"So, Brooke's definitely pre-gaming."

Haley finished applying the layer of lip gloss before replying. "What do you mean?" she asked Peyton, who was sitting on her bed.

Peyton turned her phone over to show Haley what Brooke sent her. Haley turned from her vanity mirror to get a better look. "Oh my God." It was a picture of Brooke chugging from a bottle of champagne. Based on the background, Haley deduced she was in Lucas's car on their way to the dance.

"What does it say about me that I wish I had a bottle of my own?"

"I think it means you're either nervous or you're a teenage alcoholic."

Peyton laughed. "Well let's hope for the former."

"Yeah," Haley agreed. "Hey, I'm sorry you're not going to your school's homecoming. I know it would've been your last one there since you're graduating."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Peyton dismissed. "Going to yours saved me from third wheeling Brooke and Lucas and dodging Ian all night. Besides, Oak Lake has much better company," she added with a wink.

"I'm so happy you and Jake were able to work things out."

"Me too," she smiled.

"So how did Brooke take it when you told her you're going to our homecoming?" Haley could only imagine Brooke's wrath after finding out she won't be spending senior homecoming with her best friend.

"She wasn't that pissed actually. I think it helped that I was going with Jake."

"How did she react when you told her he asked you?"

"Actually, she kind of caught us," Peyton grimaced at the memory.

"She caught you? Like, in bed? Together?"

Peyton laughed at the disgusted look Haley had. "No! More like the aftermath. She came to pick me up the next morning for school. My Comet was in the shop. Anyways, so she walks in as usual and…"

THAT MONDAY MORNING…

"Peyton Sawyer, get your butt out of bed or else I'll bring you a nice bucket of ice water to motivate you!" Brooke yelled as she walked into the house. "I have coffee!"

Brooke was experienced in managing morning Peyton. When her blonde best friend asked her for a ride to school that Monday, Brooke immediately knew she'd have to go by earlier to make sure she was up. She knew her friend. And while Peyton didn't mind being late or going over the speed limit, Brooke was class president now. She had to keep a clean image now.

Brooke placed the mail she had grabbed from the Sawyer mailbox onto the foreground table. She was going to run up the stairs to get Peyton moving, but she was startled by a noise in the kitchen. "Peyton?" Brooke found it surprising she'd be up already. The next noise from her would be a gasp.

"Hey Brooke," a t-shirt and boxer clad Jake sheepishly smiled.

Peyton was sleeping comfortably in bed when Brooke's raspy voice boomed through the house. Peyton's instinct was to groan and pull the covers over her head and attempt to lull herself back to sleep. She laid there for a minute until she remembered: she wasn't alone. She immediately sat up and noticed Jake was gone, which meant he either went home or…

"P. Sawyer, you've got some explaining to do."

Peyton looked to her right and saw Brooke at the doorway sipping her coffee slyly. Jake slowly came up behind her holding a plate of eggs and toast.

He smiled softly at Peyton. "I wanted to surprise you, but I guess Brooke beat me to it."

He walked up to Peyton and handed her the plate, then followed with a peck on her cheek. He originally planned for this moment to be a lot more intimate, but with Brooke's eyes burning on his back he pulled back.

"Thanks Jake," Peyton smiled.

"Well, I'll give you guys some privacy to talk about me. I'm going to go downstairs and call my folks to check up on Jenny."

"Thanks for reading the room and being a good sport about it Jagielski," Brooke said.

He laughed humorlessly and muttered under his breath as he walked out, "Like I had a choice."

Peyton began to eat her eggs as Brooke continued to stare at her expectantly.

"Is that for me?" Peyton finally asked, eyeing the large coffee in Brooke's hand.

Brooke walked over and handed it to her then joined her on the bed. She then silently took a piece of toast.

Peyton rolled her eyes at her attempt to be coy. "Okay, Brooke. Out with it."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about! This weird silent tactic you have going on is worse than the actual interrogation, so… Go ahead and ask me what you're dying to know."

"Well," she stated before taking another bite of toast. She chewed on it pensively. "I was just thinking about poor Larry."

"My dad? Why?"

"Well I can only imagine what he'd think of his sweet angel daughter losing her innocence in the house he entrusted her in. I mean I doubt this was what he thought you'd be doing while he was away," she replied with a suggestive wink.

"Brooke! Nothing happened. We fell asleep."

"Please, Peyton. I'm not that naive. Plus, unlike Tutor Girl, I don't get squirmy with the details. So, spill. What really happened?" she asked, getting more comfortable on the bed.

"I'm serious, Brooke!"

"Really?" she asked, raising her eyebrow skeptically.

"Yeah. We talked and maybe made out a little. But then we just slept. It was too late for him to drive back."

