For some reason I was positive that I updated Monday and not Saturday. I hate that I start every A/N with saying that I'm sorry. I was about to write the chapter two days ago but I was beat. Then yesterday my sister and mom decided to watch a movie and we watch through the computer (that we connect to the TV) so I couldn't write. And I had like an hour and a half after the movie (I don't start writing the chapter until I know that I have at least two hours to write) but aside from that, my outlines were a mess and definitely not specific enough for my liking. So I just sat and worked on my outlines. Like I told FindMeBroken, the chapters come out much better if the outlines are more specific :) .

I hate to write excuses too. But I write them anyway :O . I hope that you continue reading and reviewing, and this time I will try to UD ASAP. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Somewhere Else

"Nathan is mad and thinks that you were overstepping your boundaries," Lindsey said all in one breath.

"Lindsey!" Haley turned to her friend with her mouth open. Actually, she shouldn't have been surprised at all. She knew that Lindsey would tell Lucas sooner or later, but not just as Lucas entered her door. "First off, I never said mad, and second, I never said 'Go ahead tell Lucas'." Haley glared at her friend; a gesture that was returned by a shrug.

"Well I'm just surprised you didn't tell me and not have this one right here say it," Lucas squeezed Lindsey's shoulder when he passed her and then dropped next to her.

"I would if Lindsey would give me the chance," Haley argued looking accusingly at Lindsey. "I wasn't even planning on telling Lindsey until she cornered me into it."

"I did not corner you into it! You know that," Lindsey said. It was just like the two friends to exaggerate.

Lindsey didn't actually corner Haley into telling her about Nathan. It was something that just occurred naturally. Lindsey comes over, asks what's going on with Nathan, she answers. She did it almost mindlessly. It was definitely going to be something she had to get used to if she wanted at least some things between her and Nathan to remain between her and Nathan.

"Bastard deserves it anyway," Lucas leaned back placing his hands on the floor.

"Lucas!" Haley scolded. "Nathan is not a bastard."

He looked at her and then turned to Lindsey and the two started laughing.

"What?" Haley looked at her two best friends and when they didn't reply and continued laughing she repeated herself only she was more annoyed.

"You defend him so quickly," Lindsey smiled. "It's cute."

"I'm just annoyed that Lucas and Nathan find the need to fight all the time," Haley said trying not to draw attention to her now red cheeks.

"Sorry Haley, I'm going to just keep on thinking he's a bastard," Lucas replied, though not apologetically at all.

"It's a good thing Haley's dating him and not you," Lindsey laughed.

Haley smiled and shook her head right as her phone rang. She reached for it, her friends looking at her.

"Hi," she smiled when she heard the person on the other line.

Lindsey elbowed Lucas, smiling and the two went to sit on Haley's bed.

"No, I don't have plans Saturday," her smile widened.

Lindsey and Lucas began fanning themselves and pretended that they were blushing.

Haley made a movement for them to stop and slightly turned away from them. "Yes, eight would be perfect."

"It would be perrrrrfect," Lindsey and Lucas echoed.

Haley turned to them and glared. "Yeah, I'm feeling good... yes!"

"Oh Nathan!!" Lucas and Lindsey exclaimed.

"One second," Haley said into the phone and then pressed it to her chest. "If you two don't shut up I'm going to kick you out of my house and you will starve for dinner because my parents won't feed you." Haley returned to her conversation with Nathan. "Hey, sorry," she replied sweetly. "No, it's just Lucas and Lindsey... no, it's not a bad time..." she laughed. "Okay... I miss you too. Bye." She ended the call.

"I miss you," Lindsey and Lucas sighed as Lindsey fell into Lucas' arms and he began fanning her.

Haley kicked them with her foot. "That's it, no dinner."

"You're so sweet, Nathan!" Lindsey ignored her latest comment, knowing she didn't mean it.

"Oh, Haley! I miss you so much, my heart aches," Lucas replied and then the two began making smooching noises.

"Shut up!" Haley crossed her arms across her chest. She loved her friends, but for the next few minutes she was going to pretend to be mad at them because they were embarrassing her. This making fun of her was definitely going to become a cycle.

"Hey girlie," Lindsey sat down next to Haley the next day. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Tutoring," Haley replied. "First time I'll be tutoring this guy."

"Oh, the excitement," Lindsey laughed.

