I am officially ashamed, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I could probably give you 101 excuses but chances are you don't want to hear it , lol. Okay read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own it.


Chapter 9

So over the past couple of days I have learned a lot about Nathan. I learned what his favorite color is, his favorite food, and random things about his childhood. But mostly I have just gotten to know Nathan the guy, not Nathan the hot-shot big-time college basketball player, but the actual person.

Whenever we found ourselves alone, in a class, or just hanging out, we picked off automatically where we left off the last time. When we first started playing truth it made me nervous because if this game were played by bitchy girls, the questions asked would be personal or embarrassing, preferably both.

But with Nathan it was different he didn't ask me a question because he wanted to embarrass me…well most of the time. Nathan asked me a question because he was genuinely interested in finding out the answer and in turn finding out more about me.

"Whose turn is it?"

Nathan and I were waiting in our seats in our English lit class; I decided it would be a perfect time to pick up with the game.

"Yours." He said facing his body towards mine.

"Alright."

I pondered what to ask him because the truth was we covered all the basics and from here on out things were probably going to get a little more personal.

"What's it like to always have girls swooning over you?" I asked.

"Haley."

"You're the one who wanted to play." I said teasingly.

"I don't know," he said. "It's not something I notice even if it's happening."

"The name of the game," I told him, "is Truth."

"Fine. I'll admit that I used to take full advantage of the fact that girls were constantly hanging all over me, but towards the end of high school I just realized that it doesn't even count. It's not like they know me or anything, all of it is fake, totally surface."

"Tell that to her." I said nodding at Stacey who was sitting a couple of rows behind us, clearly checking Nathan out and giving me a nasty look every five minutes.

"Funny." He muttered.

"She is so annoying I wish she would just leave me alone." He said frustrated. Stacey had been coming onto Nathan a lot lately she was like a bug that wouldn't die.

"Hey that's what you get for having random drunken hook-up's with her." I said while laughing, as Nathan groaned.

"I so regret that now."

My heart tightened a little bit in happiness as he admitted this.

Okay time to repeat my mantra we are just friends, we are just friends.

"Okay my turn." I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of Nathans voice.

"So does Haley James have any secret talents no one knows about?"

"What? No." I said as I tried to downplay my nervousness, no one knew about my hobby.

"The name of the game is truth." He said with a smirk on his face, mimicking my previous words.

"Okay if I tell you this you have to promise you won't tell a soul, not even Brooke, Peyton or Rachel knows, so you should feel honored." I said while smiling.

"This should be good, I promise I won't tell." Nathan said while pretending to zip his lips and throw away the key.

"Well, I mean I am probably not even that good, actually I probably suck…"

"Haley…" Nathan urged me.

"Okay well I kind of sing." I said uncertainly.

"You kind of sing?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well my audience is limited to my shower head." I said while laughing.

"You should sing for me sometime."

I started laughing and then I saw his face and noticed he was actually serious.

"Uh sorry buddy but no can do." I said.

"Come on Hales." He said in a pleading tone.

"Sorry Nathan but as of now, my showerhead will be the only one hearing my performances."

"Okay, that can be fixed; I can just join you in the shower one day, preferably sooner than later." He said while smirking.

Is it just me or did it suddenly get extremely hot in here.

"Nathan!" I was blushing profusely as I smacked him lightly on his shoulder.

A laugh escaped his lips. "You know you're kind of sexy when you blush." He whispered in my ear.

Yeah this definitely feels like were getting to more than just friends.

Oh boy.


"HALEY MARIE JAMES GET YOUR ASS IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Well this can't be good.

I walk into the living room to find three very pissed off people looking at me. Brooke was pacing the room, and Rachel and Peyton had on their 'I'm extremely mad at you look'.

"What going on?" I asked completely clueless as to what would make them this mad.

"I don't know why don't you tell us?" Rachel responded.

"Seriously guys I have no idea what you're talking about." I said utterly confused.

"Mind explaining this Hales?" Peyton asked in a soft voice while holding out an envelope.

I opened up the envelope and found the wedding invitation for Chris and Teresa's wedding. How did they find this I thought I threw it away?

"Where did you get this?"

"I found it on the kitchen counter under all the other junk mail, but don't try to change the subject Hales, why didn't you tell us about it?" Brooke said.

"I don't know, I didn't want you guys to like overreact." I said helplessly.

"Haley you can tell us anything." Rachel said sternly.

"I know, I was just really confused." I said.

"I am sorry you guys." I said hoping to make amends. I could see that they were upset that I kept this from them.

"We forgive you H.James." Peyton said standing up to hug me.

"The real question is what are you going to do about the invitation." Brooke said from her spot on the couch.

"See about that…" I started nervously; I knew that when I told them about my trip with Nathan I would never hear the end of it.

"Nathan kind of offered to go with me…as my date." I said meekly.

"WHAT!?" All three of them screamed at the same time. Well one thing is for sure, my hearing will be impaired for two months tops.

"Remember that morning that I was really upset and ran out of here?" I asked. Brooke, Rachel and Peyton all nodded.

"Wait let me guess that was the morning you got the invitation to the wedding?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, well needless to say I was pretty upset and I ran into Nathan and he really helped me out." I said softly.

"You slept with him?" Rachel asked.

"No Rach-ho, we talked." I said

"And then what happened, he offered to go to the wedding with you that morning?" Brooke asked.

"No a couple days later we were hanging out in his dorm room and he told me he would go with me, he said it would be good for me, to you know get some closure and I think he's right."

"Are you sure about this?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah I have really gotten to know Nathan and I trust him, plus I am over Chris but I need to go because he doesn't think that I am."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked.

