"Are you two ready to go, or do I have to go get the girls to 'eww!' you to death?"
Nathan watched as Haley pulled out of the driveway, and then got into the shower. Just as he got out he heard the familiar ringing of his cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Man! I'm picking you up in like less than an hour to go to breakfast. Wear something nice." Came Lucas's rushed voice through the phone.
"Why does everyone keep telling me to dress nicely to go to a family breakfast?" He questioned
" I don't know, it's just we always have. You would feel out of place if you didn't." Why did Nathan feel like he was already out of place just being here. They like replaced him or something.
"Alright whatever see ya soon."
"Bye."
Peyton, Jake, Haley, Megan, and Jenny loaded up into Haley's Expedition and headed over to Dan and Deb's at about 8:50. Jenny quickly ran to the door, followed by a unusually slower paced Megan, who were greeted by Deb and Karen. Followed shortly by Keith and Dan. Haley brought up the rear carrying Megan's bag and her purse. She hugged a hello to all four, and was complemented by both Dan and Keith on her dress. They proceeded into the backyard, where they were going to eat.
They sat and talked as they waited for Lucas and Brooke to arrive. They talked mostly of things that were happening around town until Brooke flounced in.
"Hey! Where is Broody?"
"Late again," Karen says in a monotone voice. "I swear that kid never shows up on time."
"Well, I don't mind breakfast, but come our wedding, if he's late, I'll throw his butt into the river."
Brooke sits down on the right side of Peyton. Dan and Keith both sit at the end of the table. Karen sits on the left side of Keith, and Deb sits on the right side of Dan. Haley sits down next to Karen, and Jake and Peyton sit across from them. Leaving a seat next to Dan and Brooke and another next to Haley and Deb open.
Lucas drives to Haley's house and honks the horn. "Come on, Nate! We are already late, and Brooke will kill me if I'm not there soon!" They pull up to the house at 9:25 and go over to the gate to the backyard. Lucas went through the gate first, which resulted in many 'Your Late!''s throughout the backyard until they saw who followed him.
"Nathan!" Deb exclaimed. "I didn't know you would be coming for breakfast! It's so good to see you!" She squealed pulling him into a hug.
"Hi, mom."
By now everyone was up welcoming him home except for Peyton, Brooke and Haley. Lucas looked at Brooke confused. Peyton and Brooke kept glaring in the general direction of Nathan. He walked over toward Brooke and kissed her cheek, nodding hello to Peyton and Haley, and taking the open seat next to Brooke.
"What's wrong baby?" He whispered in her ear.
"Nothing." She said nervously glancing at Haley.
"Hmm. Right." He wanted answers, but everyone returned to the table.
Nathan took the empty seat next to Haley. She took a long drink of her orange juice and waited for someone to start a conversation so she would be saved.
"So I think that the Ravens have a shot at states next year, right Jake? That freshman.. Uh. Johnson! What's he score like 95 of the shots he makes?" Dan asks, intriguing Nathan, Lucas, and Keith.
"97, but he's only a fresh, and I think the upperclassmen intimidate the hell out of him! He thinks they'll haze him or something if he's put on Varsity. Which is exactly what they'll do, we've all gone through it."
"Argh! Stop! We hear this every day! Why! Why does it have to be brought up during breakfast?" Deb shouts.
"I 2nd that!" Karen says glaring at Keith.
"3rd!" Haley says glaring at Nathan.
"4th!" Peyton says glaring at Jake
"5th!" Brooke says glaring at Lucas.
"Overruled!" Dan says, "One, it's before breakfast, not during, and two it's better than what you have to talk about!"
"You can't overrule us! We out number you!" Deb shoots back.
"Not with Nathan here! Oh! Look who's laughing now!" Dan says very immaturely. Everyone starts laughing, except for Nathan who sat there completely clueless as to how they could go from yelling to laughing in like 2 seconds. Haley looked over at him and laughed harder.
"You laughing at me?" He asked crossly.
"Yes." She replied simply.
"So how's life with the Clippers and the NBA, Nate?" Jake asked eagerly. Haley rolled her eyes. She had been talking with Karen when she heard him bring up basketball agian.
"Good I guess. Tiring and you don't get a lot of alone time. Your teammates are always there."
Nathan could feel Haley's glare on the side of his face, but didn't dare to meet it. A little girl came flying through the doors behind them, screaming, and attracting everyone's attention.
"Aunt.. Haley! Aunt.. Haley!" Jenny shrieked, out of breath.
"What's wrong?" Haley said trying to soothe her. Everyone was starring at them. There was a problem, again.
"Megan! She.. She.. Got dizzy when we were playing.. Then she.. She fell!" She forced out hysterically.