"Why don't you tutor?" Haley asked her. Realizing she had never asked, though she wondered about it previously.

"Because I don't want to," Lindsey took out a notebook looking over some notes.

"Because you're spoiled," Haley answered for her friend, smiling.

"No," Lindsey leaned forward. "Because I didn't cheat on a geometry test in tenth grade."

Haley's jaw dropped. "Lindsey!" she exclaimed.

"Stating the facts," she shrugged.

"I told you not to tell."

"Who's telling? I'm just saying that's the reason. I don't feel the need to tutor, that's all. I didn't know you back then anyway."

"And then stupid me had to introduce myself," Haley stuck out her tongue.

"You're glad you did and you know it," Lindsey smiled.

Lindsey transferred in from Concord Carlisle Regional High School in Concord, Massachusetts, in the middle of their Sophomore year. Lindsey's mom had been transferred to Tree Hill. Her father would fly into New-York wherever they were living anyway. He ran an editing company and it wasn't necessary for him to be at New-York all the time. When they lived in Concord, he spent the same amount of time in New-York as he had when they moved to Tree Hill.

"I'll see you, Linds," Haley looked at her watch and then got up.

"Have fun," Lindsey smiled.

"I intend to. No matter how I got into tutoring," Haley stuck out her tongue.

"Get out of here," she laughed pushing her friend playfully. It was truly amazing how close she had become to the girl in a matter of two years. The same went for her relationship with Lucas when Haley introduced the two. She fit right in with them, she didn't even feel left out, which was weird seeing as Lucas and Haley have known each other since elementary school.

Haley sat in the cafeteria next to her usual group and poked at her food. How could she sit next to a bunch of students she had absolutely nothing in common with when she now knew how it felt to be so incredibly close to two people?

"No, Brooke, he is not interested in you!"

"So is," another friend of Brooke's replied as the group continued to argue.

Haley looked up and caught Emma staring at her. She knew she wasn't wanted in that table, at least not by Emma. And truth be told, she didn't even want to be sitting there, but she didn't know anyone else and wasn't close enough to anyone to sit with someone else. Couldn't there be someone else like Lindsey and Lucas in her school? Well, her current grade, because Lindsey and Lucas were from the same school. She had to remind herself because the two different classes, the class of '03 and the class of '09, were so incredibly different.

"Haley, you want to go guy-hunting with us tonight?" Brooke offered, smirking.

"You did not just call it guy-hunting," some blonde-girl laughed.

Brooke turned to her, "Hanging out at the mall at night is for that exact reason. That's why we're not going ice-skating or something, right?" The girls laughed as she turned back to Haley.

"I can't I'm busy," Brooke's interruption gave Haley plenty of time to come up with an excuse that she was going to use because saying that she had a date with Nathan was not something she could really advertise. "My mom's friend from college is in town with her family so I have to be there. Sorry."

"Does she have any hot sons?" Brooke smirked.

"Uh... her son's in college and he's not coming. She has a fourteen year-old daughter if you care. Oh, and a ten year-old son," Haley added.

"Well your night seems fun," Brooke rolled her eyes leaning back.

"Maybe at a later time," Haley said apolitically, though she wasn't.

"What's this about guy hunting and why are us guys not invited?" one of the guys sitting next to the group asked the girls.

"Because then guys wouldn't come seeing we're accompanied by you guys," someone answered rolling her eyes.

"Accompanied by loser guys at that," someone else added.

"Oh come on! You want us."

And with that, their conversation continued. At least that night Haley could get away from all of it and be with Nathan.

He sent her a text that she had to wear something elegant, just for the heck of it. She smiled at it and began thinking what she had.

Bevin walked by the kitchen and spotted Nathan leaning towards the floor, his head in his hands sitting frustratingly on a chair.

"What's wrong?" she asked almost nervously. "You look like you're going to gag." She stopped at the doorway.

Nathan looked at his roommate, remaining seated. "I don't know what Haley and I will have to drink."

"Umm, how about a drink?" she replied sarcastically taking a step towards him.

"No. I mean like should we have champagne or water, juice... I don't know," Nathan exhaled slowly. Since when was the drink choice such an issue on a date?

"What are you getting at?" Bevin looked at him confused.

Nathan looked up at her. "She's underage," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Bevin began laughing. Nathan looked at her surprised but she just continued laughing.

"What?" he questioned aggravated.