"Okay, well that's kind of sweet. Why was he here though?"

The moment Peyton dreaded: telling Brooke she'd be going to senior homecoming without her. "Well, good news is I have a homecoming date now."

"Oh my God!" Brooke jumped with excitement. She grabbed Peyton's hands and dragged her up from bed to join her.

"Yeah! And we're going to Oak Lake's." She finished with a big fake smile.

Brooke immediately stopped. "Okay, I see what you did there. You saw me happy dance and thought you could sneak that in. Peyt! It's our senior homecoming!"

"I know, Brooke. But he asked me."

Brooke sighed. "You're right. Fine. Just be grateful you have a very understanding and supportive friend like me."

"Wow," Haley reacted.

"I know. That day almost convinced me to start locking my door."

Haley laughed. "Well it sounds like Brooke was as graceful as she could be."

"Yeah, she really is a great friend. The best, actually," Peyton trailed on. She thought about how much she appreciates Brooke's friendship. She never wants to go back to that place they were when they fell out. She was miserable then. Brooke brought light into the dark moments. And there were a lot of dark moments.

"You okay, girlie?"

Peyton shook her head out of her daze and nodded. "Yeah. I'm just thinking I could use a drink right about now."

Haley contemplated for a moment before getting up. Peyton stared at her curiously as she headed to the door.

"Follow me," she said mysteriously.

Peyton grinned at this new side of Haley. She's hung out with her plenty of times and considers her a friend, but she's never seen this playful side of her.

Peyton followed Haley into the bedroom across the hall. The room was significantly larger than Haley's. There were two full size beds at each side of the room, and you could distinctively tell the differences between the room owners. While they both had walls covered in pictures, the left side had a collage of candid ones full of friends and memories. All pinned together in no specific order. The right side was more organized. Black frames held tasteful black and white photography. Peyton knew right away they were in Haley's sisters' room.

Peyton looked around as Haley rummaged through boxes in the closet. She was crouching carefully, making sure her dress and hair wouldn't get damaged.

"Taylor started hiding her stash here since the day she got a fake ID. And she never disappoints." Peyton turned to see Haley holding a handle of rum in her hand.

"All right, Taylor," Peyton cheered. She quickly closed the door.

As Peyton shut the bedroom door, Haley quickly went into her sisters' bathroom and pulled out a paper cup the girls use for mouthwash.

They sat down on the bed furthest to the left. "Here you go," Haley handed Peyton the cup.

"Just one? Aren't you drinking too?"

"Nah, I'm not really big on drinking. The last time I did, it didn't go so well," Haley admitted.

Peyton nodded, "Say no more, I get it. Looks like you've learned your lesson. I clearly have not." She laughed as she swung the drink back. "So, which one's Taylor? Who do I have to thank?"

Haley pointed to a picture behind them, "That's her."

Peyton turned and saw a beautiful blonde girl posing in her cheerleading outfit. "Wow, your sister's hot!"

Haley nodded. "That's Taylor. She's whose shoes I followed into high school. The head cheerleader and most popular girl at Oak Lake. We can clearly see how that went…"

"Haley, your life's awesome! Don't think otherwise. Not only are you hot too, but you got a hot boyfriend who loves you and even hotter friends who adore you."

Haley smiled appreciatively. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," she raised her cup then took another sip. "So, did she and Jake ever, you know?"

Haley immediately grimaced at the suggestion. "Taylor and Jake? No. Gross. That's just, not right!"

Peyton laughed at Haley's dismay. "Oh, come on, you don't think they ever had a thing for each other? Finding your best friend's older sister hot is more common than you think."

"Well if he did, then he kept it to himself. And thank God, too. Because I would not be able to handle that."

"What if I told you he did."

Against her better judgement, Haley asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Jake and I talked about our first times and he said his was with an older, more experienced girl. Who happened to be the head cheerleader…" she trailed on.

"No!" Haley vehemently shook her head before standing up, furious at the idea that her sister and best friend were ever involved.

Peyton immediately laughed. "Hales. I'm just messing with you."

"Well, that… was not nice," she sat back down with a chuckle of her own to release her relief. She noticed Peyton was still smiling. "How would you feel if Brooke hooked up with your brother?"

"Derek? I would feel like that's statutory rape. He's like 10 years older than us. Plus, we didn't grow up together so if they were to hook up in the future, I wouldn't really care." She shrugged casually.

Haley didn't expect that response. "Okay, well it's weird. It'd be like if…" she thought of a couple that would make Peyton as uncomfortable as the idea of Jake and Taylor made her. "if Brooke and Nathan hooked up."

