Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill
Cause and Effect
Chapter Nine
"Nathan!" Haley giggled. "Put me down people are looking at us." She was currently on Nathan's back being carried to cheer practice. People stared as they passed by the star basketball player and his girlfriend. The two, who had been dating a little over a month, had become a familiar fixture to be seen anywhere around Duke together.
"You begged me to give you a piggy back ride. Now you're saying you don't want one?" Nathan asked as the gym came in sight.
Haley rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Do you think we're going to get any practice done today since Brooke and Coach K have to share the gym?" It was Thursday, the day before game day and both the cheer squad and basketball team were being forced to share the gym. The school had accidentally scheduled the practice gym's floor to be waxed later on that night, forcing both teams to move practice up or change location. The teams couldn't use the stadium as a High school tournament was being held there. So that meant for one night that Brooke Davis and Coach K would have to somehow share a gym.
"Nice way to change the subject, Hales."
"Answer the question."
"Are what?" Nathan asked, "Or you going to beat me up with your pom poms?"
Haley rolled her eyes, "Yes, I will once I get them out of my locker in the gym." Haley and the rest of the cheer squad had finally been issued their lockers in the practice gym. Haley had been excited as she now kept her cheer bag containing her poms, her copies of cheers and chants, and spare cheer shoes, in the locker room so she shouldn't have to lug it around.
"You wouldn't beat me up? Especially after I gave you a piggy back ride from your dorm to the gym." Nathan said as he opened the gym's door.
"Yes," Haley countered. "For your information as soon as you put me down I am going to go get my poms then beat you up in front of the entire basketball team."
Nathan's grip on her legs tightened as he stepped on the basketball court. "I guess I'll just have to keep carrying you then."
"Put me down Nathan!" Haley demanded, as she saw Brooke and Coach K talking, or arguing.
"Why we're not going to practice tonight if we're sharing the gym." Nathan said.
"Just put me down!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Scott put the girl down!" Coach K roared as he stomped in the direction of his players, "Both of you have practice!"
Practice was interesting. The two teams had split the court in half. Neither team was allowed to course over the half court line but that didn't stop spare balls sometimes flying into the cheerleaders, or even the occasionally basketball player. Brooke wasn't happy with the interruptions, but couldn't say anything as her cheerleaders where very distracting to the basketball players. Every time Haley flipped, tumbled, or was stunted Nathan's blue eyes were staring at the freshmen cheerleader. Haley of course would wink or smile at every time she got a chance, but Brooke was determined to practice even with the two love birds ogling over each other.
"Mark if you drop Haley during the game, I am going to kill you!" Brooke shrieked at the end of practice. During their last time to run through the routine, Haley had fallen out her ending pose, where she was standing on top of Mark's hands. Luckily Dean and Mark had caught her before she had hit the ground. Brooke had freaked when she saw Haley fall, and hadn't stop yelling since.
"Tomorrow is the game and everything better look a hundred percent better than today!" Brooke yelled, "No one should be dropped." Brooke directed or Mark, who had looked away from the ranting captain. "Everyone should have their act together. I want bows perfect, smiles bigger, and skirts shorter! We are playing against Wake Forest people! We got our butts handed to us by their cheer squad at camp, and I will not have us falling apart in front of them and all the fans in Cameron Stadium! Practice is over, go home and get some rest!"
The cheerleaders nodded. They all hated the Wake Forest cheer squad, almost more than their rival, the Tar Heel cheerleaders. The Wake Forest cheerleader's were easily the best college cheerleaders in the state. They had beaten the Duke squad at the competition held at the end of cheer camp. Brooke hadn't let anyone forget, and now the squad was realizing why Brooke had been so worked up this week.
Brooke wasn't the only worked up about the game. Nathan and the rest of the basketball players were stressed about the next day's game against Wake Forest. Last year Duke had barely won in overtime, and this year the basketball team was determine to demolish their opponent. Nathan specifically was stress because his grandparents were coming to the game. He hadn't mentioned it to Haley either. The star basketball player was still trying to cope with the fact that Royal and Mae Scott would be in the stands at the basketball game. Nathan could handle his grandma, but he couldn't handle Royal Scott.