"He obviously sent me that invitation to rub it in my face that he found happiness with Teresa so I am going to show up, say congratulations and then hopefully never have to see Chris Keller's face ever again. He needs to know that he didn't break me."

"That's good Hales you should go, I just wish I could go so that I could pound Teresa's face in." Rachel said while I laughed.

"So what's going on with you and Nathan?" Brooke asked while smiling.

"Nothing!" I said exasperated.

"How many times do I have to say it, there is nothing going on with Nathan."

"Hales you cannot honestly sit there and tell me that you have absolutely no feelings for Nathan." Peyton told me.

"I don't."

Lie.

"Really?" Brooke asked.

"I have absolutely no feeling for Nathan Scott."

Lie.

"Good." Rachel said. "Because he is fine, and if you are not going to get with him, I sure as hell will." Rachel said while smirking.

"In fact I think I'll go over to his dorm right now and give him a little preview."

Rachel stood up from the couch, pulled down her shirt and started walking towards the door.

"Like hell you will!"

Crap I wasn't supposed to say that out loud.

"Busted." Rachel smiled while coming back over to the couch.

"But, you and Nathan and you said..." Great now I sound like a babbling idiot.

"Hales I was bluffing." Rachel said while smiling.

"Haley why are you hiding you real feelings from Nathan?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know." I responded timidly.

"Haley James that is a bunch of crap and you know it." Peyton said.

"Look I just, I could see Nathan as someone I could get really close to."

"So what's the problem sweetie?" Rachel asked.

"I don't want to get hurt again." I said softly.

"Hales, just because you have had some crappy boyfriends in the past, doesn't mean that you should totally disregard your feelings for Nathan." Brooke said wisely.

"I am just not ready yet. Look you guys I got to go I have to meet Nathan for coffee."

"Uh huh." Rachel said.

"As friends." I said emphasizing the word friends.

"I'll see you guys at cheerleading practice later." I said as I walked out the door.

But not before I heard Peyton say, "She's falling hard."


"James, I thought you stood me up."

I just arrived at the café…10 minutes late.

"I would never." I said sarcastically.

I sat down in the booth that Nathan was at, sipping at the cup of coffee that he already ordered for me.

"Okay so I booked us tickets to California last night." Nathan said.

"What, Nathan you didn't have to do that." I said surprised.

"It's okay; I figured that if I didn't do it soon you might back out on me." Nathan said while smiling.

"Ready for basketball practice?" I asked Nathan.

"Kill me now, Coach K has been extremely harsh on us, he wants to keep us conditioned before he leaves, he says that if he doesn't we will all be completely incompetent when he gets back."

"What about you, you ready for cheerleading practice?"

"Ugh absolutely not, I have to listen to bitch Stacey do nothing but scream for an hour and a half." I said totally dreading cheerleading practice, it doesn't help that she has a grudge against me for hanging out with Nathan.

"Well you're in luck because I think that we have time for one question before we have to head over to the school for practice." Nathan said while smirking.

"I have no idea why you're smiling, it is my turn." I said laughing as his face fell.

"Since when?" Nathan asked.

"I asked you what it is like to have girls all over you all the time; you asked me if I had any secret talents, therefore it's my turn."

"You see this is why I don't hang out with smart chicks."

I smiled; let's see what should I ask? I know…

"What do you fear the most?" I asked.

"Clowns." Nathan said.

I just looked at him.

"What?" He said, glancing over at me.

"That's not a real answer," I told him.

"Says who?"

"Says me. I meant real fear, like of failure, of death, or regret. Like that. Something that keeps you awake nights, questions you very existence."

He thought for a second. "Clowns."

I rolled my eyes. "Please."

"That's my answer. I don't like clowns. They scare the shit out of me, ever since I went to the circus as a kid and one popped a balloon right in my face."

"Stop it," I said, smiling.

"I wish I could."

"Come on people it is not that hard turn right on 8 and do a diagonal on 12!" Stacey the bitch was back and if it was even possible seemed to be even bitchier today.

Stacey gave me a pointed look at she paced the gym floor.

"God has anyone ever told her how nauseating her voice is?" I head Rachel whisper besides me.

I didn't mean to but I busted out laughing at her comment.

"Something funny Hades? Oopps I meant Haley."

"Nothing at all." I said with a strained smile on my face after Stacey walked past me.

After enduring another hour of torture practice was finally done. Rachel, Peyton, Brooke and I walked over to the other side of the gym to grab our bags. On the way over we met up with the guys; Nathan, Jake and Lucas.

Over the past couple of weeks Jake and Peyton have been hanging out, it's only a matter of time before they start going out. They were totally into each other.

After our short conversation the girls and I walked out of the gym and towards Brooke's car to head home, all of us have tests the next day that we needed to study for.

"Dude, I have got to find me a boy toy." Rachel whined. "It is no fun being 7th wheel."

"Rachel it's easy, just stop being a whore." Brooke said.

"I resent that."

"That's not what I meant; I meant you should go after guys you could see yourself being with in the long run, you know nice guys, instead of the one night stands you are usually attracted to." Brooke said.

"Yeah Rach, remember your prediction at the beginning of the school year?" I said chiming in.

"If I recall correctly you said that you would stop partying and find yourself a long time boyfriend." Peyton added.

"Maybe it's time you start working on that prediction." I said while patting her arm.

"Yeah maybe it's time." Rachel said as realization seemed to hit her.


As I lay in bed later that night I couldn't help but replay the conversation I had with Brooke, Peyton and Rachel about Nathan.

I mean yeah I liked him, but I really don't want a serious relationship right now. I am just not ready for one. But Nathan has made it clear from the first time we met that we wanted to be more than just friends.

Ugh this is all so confusing, I guess I'll just play it by ear and see what happens.


R&R

--Storyofmylifee