6.
School was still really tough for Haley and everyone seemed to be avoiding her whether they knew her or not.
In one of her classes they had all had to pair up but surprise surprise no one had wanted to work with Haley. Not that she cared what people thought it was just annoying having so much attention on her all the time.
It was lunch time and she was hoping to catch Nathan on his own to ask if he still wanted her to come to the park on Saturday with him and Poppy.
She saw him sitting at the usual table and paused for a second, the look on his face was awful, literally like someone had died and for a second Haley felt full of fear. Then she saw Lucas, Brooke and Peyton walk across and join him and he seemed to look happier although it defiantly looked like a fake smile. She didn't want to go over there now and tried to convince herself that she was over reacting by being so worried and decided to talk to him later.
The day passed and she didn't see Nathan again that day, the café was so busy after school that for a bit she forgot the look on Nathan's face.
She was on her own that evening as Karen had a meeting to go to for one of the college courses she was taking. She was rushed off her feet but stopped in her tracks when she heard two girls she recognised from the cheerleading team talking about a big party at Nathan's that evening.
Haley carried on working but her mind was in over drive did that mean that he had asked Karen to babysit Poppy, did that mean he didn't believe her any more and that he thought she did do those things to Brooke. Her head spun for the rest of her shift which ended at 9 that Friday. When Karen arrived to help clear up she decided to ask.
"Are you looking after Poppy tonight?" Haley tried to ask casually.
"Haven't you heard?" Karen said looking at her with a sad look on her face.
"No what's happened?" Haley said the worried feeling rising up in her again.
"Natalie Poppy's mum came and took her back, she showed Nathan some documents proving he wasn't the father. She said she had just needed a place to leave her daughter until she got herself sorted out." Karen said sadly.
"But she can't do that just take her, Nathan he's so attached to her. Can't he do something?" She asked desperately.
"He's got no legal rights because he's not the biological father. Natalie's moved to New York so he can't really visit her." Karen said.
This explained why Nathan had looked so sad earlier. She had to go see him check if he was ok.
"Is it ok if I leave early and go see him." She asked Karen.
"Of course, send him my love." Karen said.
Haley had no car and no one to ring so she had to walk, she checked the river court first as it was close and often Lucas and Nathan would come here when they were feeling down.
It was empty though so she made her way over to Nathan's apartment, when she got there she hesitated, by going in there she could cause a lot of trouble for herself but at the same time she really wanted to check Nathan was ok.
As she made her way to the door she could hear the loud music and laughing coming from inside and used the spare key to open the door.
Luckily no one noticed her come in as people appeared to be too busy either dancing or drinking, also despite the recent rumours that had been going around about her still lots of people did not know who she was.
She looked around and in the kitchen area she saw them Lucas, Nathan, Brooke, Peyton and Jake all standing around talking and drinking. It was quite dark in the apartment as they had turned off the main lights for the party and just had on the odd lamps so she could get closer to the kitchen and hear what they were actually talking about.
"It's for the best man." Lucas said looking at Nathan.
"Yeah there's no way you could have got to the NBA with a little child." Jake said.
"Of course your right, I was only looking after the child cause I thought I had to, that's why I hid it from you guys." He said smiling but Haley could see it didn't reach his eyes and he a swig from his cup finishing it off before pouring himself another glass.
"A toast." Brooke said holding up her glass and smiling "To getting rid of the unneeded crap from your life." Although they had been talking about Nathan and Poppy Haley couldn't help but feel she was also talking about her and Lucas.
She saw Nathan down his cup again then say he was going to the toilet as he staggered off.
"Maybe I should go after him?" Lucas said looking worried.
"He's fine, trust me he'll be a lot happier now. Plus we should go dance." Brooke said smiling even wider and they went off the dance floor.
Haley saw Nathan go into the spare bed room which had been Poppy's and took the advantage of having him on his own and quickly followed. She walked in the door and quickly shut it behind her.
"Hey Nathan." Haley said softly as she saw him sitting on the bed looking at the cot.
"Oh hey Hale's, you having a good party." He said not at all surprised to see her, he was so drunk it hadn't really occurred to him that Haley probably shouldn't have been here.
"Are you ok?" She asked approaching him slowly.
"I'm great." He said standing up "I guess you heard the good news, I am now a free man again with no responsibilities, life is good." He said not looking at her.
"Nathan." She said sadly her heart breaking, he finally looked at her and the look of sorrow was so clear in her eye that he couldn't help but break down.
Haley was by his side in a second and hugged him as he cried into her shoulder, a few silent tears ran down her face.
They sat there for a few minutes with Nathan still crying and Haley rubbing his hair and praying no one came in the room. After a while he had stopped crying but was still lying on her shoulder, he had felt so awful all day having to hold in his feelings and pretend he actually thought losing Poppy had been a good thing.
"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't let this get to me." Nathan said pulling away from her.
"Nathan you have every right, this must be so hard for you, I'm so sorry." She said sincerely her small hand on his shoulder.
"It was just so unexpected." He said looking down at his hand as he fiddled with them.
"I know it's not fair you were such a great dad." She said sadly, she was going to miss Poppy lots too, she guessed this was probably going to be the end of them hanging out too which was a bleak prospect considering the amount of friends she had at the moment. He just nodded.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, you were one of the first people who deserved to know." He said looking back at her sadly the crying having sobered him up a lot.
