Authors Note: I apologize for my lack of updates but I've been busy. But I did get the chance to write a really long chapter. I hope you like it. And thanks again to all those who reviewed and gave out wonderful, inspiring words!

Rated T for minor profanity and a mention of drugs.

CHAPTER 10
"you gave me the best mixtape i have and even the bad song aint so bad
i just wish there was so much more than that, about me and you"
mixtape-butch walker

So here I am, tapping the ending my pencil on my desk, in the dusk of night. And I can't seem to concentrate on this calculus problem. My mind was caught up with him, his aura, that held my thoughts on cloud 9. That kiss was something that can nearly melt my whole body into my own shoes, especially since it was with Nathan Scott. I don't know but this cold, shaky feeling overwhelms me every time I think about him. It's different.

"Goodnight Hales!" My mother called out from the hall. I turned around towards her voice and saw her open my door open. I smiled brightly at her, as fake as it usually was. She glanced in my room, with her spectacles on the bridge of her nose.

"Still doing your homework as always, I see." She stated.

"Yup, my calculus homework. Mrs. Wilson packed us with a bunch of work today." I stated.

"Well don't stay up too late, Haley…. Good night." She said nodding, with her head still peaking out from my door.

"I won't." I replied, giving her an answer that would please her. "Good night." I finished as she gave me a short smile and closed the door softly, that caused that annoying squeaky sound.

I turned around, sighing at the relief of her face disappearing from my door, and turned to my half-finished homework. I lifted my eyebrows at the amount I had left to finish and groaned. A failing grade on calculus wouldn't look decent on my report card, especially since it's my senior year.

As soon as I picked up my pencil to continue on my next problem, I heard a crackling sound against my window. I mean, as if droplets of hail were falling on it. I dropped my pencil and hurriedly paced to my near window, and moved the curtains to the side. And there he stood, standing at the bottom floor, throwing random rocks at my window. I lifted up the window sill and leaned upon the ledge. He couldn't help but smile at the image of my face popping out.

"Hey!" He called out.

My eyes widened and I immediately hushed him to silence.
"Nathan, my parents might hear you." I whispered.

"So what?" He asked with a short grin.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Just because you're the rebel, doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."

"Just because you're the mayor's daughter doesn't mean you have to follow the rules either." Nathan replied as I stared at him with disbelief. I licked my lips and gave him an annoyed face.

"What do you want Nathan Scott?" I asked, changing the subject. Still, from my window sill, he couldn't look any more cuter.

"I want you to come with me." He answered with his hands tucked in his pocket.

"What!! Are you kidding me?." I asked.

"No, I'm not, Haley James. So let's go." He corrected, waving his hand to me.

I tilted my head in amusement and looked behind me at the blank door. I couldn't tonight, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Nathan… not tonight. Maybe tomorrow night." I said, whispering quietly.

He stared at me longingly with his piercing blue eyes. He jerked his eyebrow, that made chills crawl up my spine. Then I saw him heave heavily and gave me a quiet smirk.

"Fine, I was just hoping that maybe you'd want to go hang out in the outskirts of town tonight, but I guess since your too chicken then…" He said as I noticed him slowly turn around. I was immediately annoyed at his own little act and sighed heavily.

"Wait!" I said softly, to make sure my parents didn't hear me. "Come back in 30 minutes, or later. I want my parents to be really sleeping."

He turned around with a grin, and rose his eyebrow up. "How about you just jump out of your window and I'll catch you!" He suggested.

What the hell is wrong with this boy? He can really get a girl into dangerous situations, but how can I resist his unbelievable charm.

My eyes widened and I started to smile nervously. "You are kidding me Nathan Scott!"

"No I'm not. Just trust me, I'll catch you." I glared at him and stared around inside my bedroom.

"Are you serious? I am not climbing out of this two story house and believe you're going to catch me. NO!" I retorted with amusement. I folded my arms across my chest and stared at him.

He shrugged and gave me a short smile. "Fine then, I guess you won't get to eat those nice milkshakes and french-fries." He slowly turned on his heel, and I grew annoyed.

"Nathan!" I called out once again, as he turned around holding that mischievous grin. I groaned at his smirk, that sexy smirk.

"You better catch me!" I pointed my finger at him as I slid the window up a little more and lifted my left leg out first. He came closer towards the wall of the house as I had these chills crawl up and down my spine. This is not what you call romantic, because this is scaring the crap out of me. I can't jump!

