Chapter 4 Best Friend

"Wow, you agreed to see Nathan?" Haley stuck a spoon into the sundae she'd made for herself.

"Yeah. He just moved to town about a month ago. My deadbeat father is going to be running the dealership." Lucas sat down at Haley's kitchen table, moving the containers of crushed peanuts, caramel, and hot fudge aside so that he'd have a place to rest his arms.

"How old is he?"

"Nathan was born when I was seven so he's nine years old, I think."

"That's got to be weird for you."

"My mom told me that Deb asked if he could meet me."

"That's a real compliment, Lucas."

He shrugged. "I guess. I don't know, I'd feel weird hanging around a kid that's been raised by Dan. Who knows what they've told him about me, and for all I know he could be a devil spawn."

"You won't know unless you meet him, right?"

"I don't even know if I want to see him. I don't think I can go through with it. What would we even talk about?"

"I know it'll be hard for you Luke, but you can't let what Dan did affect the way you treat him. Plus you'd have a little brother! How cool is that?"

Lucas smiled slightly. "Mom says that he likes basketball."

"See? You've been the star shooter for the Ravens since you were a freshman, talk to him about that."

Lucas considered it for a moment, and then grimaced. "No. No, I can't."

"Look, Lucas. How can I tell you this nicely . . . sometimes you can be a tool."

"Thanks, Haley," Lucas said dryly. "Way to soften the blow."

"It's not completely your fault, it comes from being an only child. Only children are naturally selfish. They don't have to share anything, attention from the parents, clothes, food . . ."

"Your point, Hales?"

"The point is, maybe you could use a brother. And maybe you should think about Nathan. It would be a terrible thing for him to grow up and find out that you refused to even meet him once. Dan made that mistake and I know he's going to regret it, if he doesn't already."

Lucas looked at her hard. "Are you comparing me to Dan?"

"Whoa, of course not. You couldn't be him on your worst day. Look, if you can't then you can't. It would be understandable. Here"—Haley shoved a heaping spoonful of her ice cream into Lucas' mouth— "try my latest invention."

"Haley . . . ahh!" Lucas grabbed his forehead.

"Ooh, brain freeze?" She rubbed his shoulder. "Sorry."

"Man," Lucas said when it eased, "why do I spend time with you?"

"Cause I don't kiss your ass like half the school does."

Lucas watched Haley savor a spoonful of ice cream. "Hales, it's not ambrosia. Just eat it."

"Says you." Haley licked her spoon delicately.

Lucas stared out the window and tossed a can of chocolate shavings in the air again and again. "Fine, I'll give it a shot. But if the kid's a brat I'm dropping him off at the nearest bus stop."

Haley smiled. "Good for you, Luke." Suddenly serious she stood up and hugged him tightly. "Dan leaving you and your Mom is on him, okay? Not you. You're a great person and he missed out on having a great son."

Lucas' eyes became bright before he blinked the tears away and laughed. "Now I remember why you're my best friend."

"Well, I'd love to stay and be worshipped by you, but my shift starts soon."

"Okay, tell my Mom I'm going to be at the library for a while."

"Sure." Haley grabbed her bag and walked out the door.

Haley used the tongs to put some muffins on a plate and carried it out to a customer. When she got back to the counter Karen was refilling the biscotti jar.

"How's it going?" Haley asked.

"Fine." Karen gave her a small smile.

"No, really. How are things with you and all this crap your ex has dumped in your lap?"

"It's going," Karen said grimly. "I really wish that there was a way for Lucas to see his brother without having to think about him but"—Karen shrugged—"who said life was fair?"

"I can't believe that he just showed up here in Tree Hill after all this time—and with a wife and son."

"There are days when I can't believe it either. When he left I thought that I'd never see him again."

"What's his wife's name, again?"

"Deb." Karen bused some dishes and Haley wiped down the counter. "I was a little surprised, she seems like a pretty nice person. I would have expected Dan to marry a barracuda or something."

"A barracuda?" Haley smiled. "That would be some justice. No, wait, he deserves more punishment than that. Maybe one of these days he can come by and you and Lucas can dump the old cooking oil on him."

Karen snorted. "I don't want him near me or my kid."

"Isn't that going to be hard with Nathan coming around here?"

"I've made myself very clear with Deb and I've spoken to Dan about it, too. Under no circumstances is he ever going to accompany Nathan. Someday, if Lucas wants to, maybe I'll let them meet, but it won't be anytime soon."

"You actually had a conversation with Lord Voldemort?"

"What?"

"Dan."

"I'm not sure if I could call it a conversation. He said hello, I told him to stay away from me and my Lucas, and then I hung up." Karen shook her head at herself. "I'd planned on being cool and collected and as soon as I heard his voice I just wanted to throw the phone across the room."

"Baby steps. You'll get there." Haley changed out the coffee filter.

Karen looked at her carefully. "There's something else you want to say."

Haley shrugged.

"What is it? Tell me."

"I just don't think it's going to be easy to compartmentalize everything. Nathan's Dan son, and so is Lucas. Eventually, you guys are going to run into each other."

"It's inevitable. But I think that we can keep our lives separate for a little while, for at least long enough that Nathan and Lucas can build some kind of relationship without too much interference from their father. I hope."