A Tide of The Affairs || LUCAS SCOTT [1]

31 // Quiet Things No One Does

2004 ― Tree Hill, North Carolina

Lucas Scott moved in with his father Dan. He found out that Dan paid Keith's girlfriend Jules to fall in love with him and then break his heart as revenge because Keith slept with Deb the night Dan had his heart attack. Lucas was also moving in with Dan because Dan was the only one he told the truth to about his HCM and Dan is footing the bill for Lucas' medication.

Haley left.

After that night in TRIC, she left with Chris, Jessica, and Michelle. Aurora wasn't sure if she believed that Chris wasn't part of her decision-making. She knows that Haley loves music, and she knows it's a big part of her and she wants her sister to pursue her dreams, but she doesn't like that it's with the guy she cheated on her husband with. Taylor did go down to Florida, insisting she didn't want to impose on Aurora and Alex anymore.

Aurora was with her best friends Peyton and Brooke as they were walking towards the school entrance. "Okay, I still cannot believe that Haley left Nathan for Chris," Brooke said.

"She didn't, okay? She left for herself. The tour is an amazing opportunity," Peyton said.

"Yeah, to screw up her marriage," Aurora muttered under her breath. She had never seen Nathan so heartbroken. She went to the apartment the night Haley left to check on him, and she walked inside, right as Nathan threw the keyboard he got for her into the wall.

It was a long night for them.

"Okay, just because she's married does not mean she has to give up her dreams. Okay? She's really talented," Peyton said.

"And nobody is denying that Peyton, but if she was going to drop her life to go on tour, she probably shouldn't have gotten married first," Aurora said.

"Exactly! I know she's talented, but you really think Chris has nothing to do with this?" Brooke asked. Peyton shook her head.

"No, I know it doesn't. She's not into him. She told me," Peyton said.

"Yeah, and Haley also got really good at this thing called lying before she left, so don't count that out," Aurora said. Brooke nodded and Peyton sighed. Aurora wasn't trying to be against her sister, but she had been lying.

"Okay, let's think about what Nathan was when Haley met him. Good looking, rude, sexy, arrogant, and talented," Brooke said as she counted it out on her fingers.

"Okay, right... Like Chris," Peyton said and Brooke nodded.

"Yeah, and then Haley changed Nathan, for the better. I'm thinking she misses the challenge," Brooke said.

"You really think she changed Nathan?" Peyton asked.

"Oh come on, Peyton. Is the Nathan she married the same Nathan you dated?" Aurora asked. Peyton remained silent and Aurora pointed at her. "Exactly, before Haley, Nathan was like the bad boy of Tree Hill and now he's just... Nathan, the married guy," Aurora said.

She went to check on him before coming to school today. He was sitting on the couch, playing on his PlayStation. Nathan had skipped the last few days of school since Haley left. Aurora knew not to push him, because he was still feeling a lot of emotions over the situation, but his apartment smelled ripe. But Aurora just told him she loved him before she left for the day. She's tried calling her sister a few times since she left.

It goes to voicemail every time.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Later during the school day, Brooke caught back up to Aurora and Peyton, linked her arms through theirs, and pulled them into her side. "I know I've been a little busy with the election but how could either of you hold out on me like this?" Brooke asked.