A/N: Ok, so I know what you're thinking. She's starting another one? But the truth is— I'm going to be working on it anyway, so I might as well post it.
The Obligatory Disclaimer—I do NOT own One Tree Hill or any of the characters!
And now, Chapter One!
Lydia James sighed. "Nathan Scott James," she scolded, using the nickname she'd adopted for him so long ago. "I can't believe that you won't be home for Christmas. Again."
Nathan laughed from his end of the phone. "I'm sorry, Lyds," he said. "It's a busy time of the year."
"Oh, really?" she said accusingly. Nathan could practically hear her crossing her arms on the other end of the phone. "And just what is it that you have to do?"
"Actually—one of the guys on my team invited me to his place for dinner," he told her.
"You're choosing a teammate over family?" she said in disbelief.
Nathan laughed. "I have to have a meeting with my lawyer to go over some endorsement contracts the day after Christmas."
"Oh, so I get it. Now McDonalds takes precedence over us?"
He laughed again. "I don't even endorse McDonald's," he reminded her.
"Yes, well, see? Your endorsement isn't even that important," she concluded, then sighed. "Craig is really going to miss you this year," she said, referring to her youngest son, Nathan's best friend.
"I'll miss Craig, too," Nathan said. He and Craig had become fast friends when Nathan had joined the varsity basketball team as a freshman. Craig had been the only other freshman that year that had been handpicked by Whitey Durham to join the Ravens varsity basketball team. At the beginning of their senior year, a set of unfortunate circumstances had caused Nathan to end up living with the James family. "But I'll catch up with him when he flies out for in February."
Lydia sighed in resignation. "Well, I guess we're down two. Haley's not coming home, either," she said irritably.
Nathan cleared his throat. "How is Haley?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"Oh, she's fine. But I'll tell you what. That girl keeps me so worried. She's really giving Taylor a run for her money in that department."
"Haley went wild?" Nathan said, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.
Laughter bubbled up Lydia's throat. "Oh, no. If it was that, I'd be OK, but she's just…burying herself in her work again," she said. "But I don't want to bore you with those details."
Bore me with them, Nathan thought desperately.
"Well, I suppose I'll let you get back to your busy life," she said testily. "I hate to keep you. Call us on Christmas day?"
"Wild horses couldn't stop me, Lyds," he told her.
"Good," she said, satisfied for now. "I'll talk to you then. I love you, Honey."
"Thanks," Nathan said, hanging up the phone. He put it back in its cradle and walked into his living room with a fresh bottle of water and a bag of Doritos.
He picked up the remote and hit play. When Lydia had called, he'd been reviewing his performance in the previous nights' game, but as it started up again, his mind wandered to Haley and he wondered how she was doing. He hadn't seen her since he'd graduated from high school, which was the year before she did, and he knew she'd a rough time her junior year. He'd lived with their family for his last year of high school and had been there to witness her struggle. He sighed as he remembered how he'd come to live with the James family.
Nathan ran up the steps to the James house in the pouring rain, the hood on his sweatshirt up to block out as much of it as possible. He rang the doorbell and stood there waiting, blowing on his hands to keep them warm until someone opened the door. It was a cold rain, one he could feel all the way to his bones. Finally, the door flew open, and Craig's younger sister, Haley was standing on the other side of it. She smiled when she saw it was him. "Hey, Nathan," she said.
"Hey," he said breathlessly, as if he'd run there. He had. "Is Craig here?" he asked.
"No, he's out with Mom and Dad," she told him. "They went out to eat. I, of-course, had to stay home because I have a paper due tomorrow."
"Oh, well, can you tell him I stopped by?" Nathan said, turning to go.
She grabbed his arm. "Not so fast, number 23. You're not going back out in this rain. Come on in."
Nathan walked in and he was shivering in his wet clothes. "Why don't you go up to Craig's room and find something dry to put on?" she offered.
He nodded. "Thanks," he said, and after taking off his sneakers, he headed up the stairs.
Haley returned to the kitchen and sat back down at the table. She loved studying in here, because the table was huge and gave her plenty of room to spread out. She looked around for one of her resource books, and when she couldn't find it, she decided the check her room. It was probably in her book bag. She headed up the stairs, and at the sight of Craig's bedroom door, remembered that Nathan was there. She knocked softly, and opened it without waiting for an answer. "Did you find—" Haley stopped midsentence at the sight that greeted her.
"Haley!" Nathan said angrily, turning around so his back was no longer facing her.
She crossed the room in a second. "What the hell happened to you?" she demanded to know.
"It's nothing," he told her, trying to quickly pull the T-shirt he had in his hands over his head. He failed in getting it on soon enough, but he eventually pulled it over his head and down over his chest and back. His muscles ached, so it took him a little longer than usual to get it on.
