Maybe
Seeing her happy was the best feeling he knew he could ever have, he just wished that her happiness lied with him. What would you do if you found the love of your life, but she had already found hers in someone else?
Chapter One
"If I were to tell you right now, that I didn't want you to leave, would you go anyway?" he asks her across the room, with a sense of desperation in his voice.
His hands start to become clammy as he holds the microphone in his hand, suddenly aware of the hundreds of pairs of eyes that are on him. But he continues anyway.
"Would it matter to you if I said that?"
He starts making his way across the dance floor, his eyes on the girl he fell in love with at fifteen.
"Would it make you want to stay? Or would it further demonstrate to you that we are over?"
He begins making his way through the white chairs to get closer to her.
"Would it make you realise that I really don't mean anything to you anymore, showing me that you actually broke up with me because you no longer care and not just because you are moving away?"
Haley shifts in her seat, her body tingling all over.
"I'm asking you because I don't think you want us to be over" he continues, staring into her dark brown eyes.
"I think you're pretending that you do because you think it will be easier for me," he finally makes his way up to where she is sitting, "and for you", he adds.
"Well it won't be easier for me; nothing is easy when you're not around" he says with so much emotion in his voice.
Haley's heart skips a beat.
"I've know that since the first time you tutored me, three years ago".
Brooke starts to go weak at the knees at his words, wishing she was in Haley's position right now. This was definitely a moment that she would always be envious of her for.
"And you think it will be easier for you, not to have to worry about keeping up a long distance relationship".
Every guy in the room was in awe of the brave boy with the microphone, knowing they would never have the courage to do what he is doing in front of all these people.
"But we can make it work Hales. If you really want to leave I will come with you. I would follow you anywhere, but if you don't want me to come in case it could jeopardise your opportunity, I can deal with that" he says, clearly meaning every word.
"I'm saying all this because, Haley" his voice lowers, intensify his words,
"I don't want you to leave and I really hope that what I'm saying makes you want to stay".
He watches as a single tear falls from her eye.
"I love you" he whispers into the microphone.
Her eyes never leave his, as Haley tries to formulate a sentence in response to the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to her.
"So will you stay? Or will you let me come with you?" he pleadingly searches for an answer in her expression.
There is a period of silence, which feels like a year to him and a micro-second to Haley.
The whole room is awaiting her response.
"Yes," she stammers out, "yes I will stay. I will stay here with you", tears now streaming from her face.
He lets out a sigh of relief and then smiles the brightest smile Haley has ever seen on his face.
She lets out a small laugh and gets up out of her seat as he pulls her into a hug, twirling her around as they embrace.
Once he places her back down on her feet, he plants a passionate kiss on her lips. Everyone starts clapping and cheering as they press their foreheads together.
"I love you Haley, we can make it through anything" he says, unable to take the smile off his face.
"We don't have to be apart, ever"
"I love you too, Chase" she replies, smiling.
Nathan watches with jealousy from across the room as the two of them start kissing once again. He had hardly ever spoken to her before. Ever since they started high school he watched her, wanting her, but she was the only girl Nathan Scott had ever been nervous to talk to. He is the captain of the basketball team and everyone stares at him with awe whenever he walks into class, except for her. She just continues reading her book or listening to the teacher. Only sometimes, very rarely, on the days Nathan considers himself extremely lucky, she might throw a glance his way.
He always sees her with his half-brother Lucas, talking and laughing. He knows they are best friends but Nathan doesn't want to ask Lucas about her as they are only just starting to get along. Nathan and Lucas never spoke to one another before the start of this year, but were forced to start when Lucas joined the Ravens. Their father, Dan Scott, managed to impregnate both their mothers within three months of each other eighteen years ago. However Dan decided to stay with Deb, Nathan's mother, and abandon Lucas and his mother Karen. Dan is an extremely overbearing parent to Nathan, constantly pushing him to be better and it is for this reason alike that both of his sons hate him. It was also the reason Nathan and Lucas always hated each other but after Lucas joined the basketball team they realised they had a lot more in common than they initially thought.
Haley and Lucas always being together always used to make Nathan's blood boil, thinking they had an unseen romance, but after getting to know Lucas he realised they were only friends. He was still jealous of Lucas spending so much time with her though. But nothing compared to the amount of jealously he felt when her saw her with Chase. In their freshman year, Nathan noticed Chase watching her almost as much as he did himself. He watched when Chase started speaking to her and sitting with her at lunch until the day when he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out. Nathan would never forget the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach the next day when he saw the two of them walking into school together, holding hands.
Not that Nathan can be completely pitiable though. If there are two things Nathan Scott is known for, they are basketball and girls. Everybody in town knows how good Nathan is at basketball and the gym is always stacked with people cheering for him at every game, but Nathan is notorious for the girls he gets at the parties after the games. None of them ever mean anything to him and he never calls them the next day or asks any of them to be his girlfriend, but he figures why not? It's not like Haley is ever going to be interested in him anyway and maybe one day, one of the girls he meets might make him feel the slightest bit like Haley does and eventually push her out of his brain. But Nathan knows that is just a fantasy, he's never going to feel the way he does about Haley about anyone else.
Nathan walks out of Tree Hill High's Junior Prom, unable to watch the scene any longer. Theresa, his date, comes trailing out after him.
"Nathan, what are you doing? It's not over for another couple of hours" she questions, still behind him.
Nathan turns around.
"Sorry, I just need some fresh air, I'll be back inside in a minute".
"Oh Okay, well don't stay out here too long!"
Theresa skips back inside, leaving Nathan to ponder his thoughts.