Hi guys! So it's been about a month since I last updated and I am so very sorry. I didn't have to time to write at all. I have major exams coming up in about a week and I have been studying relentlessly for it so my apologies! This chapter is quite short and I know, I know, I apologize yet again. But I promise the next chapter will be up really soon (hopefully tomorrow, fingers crossed). Thank you guys so much for bearing with me and my inconsistent updates. I promise it'll get better. In the meantime, enjoy :)

Chapter 5

Months flew past and Lucas and Haley's relationship got worse and worse. They fought a lot more, mostly about Alivia and Haley's behavior. Sometimes they occasionally fought about Brooke but that too was mostly due to how Haley acted. Lucas was tired of always being Haley's guardian. He just wanted to be her friend again; her real friend. He wanted to go back to the days where he didn't have to worry about Haley; she could take care of herself and he knew she wouldn't do anything stupid. Now even the simplest of tasks made Lucas worry about her.

Sighing Lucas flopped back on the bed.

"Whats wrong baby?" Brooke asked, turning around to face Lucas. He closed his eyes and groaned. It had been a long day and he didn't really feel like talking about it.

"Haley's just been really difficult recently…" Lucas murmured, hoping that Brooke would catch on to his hesitance and drop the subject.

"Oh…" Brooke replied. She knew that Luke wanted her to stop probing but she couldn't help it. "What did she want?"

"You know that she's going through tough times. Its just that sometimes her attitude really sucks," Lucas complained.

"I know babe but you're her best friend. You should be there for her and support her whenever she needs it."

"Yeah… I guess you're right. Doesn't make it any easier though."

Just then the door to Lucas's room swung open and there Haley stood. She had a scowl pasted on her face and Lucas just knew that she had heard everything that they had said.

"I'm sorry to have been such a burden Luke. I sincerely apologize and I will now stop bothering you with my trivial little problems," Haley said, sarcasm dripping from every word. Lucas knew that Haley had all the reasons in the world to be mad at him right now but it was just too much for him. He had given her opportunity after opportunity to change and yet she never did. She never even tried and honestly Lucas was just sick of it all.

He was sick of all the yelling and the constant fights. The late night phone calls asking him to pick her up from God knows where where she did God knows what.

"Good," Lucas found himself replying. His tone was icy cool and betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Brooke snuck a worried glance at Lucas. She could feel the anger radiating off Lucas but was he really going to give up a 10 year friendship just because she gave him a little attitude? She would never let go of Peyton. At least not just because of a little argument like this.

"Luke…" Brooke whispered, hoping to wake him up a little. Both Haley and Lucas turned to look at her. Haley's scowl turned into a twisted smile. "Oh look Lukey, your little girlfriend here is talking to you. Why don't you run over and listen to whatever she tells you do to? Isn't that what you always do anyway? I mean, you obviously don't have the balls to stand up to her. Honestly Luke, you're whipped. Totally whipped," Haley laughed.

Lucas's eyes narrow and Brooke knew Haley had gone too far. "Get out," he whispered. Haley didn't budge. They glared at each other for a few seconds and then just as suddenly as she appeared, Haley slammed the door and disappeared.

It had been a long day for Haley. First she had gotten herself lost and was late for school. It wasn't too long before she realized that she didn't want to be there and had left promptly after.

She drove to the McDonalds a few blocks down and ordered a Big Mac. When she was about to dig in she saw Nathan Scott and his buddies enter and immediately she lost her appetite.

It was only 2pm and Haley had nothing to do. So as usual, she went to the River Court to shoot some hoops. By 4, Haley was exhausted and she felt lonely so stupidly she decided to go visit Lucas, aka her supposed best friend.

The moment she reached his bedroom door she heard voices, one of them belonging to Lucas and the other belonging to his ever-so-perfect girlfriend, Brooke Davis. She didn't mean to eavesdrop but the words just floated right into her ear.

"…. sometimes her attitude really sucks."

"I know babe but you're her best friend. You should be there for her and support her whenever she needs it."

"Yeah… I guess you're right. Doesn't make it any easier though."

Fury erupted inside her. Lucas was supposed to be her best friend. They had been best friends since they were kids. How could he talk about her like that? Tears stung her eyes and they threatened to fall but Haley refused to let them. She wiped away the tears and composed herself. By the time she opened the door, she was back to being the old confident, bitchy Haley James.

She hadn't expected Lucas to say something so vile and it really did hurt her. She wasn't a bitch "just because". Honestly she wasn't even really sure why she acted the way she did. There was just so much complexity within her that even she did not understand. Haley knew that it wasn't Lucas's job to figure her out. It wasn't his job to be her Prince Charming or knight-in-shinning-armor but she had at least hoped he would've stuck around. No one wanted to be around Haley James and now even the one person she honestly believed was in her corner, was leaving her. Maybe she was that bad. Maybe she was everything everyone thought she was. Maybe she was just too broken. No one could fix her.

Hope you all enjoy it :) The next chapter will be up real soon (writing it now as I speak) and please dont forget to review and follow!