Chapter 2: I don't believe in love at first sight, but I believe in annoyed at first sight.

It took Haley an hour before she finally admitted to herself that she was lost.

Undoubtedly looking around the school by herself hadn't been her brightest idea. However, after Rachel's welcoming gift she had decided to clear her mind. Unfortunately she couldn't find her way back to the Clementine Building, and had left her phone in her room.

Haley sighed and decided to simply take in her surroundings. She had actually travelled to a portion of the school that wasn't filled with people. This school was literally as big as a small country. She could see a large apple tree amongst the grassy fields, there was a small children's playground that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Why they had that here was beyond her. The only other thing Haley could spot was a basketball court and she breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted someone shooting hoops on the court. Their hood was up so she couldn't see their face, and she started to make her was towards them.

Unfortunately for her as soon as she neared the boy, the basketball he had shot at the hoop bounced off the backboard and hit her in the face. She made a whimper of protest as she got knocked to the ground.

"Holy shit are you okay?" A deep voice asked sounding concerned.

The voice got given a face as someone leant over where Haley was lying down. She blinked away her swimming vision and had to keep herself from freaking out when she recognized the guy from the fight. Nathan Scott. He looked different without being covered in blood. That was probably a good thing.

She lowered her gaze and realised that Nathan was holding out his hand towards her. She ignored his outstretched hand and pushed herself off the ground. "I'm fine." Haley murmured, brushing off her skirt.

Nathan stared in apprehension at the petite golden blonde haired girl in front of him. An unnatural feeling of concern spread through his body. She really wasn't very big, could he was caused her to have a concussion?

"Why are you staring at me?" Haley asked, officially freaked out.

"Are you sure you're okay." Nathan asked again, starting to scan her body for injuries.

"I told you I'm fine." Haley responded, leaning down to pick up the basketball before tossing it back to Nathan with little force.

Nathan caught the ball easily, "I'm Nathan Scott." He held out his hand. Haley glared at it momentarily before he withdrew it.

"Haley James." She responded avoiding his gaze, her head was really starting to hurt.

"Let me take you back to your dorm." Nathan said. He wasn't sure why he was so worried about this girl, he also didn't know why she seemed to dislike him so much.

Haley wanted to argue that she didn't need this delinquent's assistance, but she wasn't an idiot. For starters he probably knew the way to her building and secondly she was terrified she would pass out suddenly and no one would find her until she died and started to rot.

"You look unscratched." She spoke suddenly, "I heard the other guy walked away with a broken nose."

"He deserved it." Nathan responded instantly. So that's where he recognized her from, he had seen her at the fight.

"So Haley I've never seen you around before are you new?" Nathan asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, I've never been to a boarding school before." Haley replied, she still didn't trust this guy but it would be better to talk than an awkward silence.

"Well it's great if you want to get away from your family, that's the reason I signed up." Nathan said truthfully.

"Me too." Haley responded, that really had been the deal breaker for why she had decided to take the scholarship.

Nathan looked at her in surprise when she spoke, but then quickly turned away and started to bounce his basketball as they walked.

Haley almost cried in relief when she spotted another human. They weren't going to be lost forever. However, that feeling of relief quickly diminished when she spotted Rachel walking towards them.

"Oh fuck." Haley breathed. Nathan looked at her in surprise and then followed her line of vision to Rachel's approaching figure.

"Oh fuck." He mimicked.

Luckily she didn't stop to talk to them. She simply winked in Nathan's direction before sending Haley a disgusted glare and continuing.

"You don't like Rachel?" Nathan asked, wondering how she knew her.

"She broke into my bag and cut up my poncho." Haley pouted, still upset about her poncho.

"Seriously?" Nathan questioned. It seemed Rachel would never stop being a bitch.

"I saw her wink at you," Haley said fiddling with her sweater as they walked into the Clementine Building, "Are you two dating?" That would make sense, she thought, they both don't seem like very great people. However, despite having aggression issues and an overinflated ego Nathan didn't seem that bad.

"God no." Nathan responded.

"Not a relationship kind of guy?" Haley questioned.

Nathan grinned, "I'd rather slam my head in a car door."

"Was that an offer?" She replied smugly. Mentally high fiving herself when his jaw dropped open in surprise.

"Well played James." Nathan said, he was actually quite impressed.

