Thanks for the review- hopefully I didn't disappoint. And like most of you can anticipate this won't be the last of Dan, Deb, or any other blow outs.
Haley poked her head out of her bedroom door making sure the guys were still occupied with their video games. Seeing that they were she quietly shut her door as she sat Indian style on her neatly made bed.
"You are making a bigger deal out of this." Haley spoke into the phone as Peyton's laughter grew louder. Haley rolled her eyes. "Neither is it funny; Peyton come on! I didn't realize that when you said 'Haley how was the dinner?', that I was going to be tormented again- this time by you!"
"Oh Haley, you know I'm kidding! But honestly, he asked that and you responded with that?"
Haley laid on her back as Peyton continued tormenting her. "Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most smooth going answer but," Haley felt the tickle of a laughter slowly build up as she remembered the dinner two nights ago. Nathan had asked her if she thought he was a Dan, in which she didn't of course. But at the moment she was completely shocked. She wasn't expecting the question but she wasn't expecting a night like that either. But as Nathan asked her she could tell that he was really depending on her opinion to make it through the night. But she couldn't find the words to let him know she didn't, however her body made up for her voice. She couldn't help it; it was as if she was having an out of body experience. Haley saw herself being pulled by an invisible lasso towards Nathan, and when she was close enough she lifted herself up by the tips of her toes and gave him a small, gentle peck on the cheek. Then with that she went back to bed.
"I can't even remember it really. I mean its like one of those dreams were you know it's happening but you think your going to wake up any minute."
"Oh but Haley this wasn't a dream." Peyton said teasingly as Haley placed her hand on her head. God why didn't she lie!
"Some part of me feels like you wanted to place that kiss somewhere else."
"Peyton!"
"And I don't mean on the lips."
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Haley could feel her cheeks turn a shade darker as she thought of it. But before she could even start to go deeper into those sinful images she heard the guys yell about the game which quickly brought her back. "Sawyer lets change the subject, please?"
"Lets say you do like Nathan, why is that so bad?"
"I don't know, for one he's Luke's brother and second we just aren't compatible. Now let's not talk about this anymore, okay?
"You know I'm kidding Hales, right?"
"I know. Anyways," Haley tried to smoothly change the subject. "How's Jake?"
"Jakes fine, we've been trying to spend as much time as possible before Brooke and I take off to LA in a month. It's crazy, one month Haley, one month! How rad is that?"
"Very. I'm just glad the three of us will be together again. Miss you guys. So find a place yet?"
"Actually we did, it's this small apartment not to far from LA so it'll be easy for us to come back and forth between the jobs."
Again the shout of vulgar language and competitive voices was heard once again this time followed by a loud crash. Haley opened the door as she removed the phone with Peyton's babbling voice away from her ear and listened to the sounds of the game or the guys. Nothing. With a sigh she brought the phone back to her ear. "Listen I have to get going, but tell Brooke I said hi."
"Very well, now don't go on sleeping with any Scotts. Bye!" Peyton quickly said before she hung up.
Not being able to hold her smile back Haley placed her cell on the dresser as the smile spread from practically ear to ear. Not because she was thinking of that but because it was funny. Well, at least that's what she kept telling herself. Making her way from her bedroom she walked into the living room however, she didn't make it far. She has stopped dead in her tracks at the sight in front of her. She placed her hand over her mouth in shock. She couldn't believe it she left the guys for only five minutes and in that amount of time they managed to do some damage.
Haley stayed back as she watched the guys try to be as quiet as possible cleaning up the broken glass. After she got over her state of shock she couldn't help but admit that the sight alone was very amusing.
"So were you guys planning on telling me about this?"
Both Nathan and Lucas shot up from their kneeling positions at the sound of Haley's voice. They both had a face of a five year old that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"We were just…not until another four years." Luke added as he brushed a piece of class to the side with a doleful smile. "But just for the record, this was Nathan's fault."
"Oh was it?" Haley asked.
"No, of course not…well maybe. Sort of. Yes." Nathan answered sighing in dread of Haley's reaction.
He watched as she nodded and sighed multiple times as she made her way closer to the shattered glass sculpture that laid on the living room floor. "Well, then that only means one thing. Luke clean it up."
"What?"
"Since Nathan did me the favor of breaking that hideous thing that my grandma gave me you can do the favor of cleaning it up!" She said with a giggle. They watched as Luke's get moved back and forth between Haley's smiling face and Nathan's amused expression. He mumbled something inaudible to them and went to fetch the dust pan and broom.
"Sorry for this, if I known that your grandma gave it to you I would of-"
"What? Told me sooner than four years?"
Nathan laughed. For the past few weeks he had noticed that change in him. He had to admit it; whenever Haley was around he couldn't help but smile at everything she did or whenever she was around. To be honest, he wasn't sure why. As he scrolled through the reasons on why or how he felt like you always scratched out the idea of him liking Haley.
He knew better. He knew that he couldn't change his ways, that he wasn't enough for her. That she deserved better than some basketball playboy. Besides, what would a girl like Haley see in guy like him anyways? Nothing.
Simply that. Nothing.
As if remembering that Nathan's smile quickly faded as he cleared his throat. "Well, I'm going to clean up and the head off."
Haley's eyebrows squinted as she felt the energy in the air shift from laughter to awkwardness.
"Okay, coming through." Luke said with the tint of dullness in his voice. Haley sat on the edge of the sofa as she watched Lucas brush up the broken glass. At this time, Nathan had also begun to put the controllers away and pick up the bear cans.
