A/N: It came to my attention that my other OTH story was of an odd similarity to that of another personís, so even if this was a pure coincidence I am planning on doing the honorable thing and not continuing it. I doubt that this is similar to any other, but if it is: then Iím sorry and I didnít mean to.
I think thisíll be different from most other stuff. Itís kinda been swirling my mind for a while and thatís pretty much the direction in which this will take place. I donít think it actually has a purpose, except for me to slack off on other things... summer reading list for one, but anyways FYI this installment has very little to do with the cast of One Tree Hill weíre just kind of introducing the new characters in order to develop them.
It was an exciting game of two on two basketball at the court. The three boys and one girl were really putting out their skills. The little boy, of about nine, sat on the sides and was staring, almost star struck, watching the ëbig kidsí play.
ìWOW! Lena that quickaway of yours is just like...î
ìLike Iversonís I know.î The girl responded proud of her move that had just won her team the game.
ìI know one day youíll go pro and then Iíll be your biggest fan.î The little boy grinned at her.
ìYo, shut up Darren!î One of the boys on the losing team said.
ìHey Dash, calm down. Darrenís just telling it like it is.î She replied standing up for the child.
ìYeah Dashell. Just telling it like it is.î Darren said gaining his confidence. Dash came scarily close to Darren looking like he was about to hit the smaller child when another boy shouted-
ìYOU SKANKY GIRL WHAT THE HELL YOU DOINí HERE IN THE CITY, YOUR MOMMA KNOW WHERE YOU ARE!î
ìDude what the hell?î Lena replied, not going to let this guy get her down. She was used to this guy, always being a major ass.
ìYA KNOW I REALLY DONíT UNDERSTAND YOU PEOPLE, WHAT YOU TRYINí TO BE AS GOOD AS US AT BALL OR SOMETHINí?î
ìReally Q what donít you get, the fact that Iím better than you?î She asked meeting up with him. Lena tried to look into his eyes, but couldnít because he was easily a good six inches taller than her.
ìYeah really. Me and my boys could take you with our eyes closed.î The girl hesitated and turned to her friends.
ìLena, you donít have to.î One of her friends said knowing what she was thinking.
ìNo, Kenyon I will. But itís gonna just be me and you. What we playiní for?î She said pushing the guy standing in front of her.
ìFine, weíll play one on one, but itíll be your loss and just because I know youíll lose, Iíll put up my five tickets to see the Knicks play the Spurs tonight at Madison Square Garden.î The boy said taking them out of his pocket and showing them to her.
ìOkay!î Lena was excited, she loved the Spurs, they were her home town team, back when she was still living in San Antonino. Her Uncle Tony took her to the finals when the Spurs won the pennant with Manu Ginobelli and Tim Duncan. She loved that team! ìGame to fifteen by ones, win by one. Since Iím in a good mood, you can start with the ball.î Lena said throwing him the ball.
The game was fourteen thirteen Lena and Q had the ball. Q faked right, went left with a reverse pivot to shake off Lena and was able to put it in with a two handed double pump underhand lay up. She had got the ball at the top and Q was guarding her tight.
ìQUICKAWAY QUICKAWAY!î Darren shouted. She smirked at him and then went left to shag Q and pulled up for the jump shot. That heavenly noise reminded her why she loved the game of basketball and the fact that she had just won her and her four friends tickets to see her beloved Spurs play the worst team in the league, the Knicks. SWISH! She had won 15-14.
ìSorry man, I guess itíll be us at that game tonight.î She smirked at Q and stretched out her hand waiting to see the beloved tickets before meeting up with her friends.
ìNice game.î Zach said.
ìYeah way to take him.î The three guys were praising her for the victory.
ìLena, your quickaway is just amazing. Could you teach it to me?î Darren piped in quietly.
ìYeah sure, itís not that hard. Itís all about your footwork and getting low.î Lena said, showing him the steps in slow motion.
ìSo, whenís this game weíre going to?î Kenyon said.
ìWho said you were gonna get to go, Kenny?î Lena said with her infamous smirk.
ìUm.. I did. Thereís five of us and five tickets, you donít really have any other friends I mean all you ever do is play basketball with us.î Kenny replied with the same smirk.
ìWell you thought wrong.î Lena said, amazed that he was actually standing up to her ruling, even though she was only joking.
ìWell then, who is going with you. I mean I guess Spalding can have my ticket, but these three guys can go with you two also.î Kenyon now had a full grin on his face, knowing that he had totally gotten Lena on this one.