Haley sat on the bleachers patiently waiting on Nathan to finish practice, and for Brooke to finish her tirade she started on after she dismissed the team. Brooke had stayed behind with Haley, as Brooke, Haley, Nathan, and Lucas had all planned to go get pizza together after practice. The brunette being the good Friend she was stayed with Haley not to keep her company but also so they could get girl time together before spending time with the boys.
"I don't get how you can be so calm! You almost got dropped the night before a big game, which your boyfriend's grandparents will be at-"
"What?" Haley shrieked. "What do you mean Nathan's grandparents are going to be at the game!"
Brooke's eyes widen, "Boy Toy didn't tell you? Royal and Mae called last night saying they were going to be at the game and wanted to take Nate and Luke out to dinner afterwards."
"When did Lucas tell you?" Haley asked.
"Right after Royal called him. Luke was really shocked about the whole dinner thing. See Lucas isn't really close to the Scott side of the family, you know I have explained it too you before," Brooke babbled. "He was kind of thinking about not going. See the last time he saw his grandparents was like when he published his book last year."
Haley nodded as Brooke continued to ramble on. She remembered Brooke telling her all about Luke's and Nathan's family back at cheer camp, and what Nathan had told her about the Scott family. Luke was really Nathan's half brother. Nathan had grown up with their father and his mother, while Lucas had grown up with his mother and his step-father/Uncle Keith. The two brothers hadn't been close until junior year of high school after Deb finally left Dan. Karen and Keith had stepped in to help Nathan and Deb adjust to their new life without Dan Scott. Nathan's aunt and uncle also helped Deb gain full custody of Nathan, so he wouldn't have to live with his basketball-obsessed, manipulative, jerk of a father. That didn't stop Dan Scott from being in Nathan's life though. It wasn't until Dan was sent to jail for some shady business deal in Nathan's freshmen year at Duke that he was completely out of his life.
"Boy Toy, you have some explaining to do to Haley," Brooke said as Nathan walked up to the pair. He was freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt ready to go to dinner.
Nathan looked at Brooke, before he realized what she probably told Haley. "Brooke you told her about my grandparents!"
"We're you not going to tell me?" Haley questioned.
"I was. I just was trying to figure out a good way to tell; especially now that my grandparents not only what to have dinner with me and Luke but you and Brooke."
"Wow, hold up rewind Scott," Brooke instructed. "I have never meet Royal and Mae and I have been dating Luke for almost five years! I am not sure I would even want to meet them considering some of the horror stories I have heard from you two."
Haley suddenly felt stressed. She wasn't that mad at Nathan for not telling her about his grandparents. They had only been dating a month and the only meet barely two months ago. If her grandparents, heck if her parents, came to visit her Haley wouldn't even mention Nathan probably.
"How about the four us talk about this at dinner," Nathan suggested after Brooke finished her own freak out. "If you two end up going to dinner with us were going to have to come up with a game plane to get all four of us out alive."
The pizzeria right off campus was pretty busy when Nathan, Haley, and Brooke arrived to meet up Lucas. Luckily the writer was already there waiting very patiently in a big booth in the back corner of the establishment.
"There you guys are I was about to send a search party out for you three," Lucas stated as Brooke slid in the booth next to him. Haley and Nathan followed in suite sliding in across from them.
"Well we would have been here five minutes earlier if Brooke didn't freak about meeting yours and Nathan's grandparents," Haley commented as Nathan place his arm on top of her shoulders. Nathan had apologized for not telling Haley about his grandparents on the way to pizzeria. He also told her didn't expect her to go, but he wouldn't mind if she did.
Brooke rolled her eyes, "And you're not?"
"I haven't said I would go to dinner with them yet," Haley replied.
Lucas looked at Nathan, "Dude, are you okay with that? Royal is going to think you made Haley up or something and he's going to bug you the whole night about it to."
Nathan shrugged, "Haley and I have only been dating a month Luke."
"Honestly I don't think I want to go," Haley remarked. "It's a little too early in the relationship to be meeting family."
"Tutor girl, you are not going to make me go to this thing without you!" Brooke cried as a waiter came up to take their order. The group quickly order their drinks and pizzas and then continued with the conversation.
"Brooke if Haley doesn't want to go she doesn't have to," Nathan began. "You on the other hand can't put off meeting them another year. At this rate you're going to meet them at yours and Luke's wedding."
Brooke frowned, "I know. That's why Haley should come so I don't back out last second like last time!"
"Brooke if you think you are going to guilt me into this dinner your wrong," Haley said.
