"So Chase is having the party at his house right?" Haley asked shutting Brooke's car and heading towards the school.
"Yep, I figured we could head back to my place to get ready after the game and then head over."
"Are we sleeping over or do we have to be out of the house before?"
"Nah, his parents aren't coming home til Sunday so we have time, I figured I would help him clean up after everyone leaves."
"Brooke Davis cleans?" Haley asked raising her eyebrow.
"I kinda have to...ya know, he's my boyfriend."
"Oh I know." Haley said sarcastically.
"Anyway where is your boyfriend this fine morning?" Brooke asked.
"Early morning practice in the weight room, I promised him I would meet him at his locker right before home room though."
"You two going to take advantage of your parents not being home next weekend."
"Brooke we're..."
"Not like that, I know." She sighed, "I was just checking to make sure, I like to know what's up."
"I will tell you if anything changes, I promise." She said opening her locker and taking off her aviators. She threw them in the top of her locker and dropped her books in the bottom.
"Nice glasses Tutor Girl."
"Thanks, they were a birthday present from my dad, I found them when I cleaned my room." Haley James never had a lot of money growing up, but after her great uncle died five two years ago he left everything to her father. She had always remembered him giving her big gifts on her birthday but never realized he had that much money. She still wasn't used to it though, she was glad she didn't grow up around money because now she knew the value of a dollar.
"They're cute." She said pushing her glasses up to rest on the top of her head. "Did you study for that Trig test?"
"Is that a rhetorical question?" She asked tilting her head.
"Of course you did, ehh I'll just go over it with Chase in home room."
"Look over this, and give it back to me first period." Haley reached into the bottom of her locker and pulled out a copybook. She held it out to Brooke before it got knocked out of her hand when someone walked into her.
"Geez" Haley said steadying herself. "Watch it"
"Sorry" Nathan Scott muttered.
"You want to give us a real apology now?"
"I don't owe you anything." He said looking down at her.
"Psshh, you act like you own the place. You know what Mr. Hotshot you can play the I'm the start of the team scoring all my touchdowns on somebody else."
"I don't even play football" He said snidly.
"Whatever, the point is you don't own the place and being an ass will get you no where in life."
"Well see about that when your begging me to sleep with you."
"Please I don't want you chasing my skirt. NO one does you're a walking STD." Haley said looking him up and down with a look.
"Whatever you want to believe honey, I've got girls lined up around the corner, and I'm clean."
"Sure, I think your doctor would have a different opinion about that, man whore." She said shaking her head before noticing her arm "Shit, I'm bleeding."
"How?" Brooke asked looking at it.
"I must have hit it on the edge of my locker when asshole walked into me."
"C'mon, let's go to the nurse or else you might get tetanus from that rusty thing.."
Haley looked down the hall to the blonde at his locker "Hey Luke" When he didn't answer she noticed his earbuds in his ears. "Dimwhit, turn off your crap music." She shouted a little louder and he turned to face her. "Can you find Damien and tell him I went to the nurse and not to wait around for me."
"And I'm the one chasing skirt?" Nathan said sarcastically under his breath
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.
"Have you met your boyfriend?"
"Whatever, let's go Brooke." She said grabbing her friend's hand and walking off.
"Go Damien!" Haley shouted from the sidelines of the football field as Damien rushed the ball down the field into the touchdown zone.
He quickly was swarmed with his team mates as they celebrated the win.
Haley fought her way to the center "Great game baby"
"Thanks Haley, I'll meet you at Chase's, I was going to head over with the guys."
"Okay" She said, she leaned up and pecked him quickly before being dragged away by Brooke.
Nathan walked up the stairs slowly to see Damien walking out of a bedroom, and shutting the door behind him. Wanting to avoid conversation he hung back in the poor lighting, Damien was heading the opposite way down the hall. Nathan knew if you followed it to the right their was another set of stairs. Chase came up that way and said "Hey man, I just saw the girls pull up." Damien nodded "Can you give me a hand carrying some beer down?" He asked as they headed off the opposite direction. Nathan was about to move when another door opened, the same room Damien walked out of, a girl did, looking disheveled and frumpled. She walked across to the mirror to make herself look presentable before walking off. Nathan slowly walked out of the corner and opened the same door to see a bedroom with the bed a mess. He sighed and walked off knowing what had occurred.
Haley walked into the party and stopped to look around. Her long blonde hair was in a side fishtail, complemented by her aviators that she moved to the top of her head. She was wearing a sheer button down tank that was light blue, she had a black bandeau bra on underneath, and a pair of white shorts. She was also four inches taller in her cork wedges, with a braided pink trim over her feet.