ìWho?î Kenyon grabbed the basketball and turned it so that the word ëSpaldingí was facing up pointing at Lena.
ìOkay, okay. You got me. Letís go now, the game starts in an hour we gotta hitch a ride on the Subway, so who wants to pay?î The five of them dug in their pockets for Subway fare, they found two used up subway tickets and just enough change to pay for two adults and one child, plus Dashís phone card, with enough minutes for four phone calls home to be made, explaining their plan to their parents.
ìWhy do I have to be the child?î Darren asked his older brother, of whom he was being carried by as the entered the Subway station.
ìBecause your the youngest. Now hush up, crouch your legs and pretend to be asleep.î Dashell admonished the small boy who was now fake sleeping and sucking his thumb. All in all, it took the five of them a good fifteen minutes to get their tickets set and to wait for the next train to come into the station. During this time the five of them called home informing their parents where they were going to be.
ìHola, Mama? Oh sorry Kiery. Can I talk to mom please? Hola Mama. Voy al partido del baloncesto en este noche con mis amigos y no estoy en la casa en la noche para cena. Lo siento. Si tengo dinero. Hablara con ud. despues del partido. Adios!î Lena spoke very quickly and in a perfect accent that shocked her friends. ìWhat?î
ìSorry, I didnít know you spoke Spanish.î Zach said, still marveling in the fluency of his friend.
ìYeah, Iím only the second bilingual person in my family.î Lena said trying not to show off too much pride in this fact. ìMy mom knows a lot of English, but itís just easier to talk to her in Spanish, and my sister needs to speak more English so we have to speak in English to her.
ìIs your sister bilingual?î Zach asked wanting to know more about this new concept.
ìNot yet. My Uncle Tony is. He really worked hard to learn English on his own and then went to college to get his degree and now heís a teacher. He taught me English back in San Antonio. Thatís his job- heís an ESL teacher at the public school down there. His program gets kids to be fluent by fifth grade. Itís really impressive.î Lena said showing an obvious adoration for her uncle.
ìOh.î Zach said and left it at that, he was still curious, you could tell by his face, but didnít want to ask any questions that would be awkward on Lena, so the five of them sat silently waiting for the train to come.
ìLena Scott, that was some damn good acting on your part.î Dash complimented her after they entered the stopped train and had taken their seats.
ìThank you, thank you.î She took a fake bow and was basking in the glory of saving their chance of getting to the game. The ticket lady didnít believe that Darren was under seven, but some quick thinking on Lenaís part, giving her the birth date of her five year old sister and saying that he was just big for his age, because he drank a lot of milk.
ìOkay nice acting, now you can get off me.î Dashell said nudging his little brother with his elbow. Unfortunately, all that quiet time and thumb sucking had actually allowed for Darren to fall asleep in his brotherís arms.
ìDash, stop. Just let him sleep, weíre going to be out late tonight, he needs all the rest he can get.î Zach said partially because even though Dash knew his brother was practically comatose, he was still trying to wake him up with his elbow and partially because Dash was really bugging him with all that fidgeting.
ìLena where we sitting?î Kenyon asked casually moving closer to her to avoid the embarrassment of his two fighting immature friends.
ìUm.. lemme check.î She said getting the tickets out of her coat pocket.
ìWhoa, heís got to be kidding, check these out. Section 18. Thatís sweet! Right behind the home team bench row one.î Kenyon was ecstatic these seats were possibly some the best seats you could come by.
ìYeah if you like the Knicks! Dude the Knicks are like the worst team in the league, the Knicks suck the only people who like the Knicks are those crazy avid fans and their wives.î Lena shouted with an obvious distaste for the home team Knicks.
ìDUDE THE KNICKS RULE! WHOOO!î A man sitting behind them in the Subway butted into their conversation. Lena turned around to see the man who made such comment she had to force herself to stifle her laughter. He was the epitomizing super fan. The man was decked out in a Knicks tee-shirt, Knicks jersey, two foam thumbs, beaded necklaces in the Knicks colors, the works.
ìUhh... yeah. If thatís your thing.î Lena said with a look of astonishment that this man would willingly go out in public dressed like this, talk about needing to be on What Not to Wear. Zach and Dashell turned around to see who she had addressed and laughed inwardly to themselves, they knew of Lenaís extreme LOVE of the Knicks. Yeah right.