"That is not nothing, Nathan," she said softly. "I've seen what nothing looks like, and that is not it."
"I'm fine," he assured her.
"Who did this to you?"
"Haley, leave it alone," he said firmly.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Was it your Dad?" she pressed.
He didn't say anything, just looked down. "I gotta go," he said suddenly. "I need to get home."
"Like hell you do!" Haley exploded. "You're not stepping foot in that house again, except to get your things and get the hell out of there!"
"Haley—"
"I'm not kidding, Nathan!" She fled the room, running down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed the phone off its base, and quickly dialed.
"Haley, what are you doing?" Nathan asked tensely, running into the room right behind her.
She held up a finger to shush him. "Daddy? Where are you guys?" she asked. There was silence while her father answered on the other end of the phone. "Can you come home now?" Haley asked, and Nathan was surprised at the pain in her voice. After another short pause, Haley said goodbye. She hung up the phone and turned around to face Nathan
"You shouldn't have done that," he said softly.
"Well, rumor has it I'm not too bright," she told him.
"I haven't heard that one," he said seriously.
"Turn around," she told him.
He sighed in resignation and then did as she requested. She gently lifted up his shirt and he winced when she lightly ran her fingers over one of the swollen bruises. "Does it hurt?" she asked, letting go of his shirt. She didn't know why she asked. Of-course it hurt. But she wanted desperately for him to say that it didn't.
"Like hell," he admitted, turning back around
"Oh, Nathan. How could he do this to you?"
"It's not his fault, Haley. He was drinking," Nathan said, defending his father.
"Don't you dare defend him!" she said angrily. "It is his fault! You don't do this to your kids! You don't…do this to your kids! You just don't!" she said loudly, her eyes filling up with tears.
Nathan grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him. "It's OK," he told her.
She pulled away and choking on a sob, lifted her eyes to his. "Are you kidding?" she asked incredulously. "This is a lot of things, Nathan. But OK isn't one of them."
Nathan had no reply, so instead, they went into the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting for her parents to return.
They did, fifteen minutes later. Two hours after that, all of Nathan's things had been moved into the James' house, where he'd finished out his last year of school.
Nathan pulled himself back to the present and took a deep breath. He stood up, heading for the kitchen. Screw the water. He needed a beer.
777
"Mom," Haley James said, cradling her phone between her chin and shoulder. "There is no way I can come home for Christmas," she lied. "I have way too many papers to correct." This was her mother's fifth call to harass her about not coming home for Christmas. It really was quite amusing.
"That's what you said last year," her mother said, and Haley could practically hear her frowning on the other end of the phone. "Which, really, Honey, is a little bit confusing since papers take up so little room. You could probably fit them in your carry-on."
Haley rolled her eyes, and popped her frozen dinner in the microwave. Oh, how she would love to have one of her mothers homemade Christmas dinners right about now. "I just have a lot to do, and you know how hard it is to concentrate in that house around Christmas time. I mean—Tornado Taylor alone is enough to drive anyone insane." She smiled at the thought of her chaotic sister. To know her was definitely not to love her, but Haley did anyway.
Her mother sighed. "Well, that means Christmas without both you and Nathan again this year," her mother said. "I swear this family is falling apart at the seams."
Haley laughed at her mother's melodrama. "We're not falling apart, Mom. We've just grown up."
"You mean apart?" her mother argued.
Haley sighed. "Book me a flight," she said begrudgingly, before she could change her mind.
She heard her mother squeal on the other end of the phone. "Are you serious?" she asked.
Haley giggled. "Yes, Mom. I'm serious. Book me a flight and…I'll be home for Christmas," she assured her mother.
"For how long?" her mother asked.
"If I could fly in on the 23rd and leave on the 28th, that would be perfect," Haley told her. "That way, I'd still have plenty of time to catch up on things here," she said, referring to her home state of New Hampshire.
"Wonderful! I'm going to hang up now. Before you can change your mind. I'm going to get on my seattop and book you a flight!" Lydia said.
"Your what?" Haley asked, perplexed.
"Oh, I meant laptop, Honey."
"Oh," Haley squeaked. Her mother never ceased to amaze her. She was quite a character. "Well, that's nice. E-mail me the arrangements, and I'll call you to confirm, Mom."
"OK, Honey. I love you," Lydia James told her daughter.
"You, too, Mom. 'Bye."
As soon as they hung up the phone, Lydia James ran into the living room, dancing around excitedly. Her husband sat there grinning as he watched her. He loved watching his wife move around like that. "Jimmy, Haley's coming home for Christmas!" she told him excitedly.