Wow, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I've got midterms this week and I haven't been feeling well lately so they really brightened up my day. So, here's the next chapter for you guys. Please read and review!

Chapter 20

"Welcome back, ladies," Brooke said as she stood in front of the squad. It was now Wednesday, and it was the first meeting for the cheerleaders. "Did you all enjoy your summer? Good," she stated before anyone could actually answer. "Because play time is over." Here it comes, thought Haley. The Cheer Nazi returns. "As you all know, Duke lost last season to UNC—which also equals a loss for us. To fix that, we're going to have to work twice as hard this year."

"Oh joy," Peyton muttered causing Haley to smile.

"Our cheers are going to be cheerier, our dance moves will be fierce, and our entire routine will be flawless. This year, Duke will come out on top. When our men make it to the championship, it will be our halftime show that will have everyone talking for ages to come. And most importantly, we're going to show those UNC bitches who's boss. So who's with me?" All the girls—except for Peyton and Haley—looked at Brooke like she was crazy. But that was just the way she was when it came to cheerleading. She wanted to be the best and she would expect nothing less.

"I said who's with me?!" she repeated in a firm tone while glaring at all of them.

"We are!" they all shouted quickly.

"That was better. Pitiful, but better." For the next ten minutes, Brooke began to describe their new routines and the main one that would be reserved for the halftime show come the end of the season.

"…now I realize that we've lost a few girls this semester. So I've decided to hold some tryouts to fill the remaining spots. I've posted flyers around campus. They will begin next Wednesday until that Friday from six o'clock to ten at night."

"Will we take part in the judging?" Nina asked.

"Not everyone. It will just be Haley, Peyton, and myself," Brooke explained. That was Haley's least favorite part of cheerleading. Every year, they'd have to deal with the good, bad, and the ugly who auditioned. She was not looking forward to sitting around for four hours and three nights straight critiquing countless girls. Usually after the first hour, both she and Peyton would be ready to stab their eyes out. It was that bad. But Brooke always insisted that her best friends and fellow star cheerleaders join her to help make the final decision. So, she went along with it in the end. A few seconds later, Haley was broken out of her thoughts by Brooke's prattling on. She informed the girls of the days and times that practice would be held this season. In addition to that, she listed off a few important dates that they'd all need to remember.

"Ok, now that that's all out of the way, let's warm up," Brooke finished.

"Bring it in, guys," Coach K called. The first thing he'd done when the team had gathered was make them run suicides. It was only ten minutes into their first meeting/practice and they were already sweating and out of breath. "Welcome back. It's nice to see that most of you haven't gone completely soft over the summer." Like that would happen in Dan's house, thought Nathan.

"My colleagues and I have repeatedly looked over the tapes from last season. Even though we lost that last game during the championships, I'm not going to stand up here and yell. You guys did your best under the circumstances. But at the same time, I'm not going to let it happen again, either. That championship trophy will be ours by the end of this season. And do you want to know why?" All the guys nodded for him to continue. "Because we are all going to work our asses off. Starting today, there will be four practice sessions a week for two hours—Tuesday through Friday. In addition to that, I want all of you hitting the weight room or gym at least two times a day on the days we do not have practice. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Coach," they all replied in unison. This season was going to be brutal. Nathan could already tell.

"We are so screwed," he heard Lucas mumble next to him.

"Our first game will be on October 27. So that gives us almost two months to train. If there is any slacking off or failure to comply with this schedule, you'll be benched. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, Coach," they stated.

"Alright then. You can start the drills now," Coach K instructed.

"This should be fun," Jake muttered between Lucas and Nathan. Apparently, they all knew they were in for it.

"Nathan," Coach K called. "Could you come here for a minute?" Nathan shot both Lucas and Jake looks before heading over.

"What's up, Coach?" he asked.

"I heard that you got married. Is that true?"

"Yes," Nathan replied.

"Have I met her?"

"No, I don't think so. But she's right over there," Nathan said pointing to the cheerleaders.

"Which one is she?"

"Haley is the petite blonde in the middle," he answered—a little curious as to why his coach was so interested in his personal life. He never cared before.

"Congratulations," Coach K commented.

"Uh, thanks," he replied as he forced himself to look him in the eye.

"Look, Nathan, your father called me the other day," the older man began. I knew something was up. "Now I know that he can sometimes blow things out of proportion…"
That's an understatement. "…but he asked me to keep an eye on you. He seems to think that your game might be aversely affected this season. He didn't mention why but I'm assuming that it has to do with your marriage. I just wanted to talk with you. You had a rough time during that last game. Where's your head at?" Nathan couldn't believe that his father was already starting. He hadn't even had one whole practice yet.