"Just think about Haley. You don't want to be like me five years down the road and still haven't meant Nathan's grandparents. Think you can go ahead get it out of the way, and then you never have to worry about it like me."
Nathan smirked, "Brooke my grandparents are getting old. They might not lot last another five years.
"Nathan don't say that!" Haley scolded. Nathan though did have a point, his grandparents were probably getting older and they may not last enough five years. Or if they did, by that time their memory might be bad, or they could be in a nursing home, the possibilities were endless. "But you do have a point," Haley sighed.
"He does?" Brooke and Lucas questioned as the waiter returned with their drinks.
"Yes," Haley answered as the waiter place the drinks on the table and then quickly returned to the kitchen. "Nathan's right your grandparents are getting older, so that's why the probably want to meet me even though I have only been dating Nathan for a month, and I am sure there probably desperate to meet Brooke after five years."
"Haley don't guilt yourself into this," Nathan paused. "My grandparents are not going anywhere anytime soon. Scotts live very long lives."
Haley smiled, "Okay. I am not quilting myself into anything. But do you want me there?"
"Of course I want you there. It would make my grandpa a whole lot bare able but it's not my decision to make Haley, it's yours," Nathan reasoned.
Ever part of Haley's mind was telling her she was crazy for even thinking about considering meeting Nathan's grandparents. They had only been dating a month! It was too early, her mind kept telling her. Even in their short time together Haley knew she and Nathan were not going to be some short lived college romance.
"So," Haley took a deep breath in. "If I hypothetically wanted to go to dinner with you and your grandparents you be okay with it?"
Nathan nodded, as much as he wanted to protect Haley from the reality of how screwed up his family was he wanted her there. "I would be perfectly fine with it."
"Okay, I'll go then."
Nathan kissed Haley on the lips."Thank you," he whispered into her ear.
"Now that's it's settled that Haley is coming we need to a game plan, bro." Luke announced. Nathan nodded and for the rest of the dinner the four discuss how exactly they would go about tomorrow. By the time all the pizza was eaten, every detail had been ironed out. Luke would sit with his grandparents during the game, and drive them to the restaurant after. Haley, Brooke, and Nathan would follow shortly after changing out of their uniforms. The plan was simple Haley only hoped everything would go according to plan.
XXXXXXXXX
"Duke wins! Duke wins!" The announcer's voice was barely heard over the sound of the Duke fans going wild. Duke had been trailing behind Wake at the half by twelve points, but came back and dominated in the second half. The crowd had gone crazy in the last moments of the game when Nathan had made the winning the basket, and Haley too it had been the highlight of her day. The petite cheerleader though was not expecting the fans to storm the court as soon as the final buzzer rang. She and Brooke had held onto each for dear life as the crazy Duke fans ran onto the court to celebrate with team. The mobs of fans on the court only stressed out Haley more. She had been stressed all day about meeting Nathan's grandparents and she was secretly wishing she had never agreed to.
"Oh my gosh, I think I see Luke and his grandparents," Brooke said as they tried to make their way to the locker rooms. They had been pushing their way through the crazy fans for the past five minutes. Haley had originally plan to try to find Nathan, but Brooke informed her that the basketball team was probably sent to the locker rooms as soon as the fans ran onto the court.
Sure enough, Lucas stood with two other people right next to the door of the cheerleader's locker room. Haley gulped she was already nervous to meet Royal and Mae, but she was now even more nervous at the thought of being introduced to them without Nathan by her side to calm her down.
"Haley!Brooke!" Luke yelled waving at the two girls to assure that they wouldn't try to slip into the locker room.
"Hey Luke," Haley managed as they reached Lucas and the elder Scotts. The petite cheerleader was already immediate by Royal. He looked very stern and uptight in his khaki slacks and blue dress shirt. Mae on the other hand wore a sweet loving smile on her face, and looked like refined southern royalty in her black skirt and belted blue jacket.
"Hey girls, my grandparents wanted to see you before we headed to the restaurant, Grandpa, grandma this is Brooke Davis my girlfriend, and Haley James Nate's girlfriend." Luke motioned to each girl respectively as he explained.
"It's nice to finally meet you Mr. and Mrs. Scott," Brooke politely said, and smiled at Haley to say something.
"Yes," Haley began warily. "It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Scott."
