Well, first of let me just say; a big thank you to everybody who, read, replied and enjoyed the first chapter. You guys are awesome. I don't have much time to thank you all personally, but I am ohso grateful for all your sweet words. (: Hopefully, you continue to read, reply and enjoy! Hehe. Here is the second chapter, and I'm so sorry for the long wait. This one's for Jen and Kris. Jen, because well I love her, simple as that and Kris, who used my James against me! She's evil but it worked. Heh. This chapter doesn't really have any Naley, but well you know...there are a lot more chapters to come so you'll get them soon enough. : Maybe, in the chapter after this. Not so sure yet anyways, I hope you like this chapter and review... please! Muchos Love.
2.
Where's the Good in Goodbye?
Saying goodbye is harder than people think, even if it's saying goodbye to those who you cannot stand at times.
"Ready?" A chirpy voice asks, as I walk down the stairs in the usual Haley James manner aka lazily. There's no other word for it.
"And good morning to you too, Brookie." I reply half-heartedly and rub my eyes.
"Oh, shut up." Brooke brushes me off, with a wave of her amazingly manicured hand if I must say so myself. "So…I came over here because well…we're leaving! Agh!" Brooke screams excitedly, and starts to clap her hands together in pure "cheerleader" fashion. Aww, they are adorable.
"I'm glad you finally found out." I yawn. Brooke smacks me across the arm. Ouch, darn it. That hurt. "Too early for your sarcasm." Was I being sarcastic??? Wow, it's gotten that bad eh Hales.
"Sorry. But yep, we are!" I agree, trying to smile as brightly as possible at eight thirty in the morning.
Brooke returns the smile. Seriously she deserves the gong for 'most cheerful smile through everything'. "Ooh here." Brooke says, as she turns around and grabs a Starbucks Styrofoam cup. "Extra milk. Juts how you like it."
"Thanks." I answer, as I take the cup from her, eyeing her as I do. "So, anyway…to what do I owe this pleasure?" I ask her, as I take a sip of my coffee.
"Well…" Brooke starts as she places her hands on her hips. "…Since we are both going up there together I figured you know, I'd help you with the last of your stuff." She finishes, with a final wave of her hands.
"Oh, Brooke, how thoughtful of you." I smile at her gratefully. See sometimes, she is just the sweetest little thing ever. I said sometimes.
Brooke laughs merrily. "Well, you know you." She points a finger at me. "Always leaving things to the last minute." I shrug with a laugh. "…And…" She looks at me with that guilty looking half-smile thing of hers.
"And..?" I narrow my eyes at her, and make hand motions, urging her to continue.
"…And I would totally be honoured, like love-you-forever honoured if you would go on a uh…double date with me and Lucas, this Friday night." She says the last part quietly and as fast as she can.
"Wait, wait…backtrack here. Are you crazy!?" I practically, yell, a little confused. Scratch that, I'm very confused.
"Well…"
"First off – how can you possibly have a date this Friday night??? We're supposed to be getting settled in not gallivanting around!"
"Okay, gallivanting?" Brooke looks at me, as if to say 'who says that' "…and Jamie seriously doesn't mean I can't have a social life. God." She replies exasperatedly.
"It's Haley, not Jamie!" I shout.
"Yeah, well…" She pauses. "Well…I don't like the name Haley; I like Jamie better so there." She smiles, obviously satisfied with her answer.
I stare at her, as though she's lost it. "Okay, so not the point…moving on to number two. How can you possibly know someone from UNC, already!? And who the hell is he? You can't expect me to go on some random date with an equally random dude!" I shriek.
Brooke looks as though she's about to say something but no, way. I want to have the last word. "I'm not finished! Thirdly…" Hmm, what can be my thirdly… "What?" I say weakly.
Brooke rolls her eyes. "Okay. Well first of, I like to call them spontaneous dates not random ones." I'm about to interrupt but she gets there first. "Uh-uh-uh." Brooke shakes a finger at me. "Moving on…Jamie…"
I glare at her but she obviously chooses to ignore it.
"This is the University of North Carolina, sweetie, do you really think moi doesn't have her contacts?" She laughs and points to herself, looking at me in mock shock. I roll my eyes and huff to myself, pretending to examine my nails. "…And he is so not a random dude." She air quotes. "He is actually a very good friend of a very good friend of mine." She finishes off with a satisfied nod.
"A very good friend of a very good friend?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow, slightly amused.
"Yes. So um, are you in?" She asks hopefully.