"Did you wait till you were of age to drink?" Bevin kinked her brow with a smirk.

"Bevin, she's not like I was when I was her age."

"Fine then," Bevin grabbed the chair next to his and sat down. "But I can't believe that's what you're concerned with when you're dating a sixteen year-old."

"It's legal," Nathan defended.

"-who's your student."

Nathan fell silent.

"It's hot, so whatever," Bevin winked. "All I meant by it was that what drink you two should have should not be your major issue."

Bevin got out of the chair and left the kitchen.

"That wasn't helpful, Bevin. Damnit," he yelled.

"Go with the champagne!" she yelled back from the other room.

"Thank you!"

Haley knocked on his door for the second time.

She spent the better part of the last few hours getting ready for the date. She didn't know where they were going but Nathan had told her to come hungry, which she did.

Haley stared at her hair for a long time. Her hair in the dreams was blonde and wavy and the hair she had now was brown and straighter than in the dreams. She didn't hate her look or her hair, but she was so much more confident in her dreams, maybe it wasn't her appearance that made a difference but maybe it was part of it.

"One second!" she heard from inside.

She looked down at the black purse in her hand and at her black ankle-strapped high heeled shoes.

A few seconds later the door opened and she looked up.

Nathan whistled making her laugh. "I said elegant, not Audrey Hepburn."

"Complaints?" Haley asked, noticing he was wearing a suit and a tie.

"None," Nathan smirked looking her up and down again. Her hair was held back in a high-ponytail and fell down in flawless waves.

He pointed towards the kitchen.

Haley nodded as he closed the door behind her and she followed him into the kitchen and then out to the balcony.

When she saw the view and the set table she gasped.

"Good to see that we could both surprise one another," he smiled holding the chair out to her.

She sat down and then looked at the view. "I didn't know you could see all this from your house. You didn't show me in the house tour."

"That tour wasn't really a house tour," Nathan chuckled, sitting opposite her. "The view was one of the main reasons Bevin and I took this place. That and the fact that we could afford it."

Haley nodded and looked to him.

"I'm not too much of a cook but I tried," Nathan laughed. "Bevin and I take turns preparing dinner and we weren't like many of the college students who ordered take-out all the time."

"So you do know how to cook," Haley laughed.

"I'll let you be the judge of that," he smiled at her. "First course is Caesar Salad, second is Mac n' Cheese and then Chocolate Covered Strawberries."

Haley stared at him wide-eyed. "You're not much of a cook?"

"Don't get the impression that I cook like this everyday," he chuckled.

"But you know how to cook this stuff."

"Sure, I know how to cook this stuff," Nathan smiled offering her some salad.

A few minutes later and Haley's plate was filled with macaroni. "Nice choice," she smiled. "Mac n' Cheese is food of the Gods."

"Glad you think so because I used to think it was a five-year-old thing," he laughed. "But I decided that if you don't' like Mac n' Cheese, I wouldn't be able to date you anymore."

Haley laughed. "I like it, so we're good."

"So, I'm just wondering... what did you name me in your cell phone?"

"It's not that interesting," she laughed. "It's my brother-in-law's name. I can't call him from my cell phone because he lives out of the country and he won't be calling my cell because that would be overly expensive."

"Smart," he smiled.

Haley took a sip from her water.

"Oh wait," Nathan took the bottle of champagne from the bucket on the floor. "Would you like some or... not? I mean you don't have to."

Haley looked at the bottle. "Uh, sure," she said noticing the wine glasses on the table. She took it and held it up for Nathan to pour into.

"You don't have to. I don't want to pressure you. Just if you want to then... yeah," he said nervously.

"No, it's fine," she smiled. "There is no age difference between us. Treat me your age," Haley laughed. "If you can."

"I can try," Nathan chuckled pouring the Champagne into her glass and then into his.

"So what did you major in?" Nathan smirked looking at her after she took a sip of the Champagne.

Haley shrugged. "About that we don't have to pretend," she said. "Maybe I'll teach English too." She got the idea from her dreams as the whole tutoring thing didn't sound too bad.

"Not a big singing star?" Nathan kinked a brow.

"As if I could do that," Haley took some Mac n' Cheese and popped it into her mouth. "I have terrible stage-fright. I can't play or sing in-front of crowds."

