Nathan Scott glanced over at his girlfriend as she drove his Mustang through her neighborhood in Tree Hill. They were on their way to his first meeting with her parents, and he had been so nervous that she had insisted on driving his car there. Under normal circumstances, there was no way in hell he would have let Haley James drive his car. Just no way. His car was way too important to him, and Haley wasn't the best driver he had ever been around. Her parents obviously felt the same way because they had never purchased her a car. But since he was so nervous for this meeting, he just went along with it. It was just one of those whatever kind of situations.
Haley chuckled to herself when she felt Nathan's blue eyes on her. He was so nervous about this. In fact, it was kind of cute. They had been dating a few months, but he hadn't officially met the parents yet, and so she figured he needed to. Things were getting kind of serious with the two of them, and because of that, she felt it only right that he meet the two people who gave her to him in the first place.
"Hales," Nathan whined as they cruised down the street. "I am way too nervous to do this. Can't we skip it and wait until we've been dating like a year or so?"
"No, Nathan," she objected, turning off the radio. Nathan shook his head. He didn't even know she had the thing turned on he was so nervous. "It's not that big of deal, I promise you. They just would like to know who I spend most of my time with."
"Lie and tell them you still spend all your time with Lucas!" he suggested, sitting up in his seat, proud that he had come up with such a brilliant plan. "Just say you and I hang out like once a week."
She laughed at him. He really did not want to do this. "Oh, stop," she chided. "It will be like a ten minute thing. Go in, say hi, shake hands, answer a few questions, and go out."
He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "Haley - oh shit!" he cried when he realized how fast she was turning into her driveway. "Slow down! Brake!"
The car came to a screeching halt and she looked over at him, a sheepish smile on her face and her cheeks colored bright red. "Sorry?"
"I know why your parents never bought you a car. Look at this!" He shook his head again. He couldn't believe he had agreed to let her drive his precious car. He was going insane. That had to be it. He was going insane and if she hadn't listened to him about slowing down, the scratches that could have been on his car would be perfect proof of that.
"Nothing happened!" she protested, turning off the car. "Relax."
"Relax? Are you kidding me? First, I am so nervous to meet your parents. I mean, obviously they're good people...they're really smart and they raised a great daughter, but that doesn't mean I'm thrilled about meeting them. And then you insist on driving my car, which for some reason unbeknownst to me, I let you do, and you nearly crash it in your driveway. Not on the road, Haley. Your driveway!"
"Stop being a baby. I had to meet your parents," she pointed out, unbuckling her seatbelt. "And mine are not as bad as yours!"
He blew out a breath. He agreed with that statement. His parents were whackos. They always had been and they always would be. His father was a controlling tyrant and his mother was a drugged out absentee mom. Haley's parents were normal, he was pretty certain. "I hate meeting moms, Hales," he said, unbuckling his seatbelt as slowly as he could.
She raised an eyebrow. "How many moms have you had to meet?"
He shrugged. "Hell, I don't know. I'm fine with dads. I can talk to them...but moms? No thank you."
"Nathan..." She climbed over the console onto his lap and smiled down at him. Bringing her hands up, she gripped his head gently. "Please just calm down. You will be fine. Everything will be fine. They're good people and they're going to love you."'
"Promise?" he said in a small voice. He needed her parents to like him. He really, really liked Haley. In fact, some days, he was sure he loved her, and if her parents didn't approve of him or them together, he would be crushed. He couldn't not be with Haley. He just couldn't.
"I promise you." She brought her lips down to his and softly kissed him.
He relaxed into her, his lips beginning to move against hers in a heated passion. His hands moved to her back and traced invisible patterns on it. He liked this. He wanted to stay here all day in his Mustang and make out with his girlfriend and not even worry about meeting her parents.
He was beginning to really enjoy himself when he heard someone call out Haley's name. She jumped off of him and opened the car door, straightening out her clothes. Nathan cringed as he looked out and up onto the porch to see Jimmy and Lydia James standing there, arms folded across both of their chests.
"If you two want to keep on giving the neighbors a show, then by all means, go right ahead," Lydia began, tapping her foot. "But if you're finished, you can come in and let us meet Nathan. We'd like to know the boy who was having his way with our daughter in his car, Haley!"
"Mom!" Haley cried out, her face growing redder if it was even possible.
"Inside now, Haley," Jimmy insisted, ignoring his daughter's protest. "And fix your shirt. You look like you yourself were thrown in a dryer it's so twisted up."
Haley's mouth dropped open as her parents walked back inside their house. She was mortified - absolutely mortified. She had no idea that they knew they were even in the driveway. Then she cringed as she realized how they must have found out. The damn screeching tires. She wished she were a better driver. Life sucked.
"Shit," Nathan swore as Haley fixed her shirt like her dad said. "Shit, shit, shit."
"Oh my God," she mumbled. "I am so dead. I was just caught making out. They've never caught me making out before. And it was with you...oh my God. I'm dead. Dead!"
