Author's note: I'm not at all happy with this chapter, but hopefully it serves its purpose as a boring filler. I just wanted to set up where Naley are at with each other so I can push things along in the next few chapters (which, I hope, will be more interesting, flirty and better written!) I'm sure you all recognize the words that aren't mine and belong to the show, but the usual disclaimer applies.

So the entire class stands up and I said "any student that walks out that door fails this quarter".

You didn't say that?!

I totally did!

Nathan smirked at the screen as he tapped out his reply. You're like the mean teacher... that's kinda hot.

He wasn't lying; an unbridled vision fluttered through his head: a pencil skirt smoothed over an ass as round as a basketball as it perched on the edge of a desk, legs crossing to reveal the glimpse of a lacy stocking top high on a satiny thigh. A tight white shirt straining to release a perfect pair of breasts, its buttons undone low enough to reveal a tantalizing peep of black lace that did nothing to hide pert nipples behind the fabric. Pink, glossy lips parted seductively as a low and husky told him that he had been a bad, bad boy... In his mind's eye, Nathan was just about ready to receive his inevitable spanking when he saw the deep chocolate irises of Haley James blinking innocently up at him, her wavy caramel hair curling around the open collar of her shirt.

"Fuck!" Nathan yelled out loud, throwing his phone across the couch as if it had seared a white-hot pain through his palm. He breathed heavily through his nose and pushed his hands into his eyeballs, hoping to press away the image of his ex-girlfriend in such an erotic setting. He had no idea what Halo23 looked like, but it was all kinds of wrong to imagine Haley in her place, even if they did share the same profession.

It wasn't the first time it had happened and it was messing with his head. It had been nearly two weeks since he and Haley had sat together for hours by the River court agreeing to be friends. In that time, Nathan had thrown himself into completing the final papers of his business degree, occasionally spent time with Clay and Lucas, and spent even more time messaging Halo23. Despite keeping himself busy and pushing on with his new life in Tree Hill, he hadn't been able to stop his mind from wandering to Haley James. They hadn't had the chance to test their "friends" relationship as he hadn't seen her since that day, but he knew his thoughts were far from friendly.

It was totally disconcerting - not only thinking about Haley after so many years of repressing her name and her image, but to have this updated version constantly in his thoughts. At nearly 29 years old, Haley James was everything: happy and confident with every bit of intelligence, kindness and compassion that she had as a teenager, simply multiplied. That she had grown into a timeless, classical sort of beauty with a banging body hadn't helped Nathan's dormant libido. Besides all that, he knew he had to control his thoughts - Haley was an ex and he had hurt her, badly. Time and her forgiveness couldn't erase how he had callously dumped her because he had been so scared and manipulated by his father. Despite her surprising declaration that she was still single, and his attempts at self-improvement, there was no way Nathan could ever be good enough for her again.

Which reminded him of the other important reason why he shouldn't be thinking of Haley... although they hadn't met or even knew each other's real names, Halo23 was someone special to him. He knew it couldn't be considered as cheating, but sexy thoughts about a woman while he was trying to build something special with another wasn't ok on his moral compass anymore. While Nathan's fingers itched to invite Halo23 to meet in person, to put a face to the username and the words that always made him smile, the fear of the bubble bursting was too strong and he held back. In a state mad about basketball, it was nice to be anonymous for a change. He wanted to be absolutely certain that he was the sort of person she could have a future with, without the complication of his celebrity, history and wealth.

As he reached to retrieve his phone, Nathan groaned and shifted the heavy text books that littered his couch. He had an exam tomorrow, but no desire to stop messaging with Halo23. Predictably, she hadn't replied to his flirty compliment and Nathan found her bashfulness adorable.

Speaking of difficult students, got any tips to memorize a 400-page text book by tomorrow, Teach?

Devil! You should have told me you had to study! I wouldn't have bothered you if I knew.

Nathan couldn't help the goofy smile that lazily stretched his face; his Halo was a total bookworm and her nerdiness was endearing. You're never a bother, he typed. I'd much rather talk to you than learn all these stupid lists.

Alright, what do you have to memorize?

With his smirk still firmly in place, Nathan leaned over to flip through one of the weighty text books in front of him. With one hand steadying the correct page, he tapped out with the thumb on his free hand: The essential elements of forming a contract: Offer, Acceptance, Consideration, Facility and Intents to create legal relations.

He flipped through a couple of pages while he waited, repeating the words in an attempt to commit them. It wasn't long before his phone vibrated in his hand again - certainly not long enough for Nathan to memorize anything.

