Chapter 1
"This is all of your stuff?" Peyton asked as Lucas lugged in the last of seven suitcases one morning before school.
"Pretty much," Haley replied.
"What about furniture?" Peyton asked.
"The movers aren't here yet," Haley explained.
"Yeah, there was no way I was going to lug all that stuff in on my own," Lucas replied.
"You couldn't have asked Skills, Fergie, Junk and Mouth to give you a hand, Hales?" Peyton asked.
"They are your friends too," Lucas added.
"Why would I when I already hired the movers the day I was kicked out?" Haley asked.
"So you wouldn't have to pay them," Lucas replied.
"My parents covered it," Haley explained.
"I thought they said you needed to pay for things yourself," Lucas said, looking at her strangely.
"They did," Haley said and a mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Then how could they have paid for the movers?" Peyton asked, catching the look on her face.
"I memorized their credit card numbers a few years back," Haley replied.
Peyton started laughing. "Are you kidding?" she asked.
"No, I put it my dad's visa," Haley replied.
"What are you going to say to him when he finds out?" Lucas asked shaking his head fearfully because he knew her father had a temper. "He's going to be furious."
"That he should've thought about that when he sold the house and abandoning me," Haley replied.
"Dude, living with you is going to be so fun!" Peyton exclaimed, raising her hand for a high five.
Karen had said that Haley could move in with her and Lucas but when she found out that Lucas would be moving to the couch instead of having his own room, she had decided to take Peyton up on her offer to move in with her where they could both have their own rooms.
"But I doubt I'll be hearing from him," Haley said.
"It's his money, Hales, he's going to call," Lucas said, nodding.
"That doesn't mean I'll answer," Haley said.
"What?" Lucas asked.
"Oh, she's not talking to her parents," Peyton explained.
"Just because the team is still warming up, does not mean that you have an excuse to show up fifteen minutes late to practice!" Coach Whitey Durham of the Tree Hill Ravens, exploded, glaring at his star player, Nathan Scott, furiously.
"I'm sorry, Whitey," Nathan said.
"Calling me Whitey is enough for a week's worth of detention, Nathan, and you've already got enough problems so watch it," Whitey said.
"Sorry, Coach," Nathan said.
"That's better," Whitey said.
"Uh, can I ask what you meant by enough problems?" Nathan asked, hoping that he was referring to being late for practice.
"Well, aside from the fact that you're not playing in tonight's game because of your tardiness, being disrespectful, you're awfully close to failing both history and math," Whitey said.
Nathan wondered how Whitey knew that when report cards didn't come out until the end of the week. "I am?" He played dumb.
"Yes, you are. All C's and D's, not a single A or B in sight," Whitey replied.
"That's not good," Nathan said.
"No, it's not, and if you don't do something to start changing it, I'll have to pull you from the team," Whitey said.
Nathan looked up at him fearfully. "What can I do?"
Whitey smiled down at him mischievously. "I'm glad you asked," he said.
"Why?" Nathan asked.
"Well, after I saw your grades, I took the liberty of signing you up for the tutoring program," Whitey replied.
Nathan glared at him. "What gave you the right to do that?"
"I simply explained that you were busy in practice and asked me to sign you up for a tutor on your behalf, and I managed to nab the best one in your grade level to help you," Whitey said.
Translation: Whitey had signed him up with the nerdiest seventeen-year-old in all of Tree Hill.
"She's expecting you in the tutoring centre after school today," Whitey said.
"What about practice?" Nathan asked, wondering why the coach had just finished lecturing him about the importance of practicing when he had arranged for him to miss yet another practice the very next day.
"You're not playing in the game tonight so you have nothing to practice for," Whitey replied.
"So what are you up to after school today, Hales?" Lucas Scott asked of his best friend when he heard her lean against the locker in between theirs.
"Tutoring," Haley replied.
Lucas shut his locker door partway so he could see her. "I thought today was your day off." He was pretty sure that Fridays were the only days Haley didn't spend tutoring other students after school.
"Not anymore," she replied frankly. She fidgeted with the strap of her book bag, readjusting it so it didn't choke her anymore. "Some player on your team is close to being ineligible to play so I was retained to tutor him."
"Coach asked you to tutor someone?" Lucas asked, wondering why Whitey would go to so much trouble when it was already mid-semester.
"No, asking me would imply that I had a choice in the matter," Haley replied bitterly. "They acted like I don't have my own homework, my original tutorees' homework and my job at the café to deal with."
"I'm sorry, Hales," Lucas said. "I know you don't like being pulled into school crap like that."
"I don't mind helping him out, Luke, it's the having my hand forced into it that I mind," she replied, finally just dumping her bag on the floor angrily, "and you have nothing to be sorry for."