"Well, gee, thanks, Haley," he muttered. "It's great to know that I'm so awful to make out with."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh knock it off. I never said that. It's just my parents caught us making out. Not exactly a great way to start out this meeting, is it?"
"No it's not," he agreed. "Shit."
Haley narrowed her eyes at him while he climbed out of the car. "Can you stop swearing for like, oh I don't know, thirty seconds maybe? It would make things go a bit smoother today."
"Well it can't get any worse," he replied, shutting the door.
Of course. This was just Nathan's luck. He finally found a girl he actually cared about, and he was already blowing the whole meeting with her parents. They were going to kill him when he walked in that door, he could just feel it. He could feel the hatred radiating from their house. He blew it with Haley in the span of like three minutes. He knew it.
"You're right," she agreed, walking away from him. "You're completely right. Thank you so much for this, Nathan," she said sarcastically, walking up the porch. "Thanks a lot."
"Haley!" he called out. "Hales!"
"What?" She turned around, hands on her hips. "It would be great if you could have a little faith in yourself and in us. I would appreciate it so much, and things would be so much better than they are right now! You doubting yourself is just getting so old."
He sighed. Haley was right, like she usually was. It had to be hard on her with him always doubting everything he did dealing with her. However, it was really hard on him too. He had never been with someone like Haley. He was never with someone who made him want to change and be a better person. Of course he was going to doubt himself when he was with her. As far as he was concerned, Haley was perfect, and he could only hope to be half the person she was.
"I'm sorry," he apologized softly. "I'm so sorry, babe. It's just really hard for me...I see you - this person that I envy so much - and I want to be like you, Haley. I want to be a better person, and so yeah, I doubt myself around you a lot. I just want you to be proud of me."
Her mouth dropped open a little at his confession. She had no idea he was trying this hard to be a this great of a person. It warmed her inside knowing he was trying, it really did. But from where she was standing, he was already a great person. Sure he had his moments, but so did everyone else. He was human just like every person she knew, but also just like every person she knew, he was a person she admired. He was a good person, no matter how much he thought the opposite.
"Nathan..." She launched herself at him, laughing at how she nearly fell on her way down the porch steps on her way to him. "I am proud of you," she whispered in his ear. "I'm so proud that you're trying to be this better person, but you know what? You're already a great person. You just can't see that."
"Okay." He nodded, unsure how to respond to that. If he was being truthful, he didn't totally believe her, but if she was saying he was a great person, then he must have been somewhere deep inside of himself. "I do have faith in us," he said after a long pause. "I really do," he assured her, releasing her and tucking a piece of her cinnamon colored hair behind her ear.
"Then just show me sometimes, Nathan," she requested. "Let me know that you have as much faith in us as I do, and everything will be fine."
"Okay," he agreed, taking her hand and leading her back up the steps. "Alright, let's do this thing. The sooner we do this, the faster we can leave and I can kiss you again."
She giggled. "You can kiss me now if you want." As he was about to lean in, she placed her finger on his lips. "But just one. I'm probably already in enough trouble as it is."
"Just one," he repeated, kissing her softly. "Maybe two?"
"Now you're pushing your luck!"
He rolled his eyes at her and took a deep breath as she opened the front door. This was the moment of truth. He was either going to sink or swim at this point, and he really, really wanted to swim. He wanted to do the freaking breast stroke across this huge lake he was about to dive into.
They walked into the kitchen where Jimmy and Lydia were sitting at the counter, sipping coffee. "Haley, so nice of you to remove your lips from your boyfriend and join us!" Lydia said as they walked around to the other side of the counter to face her parents.
"Sorry," she said. "We got a little carried away."
"I'll say!" Jimmy exclaimed, eliciting a chuckle from Lydia. "Look, Haley, we understand that you're a teenager and that you have a boyfriend and you want to spend all your time with him and kiss him and all that, but if you're going to do it, at least be in a house. Don't do it on the street or in our driveway."
"We don't have a problem with you two making out," Lydia jumped in. "You really like each other from what I understand, and that's great. We're happy you've found each other. We just want you to be careful. We have enough grandchildren as it is, and we're not that old yet."
"All we're saying is be careful."
Haley raised an eyebrow. "You mean you're not going to punish me or anything?"
"Gosh, no!" her mother nearly yelled. "We have waited years for you and Lucas to get together, but - "
"Mother!" she screeched, wincing when she saw Nathan's eyes grow wide. He looked shocked, and she knew her face bore a disgusted expression.
"But," her mom continued, ignoring them, "We understand that you two don't feel that way about each other. So, if Nathan is the boy who makes you happy in the way we always thought Lucas would, then of course you two are going to kiss, and we understand that. We just want you to be careful. We know how we were at your age. All we're asking is that you two set some boundaries and if you're going to pass them, make sure you're indoors."
Haley smiled. Her parents sure did surprise her sometimes, but she wouldn't have them any other way. She loved them just as they were. "Deal."
"Now, properly introduce us to your handsome boyfriend," Lydia ordered, a smile gracing her face.
