Yayy thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you guys are liking the story. So I already have a few chapters written, but I'm only posting them one at a time. Why? Because I love feedback & don't want to post something that no one is reading. So keep reviewing and you'll get updates more quickly! This isn't exactly the party, its leading up to the party though. I didn't want to make this chapter too long.

My Escape

Chapter Three- Long Time Coming

After Christmas with Nathan and his new family, Bevin and Nathan hadn't spoken. Her parents came back into town the next night, and they had their own little Christmas. Of course her parents were set on making her happy after hearing what had happened with her and Skills, but this time no amount of Tiffany's boxes and mall gift cards was going to make her happy again.

It was now December 31st, and all of Bevin's old friends were making their ways back into town. Lucas had arrived the night before, Peyton and Brooke were flying back from California and were suppose to be there by the party tonight. And Rachel, the person who she was looking most forward to seeing was going to be there any minute now.

So when Bevin heard the doorbell ring, she nearly jumped for joy, running to answer it, but it was not the person she expected to see. Instead of her redheaded best friend, she saw Nathan Scott standing there with a present in his hand.

"What are you doing here.." she questioned, looking at the wrapped box in his hand curiously.

"Well, I realized, I never thanked you" he shrugged, "for convincing me to keep going with my dream" he told her.

"You don't have to thank me Nate, what are friends for right? I mean, it would be a real shame if you didn't get to kick Skills' ass on the basketball court" she smirked, "why are you really here?" she asked, figuring a thank you wasn't the entire reason.

"It also occurred to me that i didn't get you anything for Christmas" he said with a slight smile handing her the box.

"What is it?" she questioned opening the door for him to come inside.

"Well Bevin, it's a present" he smiled receiving a dirty look from her.

"well I know that" she glared, "wait here, I have something for you too" she said running upstairs and grabbing the little wrapped box on her nightstand. Okay, so she hadn't actually bought it for him, but she'd now rather him have it than Skills.

Running back down the stairs she jumped off the last steps and skipped back into the living room and handed him the present before grabbing the box he'd brought for her off of the coffee table and ripping the paper nearly to shreds.

"You didn't have to get me anything" Nathan said, unwrapping the present slowly, watching her face light up when she saw what her present was.

"Aww Nathan" she laughed, taking out the little pink cell phone. "Now I don't have to use my house phone anymore" she smiled throwing her arms around him.

"I figured you needed a new one, since the last one is in a million pieces on the Rivercourt" he shrugged, opening up the box that was now unwrapped seeing a very nice, and probably way too expensive Gucci watch that he knew looking at it must have cost her at least 2 grand. His jaw nearly dropped to the ground when he looked at it.

"You like it?" she asked hopefully, smiling a bit.

"Bevin, its amazing.. But I can't accept it" he said trying to give it back to her.

"Okay okay, so I didn't really buy the watch for you.." she tried, "but you have to take it, you've done so much for me this week" she begged, "besides, the girl who went shopping with it for me is a complete bitch, and if she knows I took it back she would totally laugh" she said now pouting.

"Bevin.. This is too much, it must've cost you a fortune" he said trying not to smile at the lengths she was going to just to get him to keep it.

"It was on sale?" she tried, raising her eyebrows.

"Its Gucci, Gucci watches don't go on sale" he laughed shaking his hand, "but if you really want me to keep it I will.." he sighed, how could he say no to a gift, not to mention the watch was beyond amazing..

"Yay!" she squealed again jumping in his arms when another voice filled the room.

"Bevin Mirskey, you little home wrecker" came a slightly amused voice from the doorway, causing both Nathan and Bevin to turn.

"RACHEL!" Bevin once again screamed running and jumping into the arms of her best friend in high school.

"Bevin!" Rachel screamed back, mocking Bevins excitement as she hugged her friend. Letting go after a minute and looking over at Nathan, and back to Bevin. "Whoa, nice going Bev, I couldn't even get him to cheat on Haley.." she smirked watching Bevin and Nathan both start to shaking their heads.

"No no, its not that at all" Bevin laughed, "we were exchanging Christmas presents" she explained, holding up the little pink cell phone.

"Yeah, and I should go, Haley wants us to spend time with James before the party.." he explained, "I'll see you guys later" he said quickly before leaving the Mirskey home.

"Okay, tell me that you guys are lying and there is totally something going on" Rachel begged, "and why did he get you a cell phone?" she questioned scrunching up her eyebrows in confusion.

"Because he saw my last one get thrown up against a tree at the Riverourt" she shrugged, not bothering to go into anymore detail.

"You know you're going to have to explain that a little better, and where the hell is Skills?" she questioned looking around the house.

"oh, he's still at school" she smiled, nodding her head a little angrily.

"Oh.. What did I miss.." the redhead asked sitting on the couch as she watched her friend fiddle with the phone.

"Well, Christmas Eve.. He called.. I heard those slutty cheerleaders in the background, making me realize that they're the reason he wasn't coming home.. I screamed at him, we broke up, then I threw my phone against a tree, and Nathan saw the entire thing" she explained, sitting next to Rachel on the couch.