"What did they threaten you with?" Lucas asked.
Haley's eyes burned bright with anger when she looked up at him to respond. "Well, you know I'm practically a shoo-in for valedictorian next year so that means I'll be awarded the Lewis Scholarship and that is my ticket out of here," she replied, slamming her fist against the locker.
"Yeah, you've been working for that scholarship for years," Lucas replied, nodding.
"Well, Principal Turner warned me that if I didn't tutor this student even though I already have a full load, he'll find me ineligible for the scholarship because I don't show enough school spirit," Haley explained.
"You're kidding," Lucas said.
"He held my entire future over my head, Luke, all because some jock couldn't do his homework for half a semester," Haley fumed.
Lucas stared at her in disbelief. "You're not kidding?" He couldn't believe that Whitey and Turner would stoop that low.
"The nerve of Turner accusing me that I don't have enough school spirit because I didn't volunteer to tutor some over privileged ass who's had everything handed to him on a silver platter," Haley said. "What does he think I do with the other five students I tutor, finger paint?"
"I think he meant that you're not on any teams or any clubs," Lucas replied.
"I'm in the tutoring program," Haley exploded angrily.
"Would it really be that bad to tutor this guy?" Lucas asked.
"For me, yes but it'd apparently do wonders for the Ravens' undefeated season," she replied.
"What if he really needs help?"
"Then he should have asked me himself, not sent the faculty after me with pitchforks."
"I still can't believe that Whitey was a party to that," Lucas said.
"Actually, he wasn't there when Turner threatened me with the scholarship," Haley replied.
"Then he doesn't know the measures Turner used to get you to tutor this guy," Lucas said.
"I guess not, but I doubt he'd care if it means his precious player will be able to play in the games," Haley replied.
"Nah, he would care," Lucas said, shaking his head. "He doesn't give special treatment to his players."
Haley raised her eyebrows at him skeptically. "Then why volunteer this student for tutoring in the first place?" she asked.
"Maybe he just wants the guy to get his grades up so he won't have to kick him off the team," Lucas guessed.
"It's all moot since I'm tutoring him," she remarked.
"What's his name?" Lucas asked.
Haley shrugged. "Beats me but I'll find out in about fifteen minutes," she said, checking her watch.
"Oh, I thought you might want to watch us practice," Lucas said.
"Now you know that if I went to practice, I'd be reading five minutes after I got there," she said, laughing at the notion that she would actually want to watch the basketball team practice. "The games are the gold for me."
"So you're actually coming to Saturday night's game?" Lucas asked.
"If your mom doesn't schedule me to work, yes," she replied.
"But if Mom works then she can't come," Lucas realized.
"It's either your best friend or your mother," Haley said.
"You know, I never thought the fact that you two work together sucked until now," he said.
"Hey, be thankful that your girlfriend is a cheerleader, otherwise she wouldn't set foot into the gym at all," Haley said.
"Speaking of, she's still at practice right now so I'm going to go early so I can watch her," Lucas said, quickly putting his books away.
"What about me?" Haley asked, pointing to her watch to show that she still had ten minutes.
"Go to tutoring early," Lucas suggested.
Haley folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. "Maybe I'll just ditch the session," she said.
Lucas looked at her doubtfully. "You wouldn't dare do that to one of your students even if you are being forced to tutor him, Haley," he said.
"Yeah, I know," she sighed with defeat. "Being me sucks sometimes." Haley retrieved her bag from the floor and swung it back onto her shoulder and clapped Lucas on the shoulder. "See you, Luke."
"Have fun," he called to her retreating form in a singsong voice.
Ten minutes later, Nathan pushed the door to Tree Hill High's tutoring centre open, wondering how he could make Whitey pay for this. If he was going to force him to be tutored, the least he could've done was let him choose which tutor he got.
A cute and book wormy freshman was the best choice. Those girls practically threw themselves at his feet so it wouldn't be difficult to get them to do his homework for him or- if need be- steal a key to the tests from them.
He looked at the sign-in chart on the whiteboard at the front of the class, perfectly aware that a group of girls were ogling him in the back corner; probably wondering what he was doing there.
He found his name at the bottom of the sheet and prepared himself before he looked to see who his tutor was. He used his index finger and ran it across the page horizontally to the name under "tutor" and his brow wrinkled at the name: H. James.
How did he know that name?
"Do you need help with something?" A girl asked him and when he turned around to face her, he knew she was one of the girls from the corner.
"Uh, maybe. I'm looking for my tutor," he replied.
"You're here for tutoring?" Her voice was full of hope, like maybe she could be his tutor or something. She looked at the sheet and sighed. "H. James."
