Nathan admittedly lingers in the parking lot a little bit on Monday morning, hoping to see Peyton, but after a few minutes, he heads inside with his coffee in his hand (yes, he may have gone to the Starbucks that morning in case she'd be there, too) and goes to his locker.
To his surprise, she's already there.
She's got one leg bent and her back to her locker, and she smiles when she sees him walking down the hall.
"Hey," she says.
She doesn't move, even though he can just barely open his locker with her standing so close, and he brushes her arm with his hand because it's easy to do and she doesn't seem to mind.
"How was the slumber party?" he asks with a smirk, tossing his books onto the shelf.
"Not at all like you think it was," she says with a raised eyebrow, turning to look at him and leaning against the wall on her shoulder.
"Well, don't ruin it for me, OK?" he says, and she laughs and shakes her head.
"Come on," she says. "I'll let you walk me to class."
"But you're in the art hall this period," he points out.
But he's already walking with her.
"And you have a free period," she tells him. "Wait, what are you even doing here right now, then? You should be sleeping in or something."
"I'm gonna hit the weight room for a bit," he says. He reaches out and bumps fists with one of the guys on the team, and she's reminded again just how much of a jock he really is.
"Because you're so out of shape?" she says, eyeing his torso. He just laughs softly and shakes his head.
"Well...maybe I just wanted to see you," he says softly, looking over at her. Their eyes lock as they make their way down the hall, and he tugs her towards him when she's about to bump into someone.
She can't find the words to say the entire rest of the walk to her class, and she's acutely aware that she can still feel the spot on her arm, just above the elbow, where he gripped her and pulled her towards him.
"This is me," she says softly, pointing to the classroom door to their right.
"OK. I'll see you in Calc," he says with a smile. He's drawing stares for being in the art hallway when everyone now knows he's Nathan Scott.
"Get out of here before someone asks you for an autograph," she says sarcastically, and he winks at her just before they go their separate ways.
He's walking back down the hall and towards the locker room when he looks to his side and sees a pretty brunette with a red headband in her hair walking next to him.
"You're Peyton's friend, right?" he asks needlessly. He knows she is. He just doesn't know which one she is.
"Ginny," she says, holding out her hand, which he shakes. "Nice to meet you."
"You too," he says. "Oh! Happy birthday."
"Thanks," she says sincerely. She didn't see that coming. "You busy?"
"No. I mean, not really," he says with a shrug of his shoulders. He doesn't know why he's nervous, but he is. He's worried about what this girl's going to say to him, and he's even more worried that it'll be a warning to stay away from Peyton.
And that's pretty much the last thing he wants to do at this point.
"Let's chat," she says, and he has to laugh when she links her arm through his and leans him towards the heavy oak door and onto the quad.
He buys her a latté from the coffee cart, and she makes a mental note to share that with the girls. She just wants to find out just how sweet Nathan Scott really is. And also if maybe he's sweet because he knows it'll give him what he wants from girls. If he's a player, Peyton deserves to know right away so she won't waste her time. And if a best friend isn't going to figure all that out, who will?
"I've seen you around, so I knew we had spare together," she says by way of explanation as they take a seat on one of the benches.
"Yeah, I've seen you, too," he says with a smile. "Peyton just hasn't introduced me, even though I've asked."
"She's keeping you all to herself," Ginny says, laughing when she notices the tips of his ears turn red. OK. That's sign number one that he's actually got feelings for Peyton. "The other girls have like, crazy schedules. I mean, what senior actually chooses not to have a free period?"
"Sounds insane to me," he says. She nods her head and takes a sip of her drink. She thinks she's going to cut through the small talk and get some info.
"OK, so Nathan," she starts, turning her body to his. "Tell me about your old school."
"Not much to know," he says with a shrug. He notes that her eyes are the same colour as Brooke's, and makes a note to text his old friend later to say hey. "Pretty much just a small town public school with a kick ass ball team and a whole lot of drama."
"Drama like what?" she asks, leaning forward and waiting for the gossip.
"Like half-brothers and family dysfunction. Substance abuse and teen fatherhood - not for me, but...yeah. And lots of lies and just...a lot of stuff," he finishes with a laugh.
He didn't mention teen marriage, and he's not sure why, but he figures that if anyone should hear that, it's Peyton. But then, he's treating her like she's a girl he's going to date, and he has no real idea what she's thinking about him.
"Sounds juicy," she says.
"OK, you're way too much like my friend Brooke," he laughs.