"Fine, I guess you're right." Haley smiled triumphantly. But then, Peyton continued. "It was definitely uncomfortable for me when it happened. I see your point."

Haley blinked, stunned at Peyton's last words. "What?" she was able to mutter softly after a pause.

Peyton poured herself more rum. "What?"

"Did you just say Brooke and Nathan had sex?"

Peyton looked up to see a very serious Haley. "Um… no?"

"Peyton."

"Haley, I'm sorry. I-I thought you knew." Peyton felt awful. Not only did she just reveal harmful information to Haley, but it was Nathan's information to share. He's going to kill her.

Haley looked down at her hands. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think.

"Haley, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to spring that up on you like that. I wasn't thinking. Please, forget I said anything."

Peyton watched as Haley silently grabbed the handle from her hand and chugged the rum straight from the bottle. When Haley put it down, she let out a few coughs. "People drink that for fun?" she asked with disgust in her voice.

Peyton winced. "Yeah. Are you okay?"

Haley turned and mustered a smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little shocked. Neither of them said anything."

Peyton smiled sympathetically. "It's probably because they forgot. I mean I did too. It was so long ago, and it meant nothing to either of them. It's like it didn't even happen!"

Haley knew Peyton was trying to console her, but those words didn't make her feel any better. "Right."

"Haley—"

Lydia's voice cut her off. "Girls! The boys are here!"

Peyton turned back to Haley. She wanted to make sure she was okay, but Haley beat her to speak.

"You should go! I know you and Jake are planning on stopping by his house to take some pictures with Jenny too. I'll be fine, Peyton." She forced a smile to reassure her.

Peyton didn't want to leave her there, but Haley was a great actor. She convinced her enough to believe she was going to be okay.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you at the dance?" she asked before heading out of the room.

"Yeah! See you there."

After Peyton left, Haley let the smile drop. She looked at the handle, and before she could talk herself out of it, she raised it to her lips and drank.

Nathan waved goodbye to Jake and Peyton as they drove off. He returned to his previous post to wait patiently for Haley to make her grand entrance. He shifted the corsage in his hands to one as he dried the other on his pants. He was sweating nervously. He didn't know why. He doesn't get nervous. Not even at games when hundreds of eyes are staring at him. But this was different. This was Haley. He waited in anticipation for Haley to come down those stairs dressed in what only he could imagine was the most beautiful gown to fit an angel like her.

He and the James parents small talked until they heard footsteps. He looked up and there she was. Walking down in a blush pink gown. It fit her perfectly and Nathan couldn't help but stare.

She smiled down at him as she made her way down, but he could tell it was off. Yes, it was the same smile she always greeted him with, but there was something about it that seemed… forced. Before he could analyze her smile more Haley reached her final step where she almost tripped.

"Wow, that was almost graceful," she laughed at her own clumsiness.

"If anyone asks, I'll say you made it all the way down," Nathan winked.

Haley smiled thankfully. "Brooke insisted I wear these heels because they went best with the dress. I guess they're a little higher than I'm used to."

"I'll make sure to watch out for any steps or cracks tonight. Um, here, I got you this." He pulled out a corsage from behind his back. Up until this point she hadn't even realized his hands were behind his back.

"Oh, Nathan, it's beautiful."

They were then blinded by a camera flash. The couple blinked before turning to see her parents grinning like idiots and her mom winding the gear on the disposable camera.

Nathan chuckled as Haley rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, I can't take all the credit."

"Let me guess, Brooke told you exactly what to get?" she asked knowingly.

"Right down to the floral shop. And the tie." He gestured to his royal blue tie. It coordinated perfectly with her dress and the corsage arrangement. It also brought out his eyes more.

"Well she did make me this dress. She does know best."

"She made you that dress?"

"Yes," she laughed at his clueless face.

"Oh, well remind me to thank her later," he proceeded by checking her out.

Haley forced another smile. "Sure."

They took the obligatory pictures with her parents before walking out to the car. Haley recognized it from the pictures he had sent her. Keith had found a used car and together they fixed it up, so Nathan didn't need to borrow his truck anymore. Nathan made sure to open the passenger door for her. She settled in her seat and placed her seatbelt on.

Nathan came around to his side and before placing his own seatbelt he turned to her. "You really do look gorgeous tonight, Hales."

She smiled. "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself." And she meant it. He looked good. Cleaned up Nathan was new to her and she loved seeing him like this. For a brief moment she forgot she was upset.

"So, I know you probably didn't have enough time to eat because you were busy getting ready. And I know it's not a fancy restaurant, but I decided to bring you something."

Haley looked curiously as he opened the bag he had with him. She had noticed him walking out of the house with it but didn't think much of it. He handed her a warm container of what she knew was mac n' cheese. And not just any, Karen's.

