Author's note: Sorry it took so long with this next update. I just started college again..and therefore I haven't had much time .. but now I've finally settled in.. I've finally got a chance to write. I want to thank you all for all your fabulous reviews! If it weren't for all of you... I wouldn't be as inpsired to continue with this story.. so all your feedback is means the world to me. That being said.. this chapter will seem a little strange to you at first...b/c it will feel like something's missing.. How did we get from the last chapter? ... to this happening so fast? Bear with me.. Afer you read this chapter.. the next one will flash back to the last 24 hours.. and how it all led up to this..Why am I doing it like this? I have my reasons. There' a purpose to it.. and I think it creates a more unique story telling. I have the next several chapters planned and I promise some great things. I said that this story is going to get dark, and after the last chapter.. Marcus being haunted by Jimmy... I think you all grasp how dark it's going to get..and how far Marcus might go and what he might be pushed to do. We'll this chapter ..it's very dark.. and it gets very intense and you'll see just how far Marcus will go.. and for a little tidbit.. Marcus will only get worse after this. And just know.. that THIS chapter was very very hard for me to write. One of the hardest things I ever had to write.
As always, feedback is vital for this story.. and I love you all for it. It makes things so much easier, trust me! And I ask.. please be gentle in your reviews. Of course you can tell me what you don't like... something you would like me to do differently... but please do it with care.
stay tuned after the chapter for more notes from me about what to expect from the rest of this story----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3: Desperation.
Marcus abruptly appeared in the doorway a few feet in front of Haley. He was out of breath. His face was clammy.
Haley's heart skipped a beat. He scared the crap out of her. "Marcus, what are you doing here?" She froze for a moment, but then she felt her feet backing away from him. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was how he acted earlier in the afternoon. She was worried about his behavior, of course, but she never thought he was capable of hurting anyone. Now, the condition he was in, he looked like he was capable of anything. Clearly she was overreacting, she tried to convince herself.
"Haley... I.. n-needed to see you.. talk to you", Marcus blurted. He looked terrible.
"Okay. Sure", Haley said quickly, forcing a smile. "Uh, how did you find me here?"
"Oh, I-I um... saw you. I was around", Marcus stuttered, staring right at her.
Haley looked down, trying to avoid eye contact with him. For some reason her gut told her to get out of here as soon as possible. "I see. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Haley mumbled, holding the paper in her hand tightly.
Marcus walked toward her. "Earlier today. When you told me you couldn't tutor me anymore, I sort of ...lost it. I'm really sorry Haley."
"That's okay", Haley told him, looking at the door. She just had to tell him anything so she could get of here. All she wanted was to get back to Nathan. "I just hope we can still be friends".
Marcus stopped and smiled gently at her. "See... that's what I'm saying. I knew I-I was right", he said looking to the side of her. He quickly shot his eyes back to hers. "That's why I kinda lost it. I really have come to count on you...as a friend Haley. And if you weren't there... I think I can talk to you about anything. And you'd understand. I know... you would."
Haley felt the tension in her body begin to loosen. "Of course Marcus. If something's going on..you can come to me."
Marcus grinned widely. "I-I knew I could".
"And just remember that Nathan and Lucas are your friends to Marcus... You can come to them just like you can come to me", Haley reassured him with a smile.
Marcus then looked to the side of her again, and whispered something into the air. He shook his head. "This isn't about them!" He shouted at her, his face turning bright red. "This is about you and me! I-I thought you understood that!" Marcus lunged toward her, roughly grabbing her shoulders, shaking her body violently. The paper she was holding fell to the ground. Haley could see drops of sweat rolling down his face. His whole body was trembling. As was hers now.
"Okay...just...calm down", Haley told him, fear dripping in her voice, her eyes glaring toward the door. Her heart began to beat out of her chest.
"Uhh, I can't do this anymore!" Marcus put his hands over his head. He quickly put his hands back on Haley, holding her tightly. "I ...CAN'T! Just shut up! Just shut you're fucking mouth!" Marcus spat into the air. His eyes kept darting back and forth between her face to the side of her. Back and forth. Back and forth.
She couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe he was hurting her like this. But she couldn't think about that now. Haley's instincts began to kick in. She had to get out of here. Now.
"Get off of me!" Haley tried to push Marcus off of her, but his grip was too strong. She struggled to break free, but he just held onto her more firmer, his nails deeply stabbing into her left arm in the process.
"Stop...please!"Haley desperately cried out. She could feel her tears of pure dread and anger streaming down her cheeks and down onto her despair. He then took a hold of her wrist and forced her body against the wall a few feet behind them. His face was inches from hers...his hot breath going all over face. She could see into his eyes. They were like a grave. Dead. Empty. Hopeless. She didn't know what he was going to do. But no matter what he had planned, she couldn't let him. She had to get away... Somehow. Someway.
