Disclaimer: One Tree Hill and its characters belong to Mark Schwann, which is not me.
Nathan's body was conditioned to wake up at the crack of dawn now days. After rigorous early morning work outs at Duke, he could hardly ever sleep past seven a.m. He easily slid out of his bed and stretched his long body, his back popping in several different places. He should be hung over, considering how much he had drank last night. He and the guys, the guys being Lucas, Skills, Jake, Damien, and Tony, had gone out for their annual beginning of the summer guys night. They would have taken the girls with them but unfortunately, they were all under age. Except for Rachel, but none of them really wanted to invite her. They all drank quite a bit, but he definitely drank the most. He supposed it was because he wasn't going to get the opportunity as much this summer.
Checking his clock, it read 6:58 a.m. Right on schedule, he thought. He got up and moved easily about his room, throwing on a pair of basketball shorts and one of his Duke t-shirts. He was careful moving out of his room and down the stairs, trying his best not to wake Lucas. The guy had gone soft since playing back in high school. He'd ask him on runs all the time, but Luke would just flick him off and roll back over to sleep. Just as well. He'd regret it ten years from now when he was nursing a nice little beer belly. Let's see Brooke Davis swoon over that.
As he made his way out of the large beach house, he immediately felt at home. The water was calm as the sun was peaking over the horizon, giving the sky a pink and orange hue. The air was cool, thanks to the breeze coming from the waves. He loved runs on the beach. The sand provided resistance, strengthening his legs and calf muscles, and he could run barefoot. He ran much faster without shoes on. He started with a light jog, increasing his heart rate and then beginning his sprints.
The best part of running was that it cleared his mind. He thought of nothing but the run and the feel of his body as he went. He ran the entire three mile stretch of the beach before turning around and making the journey back. He allowed himself to stay at a slower pace so he wouldn't overdo it. For the last ten minutes, he slowed to a walk, allowing the tide to consume his toes, easing the slight pain in his feet with the cool temperature. As the familiar part of the beach came in to sight, he noticed one lone chair sitting near the water. As if the gods were drawing them together, Haley James sat with her feet in the water, her nose buried in a book. What a nerd, he thought.
He approached quietly, noticing how her brow was furrowed in concentration and how her mouth moved, quietly speaking each word aloud. Her long blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun while in a tank top and pair of athletic shorts. He found it slightly comedic, considering she was the least athletic person he knew, but he figured they were Jakes and that she had just felt like being comfortable. Although he had never really paid any mind to her, he had always admired one thing about Jake's sister and that was her completely confident and careless attitude toward what others said or thought about her. While only admitting it to himself, this was one of his biggest flaws. It was the reason he was a complete ass most of the time and why he'd been so unaccepting of Lucas as his brother for so long. His dad lived off the thoughts and opinions of others on his family, so he made sure Nathan did too. Another point goes to Dan Scott and the destruction of his sons' lives.
"I don't know if anyone told you," he finally said aloud, "But schools out during the summer."
She visibly jumped at the sound of his voice before turning around to find its owner. Her eyes widened for a second at the sight of him before immediately recovering.
"I guess you didn't get that memo either," she noted, "Seeing as you are also up before the sun."
She sent him a grin before turning back in her seat and marking the page she was on, "So what brings the great Nathan Scott out of his cave this early in the morning?"
He wiped his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, removing the thick sweat from his face, "Well, Coach K appreciates the art of early morning work outs and he'd probably kick my ass if I got all soft over the summer."
She nodded, "A lot different from Whitey, huh?"
He laughed at the thought of the old man, "Coach K's conditioning makes Whitey's look enjoyable."
She grimaced, "Ouch, sounds pretty rough."
He shrugged, "You get used to it. How is the old man, by the way?"
She sighed, "Enjoying retirement I'm sure. I used to walk by his house every day on the way to Karen's and he would always be on his porch sipping coffee and reading the paper. He looks happy."
