"What do you want, man? I mean besides my girlfriend and my spot in the lineup." Lucas Scott glared at Nathan Scott as he walked around him in a circle, holding the basketball. He clenched and unclenched his fists.
"Look..." But Nathan cut him off. "The team doesn't want you, man. And my girlfriend sure as hell doesn't want you. But I'll play you, one on one, you just name the time and place. Then we'll find out who's the best."
Lucas folded his arms across his chest. "And what are the terms?" Nathan smiled. "If you win, I'll quit the team." Then he looked at him. "But if I win, you crawl back into your little hole and remember your place in all this."
Lucas was about to say something, but they were interrupted. "Hey, hope I'm interrupting something, here." He looked up to see that his best friend, Haley James, was standing there with her arms folded across her chest as well.
"Can we help you?", Tim Smith asked from the background, where he was leaning against Nathan's dark blue mini-van. Haley smiled. "No, Dim, I don't think you can help me. I was talking to Nathan, here."
Nathan looked at her, eyebrows raised. "You know who I am?" Haley rolled her eyes and asked, "Who doesn't?" She hadn't meant for it to sound like she was inflating his ego, but she knew that's how he took it.
"Lucas...", She looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Even though she had pretty much heard everything Nathan had said to her best friend, and it really pissed her off. She hated Nathan and his Father, Dan Scott, for what they had done to Lucas all his life.
But Lucas just shook his head. "Hales, it's okay, don't..." But it was too late. He knew that his best friend was rather feisty when she was passionate about something. And she had always been passionate about the way Lucas had been treated by his Father and half-brother.
"I don't know who you think you are or what right you think you have to come down here. But if you're gonna challenge him, you'd better be aware that Lucas will play you anytime, anywhere. And he'll beat your ass."
Lucas suppressed a smile and a chuckle. The look on Nathan's face was absolutely priceless. Lucas almost wished he had a Polaroid camera to capture it and look at it forever for an eternal laugh.
"This must be historic, Nathan Scott with not a word to say." Haley almost couldn't believe that she was saying this to him either. She had wanted to tell him off for so long, and this was as close as she had gotten so far.
"And as for Lucas wanting your girlfriend, he doesn't need her, alright? I'm here." She looked at Lucas and they shared a smile. It was true, they weren't a couple, but Nathan didn't need to know that.
Nathan, instead, just looked at the two of them. Then he said, "Just name the time and place, Luke. And it's on." Then he set the basketball down in front of him, got in the van with Tim, and drove away.
Lucas looked at his best friend and narrowed his eyes. "How much did you hear?" She smiled. "Everything. I'm sorry. I just came down to see what you were doing, and I eavesdropped from behind the bleachers. I'm sorry."
But Lucas just shook his head. "Don't be sorry. You actually helped me out a lot. I mean, there are so many things I would love to say to him, but when presented with the opportunity, I was at a loss for words."
Haley smiled. "That's what I'm here for, ya' know, to help you out of any given situation with the jerk formerly known as Nathan. Gotta stand by my man." Lucas laughed. "Thanks Hales. I really appreciate it." He looked at her and took a breath.
"Do you think I should play him?" Haley nodded. "Yeah, I do. You can prove it to him, once and for all, Luke. Just how much better you are than him. Then maybe he'll shut the hell up." Then they both said, "Doubtful" with a smile.
"So what were you doin' before he decided to crash the River Court party?", Haley asked. Lucas smiled. "Just shootin'. Wanna play?" Haley grinned. "Game of HORSE?" Lucas laughed and said, "Sure, you shoot first."