"Well, she sounds awesome," Ginny says, and he just chuckles again because that's exactly what Brooke would say. "So I just wanted to talk to you, because, well, we haven't yet. And honestly, you need to expand your horizons."
"Is that right?" he asks, turning to look at her.
"Yup. You can't just roll with the jocks and with Peyton," she informs him. "You need some of the cool science kids as friends, too."
"See, at my old school - no offense - but there was no such thing as 'cool science kids'," he tells her, and it's her turn to laugh.
"And that is the beauty of Oak Lake," she says. "Science kids can be cheerleaders and it's not totally out of character. I mean, Catherine grew up in New York City. She's like, the most stylish, eco-friendly, against-animal-testing, 'green' advocate in the world." She pauses to take a sip of her latté. "She's also a bit of a prude, but we don't hold it against her."
Oh, yes. This girl is Brooke's carbon copy.
"What about...Claire, is it?" he asks timidly, showing remorse at forgetting the name.
"Yeah," she says with a smile. Her opinion of him is quickly changing. "She and Peyton grew up together. Well, the three of us did, but those two even more. Their mom's were like, best friends. She's like, really into molecular biology and stuff, but she's awesome. She's hilarious, but in a quiet kind of way, you know? Like she'll just be sitting there and you think she's not even paying attention, then she'll like, cut you with a one-liner."
"Sounds...Actually, it doesn't surprise me at all that you four are like, inseparable." He takes a sip of his coffee while Ginny laughs. "But what about you?"
"I'm a physics...I'd say specialist if that didn't make me sound like a 50 year old man with tweed elbow patches," she laughs. "Don't tell them, but I'm totally the glue that holds the group together."
"I wouldn't doubt it," he says with a smile.
"So, you have a thing for her, huh?" Ginny asks bluntly.
"What?" he asks, almost spitting out his coffee. He doesn't need to ask who Ginny's referring to.
"Oh, please," she scoffs. "Guys don't spend that much time with girls unless they're trying to...well, guys just don't spend that much time with girls."
"I..."
"You like her," Ginny says with a shrug. "It's cool. Actually, you seem like a decent guy, and she could use that."
"Well, I'm..."
"Peyton's a flirt, but I'm sure you already know that. And she's not a tease, but she gets scared easy," she presses on. "So...don't give up on her if you have to work a little. I'm sure you're not used to it."
"Work?" he asks. Clearly, this girl doesn't know his past. "I've put in my time."
"Doubt it," she mutters. "Anyway, just...let her do her thing."
"I was planning on it," he says with a smile. "Peyton's...awesome."
"I know, right?" She stands from her place and Nathan follows, and they start back towards the door. "Plus, she's definitely cute."
"Cute?" he scoffs. "No. She's...she's not cute."
"Well, what is she, then?" Ginny asks with a raised eyebrow and a barely contained grin.
"She's what we guys call...hot," he says confidently, pulling the door open and holding it for Ginny. "Or sexy. Or just...amazing." He pauses and winces when he remembers who he's talking to. "You're gonna tell her I said all that, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter," she laughs. "You've already told her, yourself."
He just chuckles to himself, because it's obvious Peyton talked about him at her 'slumber party', just as he'd predicted.
"Well, I've actually gotta go and do some work," she says. "But it was great talking to you."
"Yeah. You too, Ginny," he says with a smile. "See you around."
She waves and heads down the hall toward the library, and he just shakes his head and makes his way to the locker room, tossing his coffee in the garbage can as he walks. Ginny seemed cool, and he actually feels like he got some insight from her about Peyton. He can't say he hates their friendship as it stands. The cute flirting and the smiles and stolen glances are actually pretty fun. And if he has to keep that up for a while, that's OK with him. He's pretty sure he'll like the outcome of it.
He spends the entire period trying to focus on the weights he's slinging, but he can't focus on anything but those green eyes of hers. He has no idea when he became the kind of guy to really notice that kind of thing, but he just likes her, and Ginny totally saw through that. He has to wonder if Peyton sees through it, too.
He walks back to his locker and Peyton's waiting there, toying with her silver necklace and staring into space. She smiles when she sees him, and his heart races a little bit at the sight of her there, obviously waiting for him.
She's not his girlfriend, though.
Yet. Yet? he thinks. Where did that come from?
"Hey," he says as nonchalantly as he can, considering his head and heart are playing tricks on him.
"Hey."
