AUTHOR'S NOTE: Insert usual apologies about my delay in updating here.

This is a really strange, filler chapter. I'm not even sure why it's in here, but hey. Thank you so much to anyone still sticking with this story - I promise things will start moving along eventually! Also, apologies for any mistakes - it was pretty difficult getting this chapter done, so when I finished I really couldn't be bothered reading it over!

And now, after that encouraging introduction, on with chapter 12!

Haley trudged towards the staff room, her body aching with exhaustion. Sleepless nights weren't a foreign concept to her back in college, but these days she just wasn't built for teaching teenagers all day on little sleep. Admittedly, she had been deliberately increasing her workload to push her to this very point of exhaustion, but for the past five nights sleep had evaded her; her brain was betraying her body, reminding her that no matter how much work she did, it wouldn't rest until she had stopped avoiding Devil12's last message to her. The day after Brooke's bacherlorette party had been torture; Devil12 had sent her half a dozen worried messages until she finally turned her phone off, hating herself. She knew it must have taken a lot for him to decide to meet her, but she simply couldn't bring herself to type three little letters to accept. She was also well aware of how her silence must look to him, but the fear of him thinking she wasn't interested still wasn't enough to turn her phone on. Not even after Brooke had stormed Haley's apartment demanding to know why she hadn't replied to her wedding duty-related messages, or Quinn popped over to beg her to answer her phone to their parents, who had been driving the older sister crazy, did Haley turn her phone on.

The truth was, the thought of meeting Devil12 in person and solidifying the relationship she had started online terrified her. She still hadn't told any of her friends about him; she'd not even mentioned that she'd signed up to the dating site. Chatting to Devil12 had been so natural - hell, she'd even engaged in text sex with him - he seemed to be just what she was looking for. Even over the last few days she'd yearned for his messages like hot chocolate on a snow day, but the thought that he could be too good to be true made her feel bitterly exposed. He meant something to her, but the fear of something going wrong, or not working out, or even to find out he was a fake and really married with kids in Norway, stopped her from reaching out. It was easier, at the moment at least, to fill her days with tasks to stop herself from thinking about him.

There was the other small matter of a certain ex-boyfriend who wouldn't go away. After a decade of her friends avoiding even the mention of his name, Nathan Scott had flowed back into her life like a river merging into the sea. Would the fluttering of her stomach at the thought of him shirtless, or in a tux, or the way his bright blue eyes pierced her brain ever dissipate now that he was in Tree Hill to stay? Or was it just a physical infatuation that would pass once she got used to the way he'd grown out of his teenaged body. She just prayed that she could get through Brooke and Lucas' wedding and gain some distance from him again.

The small, windowless room of the Tree Hill High School staff room was, thankfully, fairly empty when Haley walked through the door. She spotted the dark brown hair and slim build of Mia, a music teacher and one of her good friends, before sighing quietly at the sight of Carrie, a young and incredibly annoying PE teacher. Haley could tolerate Carrie better when Mia was around - the pair often indulging in somewhat bitchy commentary when Carrie, as she often did, bragged loudly about her life - but Haley was too tired to even pretend to listen to her go on about some guy she'd met in a bar last night, as she appeared to be doing now.

"He's just so incredible," Carrie was gushing as Haley dropped down in the seat beside Mia. "He is insanely talented and experienced, we talked about sports all night..."

"I'd bet she got to use her talent and experience in other ways last night," Haley mumbled under her breath to her friend. When Mia didn't respond, Haley turned to see the young music teacher staring up at Carrie with rapt fascination on her face. Frowning, she wondered what had drawn her from the usual status quo - their colleague's boastful promiscuity was one of their favorite inside jokes.

"So?! What happened next?" Mia desperately urged the story forward.

Haley stared at her friend as if she had grown a third head.

"Well..." Carrie hesitated. "I mean, we talked for ages. We got on so well... oh my God, you know how sexy he looks on TV and magazines and things? Well in real life, he's just unbelievable. I mean, his eyes are so blue they're insane. And he smells so freaking good, you wouldn't believe it. He's so sexy, and his body..."

Carrie trailed off with a lustful sigh, one that Mia echoed as Haley's frown deepened in confusion. Before she could wonder further about who they were talking about, a long, brunette ponytail whipped past her face as Mia turned to her with urgency.

"You guys were at school here about the same time, weren't you Hales?"

"What?"

"You both went to Tree Hill High and you're the same age, aren't you? What was he like in high school? I bet he was sexy even then..."

"Who are you guys even talking about? And ew, Mia, we're teachers now," Haley shuddered. "It's not ok to even think about teenagers being sexy."

"Nathan Scott!"

Haley's pulse pushed faster against her neck, a seemingly Pavlovian response to the name that had been absent from her life for so long but, once again, was making a reappearance. Carrie had met Nathan?

