Chapter 1- Only From a Distance

Haley James flipped her absolutely stunning long auburn hair over her shoulder. She took a large relaxing sigh, exhaling, and smiling a little before cracking her knuckles and picking up her pencil. She was in the middle of a chemistry exam, and since chemistry was her best subject she didn't worry about time. Quickly she scribbled in a few answers, before putting her pencil down again, clearly bored.

She was sitting smack dab in the center of the classroom where 30 students were writing their chem mid-term. Among them was Nathan Scott.

He watched her, in admiration as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Even from his spot several rows behind her he could imagine exactly how soft her hair must be. And how beautiful it looked when it cascaded over her bare shoulder. He sighed, Chemistry being his worst subject and put down his pencil. He didn't understand any of it anyway, so it didn't matter much. He watched Haley tilt her head cutely as she looked out the window. Her brown eyes looked content, but mesmerizing. She left her eyes close for a moment before reopening them and returning to her exam. He sighed, perhaps a little too loud, as Lucas Scott, his stepbrother turned around to look and caught him staring at Haley.

Lucas gave a positively completely evil glare at Nathan, and Nathan quickly returned his attention to his exam, and not Lucas's girlfriend.

Haley James was the most popular girl in school, besides for her best friend Brooke Davis. The two of them owned the hallways, controlled the boys, had charge over any girl who wanted to be popular, and got their way with anything they wanted with just a bat of an eyelash, or bending down a little too far in a really short skirt.

Lucas Scott was the most popular guy in school, and it seemed so natural for Haley and Lucas to be a couple. Even though everyone, including Lucas and Haley knew that they cheated on each other on a regular basis.

Nathan was a what Haley would consider a loser. He was on the basketball team... but was the least popular member besides Tim. Nathan had little to no friends, and had never had a proper girlfriend. He basically had his complete asshole of a dad to thank for that. Dan Scott manipulated everyone and everything and had earned Nathan a reputation just by being his blood. Funny though... Lucas seemed untouched by the rumors.. perhaps because he denied any relation to Nathan.

Ever since pre-school, he had said them both having the same last name was a fluke, and people believed him. Especially since he had his mom backing him up, and since Dan denied it as well, Nathan as well as Lucas was an only child.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, Haley was up out of her seat first tossing her paper to the professor and waiting, hands on her perfect hips, head titled to the side, wearing her cheerleading uniform of which she had cut the skirt a little shorter on. She revealed just a bit too much leg, leaning against the wall, waiting for Lucas. Nathan passed her first, and he looked at her and she looked at him, (for the first time ever, I may add) and gave a flirty little smile. Nathan's heart accelerated as he passed her, getting a whiff of her expensive French perfume that smelt like a mix between roses and fresh homemade cookies. He knew it didn't mean much, Haley James flirted with anything that moved. Lucas came by right after Nathan, pushing in front of him, slapping Haley's ass, and pushing her against the wall for a rough kiss before they both laughed and went into the hallway. Nathan frowned sadly as he trailed after them, and watched as every girl squealed and ran up to Haley, gossiping and giggling, and as every guy nodded and Lucas or slapped him on the back.

Nathan sighed. He wanted a life like that. He stood awkwardly in the hallway watching Haley's retreating figure, when he felt a presence behind him.

"Keep dreaming," a voice said. Nathan turned to see Brooke Davis standing behind him, eyebrow cocked mischievously watching him watch Haley, "She's way out of your league, Scott." With that, she proudly walked down the hallway, flipping her hair to the drool of many guys. Her cheerleading skirt even shorter than Haley's, Nathan noticed. (And he wasn't the only one)

"Whoa, Nathan man... check it out..." Tim said to Nathan, mouth open gawking. The Ravens were in the gym for practice after school, as were the cheerleaders. Right now the cheerleaders were stretching... and the boys were enjoying the view. Whitey had gone into his office for a moment, so there was no one there to keep them running as Haley bent over, touching her toes showing off a view of her incredibly racy black lace booty shorts. Haley looked over at Brooke and winked. Brooke's mouth fell as she watched jealously as all the guys stared at Haley's butt and not hers. Smiling, she quickly followed in Haley's footsteps bending over to give Lucas a great view of her cleavage and her hot pink bra. Nathan shook his head as Haley indecently exposed herself.

