Chapter 9 Drawing Apart

June 8, 2004

Haley adjusted her cap in Lucas' mirror while he shrugged on his robe.

"I can't believe that we're graduating today, can you?" Haley said.

Lucas smiled and nodded wanly and Haley turned on him in exasperation. "Do you think you can at least try to work up a little enthusiasm? You're really bringing me down."

"I'm excited," Lucas deadpanned. His tone wouldn't have fooled anyone, let alone his best friend.

"What is going on with you? You've been accepted to Duke, you're getting a full ride, why aren't you happier?"

"Because everything's changing, Hales."

"Yeah?"

"You're going to be on another coast."

"You think that's going to matter?" Haley looked like she wanted to smack Lucas. "We're always going to be friends, no amount of space is going to change that."

"Sometimes it does."

"And sometimes it doesn't."

"You don't really know what's going to happen, no one does."

"So this is why you've been so blah about me getting into Stanford?" Haley was really angry now. "When you got into the college you wanted I was excited for you. You can't suck it up and show a little for me?"

"You're happy to be leaving," Lucas glared at her. "You want to go somewhere completely new and start over, and that's great and I want you to be happy, I really do, but don't ask me to pretend to feel something I don't."

"I'm not asking you to pretend—"

"Yes you are! You want me to chat about all the great things we'll be doing but I like my life here, Hales. Everyone I care about is here and now I'm leaving it behind."

"You're only two hours away, Luke." Haley snorted.

"Forget it." Lucas walked out of the room and shut the door with a little more force than necessary.

After she got home Haley sat in her room and fumed for a good hour before leaving her house and walking into Karen's kitchen without knocking. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to Lucas or hit him over the head with one of his mother's cookie pans.

"Luke!" she called.

"Haley?" Keith said. His voice came from the sitting room and Haley joined him.

"Hey, do you know where Luke is?"

"I think that he and his mom ran out to get some drinks for the party later."

"Fine." Haley puffed out a breath.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just . . . Luke and I had this stupid fight about me moving away."

"Ah."

"I can't believe he thinks it's going to be an issue!"

"Lucas doesn't have a huge extended family or siblings living in different parts of the country," Keith said kindly. "Your family is scattered all over so you're used to maintaining those bonds in spite of the distance. But he's seen firsthand how families break apart. My brother and I are living in the same town and we hardly speak to each other, and Karen doesn't even have any family to ignore."

Haley closed her eyes. "I'm an idiot."

"No—"

"I am. I just . . . assumed that Lucas saw it the same way I did. I mean, this year my parents have spent more time on the road than they did at home but it didn't change anything. I know Lucas and I are always going to be close, I didn't even think about how he might feel about it. That he might be scared."

"Well, maybe he could have told you that instead of letting it get to the point where you'd fight about it."

"With me bopping around about how excited I am to be leaving?" Haley shook her head.

"Keith glanced at his watch. "You guys are going to be fine, but if you don't hurry you're going to miss your graduation."

"I'll see you there."

"Hold on, I'll drop you off at home."

Haley sat in her chair on the floor of the gymnasium and craned her neck around, trying to see Lucas, but they were sitting in alphabetical order and Lucas was sitting in the far, far back. She turned around and twisted her hands together and looked over into the bleachers. Her parents were sitting there along with Karen, Deb, and Nathan. She smiled over at them and her mom picked up her camera and snapped a picture.

Joshua Haglen stood up from his seat beside her and made his way down the aisle. Haley faced the front and sighed. She hadn't been able to find Luke in the crush of people and now she was about to graduate with him still mad at her.

"Haley James," said the principal.

Haley smiled automatically and walked up to accept the leather binder that would hold her diploma and shook his hand. She shook the hand of her favorite English teacher, smiled for her mother, who'd moved as close to the podium as possible to get another picture, and made her way back to her seat.

Before she sat down she heard a piercing whistle coming from the back.

"Way to go Haley!" Lucas shouted.

Haley grinned and turned around in her seat. She still couldn't see him, but this time it didn't matter so much.

"I present to you the class of 2005!"

The room erupted with noise, balloons dropped from the ceiling and caps flew up into the air. Haley fought her way over to her grinning parents. Lydia had tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry," Haley hugged her mom, "unless you're pregnant, you'll never have to do this again!"

Lydia sniffled and hugged her daughter back tightly. "My baby."

Jimmy hugged his daughter and held out his cell. "Your brothers are on the line, they want to talk to you."

Haley picked up the phone and accepted their congratulations then hugged Karen, Deb, and Nathan in turn.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and when she turned around her best friend was standing there, looking a little hesitant. She rushed forward and hugged him fiercely.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Me too." Lucas grinned sheepishly.

"I should have realized—"

"Yeah." Lucas put an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go eat."