Hey guys, here's chapter 3. I hope you like it . Thanks to everybody who replied to chapter 2, it means a lot! x0
So I'm wondering if you guys want to see Brucas and Jeyton or Bake and Leyton Please let me know so I can start working on the relationships!
"Ugh, you suck" Haley growled into her phone as she balanced it between her ear and shoulder. She signed her name on the corresponding line and handed the clip board back to the mover. Today was the day she was getting all of her remaining stuff delivered to the apartment.
It had been two days since she officially moved in with Nathan and to say things were awkward was the understatement of the millennium. They had kept out of each other's way as much as possible, but the tension seemed to be layered around the apartment. Lucas and Peyton had both assured them it was just going to take some time to get used to, but Haley wasn't so sure.
Lucas was supposed to help her carry everything up and get it organized but he called at the last minute saying he couldn't make it because his coach was starting practice early and he couldn't miss it. For all returning players basketball practice started the week before school, and all new played had scheduled practice starting the opening day.
"I'm sorry Hales, but there's nothing I can do. I'll get there as soon as possible" He apologized again, feeling guilty to leave her hanging, but at the same time not being able to do anything about it. It was mandatory that all players had to attend practice, even if it was impromptu.
Haley sighed. "No, you'll be tired after such an early practice. Don't worry about it. I can unpack by myself I just need to figure out a way to get everything into the apartment"
"Can't the movers just bring everything up?"
"No, I already asked"
"Then ask Nathan" He said it causally, hoping that she didn't go off on one of her rants.
"Actually there's not that much stuff. I can do it. I'll see you later Luke" She hung up the phone before he could respond and shoved it into the back pocket of her jean mini skirt.
"I wish I could help Miss, but if were late for this next pick up, my $$ is on the line" The heavy set man with kind brown eyes gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Oh, it's okay. I'll be fine. Thanks for everything" She returned the smile and watched as he got back in the delivery truck and began driving down the road.
They were like reverse garbage men, instead of picking up the crap on the side of the road they dumped mine there and drive away. Haley thought bitterly as she peered out at the maze of boxes that were currently strewed about the side walk outside her apartment building. Luckily it was only around 9am so most people in the complex were still enjoying their lazy Sunday morning. She could only imagine the looks of distain she would have to endure once people began having to jump over boxes to get past her. Sighing once again she picked up the lightest looking box and began the trek to the elevator.
"What?" Nathan grumped into the phone before shoving another spoonful of frosted flakes into his mouth.
"I need you to do me a favor"
"Who is this?" He swallowed his cereal. "Because I know my brother wouldn't have the balls to call me asking for a favor at 9'oclock in the morning after the shit he pulled"
"What bit your $$ this morning?" Lucas wondered.
"You" Nathan sneered, once again shoveling more frosted flakes in his mouth before swallowing.
"Ew. I didn't bite your $$"
Nathan rolled his eyes but ignored the comment. "Do you know how awkward this is? It's only been two days and I feel like I'm going insane." He drank down the remainder of the milk in the bowl before depositing it into the sink. "This morning I woke up and she was just standing there drinking orange juice"
"She was drinking orange juice in your room?" Lucas asked confused.
"What? No. Why would she be in my room?"
"You said you woke up and she was just standing there"
"No, I woke up and went into the kitchen to get breakfast and she was drinking orange juice" Nathan clarified.
"Oh. Well what's so weird about that?"
"The whole thing! I haven't talked to her in two years and all of a sudden she's standing in my kitchen drinking- -"
"- - Orange juice" Lucas finished for him.
"Yeah how did you know?"
He sighed. "Never mind. Look I have practice that coach just scheduled and I can't get out of it. I was supposed to help Haley move in today, but I'm not going to be able to"
"Yeah and…" Nathan trailed off waiting to know how any of that concerned him.
"I need you to help her. You have to bring the boxes up from the street, she can't do it all on her own"
"I can't" Nathan shook his head
"Why not? Last time I checked you weren't disabled"
"Because I just told you how awkward it was seeing her this morning. I can't go out of my way to be near her. It's too weird for me. Plus she's been giving me these looks lately like she wants to kill me in my sleep"
"Do I have to remind you again that all this tension is your fault? If you weren't such a self involved jackass none of this would be happening. Look I don't have time to argue with you. Get off your lazy $$ and go downstairs and help her bring the boxes up, and then help her unpack. She has enough to worry about without straining herself to carry all the crap"
"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" Nathan asked defiantly.
"Because if you don't Haley's not the only one you'll have to worry about killing you in your sleep. Just do it Nathan and stop being a pain in the $$" Lucas bit frustrated.
"Whatever bye" Nathan hung up the phone just as Haley walked in the door. He watched as she struggled with the box for a moment before setting it down with a thud on the floor.
"Do you uh need any help?"
Haleys head snapped up at the sound of his voice, surprised to find him standing in front of her. She still couldn't figure out how to act around him. Sometimes she just wanted to sit and talk with him, find out what's been going on in his life. And other times she just wanted to rip his head off. Her emotions constantly changed around him and it had everybody believing she was turning bipolar. She knew in the back of her mind though that she could never let him in. Not like before. She had to protect herself from getting hurt again. So in order to ensure that, she got defensive and put up the walls.
"No" Haley answered before walking back into the hallway.
Nathan shrugged and made his way into his bedroom to get dressed. Whatever, I asked.
