Time to Pretend

Author's Note: So this is my first attempt at a story that isn't Brooke centered… It's a Naley/Brucas/Jeyton high school story. Hope you all like it. :)

Summary: AU Story - Haley James is smart, beautiful and talented - but she wasn't exactly what you would call your typical high school student… She was invisible. I know what you're thinking and no this isn't a science fiction story… Haley seemed to only be invisible to members of the opposite sex. Boys didn't even know she existed, especially not the dreamy Nathan Scott - the boy she has been obsessed with since the seventh grade. After a late night slumber party confession Haley and her best friends Brooke and Peyton devise a plan to get all the boys at Tree Hill High School to buckle up and pay attention. Will Haley catch the eye of the most popular boy in school? Read to find out…

Disclaimer: I don't own anything OTH related… If I did the show would have gone a completely different direction. Oh and the title and lyrics are Time to Pretend by MGMT. :)

Chapter One:

Haley looked down at her yearbook from junior year, 'ninety percent of the people that signed this thing are girls.' She sighed to herself, she had always been shy - her mother Lydia reassured her often that she was just a late bloomer but Haley knew better. Whenever she was around members of the opposite sex she felt like she would either faint or throw up at any second, even a dating novice knows guys don't find that attractive. "The only guys that signed my yearbook were Jake and Lucas." She huffed and flung the yearbook across her bed, "And they only signed it because of Brooke and Peyton." Haley sat down on her bed and hugged her soft chenille pillow, 'when will I have a boyfriend of my own?' She wondered to herself. Haley looked up when she heard a knock at the door, "Who is it?"

"It's me you goober," Quinn James said when she opened the door, "Brooke and Peyton are here."

Haley placed the yearbook back on the bookshelf and headed for the door, "Thanks."

"Aren't you girls a little old for sleepovers?" Quinn asked before heading back to her room.

"It's tradition," Haley smiled, "We spend the first weekend of the new school year together and since this is our senior year this is our last back to school slumber party ever before we start our adult lives, you're welcome to join us Quinny if you don't have other plans."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "No thanks. Clay doesn't leave for State until Sunday afternoon. I will be with him all weekend."

Quinn and Clay Evans had been attached at the hip for the last five years. Clay was going to Carolina State in Raleigh and it was going to be an adjustment for the two of them, but Haley was confident they would get through it. 'Their relationship has survived everything else,' she told herself. "Well have fun then." Haley grabbed her poncho and walked towards the front door.

"Haley James what have I told you about that ratty thing?" Brooke glared and gave Haley's outfit a once over, she was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a long sleeve striped shirt underneath.

"Burn it and get bury the ashes?" Haley said with a questioning tone. She loved her knit multicolored poncho, it was the last present she received from Grandma Birdie before she joined Grandpa James in Heaven. If Haley closed her eyes she could still smell the gardenia scented perfume Birdie always favored. "It's cold and it goes with everything, honestly Brooke if I make you one I know that you'd wear it all the time. I'll even splurge on the more expensive yarn."

Haley was trying to get a reaction and she succeeded. Brooke wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "No thank you."

Peyton twirled her car keys around her finger, "So are we grabbing dinner at Karen's before the movie?"

"Yes," Haley smiled "It's-"

"Tradition." Brooke and Peyton finished in unison. All three girls giggled as they headed to Peyton's black comet convertible. The car had belonged to her mother and had been painstakingly restored by her father, no one was allowed to drive it but Peyton - no exceptions.

Fifteen minutes later the girls shuffled inside Karen's cafe and took their seats at the reserved booth in the corner by the front window. Lucas Scott quickly walked over to their table and sat down three tall glasses of ice water, "Hello ladies…" He turned to Brooke, "Pretty girl." He winked at his girlfriend of two years, "So what can I get started for you?"

"Patty melt," Haley responded, "With a side of fruit please."

Peyton ordered next, "Cheeseburger - pink with grilled onions, curly fries and a side of ranch dressing."