"I'll think about it."
"But Haley, he's…"
"Uh-uh-uh." I interrupt, shaking a finger at her. Brooke pouts at me and says 'whatever' instead of answering with words I stick my tongue out at her.
"Heh." She mumbles, as she dances over to my little brother and sister – Ben and Ellie, as they walk out of the lounge. "How are my Bellie?" Brooke greets them. You see, I think Brooke has a little problem with saying people's actual names. Especially if they're two people, who are a little bit more attached like my brother and sister who are twins. Little advice; never tell Brooke Davis if you're with someone if you ever meet her, she'll just combine your names.
"Bee!" Ellie screams, sounding equally as happy as Brooke. Yes, Brooke had definitely had a huge influence on her life.
"Aww, you look so cute as always."" Brooke tells them, as she pulls away from her and Ellie's hug.
Ben blushes and Ellie smiles widely. Yeah, uh it's not exactly a big secret in our neighbourhood that my little brother has a huge crush on Brooke. He insists to me that it isn't just puppy-love either. It's the real thing! Okay, Benny whatever you say.
"Hey, Ben." I greet him as Brooke gives Ellie a pair of her many earrings she keeps in her handbag. She insists they're for emergencies. Emergencies?
"Hey, Hay." He smiles at me.
"Hey! That rhymed!" I shout and Ben throws me a look as if to say 'you big dork who gets excited at rhyming things'. Wow, it's a sad thing when your younger sibling is cooler than you. "Okay." I whisper to myself, "Anyway, what's up with you?"
"Not much. I'm just going to play some ball with Tom and Mike." He replies as he gestures towards the big, orange ball in his hands.
"Okay, cool. Well, you'll be back by ten, right?" I ask, since that's when I'll be leaving.
"Of course Hales." He smiles at me.
"I'll see you later then." I wave to him as he runs out f the French doors then the front door slams shut. I turn my attention back to Brooke and Ellie. "What are you two talking about?" I ask, as I sit down on the bottom step, ignoring the fact about how weird it is that we're all hanging in the passage.
"Nothing." "Nathan." Both Brooke and Ellie reply simultaneously.
I look towards Ellie and raise my eyebrows, "ooh. Who's Nathan?" I ask with a smirk.
Ellie and Brooke exchange a glance, complete with raised eyebrows and 'what the hell, is she retarded?' faces.
"What?" I snap, annoyed that they're looking at me like that.
"Nathan Scott, Haley." Brooke tells me, still wearing that 'face', "Nathan Scott as in Broody's bro. Nathan as in Nathan-whose-balls-you…"
"Nathan whose balls you want to what, huh?" Ellie asks, grinning.
"Ellie!" I shriek.
She throws me a look as if to say, 'so what?'
"You're thirteen." I point out, shocked and soon enough Nathan is forgotten.
Ellie shrugs at me, "So? Don't be such a prude Hales."
I stare at her open-mouthed, and shocked. Wow, I was never like that at thirteen. "I am not." I insist, pouting.
Brooke and Ellie both laugh, "Okay, she's right. Our Haley's not a prude. Man, I've seen and heard the girl when she's wasted. Which is hardly ever, but that's beside the point. I'm just surprised you haven't given it up yet." Brooke shrugs casually.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know." She says, shrugging yet again.
"Hey, hey, hey." I interrupt with a wave of my right hand. "Break out of the stereotypes for a second here, B. Davis."
Brooke looks at me and Ellie starts to walk into the living room. I look towards her, "Sorry, too early to be talking about things like stereotyping." She mumbles with a shudder. Brooke laughs loudly and I continue.
"Just 'cause someone is not a prude doesn't mean they're a slut. And just because someone is a virgin, doesn't mean that they're a prude and… do you get where I'm going?" I ask, with a sheepish smile.
"Yes! Now go and get changed! God, it's nine already, Haley!" Brooke remarks in horror as she looks towards the clock.
"But we still have an hour."
Brooke narrows her eyes at me, "James, James, James. Even though you're just going to be wearing those darn converse and jeans, you've got to put effort." She stretches out the word 'effort' and I resist the urge to roll my eyes or better yet hit her. "Trust me, that whole casual look can look really, really sexy too."
Since when was I going for sexy? I ask myself but don't bother saying it out loud.
"Actually, I think a lot of guys prefer it, you know." She looks at the ceiling whilst chewing her bottom lip, thoughtfully.