"There's Chase." Brooke said spotting him in a crowd of people, Haley instinctively walked behind her.
Brooke leaned up against him and kissed his cheek.
"Hey Baby." He said wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Have you seen Damien?" Haley asked, looking around as Brooke grabbed two beers and handed her one.
"He's in the game room."
Haley nodded "I'll catch up with you later Brooke."
She walked through the house that she knew quite well to find her boyfriend just where she was told he was.
She snuck up behind him, put her arms around his waist, and said "Hi stranger"
She noticed him flinch, and then he turned around. "Don't sneak up on me."
"Sorry baby" She said leaning up to kiss him.
"What took you so long?"
"I was with Brooke what do you think?" She joked, but he didn't even smile.
"You spend too much time with her." He said dismissively.
"She's my best friend, c'mon baby loosen up, let's just have fun tonight. I'm sorry okay." She then moved her hand to his chin and pulled it down to have him look at her "I'm sorry"
He sighed and smiled lightly before kissing her.
"C'mon, you need another drink." She said grabbing his hand and leading him through the house
"...And then Bevin just walked away." Brooke said laughing as the two sat perched on the counter in the kitchen.
"No way, she did not say that." Brooke nodded, Haley started laughing as did half the cheer squad who were gathered around them as the guys played beer pong at the kitchen table.
"Ohhh" A bunch of guys call out as Damien sunk another ball into another players cup.
"The assholes here" Brooke whispered as Nathan walked into the kitchen.
He instantly opened the fridge and grabbed a beer before looking around. Haley lifted the bottle opener to hand to him but he shook his head, aligned the bottle with the counter and hit the top. The cap popped off and flew.
"So did you get your dress for homecoming yet Haley?" Theresa asked.
"No Brooke and I were going to go tomorrow."
"We were?" Brooke asked.
"You forgot that we planned to go shopping, that's like your heaven."
"Sorry, sorry it's been a crazy week." She said. "But yes, tomorrow at three we are going dress shopping."
"You need to get something amazing since you and Damien are probably going to be homecoming king and queen."
"No we wont". She blushed.
"Yes you will." Brooke said rolling her eyes.
"Whatever" Haley replied rolling her eyes before a loud cheer erupted.
"Drink up Fede" Damien called out as he won the game, he then walked over and grabbed the beer bottle in Haley's hand, drinking from it. "Come with me."
She laughed and looked at Brooke before being rushed away by Damien and up the stairs.
They began kissing as they stumbled down the hall, but when one of Damien's hands starts fumbling with a doorknob, and the other was finding its way up her shirt. "Damien...Damien, c'mon."
"What?" He muttered.
"Damien, stop it, seriously." She pleaded yet he didn't. She finally got enough energy too push him off of her. "Stop Damien."
"What Haley? Why?"
"You know I want to wait! We have been over this before."
"And I still don't see why, it's so stupid."
"Oh so my morals and values are stupid now?"
"Haley I just scored the winning touch down at a fricken home game, you have now completely ruined my mood!" He yelled pulling at her arm. "Yes, they are stupid."
"You're hurting me!" She said trying to pull her arm away as he dragged her.
"Let's go!"
"Hey, let go of her!" Nathan said walking from the stairwell.
"Or what Scott?" Damien seethed not letting go of Haley.
"This Jackass!" He said raising his fist and punching Damien, knocking him to the ground. "C'mon" He said to Haley putting his hand to her back and leading her down the stairs and out the back door. They walked out and stopped on the porch. "How's the wrist?" He asked putting hands in his pocket.
"Okay I guess." She said looking at it and the bright red mark that covered it. "How's the hand?"
"Fine, I've done worse." He said examining it before putting it back in his pocket. "How's your cut."
"It will be fine in a few days."
"Sorry about this morning by the way...I was an ass."
She simply nodded. "Why did you do that Nathan?" She asked still a tad confused.
"Because no one deserves to be treated like that." He said solemnly looking her in the eyes.
"Thank you."
"Has that ever happened before?"
"No."
"Good...you're better than that Haley...don't let him treat you that way and get away with it."
Before Haley could respond the door swung open and Brooke walked out "Hales what happened, Damien just stormed out."
"We got into a fight. It's nothing."
"Are you sure your okay?"
"It's not a big deal, let's just go back inside okay?"
"Alright" She said confused walking inside knowing she would need to practically bribe Haley for the full story later.
"Here" Haley said walking out onto the beach a half an hour later. She handed Nathan a bag of ice and stood next to him.