"I heated it up in your microwave before you came down."

Haley looked at the container in her hands. She wanted to cry. He was so sweet and thoughtful. She was starving. But she was also stubborn. "Thank you, Nathan. But I'm not hungry right now." She felt a little guilty when she saw his smile waver. This wasn't the reaction he was hoping for.

"Oh."

"But I can save it for later, for after the dance," she added quickly.

"Sure," he nodded as he took the container back and placed it in the bag. He put it in the seat behind him. He knew now that something was seriously off with Haley. Before he started the engine, he turned to her one last time. "Hales, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, you just seem a little… different. You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

"Yeah, it's just… my ankle! I think that last step almost twisted it."

"Oh, are you okay to walk and dance? If not, we can stay."

"No, I'll be fine. Trust me. Everything's okay, Nathan. But thank you for asking," she mustered a grateful smile.

"Of course," he smiled back.

He started the engine and began to drive. He reached for her left hand, as he always does when they drive together, but she immediately moved it.

"Do you mind if I put on some music?"

"Um, actually… Haley, no!" Before he could stop her, Haley had pressed the stereo power button and the car was filled with a voice with a foreign accent stating "Holiday. Holiday." with accompanying music.

"I've been meaning to get that fixed." Haley nodded. She tried to turn off the stereo, but it wasn't reacting. "I'll just drive faster so we don't have to hear it that long."

When they arrived at the school Nathan could tell Haley's mood had changed. She seemed bubblier, but still unlike herself. They walked through the gym and the smell of cheap cologne and perfume filled the air. Along with the music blaring from the stage.

Nathan saw Haley's body relax to the sound of the band playing. He still wasn't sure what was wrong, but he intended to find out. "Why don't we find a table to sit? I think Jake and Peyton will be here soon."

The couple found an empty table with six chairs. They were about to sit when someone came up to greet Haley.

"Jonathan!" she beamed. She hugged him tightly, much to the dismay of Nathan. Who was Jonathan? She's never mentioned him before.

"Haley, you look stunning."

"Aww, thank you! It's a one of a kind," she smiled and struck a pose. Nathan scrunched his nose in confusion. What was she doing? Was she being… flirty? And more importantly, why didn't he receive that same enthusiasm earlier?

"A one of a kind dress for a one of a kind girl," he joked back.

She giggled at his pun. Nathan rolled his eyes. Was this guy serious? And was Haley serious? Finally, the guy looked behind her and saw Nathan.

"Hi," he reached out his hand, "I'm Jonathan, I'm a friend of Haley's. You must be the boyfriend."

"Nathan," he shook his hand. At least Haley told this guy about him.

"So, how'd you two meet?"

"Over the summer." "At High Flyers." They answered unanimously.

"Oh! So, you're the reason her summer was the best ever?"

Nathan smirked as Haley blushed softly. "Really?" he crossed his arms. "What'd she say?"

"Nothing, yet. She mentioned there was a story, but we never had a chance to talk so I haven't heard it."

"Why don't I just save us the time and summarize it now." Haley chimed in. "Oldest cliché there is, a basketball player falls for coach's daughter. The end!"

Nathan was about to jump in to say it was more than just a 'cliché' but a new song came on and Haley stopped him.

"Oh my God! I love this song. Jonathan, you have to dance with me!"

A vein almost popped in Nathan's neck at hearing her say that. Meanwhile, Jonathan smiled nervously and looked between Haley's excited face and Nathan's intense glare.

Jonathan stammered. "Uh, I-I don't know. Shouldn't you dance with your date first?"

"Oh, I have all night to dance with Nathan. Besides he doesn't mind, right babe?" she turned around sweetly and batted her eyes.

Nathan did mind, however. What guy would be okay with his girlfriend dancing with another guy who was clearly into her? Not to mention before him. "Uh, Hales, what about your ankle?" he asked, hoping this would diffuse the situation. "I don't know if it could take that kind of pressure right now, didn't you want to sit?"

"Oh, it's perfect now!" She raised her dress to show her ankle and rolled it to show him. "See! Thanks for asking though! Here," she handed him her purse. "I'll be back in a bit." She turned and swiftly grabbed Jonathan's hand to head to the dance floor.

Nathan plopped down at his seat in defeat. What the hell was going on? And where were Jagielski and Sawyer?

A few minutes later Jake and Peyton walked hand-in-hand into the packed gym.

"How cute was Jenny in her dress though! I had no idea your mom was going to dress her up."

"Yeah, same. So weird, you'd think we were going to a wedding or something. Sorry about that, my parents have been kind of intense lately. I think they're just happy I'm doing more things guys my age do, well, besides basketball at least."