"Please just call us Royal and Mae," Mae instructed. "I am just excited to finally meet you too. Luke kept pointing you two out while y'all cheered. I just couldn't believe my two boys got themselves such cute girlfriends."
Royal smirked, "There my grandsons Mae, what do you expect?" he asked, earning laughs from the group. "Now where's your brother Luke?"
"I don't know, Haley have you seen him? Nathan usually goes right to you after a game," Lucas replied.
Haley shook her head, "I haven't seen him, but Brooke said something about the basketball team being sent to the locker room when the court got stormed."
"You're probably right," Royal said. "Nate's more than likely in the locker room, but will be seeing him at dinner right?"
"Of course," Haley smiled. "Nathan actually is going to drive me and Brooke to restaurant after we get out of these uniforms."
"Oh you two really should just wear your uniforms to dinner. You look so cute in them," Mae complimented.
"Thank you, but the uniforms are actually being sent to the dry cleaner tonight so we can't," Brooke stated.
Luke sighed, "Grandma, Grandpa we should get going so Haley and Brooke can change."
"I agree with you Lucas," Royal paused, "Come on Mae lets go the girls and Nathan will be at the restaurant shortly."
Mae crossed her arms, "I guess. I'll see you girls later."
The group exchanged goodbye and parted ways. The two cheerleaders quickly slipped into the locker room. They were both nervous about dinner and fussed over every detail about their appearances. The honey blonde freshmen dressed pretty conservative and casually compared to her brunette friend. Haley had decided to wear a yellow sundress that had wide thick straps and hit a few inches above her knee. She had put her hair into a simple side-swept braid and retouched her makeup. On her feet she wore a pair of brown wedges, giving her a few inches of extra height.
Brooke had dressed a little differently then Haley. The brunette wore a black one shoulder dress that hugged each of her curves and a pair of red stilettos. Her hair was down and straight, her makeup was dark and perfectly applied. She looked classy but still a little too dressed up to meet her boyfriend's grandparents at a college town restaurant.
"Finally," Nathan sighed as the two girls made it out of the locker room. "I was starting to think you two chickened out."
Haley rolled her eyes as she walked up to Nathan and kissed him, "Thanks for your vote of confidence, Nathan."
"What? It wouldn't be the first time Brooke ditched dinner with my grandparents. I kind of expected her to use you as an excuse," Nathan retorted.
"Well me and Brooke actually meet you grandparents on the way to the locker room," Haley said.
Brooke nodded, "We we're totally ambushed by Lucas and your grandparents."
Nathan groaned," I am sorry I wasn't there when you meet them Haley. Coach had the team escorted into the locker room the moment the court got stormed."
"It's fine, let's just get to dinner," she paused before adding, "with Brooke. I had to stop her from running out of the back entrance of locker room."
Brooke gasped, "Haley you promised not to tell anyone!"
The ride to the restaurant was filled with Brooke's ramblings and rants, paired with the occasionally eye roll from either Nathan or Haley. Unlike her brunette friend Haley was not freaking out about dinner with Nathan's grandparents. She had managed to get through the worst part, meeting them, without any troubles, and with Nathan by her side she knew she wouldn't have anything to worry about. Even though Brooke had been rambling about horror stories she had heard from Lucas, Haley figured that the captain of the cheer squad was over exaggerating. Little did Haley know that Brooke wasn't and Royal Scott was as bad as she described.
"Nathan, great game!" Royal complimented as soon as the three arrived to the table at the somewhat expensive restaurant in Durham.
"Yeah, man I have to say that last basket of yours was pretty good," Lucas added.
Nathan shrugged as he and the girls sat down, "Well I am one of the best players of the team. I am captain after all."
"Thanks Luke you managed to add to his ever growing ego," Haley replied earning a grin from Lucas.
"I have to agree with Haley, Nathan you shouldn't gloat so much," Mae scolded. "But we are not going to talk about basketball tonight. I want to get know Brooke and Haley."
"Mae-" Royal began.
"No basketball talk, Royal. Now Brooke you Lucas met in Tree Hill, but how Haley did you Nathan meet?" Mae asked.
Haley bit her lip as nerves seem to suddenly fill her body, "Um well-"
"Nathan and Haley already kind knew each other when they meet," Brooke said saving Haley from trying to explain. "See I might have told Nathan and Luke all about Haley and vice versa."