"Aww Bev I'm sorry" Rachel frowned, not many saw the comforting side of Rachel, but Bevin was one of the few that got to.

Bevin just shrugged some, laying her head on her best friends shoulder.

"You know what, I'm fine" she smiled, "I mean it really hurt, but its kind've been a long time coming right? Things haven't been the same.. And I guess being here made me realize no matter how much we try to force it, things are never going to be like they were in high school, and I kind've think that's a good thing" she smiled watching Rachel nod.

Rachel was one of the few that had gotten to know the real Bevin towards the end of high school, realizing that she wasn't as dumb as everyone thought she was.

"You're right, besides, Nathan is so much cuter.." Rachel teased only to get hit in the arm by her blonde friend.

"There's nothing going on" she said laughing, trying to hide the tears in her eyes, "now come on, I need to look hot for this party, I'm a single girl now" she smiled pulling Rachel off the couch and towards the stairs to get ready for the nights events.

Meanwhile two brothers were talking about recent events at the Rivercourt.

"So she gave you a 2000 dollar watch?" Lucas asked passing the ball back to Nathan.

"Yeahhh" he nodded looking down at the watch on his wrist, "But I mean, I would've felt bad not taking it, she didn't want to take it back so she wouldn't look dumb or something" he saw Lucas crack a smile and gave him a dirty look.

"Sorry.." he mumbled confused over Nathan's sudden protectiveness over the ditzy blonde everyone knew and loved.

"I just can't believe he'd do that to her" he shrugged shooting the ball, "I've never seen anyone look that upset" he sighed watching the ball miss, so he went to sit down on the bench.

"She'll be okay man" Lucas promised sitting next to his brother.

"Who'll be okay?" they head a voice behind them question, and Lucas immediately clench his fists.

"Haley, she's getting over a cold" Lucas said quickly, not wanting the situation to be worse than it already was.

"What are you doing here man?" Nathan asked sternly, trying his best not to deck his old friend in the face.

"I heard about the party" Skills shrugged taking the ball from Luke's hands and shooting it. Lucas just gave Nathan a look, warning him not to get in the middle of other peoples problems, but Nathan already was.

"I bet" he mumbled standing up, "I'm gonna go get ready Luke" he sighed not mention Skills at all as he walked off the court.

Skills however, looked completely confused at what was going on.

"What was his deal?" he asked Lucas, who had been like a brother to him growing up.

"Who knows" he lied, still wondering how Skills, someone who had always had such a good heart, the one who always told him what the right thing to do was, could completely break someone's heart, and not even seem the least bit guilty about it.

As Nathan stormed off the court and walked towards the direction of his house, he wondered why he cared so much. Why was he getting so angry at Skills for hurting her. He didn't get that upset when Lucas cheated on Brooke, he didn't care when Brooke slept with Chris Keller, but somehow the thought of Skills completely breaking this girls heart, a girl he'd known since he was 4, completely pissed him off. Maybe it was because they use to be such good friends, or maybe it was because she was his first kiss, he couldn't tell what it was completely, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

As Nathan pondered his strange new feelings for the bubbly blonde, three other friends were reuniting. Brooke and Peyton had gotten in from LA only a few minutes ago, and they were not at Haley's being completely caught up on everything that had been going on lately.

"Wait, I still don't understand why you're upset Haley" Brooke said, even though Haley had explained it at least 4 times now.

"He brought another girl to Christmas" she said sighing once again.

"But its Bevin" she said giving her a confused look, "I mean, they've been friends since forever"

"I never knew that" Haley told her tilting her head some, "why weren't they friends when I met him?"

"They were" Peyton said jumping into the conversation, "but I mean, he started to spend more time with you, and didn't have time for anything else between you and basketball"

"Don't you remember Junior High?" Brooke asked Haley, "those two were always together"

"He totally wanted her then" Peyton laughed but shut up when she saw the look Haley gave her, "I mean it was a crush, years ago Haley" she added.

"I try to block out most of my Junior High memories with you guys" the once loner girl sighed, "But I do remember seeing them together a lot" she shrugged, "but it hasn't been that way for years, why now?"

"We've all been gone for 6 months, can you honestly tell me that sometimes you don't just want to go back in time when it was just you and Lucas at Karen's, talking about how much you wanted to be us?" Brooke questioned, adding her own little humor to the end.

"I guess" she admitted, "that's how they were? Like me and Lucas?" Haley asked, she had never known any of this about her husband.

"Well kind of.." Peyton said, "they were a little more flirty, like the popular version of you and Luke I guess" she said without realizing how it might effect Haley, she loved Haley, she had become one of her best friends, but Haley was just a little too jealous.

The conversation went on for a little while longer, until they realized it was almost 5, and the party started at 6 and they needed to get ready. But Brooke made Haley promise she would stop being so jealous of Bevin, because in a day they would all be going different ways again, and none of what happened would matter anymore anyways. Haley finally agreed and the three girls went to get ready, hoping that tonight would be a nice, drama free night, since that was so possible in Tree Hill.

NEXT UP!

The party is beginning, and the 5 hour countdown to the new year is filled with lots of drama. But still, our only question is, who will kiss who at midnight?

REVIEW!