"I'm ready, Coach. I've been training all summer and I'm determined to do better this season. I'm not going to let some stupid missed shot screw up my chances of bringing us back to the championship. And as for my dad, he is overreacting. He wasn't too thrilled when I told him I'd gotten married. But if anything, my wife will help keep me focused."On what I have no idea. But he doesn't need to know that.

"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. You're one of my best players, Nathan. Everyone is counting on you to bring us back to the championship this year."

"I know," Nathan stated. "That's why I'm not going to let you down, Coach."

"I know you won't," Coach K said as he gave him a hard pat on the back. "I've come up with a few new strategies that will play to your strengths. I'll be going over them next practice."

"Thanks, Coach" Nathan replied.

"No problem. Just don't disappoint me out there. Now go join your teammates in the drills." Nathan nodded before heading back over to Lucas and Jake.

"Is everything all right?" Lucas questioned with a concerned expression on his face.

"Yeah," Nathan answered not quite looking at him. He was still fuming about Dan. How dare he go behind my back and talk to my coach. It was none of his business but of course Dan Scott could never really grasp that concept. Nathan didn't want to but he knew he'd have to call him later. If he let it go, his father would just keep doing it.

A second later, Coach K's whistle shook him out of his troubled thoughts—signaling the start of the drills. Nathan just pushed it all to the back of his mind and tried to focus on basketball. The game had always been his way of escaping when he was a kid. Fifteen years later and there was still no difference. So, as they did their drills and played their games, Nathan concentrated solely on that. It was just him, his teammates, the ball, and the hoop. And in that world, nothing else mattered.

Haley walked into the apartment around seven thirty that night. It had been a very long day. Wednesday was turning out to be her busiest day of the week. She had three back-to-back classes that lasted from the morning to early afternoon. At one o'clock she had gone to cheer practice for an hour. Then after that, she had to go to the Tutoring Center to welcome all the new tutors that had been added to the staff. She told them all about the rules and the basics of their job.

After that was completely finished, she was picking up her list of new tutees when Andrew had walked through the door freaking out about his advanced calculus class this semester. It had taken everything in Haley not to wrap her hands around his throat and choke him after the mess he had created for her and Nathan. So, after another hour of him spazzing and her trying to get him to shut up and calm down, Haley was finally back. She dropped her messenger bag with all her books by the door. She noticed that the TV was on with some basketball game playing. She just left it on since Nathan was most likely watching it.

Haley then headed into the kitchen to make some dinner. All she'd had for lunch was a granola bar. So, by this time, she was starving. Haley searched through the cupboards looking for something quick and easy to make. Her eyes then landed on the box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. She usually liked to make her own but she didn't have the time or the energy to do so right now. She took one of the pots that was hanging up and filled it with water before putting it on the stove to boil. Afterward, Haley walked back to her bag to retrieve her book for her elementary education class. She had to read the first two chapters of it for Friday. She sat down at the counter in the kitchen and started to read as she waited for the water to be ready.

Within a few minutes, she heard it boiling. Haley got up to dump in the macaroni and right amount of salt before stirring it and walking back to her seat. As she waited, she tried to concentrate but the TV was on too loud. She looked to the living room and saw that Nathan was still not there. Sighing, she got up and went to turn down the volume. That's when she heard it—the yelling. Haley could make out Nathan's voice from the bedroom. She didn't hear any other voices so she assumed that he was on the phone.

"I told you to just stay out of it. I have everything under of control," he shouted firmly. The hostility was evident in his voice. That much Haley could tell.

"No, Dad, those are your plans...I'm the one who's been busting my ass and doing all the work!" As Nathan continued to argue, Haley returned to the kitchen and finished making dinner. She wanted to know what was going on but she also didn't want to be rude and eavesdrop. Just as she had filled up her bowl, she heard the bedroom door open and footsteps down the hall. Haley saw Nathan take a seat on the couch and stare at the TV—not really watching it. She waited a couple of minutes before getting up and walking into the living room.

"Hey, um, I made dinner if you want some," she offered. "It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done." It took a few seconds before Nathan pried his eyes away from the TV to look at her. He was still seething about his argument with Dan and just wanted to be alone.

"No thanks," he replied curtly. Haley nodded before walking back into the kitchen. However, Nathan heard his stomach growl a little while later. He hadn't gotten a chance to go to the dining hall that night for dinner. And since he didn't really know how to make anything but a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—which he wasn't in the mood for—he decided to take her up on her offer.

"What did you make?" Nathan asked as he entered the kitchen. Haley turned around to face him with a surprised expression.

"Um, macaroni and cheese," she answered.

"Really?" Nathan smirked. "I thought that was only for five year olds."

"Dude, mac and cheese is the food of the gods," Haley defended. "And it's my favorite so be quiet."

"Whatever," Nathan laughed while rolling his eyes. He went to get a bowl and filled it up to the top. Afterward, he took a seat next to Haley at the counter.

"What are you reading?" he questioned curiously.