"Okay!" I interrupt with a smile, before she can go into one of her many different tangents. "Better go and get dressed. Have to look sexy! I will look sexy in my darn converse and jeans." I nod my head and walk up the stairs.
"Yay! That's my bestest friend." Brooke sings happily, her voice drifting away as she skips into the living room. I shake my head and laugh to myself as I continue on my way.
"Tada!" I shout, as I skip into the living room. "What do you think?" I ask, as I place one hand on my hip and the other above my head.
"Two words; Smoking hot sister!" She states with a grin, "Okay, maybe that was three."
"Ellie?" I ask, turning my gaze to her.
"Oh yeah, totally." She nods approvingly, "You look bitchin'!"
"Thank…wait, Ellie! Don't say that." I scold her in a hushed voice causing them both to laugh. "Well, anyway thank you both. I do look kinda hot, don't I?" I giggle, slightly.
"Whoa. Did she just say she looks hot?" Brooke asks Ellie.
"I believe she did."
"Ha-ha. Very funny. I suppose I learned from the best self-obsessed."
"Why, thank you." They both answer; smiling as if that was the best compliment they've both been delivered.
"See, I told you. Didn't I? The casual look can look sexy with a capital S ad a big, fat Y." Brooke reminds me.
"Yep, you did. Your impeccable sense of style and modesty never cease to amaze me." I roll my eyes playfully.
"Anyway…" Ellie says all of a sudden. Brooke and I turn to look at her. "What's with this whole wanting to chop Nathan Scott's balls off, thing?" I stare at her, dumbfounded.
"I filled her in." Brooke interrupts, nodding her head.
"Thank you, you're just a sweetheart."
"Aw, thanks."
I stare at her strangely for a couple of seconds about to answer when she speaks up, again.
"Don't try to change the subject, Missy J."
"Yes!" Ellie points an accusing finger at me, "you like him." She whispers and nods her head knowingly. Puhh-lease.
"What!? No I don't." I shout at them.
"You know he's hot." Ellie remarks.
"Really hot." Brooke adds in.
"Okay, you." I point towards Brooke, "You cannot find him hot. He's practically your brother-in-law."
"So? Nothing wrong with looking." Brooke replies with a wink.
"Ew. And you!" I point at Ellie, "It's because of girls like you – his head won't fit into any hat."
"Ew, hats on guys?" Brooke asks, looking horrified.
"Yuck." Ellie agrees, whilst making gagging motions.
"What's wrong with hats on guys?" I ask. This is obviously another memo I missed out on. Damn, how many are there?
"Nothing on male models and gay guys." Brooke answers and Ellie laughs.
I just look at them both, wow, these two are weird meanies.
"Anyway, again queen of subject-changing. What's with you and Nate?"
"I'm not talking about this. I hate him." I tell them.
"Very convincing." Brooke smiles at me and Ellie nods in agreement.
"Whatever. I need food." I say, choosing to ignore their comments, as I walk into the kitchen, both of them close behind me.
It's about a million degrees out and I'm waiting for my parents to come out of the house. Brooke and Ellie are sitting on the bumper of my car, while I chose the grass, my legs crossed. Despite Brooke and Ellie's concern of my clothes getting ruined.
"Okay, so have you got everything you need?" I hear my mothers voice ask me from behind. Before I can answer, my dad speaks.
"Where's your jacket?"
"Dad! It's boiling out here!" Ellie insists, staring at him as if he's gone mad.
"Elizabeth, it's not that hot."
"Uh, yeah it is. And please don't call me Elizabeth." Ellie glares at him. It amazes me how my younger sister can answer him back when I just don't have the nerve to, it's only at certain times that I can.
He ignores her as he turns his stare to me, "Haley, don't you think you should cover up a little?" He asks me, cautiously.
That's when everybody goes quiet. "I'm wearing a tank-top and jeans, dad." I grit out the last word.
"Haley…"
"For Gods sake, Jim. Leave it be." My mom snaps at him. Both of them are growling at each other and my dad storms back into the house. I can feel the tears stinging my eyelids.
"Hey." Brooke whispers as she drapes an arm across my shoulders, "I'm just going to go for a while, okay? I'll be right back sweetie." She squeezes my shoulder with a smile, and then walks back to her house. I honestly don't know what I would do without Brooke. She's everything to me.
My mom starts to follow my dad into the house, me close behind, Ellie ignoring us all as she lays her head back onto the car.
