4.
It had been two weeks since Brooke had been poisoned, the doctors had told her it seemed like some kind of rat poison. Everyone had school seemed to be on edge, who would deliberately poison Brooke Davis.
Haley was worried too, not because she thought anyone would go after her because no one really knew who she was but she was worried about Lucas and that someone would try and hurt him. She was also a bit annoyed since Brooke was poisoned Haley had not seen Lucas he was constantly by Brooke's side wanting to protect her.
Haley was officially annoyed with Lucas now, she knew he just wanted to make sure Brooke was safe but at the same time it was beginning to seem that Lucas just didn't want to hang out with her. If she hadn't been babysitting for Nathan she probably would have snapped and had a go at Lucas. It was weird though she had started talking to Nathan quite a bit and he had even stayed in one night with her and Poppy instead of going out to see his friends.
It was weird but he was actually a really nice guy, he was a bit of a womaniser and had a bad temper but moving away from Dan and having Poppy in his life had really changed him for the better.
She was just at her locker getting her books at the start of the day and Nathan was telling her about something cute Poppy had done at breakfast and they were walking to their classes when a big crowd around one of the notice boards made them stop and see what was going on.
There was a picture blown up so it was A1 size of Brooke naked on top of Nathan. The picture was obviously from a video as there was the time and date bar at the bottom of the picture.
"What the fuck." Nathan said his face draining, how the hell had someone found the video, drunkenly at a party Nathan and Brooke had slept together over a year ago but there was no way he wanted Lucas to see this, or anyone for that matter. Just as he was approaching the picture Lucas and Brooke appeared round the corner and saw the picture while Nathan froze in horror.
Lucas and Brooke just stood there both looking mortified. Nathan seemed to stir back to life and ripped the poster off the wall.
Haley made her way towards Lucas knowing that even though this event probably happened a while ago seeing your brother and girlfriend together must hurt.
Brooke charged right up to Nathan.
"Why would you do this?" She demanded eyes blazing. Nathan just looked flabbergasted at her.
"You think I would do this." He replied angrily.
"Are you ok?" Haley asked Lucas.
"I really didn't need to see that." He said still looking shocked.
"Hey come sit down" she said and they went and sat down on one of the lunch tables outside. They were shortly followed by Brooke and Nathan.
"You two had sex." Lucas said in disbelief.
"We weren't going out then." Brooke said lamely in her defence.
"I can understand that its just you never told me Nathan, I thought we were close and don't you think its something you should mention when you started dating me Brooke." He said angrily.
"It's not something I'm proud of ok and I was going out with Peyton at the time I didn't want to tell anyone." Nathan said looking ashamed "Plus I knew you had a bit of a crush on Brooke." Lucas glared at him, not really wanting Brooke too know how long he had liked her for.
"I just didn't want some stupid mistake to ruin us." She said looking at him sadly "I want to know what sick fuck did this." She said getting angry but then her face fell "Someone has it in for me."
Lucas' suddenly felt bad, he was a very unselfish person and he suddenly felt guilty for being so mad. The evidence was adding up and after all the bad stuff that was happening to Brooke it did really seem like someone was trying to hurt her.
"We're going to find out who's doing all this stuff Brooke I promise." Lucas said and put his arm round her shoulder in a comforting gesture.
Nathan looked uncertainly at Lucas and Brooke, he was worried that although Lucas seemed to be fine he wasn't really over it.
"I'm going to go see Peyton I think I need to apologise, you want to come Brooke." Nathan asked wanting to make sure the other person who would be hurt by this revelation was ok.
"No I'm going to stay here, I'll speak to her later." Brooke said in a care free voice which slightly surprised Haley and Nathan but Lucas didn't seem to notice.
Nathan left making Haley feel slightly awkward.
"Well if you're ok then I'm going to head over to class." Haley said to Lucas.
"I'll be fine." Lucas said letting go of Brooke and giving Haley a hug and whispering in her ear "Thanks for caring." Haley smiled back at him and headed off, she couldn't help but wonder though who had it in for Brooke the most popular girl in school.
School had been interesting all day with people none stop gossiping about Brooke and Nathan, and because she was friends with Lucas who was going out with Brooke people seemed to want to talk to her about it all day. She hadn't said much, to be honest she didn't know much about it and a tiny bit of her was disappointed that Nathan would sleep with Brooke, she knew he had been a bit of a man whore before but cheating on Peyton wasn't good.
Haley was just sat in her room listening to music and doing homework, she wasn't looking after Poppy that night so she was on her own. She was defiantly used to being on her own but since Poppy had been in her life and she had had the chance to look after her she had not been feeling as bad.
When she heard the doorbell ring she was sure for a second she had imagined it, no one ever came over. She made her way downstairs and heard chatter outside the door. She opened the door and was surprised to see Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake and Tim.
"Hey guys, what brings you here?" She asked standing in the door way.
"Well we thought we would come see you as you always refuse to come out." Brooke said and made her way into the house without being invited. The others all followed, Lucas gave her a sheepish look knowing she wouldn't be happy with a few people just coming into her house.
"Brooke just randomly suggested we come here." Peyton said.