Finding it odd how the conversation and energy shifted to awkward and tense, Haley was dumbfounded by it all. She knew Nathan and her were just starting to come out of their shells since the whole phone conversation but she seriously thought they were over that. Haley honestly felt that Nathan might like her in some way like her; as friends of course. But maybe that was just her being hopeful. Nathan is probably still the same guy she met when she first moved here; the cocky, full of it, basketball half-brother of Luke's. No way could someone of his status and reputation every consider someone like Haley.
Looking at the clock that hung over the lamp in the far right corner Haley nearly screamed as she saw the time. "Oh no I'm going to be late!" She said panicking slightly as she jumped from her spot on the couch and raced off to her bedroom.
Luke and Nathan stopped there cleaning as they watched Haley speed off, then slowly looking at each other. "Haley what are you talking about?" Luke shouted as he set down the dust pan and broom.
A minute later Haley rushed back out however, this time she was dressed in her black knee length pencil skirt and a peach silk top. "My orientation." She said almost out of breath as she hopped into her heals.
"For what?"
"The school! Today's my first day to meet everyone and find my way around; I also get to learn when I officially start." She threw out as she fixed her hair in a neat bun then applied just a smudge of makeup. Nodding with approval of her fast put look she turned to face Luke who still had a confused look on his face. "Luke don't just stand there come on."
"Come one? Haley what the hell are you talking about? I can't take you."
"What?" Haley's asked as she felt her face drop. "Luke we talked about this last week, you said you could!"
"Well, I can't anymore. I have a deadline for tonight and I have to head to the office- I'm sorry."
She nodded her head as she showed some kind of emotion to her nearly drained body. What was she suppose to do now? Not show up? This was her career they were talking about, her job; she couldn't let them down when she hadn't even started working there yet.
"Listen, Nathan will take you."
Haley and Nathan's head shot up.
"I will?"
"He will?" They both said unison.
"Please Nate? You even said it yourself today you have nothing to do. So can you take Haley?"
Nathan sighed, maybe a little too loudly, for Haley heard it and quirked her head. "Look Nathan you don't have to…I can always take the city bus-"
"You are not taking the city bus, those things are filthy hales." Turning to Nathan one last time he asked, "So what do you say?"
"No I can-I will."
-- -- -- --
"It's right down this street and on the far right."
The car ride to the school was as quiet as someone stranded in the middle of the ocean. Neither one could explain why. This had never been an issue before but suddenly everything was different- again. A few minutes later they arrived in front of the building, Nathan pulled to the side as he let the engine running.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Haley climbed out of the passenger door and closing it behind her. As she took her steps she waited for Nathan to stop her, to say something.
"Haley."
She did her best to turn with some surprise. "Yes?" Nathan shifted closer to the window as a passing car made its way. "How long do you think this will take?"
"Oh, I don't know. I'm assuming an hour or so. Why?" She watched as Nathan made a face. She immediately knew what that meant. "Don't worry I don't expect you to be here when I get out, I'll just take the bus."
With that, Haley turned and headed up the stairs and into the school.
-- -- -- --
"So this will be your classroom. Room 23, see?" Mr. Turner pointed to the black numbers on the side of the door. They were already forty five minutes into the tour, and she had already seen the whole school plus the gym and auditorium. She couldn't decide whether the tour in general bored her or the way Mr. Turner explained things did, all she knew was she liked the school and couldn't wait to start. Oh yes, that's the one thing they hadn't talk about; when she would start.
"Excuse, Mr. Turner."
"Yes Miss. James?"
"I was just wondering…I mean I love the school and I can't wait to teach fulltime, so I was wondering when I start…officially that is?" Haley asked as she twisted the ring on her pinky in small circles.
Haley couldn't help but feel this would end horrible. That Mr. Turner would laugh in her face and scream never letting everyone hear. But instead Mr. Turner smiled and merely asked, "How does next week sound?"
-- -- -- --
She got it! She got it! Finally Haley got the one thing she always dreamed about, the one thing she worked so hard to get, and the one thing she knew she would somehow be. The smile on her lips hadn't faded but merely grew bigger since Turner told her the news. Next week. Next week she would be one of them in there, one of the creators, and she could hardly wait.
Walking down the steps and to the direction of the bus stop she heard a couple of girls laugh. Out of curiosity she turned her head to see three girls laughing as someone who was inside a blue porshe.
Just like Nathan's she thought. Though not intentionally her eyes glanced at the car plate, SXYSCOT. Just like…Nathan? Haley stopped in her tracks as she made her way to the blue porshe. She watched the group of girls giggle a goodbye and cross the street, this couldn't be Nathan, he told her he couldn't wait. Maybe not exactly in those words but he still showed it.
Creeping to the passenger window she peaked her head in and saw Nathan texting. "Nathan?" She questioned out loud. He looked up, his expression not changing nor did he even say anything.
"What are you doing here? I thought you took off?"
Setting his phone down he shrugged. "I didn't."
What the hell was with him today? Rolling her eyes in frustration Haley snorted. "Really? But why did you stay?"
"Because…um, Luke would have killed me if I let you take the bus." Nathan said rather coyly. "Come on, I'll take you home." He opened the passenger door from the inside and started the engine.
Haley let out a slow breathe. That's what she kept telling herself, breathe. That was the trick, right? To keep breathing.