Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill.
Forgetting
I sat in the gym after practice with my head in my hands. What was I supposed to do? My family was so messed up. Dad was doing who knows what, Mom was in rehab, Lucas was like a booby trap. If his name was even mentioned at home, Dad exploded. He could hear a pin drop in a club. That's how messed up it was.
"Hey," Haley said, approaching. I looked up at her. God she was gorgeous.
"Hey," I said as she sat down beside me.
"Watcha doing?" she asked. I shrugged.
"Thinking," I said, picking up the basketball that sat by my feet.
"About what?" she asked, following me over to the three point line.
"Just about how messed up my life is," I said, watching her shoot the ball and it fall short about three feet. "And about how bad you are at basketball."
"Shut up. Everyone's life's messed up, Nate, it's called family. You just have to go through the cycle and eventually things will get better," she said, throwing the ball to me. I shot it and watched it sail through the hoop.
"I know, but is everyone's as bad as mine? A half brother rivalry, a dad who doesn't care and a mom in rehab?" I asked. She smiled at me.
"It sounds like you're living the life of a soap opera,'' she said. I shook my head.
"I know it does, but that's my life. It has too much drama," I said.
"I thought you could handle drama. After all, you put up with Brooke and all of them," she said. I looked at her.
"It's not like that, Hale. That's drama from people going through the same stuff I am. This, this is different."
"Different how?"
"I don't know, just different. I don't know how to explain it, but it's just a feeling I have," I said, shooting the ball again.
"Look, Nate, if something else is bugging you, you can tell me," Haley said, putting her hand on my arm.
"I know," I said, sighing.
"You're sure everything's okay?" she asked. I shook my head.
"No, I'm not sure everything's okay, but I'll figure it out," I said, smiling slightly at her so she'd believe me.
"Whatever you say," she said, shooting the ball. It fell short again.
"You're hopeless," I said, shaking my head. She laughed and hit me playfully.
"Then show me, super star," she said, waiting. I shook my head. That was what I loved about her, she made me forget.