Haley smiled slightly, "Well this is me." She stopped outside her closed dorm room.

A look of shock took place on Nathan's features before his lips turned up into a smirk, "I guess I'll be seeing you around then neighbour."

Huh? Haley looked at him in confusion as she watched him walk a few paces to the next door in the corridor and open it. He then turned to wink at her and walked inside.

No way.


"So this is the Dining Hall." Brooke said, as the three girls walked into the exceptionally large building. There were round tables littered across the room and a stage at the end of the room.

Brooke led them over to a table by the window. Like all the other tables it had a white lace tablecloth covering it, elegant silverware and a large flower centrepiece. There were six chairs at the table.

"This school is insane." Haley murmured to herself.

She then noticed that one of the chairs had a small white card on it that read her name.

"Are the tables assigned?" She asked.

"No, we get to request who we sit with." Peyton smiled as she took her seat.

Haley sat down and smoothed out her dress. Apparently they didn't let you into the dining hall unless you wore fancy attire. Brooke had said that the last person who wore normal clothes to dinner was expelled. Haley knew she was exaggerating, but the message was still clear.

"So who are the other three people?" Haley asked. She already knew Nathan was one of them, as she could see the paper card on the placing next to her. She had considered swapping it, but she knew her friends would question her if she did.

"Nathan, who was the guy in the fight." Brooke said.

"Already?" Peyton questioned, Brooke rolled her eyes and nodded her head.

"Then there are Lucas Scott and Jake Jagielski." Peyton said.

"Scott?" Haley questioned, "Are him and Nathan related."

"Half-brothers." Peyton clarified.

"What are they like?" Haley asked, curious to know what the people she would apparently be sharing a table with for the year were like.

"They're both great guys." Brooke said, "Hot too. Especially Lucas."

Haley laughed, "He your boyfriend?"

"Not yet," Brooke replied, "But give it time."

Haley smiled at her friend's confidence and cocked her head in confusion when she saw Peyton staring at her lap as she picked at her black nail polish with her eyebrows knotted together. Peyton looked up and caught Haley staring at her. Peyton immediately smiled, the conflicted expression wiped from her face.

"Hello ladies." A voice filled the air.

"Jagielski." Peyton replied, as he hugged both her and Brooke.

The shaggy brown haired boy took a seat as Haley spotted a tall blonde boy approaching the table. He suddenly leaped forward and grabbed Brooke's shoulders causing her to squeal.

"Luke you prick!" She exclaimed, before throwing her arms around his broad shoulders. She pulled back moments later grinning before Lucas turned and pulled Peyton into tight hug.

"Are you going to introduce us to our new table mate?" Jake asked, smiling kindly at Haley.

"Hello new girl!" Lucas exclaimed, walking around the table and shaking Haley's hand overenthusiastically.

"Guys this the girl I was telling you about in the summer." Brooke said smiling at Haley, "The one I've known practically forever."

"So new girl you got a name?" Lucas asked, as he took a seat.

"Haley James we meet again." A voice Haley immediately recognized filled her ears.

"Nathan…again." Haley replied, "It must be my lucky day." The sarcasm was thick in her tone.

"How's your head." Nathan asked, the worry evident in his voice.

"Fine, no thanks to you." Haley replied, she felt bad for a moment for being so snarky, "I'm fine I swear." She said softer this time.

"You guys know each other?" Brooke asked suddenly, her voice thick with disbelief.

"Yeah he knocked me over with a basketball." Haley said.

Lucas snorted with laughter, "Well played Nate."

"Shut up." Nathan grumbled, glaring at his brother before sitting down.

"Did you get in trouble for the fight?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah I have to clean up my attitude apparently." Nathan responded, "My life sucks."

"Tragically hard." Lucas teased.

"It is." Nathan responded, causing Lucas to stop laughing because he knew it actually was.

Haley chuckled softly causing the table to look at her, "Besides organized sports and getting laid, what do you actually do?"

"The two things you just named are difficult." Nathan smirked.

"I mean all you do is put a ball through hoops." Haley said, tugging one of her blonde curls.

"You can just call it basketball Haley." Nathan quipped.

"I wasn't talking about basketball." She replied quickly. Lucas and Peyton both choked on the water they had been drinking as they started shaking with laughter.

It took him a second before the full meaning of her statement sunk in, "Twice in one day Haley, seems I need to improve my game."

