The next morning Brandon called Haley on her cell phone.
"Hey Brandon. What's up? Why did you leave so early last night, and without even saying goodbye?"
"Oh, I just wasn't feeling that great. And you looked busy."
"You feeling better now?"
"Yeah. I feel great. So I was wondering if you wanted to grab some dinner tonight?"
"Of, I'm sorry. I can't. I have plans for today."
"With Nathan?" Brandon asked accusingly.
"Yes, with Nathan. I haven't seen him since Christmas break and he's only home for the summer," Haley explained kind of defensively.
"Well have fun. I guess I'll talk to you later then," he said as he hung up.
Haley just started at her phone for a minute before she hung up and started to get ready for the day.
Later that afternoon Nathan and Haley were just hanging out at the River Court catching up.
"Let's play basketball," Haley said jumping of the picnic table and grabbing the ball that was always kept there.
"You know, I'm kind of sorry I taught you how."
"Only because I'm better at it then you are now."
"You think so, huh?"
"I know so."
"Not that again."
"Sorry if the truth hurts."
"Remind me again who was offered a full ride to any school of their choice on a basketball scholarship?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm on an academic scholarship. What's your point? Just admit it. I am the basketball Goddess."
"Sure you are."
"Yup."
"Well if you are it's only because you had such a great teacher."
"I know. Luke is the best."
"Hey," Nathan yelled out, offended.
"Come on. Get off your lazy ass and come play a game of one on one with me," she says pulling him from the picnic table.
A few hours later they were lying in the middle of the court tired and laughing away.
"Do you remember that party freshman year the seniors threw for me when I joined the varsity basketball team?"
"Yeah, you got so drunk you ended up crashing at my house. Not before you threw up on my shoes though. I loved those shoes," she said with a laugh, pretending to be mad.
"Too bad it wasn't that ugly ass poncho you used to wear," he said.
"Hey! My mom made me that poncho. And you have made your feelings for the poncho perfectly clear."
"Yeah well I'll have you know I can handle my alcohol better know," he said primly.
"Well it wouldn't take much," she joked.
"Hey!" he said defensively as he leaned over and started tickling her.
That's how they were when Brandon walked up to them, Haley lying on her back and Nathan leaning over her tickling her. If they had been paying attention to anything but each other they would have noticed the jealous look in his eyes. They girl beside him however didn't miss it. She was about an inch shorter than Brandon, with long dark brown hair and dark eyes.
"Hey there Hot Shot. You miss me?" the brunette asked, startling the two apart.
When Nathan saw who it was he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey Brooke. Yeah I missed you."
"Of course you did cause I'm the best," Brooke Davis said with a big grin, causing her dimples to show. She wrapped her arms around Nathan to return the hug.
"So what have you two been up to all day?" Brandon asked them suspiciously.
"Oh you know. Drank like sailors, had hot sex, and to finish the day we scored some drugs," Nathan said with a laugh. He laughed even harder when Brandon just glared at him.
"We hung out for a while then played some basketball," Haley said as she hit Nathan on the arm.
"Ouch Hales. What'd you do that for?"
"That was for being a jackass."
"I thought you didn't like to be called Hales," Brandon put it, questioningly. The first and only time he had called her that she had flipped out on him and told him not to call her that again.
"I don't. I just can't get Nathan to stop it, with him being so thick headed and all," she said, sticking her tongue out at Nathan. Secretly she loved it when Nathan called her that and that's why she didn't let anyone else call her it. It was like her name for her. She knew, he knew this too.
"So we were just going to grab some dinner. Why don't you two join us?" Haley said to them.
"Sure. Sounds like fun," Brooke said.
Nathan stood up quickly, pulling Haley up with him before Brandon could help her.
They decided to walk to Karen's Café for dinner, which Nathan's mom was currently running as Karen and Keith were on their honeymoon. Haley and Brandon walked ahead of Brooke and Nathan, not really speaking.
"So what do you think of him?" Brooke asked Nathan.
"I don't know yet. I'm trying to like him for her sake but it's kind of fun pissing him off. What about you?"
"I don't trust him. There's just something off about him. I don't know what it is."
"I kind of get that vibe too. How serious are they?"
"I don't really know. They've been dating for about 4 months but she doesn't really talk about him with me. I think she knows I don't like him. Honestly I think he's way more into her than she is him. Maybe you can talk some sense into her," Brooke said looping her through his.
They caught up to Haley and Brandon who were stopped just outside of the café.
They quickly got a table and spent the rest of the meal joking around and just laughing. By the end of the night Brandon wasn't as jealous of Nathan anymore as he thought there was something going on between Brooke and Nathan.