"Hey, I loved every weird minute of it," Peyton smiled and the two shared a brief kiss.

"Well, this is Oak Lake."

"Where are Haley and Nathan?"

"Umm, oh! I see Haley dancing… with Jonathan?" Jake was confused, why would she be dancing with him?

"And Nathan's all alone at the table. He's definitely brooding. That's usually Lucas's move."

"Why's Haley dancing with Jonathan? She also looks sort of… drunk? Did they spike the punch bowl already? It's a little early for that," he checked his watch.

Peyton bit her lip as the realization hit her. "Uh oh."

"What?" he asked distractedly. He began to lead them to Nathan's table when Peyton stopped him.

"Wait." Jake paused and signaled her to continue talking. "I think this is my fault."

"What? You told her to dance with Jonathan?" he asked amusingly.

"No, but I think I might've fueled the decision," she replied sheepishly.

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier, Haley and I were talking, and I was being stupid and thought it was funny to bring up a scenario where you and her sister hooked up."

"Whoa, wait. Which sister? Vivian? No wait, Quinn! No, Taylor! It was Taylor wasn't it?"

"Jake, focus!"

"Sorry, go on."

"Anyways, I joked about you guys and she didn't find it funny, like at all. So, she tried to compare the situation with me and suggested it was as bad as Brooke and Nathan hooking up."

"Okay, well I don't see why she'd be upset over a dumb joke you made."

"That's not why she's upset. I basically told her that it was a moot point since they already have."

Jake's eyes opened wide. "What?! Brooke and Nathan had sex? When?"

"Years ago! Nathan and I used to break up and get back together all the time. It was during one of our breaks. And Brooke and I weren't in the best place. Anyways, I told Haley and she didn't know. Next thing I knew she grabbed the rum from Taylor's stash and wah-la," she directed at Haley dancing with Jonathan.

"Okay, well we'll just get them together to talk this out. Haley's understanding, she just needs to talk to him."

Peyton nodded. "Right. Um, before we go though, have you ever dealt with drunk Haley before?"

"Mm, once, why?"

"Well, she said the last time didn't go so well for her. So, I just want to make sure she's going to be okay."

"Oh."

"What?"

"Um," he scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah she'll be fine, but…"

"What?" Peyton repeated.

"Okay, you have to promise you won't say anything. I mean, this is a secret we both swore to take to the grave."

Peyton nodded. "Got it. I won't say a word. So why are you telling me?"

"Last time Haley got drunk, and really the only time, was after her and Damien broke up. She was really… broken. I found her in her room with a bottle of tequila."

THAT DAY

"Haley?" Jake called as he walked in.

She was sitting on the floor, her back resting on her bed. She had closed the door but hadn't bothered locking it. She didn't say anything when Jake entered. She just raised the bottle to her lips and let the alcohol burn her throat.

She practically gagged and the sound was so off-putting it forced Jake to take action.

"Hales, what are you doing?" He kneeled down next to her and took the bottle away from her.

"No, it helps," she said weakly. She tried gripping the bottle harder, but she was too disoriented. She eventually let go.

He placed the bottle at a safe distance and sat next to her. She instinctively put her head on his shoulder as he wrapped her in his arms. She began to sob. He didn't care that she was getting snot and tears all over him. He just cared that she let it all out.

It was the last night of camp. He had been packing when Quinn sent him an alarming text. It read: SOS, Haley just got back from her date crying.

He immediately left his room and headed to the house. His heart broke when he found his best friend like this. He knew Damien would hurt her, and against his better judgement, he let it happen. Jake was pissed. He could literally see red from the anger that steeped inside him. He almost didn't hear her muffled voice.

"Jake?"

"Yeah." He turned to look down at her as she shifted to look up at him.

She didn't say another word. She just leaned in and began to kiss him. Before he could register what she was doing Haley was on her knees getting closer to him. He tried stopping her, gently, so not to offend her.

"Haley," he said, pushing her slightly off him. He eventually got her to calm down and he held her hands down, to keep her from grabbing his face again.

"Jake, can you just… can you help me forget?" she pleaded.

"I-I can't, Hales. We can't." He hoped looking her in the eyes would help sober her up. He knows that a sound-minded Haley would never do this. Their relationship wasn't remotely romantic. She was acting recklessly, and he knew she'd regret this in the morning.

"Please, Jake? Please!" she begged as she started crying again. "I just want to feel something else. Anything else."

He could hear the hurt in her voice. He wanted to kill Damien for making her feel this way. Her body relaxed and she fell back into their previous position, with her in his arms as she let the tears fall. They fell asleep like that. Quinn found them later that night and put a blanket over them. The next morning, the two friends vowed never to bring it up again.