"Yeah, can you point the person out for me?" Nathan looked around the room desperately. He thought he knew everyone at the school, but he didn't recognize even half of the kids in the room.
"Sure, Haley's right over there by the window," the girl replied, pointing to a circular table by a remote window in another corner of the room.
"Thanks, Lisa," he said. He knew her name from her friends giggling in the corner.
Her face brightened. "You're welcome, Nathan," she said as he manoeuvred around her and walked away.
He approached Haley quietly so he wouldn't alert her to his presence. He recognized her now as the girl that had bitched at her mother on the phone for selling their house while she still lived in it the week before.
"Haley?" he asked, saying her name as if they were friends.
She looked up at him after she caught her breath. "That would be me," she said.
"I'm Nathan," he said and extended his hand out so they could shake hands.
Haley stared at his hand and rolled her eyes. "I know who you are but I didn't realize you knew who I was." She put her book down on the table and looked at him expectantly.
"It says there that you're my tutor," he replied, pointing to the whiteboard.
"You're the jock I'm supposed to tutor?" she asked incredulously.
He stared at her. "Excuse me?"
She laughed bitterly. "Well, no wonder Turner threatened me," she said to herself.
"What do you mean, he threatened you?" Nathan asked.
"Oh, like you don't already know," Haley spat disbelievingly.
"I don't," he said honestly.
She studied him closely. "You're sure you don't know about how the principal said that if I didn't tutor you, he'd pass me over for a scholarship I've been working towards forever?" It was obvious by her tone that she didn't believe him.
His jaw dropped. "I had no idea that I was signed up for tutoring until this afternoon when Coach called me into his office," he replied. But he wasn't surprised that the principal had forced her hand.
The Ravens were undefeated and basketball was all that mattered in Tree Hill.
After what seemed an eternity of cold silence, she looked up at him with those hazel eyes of hers. "Are you really in trouble or are you just slacking off?" she asked, her eyes moving to the seat across from her.
He sat down and put his bag on the table. "Why?" he asked.
"Because if you're just slacking off, you don't really need my help and we're both wasting our time," Haley said, taking a small sip of water. "But if you're struggling and have been too busy or scared to ask for help, then I'll tutor you."
"I slack off," he replied slowly.
Haley didn't look the least bit surprised but looked at him expectantly, as if she sensed there was more to the story. "But?"
"But it's not because I'm lazy, it's because I don't understand the material," Nathan explained.
"Okay, I'll help you out," she nodded. She pulled something that was sandwiched between her own books out and handed it to him. "This is a study guide the teacher made for math lessons this week."
He put it down in front of him. "I'm supposed to finish this?" His voice trembled like he was scared that she would find out that he was dumb.
"No, you're supposed to circle what you don't understand," she replied.
He flipped open to the current day's stuff he remembered being on the chalkboard.
"Start at the beginning," Haley said.
"But this is the stuff we covered today," he said, pointing to the sheet with his pencil.
"Yeah but in order to do that, you're going to need to understand yesterday's work and to do that, you're going to need to know the stuff from the day before and so on," she replied, smiling at him as she pointed out a problem that involved some of the lesson from yesterday in the equation.
"Crap," Nathan cursed as he began circling almost everything on the page.
"Take your time," she said gently.
When he was finished, he handed her the work sheet and she looked it over, not emitting any emotions that she might have been feeling whatsoever. When she had finished reading it over, she nodded and tore the thing up.
He stared at her. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking at the work he had just completed.
"Teacher's study guides are so rigid that the tests are more helpful," Haley said.
"So?" he asked.
"I don't use them," Haley replied simply and retrieved a sheet from her own bag. "This is a study guide I made up based on the same work."
He looked it over and noticed that there were more details written on the page, including formulas for certain equations. "And this is what you're going to use to teach me with?"
"Yes," Haley said, standing up and sitting down in the chair right next to him, "One problem at a time."
She started to lay the first problem out in terms that he actually grasped. When she was done, he got to work on the problem and she read her book while she waited for him to finish. He was amazed that she didn't hover over him while he worked.
He handed the sheet to her a few minutes later. "Good job," she said, handing it back to him.
"Its right?" he stared at her in disbelief.
"Yep," she replied.
By the end of the session, they had caught him up to the current day's work.
"Now, just work on today's homework tonight and I'll mark it at lunch if you remember to give it to me," she said.
"Okay," he said, putting the sheet in his bag.
"See you tomorrow, Nathan," she said, standing up and gathering her own things together.
"Thanks, Haley," he said gratefully.
"You're welcome," she said.
Then they both went their separate ways.