ACROSS TOWN IN MANHATTAN Haley James- soon to be Scott rolled out of the bed she shared with her fiancé, Nathan Scott, three time NBA All-Star and star of the New York Knicks. ìOkay, Nate, baby time to get up.î
ìBaby, Haywee, I wanna baby.î Nathan said with a pleading look that just screamed at his fiancé ëlet me impregnate you!í
ìWeíll see what you can do about that later mister, but right now you have to shower and get dressed, get to the Garden, shoot the lights out of the gym and then after your victory weíll see about us having a baby, baby.î Haley explained pointing directions to the bathroom, closet and in the direction of the front door, as though she was planning on marrying a three year old, instead of a twenty nine year old.
ìOtay.î Nathan said, playing along with her explanations. ìHey youíre coming to the game right?î
ìYeah. Section 18, row one, seat one just like always.î Haley said giving off the seat information as if she had had this seat reserved for her since the Knicks had been a basketball team.
ìGood, weíll go out to eat after and then we can head back here, all right?î He said giving her infamous sex smirk, that had always worked on everyone, well except for two people: one of which was the woman he was giving it to at this moment and the other one he hadnít seen in thirteen years, so in his opinion Haley was the only girl who could refuse his smirk.
ìI guess. I have an interview tomorrow morning with Seventeen and itís pretty early, I donít know how late I can stay out.î Haley said knowing the interview wasnít until noon and also knowing how upset Nathan would pretend to be if she tried to refuse sex because of his smirk.
ìSorry baby, I know that interview is at noon, so weíve got plenty of time to work on those baby plans.î Nathan said reaching towards Haley to pull her into a hug, but she dodged him, knowing that she could anger him more by not playing along with him. ìHey Haley, come back here!î Nathan said starting to chase her around the apartment.
ìNo, not until youíre out of the shower and I see your cute little butt in that cute little clean suit that came back from the cleaners today. Then you have to get your basketball stuff together and go to the game. I wonít hug you until your game is over.î Haley said in total and complete seriousness.
ìBut, but.î
ìNo butts Natey.î Haley said crossing her arms across her chest.
ìBut I like your butt.î Nathan smirked, however, seeing Haleyís stern face, he realized the joke was over and he seriously needed to ëvisualizeí and ëprepareí for the game. After a fast shower and decided amongst the numerous suits in his walk-in closet to put on for the short ride over to Madison Square Garden before he would put on his famous number 23. In the same time, Haley had picked out a pair of ëdistressedí Seven jeans and a white cable knit sweater. She was just pulling on a pair of short caramel colored UGG boots when Nathan came into the front hall looking very smart in his neatly pressed suit.
ìHey baby, you look very sexy in that suit.î Haley said pulling on his tie, so that he was intoxicatingly close to her. ìGood luck in your game tonight.î She said as she pulled him into a world stopping kiss.
ìMmmm. I love you Hales. See you later.î Nathan said kissing her one last time.
ìI love you too. See you tonight.î Nathan grabbed his gym bag and turned to walk out the door. Haley smiled, she loved the relationship that she had with Nathan. It had always been playful and childish, but then there were times when it was just so insanely intense. She had met Nathan at a New Years Eve party two years ago. They had been introduced on a blind date by Lucas, a very close friend of Haleyís and Nathanís brother. The two had hit it off right away and over the next three weeks they had seen each other five times. It had been hard to work spending time together and their two very different schedules. Nathan had practice everyday and had two practices every other day,with the exception of game days when he just had shoot around. Haley had been especially busy towards the beginning of the year two years ago with the release of her first album, it was later than expected, but it ended up doing better than she had hoped. Right now the Knicks were pushing for their second playoff birth, while Haley was out doing some promotional work on her newest album so their time together was sort of strained.
AN HOUR LATER AT the game Haley had arrived early to watch Nathan warm up with his team at about the same time as Lena, Dash, Darren, Kenyon and Zach.
ìDude Lena, these seats are incredible!î Darren said.
ìMaybe this will teach Q to leave us alone.î Lena smirked.
ìMan I hope so.î Zach said.
ìYeah, why does he always give you such a hard time?î Dashell asked.
ìI donít know, but whatever. We all know now that Iím a better ball player.î Lena said.
ìWe all knew that already.î Kenyon smiled at Lena.
ìHi, Iím Haley James, you kids donít usually sit here do you?î A woman sitting next to Lena said.
ìUh.. no. I played this guy in basketball for these tickets. Thatís Dashell and Darren, theyíre brothers and Kenyon Marques and Zach Wright, and Iím Lena, Lena Scott.î