Lucas crossed his arms and stretched, "Brooke?"

"Cob salad please broody - extra olives," Brooke smiled up at him, "And we're going to split a chocolate milkshake."

Lucas turned to the kitchen to make sure no one was watching as he leaned over to kiss Brooke's cheek, "I'll have this out in a few minutes. Love you." He stepped back from the booth and turned towards the bar.

"Love you too," Brooke blushed then looked back at Haley and Peyton.

"So how was the first week of school?" Haley asked, "We don't share any classes together this year, I missed you two."

Brooke answered first; per usual, "Well the cheerleading squad is in desperate need of some additional bodies. A full squad is considered ten girls and I currently have six. Most of the routines I worked on over the summer and learned at cheer camp work best with at least eight girls so Bevin and I are thinking of calling an open tryout."

Haley has been friends with Brooke for as long as she can remember, Lydia James and Victoria Davis met during a childbirth class and despite their lack of common interests the two had remained close. "That's too bad B, last year you had nearly a dozen what happened?"

"Mononucleosis," Brooke groaned, "Two of the girls got mono at the end of the summer, so they are out for the season and Bridget Romero moved to Indiana for her dad's new job." Brooke furrowed her brow and scoffed, "I don't want to talk about it anymore, P. Sawyer how goes art class?"

Peyton shrugged as she folded a delicate place-mat into an origami frog, "It's alright I guess. I know it's the first week and all and Mr. Samuels thinks it will look great on my art school applications; but I feel like I know more about watercolor techniques than the teacher." She finished folding the frog and made it hop to Haley.

Haley and Peyton met in the fourth grade when Peyton moved to Tree Hill with her recently widowed father and the triad was complete, the girls have often been referred to as the three amigas ever since. "I'm sorry Peyt."

Peyton grabbed a second paper place-mat and began making origami swans, "It's alright. So how is the tutor center?"

Before Haley could answer Lucas returned with their milkshake, "Thanks Lucas."

"Anytime," he said before hurrying to the booth stuffed with football players crammed on either side of the table.

"The tutor center is great I guess, but I realized something today guys." Haley paused for effect, "I am invisible."

Brooke and Peyton looked at each other and laughed, "What do you mean you're invisible?" Peyton said with a smirk, "I mean we can see you." Peyton extended her arm across the table and pinched Haley's forearm.

"Ouch," Haley said as she rolled her eyes, "Well clearly I am not actually invisible, but aside from you guys no one sees me." Haley looked passed the girls and watched Chris Keller come through the door and take a seat at the counter. "I want guys to notice me," she whispered. Haley looked away before Chris could feel her staring at him. Brooke went to turn around and Haley hissed, "Stop it."

Brooke frowned before pulling a compact from her small clutch purse, she opened the mirror and saw the current object of Haley's attention. "You can do so much better tutor girl, honestly I'm disappointed."

Peyton put her head on Brooke's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the boy in question, "I second that, he dates a lot. He'll go out with anyone that pays him just a touch of interest and he talks about himself in the third person. I mean who does that?"

Haley felt her cheeks burn, "You both only know him in passing so how would either of you know what he's really like." Haley wasn't sure why she was defending Chris's honor, it wasn't like he was a boy she actually wanted to date. She had only ever been interested in one boy and it wasn't Chris Keller.

"Well he is one of Lucas's friends and he rarely leaves a party with the same girl he arrives with," Brooke rolled her eyes at the thought. "Peyton's right he dates around a lot. But who cares about him, I want to get back to this invisible girl business. What happened to Haley James - too cool for high school, too studious for dating and boyfriends?"