Outside Animals Can't Fart Inside

"What the?" Frowning, Nathan spoke aloud to the empty room as he read the bizarre sentence on the screen.

WTF?

LOL. Outside Animals Can't Fart Inside! It's a mnemonic device. Take the first letter from each item on your list - OACFI - and make up a saying to help you remember them. It's a great memory aid.

Nathan couldn't help but laugh. Seconds later, his phone signaled the arrival of another message.

Trust me, I'm a teacher!

Laughing again, Nathan wondered exactly how his life had changed so much. Just a few years ago he was one of the biggest stars in the NBA, and now he was spending his evenings in hysterics over a faceless, nameless female who seemed to be filled with kindness and kept him on his toes. The groupies that were always hanging around the team were never that funny, or intelligent, but he'd spent more time with them than any other type of women.

Things could change for the better

"Are you sure two strippers will be enough?"

"If there are more than two that come to the store, she's going to get suspicious. Brooke's supposed to think she's in real trouble when they handcuff her. Then they'll have some fun and she can find out that they're not cops when they start ripping their clothes off."

Haley threw her head back and laughed. She knew Brooke would be horrified at the sight of two policemen entering Clothes over Bros. She also knew that it wouldn't take her long to relax and enjoy the first part of her bachelorette party that Haley and Peyton were planning. The bride-to-be thought it was starting with a spa day the day after her bridesmaids had actually planned the event for.

"So once they get her outside the store, the other girls will be there with the limo and we can go straight to the pole dancing class."

"It's going to be such a crazy night."

"It's Brooke's bachelorette... of course it's going to be crazy!"

Haley laughed again as she carefully wound a silver ribbon over the small box in front of her. One of her and Peyton's tasks were to gift wrap the small favor boxes for the wedding guests, and Peyton and Jake's table was covered in paper, tape and ribbon as the two women worked together.

"So... I know we haven't been able to catch up properly since our last girls' dinner, but I heard you and Nathan had a big talk a couple of weeks ago..."

"What? ... Oh..." Haley glanced up from the bow she was tying. "Yeah... it's no big deal."

"Are you kidding?" Peyton stilled, her hands abandoning the box she was wrapping. "Um, Haley, you talking to your ex-boyfriend for the first time in a decade is kind of a big deal. This is Nathan we're talking about here."

With a shrug, Haley turned back to the ribbon. "I mean, yeah, I guess, but... I don't know what you want me to say, Peyton."

"Well what did you guys talk about?"

"You mean you don't already know?"

Peyton shrugged, innocently. "Brooke told me that Lucas told her that Nathan told him that you guys talked and he told you about why he broke up with you, and you said you forgave him and you decided to be friends."

Haley's eyes tracked the connections her brain was making, figuring out the lines of communication Peyton had just listed. "Yeah, that's about it."

"Well, how do you feel about it all? I can't believe Dan would threaten you like that! God, what asshole!"

It was Haley's turn to shrug. "I mean, yeah, exactly... he was such an asshole, but it's not really a surprise. Everyone knew that he just wanted Nathan to focus on basketball and that relationships were just a distraction. He probably freaked out big time when he found out about me applying for Duke and Nathan applying for Stanford. It's not exactly shocking news that he would go to such lengths to keep us apart."

"Yeah..." Peyton blew out a heavy breath that ruffled the sheets of wrapping paper around them. "I can't believe Nathan applied to go to Stanford to be with you. Or that you were going to give up Stanford for him!"

"The thing is," Haley explained, almost embarrassed at the thought of what a love-struck teenager she had been, "it all worked out the way it was meant to. We both got to go to the schools we wanted to go to and we both got to achieve our dreams. We didn't need each other to do any of that. That's why none of it even matters... I spent so long being angry and trying not to think about him or what was so wrong with me that he would just end us like that, but now I realize that none of it matters. It's ancient history. I really am over it."

"So... what happens now?" Peyton asked. "Are you guys going to...?"

"Going to what?"

"Get back together?"

It would have been the most opportune time for a spit take, had Haley been drinking something. Instead, her jaw dropped as she gaped at her friend in amazement.

"What?!"

"What, what?"

"Peyton, are you crazy? Why would I get back with Nathan? Our relationship was ten years ago. We were kids!"

"Exactly," Peyton shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Haley simply raised her eyebrows in shock. "You guys have changed so much now. You were good together then, imagine how it would be like now you've both grown up and matured. Nathan especially. I mean, it sounds as if he's really turning his life around since Dan died."

Haley shook her head in amazement. "It's not going to happen."

