I'm sorry for such a long wait! But I had alot of requests to continue this fic, so here ya go! If you want me to continue REVIEW! THanks
-Bethie
"You don't have to pick me up. Got a ride. See ya in the morning!-Hales"
Nathan read the text message and didn't give it much thought, every once in awhile Karen would close early and offer Haley a ride home. He sat on his bed, throwing his basketball up in the air and catching it. His mind wandered to the 1st grade, where he first saw Haley James…
"You have a weird nose." The small voice stated matter of factly.
The seven year old boy's head shot up, "What? Well your short."
The dark haired little girl, put her "I Love Lucy" lunch box on the table next to his.
"What show is that? It's black and white!" The boy teased.
"It was my mom's and what do you know anyway."
"Nathan. This is Haley, her family moved all the way from Florida!" The teacher stated a little too enthusiastically, "Why don't you share your book with her until we go down to the library."
Nathan sighed and slightly pushed his book towards her, she frowned, "Basketball's stupid." She huffed noticing the basketballs that covered the first page.
"You're stupid."
Nathan smiled at the memory, from that day on that was how they were. Inseparable and always arguing. Haley had been there for him through the fights with his father. Nathan had been there for her when her parents would disappear for days on end leaving her eldest siblings in charge. Most nights she'd end up at his house and the two would argue over which cartoon to watch.
Nathan looked at the clock, "11:58" he chuckled and grabbed his phone.
"It's your birth minute dork!"
Since Nathan could remember, Haley has had a sick obsession with her birthday. e woHer birthday wasn't until June, but anytime Nathan noticed the time he would text it to her. She would usually respond with a quip about how her birthday was soon even though it could be October.
He waited. Nothing. He closed the phone with a mildly concerned look on his face, "Weird."
The next morning, it was their usual routine; he pulled into her driveway and waited. Though on this particular morning he found himself looking in the mirror more than once and fixing any of his charcoal locks that were out of place.
Oddly enough Haley was on time. She bounced out of the house and into his car.
"What's with you?"
She shrugged not able to remove the smile from her face, "Nothing. Why?"
"You're…giddy."
"I am not!"
"You are too!" He accused, "Haley James is giddy!"
She pulled out a tube of lip-gloss and pulled down the visor to open the mirror.
"And you're putting on lipstick!"
"Gloss." She murmured while her lips were pursed.
"What?"
"It's lip-GLOSS."
There was a moment before he responded, "I don't even know who you are right now."
Her cell-phone beeped, indicating a text message and she immediately grabbed it. He watched her face light up as she responded to whoever was on the other end of the conversation.
Nathan began the journey to school, "Why'd Karen close early last night? Dead at the café'?"
Haley didn't look up from her phone, "Karen didn't close early."
"Who was your ride? Mouth show up?"
"You know I could know other people besides the River Court crew."
Nathan chuckled. This angered Haley.
"I could!"
"Like who! You would actually have to meet new people Haley…and you hate people. Doesn't add up."
"No I don't hate people. I hate you!" She joked.
They pulled into the school parking lot, "So who drove you home?"
Haley growled in frustration as she opened the door, "Does it really matter, jeez!" She got out of the car and slammed the door.
Nathan hurried out of the car, "Haley! Wait, I'm sorry."
Haley slowly turned around with a grin, "I totally got you!"
Nathan immediately stopped and sighed, his head tilted towards the sky in defeat, "I really hate you."
She began to wiggle around, or as she liked to call it the "I win" dance, "I did! I totally got you!" She cutely winked at him, "I gotta go, save me a seat loser."
Nathan shook his head, "One day…I am just going to kill her."
It was just after lunch, Nathan was in his fourth period class. He was lazily looking out the window when he heard her name. Two guys who sat in front of him Damien and Chris, "Haley looked good…I'm telling you."
"Who knew she'd go blonde." Chris commented while pumping fists with his testosterone friend.
Nathan rolled his eyes, although he had to admit it was weird for him to hear stuff like that about Haley. Ever since she came to school with the blonde hair and poncho-less, guys started to notice her. Haley had always been pretty but she stayed in the shadows, where she normally liked to be. Unless it was her birthday, Haley hated being the center of attention, and that was even with her closest friends. Another part of the idiot twin's conversation caught his ear…
"Well she left with some guy last night…."
Nathan's ear's perked.
"…I don't know I saw her at the café where she usually is and all of a sudden she's leaving with some leather jacketed dude."
