A/N: Okay, so this is an idea from kayatj for a one-shot that I'm going to turn into a multi-chapter fic... I'm still writing Nathan Scott, HCM.. But I thought it would be fun to get started on another one. College Algebra is over as of this coming Monday so I'll have plenty of time and concentration to write both fics! Ahh! Anyway, hopefully you'll like it.. Read on and review! ((Chapter title is a song by Rock N Roll Soldiers!))


Chapter 1: Funny Little Feeling

Haley stood in the doorway of the gym, holding her Biology book in front of her. It was 4:30 and she'd had enough of the anatomy and functions of plant cells to last her two lifetimes. She was waiting for Nathan, like she did every day, but today was especially important. Today they had to write their predictions for their Sophomore year of high school.

Haley knew Nathan thought she was a total dweeb for insisting they write predictions every year but this was something they did together, every year, since 7th grade. Since before Nathan became a huge deal at Tree Hill High and before Haley became Super Nerd. Okay, so she'd always been a nerd, but at least before high school, people didn't call her that. Sometimes she felt like she didn't fit in. She knew she didn't fit in with Nathan's friends and teammates. She wasn't popular like he was. She was just his geeky sidekick that Nathan felt he had to protect. Maybe he saw her as a sister... Well, that's depressing...

Just then, Nathan walked out of the locker room and toward Haley. There she stood, his best friend, in her boot cut jeans and that ugly ass poncho. He was going to have to burn that thing one day. She looked lost in thought and kinda sad. Must be stressin over that Bio test... "Hales!" he called out to her. "Ready to go?"

"Yes!" she sounded a little too enthusiastic. Really, she was just ready to spend some time with Nathan. He'd been so busy lately getting ready for basketball. Dan, Nathan's ass of a father, kept him constantly practicing or working out. That left Haley without her best friend a lot of the time.

"Well damn, really ready, ain't ya?" Nathan joked.

"Aren't you." Haley corrected.

"Yeah, definitely. Let's get outta here." Nathan said.

Haley laughed, "I was correcting your grammar, dork," she said as she lightly pushed Nathan's arm. "Ya know, if you need help in English, I'm at the tutor center Monday and Wednesday til 5:30!" she joked.

"Alright, alright, I hear you!" Nathan said. He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her down the hallway. It wasn't until they had walked out the school doors that Nathan realized his hand was still on Haley and that it made him feel so good to be touching her. He had to figure out some way to squash that. Haley would never see him that way. She was way too good for him anyway and she deserved a lot better. But no matter what he kept telling himself, he couldn't deny the fact that he had felt this way since they were in the 8th grade.

He remembered it like it was yesterday...

They had met at the dock down by his parent's beach house to write their predictions for 8th grade year. It was sunset after the first day of school. A breeze blew Haley's long, straight, perfectly mousy brown hair as Nathan took in a deep breath. She smelled like warm vanilla sugar. She wore this plain, long-sleeved black t-shirt, but it fit tight and hugged every curve. Her classic-Haley boot cut jeans were ripped at the knees from where she had tripped and fallen the day before.

"There! Finished!" she said, triumphantly, as she folded her piece of paper.

"That fast? No fair! I'm only on #2!" Nathan protested.

"Well write faster, Nate!" Haley said. Tapping her foot, she added, "Come on, slowpoke! I wanna find the perfect spot on the beach!"

They had started this tradition last year of making predictions as to what would occur during that school year. Last year they made their predictions the night before school started. That turned out pretty shitty, as Nathan recalled, so they decided to try again this year. Of course, not until they had been through the first day of school. After they finished writing, they would put their papers in a shoebox and watch the sunset on the beach. They were definitely best friends. Who else would go along with things like this?

Nathan had truly been distracted today. For some reason, maybe it was the way the sun was hitting her face right now, she looked absolutely drop dead gorgeous. She had held her head down as she wrote her predictions and all he could do was stare at her. He guessed she didn't notice, probably too enamored in her ideas for the future, but his eyes had never left her. He hurried through writing his predictions, knowing that next year he wouldn't be able to distinguish what they were, and folded his piece of paper. Placing it in the shoebox, he put the lid on top and extended his hand to Haley.

"Let's go, Hales! Pick your perfect spot.." he said.

Haley grabbed his hand and he felt a spark of electricity. He couldn't understand what was going on today. Why was he thinking of his best friend this way? Was he starting to fall in love with her? No. Not starting to. He was already there. Well, if this is what an epiphany is like, it's pretty damn good...

As they sat on the beach in Haley's "perfect spot," Nathan realized just how deep his feelings for Haley were. Nothing she could ever do or say would change it. But he didn't want to ruin their friendship. He would hide his feelings until he just couldn't keep it in anymore. If that meant he wouldn't be able to tell her until they were old and gray, then so be it, but he was not going to screw this up. He loved her... that was enough for him right now.

Haley brought Nathan out of his thoughts when they had reached the sidewalks in front of the school, "So, I have to work down at the cafe tonight. In like, an hour, actually. So can we change our normal prediction-making spot to the rooftop of the cafe? I know, I know, I'm horrible and I'm not sticking to tradition, but I can at least stick to the DAY we make predictions if we can change the location..." she rambled.

Nathan stopped her when she took a breath and said, "Hales, that's fine. I'm just surprised you're willing to give up your sunset on the beach for making predictions on the right day. What if we just waited til tomorrow?"

"No, no, it's okay. Forget the sunset. I want to make sure that we hold to the day!" she said very matter-of-factly.

Nathan laughed, "we didn't hold to the day 8th grade year! We moved it back a day, remember? We weren't happy with how the first day of school went? We thought we had jinxed ourselves."

