Chapter 36

"Theresa stop," Lucas said walking up to the door. "This is really getting out of hand." He was standing uncomfortably in the side imaging Nathan and Haley following the steps inside since the beginning. He knew that Nathan wouldn't stop and would go as far as he could, and Haley wouldn't stop him thinking that she should continue because it's a dare. He was unaware of what just happened inside.

Theresa stopped reading from the index cards everyone came up with and looked at Lucas. "It's time to stop, Brooke," Lucas said looking at his girlfriend.

Lucas took Haley's dress and Nathan's shirt and walked to the door. Theresa moved slightly.

Lucas then knocked on the door, "I'm opening the door and giving you guys your clothes." He opened the door a little, not even looking in, and threw the clothes inside.

"Way to ruin it, Luke," Rachel said rolling her eyes.

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Haley was glad to see her dress there. She got up and grabbed it.

"Nathan, I'm, I'm sorry I did that," she said. "Can you just pretend that never happened?"

He couldn't. He couldn't just forget, but he nodded.

"Can you-" Haley said lifting up the dress.

Nathan nodded once again as he grabbed his shirt and turned around. He put it on while Haley took off Brooke's shirt and put on the dress. She was now extremely uncomfortable dressing in front of Nathan. Why did she do what she did?

"Can you zip me up?" Haley asked. She really didn't want to ask him but she couldn't close it by herself.

Nathan got up and zipped up her dress really slowly. He knew she would get out of the closet as soon as she had her dress on.

When Nathan was done zipping up Haley's dress she turned around to face him. They looked into each other's eyes in silence and then Haley turned around and opened the door.

Everyone smiled looking at Haley coming out. Nathan came out a few seconds later "How was it?" Bevin asked with a smile.

"What number did you get to?" Theresa asked.

"You think you can give us a demonstration?" Rachel asked with a wicked smile.

"Hey guys! What happened in the closet stays in the closet," Brooke said jokingly. "Although I wouldn't mind juicy details later," She winked at Haley.

Haley smiled weakly and crossed her arms across her chest. She walked to Lucas.

"Oh no," Rachel said. "What did you do to her, Nathan?" She asked, a smirk on her face.

"You think you can drive me home?" Haley asked Lucas when all the attention was on Nathan so no one would notice.

Lucas nodded,"You gonna tell Brooke you're leaving?"

"Yeah," Haley nodded.

"I'll wait for you in the car," Lucas said. "Tell Brooke I'll be back later."

Haley nodded and walked towards Brooke. "I'm going to leave. Lucas is giving me a ride. He said he'll come back later."

"Tutorgirl! You can't leave!" Brooke said loud enough so everyone heard.

"Was Nathan that bad?" one of the cheerleaders joked.

Nathan looked at Haley. "I'll drive you."

Haley shoke her head not looking at his eyes, "Lucas is."

"Haley, please let me drive you."

Haley looked at Nathan and then turned around and left.

When she was outside, Haley saw Lucas' car and continued walking to it and was just a few steps from the car door when she heard a voice.

"Haley!" she turned around to see a running Nathan coming towards her.

"Nathan, don't," Haley said.

He stopped in front of her, "I'm really sorry. I'm just sorry for everything tonight."

Haley looked at Nathan's eyes. "Okay."

"So we're cool?" Nathan took her hand.

"No, we're not," she said letting go of his hand.

Nathan felt his heart fall.

Haley looked at him once more and than opened the car door and got in.

"Haley?" Lucas said.

"Drive," Haley said. "Just drive."

Lucas nodded and drove off. Nathan stood there watching the car disappear in the distance.

---------------------------------------------------

After a few minutes of silence Lucas decided to speak, "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Haley just looked ahead, "I just didn't want to be there anymore."

Lucas nodded. "Thanks," Haley said, "for telling them to stop."

"Yeah sure, no problem," Lucas said.

Lucas pulled up to Haley's house. She turned her head to look at it.

"Stay away from him, Haley," Lucas said.

Haley turned to Lucas, "He didn't really do anything."

"Well he's causing you to act like this. I mean I know he's my brother and all but I don't like what he's doing to you. He's a jerk."