She also didn't look to happy, she had not cared too much about the fact that Nathan and Brooke had slept together as she knew Nathan used to be a jerk when they went out but she was a bit hurt that Brooke hadn't even apologised. They all went into the kitchen and Tim excused himself to go to the bathroom.
"So any idea who's got a grudge with Brooke?" Haley asked breaking the silence.
"Well it had to be someone who's been at Nathan's recently as that's where the picture of Nathan and Brooke came from." Lucas said. Haley rolled her eyes.
"But Nathan had that big party the other week so it could have been anyone." Jake said.
"Well anyone cool enough to go to a Nathan Scott party." Haley said half smiling although no one else smiled as they were all part of that supposed cool crowd.
"Where is Nathan?" Tim asked coming back into the room.
"He said he had to go to the gym." Lucas said.
"I recon he's got a girl on the side, he seems to be busy a lot." Brooke said.
"Well why wouldn't he tell us?" Tim asked looking round dumbly.
"Well obviously he's ashamed of her, probably some loser." Brooke said. Then something clicked in Haley's head.
"So is that what the surprise visit's about Brooke, you thought you were going to spring me and Nathan in the act." Haley said rolling her eyes in annoyance.
Brooke just smiled looking mock innocent.
"Don't be stupid that would be too disgusting you and Nathan together." Lucas said and Haley rolled her eyes again.
"Not as bad as Brooke and Nathan though." Peyton added before she could help herself and the room was covered in a awkward silence.
"You got any booze?" Brooke asked breaking the silence. Haley shook her head.
"Come on everyone's parents have some stashed under the stairs." Brooke said heading out into the hall.
Haley's heart started beating fast.
"Don't go in that cupboard." Haley said the panic evident in her voice. Everyone turned to look at her strangely, surprised by her sudden out burst.
"Oh tutor girls got a stash of hidden porn have you." Brooke said smiling widely and making her way out into the hall and opening the cupboard before Haley could reach her.
Brooke's high pitch screamed filled the house and in a few seconds the others were all stood next to Haley in the hall worried what had made Brooke scream.
"What the hell is this." Brooke said holding up a few things her face a picture of fury.
"I think I told you not to go in there." Haley said crossly but stopped talking when she actually saw the things in Brooke's arms. There was a tape, some rat poison and some red spray paint.
"Where did you get that stuff from?" Lucas asked trying to work out if it could possibly have come from any where but under his best friend's stairs.
Everyone just stared in silence as it sunk in, the spray paint looked exactly the same colour as the stuff used to write slut on Brooke's locker, it was believed that rat poison was what had made Brooke ill and written in black marker pen on the tape was 'NATHAN SCORES'.
Haley just looked at the stuff trying to work out how the hell that stuff was suddenly in her house.
"I have honestly never seen any of that stuff before in my life." Haley said.
"What so it just magically appeared in your house." Brooke said angrily.
Haley turned to Lucas.
"I really have never seen this stuff before." Haley said trying to keep calm, Lucas is going to believe me she convinced herself and that was the only thing keeping her calm.
Lucas' face was creased in confusion.
"Where else could it have come from." Lucas said.
"This all makes sense." Brooke started to rant "Those funny looks you kept giving me I tired to shrug them off but you really don't like me do you Haley."
Haley just looked at her in shock.
"What looks? I don't know you I don't have any feelings particularly negative or positive." Haley said starting to feel frantic "I haven't don't anything." She said again.
"Then why didn't you want us looking under the stairs?" Tim asked.
Haley just looked at them not knowing what to say. Under the stairs were all the last reminders of Grace she had apart from the one photo upstairs. She kept the stuff under the stairs in case her parents came back and she didn't want to give them any reason to disappear again.
"There's just stuff under there that's none of your business." Haley answered knowing it sounded lame. She turned again to Lucas her eyes unwillingly filling with tears
"Lucas you know there is certain stuff I don't want people to see that's all, you've got to believe this wasn't me. I wouldn't do this stuff." She pleaded with him.
Everyone around them had serious faces and Brooke still looked livid. Lucas looked between Brooke and Haley.
"You need to apologise to Brooke." a miserable looking Lucas said to Haley.
Haley just looked at him in shock.
"I didn't do anything." She repeated. Lucas look of sadness turned to annoyance.
"Haley the least Brooke deserves is an apology, maybe she can forgive you if you're sorry."
"You really think I would do this?" Haley asked him.
"No but there doesn't seem to be any other explanation. You need to apologise or it'll be the end of our friendship." He said seriously.
"I haven't done anything wrong." She stated firmly.
Everyone looked round awkwardly. Peyton and Jake exchanged looks, the evidence did seem to suggest Haley but neither of them really believed it could seriously be Haley.
"I guess it's true it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for." Brooke said "I'm getting the hell out of here." She said and made her way towards the door and left.
Lucas looked at Haley sternly for another second and when she said nothing he followed her out the door. Jake Peyton and Tim stood there for a second longer then they all followed out the door without a word.
Haley stood there before slowly walking to the front door and shutting it. She was in shock and couldn't believe what had just happened. How the hell did that stuff end up under her stairs and she was also in shock that Lucas hadn't believed her. They had been friends since they were 5 and yet he could believe that she would or even could do something like that.
Her one small comfort was that no one had found any of the stuff under the stairs and so her secret was still safe.