He opens his locker and reaches for his calculus books, and he looks at her out of the corner of his eye when he notices she's still staring at him.
"What?" he asks, unnerved, looking down at himself to make sure he's not out of sorts.
"You're all wet," she observes, her voice low. She clears her throat when she realizes what she's just said, and the smirk he gives her has her blushing.
"That turn you on or something?" he asks, resting his forearm against the locker as he turns his body to hers.
"I was just...saying," she tells him, pulling her books from her own locker.
But damn, he smells good.
"I had a shower after my workout," he explains. He watches as her slender arms struggle with balancing her coffee and her books as she tries to close her locker. He takes her books for her, and he winks when she looks at him questioningly.
"Thanks," she says, tucking her hair behind her ears. She has no idea why she's nervous around him now, so she decides that she's just not going to. "So, you think I'm amazing, huh?"
And just maybe she'll try to make him a little nervous.
"Well, I haven't exactly made it a secret," he says with a laugh. She rolls her eyes, and she realizes he's still holding her books as they start walking down the hall. "How have you and Ginny talked already? You were in class."
"We have our ways," she says coyly, laughing when he shakes his head. "She can be a little...full on. Sorry if she was..."
"Nah," he says, dismissing her apology. "She's a cool girl. I can see why you're friends." She just looks at him for a moment, wondering who in the hell Nathan Scott really is. "What?"
"Nothing!" she proclaims quickly. "Nothing. I'm just...you're...Something else."
"That usually doesn't mean anything good," he says with a raised brow as they enter their classroom and take their seats. She can't help but smile when he places her books on her desk for her.
"No, I didn't mean it in a bad way...You're just...kind of surprising," she explains.
"Well, how would I lure you in if I didn't keep you guessing?" he asks, and she rolls her eyes and turns her attention to the front of the class.
Her attention wanders to him throughout the whole class, to the point where she knows she's going to have to borrow someone's notes. All she can smell is whatever cologne he's wearing, and all she notices is the way his large hand toys with his pencil, and how he runs his hand through his hair when he's frustrated.
He catches her eye again towards the end of the class, but rather than give her a smug smirk to let her know he's completely aware that she's looking at him, he just smiles a genuine smile, and she gives him one back. There's a time for games and a time to be sweet, and that moment was a sweet one.
----
A couple days later, he has a team meeting at lunch, then their next class isn't together, but when he sees her at their lockers right before their shared English class, he can see a devious look in those green eyes that he won't deny is insanely sexy.
"You're ahead in English, right?" she asks as she sets his books in his locker.
"Yeah," he drawls out in confusion. "Why?"
"Because we're skipping and I wanted to make sure you'd be OK if we did," she says, slinging her bag over her arm and closing her locker door.
"Peyton," he says, shaking his head, "as tempting as that is, I can't just skip class on my second week of school."
"Really? I guess it's a good thing Coach Jennings asked me to show you around town, then," she says, eyes shining as he looks at her in confusion. "What? I just told him that you had mentioned not really feeling at home here. He's quite thankful that I'm generous enough to help out."
He'd mentioned nothing of the sort, but he definitely liked this sneaky side of her.
"So we're not really skipping," he says, reaching for his bag before closing his locker and following her towards the front door of the school.
"No," she says. "And actually, I get extra credit for being a 'Student Ambassador', so you're doing me a favour."
"Is that right?" he asks, holding the door for her to walk through. "I'm sure I can think of a few ways you can pay me back."
"Easy, Scott," she says with a laugh.
"So...where are we going, exactly?" he asks, noticing that they're walking to his car and not hers.
"Beach," she states.
"The beach is two hours away!"
"OK," she says, shrugging her shoulder. "But it's a beautiful day, and I have a two piece in my bag, and laying on the beach one last time seems like kind of the perfect way to spend an afternoon, doesn't it?"
"You had me at 'two piece'," he says, holding the passenger door open for her.
He puts the top down on his convertible and slips into the driver's seat while she searches through her iPod for the perfect music. She settles on something she thinks might be the perfect happy medium between his taste and hers, and soon enough, a mashup of The Beatles and Jay-Z is flowing through the speakers.
She lets her hair down and scolds him, reminding him to keep his eyes on the road when he looks at her a little too long. He tells her she can't do things like that an expect him not to stare.
She slips her feet out of her flip flops and perches them on the dash, tapping her painted-red toes to the beat of the music, and leaning her head back against the seat. Her eyes are closed and the sun is hitting her face just right, and he's overcome with the urge to take her hand. It's adolescent and boyish, and it doesn't really mean anything, but he just wants to have her delicate hand in his.
