Can't Be Anyone Else

S01E01

Episode: Can't be anyone else

Part 1

A/N: I started this story several years ago, so (hopefully) it evolves over time, But from chapter 5 and forward It starts getting a certain style to it. So Have patients – and remember this is a HALEY story, and Naley won't be until later. But I promise if you hang in there it will be worth the wait ;)

How the hell did we wind up like this?
Why weren't we able, to see the signs that we missed
And try turn the tables

Haley looked in the mirror for the ten thousandth time. Each time she looked she got more critical: Her nose was too big, her hair was a mess "And why do I have a huge sit on my nose?", she whined to herself. She felt like crying, and that made her feel even more pathetic.

She had hoped this day would never come. She had dreaded this day since junior high. She could still hear their resounding laughter and their cold merciless eyes.

Haley looked at the clock; it was almost time to go. Her heart started to beat even faster than it already did. She was so nervous, so apprehensive: She hoped for the best - yet feared the worst.

She saw to sweaty spots under her armpits. "That's just great", she said sarcastically. "Now I can drown myself in my own sweat, and avoid this day!"

She tried to find another t-shirt but her room was a mess with cloth everywhere. She had spent the entire week searching for the perfect outfit and the rest of her cloth she had just laid in a nice pile… all over the floor!

"HALIMAH IT'S TIME TO GO!", her mother yelled from downstairs.

"I'M COMING!, she yelled back, while silently cringing at her mother's use of her maiden name. She quickly grabbed a deodorant and sprayed a little extra under her arms

"…and I smell like a hoer now", she mumbled to herself and sighed, but then started laughing about the whole situation - could this day get any worse?

Haley grabbed a sweater and put it on, to cover up her armpits, glanced one last time in the mirror before running downstairs.

"Good morning mom…. good morning Brooke…", Haley greeted as she was walking past them.

"WAIT", she backed up to see if her eyes had been mistaking. "Brooke?" she asked really confused and happy. Brooke was her best friend in the whole entire world, not to mention the only one.

"Oh my God, Brooke", Haley ran over and hugged her with a big smile on her face.

"Hey Hales", Brooke hugged back, looking all perky like she always was. Her emerald eyes shone beautifully. How could anyone look so good so early in the morning?! It was really unfair. She was having a hard time with even opening her eyes at this point. Maybe that's why it took her so long to realize that something was of.

"WAIT! Brooke?" Haley asked yet again in disbelieve. She wasn't supposed to be here?!

"Yes, that's my name. I think we've established that already", Brooke answered teasingly

"What are you doing here?" she asked questioningly.

"We're walking each other to school", Brooke stated and added a little "DUH" afterwards, while grinning. As if that innocent grin and those dimples could get her out of this.

"Brooke Penelope Davis, we had an agreement", Haley crossed her arms and tapped her food slightly. "We are not going together; I've said that like a thousand times!"

"Oh please, like I ever listen to what you say", Brooke answered jokingly.

Well that's true, Haley admittedly sighed to herself.

Typical Brooke. She doesn't care what anybody thinks of her… but I do. I'm not taking her down with me this time.

Usually Haley didn't care what people thought of her either; she knew who she was. Sure it could hurt her but she always got over it…. But she cared about her friends more than anything else and she wanted to protect Brooke from getting hurt.

Haley gave her "the look", and Brooke responded immediately:

"Don't you give me that look girl", she said while trying to be all ghetto, snapping her finger at Haley.

Haley couldn't help but smile a little.

"We're going", she said, and added "together", as she saw Haley was about to interrupt her. Brooke looked at Haley very strictly, yet stubbornly like a little child, and Haley knew that there was nothing she could do to change her mind.

"Fine" Haley agreed begrudgingly.

Brooke smiled victoriously, and took Haley's rucksack and threw it to her.

"Great. Glad that's settled", she said while putting on her own rucksack.

Haley shook her head and looked down… "bye mom", she said and kissed her cheek.

Then they both were off to school, and doing it old school: By walking ; )

~…~

"You know you sound reallyyy… white, when you try to be all ghetto", Haley said, referring to their previous conversation.

"uhmmm, maybe that's because I am white!", she said while laughing a little.

"..and by the way, look who's talking", Brooke continued while looking at Haley.

"I mean, come on Haley. All of that black cloth makes you look really pale."

Haley looked down at her cloth and noticed that it was all black. She had spent a lot of time picking out the perfect outfit, and had settled on what she was most comfortable in… and mostly that was black: Black skinny jeans, with a lose-fitted nirvana t-shirt and sweatshirt, and last but not least her signature red sneakers.

Haley just shrugged it off. What else was she supposed to wear? A tutu and a princess tiara? Don't think so, she shuddered at the thought.

Leafs fell around them as it walked. It almost felt like rain, as they steadily fell from the sky.

Was it autumn already? Had things changed so fast?

Brown, orange, red, yellow: The color pallet of autumn was defiantly painting the town.

They just walked the walk, and talked the talk on the way to school. It was nice. She was actually glad Brooke at disobeyed her. Usually it just meant trouble when she did – but today it was well needed brake. They could just goof around and get a laughing fit about nothing in particular.

And that's exactly what they did!

They just couldn't stop laughing, and when they finally started to calm down, Haley, who could barely breathe at this point, stammered: "Auw, my stomach hurts".

Brooke looked at her really disgusted: "Eww, you stay away from me, and go use a bathroom or something!"

Haley looked at her confused for a split second before she realized what Brooke meant. And then burst out laughing some more. Brookes just looked at her weirdly, while keeping a safe distance.

"My stomach hurts…." Haley tried to explain but got interrupted by Brooke:

"NO, no I don't want to hear it.. LA LA LA LAA", she sang/shouted really loudly trying not to listen to what Haley was saying.

"…from laughing so much", Haley said, finally finishing her sentence and looked at Brooke who had gotten really quite. Haley tried to hold back her laughter.

Brooke's head was really red, and she was kind of embarrassed, as she mumbled a small oh.

Then they both looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.. AGAIN..

"Auww… now my stomach hurts", Brooke giggled.

"NO NO, DON'T TELL ME", Haley said while mimicking and mocking Brooke…

Brooke tried to cover Haley's mouth and was really embarrassed - Especially because Haley was practically shouting.

"You have some gross and funky thoughts Brooke Davis", Haley said while laughing and playfully shoving Brooke's hands away from her face.

Brooke looked at her phone to see what time it was.

"Oh, we better hurry", she said and yanked Haley's arm to quicken their pace.

"We don't want to be late for your first day of school".

She padded Haley on the head as if she was a little child.

Haley removed Brooke's hand and ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, trying to straighten it again.

"You know, I have been to school before", Haley reminded Brooke because she was looking at her as if she was a proud mother, sending her first child of to school. Haley shook her head a little and smiled at Brookes antics.

Then Brooke's expression changed as she remembered the time they used to go to school together and she looked at Haley with an almost nostalgic expression.

"What?" Haley asked suspiciously when she saw Brooke smiling weirdly at her.

"It's just….. I've missed this: hanging out together at school". She gave Haley a sideways hug.

"Yearh 'cause we never spent any time together before this!", Haley answered sarcastically.

Haley practically lived at Brooke's place, and they spent all their time together. Especially lately because Haley's mom had gotten a new job which took up most of her time.

Brooke faked a laugh: "Ha,HA… You know what I mean Haley. Now we go to school together again. It will be just like old times!" Brooke squealed.

Haley's smile faded, and her eyes turned blank as the memories infected her thoughts.

~…~