He cared about this girl, despite the fact she didn't know he existed, and it literally killed him to see her selling herself short like this. Not being able to stand for another second he walked over to Haley, grabbed her sweatshirt that was lying carelessly on the gym sidelines, and quickly used it like a towel, covering her up.

"C'mon guys, nothing to see here," he said sharply. All the other players looked at him shocked. Nathan Scott? Being that close to a cheerleader? Nathan Scott? Telling them what to do?! Haley quickly stood up, feeling a bit slutty, and went completely red. Nathan looked at her... this was the first time he had actually seen Haley James get embarrassed. Haley blew everything off. She looked at him, then looked at Lucas and the other guys who were looking at her expecting her to blow up at Nathan. She bit her lip, then snatched her sweatshirt back.

"Why don't you back the hell away, and mind your own business?!" she snapped, glaring, bitchily flipping her hair over her shoulder, and sauntering over to Brooke who her shook her head at Nathan giving him an "I told you so." look. Nathan looked embarrassed down at the floor.

"Yeah, Nate, you're getting a little too close to my girlfriend for my liking," Lucas said coming over eye level with Nathan, glaring. The rest of the team stood behind Luke for support, except poor misguided Tim who stood looking useless behind Nathan. Nathan sighed...

"Whatever, it's not like you care about her anyways..." he mumbled. Lucas's eyes flashed with anger.

"What was that, Scott? Just because you have my last name doesn't mean your entitled to anything else. ESPECIALLY Haley. Got it? Good, cause next time I see you look at her, I swear I'll..." Lucas threatened but was interrupted as Whitey walked in.

"Be a good sport, and play nice?" Whitey offered, rolling his eyes, "Back down Lucas. All of you whimps, back on the court, we're doing suicides." The boys grumbled, but Nathan and Lucas just gave each other death glares. Haley stood in the background, helpless. She smiled at Lucas like she was on his side.

I mean, she was on his side.. right? Of course I am, she thought. He's my boyfriend. And Nathan is just... Nathan. I mean... what right did he have to do that?! I mean... I'm sure Lucas would've done that... eventually? I mean... why the hell did I even do that to begin with?... I'm such a slut...

Haley looked over at Nathan, who was racing neck and neck with Lucas in suicides, he was even just a teensy bit further ahead, and for some unexplained reason that made her smile.

Nathan respects me, she thought. And that brought on a full outbreak of smile. Never before had Haley had the pleasure of thinking that, because honestly, no boy had ever respected her.

"So Miss James, what the hell was up with that Nathan kid today at practice?" Brooke asked Haley as the two lounged on Brooke's king sized bed in the master suite of her parents oversized mansion. Haley was painting her nails, and Brooke was expertly painting her signature "R" on her face with blue, for the game tonight.

"I dunno..." Haley said vaguely, not really wanting to talk about it. Brooke raised an eyebrow, sensing the skepticism in her voice.

"'I dunno'? Are you kidding me? The Haley I know would have trash talked that little perv all the way to--" Brooke started.

"He's not a perv," Haley defended, "I was acting stupid... he was just being nice." Brooke coughed, and did a pretend gag.

"Please, honey listen. Girls who date 'nice' guys are the girls who hang out under the rain gutters at lunch, picking their noses and wearing flannel plaid lumberjack shirts in June. Girls who date 'popular' guys, get to wear really cute outfits, sit in the only good part of the quad for lunch, and not have the humiliation of going to college a virgin. Got it? Good... now Lucas looked pretty hot in practice, huh?" Brooke asked devilishly, raising an eyebrow, "Think you'll get it on tonight?" Haley sighed, looking in the mirror at her reflection. She looked down at her outrageously short skirt, and the same racy black laced lingerie that peeked out. The fact was Haley was secretly a virgin, but Brooke didn't know that. Lucas had been pressuring her into sex since like the first day of junior year, but Haley held out... and she didn't know why. Maybe it was because she did believe in love, even if she'd never experienced it, or maybe it was just because she was scared. Either way... the fact was Haley knew she was weakening in her strength in abstinence, and she knew Lucas would convince her one day soon, and she was scared of that day.

"So... are you?" Brooke asked again, with a sly little smile.

"I dunno," Haley replied again. She let out a long sigh, knowing that as soon as the game was over, and Lucas had her alone, he would start the suggestions, and wandering hands, and Haley didn't know how much longer she could stand it. As she looked at her lonely reflection once more, she could help but think---

Nathan wouldn't treat me like that.