Chapter 2: Not As Perfect

"Hey Hales, What's going on?" Brooke asked, confused. Her friend was sitting on her couch when she got home at 3:00am, sitting on her hands, crying. " Are you still scared?"

"Um yea..." She sniffed. " Im scared that my marriage is over." She finished. Brooke looked at her shocked. She had never ever heard them fight without making up right away. Quickly she rushed over to Haley's side, placing a hand on her shaking knee.

"Why sweety? What happened?" Brooke asked. She felt terrible, sitting there, watching her best friend looking so weak.

"Hey, where have you been?" Haley asked Nathan when he walked through at 2:00am, after being gone since 12:00pm the day before.

"Just out, had a few things to do." He said flatly. Haley leaned up to kiss him but he shuffled to the fridge too quickly to get a drink, leaving Haley just standing there.

"A few?" Haley asked, almost angry, but trying not to be. She was seven months pregnant and Nathan was never around anymore. " Wow, a few must have been a lot since yesterday."

"Ah, Yea..." That was all he said.

"Nathan..." Haley tried, trying to stay calm. " I need an explanation."

"No, you don't." Nathan said rudely. What was with him lately?

"Nathan! I am seven months pregnant and you're crawling in at 2:00am, I think I probably need you around, don't you!" She shouted, wanting to stay calm and not get too stressed this far into the pregnancy.

"Im going to bed."

"That's all you can say? You're going to bed. Nathan please, what's going on. If you can't tell me, then none of this is going to work!" Haley shouted, now more emotional than angry.

Nathan stared at her blankly. He wanted to say something, but the truth was, he was to scared to say anything right. Yes, Haley was right months pregnant, they were both working minimum wage jobs, and Nathan wasn't sure if any of this was what he wanted. The one thing he did want, was to accept an offer he got from a big Pro League, and just go away with them, playing basketball. Nathan just shook his head and started to walk up the stairs.

"I guess it's not going to work then." Haley began to sob " Fine, go to bed. But, when you wake up, I won't be here." She said coldly.

She expected this to make Nathan changed his mind. Instead he looked at her sadly and whispered. "Good night." Then made his way up the rest of the stairs.

"Oh God Haley." Brooke whispered, trying to act reassuring, but she had nothing at all to say that would be. Instead she wrapped her arms around Haley's neck and kissed her cheek. " You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. Michael and I would be happy to have you." She smiled. " Speaking of Michael, I should go pick him up at my parent's house."

" I already did on my way here, he's asleep." Haley tried to lighten up a little, still not wanting to cause herself much stress.

"What would I do without you?" Brooke smiled, trying to lighten her mood.

Haley smiled back, but her smile faded when she finished with, " What am I going to do without Nathan?"

"I don't think you'll have to find out." Brooke said quietly. " Go get some sleep okay?"

"Yea, Thanks Tigger." Haley smiled sadly, and walked up the stairs.

Brooke was walking down a silent street in town on her way to the studio. She was going to be late. Even though haley wasn't up when she left she still spent the whole morning worrying about her. "Need a ride?" A voice called from a nearby car. Looking over she saw Trevor. She had been dating Trevor for about eight months, and they were finally getting serious. Trevor was amazing, he was the most polite, caring and not to mention good looking guy she had ever met and, Michael loved him. Brooke walked across the road and jumped into his car, kissing him quickly than taking the time to take in his breath taking appearance. Blond hair. Blue Eyes. Lucas-like. How weird was it that she would choose someone so much like Lucas? She thought about this every time she saw him, but then pushed it out of her mind.

"Never heard from you last night, I was expecting you to call." Trevor smiled as they drove down the road.

"Yea, Haley and Nathan had a pretty bad fight. Haley was there when I got home and she's staying with us now." Brooke sighed.

"Nathan and Haley? Fight? That's weird. Is it serious?" he asked, concerned. He had become pretty good friends with them all.

"Yea, I think so. I think Haley thinks Nathan wants a divorce."

"Woah." Trevor looked at her shocked. " So Im guessing you'll want to stay with her tonight?" He asked, already knowing the answer, as they pulled into the studio parking lot.

"Yea , she probably needs me." Brooke gave him a puppy dog face and he looked at her and laughed.

"Okay, I understand." He smiled as he leaned in an kissed her gently.

"Thank you." She whispered into his lips. And kissed him back before getting out of the car, waving goodbye, and disappearing into the studio.

"Just don't let it happen again." He finished to himself with a quick mood change.

"Haley?" Nathan shouted from the doorway at Brooke's. Haley was upstairs and had just got done doing her hair when she heard his voice. She came running down the stairs excitedly.