"And you think she'll try the same with Jonathan?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But I don't want the slightest chance for that to happen."

"Well, they're just friends, right? He'll ignore any advances like you."

Jake grimaced. "I'm pretty sure he has a thing for Haley."

"Really?" she frowned.

"Yeah, it's harmless. From what I could tell he's never acted on it. I've noticed it, she probably has no clue. But if Haley comes onto him, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't pass it up."

"So, we have to separate them, immediately."

"Yup."

Not only was Nathan annoyed, but he was bored. He was sitting alone, at a dance for a school he didn't go to, watching his girlfriend dance with another guy less than 15 feet away from him. This was definitely not the night he expected. He'd always hated dances, but he thought it'd be different with Haley. He took a sip of his punch. He had gotten up to get it when he realized Haley wasn't coming back after the second song started. He shook his head in disappointment when he didn't taste any alcohol. When was someone going to spike this thing? He placed the plastic cup down when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a short girl smiling.

"Hi, are these two seats taken?"

"These two are, but you can take those."

"Thanks," she smiled as she placed her clutch on the table and sat down. "I'm Lauren."

"Nathan."

"Scott, yeah I know. My boyfriend speaks highly of you."

Nathan looked at her strangely. "Who's your boyfriend?"

"What's up, Nate!" a voice behind him called out.

Nathan grinned. He instantly recognized that voice. He got up to greet him. "Skillz! Man, what are you doing here?" They shook hands and side-hugged.

"Didn't she just tell you, I'm her boyfriend," he cocked his blazer's collars all proud.

Nathan chuckled before looking back at Lauren. She was shaking her head in amusement.

"So, where's your better half?"

"Uh, you mean Haley?" Nathan shuffled nervously.

"No dawg. Jake!"

"Right here, man," Jake said as he and Peyton approached the table.

"Hey! There he is." The two friends side-hugged before Skillz noticed his date. "Who's curly?"

Peyton laughed at his nickname for her. "Hi, I'm Peyton."

"Nice to meet you. Skillz. And that beautiful baby girl, is my girl, Lauren."

Lauren blushed at his compliment. "Hi," she stood up to meet everyone.

"Hey Lauren," Jake greeted. He knew Lauren only through passing.

"So, where's baby James?" Skillz finally asked.

"I thought I saw her dancing," Lauren answered. "Oh! There she is. She's dancing with Jonathan." she pointed to the two laughing and dancing.

Before anyone could say anything, Nathan excused himself. "I'm going to go get some more punch."

"Trouble in paradise?" Skillz asked Jake.

"Um, not for long." Jake and Peyton shared a look, both knew what had to be done. "I'll be right back."

Haley and Jonathan slowed down as the song began to wind down. They were smiling and laughing, but with heavy breaths. After all, they'd been dancing non-stop for the past 4 songs.

The DJ got on the mic to introduce the next song—a slow song.

At that moment, Jake came up to interrupt the two. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Jake!" she exclaimed. Jake could tell she was out of it because she didn't even notice the glares she was receiving for her loud remark. She quickly said bye to Jonathan and thanked him for the dance before wrapping her arms around Jake's neck.

"Lucky you, you get the first slow song with me," she smiled, before resting her head on his chest.

"Yeah, shouldn't these moments be reserved for boyfriends though?"

She quickly lifted her head, "Jake, if you want to dance with Peyton instead, go ahead, you came up to me, remember? I'll just go grab Jonathan again." She began to leave his hold when he pulled her back into his arms.

"Not going to happen, Hales. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing, I don't know what you're talking about." But he knew she did. Her avoiding eye contact was a huge tell.

"Well, for starters, you're drunk Hales."

She scoffed. She was offended that he'd suggest such a thing, despite it being the truth. "Excuse me?"

"I know you Hales, plus," he lowered his tone, "Peyton said she left you earlier with a bottle of rum. She also told me about Brooke and Nathan. Is that why you drank?" he asked softly.

Instead of answering she stopped swaying. "I need some air." She left his grip and walked out.

"Hales!" he tried calling out. He sighed in frustration. He turned to look at the table and saw Nathan talking with Skillz. At least he's distracted. He caught Peyton's eye and she immediately understood.

Before getting up from her seat, Peyton turned to Lauren. "You up for some meddling?"

"Sure, anything to get me out of this conversation." Nathan and Skillz had been talking non-stop about their top picks for the next NBA draft.

Haley was sitting at one of the outdoor lunch tables when she heard the gym door opening. She turned and saw Peyton and Lauren walk towards her. She and Lauren were friendly, but they didn't really know each other. They first met her freshman year when Lauren approached her at one of the basketball games. She was on the cheerleading team and instead of gossiping about Haley like her teammates, Lauren went up to her and introduced herself. She was without a doubt the nicest one on the team, and one of the few students that didn't believe in the rumors. Or at least, she didn't seem to care.