Peyton leaned forward, trapping Haley in her gaze. "Why not, Foxy? You've been looking for someone to spend the rest of your life with. From what I know, Nathan really wants to settle down now, too. He's been going to therapy, he's really matured... and you should see what he's like with Jenny. Seriously, even I can see that he's going to make a great dad someday..."

Too many thoughts were flying around Haley's head, ramming each other with wings of steel. Even though it was Peyton and Brooke that first encouraged her to sign up to the dating app, she wasn't ready to tell her friends that she had met someone. Devil12 was her little secret, like a rosebud in her heart that she wanted to nurture until it had grown more and she was ready to share. She remembered Nathan telling her that he had someone special in his life, but if Peyton didn't know about her then it wasn't Haley's place to share. Aside from the sheer absurdity that her friend thought it would be perfectly rational to get back together with her high school ex-boyfriend and pick up where they had left off like better versions of themselves, Haley was lost for a reply. Peyton had clearly, and surprisingly, spent time with Nathan over the last few weeks.

"Jenny?" It was all Haley was able to mumble out.

"Yeah... Jenny couldn't believe her dad had played high school basketball with Nathan Scott from the New York Knicks," Peyton imitated a high-pitched, excited voice that Haley supposed was meant to be her adopted daughter. "Jake text Nathan saying he'd heard he was back in town and Jenny would love to meet him and Nathan turned up like an hour later. He's come around a few times and the three of them just shoot around for hours."

Haley couldn't help but smile. At nearly 13 years old, Jenny Jagielski had grown into a total tomboy who was just as talented and obsessed with basketball as Jake. She could imagine how excited Jenny must have been to get to play with an actual former NBA player.

"Peyton, no matter what he's like now, our history is just too messed up to even think about it!" Haley finally found the words when it became apparent that the curly blonde woman in front of her was seriously pursuing her question. "Look, I understand how Dan was involved with the breakup, but Nathan's not totally innocent, you know. There's just too much in the past that makes everything so messy now. I truly think we could be friends, especially because Quinn and Clay are so serious about each other, but an actual relationship with him? No way. I can't and won't just give my heart away like that, I know better. Not going to happen," she emphasized again, ignoring how her brain tried to remind her of how her body had reacted to seeing Nathan again, how she'd felt on fire simply brushing past him, before she even knew it was him.

Peyton simply raised an eyebrow. "Ok. Hey, can you grab us some water? I'm so thirsty."

Haley narrowed her eyes in suspicion over how fast her friend had dropped the subject, but she definitely didn't want to push it. With a shrug, she got up and move towards the kitchen. The room was around a corner from where the pair had been sitting all afternoon, with a big window over the sink that looked out to Jake and Peyton's backyard. A basketball hoop had been erected over the garage and for the first time since she'd arrived, Haley noticed three people playing on the makeshift court.

Jake's arms swung wildly as he made the purposefully feeble attempt to try and block Jenny, who was pushing her small body against her father's to create some space. It was the third figure that Haley's eyes slid and stuck to like the north and south pole of two magnets; Nathan's shirt was discarded and his bare, muscular chest gleamed in the heat. The biceps in his arms were taught as he bounced the ball, waiting for Jenny to receive his pass. Even from this distance, Haley could see the smile on his face and how his bright blue eyes mirrored the sky above them.

She had no idea how long she'd stood there, gawking, until she felt Peyton sidle up beside her. Her sly grin was evident even before Haley could turn to face her friend.

"Glasses are over here, Hales," Peyton smirked. "You might want to grab a large one for yourself, you're looking a little flushed there."

Haley held her palms to her flaming cheeks, trying to ignore the way Peyton chuckled beside her. "I don't know, Foxy. Might be awfully hard trying to just be friends. I mean, Nathan's always been fit and strong but that" she jerked her head towards the window and the view beyond, "is professional athlete level. And he's back in Tree Hill to stay..."

She was trying, she truly was, but Haley found it impossible to tear her eyes away from the sight Nathan made. Now, he was blocking Jake as Jenny bounced the ball closer to the hoop. The ball swished in and he made a big show of cheering and high-fiving the pre-teen as she scored against her dad. Hastily filling up the first glass she could grab, she gulped down mouthfuls of the cool, refreshing water. She shouldn't – no, couldn't – spend any longer admiring the way Nathan's arms looked as he fist-punched the air in celebration.

"I know what you just did, Peyton," she warned the other woman beside her, "and it's not going to happen."

Peyton simply smiled, but even Haley could hear how feeble her voice had sounded.

Friendship with Nathan Scott wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.