"I'm scared!" I screamed softly.

"Come on, you got to trust me!" He begged as he had his arms laid out like a net.

I closed my eyes tightly as I finally lifted my other leg. And there I sat, on the sill where I sort of slipped. My butt was aching from the skinny length of the ledge.

"Ready, set, jump!" He called out as I squinted tightly and jumped. I squealed as I felt the air and gravity push me down. And in just a second, I found strong arms take a hold of my body.

My eyes gradually opened and saw his light blue eyes that reflected against the moon. I bit the bottom of my lip. Our breaths were heaving against each other and I smiled, like an innocent school girl.

"Nice jump. Your squeal couldn't be any louder." He laughed.

"oh hush!" He put me down back on the ground, thank goodness I was still standing on my own two feet. Then I hit him playfully on the shoulder.

He grabbed a hold of my hand, tugging me towards his vehicle.

"Wait! What about my window?" I questioned as I looked up at the opening on the second floor of my house. It looked so empty, and forbidden, I began to worry.

"Don't worry about it."

"What if a bird flies inside and dies, and then more and more flies come in to feast on the dead bird, and then suddenly they make my room as their empire?" I questioned, concerned about my precious room.

He laughed at my random rambles and nodded. "You are some weird girl, you know that. First you think a squirrel is going to murder you and now you think of this?"

"I can't help but be paranoid!" I snapped.

"Don't worry about it, your curtains will guard it." He answered as we both started to run off, once again.

------

Brooke was out on the town that night with Bevin when she encountered Matthew sitting by the café. He wore his letterman jacket which shined against the street lamps. Then he saw the two girls and realized that Bevin wasn't Haley.

"Well well, if it isn't the Drunk." Brooke mocked, as Bevin laughed beside her.

"Where's Haley?" He asked, sitting up from the brick ledge he was sitting on.

"At home I suppose, I told you not to worry." Brooke answered as she stopped to talk to him.

"Well I can't stop worrying. You know how much I care about her, I just don't want her to get hurt."

"For your information, Mr. Protective, Haley is more safe with Nathan than with you. You are full of booze and footballs stuck in your small sized head." Brooke rolled her eyes and walked off, ignoring the fool who wouldn't leave her alone.

Matthew grew frustrated and quickly grabbed a hold of Brooke's gentle arm in his grip.
"Listen to me Brooke, if Haley gets hurt I am blaming this all on you. You understand?"

"Get off of me!" She screamed, pushing his fist off her porcelain skin.

"You understand?" His breath swayed against her nose and she almost gagged,

"Ew, get a breath mint. You have issues and you really need to stop bothering me. Talk to Nathan or Haley, NOT ME!" Brooke explained as she finally pushed Matthew back down.

Matthew settled his bottom back against his seat and watched the two walk away. Brooke couldn't help but feel abused at that moment with his strong hands grabbing her arm like that. It nearly left a print.

"I need to keep Haley far away from Matthew." Brooke said towards Bevin. "Keep him far away."

"What about Nathan, he's just as horrible as Matthew. Matthew is known for his gentleman ways around town." Bevin explained. Yet, she was right. Everyone loved Matthew more than they loved Nathan. And it was pretty ironic that Brooke wanted Haley away from him than with the rebel.

"Matthew's different. He's bigger and abusive." Brooke answered as they turned the corner.
--------

I didn't know where Nathan was leading me but it seemed cute and small. I've never been to this parts of town ever, it was like a hidden country behind a busy, nosy town. Which Tree Hill was.

Nathan suddenly parked up to a adorable house with a wide porch and a little tiny porch light. It had a brick frame at the bottom and a vinyl at the top. It was gorgeous as I thought, but not as rich and wealthy as it seemed to be. The house was ragged, and a little torn. The whole image seemed as if it was a house from the olden days. From the 30's and 40's, to be exact.

"Who lives here?" I asked.

"I do." He answered, flashing his pearly whites at me and climbed out.

"Nateyy!" A petite little girl called out from the porch. I squinted to sharpen my sight of the girl's face. She was gorgeous with dark brown hair, and I realized she was the one I bumped into at church.

"Hey there Sammy!" He greeted ,lifting her up in his arms and turning around towards me. I hadn't even stepped out of his car, because I was mesmerized by the image in front of me.