Twenty minutes later Haley hauled the last box into the apartment. The doorman had generously offered to help, understanding the bind she was in. Haley eagerly accepted and insisted he let her pay him, but he refused. After thanking him once again she shut the door and leaned her back against it, taking a deep breath. We'll that was exciting.
Groaning at the thought of now having to move all the boxes into her room, Haley pushed off the door and began lugging the boxes down the hall.
Nathan walked out the bathroom after a fresh shower, dressed in Khaki shorts and a green polo. He ran a hand through his wet hair and dropped his towel in the corner of the hallway. Just as he was about to turn on his play station, his cell phone went off.
"Now what?" He answered
"Are you helping her?"
"She said she didn't need help"
"Nathan!" Lucas yelled annoyed
Nathan pulled the phone away from his ear as Lucas continued on a rant about how self involved he was. "Alright, bye" Once again he hung up and threw the phone against the couch. He walked the short distance towards Haleys room and found her unloading some of her things. He leaned against the doorway for a moment.
"Can I help with anything?"
Haley looked up from what she as doing to find Nathan starring back at her.
"No, I can handle it" Her eyes drifted back to the box that contained all her DVDs.
Nathan sighed. "Look I'm never going to hear the end of it from Lucas if I don't help you. So save me the headache and just let me unpack a few boxes for you"
Of course Lucas called him. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Whatever. Don't break anything"
An hour later and most of the boxes had been unpacked, there were on three remaining. Haley picked up the medium sized box that contained her small collection of snow globes. Whenever Taylor went on vacation, she would mail Haley a snow globe. She thought they were the most wonderful things in the world, and assumed Haley would share her appreciation for them. To say she didn't was an understatement. But Taylor liked them and insisted if her sister and enough she would begin to admire them. As Haley opened the box she let out a small sigh of disappointment. The box was damp and held nothing more than a pile of broken glass.
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked; placing yet another book on the shelf Lucas had put up yesterday.
"My snow globes broke. I'm going to go throw them out" She answered, walking past him."There's a garbage chute at the end of the hall, on the right." He called after her.
He heard the door shut a moment later and shrugged. Nathan focused on the last two remaining boxes, happy that he was almost done. Lucas was going to owe him for the rest of his life. He picked up the box closet to him and carried it over to the bed. Setting it right side up, something caught his eye.
'Nate' was scribbled across the top in black sharpie. How did one of my boxes get in here? Not being able to contain his curiosity Nathan gently pulled the tape off and opened flaps. He immediately recognized the stuff inside. A small smile twitched at his lips as he saw the countless pictures. He picked up the small brown teddy bear that he won for Haley at a carnival when they were in 6th grade. She had slept with it every night since then. He laughed despite himself, remembering all the times he would tease her about it and she would simply tell him she loved it because he had given it to her. There was an assortment of movie ticket stubs and some other ticket s for events they attended. Then there were more recent things. Like the necklace he had given her for her 15th birthday.
"What are you doing?" Haley wondered as she walked into the room. Her eyes went wide at the teddy bear he held in his right hand and the realization sunk in that he had found the box. She mentally slapped herself for not remembering about it sooner. She stood frozen in the doorway, not sure of what to do next.
Nathan jumped slightly at the unexpected voice. He shook his head, pulling out of memory lane. "You kept all of this?" The question left his mouth before he had a chance to think.
She nodded, hating the vulnerability that he was making her feel. He couldn't see that stuff, she couldn't see it. Haley had ripped through her room in the middle of sophomore year and taken everything in sight that reminded her of Nathan. All the presents he gave her, all the photos of them together, basically anything that had to do with him. She put it all in a box and planned on throwing it in the trash that day, but something stopped her. He might have walked away from their friendship, but for some reason she was still holding on. She couldn't throw out the reminders of him because it would be like their friendship never existed. And Haley couldn't handle that. So instead she shoved it in the back of her closet.
"Why?"
Their eyes connected and Haley walked closer to him until they were separated by only a few inches. "Because unlike you, I have a hard time letting people go"
After a moment of silence Haley tore her gaze away from it and took the bear out of his hand, shoving it back into the box. She carried the box over to the closet and roughly dropped it on the floor before closing the door. She could feel Nathans' eyes watching her every movement and she took a deep breath before turning to face him again.
"Look this living arrangement isn't permanent. At the end of the semester I'm more than likely moving out so I suggest you start looking around for a new roommate. Until then let's get one thing straight. We are not friends anymore. We haven't been for a while and just because we're living together isn't going to change that fact. I'm not the naïve little girl from High School anymore, I've changed. I won't hide the fact that I hate you, so this whole pleasantry act we've been doing for the past few days, there's really no need for it" She spoke with conviction, but her hands trembled slightly at the words.
This is the way it has to be The thought repeated over and over in her head as she tried to convince herself that it was true.
Nathan starred at her, he heard her talking but the words weren't completely registering. She had just said she hated him. It was the first time that she ever spoke those words while directing them at him. He wasn't delusional; he knew Haley felt that way. Of course she did, who wouldn't after what he did? But that was the first time she ever straight out said it. He would never admit it, but it hurt.
"Fine with me" Nathan shrugged his shoulders and stalked out of the room. He wasn't going to show her that she could still get to him. He had to stay strong, indifferent. He had to be the one with the upper hand. If Haley didn't want to be pleasant then that was fine. Bring it on.
So What did you guys think? Please Review! Starting next chapter, I'll be introducing some more characters, so I hope you stick around for it! x0
