A/N: Thanks for the story alerts and reviews! I'm glad so many are excited for this story. It is definitely fun to write. Enjoy and review, thanks :)
Chapter 2: On My Mind
The crowd went crazy once the final buzzer went off. Nathan and the rest of the team huddled at center court. The Blue Devils defeated their North Carolina rivals seventy-eight to seventy-four. The players began to shake hands and Nathan quickly searched for the athletic trainer. The final seconds had felt like an eternity, and he fought the urge to look at the sidelines for her during the rest of the game.
As his eyes scanned the arena he nodded at the North Carolina players who had approached him. He saw their lips moving offering him congratulations, but the cheers echoed in the arena making it difficult to hear the exact words. He simply smiled at the Tar Heel guard and gave him a parting hug. His mind was already far away from the court.
As the court began to clear out Nathan once again turned his focus to the sidelines. He dragged his hand down his face realizing she was nowhere in sight. He jolted from his daze feeling a comforting hand on his shoulder and immediately knew it was not the girl.
"How's your finger?" the dirty blonde eyed the tape. In the midst of final stretch of the game he didn't have a chance to ask his brother. He knew not to worry though because Nathan was very capable of continuing in the game. Besides their motto had been you were good to go as along as there was no blood, and if there were blood put a Band-Aid on it.
"I'll live," he said shrugging his shoulders again lifting his gaze toward the arena bleachers just taking it all in. He cleared the first hurdle in his final season as a Blue Devil. "That was a sweet win." Nathan began walking toward the locker room. He picked up his pace to a jog with his brother by his side.
"Yeah well I wasn't sure you were going to get your mind off of Haley long enough to finish the game," Lucas said as the brothers entered the long corridor.
Nathan smirked and pushed his brother. He knew damn well his big brother would tease him. It had become second nature for Lucas. Then it hit him, how did his brother know the girl's name?
"Good game, Luke," Haley said as she drove pass the brothers in a golf cart heading in the direction of the court. She needed to pick up the water and the other first aid kit they had on the court. She smiled coyly purposefully ignoring the dark-haired Scott. Truthfully she knew Lucas better than Nathan and didn't want to appear to be throwing herself at the younger Scott. The thought alone caused her to roll her eyes. She had never and would never throw herself at a guy. She was far from a Blue Devil groupie.
Lucas laughed hard. He really did try to hold his laughter in, but couldn't. He didn't have to look at his brother to know he was dumbfounded. Over the years he had come to learn little quirks about his brother. One being Nathan easily became miffed when he had no clue what was happening. Nathan could deny it all he wanted, but Lucas knew his brother had some interest in Haley. Hell he practically tripped over his own feet heading back on the court because the auburn-haired girl had preoccupied him.
"Shut it," the younger Scott said pointedly. He continued to walk, but looked over his shoulder not seeing Haley in sight. The girl seemed just as focused as he had been on the court to get back to her work. A part of him wanted her to have stopped giving him a sign that there had been a spark.
"Sorry," he mumbled stifling a laugh. "She only came to your rescue yet she didn't acknowledge you. That has to be a major blow to your ego, bro." Lucas shook his head and his body still shook with laughter as he entered the locker room ahead of his brother.
The raven-haired boy again stared down the corridor. He knew she knew him from what she told him, "We both know nothing is going to stop you from picking up a basketball." Yet she avoided all eye contact with him when she spoke to Lucas. She also didn't take the time to ask how his finger felt.
He nodded as he now began to chuckle. Damn his brother. Lucas was right, it was quite a blow to his ego. He entered the locker room and was told he would be interviewed in about five minutes. He quickly made his way to the shower to clear his head and prepare.
"Mouth, do you mind helping me?" Haley asked as she tried to move the large Gatorade jug onto the back of the cart. She stood up and wiped her brow. She knew the jug was heavy yet she always attempted to lift the stupid container all by herself.
"Sure," he said walking over and grabbing the other end of the water jug. "I thought Mr. Lane was going to get the other student trainers out here."
She shrugged her shoulders. "It's no big deal. What else do I have to do?"
Mouth laughed. "Celebrate." She looked at him from behind her eyelashes as they moved toward the cart. "Come on, Haley James. I know you like a good celebration just like anyone. Besides you were sort of instrumental in the victory tonight."
She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "Really? How so?" She walked over near the scorer's table and picked up the empty water sport bottles.
"Oh don't be so humble. You taped up Nathan's fingers. He probably wouldn't have made that short jump shot left-handed. I saw the way he had to lay the ball in the basket. He had to go for the reverse because he was uncertain about his finger." Mouth noticed her lips grow into a huge grin and the red in her cheeks rose. "See you agree." He picked up some of the crumbled paper cups off the floor lending a hand to the janitors of the arena.
"Stop it, Marvin," she said emphasizing his real name. It never failed the young man lived for teasing her.
"Ouch, not my first name." He held his hand over his heart feigning hurt. "So is that a yes?" He cocked his eyebrow and heard her mutter something under her breath. "What?" he cupped his ear straining to hear.
"I said fine! Fine, I'll celebrate. You think you could put me in the stat book with an assist?" Both students laughed at the suggestion.