"Brooke more or less told me Haley's life story before I even meet her," Nathan added.
"Hey, at least you didn't have to hear Brooke talk about her new best friend from cheer camp the whole way to Duke from Tree Hill," Luke stated, earning mixed expressions from Mae and Royal.
Brooke rolled her eyes, "Anyway I was planning on introducing Haley to all my friends at the same time, but someone just had to go find her himself and meet her."
"I just happened to have meet Haley after one of her classes one day. I didn't hunt her down," Nathan defended, as a waiter walked up the table.
The waiter introduced himself, and quickly took the group drink requests and went over the menu. Haley was relieved she felt she had barely talked, and she hoped no one noticed. She just had frozen, and it sunk in that she was having dinner with Nathan's grandparents! Haley only barely knew anything about the Scott family.
"So Haley did you grew up a Duke Basketball fan?" Royal asked earning a glare from Mae.
Haley shook her head, "No, I actually didn't grow up a fan of basketball really. My family roots for Clemson though during football season or my brothers do anyway."
"Are you from South Carolina?" Mae then quickly added, "That's where Deb, Nathan's mother family is from."
"Yes ma'am, I grew up in a small town called Honey Groove. It's an hour from Clemson." Haley answered.
"You know Nathan got an offer from the University of South Carolina, he turned it down of course," Royal informed.
Mae was about to scold her husband for trying to talk about basketball, but luckily for Royal, the waiter returned to table with their drinks and then took their dinner orders.
"So Brooke and Haley what are you two majoring in?" Mae quickly asked as soon as the waiter left the table
"I am majoring in fashion," Brooke announced. "I hope to have my own line one day."
"I am still undecided," Haley replied. She still had no clue what she wanted to do in life, being in college had only confused her more.
Mae had continued to question the girls, with Royal occasionally trying to slip in some basketball talk. The eldest Scott man was reprimand by Mae each time he tried, Haley wished though the Mae would just let the boys just talk about basketball. The freshmen felt like she was being interviewed by Nathan's grandmother for a job, the job being Nathan's girlfriend. Luckily Nathan's hand had found hers underneath the table, and as soon as Nathan's fingers interlaced with hers, being grilled by his grandma was totally worth it.
"Lucas when do you plan to release another book?" Mae asked. The group was currently in the middle of eating their dinner. When the food had arrived Haley had been thankful as Mae's attention seemed to switch over to her grandsons.
"After college, I am not in a big rush." Lucas answered.
Royal sipped his drink quietly before his attention turned to Nathan, "Nathan what about you? Are you thinking about entering the draft this year?"
Mae shook her head as Nathan replied, "I don't know. It depends how this season goes. I mean I would really like to leave college with a National championship."
Haley's heart sank and is stayed like that for the rest of dinner. It was the first time she realized that Nathan might not stay at Duke next year, or even after basketball season. She couldn't imagine being at Duke without him. Nathan had become her rock, her core, the one person she could depend on. With Nathan she felt protected and whole, yet it scared Haley, she was falling in love with Nathan Scott too quickly and too hard.
"So did my grandparents totally scare you off?" Nathan asked as he and Haley walked into her dorm room. "You were kind of quiet after we got our food."
Haley kicked of her shoes as Nathan closed the door behind them."No, they didn't scare me off," She answered.
"Good, because I be really upset if they did," Nathan said.
"Whys that?" Haley asked.
Nathan sighed as he pulled Haley to him. One arm held her small body against him, while his other hand caressed the side of her face as he stared into her warm brown eyes. "Is not obvious to you?"
"Um, not really," Haley answered. She was confused and not sure what Nathan was trying to get at.
"Promise not to freak out?"
"Nathan," Haley began, "I am going to freak out if you don't tell me whatever you trying to tell me."
"I love you Haley. I know we've only been dating a month, and I know that we haven't known each other that long, but I love you." Nathan waited for Haley to freak out after his declaration.
"I love you too, Nathan." Haley whispered before crushing her lips onto his. In that moment everything in Haley's life was perfect. It didn't matter how little she knew about Nathan's family, or how long they knew other, they were just little details that didn't matter. The only thing that matter at that moment was that they loved each other.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and thanks for continuing to support this story! This is the longest chapter I have written so far and I hope it wasn't too long! I hoped you enjoyed it! Please leave any review/comment/questions. Thanks again- Bedazzlement.
