Chapter 11

The bustling phone inside Nathan's room caught Haley's attention as she stood in front of the forsaken door. Nobody – except her – was in the house. Brooke had turned to shopping to lessen her grief. Peyton had gone off to show Jake the sights around town. Lucas and Nathan were where they always went to have some god given time alone… the rivercourt. Her attention turned towards the phone she gave up and walked away from the room and into his. For the past hour she had been trying to persuade herself to go into the room of her once best friend. Unfortunately she had not won the mental battle and she sighed as she sunk into Nathan's bed. She cursed loudly – for once glad little ears weren't around to hear her – as the phone kept ringing and ringing next to her. In utter annoyance she grabbed the phone from the desk and pressed against her ear in one swift motion.

"Hello?" she almost spat and for a second she had to tell herself that it was Nathan's phone and she was just overreacting because of her lack of determination to go into the room. God…she couldn't even say Karen's name anymore.

"Who is this?" the female voice sounded from the other side and Haley immediately froze. It was a woman… she mentally slapped herself. Of course it was a woman. Had she really expected Nathan to not move on after her? She had…didn't that mean he could too?

"Uhm… this is…" Haley paused. If she said her name it would be social suicide. She really didn't need the press finding out about her and Nathan's past.

"I'm his personal assistant!" she blurted and the other woman gave a skeptical chuckle.

"Oh hunny try again… I'm his personal assistant…" the woman's voice was filled with suspicion but Haley's heart lifted as she said who she was.

"This is Nathan's…old friend. He just left to go play some basketball with his brother. He says Luke sits on his ass to much…" the giggle that had been suppressed since Nathan had said it to her earlier finally came out and Kelly – Nathan's assistant - laughed on the other side. She knew now that it was a friend…because Nathan only said stuff like that to people he knew very well.

"That sounds like Nathan. But anyways… do me a favor and please tell Nathan that the magazine he so desperately wanted was really hard to get…but that I finally got it and it's in his collection in the room."

Haley agreed and hung up. She wondered what the magazine was… and why he wanted it so badly. And why the assistant had revered to a certain place as the room.

A half annoyance swept through Haley as another phone rang in the room across the hall. She recognized the ring-tone in a few seconds and grimaced. She would have to go into the room to get the phone. She couldn't miss the call. Standing up slowly she made her way to the door and with closed eyes walked into the room.

It still felt the same – homely – and she realized the years she had spent away from it had been so far away. Finding the phone she quickly flicked it open and pressed it against her ear.

"Haley James where the hell are you!" the voice of her friend called through the speaker and Haley laughed as she thought about him.

"Petey…didn't I tell you I was going away on some urgent family business?" she faked innocence and he chuckled but remained quiet for a few seconds.

"Pete, why are you calling me today? What can I help you with?" in the few years she knew Pete Wentz he always surprised her when she suspected it the least… there was an intake of breath at the other side of the line and Haley rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"Haley! I'm shocked!" he laughed dramatically.

"No but really…I just wanted to call and let you know that your music video will be up in a few days…"

Haley chatted to Pete for another while before she finally hung up on him too. She fell back down on the bed as she stared around Karen's room. It felt empty somehow. Empty without her. Haley looked around for a few seconds before her eyes fell to the desk next to her bed. Karen had always said she kept her most important letters and books in there…and for a second Haley wondered what was in there. Making her way over there seemed unimaginable to Haley, but within seconds she was there and opening the desk.

A single book was in there.

It was white with only four words printed in black on the cover.

White Houses

Lucas Scott

Haley stared at it with confusion in every part of her body. Before she could even open up the book she heard the door slam closed and she quickly stuffed the book back into the desk. She would read it later.

And for a split second as she walked out to greet whoever was at the door…Haley let herself wonder if Nathan and Lucas had talked about her at the rivercourt…