"It's ok Karen told me, that's why I came over to make sure you were ok." She said.
"That's really nice of you Hale's I know this is probably the last place you want to be right now." He said but she just shrugged her shoulders.
"I haven't actually done anything wrong." She looked around the room, sad that this probably was the last time she would see it with Poppy's stuff in it.
"Do you have any pictures of her?" She asked
"Just one" He said pulling out his phone and showed her the one he took of her and Poppy back at hers.
"She looks gorgeous." Haley said staring at the picture which she couldn't remember being taken.
"You both do." He said softly also looking at the picture. "It just seems so stupid for me to be sad I only had her a couple of months." He said sadly looking away.
"She's so adorable I don't think anyone could help but fall in love with her. It is going to get better Nathan I promise you just need to give it some time, I guess fully put yourself into Basketball for a while but don't drink too much." She said ending on a slightly stern note.
He nodded, that was going to be his aim to just concentrate on getting better and playing well, it was his final year and he wanted to win state championship.
Earlier Jake had said that he wouldn't have been able to go to the NBA with a child but he knew they were wrong he would have gone and looked after her right so now there was nothing to stop him.
Haley got up to leave, she had made sure Nathan was ok so she didn't need to be there any more.
"Also at least you know when you are a dad for real you're going to be great." Haley said with a proud smile on her face "You did really rise above yourself Nathan and I don't think anyone could have done better." He smiled back at her that comment meaning a lot to him.
"Thanks" he said and gave her a big hug and kissed her softly on the forehead. "If you ever just want to come hang out you are always welcome." He said looking at her seriously.
"Thanks." She said smiling not sure if she would take him up on the offer, Nathan had a sudden urge to ask her about the baby he had seen her with in the picture but chickened out at the last minute.
"I'm going to talk to Luke too, get him to change his mind and apologise." Nathan promised.
"I won't hold me breath." Haley said sadly.
"No I'm serious, I owe you so much, you helped me out so much with Poppy, more then that and now you're the only one of my friends who has actually seriously considered how I'm feeling, you're such a great person and Luke's an idiot." He said.
Haley half smiled.
"He is an idiot." She said "have a nice rest of the party."
"You sure you don't want to stay?" He asked. She didn't even bother replying she just gave him a disbelieving look and left the room.
She managed to get outside with out being noticed or so she thought.
"Haley."
She turned around to find Brooke walking up to her.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Brooke asked obviously not happy.
"I just came to see Nathan and I have so now I'm going." She said simply.
"How pathetic Lucas can't stand the sight of you any more so you go running after the next Scott brother." She said sneering.
Haley rolled her eyes.
"I was nothing more then Nathan's babysitter." Haley said face straight.
"Well obviously what else would he need you for, I just don't want you playing the poor victim card and getting him to feel sorry for you." She said.
"I'm sure Nathan Scott wouldn't feel sorry for anyone." Haley said. Brooke smiled again.
"Exactly and now he's lost the little dribble bucket he will be back to his womanising ways and forget that someone called Haley James exists." She said smirking.
"Look Brooke I know you hate me at the moment because you think I did all that stuff to you but I didn't ok, I swear." She said. Brooke smiled even wider.
"I know you didn't I just don't like you." Brooke said.
"What?" Haley felt like she was knocked for six, what the fuck was Brooke's problem if she knew Haley hadn't done the stuff to her.
"Of course you, didn't do any of the stuff, I can't believe so many people think you did. You would never even think of poisoning someone." Brooke said.
"Then who did it?" Haley asked her heart pounding and her mind racing.
"I did." She said the smile still on her face the smile that now made Haley feel sick every time she saw it.
"Why." She managed to asked, why would anyone do stuff like that to themselves.
"To get rid of you. You and Lucas are far too close and I will not share." Brooke said a frown now on her face. Haley just stared at her in disbelief.
"You love Luke though don't you; him fighting with me is not going to make him happy." Haley said firmly.
"Well not at the moment that's true, but how long do you think its going to take for him to forget about you when he had other friends and a great girlfriend." She said smirking again.
"Brooke you are one fucked up person and when everyone finds out and they will eventually you are going to loose everything." Haley said stating the truth.
"No one is going to believe you so you can tell who you like." Brooke sneered.
Haley couldn't believe what was happening she had always got a funny vibe off Brooke but now it seemed she was a full blown lunatic, but she was right no one was going to believe her.
"They are all going to find out Brooke." Haley said again wanting to get the hell out of there, Brooke was really creeping her out, she started to walk away.
"Watch your back Haley James." Brooke shouted after her.
Haley's pace sped up at those words but she tried to calm herself down Brooke had only hurt herself so far so she tried to convince herself she had nothing to worry about.
So half way through the story now, I am so glad you're all enjoying it and the reviews you're leaving me make me smile so much.
When i planned this story I wasn't sure if i was going to leave it til now to reveal that Brooke was the real psycho but I liked the bit of Brooke's point of view in the first chapter so I decided to keep it the way it is and I know for some of you it might be a bit of a surprise now.
The story is half way done now and so I've decided to post a chapter every other day because it's quite a short story and I think it will be a while before I post another story so I want as many people to read my story as possible. I posted chapters for my first story almost everyday and I think it suffered a bit by not being seen by so many people so I didn't get that many reviews (although maybe it was just because the story wasn't that great.)
Anyway sorry for writing so much in this note and thank you again to my lovely loyal reviewers.