"Good to hear," he said sincerely. Although Whitey was a pain in the ass the entire time he was on the team, he had to admit he'd grown fond of his old coach. His methods were…different. He remembered when the team had sucked his junior year, mostly due to his and Lucas's beef, Whitey made them fix up, literally clean, an old gym and play in it until they could play as a team. That was the beginning of his friendship and eventual brotherhood with Luke. He honestly had Whitey to thank for pulling his head from his dad's ass and seeing the truth; his dad was the bastard, not Lucas. He missed Whitey some days and had always made plans to visit him eventually, but nothing ever brought him back to Tree Hill for long. He'd spent Christmas' with Luke, Karen, and Keith while other breaks were either spent here or with his basketball team. He hadn't seen his parents in a while, which was fine. His dad was running Tree Hill as mayor and his mom was popping pills in between rehab stays. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how completely messed up he sounds. He brought his attention back to the girl in front of him.
"You working the camp this summer?" he asked her after a short silence. The camp he was referring too was a day camp or summer day care of sorts. The community center offered child care to parents who were not off work during the summer or who just wanted to send their kids for alone time. Haley worked there every summer in order to keep a steady income. She usually worked at Karen's Café during the school year, which happened to be owned by Lucas's mom. After she and Lucas got to know each other, he convinced his mom to give her a job there. She had just quit after two years there and it was definitely bitter sweet. Karen was like her second mom and saying goodbye to her and the job was hard. She wouldn't be returning after this summer, but instead heading to California for Stanford.
"Of course," she groaned, "There is nothing like spending your summer working with a bunch of little br-angels."
He grinned at her words, "Well, at least we get off on weekends."
"Some parents, you know? Make your kids spend their summer at a day care, I mean…" she quit rambling when she realized what he had just said, "Wait, what do you mean 'we'?"
"I signed up to work there this summer," he revealed, "I'm kind of in need of some extra money, so…"
It was then she started laughing and he found himself laughing with her. She had a contagious laugh to go with her beautiful smile. Quit saying beautiful, dammit!
"You're going to work with kids?" she was still laughing, "Now this I can't wait to see."
"Hey!" he defended, "I'll be just fine."
She nodded, giving him a sarcastic look as if to say 'Yeah, right!'
"I guess we'll see then," Nathan challenged, "I'll see you at orientation later."
He made his way past her spot toward his house. He would admit that he was a little nervous about working with kids. He was never really around them and wasn't exactly sure how to handle them, but it couldn't be that hard. Besides, he needed the money. He was sick of living off his parent's money plus Dan had officially cut him off. His mom was still willing to give him money in the hopes that he would stop avoiding her, but it didn't help. He wanted to do things on his own and getting his first job this summer was the first step. He'd show his dad, Haley, and everyone else that he could be responsible. For now, well, he had to tell everyone else of his plans.
Making his way into the house, it was still quiet indicating the Lucas was still asleep. He quietly made his way up to his room, grabbed a set of fresh clothes, and showered. By the time he finished in the bathroom, Lucas was up and at the kitchen counter munching on a bowl of cereal.
"Morning," he said through a mouth full of Cheerios.
Nathan greeted him before reaching into the fridge for an orange.
"Brooke wants to hang on the beach today, you in?" Luke asked. Nathan shook his head. Luke was crushing on Brooke Davis and had been for the last year or so. They had gotten to know each other in the last year when Brooke started living with Karen because her parents had moved to California. He wanted to slap the both of them for not telling each other how they felt. They were waiting for the same thing; the other one to make a move.
"Can't," he replied, "I've got orientation at the center."
Luke scrunched his eyebrows, "Orientation for what?"
Nathan sighed, finally telling his brother of his summer plans, "I'm working the day camp."
Lucas gave him a strange look, as if to see if he was joking or not. When Nathan's face showed no hint of kidding, he busted out laughing just as Haley had when he told her.
"What is so funny about that?" he asked getting frustrated. Did no one think he could do it?
"Nothing," Luke said waving his hand, "It's just…have you ever worked with kids before?"
Nathan crossed his arms, "Well, no. But I need the money and it can't be that hard."
"Yeah sure man," Lucas replied, "Whatever you say."
Nathan threw away his peeled orange before stomping upstairs and firing up his play station. Dude, it's summer, he told himself, go do something else. Video games are totally gay. He sighed before making the awkward trip back down stairs and past his brother.
"Come on, Nate, I was just kidding!" Lucas yelled after him, but he had already slammed the door.
