"Lucas, have you talked to Nathan lately?" Lucas looked up from the book he was reading and shook his head.
"No, we haven't talked since that night he kicked me out of his apartment." Brooke nodded and sat down on the bed beside Lucas. "What's wrong?"
"Well, today I was at the Café and he was there with Peyton and Jake. I mean I thought we didn't like Peyton. I can understand why he would hang out with Jake. I'm just worried that's all. I mean the four of us, we were all best friends. I don't want that to end!" Lucas put an arm around her and she snuggled closer to him.
"I don't want it to end either Brooke but it just might. Nathan is stubborn, so he sees Haley leaving as a sign. He thinks that they are not supposed to be together."
"But they are, they are perfect for each other!" Lucas nodded and kissed the top of Brookes head. "It'll work out somehow! I promise!"
"I hope so!" Brooke's cell phone started to play My Humps. Brooke jumped up, knowing it was Haley. "HELLO!"
"Brooke, hey, how are you?"
"I'm sad, I miss you tutorgirl. So does Lucas, Mouth, Karen and Keith!"
"Hmm… not Nathan though."
"Haley, we haven't even talked to him since you left and that was 2 weeks ago."
"Why? Aren't you all friends? I tried to phone him but it goes straight to voicemail. This sucks and stupid Chris keeps asking me out!"
"Oh God that loser. Listen Haley, Nathan loves you. We all know that, just have faith."
"Yeah you're right. I should go though, bye Brooke. I miss you."
"I miss you too. Bye Haley." Brooke hung up her phone and looked at Lucas with tears in her eyes. He grabbed her into a hug and held Brooke while she cried.
"I'm so glad you realized how Haley was. I bet she is lying about the whole contract and getting sued thing." Nathan nodded not really listening to what Peyton was saying. He was actually wondering the same thing, if Haley was lying or not.
"I don't think she is Peyton, I mean she loves Nathan so why would she leave him?" Peyton shrugged her shoulders and glared at Jake.
"She's a conniving bitch." Karen who was pouring coffee at the next table heard Peyton and walked over to them. She slammed the coffee pot on the table, causing the three teens to look up at her, scared.
"Listen here, the whole time we were in Mexico all she could talk about was Nathan and how she didn't want to leave him again. She told me that she would give up her dream for him because Nathan was her heart and she couldn't live without her heart. She made her choice of staying here in Tree Hill. I was there when she got the voicemail. I saw her heart break because she knew that you, Nathan, would never be able to overcome this. She loved you so much and now here you are sitting here talking bad about her. It's a damn good thing she left because then she wouldn't have had to realize what a jerk you are down the road." With that Karen picked up her coffee pot and walked over to the counter.
"Wow, what a bitch and I used to like Karen." Jake rolled his eyes at Peyton. Nathan sat there, flabbergasted by what Karen had just said. He hated himself for the way he was acting but what could he do about it now.
"Karen's right, I am a jerk." Nathan stood up and left the Café, walking to the Rivercourt. Jake, Skills, Brooke, Mouth, Fergie and Junk were all there. They were all playing basketball except Mouth and Brooke. Nathan solemnly walked over to them and they stopped playing. Lucas walked over to Nathan, an angry expression on his face,
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He yelled as soon as he got close enough. Nathan looked at Lucas with pleading eyes. "Why don't you go somewhere else?"
"I'm sorry Lucas. I'm sorry to everyone, I know I am an ass. I just don't know what to do anymore. How am I suppose to last the next 6 months without her Luke. What if Brooke was the one gone what would you do?" Lucas looked at Brooke than back at Nathan.
"I'd stay in touch, I'd be there for her, I would SUPPORT HER!" Nathan nodded and looked at his hands.
"You know I am not good without Haley. She's the one that made the two of us friends. She made me a better person and now she's not even here and it hurts." Lucas nodded, the glare still on his face. "I'm just really sorry!"
"Why don't you tell Haley that!" Nathan nodded and turned around, walking away.
"NATHAN WAIT!" Nathan turned around to see Brooke standing in front of Lucas. She slowly walked over to him, grabbing his hands. "Why don't you call her. She would love to hear from you."
"Brooke, I screwed up, again. I just don't think she'll forgive me." Nathan pulled his hands away from Brooke and walked away. Lucas walked over to Brooke and put an arm around her. Brooke pulled away and glared at Lucas.
"Why did you have to be such an ASS to him? He said he was sorry!" Lucas shrugged causing Brooke to roll her eyes. "Talk to me when you and him are friends again!"
"Brooke!" Brooke didn't look back, she walked to her car and jumped in. She started it up and took off. She was super mad at Lucas, she understood that Nathan was just being Nathan. He didn't handle feelings very well and it was Haley that kept him grounded. She saw him walking on the sidewalk and honked, stopping the car. He walked over to the car and got into the passenger seat. Brooke continued driving, not saying anything.
"You didn't have to pick me up Brooke."
"Yes I did because we are going to New York, to see Haley." Nathan's eyes widened and he stared at Brooke. Brooke looked at him and smiled. "You know you want to!"
Nathan just nodded. He did want to see her but he didn't know how Haley would react to seeing him and that scared him.
"HALEY JAMES!" Haley jumped up from the couch when Chris stormed in her dressing room. "Hey!"
"You scare the crap out of me and all you can say is HEY!" Chris smirked and nodded. Haley smacked him on the shoulder and he winced in pain.
"OW! Anyways you want to go for lunch? I mean we are done the show!" Haley shook her head 'no' and grabbed her jacket. "C'mon Haley!"