If Haley weren't in a down mood, she'd wonder why the two blondes were together and how they knew each other. But she didn't. She just turned back and picked at her nail polish. It was a nervous habit of hers.

"Hey," Peyton said softly. "Mind if we join?"

Without a word, Haley scooted further right on the bench to give the girls some space to sit.

"We brought you some water," Peyton placed the cup on the table.

"And cookies!" Lauren chimed in as she sat across from her.

"It'll help soak up any excess alcohol," Peyton added.

Haley couldn't help but smile at the gesture. "Thanks," she took a long sip of water then took a bite of one of the cookies. Drinking in general, was not a smart move. But on an empty stomach? Even worse.

"How are you holding up?"

"The cold air is helping me sober up. Plus, I think I sweat most of it off dancing," she attempted to joke. Up to this point she had avoided making eye contact. She was too embarrassed. She looked up slowly, "How's Nathan?"

"He's… fine."

Haley raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Fine?"

"Yeah, the kind of 'fine' that you said you were earlier. Do you want talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about? You told me Brooke and Nathan had sex… And then I drank… a lot." Haley pinched the bridge of her nose before collapsing her face into her hands. "God, why am I such a mess? I can't believe I let this happen again. It shouldn't bother me this much. I mean, it's not like he lied, but he…" Haley trailed on.

"He didn't tell you…" Peyton finished her thoughts.

"Yeah." She raised her head from her hands. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"I don't think he kept it from you on purpose. I think he just genuinely forgot because it meant nothing. And trust me, I know they both regret it."

When Haley didn't say anything, Peyton looked over to Lauren for advice.

"Me?" Lauren mouthed.

Peyton nodded, encouraging her to say something.

Lauren shook her head, but Peyton pleaded with her hands.

Lauren sighed as she gave in. "Hey Haley, I don't want to impose, although I was kind of dragged into this. Is it okay, if I say something?"

Haley let out a soft laugh, she saw Peyton's gestures at urging her to speak and she appreciated Lauren asking. "Yeah, go ahead."

With her approval, Lauren continued. "Well, um, based on what I heard, it sounds like it's deeper than just Nathan not telling you or even having been with this Brooke. Is something else bothering you?"

Peyton was glad Lauren spoke up, because based off Haley's expression, she was on point. She hadn't even considered the possibility that there was something else upsetting her.

When Lauren asked her question, Haley felt the blood drain from her face. She felt very vulnerable. Because she was right. It was something deeper.

"You're right," Haley replied. "I guess it's just, I don't understand how everyone can talk about sex like it's no big deal, like it means nothing to either person. When to me it means everything. And I guess… and I hate myself for thinking this, but after hearing how Nathan could just so easily forget someone that he had sex with makes me wonder, would I just mean nothing too?"

"No."

The girls looked up and over at the gym door. They hadn't heard the door open and were surprised to see Nathan standing there.

"Hales, can we talk?"

Before leaving this time, Peyton wanted to make sure it's what she wanted. "Are you going to be okay?"

Haley nodded as she wiped away the small tears that reached her eyes. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thank you, both of you."

Peyton squeezed her hand for comfort and Lauren smiled encouragingly before they both stood up and passed Nathan to head back inside.

Haley took a bite of one of the cookies. She was already dreading this conversation.

Nathan walked over to join her. He could tell right away she was freezing. She did her best to hide it, but he knew. Instinctively he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders before sitting down next to her. He smiled inside when she accepted it without a fight.

It was after a few minutes of talking with Skillz when he noticed the girls had left and Jake had rejoined them. He wanted to come outside as soon as he realized, but Jake convinced him to wait a while as the girls talked. He didn't expect to overhear what he did. So, this is what's been bothering her all night. He didn't know where to begin the conversation, but he figured he should just start talking.

"Do you really think if we had sex that I'd think it mean nothing?" He did his best to hide the hurt in his voice.

Haley shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "You did with Brooke, with Peyton and all those other girls before."

"Haley," he sighed. "Brooke and I were in a dark place. Peyton and I had just broken up after one of our stupid fights. And Brooke was… I don't know, lonely. We were stupid and so drunk. Honestly, the whole night was hazy. Neither of us remember it because of that. It's actually how most of the times with those other girls went too. And that's why they don't mean anything."

She stayed quiet. After a pause, Nathan spoke again. "Hales, I love you."

She looked up and met his face finally. She saw the genuine care he held for her in his eyes. "I love you too."

"So, if you love me, you trust me?"

"I do," she replied honestly.