"Haaaaaleyyyyyy!" Brooke was whining as they sortede. Haley hadn't wanted to come, but she did need a couple of bathing suits; a one piece for the camp and another for recreation. They sorted through the racks of bathing suits at The Wave, the surf shop on the other side of the beach about twenty minutes away from their place. Plus, Brooke offered to drive which rarely happened, so she had to come.
"I'm sorry, Tigger, you know we can still go out on the weekends," Haley told her friend. Brooke had asked her to come out on the boat this afternoon, but she couldn't due to orientation for work. Now her friend had taken to pouting because she wouldn't be joining the festivities.
"Fine," Brooke huffed, "I think I'm ready to try these on. You?"
Haley looked down and saw Brooke had at least ten bikinis in her hands while Haley only held three, a one piece, a bikini, and one Brooke was dying to have her try on. She shook her head at her glamorous best friend and followed her to the dressing rooms. Parting ways, she first tried on her pick; a black bikini with thick halter straps and blue bottoms; simple and plain just like she liked it. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she looked almost…pretty. Her skin already had sun kissed glow to it and her stomach, which had shrunk over the course of finals and graduation, was now completely flat. She also had a sizable chest, which is why she liked the bathing suits to be thicker; so she wouldn't fall out and flash everyone.
"Okay, Tutor girl," Brooke said, "Let me see."
When she walked out of her dressing room, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friends choice; a bright pink fringed tube top bikini with tied together white and pink paisley bottoms. Not that it wasn't cute and her best friend couldn't pull it off, she could. Somehow Brooke managed to keep her body lean and toned even without working out. Cheerleading didn't count. It was cute, she would admit, but one small wave in the water would knock that sucker right off.
"I think you got that one out of the grandma section," Brooke told her crossing her arms in frustration, "Hales, I don't know why you're always covering up. You've got a smoking body, you know?"
Haley shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I like to make sure my boobs aren't going to go flying everywhere thank you very much!"
Brooke looked astonished, "The guys would be all over you Tutor Girl! Go try on the one I gave you. Oh, and yes, I think I look good too."
Haley laughed before going back in her dressing room and picking up the bathing suit Brooke had picked for her. It was definitely not her style but she'd try it on to please her best friend. She pulled the small fabric on, making sure the ties on the bottoms were as tight as possible. She once again looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see that she actually pulled it off. It felt a little redneck, but somehow she managed to make it look decent.
"Come on Haley!" Brooke yelled from outside her door.
She reluctantly stepped out and Brooke let out a squeal, "God Bless America!"
"Very funny, Brooke," Haley rolled her eyes. Yes, Haley James was wearing an American Flag Bikini feeling like a complete hypocrite. She used to make fun of girls like that.
"You look hot!" Brooke stated, "You're going to knock those guys right off their feet."
"For the last time, Brooke, I am not looking to impress any guys!"
"Whatever you say, Tutor Girl," Brooke waved her away, "You can act like you over your little Scott crush all you want, but deep down I know it's still there."
Haley groaned in frustration. Her crush really wasn't there anymore. Okay, so when he was around she thought about how hot he was, because he was extremely good looking! She no longer fantasized about him nor wrote his name on her notebook, which she might have done her freshman year of high school. Nathan Scott was not her type and she definitely wasn't the one night stand kind of girl. Nothing could ever and would ever happen between them. You're spending an entire summer working with him¸ a voice in her head reminded her. So what? She would be friends with him just like she was Lucas and then at the end of the summer, she'd be off to California. No time for crushes and unrequited love. This summer was about having fun with her family and friends.
"I'm not going to try the rest on," Brooke told her, "I like the first one."
With that, Brooke disappeared in to her dressing room. Haley sighed and went back to hers, contemplating which she should buy. She SHOULD buy the one she picked out along with her one piece.
"You're getting the flag, Tutor Girl!" Brooke yelled over the stall to her.
She knew it was wrong to give in to peer pressure, but somehow she ended up walking out of the store with three bathing suits. She checked her watch and saw that orientation started in an hour. Brooke dropped her off at home, where she disposed of her shopping bags and changed her clothes. She threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a blue tank top before pulling her hair into a messy bun, tucking the loose strands behind her ears. She grabbed her cute sandals and searched the kitchen for the keys to the Explorer, but they were missing. She looked out the window and saw that, of course, the car was missing too. Great.