"It's just a book for my education class," she replied. "It's all about creating a healthy learning environment for small children."

"It sounds kind of boring." Haley smiled.

"It's ok," she replied. The two sat in silence for a couple more minutes with Haley reading and Nathan eating.

"So, um, I saw you pointing to me at practice today," Haley commented offhandedly without looking up from the book. "What was that about?"

"Oh, Coach K was just asking me about our marriage and stuff. He didn't know who you were so I showed him."

"Oh. What in particular was he asking about?" From what she had seen, their conversation didn't seem that lighthearted.

"He wanted to know if it was going to affect my game." Haley looked up at him confused.

"Why would it?"

"I don't know. My dad was the one who put that idea into his head."

"Dan," Haley said.

"Yeah."

"Does he ever leave you alone?"

"Not really. He's been on my case about the game ever since I was old enough to hold a basketball."

"What exactly does he do? If you don't mind me asking," she added quickly. Haley was curious but she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Basically, everything. When I was little, he used to bully me a lot. He'd constantly critique me and tell me what I was doing wrong. Most people do that so you can fix your mistakes, but not him. It was almost like he was doing it to put me in my place. Anyway, as I got older, it only got worse. Everything became a competition between us to see who was better. Even now, I swear my dad's just waiting for me to slip up," Nathan explained. He was surprised that he'd actually revealed all that to Haley. When it came to his father, that was one subject that he liked to keep to himself. But the sincerity in Haley's eyes had caught him off guard and he soon found himself unable to hide any of that from her—like he usually would. This was actually the most they'd talked since the party Saturday.

"I'm sure he just wants what's best for you," Haley stated a few seconds later. "I mean, I'm not saying what he does is right. In fact, it's really horrible. But maybe in some screwed up way, it's his idea of making you stronger."

"I doubt it," Nathan replied. "And if anything, it takes a lot out of me. You have no idea what it's like to deal with him on a daily basis."

"Well, maybe you're right. He is your father, after all. You'd know him the best," she said. "But I just prefer to see the good in people."

"Trust me, there's none in him," he declared. Haley looked at Nathan with a concerned expression. She had never really seen that side to him. Whenever they were around each other, he was normally sarcastic and arrogant. He seemed to always hold the world at arms length. But for just a moment, Haley was able to get a glimpse of him behind the constant jibes and ego. For the first time, she was able to see how vulnerable and frustrated he really was.

"Well, you seem to be holding up just fine," Haley stated with a small smile. Unexpectedly, he returned the gesture. He then quickly looked away from her as he finished his last bite of food. Their conversation had gotten a little too personal for his liking. "Just watch out for that jaw clenching thing."

"What jaw clenching thing?" Nathan asked after a second.

"Never mind," Haley quickly dismissed as she went back to reading.

"No, seriously, I want to know what you meant," he prodded with interest.

"Every time Dan is mentioned or if he's around, you get all tense and start to bite down on your jaw. Thus, making it clench. You might break a tooth someday," Haley explained matter of factly. "What?" she asked when he started to smirk at her.

"Nothing," he said while getting up to put his bowl in the dishwasher.

"What?" she repeated. He was still smirking and she wanted to know why.

"You look at me a lot, Hales, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"So, how many times a day to you check me out?" Nathan asked. "Fifty?"

"Um, none. Where the hell is this coming from?" she questioned. Her sympathy for him was slowing starting to morph into irritation.

"Well, you just pointed out a very specific behavior of mine—which means you must be watching me or looking at me constantly to pick up on it. And since I am the hottest guy on this campus, it's only natural to assume that you, too, find me hard to resist," he declared. Is he for real? Did he get knocked out or severely hit in the head with a basketball after I left practice?

"I do not check you out," Haley denied. "It was just one characteristic that I noticed about you. Just like I know that Brooke kinks her eyebrow when she's interested in something, Peyton rolls her eyes when she's pissed, Jake rubs his temples when he's tired, and Lucas runs his hand through his hair when he's indecisive. So don't even try to flatter yourself and assume that I look at you. Because I can assure you that I don't."

"If that's your story," Nathan replied egging her on.

"It's not a story. It's the truth," she declared getting frustrated. If he wasn't so tall I'd strangle him.

"Oh, I know," he laughed—not really believing her. "Just like I know that you bite your bottom lip and put your hair behind your ear when you're nervous." Haley's mouth dropped open slightly in shock.

"But don't worry, Hales. I don't look at you either," Nathan said with a sexy wink, causing a shiver to go up Haley's spine. He then got up and walked back into the living room to watch the rest of the game. Nathan smiled to himself when he saw her still sitting there trying to grasp his comment. Once again, leave it to Haley and her reactions to him to automatically brighten up his mood. But there was another part of him, however small it was, that was glad she noticed things about him. Too bad he just didn't see it yet himself.