"Nice! Didn't picture the James' girl to be the type…"
Nathan tuned out the rest of the conversation. All he needed to hear was Haley and "some dude." This wasn't the first time Nathan had to deal with another man in Haley's life. There was Marcus. Marcus Phillips was in love with Haley in the ninth grade, she tutored him and didn't have the mutual feelings. So Nathan played the tough guy card and he eventually left her alone. He remembered feeling obligated, like an older brother to take care of Haley…but news of this guy. The leather jacketed guy. The guy that took Haley home last night left an empty pit in Nathan's stomach…and he didn't know why.
The ride after school was unusually quiet until Haley finally broke the silence, "You ok?"
Nathan looked straight ahead, "Ya. Why?"
"I don't know grumpy, because you haven't said a to me since lunch!"
"Jus-just tired I guess." He cleared his throat, "So I was thinking I'd stay at the Café' with you today…suppose it wouldn't hurt to get some studying in."
Haley pulled out her phone, "Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you. I'm not going to the café today."
Nathan's felt the twinge in his stomach like he had in fourth period, "Hales, you always go to the café, it's…what you do."
"Well things change."
"They certainly do" Nathan mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Haley questioned.
"Nothing."
"No I made plans. Just drop me at my house."
"Movie later?" Nathan asked, trying desperately not to be too obvious. Deep down he knew who she had plans with. The mysterious stranger from the café the whole school seemed to be talking about. In actuality it was only the one conversation, but for Nathan he felt like it was the entire school.
"Sorry. Maybe tomorrow."
Before he knew it, he pulled into the James' residence; she said a quick goodbye and almost sprinted towards her front door. Nathan sat there for awhile watching her open the door and closes the door without even a glance his way.
It had been an hour since Nathan had dropped her off, Haley changed into a black dress, and her hair pulled up into a French bun and wore subtle pearl earrings that her mother had given her. She silently thanked that the James' brood wasn't home. Her brothers and sisters were now away at college and her parents were always out. She now relished in the fact that her parents didn't have to "meet" a guy she went out with. When she had told her mother of her date, she simply said "Use protection" and they were out the door.
As if on queue to relieve her from her thoughts her door bell rang. Haley hurried down the stairs and did a quick look in the mirror before opening the door. He was gorgeous even from behind. His chocolate curls perfectly placed on the top of his head, his leather jacket fitting around him as if it was made for him. He turned around with a smirk, "Hello gorgeous."
Haley blushed, "Hi."
He held out his hand, "Shall we?"
The two walked to his SUV, he opened her door for her before getting in on his side. "You ready to have some fun?"
Haley shyly just nodded. She wasn't used to male attention, especially male attention from someone who looked like him. She found herself staring more often than not, always fearing he would catch her.
He took her to the pier. The trees were lit, giving the atmosphere an even more beautiful feel. For awhile they walked inches apart, then slowly moved closer, until he finally took her hand in his. She shivered a little and he immediately took off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. She was overwhelmed by the scent of him,...he was perfect.
"I feel like I know nothing about you. All I've been doing is talking about me." She found herself finally stating.
He smiled and held her hand tighter, "What do you want to know? I'm an open book."
"Where are you from?"
"New York."
"Why'd you move here?"
"My sister…Pilar, my family wanted a "better education" for her. She's in a private school about an hour from here."
"And you live?"
"In Tree Hill. I'm twenty-four, time to leave the nest…" He knelt down and whispered in her ear, "I'm a sucker for the beach."
His voice was sexy, smooth and caused shivers to flow up and down her spine. She stuttered over her words, "I-ah-the beach…yes the beach is nice."
"Well why don't I take you there sometime…my house…is on the beach."
"Look, Danny…"
He smiled his crooked smile, "Haley, I'm not implying anything except that I like your company."
She blushed again. This time he noticed and stopped walking, he gently turned her face towards him, "You are beautiful. You do know that right?"
She immediately looked to the ground and yet again he made her eyes meet his, "I mean it. You're beautiful."
"I'm also seventeen. Why do you want anything to do with me?"
He looked around until he found a bench close by, he ushered her over and the two sat, "You know what I thought when I first saw you?"
Haley lightly shook her head.
"I was sitting at that café for a good hour until you came in. I watched you, I watched you say hello to nearly every person in the building. I watched the warm smiles they greeted you with in return and I watched you" he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "take out a book.." he brushed another strand behind her other ear, " and read."
"And that to you screams beautiful?"
"Yes. It was…" he took a moment, "refreshing."
"I don't get you Danny Santos. Not even a little bit."
"But I want you too." His voice lowered and his eyes focused on hers. She was unable to look away, nor did she want to and before she knew what was happening his lips were on hers. Haley James was experiencing her first real kiss. The time when her and Nathan were twelve and decided it would be a fun experiment didn't count. This was real. This meant something.
Instinctively Haley's hands wrapped around his neck. She could definitely get used to this.