"Oh I remember... Quite well. But we held to that same day last year! So for the last two years at least we've done well and I don't wanna mess THAT part up!" Haley said. "And if we don't get headed to the cafe, we're not going to be able to make predictions at all until after I'm off work. So can we go? Pllleeeaaassseeee..." she begged.

Nathan rolled his eyes. She was so cute. And if he was having to go to the cafe so she wouldn't be late for work, he could hang around for a little bit after they made their predictions. He was hungry anyway, he could always eat. Maybe he could even stick around long enough that he could walk her home. Nate, be careful... Best friends. Stay in the friend zone. She's not thinking about things the way you are.

Little did Nathan know, Haley had somewhat planned this. She didn't have to take THIS shift at the cafe, but she did. She knew Nathan would get out of practice pretty late since it was the first of the year and that would mean, she would have to relocate the prediction-making spot. She knew her best friend like the back of her hand and that meant that he would be hungry. He would stay and eat and since the cafe would probably close shortly after he was done, he would either offer to walk her home or she would play the scared, damsel in distress and beg him to walk home with her. Oh yeah, she had this all worked out. She was smart. They didn't call her TutorGirl for nothing!

"We better hurry then," Nathan said, "don't want you to be late."

Haley clapped her hands and threw her arms around Nathan's neck as she jumped to hug him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Nathan took in the scent of her hair as they hugged. Strawberries and vanilla, like always. She smelled so good to him, she didn't need perfume. He knew now exactly what predictions he was going

to make now..

As they headed to the cafe, they talked about their classes and who all was in each one. Haley, of course, was excited about her teachers. Nathan was passive about class and more interested about Coach Durham and how he would do this year on the basketball team. Nathan told Haley about how his half-brother, Lucas, would be joining them this season.

"How do you think that's gunna go over? Are you okay with it?" Haley asked.

"Who knows really.. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'm fine.. he's kind of an asshole, really. I just can't wait to see how Dan reacts to it." Nathan scoffed.

They reached the cafe and Nathan held the door open for Haley. It felt like it meant something totally different than it ever had before, to both of them.

"Hey Haley! How are you this lovely afternoon?" Karen, the cafe owner, ((and not to mention, Lucas Scott's mom)) asked. "It's not quite time for your shift, did you just miss me?"

Haley smiled and said, "I'm good!" she laughed, "I did, BUT Nathan and I are going to make our predictions and I didn't want to be late for work. Soooo, we're going to do them here."

Karen laughed at Haley's enthusiasm. "Well, alright then! Nathan, how was practice?"

"Okay I guess. Since it was the first day, there wasn't much to it. I was really just ready to get outta there." Nathan shrugged. And spend time with Haley... ahh, I'm really gunna have to do somethin about this!

Karen could tell Nathan was leaving something out but she wasn't quite sure what it was. Her intuition told her that it had something to do with Haley. But she pushed that aside as she had always envisioned Lucas and Haley getting together someday. If only her son would stop being such a loner...

"Well get to making your predictions," Karen said. "These tables aren't going to wait themselves!"

Haley smiled and looked at Nathan. He felt his knees get weak. Yep, gotta do something... he thought. She grabbed his hand and nearly drug him up the stairs and to the roof. Once they were there, Haley sat her books on the table and pulled her binder from the middle of them, taking out two sheets of notebook paper. Nathan grabbed one and pulled two pens from his backpack.

Haley smiled at him and said, "Thanks.. Now, are you gunna take ten years to make your predictions again?" she laughed.

Nathan pursed his lips and gave her a look. "I have all my predictions in my head, thank you very much! I just needed the paper to write them down on."

"Oooohhh, look at him go! He's prepared, ladies and gentlemen!" she snickered.

Nathan shook his head and said, "Laugh all you want, James, but when you're late for your shift and I'm done making my predictions, I'll be the one laughing."

Haley rolled her eyes and sat on top of the picnic table, placing her sheet of paper on top of her binder and grabbing a pen from Nathan's hand. Putting pen to paper, her predictions flowed. First one, this year, Nathan and I will be together.. Second, I'll become a cheerleader.. Third...

Nathan was scribbling away, trying to beat Haley. First and the only one that really matters is, this year I'll make Haley my girlfriend! Second, I'll take the Ravens to the state championship. Third, The Ravens will win state. Fourth, I'll fall more and more in love with Haley James every single day...

When Nathan was finished, he folded his paper and jumped up from the bench of the picnic table. Haley's head popped up. "Oh this is so not fair," she said.

"Oh ho, yes, yes it is. Last year you left me in the dust... I wasn't about to let it happen twice," he joked.

Haley looked back at her paper and pretended that Nathan wasn't even there. Or at least, she tried to. She couldn't help but focus on her first prediction. It had her distracted. Her second was to help her reach her first since being a cheerleader would put her closer to Nathan more often, not like she wasn't at every game anyway. This would just give her the chance to show just how much she supported him, how much she cared. Especially since she was NOT the type to be a cheerleader. Oh well, if it got her closer to her first prediction, she would take it!

Nathan stood with his back against the wall, watching Haley, waiting for her to finish. When she finally did, she folded her paper and handed it to Nathan to put in the box.

"There we go! Predictions for sophomore year! Now get to work, woman! Make me a sandwich!" Nathan laughed loudly.

Haley slapped his arm and said, "Good luck with that one!"

Nathan smiled, "Really, you're gunna be late, let's get back downstairs."

The two best friends walked back downstairs to the cafe and Haley went behind the counter. She grabbed her apron and wrapped it around her waist. Nathan sat down at the counter and simply watched her. This was going to be a great year...

Whatcha think? Reviews or all sorts are welcomed! =)