Haley awoke that morning to the sound of her doorbell ringing. Her first instinct was to check what time it was, the clock read six minutes past six.
Who the hell is at my door at six in the morning on a freaking Saturday? Unbelievable! Haley ranted in her head. It had taken her hours to get to sleep the night before. She kept replaying the talk, if you could call it that, she had had with Derek. It was so hard for her not to think about the 'what ifs' and the 'maybes'. What if she hadn't lost the baby? Maybe he would still be with her. She hated how when he was around she didn't trust herself and how he made her question everything but she wasn't going to think about that today, she couldn't, she was going to break it to her parents and get over it. Haley managed to drag herself out of bed heading straight for the door not caring that her hair was probably sticking up in place it shouldn't be or the fact that she was wearing nothing but a white baby tee and pink pyjama shorts. She sped down the stairs finally reaching the front door. She was so ready to scream at the person who dared disturb her Saturday sleep-in. She swung the door open. Behind the door stood her mother and father smiling widely at her.
"Haley-Bub" They both exclaimed. Haley had always found it strange how they always happened to say things at the exactly the same time. She could have sworn that they planned it.
"I thought you guys weren't getting here until this afternoon." Haley said with a mixture of confusion, surprise and frustration.
"Well, sweetie, we got an earlier flight and we couldn't wait to see our Haley-Bub." Haley's Mom expressed as she embraced her daughter into a hug.
Haley plastered a fake smile onto her face.
"I know Mom; I couldn't wait to see you to." Haley ushered them inside before shutting the door. Before she knew it her dad was in her living room watching the sports channel and her mother was busy taking over her kitchen.
"Nice TV Hales." She heard her father shout, she chuckled when she heard cheering for the Knicks, voicing all his frustrations and joy's over the game.
"Yea, so leave your stuff...." She said as she stepped over their luggage that was now in her doorway as she headed to the kitchen. ".....anywhere." She finished the sentence to herself.
"Oh Haley, your kitchen is empty, where is all the food." Lydia James moaned to her daughter.
"Well urm I don't really eat at home anymore, with work and everything, me and the girls normally eat out after work." Haley explained as she sat down at the breakfast bar.
"Well what about Derek, you leave the poor boy to cook for himself, when truth be told that boy would burn water ..... Oh looks like you've got enough for scrambled eggs. Where is Derek anyway is he still in bed?" Lydia thought out loud.
"Urm ..." Haley knew that this was as good a time as any to tell her, her mother would then pass on the information to her father. "Derek and I a... a... urm ... are over."Haley revealed. She didn't realised that telling her mother would hurt this much.
"What ... what, w...when?" Lydia dropped all the utensils she had in her hands, moved closer to Haley and wrapped her arm around her.
Lydia wasn't making this any easier for Haley. Haley found herself staring at ground behind the breakfast bar, not being able to look her mother in the eyes, to see the hurt and or disappointment in her eyes. Sometimes Haley thought her mother loved Derek more than she did or maybe she loved the idea that Haley was in love. Haley could feel herself starting to get upset.
"A few months ago. It just wasn't working out and we ended it simple as that." Haley blurted out. Not wanting to take this conversation any further, she jumped off her seat before continuing where her mother had left off with breakfast. "Any way, Brooke, Peyton and I were planning on going shopping before you guys got here but we can ....." Haley started.
Understanding Haley's hint of wanting to change the conversation Lydia humoured her. "Don't worry, Dear, your father and I have a few people we need to see but we booked The Palace for dinner be sure to tell Brooke and Peyton to be there by eight o'clock."
"The Palace is the hottest restaurant in town and it's always booked up." Haley said in excitement.
"Well Haley, we are James' what we want, we find ways to get." Lydia stated.
"Is that so?" Haley said bursting into laughter at her mother high and mighty act.
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Haley, Brooke and Peyton were in the Herve Ledger store. Haley had filled them in on her parents but wanted to change the subject.
"So Brookie, what happened to you last night, what time did you go home?" Haley asked.
"Oh uh I didn't." Brooke said casually while looking at the shoes she was trying on.
Peyton and Haley put down the items that they had in hands and cornered Brooke both giving her looks of confusion.
"What does that mean?" Peyton asked carefully.
"I .... went back to his place" Brooke blurted out. "And before you guys start, I know I said to just have a drink and don't look back, but I just felt this was my chance to move on even if it was just for one night, you know."
"No, no, no you do not get to use I just wanted to move on card again, how could you Brooke? I mean we had a deal" Peyton protested.
