Tree Hill Academy
Chapter 4: Bad Company
"Dude, seriously what's taking them so long?" Haley grumbled and looked at her watch. "Dinner starts in 20 minutes,"
"First off, didn't we say you couldn't call me dude? And second, it takes me like 2 seconds to change, so we're not going to be late," Lucas said laughing at her.
"Yeah, goody two shoes," Nathan spoke up as he pushed open the door to the room, wearing only his boxers. "You really picked winner here Lucas; she wants to be perfectly on time to orientation dinner like a good little girl."
Haley's face turned bright red and she was about to yell at him, when Lucas put his hands up between them. "Nathan just shut up." He turned to Haley. "I'm going to change I'll see you in two minutes.
"Whatever," Nathan said walking towards the bathroom to take a shower. Haley stared after him annoyed.
"Hey," Lucas said walking in while Peyton finished putting herself back together.
"Oh hey, do you want me to go?" she asked.
"Well I'm changing so you might want to."
Peyton laughed shortly. "Okay, I'll see you up there." She grabbed the rest of her stuff and left the room. She smiled at Haley, who gave a small smile back, and headed outside to make the trip back to her house and then up to the dining hall.
She walked into her room and threw her stuff down before changing into a skirt for the formal dinner. She pulled a brush through her hair, and looked at her appearance in the mirror. Whatever.
"There you are!" Brooke exclaimed opening the door and walking into the room, Rachel behind her.
"Hey Rach," Peyton said turning away from the mirror.
"Hey, how was Nathan?" she said smirking.
"Fine," Peyton said rolling her eyes. Brooke joined in on this gesture. "Ok girlies, we have to go now."
"Yes, captain Brooke," Peyton and Rachel said unanimously.
After a brief assembly in the meeting room next to the dining hall, to welcome new students and welcome back old ones, the students made their way into the dining hall for dinner.
"We have assigned seating," Haley said scanning the room for a list.
"We're at table 8, I already looked," Jake spoke up.
The threesome walked over to the table marked 8. As they got closer, Haley did a double take. Sitting at the table were Brooke Davis and Rachel Gatina, two girls who she had nothing in common with. And both probably hated her. She swallowed hard and braced herself for what would probably be a horrible dinner.
"Hey Brooke, Rachel," Lucas said easily. After all, he was used to them.
"Lucas," Rachel said smiling flirtatiously at him. Haley nearly threw up in her mouth.
"Jake, you never stopped by," Brooke said pouting.
"Yeah I got busy."
"Well you should tonight. There's a small gathering in my room. You should too Lucas."
"Sounds fun."
"There's a party huh?" Peyton said sitting down with Nathan at her side.
"Oh yeah, Rachel and I decided while you were busy."
"More like getting busy," Haley mumbled under her breath.
"Did you say something tutor girl?" Brooke asked snidely.
"Huh?" Haley asked trying to sound innocent.
"Ignore her Brooke, it's not worth it. It's not like she's ever busy except when she does homework," Nathan laughed and high fived Tim who had just sat down.
"Well at least some of us will graduate without our daddy buying our way through school," Haley replied sweetly.
Brooke gasped but with a smile on her face. "She got you Nate."
"Whatever bitch," he rolled his eyes.
"So as I was saying, there's a midnight soiree in me and Peyton's room tonight. It'll be amazing."
"Well at least we can count on you not being there," Nathan said smirking at Haley.
"Clearly because I don't have a death wish. And seeing you again might just kill me."
"Yo, you two stop it," Lucas said annoyed at how much Haley and Nathan were fighting. And it was only the first day back.
"No, don't it's funny," Rachel said laughing.
"I can't help if she's a goody two shoes bitch, who doesn't know how to have any fun, and thinks she's so much better than everyone."
"Yeah and I can't help if he's a conceited asshole who treats people like dirt if they don't have any money like him."
Brooke, Rachel, and Jake burst out laughing. Peyton and Lucas looked on awkwardly. Both liked the two people involved and felt uncomfortable about them fighting. Tim just looked back and forth between them confused.
"Whatever," Nathan mumbled.
Wow. Tutor girl had silenced Nathan. Brooke was intrigued. Although she did seem kind of stuck – up, no one had ever talked to Nathan like that, even when he most deserved it. A part of Brooke was beginning to like this girl, and in a moment of exceedingly odd judgment, she spoke up.
"Tutor girl, you should come tonight."
"Oh um," Haley said surprised not expecting that at all.
"Oh God Brooke," Nathan groaned, "She doesn't know how to have any fun. The party will completely blow if she's there."
Haley turned red but glared at Nathan, her eyes flashing. "Well after walking in on you and Peyton this afternoon, I think I learned a thing or two about fun," she said the last word emphatically, the sarcasm dripping off her tongue. This time it was Peyton's turn to be red in the face.
"Really Nathan, I thought more of you. Couldn't even lock the door?" Rachel teased.
"Nate man you got laid! Totally hot," Tim squealed.
Everyone rolled their eyes. "Tim, just be quiet," Nathan hushed him.
"Oh yeah sorry."
"What's your problem bitch?" Nathan said glaring at Haley, malice inside his eyes.
"Whoa," Jake interrupted, "This has gone far enough. Just ignore each other for the rest of the dinner. And I mean it," he added forcefully.
Haley nodded meekly before sending one last glower Nathan's way. Nathan just shrugged and began to shovel food in his mouth.
