1Happy Holidays! Finals are freakin' over and I'm heading back home tomorrow.,,.whoohoo...I'll try to update as frequently as possible during my break,,,, Thanks for the replies. I love reading them. Hopefully this chapter will answer some questions. Hehe, be patient...you'll find out more soon.

Unforgiven - Chapter 2

"To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry"

Haley James was surviving. Not living. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Not without her best friend.

Each day was about surviving. Waking up, going to school, coming home, doing homework, and sleeping. The day would repeat itself the next day. Days of not knowing how harsh life can treat you were gone. She knew now and the pain is nothing like she would or could ever imagine. The pain is real. The pain is now.

Being in this town only reminded her how alone she truly was. The night of Halloween, she lost her best friend. A week later, she lost her family. It wasn't her family by blood, it was her family because of love. Love that she only felt with Lucas, Karen, and Keith. Unconditional love. She would never blame Karen and Keith. They didn't want to leave her. The pain was just too much. Karen lost her son and no mother should ever go through that pain. Keith had lost a son too, not his son by blood, but Keith's love for Lucas was a thousand times more than a son could ever hope or dream for in a father. She missed them. They had given her a future to look forward to. That one night took it all away.

"I think we should go somewhere in the West Coast. The beaches are great there." Lucas suggested as he crammed another mouthful of Mac n' Cheese into his already full mouth.

Haley wiped the excess cheese from Lucas's lips. "You're disgusting." She laughed as he took another spoonful into his mouth to mock her. "We have a great beach here too, ya know?"

"Yea, but I heard the babes there wear much less."

Haley and Karen groaned as Keith and Lucas high fived each other. Looking at Karen, Keith knew he was going to be in trouble later. "Lucas." Keith straightened up and said seriously, "Do not call women babes. It's disrespectful and demeaning."

Karen leaned over to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. She patted him on the head, "Nice try, but you're still in trouble." Keith playfully slapped Lucas as Karen turned her attention back to the kids, "Why not stay around here for college?"

"No way." Haley was first to speak. "Seventeen years in this town is enough. Time to move on."

"Gee, thanks." Keith replied jokingly.

"We love you too." Lucas added and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. You guys are the only reason I didn't run away from home ten years ago." Haley knew that she had saved herself when all three smiled. "I'm just saying, it'll be great to go somewhere where we won't have to see the slutty cheerleaders of Tree Hill High or meet someone that doesn't know the history of Dan Scott and his sons-

Lucas was half way out of the café before Haley dropped her spoon and got up. Why did she have to open her big mouth? She looked apologetically at Karen and Keith. "Don't worry, guys. I'll take care of this."

Haley had to catch her breath by the time she got to the Rivercourt. "Damnit, Lucas." She panted. "You couldn't have slow down a bit?"

Lucas made his way to one of the picnic benches and laid down. Haley followed and did the same, taking a spot next to her best friend. Resting her head on his chest, she was finally able to catch her breath and breathe at a normal pace. There was nothing but blackness above them. Not one single star on this chilly night. She shivered as the cold wind blew but was comforted by the warmth of Lucas's arm wrapping tightly around her. She leaned into him even closer, taking in his scent. "What's wrong, buddy?"

"I saw him today."

She flinched at the sadness of his tone. She knew who he was taking about right away. Dan. Only that jerk could cause such a sadness in his voice. "What happened?"

"I told him that I wanted to join the Ravens." He laughed bitterly. "I'm so stupid. I actually thought he would be proud of me." His voice grew angrier and she was no longer comforted by his warmth. He had stood up and walked onto the center of the court, facing away from her. "He didn't care. He told me that it would be better to stay on my side of the tracks. He didn't want me to be a distraction to his precious Nathan."

Haley had made her way towards her best friend. He still wouldn't turn around to face her. She knew he was crying. Lucas hated when people saw him cry. "Lucas." Haley whispered. Tears had slid down to her face and she had begun to cry also. "I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around him from behind, engulfing him into a hug. "He doesn't deserve your love." She rested her head on his back. "I love you. Your mom and Keith love you."

"I know that. I know." He was frustrated and wanted to move from her embrace, but she only held him tighter, keeping him in the same position. "I just don't understand why I want his approval. Why do I want someone who doesn't care for my existence to love me back? Why do I give myself hope that one day he'll accept me?"

Haley didn't have an answer for him. She wanted to know why too. Why did Lucas want to be loved by his biologically father and brother when they treated him like crap? She didn't know. All she knew was that Dan and Nathan Scott would never deserve Lucas's love. He was too good for them. She only wished Lucas would realize that. "Lucas?"

"Yea?"

"Once we graduate, I'll go anywhere with you. We'll get away from here." She promised. "I'll follow you anywhere, my dear."

Lucas put his hands over her much smaller ones. Haley closed her eyes, trying to stop her tears from flowing but she couldn't stop. Through her quiet sobs, she heard Lucas telling her that everything was going to be okay. For once, she didn't believe him.

And her instinct was correct. A month after that night at the Rivercourt, Lucas had committed suicide.