So he weaves his fingers through hers and their hands sit between them as their elbows rest on the center console. She opens her eyes and looks over at him, and she gives him a sweet little smile before he turns back to the road, and she closes her eyes again.
They start talking when she starts clicking through her music again, and he teases her for having Queen on her playlist, which launches her into a rant about the artistic genius of Freddie Mercury. She plays some old school Common, and he looks at her like she's the world's greatest mystery.
She holds onto the wheel while he takes off his button down Oxford shirt, leaving him in just a white tee shirt, and then her hand is right back in his for the rest of the drive.
Before he realizes it, they're at his beach. He could have gone anywhere else along the coast, but he brought them straight to Tree Hill, and he doesn't really know why. He wonders if maybe he just kind of wants her to see where he's from.
He pulls up to the beach house and steps out of the car, and Peyton looks at him in confusion.
"Don't worry, we aren't breaking in," he says with a laugh.
"This is your place?" she asks as she grabs her bag and follows him up the steps.
"Yeah," he says. "Well, it's our beach house. My dad lives in the house I grew up in on the other side of town."
He unlocks the door and Peyton looks around once they're inside. She sees photos on the mantle and the furniture that's probably hardly ever used. She notices a few paintings she's seen before - well, prints of paintings she's seen before - and a few basketball trophies in a case against the wall in the living room.
"There's a bathroom just down the hall on the right if you want to change," he suggests, and she smiles at him. "I'm just going to run upstairs and grab some shorts."
He's in his bedroom, and when he opens the drawer to pull out a pair of board shorts, he notices the photo of he and Haley from their wedding day sitting atop the dresser. But looking at that photo doesn't break his heart the way it used to. He knows there are a lot of reasons for that, and one of them is in this house with him.
He sets the frame in the drawer and changes, and when he walks back downstairs, he sees Peyton standing at the back of the house in front of the sliding door, looking out at the beach with just her black bathing suit on as she pulls up her hair.
"Hey," he says, startling her slightly.
"Hey. This place is awesome, Nathan," she says. "Changing in a bathroom is way better than having to change in the back seat of your car."
"Nope," he says with a smirk, and she rolls her eyes.
He hands her a towel and they step outside and walk down onto the sand. There are a few people milling about, soaking up the last few days of really great weather, but Nathan and Peyton find a spot not too far from the house and lay out their towels. She lays down, and he's standing over her, looking down at all the bare skin he's never seen before, and he's not hiding that his attention is focused only on her.
"I can almost see up your shorts," she points out nonchalantly before putting on her sunglasses and closing her eyes.
"Like what you see?" he asks, and she just scoffs and shakes her head.
Truthfully, she definitely likes the way he looks with no shirt on. The boy is pretty much flawless, and she has spent enough time staring at him to know it. Even that scar on the left side of his stomach is really sexy.
"Where'd you get that scar?" she asks.
"Which one?"
She turns onto her side and props herself up on her elbow, reaching over to fun her index finger along the line of pink flesh. Her touch is gentle, and he's not sure why he was expecting any different, but he certainly likes the way she's moving her fingertip back and forth over that scar.
"Got into a little accident," he says, hoping to downplay the incident. "My uncle took me to the track and I just lost control."
"Wait...your uncle is Coo...?"
"Cooper Lee," he finishes.
"Oh, he's so hot!" she says with a smile.
"Oh, he's so 30 years old," he laughs, and she scowls at him.
"You really crashed a race car?" she asks, compassion in her eyes.
"Yeah," he says regrettably. "It was a little scary, but...I'm fine now."
"Wow, that's..."
"Nathan!?"
And that's why he shouldn't have come to Tree Hill.
He sits up and rests his weight on his elbows, and he shoots Peyton a comforting look as she does the same thing.
"Hey Brooke," he says, smiling at his friend. Of all the people he used to know, she's kind of the only one he misses. "How's it going?"
"Get up and hug me, you jerk!" she demands. Peyton laughs as he does what he's told, and she stands, too, so she doesn't feel out of place.
"Brooke, this is my friend Peyton," he says. "Peyton, this is Brooke."
"You cheer for Oak Lake, right?" Brooke asks as the girls shake hands. "I've seen you at tournaments and stuff."
Nathan wonders how he ever could have missed seeing Peyton before.