"Oh god!" Haley started at a sprint through the open doors, and into the living room where she found Megan lying unconscious on the floor. Haley completely forgot to be the practical, together one and freaked out.
"Lucas! Call 911!" She shouted as she pulled Megan's limp figure toward her. "Come on baby! Don't do this to mommy! Not now! Come on honey, wake up. Wake up for mommy!" She was sobbing uncontrollably and everyone else looked horrified, scared to death. Lucas was on his cell phone, talking to the operator.
"No, she can't drive! She's four! And unconscious!" There was a short pause until Lucas spoke again. "Yeah, that would be good! Thanks lady!" He closed his phone and rolled his eyes, frustrated. "They are sending an ambulance, everything's going to be okay Hales."
He glanced worryingly at the rest of the group. They all knew if everything wasn't okay that it'd kill Haley. The reason she woke up in the morning was Megan, she was Haley's world. Karen and Deb were working on getting Jenny to tell them what had happened, while everyone else was watching Haley rock Megan and whisper things in her ear. Nathan was in shock. He hadn't even met Megan yet, and now he was watching her being loaded onto a stretcher. He watched as Lucas and Haley climbed into the back of the ambulance. He felt Jake pull his arm toward Haley's car. He watched as Brooke got into Lucas's car, and his parents and Karen and Keith got into Dan's. Nathan felt himself get into the backseat. And he watched as Jenny started to talk to him. He felt outside his body, like he wasn't even there.
"Who are you and why are you here?" Jenny asked, she was 7, it was only natural for her to ask anything and everything that came to her mind.
"I am Nathan, and I am here for Luke and Brooke's wedding."
"Oh." She looked back out the window and Nathan thought that would end the questions. But he was wrong.
"Why are you going to the hospital?"
"Uh. Well, I, umm. I was pretty close with Haley a few years back." He was really unsure of why he was going himself.
"Riiiight.." Something sounded fishy to her.
Haley and Lucas were already in the waiting room when they arrived. Haley was trying to fill out the forms she was given. And Lucas was trying to make sure she put down the correct answers on the forms she was given.
"Haley, it says her birth date. That's yours." He tried to say soothingly.
"Ah! Lucas, I can't do this! I am too damn freaked!" She said burying her head in her hands.
"Here, I'll do them and you can go calm down."
"Thank's Luke." She got up to go to the bathroom when she saw everyone entering the waiting room. For some reason the silent tears she had been fighting since they had arrived at the hospital, fought back and rolled down her cheeks like rain the second she saw them. They were there to help her, like they had always been. They were there to support her, like they always had. And most of all they were there for Megan, like they always would be. Except one. He wasn't always there, to help and support her, and he had never even met Megan. The anger soon replaced her fear and worry. She was tired and her emotions were all over the place, she needed an outlet. She walked over to him quietly, anger and resentment and frustration pumping threw her. She was acting totally out of character today. But she couldn't control herself.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked quietly but firmly.
"Haley, I.." He started.
"No! Just get the hell out! You aren't a part of our lives anymore, Nathan. You haven't been for five years! If I were you I'd get the hell out of here before I blow up on you. Got it?"
"Fine. Just, Is she okay?" He asked sincerely. She half wanted to tell him to go to hell for even asking, but she also saw the sincerity in his eyes, and didn't really know how to deal with it all. She starred at her shoes, then back into his eyes.
"I, I, I don't know they won't tell me anything." The anger was shifting back into fear and she felt herself falling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, unsure of exactly what to do. He looked around to everyone, they were either glaring at him or looking sort of hopeful. He didn't really care though. This felt right.
"Uh. Haley? I finished the forms." She pulled away suddenly all too aware of what had just taken place. She walked over to Lucas, took the forms from him, and walked over to the desk.
"What the HELL was that?" Brooke exclaimed in hushed tones so that Haley wouldn't hear.
"I don't know! She just fell into me so I did the only thing I knew how to." Nathan replied.
"Right. Look Scott, you might be Hot Shot in L.A. and all the girls may fawn over you and the guys might want to be you. But you're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy. So leave Haley the hell alone! God knows you screwed her over enough, you don't need to do it again." She stalked off to the other side of the room. She was very protective of Haley. Everyone stood there, extremely uncomfortable, both amused and shocked.
Haley started to walk back when a doctor called out to her.
"Ms.James, May I have a word?" She wheeled around in her heels and rushed toward him.
"What's wrong with my baby?" She asked curiously. They all anxiously awaited his answer.
"Well, um, I have some good news and some bad news."
OKAY!2060mipy- They will fight, whenever the wedding comes. Trust me.
Guys- thanks so much for reviewing, i am going to add like 3 more chapters right now. :) JSYK- I really have chapters 1- i think 11 done already, but i am stuck on chapter 11 so yeah... thanks for reading!