"I honestly don't get the big deal, it's just sex, it's not like I'm going to marry him." Brooke defended herself.
Haley could feel the tension building. "Was it good?" She muttered just enough loud enough for her friends to hear.
"Haley?!" Peyton exclaimed in disbelief as she threw her hands in the air.
"The best I've had so far." Brooke answered with a smirk on her face as she recalled the events of the night before.
"Am I the only one who sees anything wrong here? She slept with the guy who is threatening to ruin us and that's okay now." Peyton ranted. "Were you not the one who was panicking when they outsold us? I care about you and I don't trust them. Brooke, out of all the guys in the world you had to have that one. But then again that doesn't surprise me you always wanted what you couldn't have."
"Obviously I could have him because I did and what the hell is wrong with you? You are irritating me now. What gives you the right to tell who I can and can't be with? It was just sex nothing more, nothing less and so what if we were going out that doesn't affect the business or anything. Now I know that you don't want to get into another relationship after Julian but you can't just apply that to everyone else, oh and F.Y.I not all relationships end like that. If you were my best friend you wouldn't scare every guy who likes me away and this isn't the first time you've done this. I can't take your overbearing protectiveness anymore. It's been two years, Peyton and I let you do it because I knew you just doing because you cared about me and I thought you would get over it but you obviously haven't. Here's another news flash for you Peyton, we're not all like you." Brooke screamed at her.
Haley stood listening to the conversation or argument, aware that there was no good way for this it to end. She cringed when Brooke mentioned Julian knowing that Peyton would not take that well. Julian was Peyton's ex fiancé. There relationship was one that Brooke and Haley had admired, everyone had admired it. Julian had HCM, but you would never have guessed he acted like he didn't even have it, on their wedding day just as Peyton began walking down the aisle he collapsed. With out any warning he just dropped to the floor. She had run to hold him, he died in her arms and she sat with him in the rain until Haley and Brooke separated her from what was left off her fiancé. The doctors told her that he had suffered a heart attack. Peyton had had trouble dealing as was expected but she closed herself off from the world including her family and friends, Brooke and Haley had to intervene and sent her to a therapist, they were worried about her. Haley was snapped out of her recollection when she heard Peyton's hand connected to Brooke's cheek.
"How dare you?" Peyton gritted through her teeth before grabbing her bag and leaving as Haley stood in silence looking shocked as Brooke stood with her hand holding the cheek Peyton had just slapped on the verge of tears. Once out of shock Haley embraced Brooke.
"She didn't mean it, but Brooke you know that Julian is a really sore subject, why would you bring that up?" Haley questioned.
"She was annoying me with her protectiveness. I just needed to get it off my chest. I didn't tell her anything that she didn't need to be told, right?" Brooke was now regretting her choice of words. "It didn't mean anything; it was just a fun night for both of us.
"She needed to be reminded of her dead fiancé? Brooke, really? That was a low blow and you know it." Haley told her. "Let's just go."She linked Brooke's arm and walked out of the shop.
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Brooke, Haley, Lydia and Jimmy were waiting to be seated.
"So where's Peyton?"Lydia asked.
Oh urm ..." Brooke didn't know what to say, she couldn't just say that they got into an argument and Peyton slapped her.
Peyton's voice came from behind her. "I'm right here." The girls were relieved that they didn't have to explain the events that took place earlier.
"Great because we're about to be seated."Jimmy told the women as they followed the waiter to their table. "I booked the best table in the house." He boasted but his bubble burst when he noticed that the table he had booked already had people sat at it.
"There seems to be a double booking." The frail-looking waiter said or maybe squeaked was more the word. "I'm really sorry, this never normally happens, I do apologise."
"No need for that, in fact I should tip you right now for reuniting me with my old friend Jimmy." Haley, Peyton and Brooke recognised the charming voice. Dan Scott. They looked in front of the small waiter and saw the Scott family. Dan and what appeared to be his wife Karen, Lucas, Nathan, Jake and two little children. They didn't know what to do apart from send smiles to them all.
"Dan Scott long time no see." Jimmy said with a grin on his face while giving Dan a man-hug.
"Same goes for you, you and your family should join us and there is still some room at the table." Dan proposed.
"Ladies, let's get ourselves seated" Jimmy announced.
Let the games begin Haley thought.
More Naley, Brucas and maybe Jeyton next chapter. Derek will be back and Haley's past will be revealed. Thanks for the reviews and alerts. Please, please keep them coming.