"Marcus, you don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me. I know you're better than this", Haley told him, her voice weak, trying to say anything, to get through to him.
Marcus was quiet for a moment. He just stared at her, stroking her hair. Haley could feel vomit start to rise up her throat. It was the longest minute of her life. He had one of her arms pinned up against the wall, the other hostilely holding onto her waist. Suddenly he turned his head boldly to the side of where they were standing. "Shut the fuck up!" He said savagely.
Haley had thought he was talking to her, but it was like..Marcus was talking to somebody who wasn't there. All she knew was that she had to get the HELL out of here and fast before she really got hurt. "Marcus, please-
Marcus took a deep breath. "I-I thought you liked me. I thought you were different Haley. Say you like me. Please Haley. Tell me you like me! Say it!" He shook her into the wall, his voice crying out in pure despair.
"I like you! I like you, okay? Now...please stop. Please, don't do this", Haley pleaded, her voice quaking.
Marcus's face softened a little. His grip on her relaxed. "I'm sorry Haley. You have to believe me. You have to. Y-You have no idea what I"m going through. No idea. You couldn't...imagine. But I-I don't want to hurt you. I could...never."
"Then let me go", Haley whispered with hope.
Marcus shook his head. "Not yet."
Haley's heart sank into the ground. "Why... are you doing this to me?"
"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want to ...but you know... I-I thought we connected Haley! I thought you got me. You were..special to me..like no one else in the... I thought you were my friend."
"I am your friend. Or I was! Is this what you do a friend?" Haley told him, pain in her voice.
"I -I thought...you were more than that. You are more than that. See, when you tutored me, it was like I got you all to myself.. and it was unexpected..the way I began to feel around you...but It was like... the only thing keeping me going .. keeping me waking up every morning. The only thing real in my life. The light at the end of the tunnel. Seeing you. Being with you. Smelling you. Me and you Haley" Marcus said silently in her ear.
"What? Are you out of your mind?" Haley said, shocked to the core. "I'm married to Nathan, Marcus! You came to our own WEDDING-
"From what I heard, a ring doesn't stop you from what you really want. Chris Keller and you? Going on that tour together? You didn't care about Nathan then, did you?"
Haley looked at him, pure disgust in her eyes. "You know nothing about me or my marriage to Nathan, now GET the HELL off of me!" She used all her strength to push him off of her, causing Marcus to stumble off to the side for a minute.
"I don't want to hurt you. I have to make you understand Haley. Just let me make you understand", Marcus cried out while hurling toward her from behind causing Haley to hit the ground, knocking her head against the floor.
"You have to understand. It's him. Don't you see him? He's making me do this!", Haley heard Marcus exclaim from above her.
Even though her body was throbbing with pain, Haley picked herself up off the ground. All of a sudden, Nathan flashed into her head. Seeing him again, kissing him...touching him..being with him, made her more determined than ever to get out of here. He did make her brave. More than he would ever know. A small smile washed over her face. She was getting out of here and NOW. She was going home to her husband.
"Haley, please. I-I just want to talk to you",Marcus said, standing right in front of her.
Haley sneered. "You need help Marcus. Lots of it. And you know what? You can go to hell", Haley told him, while she lifted her knee in the air and hit him in the balls as hard as she could.
She didn't even think twice. Her feet started to run for the door as soon as she heard him yelp out in pain and hit the ground. She ran into the hallway, panting, and gasping for air. She didn't stop. She ran for the main doors of the school and before she knew it...she was outside. It was dark. And chilly. She felt like the world was caving in around her. Like her legs could fall off her body at any moment, but something inside her told her that she had to keep going. Had to keep moving. That she couldn't stop. And she wouldn't. She would be strong. And she would be brave. And she knew that "something" inside of her was Nathan.
24 hours ealier...
to be continued...
I'll be working on getting the next chapter out sometime this week, so I don't leave you all in the dark about how it all lead up to this...and of course ..you'll all want to know what happens with Haley afterward. (Will Marcus catch up to Haley? Will she find Nathan? and how will he react? etc...) I promise to get it out this week sometime. As far as how many chapters this story will have. I have no idea. We'll se it how it goes.. but it's going to be a long one, I can tell you that now. I PROMISE it will have a happy ending with Nathan&Haley. But they are in for quite a ride in this story.. It will be very angsty, very INTENSE, and very emotional.. and I can't wait to get those chapters out. Basically I feel like I should tell you what direction I am going in with this story.b/c I feel like I should make everyone aware of what my plans are so you can get a sense of what this story is going to be like. Nathan&Haley will go missing for SEVERAL chapters.(they will be together I might add..and you will SEE them when they are missing..but it will be a terryifying experince for them and they will have to get through it togeher...). This will leave Lucas&Peyton and eventually Brooke to investigate what happened to them..and trying to find them.
Remember... feedback is the world to me!