He saw me watching and waved me to come out. So I undid my seatbelt and climbed out.

"You're pretty!" She said to me as I came closer.

"Thanks sweetie, so are you." I replied with a smile.

She looked partially like Nathan, but with a round, feminine face and longer lashes. Her long brown curls framed her smile, and her dimples twinkled with glee.

"This is Sammy, my little sister." Nathan said putting her down, on her own two feet.

"Well nice to meet you Sammy, I'm-" I bent down, stretching my arm towards her until she interrupted me.

"Haley James, daughter of Sheriff and Mayor James. I know a lot about you." She answered. I was pretty impressed with her logic of the town's citizens.

"Well, maybe someday I'll get to know a lot about you." I winked.

She jumped and squealed with a huge smile on her lips. "You want to come in, my mama made chicken?"

I looked up from her and saw Nathan's smirk. He shrugged his broad shoulders and I rolled my eyes.

"I'd be delighted." I answered, as Sammy skipped back into the house. When I turned towards the house, there was a screen door that opened from the outside and behind it was a beautifully carved, front door.

"Your sister is such a doll." I complimented as Nathan looked with a soft giggle. He scratched the back of his neck and grinned.

"Only when she wants to be."

I laughed as he lead me inside the house. I even felt his hand against my back, guiding me towards the dining room. And once I entered their humble abode, I was so surprised of how neat and clean it was. Which was ironic, since Nathan is the complete opposite of neat and clean. Everything seemed homey and warm. It felt so comfortable around this house with the flowery wall paper, and white molding, that carved a perfect curve.

Then as I entered the dining room, I saw a small and decent wooden table. I smiled as Nathan watched me. I could feel him watching me be intrigued by the sight.

"Don't be too fooled, this is how it looks at night. Wait until you see it in the morning." He winked at me, and I giggled.

"NATHAN, SAMMY! DINNER IS.." A lady called out as she came out of the kitchen. Her voice softened as soon as she saw my face. She was wearing an old, dirty apron, and her blonde hair was pinned up in a tiny mess.

"Well hello there Haley. Um I didn't know you were stopping by." Nathan's supposed mother stated as I flashed her a grin, just to be thankful to be in her house. And she began to wipe her hands upon her apron.

"I am so sorry I look like such a mess, I've been.."

"Oh, it's fine. Nathan just happened to drag me here. NOT that I don't want to be here, but it would've been nice for Nathan to have told you instead of you being surprised.." I cut her off politely, as I stole a quick glance towards Nathan who was leaning against the wall.

"Yes, Nathan, you should've told me." She glared at him. "Well I'm his mother, if you didn't know. And beforehand, I would like to apologize about Nathan's doings in the town. He's always been such a mischief, and always rebelling against everything. Even my rules." She explained.

"Sorry, I can't help it. I still love you though." Nathan said, trying to use his affection towards her.

"Although he does bad things, I still love him. But just in case the love fades, which I highly doubt, I keep a paddle waiting in the shack at the back." She joked. Then she came closer to me and held my hand and lead me to a chair.
"Well since you're here, stay and eat. I have chicken."

"I was going to stay anyways, Sammy already invited me."

Her eyes widened, "Oh you met Sammy?"

I nodded as I scooted my chair closer to the table. "She's adorable."

"I'm sure she is." She agreed. "I'll be back in a second. "

Her figure flew back into the kitchen, with the swaying door getting slower and slower. Then I turned to my side and saw Nathan's blue eyes just staring at me. Dead straight, with a little sparkle in them.

"What?" I asked.

"You thought I'd live in a crack house or something didn't you?" He asked with that familiar curl on his lips.

I was astonished by that comment. That was the last thing on my mind… well maybe I thought that a little bit back then. That was only when I didn't know Nathan as much as I do now. Before, I thought he lived under a bridge smoking coke, which I still have to find the truth about. I mean the whole drug thing.

"NO!" I snapped.

He chuckled at my response. "You don't have to lie now, Haley."

"I am not lying, Nathan. I swear I didn't think you lived in a crack house!" I rose my hands up high, and started to giggle at the thought of his jokes. He always joked, it made me mad though. But I liked it that way. I need a little humor in my life.

"You thought I lived under a bridge!" He started. I gasped loudly, with the feel of my eyes widening. He sure enough could read me like a book, and we hardly knew each other.

"You..!" I pointed playfully.