"Didn't you do that already?" Nathan questioned confused recalling the school assembly where she didn't sing anything short of perfect and definitely didn't have a quiver in her voice.

"I don't mind when I'm not alone on stage. Then I can comfort myself by saying that not everyone is looking at me," Haley laughed.

"Even when you're singing a solo?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just not scared then."

"Then maybe it's an illusion, that you're scared, I mean."

Haley shook her head, "It's not. I mean I was signed up for the fifth grade talent show-"

"Fifth grade," Nathan said. "See? Your theory is already flawed."

Haley raised her hand, "It's not flawed. I went up on stage and nothing, not a sound, came out of my mouth. I froze. It was horrible."

"Haley, this was fifth grade, things might've change from then."

"I'm not willing to check," Haley said embarrassed.

Nathan looked at her. "Do you audition for the spring musicals?"

She shook her head. "People who are part of the plays aren't really part of anything else. They're huge on plays. I'm not too big on acting, so no."

"So what are you involved in at school?"

"Concert Choir," Haley replied suddenly thinking that she really doesn't do too much at school. Was it all that different in the life she was comfortable in? She was merely a tutor, not even in any musical group. Music was the only thing that she liked in this life. "Brooke told me I should join the cheerleading team," she laughed.

Nathan chuckled. "You should."

"That's not my crowd," Haley shrugged.

"What is your crowd?" Nathan asked.

She looked into his eyes. It was the first time that someone asked that question without any mean intents. Whenever Brooke would bring it up, it was purely to remind Haley that she didn't have anyone but her.

The question was, whether to tell Nathan that she really didn't have anyone, or whether to tell him that she was part of some crowd that she wasn't really. Would it sound pathetic to him to hear that she had no real friends? "I hang out with Brooke and when we have to come early to concert rehearsals I-" Haley stopped speaking when she caught his eye. She remained silent for a few seconds. "I don't have a crowd," she said finally. "No one I can relate to or even talk to for that matter." Haley looked down at her Champagne glass. "Maybe that's why it felt even more right with us because I could talk to you." She looked up at him again.

"So not in Tree Hill High, but not even in middle school or elementary?"

"I had a good friend in elementary but she moved away just as we were about to enter middle school," Haley recollected. "We haven't kept in touch."

"So when have you and Brooke-"

"Brooke and I met in Tree Hill High. She told me that I looked like the type of person that would go well with her. Or something like that," Haley smiled. "Honestly though, I feel like she's my friend for the mere fact of trying to 'transform' me into one of those girls who- you know, the type of girls you probably see her hang out with."

"Wow," Nathan said. "I haven't really felt that way. I mean I had my b-ball crowd throughout my entire academic career. So I didn't feel that way with any of my friends. Maybe with my dad, how I always felt like I was only someone he could live his basketball dreams through."

"That's still feeling used," Haley thought aloud. Who knew that the two of them would have that in common?

"And about the fact of not having many people to talk to, up until Bevin there weren't too many people I could talk freely to. I still don't tell her everything. I guess I kind of close myself off because of my parents.

Haley nodded. She knew what he was saying. Not only because she plainly understood it, but because Nathan had already told her about his father... in her dreams.

"Nathan! I'm home," Bevin called out after she opened the front door.

"We're here," Nathan called. "You'll get to meet my roommate, finally."

"Oh shit," Bevin gasped. "I didn't mean to come in the middle of the date. It's okay, I'll go-"

"Bevin," Nathan laughed signaling for her to come out to the balcony.

Nathan smiled at Haley and they both got up, just as Bevin entered the balcony.

"Holy crap," Bevin exclaimed when she saw Haley. "She is hot," Bevin winked to Nathan, Haley turned red.

Nathan looked away and chuckled to himself.

"Oh, sorry," Bevin stuck out her hand for Haley to shake. "I'm Bevin."

"Haley," she replied.

"God, you're so cute! Isn't she cute, Nathan?"

"Bev," Nathan covered his eyes with his hands.

"Sorry," she apologized again. "I- I'm just going to go to my room. I approve of your choice, Nate," she called as she began to leave the balcony and then the kitchen.

Haley sat back down and when she caught Nathan's gaze they both began laughing. "She's like that," Nathan informed her.

"It's okay," Haley continued laughing. "I approve."

He smiled at her. "Want to have the strawberries in the living room?"

"Sure," she smiled back.

A/N: Reviews 很 appreciated :P