The two bantered like brother and sister, which Haley was used to since she was the youngest of seven. Mouth on the other hand had to adjust since he was an only child, but it hadn't taken him long. He quickly discovered Haley's pet peeves and kept them in his back pocket to use against her. Haley had also made the mistake of sharing certain bits of information with him that he managed to use to get arise out her for his own amusement. In return Haley had noted things about Mouth that annoyed him. He too had disclosed to her some of his embarrassing secrets that she playfully reminded him of when the opportunity presented itself.
Nathan exited the locker room with his bag over his shoulder. To celebrate the win over their long-time rivals, the university had scheduled a bonfire on the west campus. Lucas and him were going to make an appearance then head over to their apartment complex where Vegas, their teammate, said he would be throwing a party.
"Is your ego still bruised? I know your finger is," his brother said catching up to him.
"You're not going to let it go, huh?" Nathan stared at his brother and slowly his lips formed a small smile. "The adrenaline got to me, all right?" He said in an effort to play off his reaction to Haley's diss.
He cringed hearing his brother laugh loudly. He should've known better than to say something like that. Lucas made it very difficult to fool him, and he disliked his brother to tease him insistently. What made the situation worse was a reporter had questioned Nathan about how he felt having to sit out a play. Unfortunately, Nathan had been surprised by the question and fumbled for an answer. Lucas kicked him under the table causing him to find his voice and answer the question. However, when the brothers exited the pressroom Lucas cracked a joke — at least what Lucas considered a joke. He told Nathan the reporter wasn't asking about how he felt to be sitting out in the company of a beautiful girl. He still wondered how Lucas knew Haley.
"That's a real pitiful excuse." Lucas pushed Nathan as they exited Cameron arena. "Just admit you were caught off guard by her and I'll let it go."
The younger boy pondered his brother's offer. Lucas and him didn't exactly grow up together. Their father kept them separated, but once Nathan's mother divorced his father she moved out to Tree Hill, North Carolina, and introduced him to Lucas. Since about ten they were inseparable. Unfortunately, Dan, their father, moved to Tree Hill about six years later and tried to form a relationship with both of them, but Nathan and Lucas made a pact not to let Dan back in their lives.
"I'm not admitting anything. Can you once just let it go?" Lucas held his hands up in surrender. He could tell by his brother's hard jawline that he was serious. They had gotten into scuffles before because of his teasing. Both his mother and Nathan's mother grounded them for two weeks after their brawl at midnight madness in high school. Sometimes they just didn't see eye to eye, but at the end of the day both knew they were brothers and both had to stick up for the other.
"Sorry. Let's go celebrate and enjoy the weekend." He swung his arm around his brother's shoulder ushering him toward west campus.
"All right, Mouth this is insane," Haley hugged her body as the cool wind blew. She had forgotten about the cold weather in early February and left her coat at her apartment since the day had been cool enough to walk outside without one.
"You've been out here before during this bonfire," Mouth said scanning the crowd. It would be impossible to find anyone, but he thought he would try to find some of the basketball team.
"I know, but I swear every time it seems bigger." Haley looked over at her friend and began searching the crowd too. "Who are we looking for?" she asked.
"I didn't know if Lucas was out here or Nathan," he said staring at her as he spoke the younger Scott's name. From the end of the bench he noticed their exchange though Haley would never admit it, she had a brief brush with the Nathan Scott, and though he knew her stance on athletes, she couldn't deny what every other girl on campus knew about the raven-haired basketball star. She would be lying if she didn't admit that Nathan Scott had caught her attention. How could he not? He was easy on the eyes and had a killer smirk that always made his eyes twinkle.
Mouth knew the Scott brothers from high school where he had been the Ravens' unofficial broadcaster, so the three of them were close. He had known Lucas since he was seven and three years later met Nathan. It had been difficult to adjust to Nathan's harsh exterior. Immediately, the younger Scott picked on him, but Lucas made it clear to his brother that if they were going to be brothers, Nathan would need to stop being a bully. Nathan eventually found common ground with Mouth and they became friends.
Haley shrugged her shoulders giving up looking for the brothers. She figured a few players would venture out to the bonfire, but wasn't sure if Lucas and Nathan would make an appearance.
"Can't we make our way inside? I heard the party was at Vegas' place tonight. Let's booze it up," she said motioning with her hand she needed a drink.
"We just got here. Let's mingle among the humans for one night." He laughed at her expression. It was true the two of them often ended up at one of the player's parties rather than celebrating among the student body. After being among the team for four years, hanging with the team was second nature for both.
"Fine, but we aren't staying too long. Besides I'm cold." Her teeth slightly chattered if she stood quiet. She tucked her body right beside Mouth wanting some warmth.
"It's February, Haley. What were you thinking not bringing a jacket? You better make sure to return that hoodie or else." She rolled her eyes. She had Mouth grab a grey hoodie from the locker room. She wasn't sure whose it was but it did the job. It kept her semi warm.
As Mouth led them further into the crowd cheers erupted. Both whipped their heads in the direction of the commotion. Then heard the chants of, "Scott, Scott, Scott!"
"I guess we've found Lucas," Haley said as Mouth took her hand pushing them through the crowd toward the cheer. Her and Mouth were being bumped by their peers as they parted the crowd. Her auburn hair fell again in her face and she reached up tucking it behind her ear. She couldn't contain her smile as the image of Nathan doing the same thing flashed through her mind. All right, so it wouldn't be so bad if the crowd were cheering for Nathan. A chance encounter would be ideal. Actually running into Nathan would be serendipitous.