"Okay kids, here is the roast chicken I made especially for tonight. Eat up, now!" Mrs. Scott exclaimed holding a pot of steaming chicken. She laid the delicious, lemony scent in the center of the table and began to serve plates and utensils. Then little miss Sammy skipped into the dining room dressed properly in a nice sundress. I smiled at the glow of her adorable dimples then I heard Nathan laugh beside me.

"Nice outfit sis." He stated.

Their mother put her hands upon her hips and put all her weight on one foot.
"Well don't we have a princess in town."

Sammy settled herself in the seat across from me and clasped her hands together upon the table.
"Well since Miss Mayor's Daughter is here, I thought I should put on some nice clothes." She explained, as she closed her eyes in pride and held her chin high. She opened them and Sammy began to examine her own mother's outfit.

"Mommy, I think you should change too! I even set your clothes out, just in case!" Sammy suggested.

I shook my head at Mrs. Scott, motioning to her that it was fine just the way she was. And soon she came and sat at the table with us and we began to eat. First it was a little bit awkward for me, eating with someone else's family. Especially since this family was the most well-known yet unfavorable family in town.

The rest of the night went well, with laughter and stories that filled the night. I couldn't believe how amazing this family was compared to my own. At home, it was always plain business, arguments and quarrels between my parents. They lived their lives in their work, and they made me portray something that wasn't real. They made me look as if I was a good girl all my life and always doing the right thing. But I wasn't. I didn't. And now sitting here, eating roasted chicken, I felt complete. I was comfortable in my own skin, and not worrying about doing something wrong that would lead to a bad reputation.

Nathan's family didn't care about what everyone else thought, they were still happy. At least I thought so. After dinner, in the late, late night, me and Nathan sat on his porch steps and talked. His mother put Sammy to bed and she cleaned up I the kitchen.

He came out, draping me with a blanket that smelt sweet and he sat next to me.

"I enjoyed dinner tonight." I complimented, holding the blanket to my chin.

"Me too, although the chicken was a little dry, it was decent." I nudged him with my elbow as he gave out a soft chuckle.

"No really, I enjoyed it. Your family has such a big heart. I didn't expect that coming from you." He looked at me curiously, as if he wanted me to correct myself. "You know since you're the rebel in town. It all plays out differently in my mind than from what I experienced."

"I see, you thought there was abuse going on and issues behind my behavior in town." He stated as I nodded my head. I noticed by the way he looked down, bending his head that he was becoming distant in this conversation.

"Nathan, is there something going on?" I asked concerned.

"Nope." He answered quickly, lifting his head up from the porch step beneath him. He put on a familiar smile that I perfected for years. It was a solid, fake smile that only some can figure out.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Yeah.." He said softly.

Then there was silence, awkward stillness until I thought about something while I was in there. His father. I didn't see him anywhere. I heard him talking about him earlier before and how his father was once the rebel. So I thought that could be a great way to start a new conversation.

"So when will I meet your father?" I asked with an excited smile.

Nathan looked at me, without humor or smile or anything that desired happiness. H e licked his lips and he quickly looked down.

"He doesn't live here anymore." Nathan answered.

"Oh." I said, a little embarrassed by my question.

"Remember how I told you that my dad was the rebel of town once?" I nodded.
"Well.." He chuckled without a smile, "He wanted to be the ultimate rebel, so he decided to leave his family behind. He left me, my mom and my little sister when she was only 3 years old. That's why I didn't want to be like him. Not the kind who leaves those he loves behind. I wouldn't dare." He explained.

"I'm sorry Nathan." I apologized.

"Not that it matters, he's not going back in this town. If he does, I will, with all my might, crush him and make him regret everything he had done." Nathan replied with anger in his tone.

I shyly looked away, trying to ease away this tension that I had accidentally caused.
"Good thing you aren't going to follow his footsteps. At least, not that far into his journey." I stated.

"I promise I won't." He told me. He took my hand gently and slipped my charm bracelet that I had lost into my wrist. "You left that in my car the other day."

I smiled up at him and sighed at my precious bracelet. "And just so you'd know, I'm not going to leave you behind. I won't." He said softly as he came closer to me and gave me that wondrous kiss on my lips. It took a couple of seconds until we parted and our foreheads met, and then I smiled. Now the sway of our warmth breath against our lips was left.

Tonight I think I had fallen in love.