"Right." Haley laughed as Nathan flushed. He knew he was attractive, but he never figured his girlfriend's mother would acknowledge that. "Mom, Dad, this is Nathan Scott. Nathan, these are my parents, Jimmy and Lydia."
She watched the exchange between her parents and her boyfriend, and she relaxed as soon as she saw Nathan do it. He seemed stiff and awkward at first, but after a few kind words and some hand shaking, he seemed to be doing okay. He looked like he was comfortable with them, and it made her feel so much better.
A little over an hour later, Haley was sitting at the kitchen table rolling her eyes. Her dad had basically kidnapped her boyfriend and taken him into the living room to watch some stupid football game he'd recorded months ago. Nathan didn't even play football. He'd explained that to her at their first tutoring session and although she acted like she didn't care, she hadn't forgotten that he said that.
"What is wrong with you, Haley Bop?" Lydia questioned, sitting down across from her daughter. "You should be happy that Daddy and Nathan get along so well."
She sighed. "I am. It's just I thought Nathan and I wouldn't be here too long, and that we could go out and do our own thing."
"I see. Well, let me just tell you that if I had known how good looking Nathan was, I would have made you bring him around a lot sooner. I hope you both know that we expect to see him a lot more."
Haley was glad that her parents liked Nathan so well. After they all got over the initial shock of the whole making out and being caught in the driveway thing, everything was okay. They discussed Nathan's basketball and how the two of them actually got together. Lydia admitted to the two of them that she did hear the rocks outside the window, but she figured that they weren't for her, so she didn't even bother getting out of bed. She was excited that the first boy she was serious about hit it off with her parents.
"I'll try to bring him around," she announced, "But if Daddy is just going to hog him the entire time he's here, then I'd rather not!"
Her mom chuckled and patted her hand. "I will talk to your father once you get Nathan out of his grasp, alright?"
"Alright." She kissed her mom on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom."
Meanwhile in the other room, Jimmy was explaining play after play to Nathan about the football game he had recorded. It was several months old, but it was his favorite game to watch. His team had always been the underdog, and they hadn't won much in years. But this game - the one game he happened to get recorded - they had actually won. He was so happy.
"See, Nate, I've been a fan of these guys for years now. Even before Haley was born which makes me really old."
Nathan chuckled. "You're not that old, sir."
"Enough of that sir crap!" Jimmy chided. "Calling me sir makes me feel old! Now, do you know why I like this team so much?"
He shrugged. "You like their team colors?"
Jimmy's eyes widened and he nearly choked. What? "Do I look like your girlfriend to you?"
"Uh, no?"
"Good, because that is not why I like teams. That is why Haley likes teams. She likes the Colts because they're blue and white and remind her of clouds." Nathan laughed. He certainly had a unique girlfriend, but he couldn't lie - he loved that she wasn't like everyone else. "I like this team because even if they lose, they keep their heads up. They're not the best in the league at all, but no matter what happens, they stay true to themselves as a team."
"I never really looked at teams like that," Nathan admitted. "I just kind of look at the win-lose factors and how many points are scored."
"Well, you have to really look beneath the surface," Jimmy pointed out to him. "I know you understand something about that, because you did it with my daughter." Nathan shook his head at him, unsure what he was meaning by that. "Nate, Haley has never been that popular. She's always been unique, but no matter what happens, she stays true to herself. She doesn't stray from who she is, and her mother and I are so thankful that she has you. You're involving her in so much, Nate, but you're letting her be who she is, and that's something we like to see."
Nathan was flattered by the man's honesty. He had no idea that Jimmy and Lydia felt that way, but he was happy that they were being honest with him. He hadn't ever tried to change Haley, and he never would. He liked her the way she was, and the fact that she was staying true to herself made him like her even more.
"Mr. James I would never try to change Haley. I can promise you that. I know that we don't run in the same crowds, but I wouldn't ever pressure her to be something that she didn't want to be. I really like her the way she is. She's perfect to me."
Jimmy smiled at the young man sitting with him. He obviously had very strong feelings for Haley, and that was okay with Jimmy. This was Haley's first time up to bat, and she had hit a homerun in his eyes. She had scored a touch down.
Haley turned away from the door to the living room and walked back towards her mom. "Did you hear Nathan and Dad?" she asked, feeling herself choke up over Nathan's sweet words. "Did you just hear him tell Dad that I'm perfect to him?"
Lydia smiled. She could tell how much Nathan cared for Haley when they were first introduced. She could see the way he looked at Haley like she was the only person in the room and like everyone else around didn't matter. Haley had found herself a good boy, she was positive of that.
"No, I didn't," she responded. "But I'm not surprised in the least. He really cares for you, Haley Bop. Daddy and I could tell that immediately."
"Yeah." She nodded. "I really care for him too."
"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if I hear wedding bells in the air a few years from now."
Haley blushed. "Really?"
"You two are falling in love," she answered simply. "It's as simple and as complicated as that."
If only Lydia James had known how right she was. If only she would have realized that a few years from now would actually be a few months from now. Nathan Scott and Haley James were meant to be, and they were lucky to have found that at such a young age.