"Was dinner not hilarious?" Brooke asked as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. It was 11, and curfew time, which meant everyone who came tonight, would have to be sneaking out.
Peyton shrugged from her bed. "Not really," she mumbled.
"Oh well. Now, Peyton, get up, you're going to ruin my scheme!"
Brooke had transformed the room by spending the whole night, unpacking the party stuff and putting the rest in the closets. On her dresser, stood bottles of alcohol and little shot glasses. The beds were decorated with purple and blue throw pillows, and the desks were pushed to the corner, with the sound system displayed prominently on one of them. The two desk chairs were towards the back with the two padded chairs surrounding a small table, Brooke had lagged in from the house kitchen.
Peyton stared around the room appraising it. "You did a good job Brooke," she said giving her due props.
"Why thank you, P. Sawyer, as always."
Peyton smiled and stepped toward her own closet and opened the door to reveal the full length mirror. She grabbed a leopard print corset thing, Brooke had insisted she buy last year. Peyton threw off her t-shirt and buttoned it up. Turning from side to side, Peyton smiled fully satisfied with her appearance. She put on a coat of cherry chapstick, but that was all the make-up she really needed.
"Goldielocks, you look bitching!" Brooke squealed looking equally as gorgeous in a dark denim mini skirt and brand new red halter that accentuated her curves in all the right places.
"Thanks," Peyton smiled, "So how many people are coming?"
"I think it's good for 20, 25. But I don't want any losers sneaking in."
"Well according to Nathan you invited one."
"Oh please. Nathan's just pissed that there's someone on this campus that doesn't take his bullshit."
"Whatever."
"Look I know she embarrassed you," Brooke said sympathetically, "But Nathan fully deserved it. If he wasn't acting like such an ass, maybe it wouldn't have gone to that level."
"I don't want to talk about it."
Brooke sighed. As always every time she insulted Nathan or insisted he should act better, Peyton became moody and taciturn. "Fine. Let's just have fun tonight. 'kay girlie?"
"Sounds like a plan," Peyton smiled.
Lucas and Nathan had just told their houseparent that they were sleeping off-campus for the night, so they wouldn't have to bother with the whole sneaking out thing. They had driven past the front gate, and parked the car down the block from the school. Then they had crept silently back down to house 200 where they had split apart. Nathan went ahead early to Brooke and Peyton's room, while Lucas went to go hang out with Haley, which he was rewarded by with a dirty look from Nathan. Lucas shook his head and walked to her door. He was so over their fighting.
"Hey Hales," he said quietly (since he wasn't supposed to be there) walking in without knocking and locking the door behind him.
"Oh hey Luke," she said turning, "You scared me for a sec."
"Sorry," he smiled and sat down on her desk chair.
"It's fine. But I have nothing to wear," she complained, "What do people wear to parties here anyway?"
"You're going?" Lucas had been surprised by Brooke's invitation, and even more surprised that Haley was actually considering it.
"Yeah, why not?" Haley frowned.
"It just doesn't seem like your scene."
"Did you overdose on spending time with Nathan? Because I swear I can see the asshole popping up in you."
"Chill Hales, I just meant that you don't usually go to stuff like that."
"Yeah well she invited me so why the hell shouldn't I?"
"Maybe because you don't like these people at all?"
"Whatever. I just want to stick it to Nathan."
Lucas sighed. "Hales, why do you guys hate each other? And don't say it's because he's an ass. Something must've happened between you guys."
"Lucas we just don't get along! He is an ass. Not only to me but also a ton of other people."
"Fine," Lucas replied a little taken aback, "Whatever you say."
"Good, so what should I wear?"
"Umm, I don't think I'm really the best person to ask."
Haley sighed. "I'll be right back."
She left the room and walked across the hall to 7. She took a deep breath before knocking.
"The party doesn't start until," Brooke pulled the door open annoyed, but stopped when she saw Haley.
"Look I know this probably is really inconvenient," Haley began to say before Brooke could even ask questions, "But I have no idea what to wear, and I was wondering if maybe you could help me."
"Are you serious?" Brooke asked excited.
"Yeah."
"Oh my God. This will be awesome. Come in."
"Shouldn't we go to my closet?" Haley asked confused.
"No," Brooke said ushering her in.
Well who knew I had such bad taste in clothes, she thought laughing inwardly. "Is Nathan here?" she asked a little nervous. Lucas had told her their plan beforehand and she really didn't want to run into him before the party.
"No and he Peyton went to like the bathroom to make out or something," Brooke said dismissively. She opened her closet and examined the items that she had already unpacked. She smiled when she found what she was looking for. "Perfect," she said breathlessly taking it down."
"Are you sure?" Haley asked as she bit her lower lip.
"Completely."
The outfit consisted of a short short black skirt and a wicked tight black t-shirt. It was simple, but also completely sexy in an understated way.
"Change," Brooke commanded.
Haley nodded nervously and removed her pajama bottoms and tank top and put the skirt and shirt on. The t-shirt revealed a small sliver of her flat stomach, and the skirt showed off her toned legs. The whole outfit gave an amazing view of her petite little frame. "Wow," she murmured gazing into the mirror turning slowly back and forth.
"Haley, you didn't come back so I just figured I'd come get you, Lucas called from the down the hall until he finally got to the entrance of the slightly ajar door. As he pulled it open and took in Haley's appearance, his eyes bulged. "Whoa," he breathed out.