Haley dipped her long spoon in the thick milkshake currently residing at the middle of the table, "I don't know I see you two with your boyfriends being all cute and I guess I get jealous sometimes. But I wouldn't know where to begin to get a guy to even notice me; let alone take me on an actual date. I was in the tutor center this morning with Marvin McFadden and he didn't even know my name." Haley sucked the cold chocolate goodness from her spoon and sent herself back for seconds, "We have gone to school together since kindergarten, have had countless classes in common and he doesn't know my name?!" Haley realized too late that the last few words were a little loud and quickly sank further down into the booth.

"So we have to get you on the radar, Davis you got any ideas?" Peyton asked before scooping off a large dollop of whipped cream.

Brooke brought her hands to her cheeks and squnched her nose, "Well before we proceed I am going to need confirmation on which guy we are trying to impress. I mean I have my suspicions and all but we need to know who it is Haley."

"What difference does it make?" Haley asked with an exasperated tone, "Can't we just get me a few dates without there having to be some kind of ulterior motive?"

Brooke narrowed her eyes and giggled, "Fine you want to play hard ball." Brooke plucked the cherry from the top of the drooping shake, "How about we pretend it's Nathan Scott?" Haley tried to appear stunned by Brooke's assumption, "You cannot just go after him, we would need to get you some experience first." Brooke saw Haley's eyes widen at the word experience, "Hey none of that, I just mean getting guys to ask if they can sit with you at lunch or take you to the movies. Then after you have gone on a few dates we can zero in on the guy you are actually interested in."

Haley smiled, "Honestly Brooke there isn't a guy." Haley was lying through her teeth; but she didn't see the point of telling the girls about her schoolgirl crush. At least not here - in public - with all these potential witnesses. Brooke continued, "So what we need is a plan of attack to get you noticed, no more of this 'do I know you?' business. We need everyone to be asking 'who's that girl?', but it has to be subtle."

Lucas returns to their table for the third time and hands them their plates of food, "Anything else I can get for you lovely ladies?"

"No handsome I think we're set." Brooke cooed before sending him on his way. "What if we created a list of activities for you to do in your classes throughout the week? They would start off small like asking for a pencil or verifying a homework assignment? Then maybe you join the cheerleading team or something. I'm sure Peyton and I can come up with a few good options that will grab some positive attention."

Haley didn't like the sound of this, "I don't want to do anything that will get me in trouble or sent to the principal's office. I am just tired of being invisible, I want the boys of Tree Hill to start sitting up and taking notice of Miss Haley Bob James." Haley plopped a grape into her mouth, "And there will be no more talk of me joining the cheerleading squad alright. I refuse to be one of those little bimbos that follow you around all day just waiting for instruction."

Peyton coughed loudly and started to laugh, "I cannot believe that after all this time you think that's all cheerleading is," Brooke pouted. She pushed a few strands of chestnut hair behind her ear and spoke again, "Besides if Frida Kahlo here can join cheer I'm sure that madam smartypants can too."

Haley turned to Peyton, "You JOINED cheer?"

Peyton ignored her for a moment and then looked up from her food like she had just heard her name, "I cheered before high school and B. Davis is one of my best friends and I know she would help me and my art out anyway she could, so I figure this is the least that I could do."

Haley was stunned, "Well I guess I could try it out. If Peyton is going to help I can too." Haley thought for a minute, "But that means I'll have to change my class schedule, I think?"

"Not very much, you should only have to shuffle your tutor center time and ceramics." Brooke furrowed her brow for a moment, "Why are you taking ceramics again?"

"I needed a filler, I really wanted to take photography but it conflicted with the tutor center." Haley frowned before realizing she now had a reason to request the change without seeming persnickety. "But joining cheer means I can drop ceramics and add photography. You do know B that I am a horrible dancer and lack even basic rhythm?"

"All you have to do is learn the routines tutor girl, good rhythm is not required." Brooke grinned ear to ear and clapped her hands together. "I am so excited the three amigas are going to rule the school."

"Simmer down Brooklyn before you give yourself a heart attack," Peyton laughed and Haley joined in. "So how about we skip the movies and go shopping?"