"Oh thanks."
"Listen thanks again for that."
"You really don't have to, I didn't do anything special."
"Yeah you did Nathan, if you didn't stop him...who knows what would have happened."
"See I'm not as bad as everyone thinks I am" He said looking out unto the water regretfully.
"Maybe if you showed people this side of you and didn't act like a jackass they wouldn't think that." She said as he solemnly nodded. "Anyway...I need to get out of here." She said shaking her head.
"Oh," Nathan said quietly.
"Do you want to come with me?" She asked barely above a whisper. They both started to walk down the beach.
"How come your leaving so early?"
"I don't really like going to party's, Damien does. And I'm sick of being questioned about what happened, we haven't ever talk and suddenly your my best friend wanting to know my life story, sorry no Theresa."
Nathan laughed "But Theresa is everybody's friend" He said sarcastically.
"She thinks she is at least."
"I heard she fell of the changing table as a baby then got her head wedged under it."
"What?" She asked laughing.
"It's going around." He shrugged.
"That's horrible."
"But it would explain everything."
"Thanks again for doing what you did tonight Nathan."
"Haley, it really was nothing."
"No it wasn't." She said stopping to look up at him "It meant a lot."
"Why do you put up with that?"
"I told you that was the first time something like that happened...where he physically hurt me."
"Not that, all of it. See you had to clarify by saying physical pain, and not pain in general because he has hurt you emotionally before hasn't he? I know what he's like. Why do you do it?"
"Cause I love him"
"Their has to be more than that Haley, how could you fall in love with someone who treated you like that?"
"I don't know, maybe I don't, maybe I do...I just...I guess I loved that someone wanted to be with me, even if it wasn't for the right reasons, he was still there. Texting me, kissing me, going on dates with me...I never had that before. He was my first boyfriend. No one ever wanted me before, no one made me feel like he did. Sometimes he was a good guy and I know he felt the same. Sometimes."
"Wow" Nathan whispered.
"I can't believe I just told you all of that." Haley said putting her hands over her face.
"It's okay."
"I've never told anybody that."
"I won't tell anyone I swear."
"Thanks"
"Now...what are you going to do?"
"What options do I have. I can only think of one thing." She sighed shaking her head.
"Well, I'm always here if you need to talk."
"Thanks Nathan...I really appreciate everything tonight, you're not the guy I thought you were."
"I'm not as bad as people think I am." Nathan restated as Haley shook her head once more, truly realizing.
"Yeah, I'm starting to realize that." She said as he smiled down at her.
"It's about damn time." He muttered jokingly as she laughed.
"What's your favorite color?"
"What?" He asked confused.
"Twenty questions...don't give me that look, what better do we have to do?"
He shrugged laughing "Blue, how about you?"
"Purple"
"What do you want to do after high school?"
"Go to college and be a teacher?"
"Be in the NBA."
"Really?" She asked.
"That surprises you?"
"I don't know...I guess not really."
"I want people to wear jerseys with my name on it." He smiled as Haley saw his eyes light up.
"Alright...favorite food?"
"Prime Rib"
"Mac and cheese"
"What?"
"It's the food of the gods."
"Yeah, if the gods are five year olds" He laughed as she reached over and hit him lightly in the stomach. "How many siblings do you have?"
"Two, I'm the youngest."
Two hours later the pair was seated on the beach laughing and talking. Nathan was lazily drawing the sand.
"Are you kidding?" Haley asked cracking up.
"No" Nathan said laughing "I'm dead serious."
"She really did that?"
"And she was as naked as the day she was born when she did so."
"That's hilarious."
"I told you so." Nathan smirked.
Haley's phone started to ring groaning she picked it up "Hello"
"Haley where are you?" Brooke asked.
"You just realized I was gone?"
"I was...busy"
"Mhmm" She said rolling her eyes "Go ahead to sleep, I'm fine, don't worry about it."
"Are you..."
"Yeah, Brooke I might go home or might come back to Chase's"
"Alright bye."
"Bye" Haley said ending the call. She smiled over at Nathan who started to bury her feet in the sand.
Haley laid down in the sand and let out a content sigh, seeing in the corner of her eyes Nathan run off she leaned up "Where are you going?"
"Lay back down okay."
"Alright..." She said questionably.
Nathan ran back over and started outlining her body with sea shells. When he was done he helped her up and turned her around to look at the outline of her body. "See that, that's the outline of a beautiful girl"
"And I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Haley smiled as he laughed.
"Couldn't of said it better myself Ms. James."
"Walk me home Mr. Scott." She joked linking their arms together.