"NO CHRIS!" Haley gave him a little smirk and walked out of the dressing room. She was half way down the hall when someone grabbed her arm. She turned around and glared at Chris. "What?"
"Please come for lunch with me, just as friends!" Haley groaned in frustration. "C'mon we might as well be at least friends we are going to be together for the next 5 ½ months."
"Fine but if you think this is a date, I will hurt you." Chris smiled and nodded. He put his arm around her and she threw it off. "CHRIS!"
"Sorry, let's go!" They walked out of the building and down the street to a small café, which reminded her of Karen's Café. They sat down at a table and ordered their food.
"Chris, can I ask you a question?" Chris nodded and Haley sighed. "Don't you ever miss home?"
"Nope, this is my home now. Anyway it's not like I had a family or anything." Haley nodded. "So now the people on tour are like my family."
"Wow, now I know why you are constantly trying to hang out with me." Chris nodded slowly and Haley saw the sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry I'm so mean to you."
"No it's okay I understand, I can be a jerk sometimes. I know how much you miss your family and I know that you wanted to leave the tour. I'm really sorry that you couldn't though." Haley nodded and looked at her hands.
"The thing that sucks the most is that the guy I'm in love with won't talk to me anymore because I had to leave again. I just wish that he would support what I was doing." Chris nodded and grabbed her hands.
"I'm sure that this guy will realize how stupid he is that he is letting such a good thing go." Haley smiled at Chris and gently pulled her hands away. "You're a great girl Haley, any guy would be lucky to have you."
"Thanks Chris and who knows maybe one day you'll meet the girl of your dreams."
"The thing is I already have but she's taken." Haley blushed a little. "I just wish the guy that has her heart would see how wonderful she was."
"Chris there is someone out there, don't worry." Chris nodded and sat back, watching as the waitress put their food on the table.
"Haley, I just want you to know that I only want to see you happy and this whole tour I have not seen you happy once. I just want you to make sure this guy is worth all the pain he is obviously causing you." Haley nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "I don't want to see you hurt anymore."
"Chris I am a big girl, don't worry." Chris nodded and ate his food. Haley couldn't help but wonder if Nathan was worth all this pain. Her phone started to play Buttons, signaling that it was Brooke on the phone.
"Hello Brooke!"
"Tutorgirl, hey where are you?"
"Eating at the Corner Café, why?"
"Just wondering, I'm worried about you. Have you talked to Nathan?"
"No, have you?"
"That's not the point, well I have to go BYE!" Haley hung up the phone and stared at it.
"Well that was a weird conversation." Haley looked up at Chris and smiled but he frowned at her. "What?"
"Was that Brooke?" Haley nodded, confused. "How come she's not here with you anymore, I thought she was your best friend."
"Well she wanted to stay in Tree Hill and I totally understood that. If she's happy then I'm happy." Chris nodded and continued with his food. The door bell chimed and Chris looked up.
"Brooke's in Tree Hill right?" Haley nodded. "Well then that girl looks a lot like her."
"What?" Haley turned around and saw Brooke standing in the door way. She jumped up and ran over to her, hugging her. "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too!" Brooke pulled back and moved out of the way. That's when Haley saw him. He stood there, staring at her, his hands in his pockets. She didn't know what to say, all she could do was stare at him. He took his hands out of his pockets and grabbed her into a hug. Haley returned it, burying her face into his shoulder. She never wanted to let go but she did. She gave him a small smile and he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Haley deepened the kiss, grabbing on to his shirt for dear life. They pulled away and stared at each other.
"Hey!"
"Hey! What brings you here?" Nathan grabbed her hand and sat down at a table with her. Brooke was sitting with Chris, eating Haley's food.
"Brooke picked me up, told me we were coming here and now here I am. I've missed you Haley." Haley smiled. Nathan brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I love you so much and I hate that I was an idiot."
"It's okay, you're here now. I know you have to go back but you came and saw me. I love you too Nathan and I hate that we are apart right now." Nathan nodded and kissed her again. He just wanted to touch her, hold her in his arms forever. He didn't want to let her go ever again but he knew he had to.
"Listen, this weekend will be this weekend. I am not promising anything." Haley's smiled fell and she stood up. She felt tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe he was running this. "Haley, listen."
"No you listen. I am sick of this. Why can't you just support what I'm doing and it's not like it was even my decision to come back. You want to know something Nathan, there is someone else who loves me and he supports what I am doing. He would never treat me the way that you are now and here I am with you, the guy who has my heart, and you just stomp on it. Nathan just go home, this will obviously never work." Haley walked over to the table where Brooke was sitting. She looked up at Brooke and frowned at the angry look on her face.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Listen I'll pay for a room for you guys for tonight but tomorrow just go home. I want to hang out with you though Brooke, just not him." Brooke nodded and glared over at Nathan. "Here take this credit card, go rent a room and then call me."
"Okay, I'm really sorry Haley." Haley just nodded and hugged her friend. "So I'll call you in an hour."
"Yeah for sure. See you then." They hugged again and Brooke left, grabbing Nathan and dragging him outside. Haley sat down at the table and looked at Chris.
"Are you okay?" Haley nodded and pulled out some cash, putting it on the table. "Want to go for a walk."
"I'd love to." Haley stood up and walked to the door. Chris opened it for her and they walked out. Haley walked closer to him and he put an arm around her. She had no feelings for Chris, she just wanted to feel like someone cared for her.