"He's not a bad guy, Luke," Haley said finding herself defending Nathan.

"So why didn't you let him take you home?" Lucas questioned.

Haley looked at Lucas and then looked away.

"Do you want me to stay with you for a little while?" Lucas asked.

Haley shook her head, "I want to be alone."

Lucas nodded understanding.

Haley opened the door and then looked back at Lucas. She gave him a little kiss on the cheek, "Thanks," and with this she closed the door as Lucas drove off.

Haley looked at her house. After a few seconds she started walking to the door. She got the key from underneath the welcome matt and opened the door and put the key back.

"Hey Haley," her dad was sitting in the living room reading a newspaper. "I didn't think you'd be home this early."

Haley looked at her dad with her arms crossed across her chest, "Hey."

Jimmy looks at Haley. She was not wearing a sweater because she left it in Nathan's car. "Is that what you wore?" he lowered his newspaper looking at Haley.

"Is mom sleeping?" Haley tried to quickly change the subject.

He nodded. He then saw her puffy eyes. "Are you okay?"

Haley nodded. She choked up and her eyes got teary again. "I'm fine," she sniffed now feeling the tears filling her eyes for what felt like the one millionth time that night.

"Come here, Haley," Jimmy put the newspaper on the table. Haley looked at her dad and then walked over to him. She sat next to him and like old times placed her head on his lap as he stroked her hair.

"You going to tell me what happened or do I need to guess?" he said jokingly.

"Dad," Haley said wiping her eyes.

"Don't cry, whatever it is it's not worth your tears. Since when does my Haley cry?" 'You have no idea!' Haley thought about all the times in the past week she had cried. "Tell me what happened."

Haley was silent, "Nathan invited another girl to the party without telling me. Then he kissed her. It was a dare but he didn't even have to think and that kiss they shared was like our kisses. He looked at her the same way he looks at me." Haley said slowly. It felt good to take that off her chest.

"I'm sure it's not what you think it is," Jimmy said. "He doesn't seem like that kind of guy."

"Ha! Yeah right, Nathan Scott. You don't go to my high school, you don't know how everyone is. Nathan is the big man on campus, he is exactly that kind of guy. He just got me under his spell and made me believe he changed. I'm probably the one millionth girl that fell for it."

"Maybe I didn't see Nathan in your school but I saw him at the dinner table and how he looked at you. And also you two outside," he paused, "kissing."

"You spied on us?" Haley asked shocked.

"That didn't look like the kind of guy who was just using you," Jimmy went back to the subject trying to avoid the spying part.

"Well maybe that was all an act too," Haley said convincing herself.

Jimmy laughed, "Stubborn as always."

Haley laid there in silence as Jimmy continued to stroke her hair. She felt a little better knowing that she did not drive her parents away from her. She hadn't thought about it much but when she did she thought about all the time she spent with Nathan that she used to spend just drinking hot coco and making puzzles with her mom and dad. Lucas would join in must days too. Lucas, how much she missed just hanging out with him.

"Haley, we really need to talk about that dress," Jimmy said. Haley let out a laugh. "I'm serious."

"Well what do you have to say about it, dad?" Haley smiled to herself.

"You are not to where a dress like that again," he said.

"So when can I decide what I can wear?" Haley played along.

"You mean things like that dress?" Haley nodded. "72."

"Dad!" Haley half giggled.

"What? When you're 72 I doubt I'd still be alive to see you wear it."

"Why put a restriction at all?"

"Because all of your sisters started dressing like that your age and look how they turned out."

"Dad!" Haley laughed, "That's a horrible thing to say."

"What is? That I don't want my baby girl to grow-up?" Jimmy now became serious. He didn't let Haley know this but he was completely terrified of Haley growing up and leaving him. She was his last little girl.

"We all have to grow up sometime," Haley said becoming serious. But she didn't even feel like she was talking to her dad anymore, she felt like she was just coming to a realization of some sort.

"I just don't want it to be soon," he said starting to stroke her hair again.

Haley smiled weakly, "Neither do I, dad, neither do I."