The walk would take her too long, because she had to be early, so she decided to go to her lovely neighbor's house. Before her knuckles hit the door to knock, it flew open and Lucas stepped out.
"Hey, Hales," he said surprised, "What's up?"
"Has Nathan left yet?" She asked.
He looked confused by her question and then remembered the conversation with Nathan that morning. He was working at the day camp, which Haley also worked at.
"Yeah, he left like five minutes ago," he told her, "Why?"
"Someone has the car and I need to get down to the camp like right now!" she said in frustration. She knew she shouldn't have went shopping with Brooke.
"Relax, Hales," Luke said, "I'll drive you over their real quick."
"Really?"
He smiled and nodded. He looked at his phone and texted something before leading her to his car. Getting in to his old jeep, she buckled her seat belt and they peeled out of the gravel driveway. She grabbed a magazine that was sliding around on the dashboard and flipped through it, the pages crunching and sticking together.
"Ew, the pages are sticky," Haley grimaced, "What have you been doing in this car?"
Lucas looked at her with wide eyes before recovering, "Have you read that issue yet? I think it's the "Why do I hang out with these people" one and you're on the front cover right?"
Haley snorted, "No it's the "My best friend is in an idiot" one and look, there you are."
Lucas chuckled at his friend's antics, "You're a mess, Hales."
The short ride was over as he pulled into the back of the center where a few cars were parked for the orientation.
"Thanks Luke," she said before climbing out, "Have fun with the Brookie monster. And just tell her how you feel already, it's getting annoying."
With that, she shut the door and gave him a small wave. He looked shocked at how nonchalant she seemed about him and Brooke. As if everyone didn't already know those two were just engaged in a long game of cat and mouse. Men.
Thanks to Lucas, she walked in with five minutes to spare. She saw her friend Teresa talking with Andy, the director. She waved at them both who each waved enthusiastically back at her. She then spotted Nathan sitting at a table to the side, messing around on his phone, no doubt to look busy.
"I never pegged you as someone who would be early to something like this," Haley said once she approached. He sat up in his seat after she spoke.
"Making a good impression on the boss," he shrugged. The truth was he was nervous. It didn't hit him until just a bit ago, but he realized that if he sucked at this job, which was a huge possibility, that he'd be fired. Nathan Scott did not get fired. No too mention, once he made it into the NBA he'd have to play for a kids charity or something like that and he needed to actually work with kids…you know, to make him look like he cared.
"Well how about you go talk to him instead of pouting in the corner," she said putting her hands on her hips, leaning to one side.
He looked offended, "I am not pouting!"
"Well you aren't shy," she said matter-of-factly, "So put on a smile, and go talk to Andy. He won't bite. The guy is like a foot shorter than you."
He glanced over at Andy and chuckled. The guy was pretty short and vey non-intimidating. He sighed and got up from the table. He walked over and introduced himself and Andy shook his hand enthusiastically, immediately telling him that he's a huge Duke fan and how beneficial Nathan is to the team. He found that he immediately liked the smaller guy. They got on fairly well and once orientation was supposed to start, he went and sat down next to Haley, who was engaged in conversation with a pretty brunette.
"Hi, I'm Teresa," the girl offered her hand.
"Nathan," he said before shaking it. He gave her the signature Scott smile and he could feel Haley roll her eyes next to him. She had seen this look way too many times.
He didn't get a chance to talk to Haley or his new friend because Andy talked non-stop for two hours about child safety, abuse, requirements and the whole nine yards. Once he finished, he made a move to get out of his seat, but was quickly stopped.
"Nathan," Andy called, "I need you to stay for a little longer. You have some certifications to complete."
He groaned but obliged. He and another newbie, a girl named Bevin, who had the IQ of a turtle, were taken to the computer lounge and Andy gave them a list of online certifications to complete. More stuff on safety, abuse, and awareness. His eye balls felt like they were going to fall out. His brain also felt like it was turning to goo, but that was mostly due to Bevin asking him questions every five seconds. Poor girl had the looks, but was seriously lacking in a brain. He finally finished what felt like hours later. Andy gave him a paper which informed him he had to take a first aid/CPR class this weekend and he inwardly screamed. He didn't know this job would require all of his time! He had already given up his week days and now his weekend?