"What are you doing here? Brooke asks. "Shouldn't you be at school? Skipping already?"
"Something like that," Nathan says, smiling over at Peyton as she laughs. "How are things around here?"
"So weird," Brooke says seriously, shaking her head. "Everything's changed, Nathan. It's totally bizarro world."
"Like what? I mean, other than me leaving," Nathan asks curiously, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well, Lucas is team captain, and Skills has your spot in the lineup, but...Nathan, it isn't the same without you," Brooke says quietly, like it's the town's biggest secret. "And I know you aren't coming back, and that you kicked ass in your game on Friday, and..."
"You followed my game?" he asks with a smirk.
"You're my friend," Brooke states. "Just because you move away doesn't mean that I stop caring."
Peyton smiles at the friendship Nathan has with this girl. It's clear that he and Brooke have known each other for a long time.
"Haley moved in with me," Brooke explains timidly.
"Oh," he says, nodding his head gently. "That's...that's good."
"Yeah," Brooke says softly. "I mean..she's not exactly the most happy-go-lucky girl right now, but..."
"Brooke," he says, shaking his head as he cuts her off.
Peyton doesn't know who Haley is, but it's clear to her that it's an ex-flame of some sort.
"Hey, I didn't mean it like that," Brooke says, placing her hand on Nathan's forearm. "But listen, I have to run. I'm just on my way to meet Luke."
"Yeah," he says quickly, "do your thing."
"It was really good to see you. It feels like it's been way more than just a couple weeks!" Brooke says, wrapping her arms around him again. "I miss you, Superstar."
"I miss you too, Brooke," he says as he hugs her back. "But...could you...not tell anyone I was here?" Brooke takes a deep breath and forces a smile and nods her head. "Thanks."
"Nice to meet you, Peyton," Brooke says.
"You too," Peyton replies with a smile.
"Seeya!" Brooke chirps as she bounds off down the beach. "Call me sometime or I'll drive out to that snooty school and kick your ass!"
He laughs and nods his head, then Nathan looks back to Peyton. For some reason, feels the need to reach out an run his hand down her upper arm before they take their place laying down again. Not many people can be that comfortable in the all-too-energetic presence of one Brooke Davis.
And he knows the questions are coming. He knows she's going to ask, and that in her head, she's trying to connect all the dots.
"Haley's my ex," he says out of nowhere after a few minutes.
She lets out a quiet sigh, because she's really thankful that wasn't the one to have to bring it up.
"I figured," she says softly, turning her head to look at him.
"Well...yeah," he mutters. "We were kind of...we were married."
And then the world stops.
They're not even 18 years old yet. How in the world has he been married already?
"It was crazy and impulsive, and in hindsight, it was just the stupidest thing I've ever done," he explains, finally looking over to see the blank expression on Peyton's face. "And that's coming from a guy who drove a car into a cement wall at 200 mils per hour."
His attempt at humour doesn't have the desired affect. She's speechless, and he doesn't know what to say either.
"We...she left to tour with...it doesn't matter. The point is, she left," he says. "The marriage was annulled, and...it's over."
Peyton stands up and bends down to pick up the towel she was laying on, and she's avoiding eye contact.
She really doesn't want this revelation to change anything. They aren't even dating. They aren't anything at all, really. But things just changed in a big, big way. Haley's not just another ex, she was someone he - at some point, no matter what the end result was - thought he'd spend his entire life with.
"We should go," she says, faking a smile and pretending she doesn't see the dejected expression on his face.
"Peyton, come on," he please, standing up and planting his feet in front of her.
"Nathan, this is kind of a lot to deal with," she says, shaking her head. "I mean, not that any of your business is mine to deal with. Just...you and I have this...whatever...and now I find out that you have a wife."
"Had," he corrects firmly. "And...look, how long was your longest relationship?"
"Nine months last year," she says crossing her arms.
"Well, Haley and I weren't even together for nine months," he explains. "It's really...it's not like it was an epic romance. We were two stupid kids, and I was challenging authority, and...Haley was looking for excitement she'd never had before."
"So you were her excitement?" Peyton asks flatly.
"Until the chance to tour came along," he says. There's no anger in his voice, and she almost believes that he's over it. "It all just put things into perspective. She had the tour and I had High Flyers, and then Oak Lake came along, and...we just both realized that we weren't it for each other."
"Are you...I mean, did you fall out of love with her?" Peyton asks, looking to the ground and not to him.
"I fell out of love with her the minute I found her in bed with someone else."