Nathan saw her and his heart leaped. It was so great to see her after such a cold night without her. But then he remembered what he was doing here and he just smiled at her.

"Hey." she breathed happily, smiling at him innocently.

"Hey..." He said stressfully as he exhaled deeply. " You're right Haley." He said painfully.

Haley smiled, but she didn't want to show her excitement too much. But now she knew they'd get back together and everything wold go back to being perfect. But she couldn't hold it in much longer, instead she bounced to her tippy toes, threw her arms around his neck and let their lips collide. A shiver went up Nathan's neck but he gently pushed her away and spoke into her lips. " Let me finish."

Haley looked up at him confused, but stepped back to let him continue. " You're right, this isn't going to work. Im not ready to be a father. I want to go back to basketball."

Haley looked at him stunned. She felt her breaths getting shorter and she let her head fall into her hands. " And What! Just leave your wife and baby alone?" Haley shouted.

Nathan just shrugged sadly, he had actually convinced himself that this was what he wanted. That he had put of his dream for too long. Silently he held out a brown envelope to Haley. Haley stared at it. " Don't Nathan!" She cried.

"Haley, it's just..." he didn't know how to finish, instead he let the envelope fall onto the bench in the hall, and disappeared back out the door way.

"THAT'S IT?" Haley screamed at the close door, before falling into the bench next to the envelope, eyeing it coldly. "That's it." She whispered.

When Brooke walked into the studio, it was total chaos. Everything was swirling, getting ready for the big fashion show. A small, thin, blond walked up to her and looked at her confused. "When did you and Trevor break up?" She asked sympathetically.

"Um, Katie, we didn't." Brooke laughed. Katie's face stared at her in shock, and suddenly regret. Her mouth fell open as she lifted her hand to cover it. "Why? What's going on?" Brooke said, gritting her teeth.

"Well, Brooke, he said you did and I... I just..."

"Just stop Katie." Brooke said quietly, wondering how she had been so blind.

Silently, she walked back out the door again. " The show is officially postponed!" She yelled as she pushed open the steal door and disappeared into the bright sun. Everyone just stared at Katie.

"I didn't know." The girl whimpered.

"Mom?" Haley whispered into the phone, crying. It was late in the night and Haley felt so alone as she laid in bed. Brooke still hadn't come home, she was probably at a party. Michael was at Brooke's parents'.

"Haley, honey? What's wrong?" The voice asked desperately. Karen missed Haley so much and always ached for her phone calls. But she wanted even more to have Lucas and Haley speak again. The worst thing she ever felt was the feeling of her two children hating one another.

"He chose basketball. We're getting a divorce." Haley sobbed.

"Oh, Honey. I don't know what to say." Karen gasped.

"I miss you." Haley whispered tiredly.

"Please come home Haley." Karen tried to convince her. " We miss you too."

"We?"

"Me, your father, Lucas and Erica."

"Erica?" Haley asked confused. The child didn't even know her.

"Yea, I tell her stories about you and Luke all the time. She wants to meet you." Karen smiled to herself. Haley smiled too. Then gripped her hand onto her stomach as the life inside her kicked.

"I want to come home too." Haley whispered.

"Wow, Trevor. Such a disappointment." Brooke whined to haley as the girl's sat on the couch the next night. Michael was in bed and the girl's decided to stay in and pig out, eating chocolate to get rid of their troubles. " Why didn't I see it? Am I that stupid?" Brooke was finally being serious about how hurt she really was. Her eyes filled up and stared down at her pink toenails.

"You're not stupid Brooke!" Haley said to her, almost yelling, but not wanting to wake Mikey.

"I am! I wasted months on him Hales!" Brooke pouted.

"MONTHS? TRY YEARS!" Haley then yelled, her anger at Nathan surfacing.

"Aw, Haley..."

"Nathan chose basketball over his wife and baby. I can't forgive him for that!"

"I know. But we'll get through this. Together right?" Brooke smiled sweetly.

"Actually. Brooke... I need to talk to you." Haley's eyes filled with tears at the thought of how much she missed home.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked.

Haley's voice went high and cracked. " I wanna go home." Brooke just stared for a while. Then leaned in and wrapped her arms around her neck. " Come with me Brooke."

Brooke snapped back and stared at her. "You know I can't."

"Yea." Haley sniffed. "Im sorry. Mom and Dad really should have a part of this baby's life. And now Nathan's not in the picture anymore so... I don't wanna raise the baby alone."

"You wouldn't have been alone." Brooke whispered. " But I understand."