"Okay, well trust when I say you're the only person I've ever loved."

"Nathan, you can't say that."

"Why not?" he challenged.

"You loved Peyton."

"No, I didn't."

"Nathan." She knows they like to act like they never dated, but the truth was, they did! They were each other's first loves. She knew that already.

"Haley." He mimicked her tone. "I know what I felt then and what I'm feeling now. Sure, I love Peyton as a friend, but that's all it's ever been. I'm in love with you. And when we ever decide to have sex, it will mean absolutely everything to me. Because you're my first. The only one that counts."

She smiled up at him sweetly. He really had all the right words to say. "Thank you for that." She made the move to lean closer to him and rest her head on his side. He then adjusted their position and wrapped her in his arms. "I'm sorry for acting so off with you tonight. I guess some old feelings reemerged."

"What kind of feelings?"

"The kind that Damien caused."

"Hales," Nathan hated that he caused her this much pain, maybe not directly but his past did.

She left his embrace and turned to face him. "The night that he broke up with me was the last night of camp. We were spending time together. He told me how much fun he'd been having with me. And how much he loved my sense of humor, listening to my singing, and just overall… me."

Nathan felt a small sting at hearing that Damien has heard Haley sing and he hasn't yet, but he stayed silent for her to continue.

"We started kissing and things were escalating. Um, I told him I wasn't ready, and he got up, frustrated. He started yelling at me saying that if I really cared for him then we'd be moving on to the next level. That, that was the next course in a mature relationship. He said he should've known not to get involved with such a naive sophomore."

"Hales, I'm sorry." He already despised Damien, but hearing these details made Nathan's fury ignite.

"That's what I told Jake, and what I told Quinn and everybody else. That he broke up with me because I wouldn't have sex… But I didn't tell them that I was going to."

"What?" He didn't know this either.

"The next day, after crying my eyes out I decided he was right. If I cared so much about him, why not make the next move? So, I packed us a nice picnic. To eat breakfast before his parents came. I grabbed a blanket and I was planning on walking to the lake and prove to him that I did care."

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"I never got the chance to. I walked to his dorm, ready to beg for a second chance when I overheard him talking to his roommate, Matt. Matt asked him how it was going between us and Damien told him we broke up. He said it wasn't worth pursuing outside of summer, and besides he'd gotten what he wanted. He made it sound like I was nothing, like I meant nothing."

"God, that sounds awful. I'm so sorry, Haley. And I'm sorry that I've made you feel that way again today."

"You didn't, it was just me being emotional," she replied dismissively.

"Don't do that, Hales. Don't dismiss the way you're feeling. You have every right to feel your emotions. Especially when I hadn't told you otherwise. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Brooke."

"I know. And I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this earlier… I could've saved us this whole fiasco. And… I'm sorry for ignoring you and dancing with Jonathan all night," she grimaced at the thought of her actions. "It was not my best decision."

"No, it wasn't," he agreed.

They both laughed softly before leaning in for a tender kiss. He stood up and helped her stand after.

"Can we just, promise to tell each other how we're feeling from here on out? Because, Haley you can tell me anything."

She nodded back. "Yeah. And you too."

Nathan smiled. He was glad they were on the same page again. He kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a hug.

Haley's smile faded as she wrapped her arms around him. She still had one more thing to tell him, but she didn't know how he'd react. When they parted, she slapped a smile back on.

"We can go if you want. Whatever you want."

"Let's go back inside," she offered. "We can still salvage the night."

The two held hands as they headed back into the gym. "Oh! I forgot to tell you, Skillz is here."

"He is? What? Why?" she asked shocked.

"He's dating that Lauren chick you were talking to."

"Skillz and Lauren are dating?! Oh my gosh. I had no idea."

"Yeah. They seem really good together."

"She's really sweet, and he's great so I can see that."

"Kind of like us?" Nathan asked.

She looked up at him and saw a twinkle in his eyes. The one he preserves for her. "Yeah, kind of like us."

Nathan raised her hand to his lips to kiss it softly.

The rest of the dance Haley made sure that they'd both enjoy their night. She joked and laughed with their friends. She danced with Lauren and Peyton, but this time saved the slow songs for Nathan. It was a perfect ending to a not so perfect night.

When she laid down that night in her bed, after taking off the dress and heels and wiping off the makeup, she ignored the feeling in her pit. The one that told her she was lying to herself and to Nathan if she didn't come clean soon.

XIV.

I wanted to say thank you to those who are still reading and to anyone who's just discovered this story :) I love reading your reviews and seeing what you all think. I know I'm not the best at updating regularly, so thanks to those that stick around :) Hopefully this long chapter can make up for the delay.

- R. x