Brooke choked on her salad, "Wait Peyton Sawyer wants to go shopping? What kind of shopping? I've been fooled by you before, picking out new art palettes is NOT shopping."

"I don't know, maybe it's time to update Haley's look." Peyton stared at Haley across the table, "If we're going to get guys at school to notice Haley Bob here we need to be more bohemian, less granny chic."

Haley looked down at her poncho, "I'm still not burning the poncho, understood? It was a gift from-"

"Grandma Birdie" They finished in unison. "We know."

"But maybe some new wardrobe staples are in order?" Brooke added with a dimpled smile, "Now Haley don't be scared we aren't doing like a full on make over that isn't necessary. I mean look at you… you're gorgeous."

"Thanks B." Haley blushed.

"Any time," Brooke grinned again, "We just need to show you a few tricks for highlighting that natural James beauty. I think it will be a great idea to have a make up tutorial, maybe Peyton here will stop wearing so much black shit under her eyes."

Haley and Brooke both laughed as Peyton scowled in their direction, "I don't need this from either of you. Let's not forget we drove in my car."

"Oh Peyt," Haley started, "Don't be like that. You know we love you."

"Is it supposed to burn?" Haley questioned as she went to rub her cheek.

"That means it's working." Brooke said matter of factly, "We need to keep them on until it hardens, then we rinse it off with warm water."

Haley watched as Brooke sat with her legs crossed on the carpet, applying the face mask to Peyton's pale face. She looked over at her closet and admired the five new outfits and miscellaneous accessories that Peyton and Brooke insisted she could wear with multiple items in her closet. The night was still young and she was exhausted, after dinner the girls had headed to the mall for shopping and an eye makeup lesson. Haley had selected a minimalist eye application that seemed far too complicated to call itself natural, Peyton surprised no one when she asked about charcoal shadows and Brooke channeled her inner Cleopatra and mastered a retro cat eye technique. "Well fingers crossed my skin isn't going to have melted off my face by then."

The girls all laughed, when the noise died down Peyton said, "So who's the guy?"

Haley was suddenly grateful for the face mask as it was concealing her now flushed cheeks, "I told you before there is no guy. I just would like to be noticed."

"We heard that earlier," Brooke replied, "But the question we need answered is who. Who do you want to notice you Haley James?"

Haley shrugged, "Really there is no one in particular," she lied.

"Uh huh," Brooke nodded, "So if I told you I could guarantee that Nathan Scott will notice you before the homecoming dance that wouldn't be something you would be interested in knowing?"

Haley threw her arms in the air with a whelp, "Is it really that obvious that I like him?"

"No," Peyton interjected, "We just know you better than most people."

"So now that you know we can just focus on Nathan right?" Haley wondered.

"Nope, Nathan Scott is not your average Tree Hill jock; tutor girl," Brooke stood up from the floor, "He's smart and funny and particular. Since Lucas and I have been together he's gone out on a lot of dates, but he's only had one girlfriend that I can recall and even that didn't last very long."

"I see," Haley fidgeted with her nails, "So you don't think I am his type then?"

"That is NOT what I said, I overheard him telling Lucas before school started that he wasn't going to date anyone this year. He wants to focus on basketball and getting accepted to Duke like Dan has always wanted for him. So all I was saying is Nathan is used to being pursued, it's time he puts that charm of his to good use." Brooke smiled, "So if we get you noticed for being your already wonderful self Nathan will be clamoring to take you out."

Haley felt her stomach flutter at the thought of going on an actual date with Nathan Scott, the boy she has been obsessed with since seventh grade. She decided right here and now that she would lean on her friends and their wealth of dating knowledge to see what happens, "Alright my amigas where do we start?"

So... What do you all think? Should I continue? Should I scrap it? Please review and let me know your opinion - all reviews are appreciated. :)

In addition to this story I am working on the next chapter of We Built This City with April, a second chapter to The Scientist and something new for the lovely Diane... So stay tuned.

Thanks!

-Krystal