He wasn't home until nine or so, plenty of time to get ready and go out. His friend Tim had invited him over to his place for poker, but he didn't feel like driving over there. Tim lived permanently about fifteen minutes away, not far, but he was already exhausted for some reason. It was a nice night, so he decided to go out on his walk way and enjoy the night. He walked out to a clear sky and the waves gently crashing against the shore. He heard someone laugh not too far in the distance and squinted to see two figures in the water. He didn't recognize them at first, but once he got a glimpse of the blonde fauxhawk, he knew immediately it was his brother and…Brooke? The girl squealed again and his thoughts were confirmed. He watched them embrace in the water and he felt himself grin. He felt genuinely happy for his brother. He'd had a crush on Brooke since his first summer down here, but was too scared to make a move because the guys teased him for crushing on a younger chick. Brooke was actually pretty mature for her age. He supposed now that Brooke was attending UNC with him, he decided to go for it. All those years of flirting had finally paid off.
He looked away to give the new couple their privacy and glanced next door. The house was much smaller compared to his, but if he was being honest, he'd give anything to have that. The James family was everything he wished he'd had. The parents loved and supported their children and money was never a priority. Not to mention they didn't have a junkie mom or a self-centered father. He supposed that's why he and Jake had got on so well. Jake had become like a little brother to him, sort of the brother he'd missed out on when Lucas wasn't around. Despite the age difference, Jake was probably his best friend aside from Lucas. Lydia and Jimmy James, despite not having much contact with them, treated him and Lucas as their own, which meant something to the both of them. They had to be the most caring people on the planet, which is exactly where he knew Haley got it from. He and her had never been close nor talked much although he was around a lot. In fact, this summer they had already talked more than they had in years. It wasn't because they didn't like each other, but she was always holed up in her room reading or around with Brooke. Jake was definitely more adventurous of the James twins.
The porch light came on and the two siblings walked out onto the porch, laughing about something. Jake had his guitar slung over his shoulder and they each took a seat on the steps. He began to pick the strings and sing a tune with music. Haley tapped her foot next to him as she listened to him sing.
You can run, you can run, but you can't hide
From my love
You can run, you can run, but you can't hide
From my love
Nathan listened to his friend sing in the shadows of the night. It wasn't the first time Jake had played and he'd heard. Jake wasn't shy about showcasing his skills. He brought his guitar with him to every bon fire they had and often sat on the porch and played, not caring who heard him. He was about to turn in for the night when he heard a female take over.
Baby, I know it's crazy that we argue, the name calling
Baby, I know you miss me 'cause I'm thinkin' of you
And you're thinkin' of me.
Strangely, see I won't panic
'Cause I feel you swing back my way
You hate me, yeah, I get it
But I can't even begin to start to hate you.
He felt Goosebumps rise on his skin as Haley sang angelically. Jake had a good voice, but his sister put him to shame. In all the years Jake had been playing, Haley had never once joined him publically and he didn't know why. She had a beautiful voice. There it is again¸ he caught himself with the word. He'd used to word beautiful one too many times to describe Haley James, but he couldn't deny that she was. She was beautiful and had immensely grown up in the last year. He realized that if he was having these thoughts of her in the first couple days this summer, he was in big trouble because she'd be working next to him every day and now that Brooke and Lucas were together, they'd definitely have to get used to being paired up. He had to just keep it platonic like he'd done with many girls before, except he couldn't sleep with this one. He respected Jake and his family too much to make her another girl. No, he would make it his mission to keep things with Haley strictly brother-sister. This summer was going to be excruciating.
A/N Hi guys. So, unbelievably enough, I received even more reviews, follows, and favorites and I am just so happy you all are interested in this story. I apologize for the time it took to get this out. Editing this thing has been somewhat painful considering I had to change some things, including the first chapter, which I revised and replaced (so go read it !).
This chapter was previously two chapters, but I combined them because they were really short and long is better than short, so. Hopefully I'll have a few more chapters up this week. College is very bipolar. I love you all and thank you for your support!
Song: "You Can Run" - Bryan Greenberg (Feat. Kid Cudi)
See what I did there?