"For once Jimmy, for once! Leave it alone!" My moms piercing yells echo throughout the house and I cringe inwardly.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" My dads voice booms, equally as loud.
Oh, wow. Mom looks pissed.
"Don't I dare? Don't I dare!? You self-righteous son of a bitch!" My mom screams, her hand reaching out. Whoa. She's going for a vase.
I quickly dart my hand out to pull it off the table before she can reach it. "For once." I smile fake-ly, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Just this once." I say a little louder, my anger showing fully this time, "Can't you be civil?" I whisper and laugh awkwardly, "I'm leaving today, you'd think my parents would be happy and proud and sad…but you're not really bothered are you?" I shake my head, and walk out the room, glaring at them both one last time, challenging them to follow me. But they don't.
College, I can't believe that I'm going already, it seems as though it's so soon. This time tomorrow, I'll be out of here, out of Tree Hill. The Universaty of North Carolina, it's always been my dream school, and thankfully Brooke's too.
"I'm gonna miss you." I hear someone mumble, jolting me out of my thoughts. I turn around and stick out my bottom lip.
"Well, I'm gonna miss you too." I smile at Ellie who doesn't seem her peppy self at the moment. I can feel the lump in my throat and I know I want to cry, but I promised myself that I'll only cry if someone else cries. That way, I won't seem so pathetic.
Ellie bows her head down as she sticks her arms out and I move into her embrace. Ever since Ellie and Ben were born, thirteen years ago I'd been addicted. The first time I saw them in their cribs, side by side, I had asked my dad if they were mine, maybe they were a gift. My dad had laughed and told me they weren't dolls to play with, they were babies and they were for all three of us. So I begged my parents if I could play with them. I was five at the time; I was the baby of the family, used to being spoiled and getting my own way. My dad had pulled me onto his lap and we sat beside my mom on the bed, the twins in front of us. That's a moment I'll always remember, back then everything was so different. I was actually a daddy's girl, believe it or not and then when the twins hit six, everything just sort of...stopped. It was like my parents fell out of love and all of our worlds came crashing down because of it. Once I hit puberty, I felt I could do my own thing now, so I ignored my father and my mother, most of the time. I blamed him for our family's un-happiness. For becoming an ass, for working constantly and never spending time with us, for always fighting with my mom, for absolutely no apparent reason. I blamed her for just putting up with him.
I tuck my head into Ellie's shoulder, we're both exactly the same height. Once we both pull away I can't help but let the tears flow freely. A few stray tears roll down her cheeks and we both start to giggle.
"You're so pathetic." Ellie accuses me and I hit her across the arm.
"Look who's talking." I'm still crying but laughing at the same time.
She rolls her eyes playfully and then the tears pour, not just a few but a lot of them, "I'm really going to miss you Haley, I don't know what..." She hiccups and I feel a tugging at my heart, I hate that I have to leave her and Ben. "What it's going to be like here without you."
"It'll be okay." I whisper soothingly, as I pull her closer, so she's leaning her head on my shoulder. "I mean, I'm gonna visit everytime I can, okay? And you know you can call me whenever you want. Even if it's the middle of the night, I swear I'm still going to be here for you. For both of you." I reassure her as I hug her from the side.
She nods at my words and pulls away slowly, "I know. I love you."
I wink at her and try my best to smile, "I love you too little sis. Where's Ben?" I ask, trying to change the subject, like I always do when shit is getting to emotional.
"Ben!" Ellie screams as we hug each other one last time and she walks back into the house.
Ben comes barrelling towards me, and I pull him into a hug as he makes a face. "You better take care of Ellie, but don't boss her around 'cause you know she can kick your $$ anyday." I warn him playfully and he grins despite the look of annoyance on his face. "I didn't think I'd ever say this to you, but I'm gonna miss you."
"Thanks, I think." He looks at me weirdly and I make a face. "I'll miss you too." He replies, sincerely.
I smile back as I let him go. I stare at the house one last time, knowing it's for real now. I'm leaving. I already said goodbye to my parents, and despite the tension between us all, I managed to mumble 'I'll miss you' through hazy eyes. I couldn't say those other three words though. I just can't say them to my parents, I don't know if it's because I don't love them, I just can't. Simple as that.
I take one last glance at the house from my seat on the passenger side and then turn towards Brooke.
"You ready?" She grins at me, her dimples extremely uh dimply.
I smile back at her, truthfully excited at the prospect of this new, exciting life and what lies ahead for us both in these next few years to come. "Lets do this."