"Alright students settle down please." The exited chatter of the room slowed before coming to a stop.

The man who was now standing up of the stage continued into the microphone, "For the freshman and new students my name is Principal Turner, and I am the head of this fine institute."

"More like institution." Nathan murmured, and Haley had to stifle a laugh at the truth in that statement.

"As I want all of you to rise to the best of your ability, I am going to go over the basic rules for the new students. Firstly, all students must attend school. No hiding out in dorm rooms."

"We almost got away with it." Brooke muttered.

"Curfew is 10pm on weekdays. 12pm on weekends for freshmen and sophomores, and 1am for juniors and seniors."

"Finally upgraded to the 1am status." Lucas said.

"As if you followed it anyway." Peyton chided in return.

"Formal dress attire is compulsory for all students during evening meals." Principal Turner continued. "Remember to sign out on weekends before leaving. And freshmen and sophomores require a note from a parental figure before leaving."

"All students are required to attend Friday night varsity basketball games when they are in our gym."

"Is he allowed to do that?" Haley asked outraged. She was going have to spend three hours cramped up in a gym, every time there was a stupid basketball game.

"And finally no students staying in a student of the opposite genders dorm room overnight." Principal Turner finished, ignoring the booing he was receiving from several people in the audience.

"Damn Haley that ruins our plans for tonight." Nathan joked, the smirk still present on his face.

"What a shame." She responded sarcastically.

"Before I leave you all to eat could I have the captain of the basketball team Nathan Scott onstage to present him with the trophy for coming second in last year's championship game?" Principal Turner asked.

"Damn that's good." Haley said.

"Not good enough." Nathan responded, before standing up and moving over to the stage to receive the trophy. Loud applause filled the room as well as multiple ear piercing whistles.

"Can we also have the students that are new to the sophomore, junior and senior years on stage?" Principal Turner continued.

Haley's blood turned to ice in her veins as she realized that was here, "Shit!" She exclaimed, "I can't do this, I'm a major klutz I'm going to fall on my face."

"You'll be fine," Brooke soothed, "Go now Hales." She pushed her a little towards the stage.

Haley could see a skinny sophomore boy and girl take place on the stage near Principal Turner and Nathan. A busty senior girl walked onto the stage just as Haley neared it. She took a deep face before taking the first two steps leading to the stage. This was working, she was doing great. Just as she thought that she took the final step, her shoe caught on the top of the stair and she tripped and fell directly on her face.

"Shit she jinxed it." Brooke exclaimed in concern from their table, as the air filled with a mixture of gasps and laughs.

Haley lay on the ground in silence for a moment. She made sure she still had all her vital organ before turning over so she was sitting instead of lying. She pushed her hair off her face, just in time to hear a loud cackle fill the air.

"Well looks like the whore walks almost as bad as she looks." Haley recognized Rachel's patronizing voice immediately. The group of girls sitting around her broke into a string of unintelligent giggles.

"Shut the hell up Rachel!" Nathan's voice made everyone who was laughing in the hall stop immediately. She looked up in his direction, damn he looks mad.

She was mad as well. Cool it Haley, you are in front of the entire school. Oh screw it. "Well at least it doesn't look like someone set my face on fire and tried to put it out with a fork."

Rachel's jaw dropped in shock, and her friends were looking between her and Haley with an array of happiness and fear on their faces.

"You going to leave me hanging again?" Nathan asked. Haley looked up and saw he has his hand extended in her direction. She weighed her options for a moment before grabbing Nathan's hand in hers and allowing him to haul her off the ground.

"Okay well on that lovely note, let's eat." Principal Turner took the microphone again. Where the heck was he when Haley was being ripped apart by Rachel?

Nathan jumped off the stage, before taking Haley's hand again and helping her down. That walked back to the table in silence, Nathan glaring at every person who snickered at Haley.

"Just so you know this doesn't make us friends." Haley said, looking up at Nathan.

Nathan grinned at her, "Thank god. I couldn't think of anything worse."

Sure, he was a pompous ass, but looking back on it the truth was, he could have been a complete gentleman and she didn't think it would have made a difference.

So Nathan and Haley properly met! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter!
It means so much that people are enjoying this story.
I've decided that I will be updating this story around this time every week.
If you have any questions, feel free to pm me.

-Rosie