It wasn't worth lying as it would be too easy to prove the truth, but that was Haley's first instinct as she looked up Carrie. Perched on top of the table with her long legs crossed and highlighted brown hair shining, she could just imagine her on Nathan's arm. Carrie had been a beauty pageant queen during college and would tell anyone who would listen that she could have played beach volleyball at a professional level. It wasn't hard to picture the pair they would make. Haley was ashamed at the painful stab of jealousy she felt in her side, she could taste it like she was sick in her mouth. Of course they had met in a bar. Of course they had gotten on well.

"Uh, yeah... yeah, we went to school together."

It wasn't a lie, Haley told herself. Mia had asked if they were at school together and Haley had told the truth. She hadn't asked if Haley had tutored him or if it had led to the most serious relationship Haley had ever had in her life.

"Oh my God, you are so lucky," Mia sat back in her chair with envy shining from her face. "He is so damn hot. I can't believe he lives in Tree Hill again. I should start wearing makeup to the grocery store."

Haley wanted to roll her eyes; between being set up with Mia's brother's friend that led to Haley's disastrous date and the way she was gushing over Nathan, Haley was beginning to wonder about their friendship. It was her masochistic craving to hear more about Carrie and Nathan that stopped her, and instead, turned to Carrie to push for more details.

Before her mouth could even open, however, the door pushed open and a deep voice came through. "And here's the staff room... Feel free to help yourself to the coffee machine, or some water while you're here."

Haley didn't bother to turn around as she recognized the Varsity basketball coach's voice behind her, her eyes were still on Carrie sitting on top of the table in front of her. She was about to speak when she noticed the other woman's face pale dramatically beneath her usual fake-tanned glow, and a second voice - even more recognizable to Haley - speak up from behind her.

"Thanks a lot, Coach. It was great to meet you."

"You too, Scott. I think you'll be a great asset to us, once again."

Haley turned to see Coach Jones firmly shake Nathan's hand and clap him on the shoulder before turning to leave. She couldn't see the comical sight for herself, but all three female teachers were left staring open-mouthed at the topic of their conversation standing in front of them, as if they had conjured him there with their words. Nathan himself visibly jolted when he looked around to see where Coach Jones had left him, the deer-in-headlights expression briefly crossing his face before one corner of his mouth swung upwards in an amused smile.

"Haley James, fancy seeing you here."

Haley simultaneously raised her eyebrows at him, heard Mia's whimper beside her as he stepped closer towards them and took a deep breath. "I could say the same thing to you. What are you doing here?"

"I was just meeting with Coach Jones to talk about how I can help out with the Ravens."

"Aren't you too old to play high school basketball again?"

Nathan laughed at her uncharacteristic idiocy, unaware that her shock and surprise stemmed from him interrupting a conversation about himself. "I'm not playing or coaching or anything... I just thought I could talk to some of his players." He shrugged, and Haley could see it was a self-conscious action. "Some of them have got potential, but they're really arrogant and maybe hearing the importance of working as a team from someone besides their coach might help."

Surprise washed over Haley; she still wasn't accustomed to this mature, generous, modest version of the teenage boy who'd broken her heart, the boy who was not unlike the ones he was talking about.

Before she could respond, a voice gasped beside her, "Oh my God, you're Nathan Scott."

Mia was still sitting, her mouth gaping open at the sight of Nathan. Haley was aware of Nathan shifting uncomfortably in front of her. "Uh, yeah. I am."

"Nathan, this is Mia, a friend of mine and she's a music teacher here," Haley introduced them before turning to Carrie, who was still sitting on the table, an unreadable look on her pretty features. "And you know Carrie, I guess..."

"Nice to meet you," Nathan nodded at Mia. Haley couldn't help but notice the frown as he turned to Carrie. "I'm sorry, we know each other?"

For a fraction of a second, Haley felt her heart sink in disappointment. So that's how it was going to be - Nathan chatting up girls in bars and dropping them the next day? The thought had barely begun when the tone of Nathan's voice registered with her and she heard the hint of frostiness instead of a regular polite inquiry. Haley's eyes swung between Nathan and a very red-faced Carrie, wondering if she was imagining the tension.

"Oh yeah," Nathan snapped his fingers in a way that made Haley suspect that he'd recognized Carrie right from the start. "The girl from Tric last night... yeah, I'm sorry if I came across rude, but I was just having a quiet catch up with my brother...and, well..." he shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "You just weren't getting the hint."

Haley's jaw dropped as she watched shame creep across the PE teacher's pretty features. It wasn't a look she'd seen before.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, I..." Carrie stuttered.

Nathan ignored her and Haley was surprised further when he leaned in closer, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "I can't wait for tomorrow night, Hales."

Beside her, Mia inhaled so sharply it caused her to cough. Internally, Haley narrowed her eyes. It had been a decade, but she still knew Nathan Scott. What she didn't know is what he was playing at - the way he'd spoken to Carrie, the flirtatious tone he was using with her, calling her Hales with so much familiarity. Haley didn't miss the way he'd referred to tomorrow night as something akin to a date, when in reality it was simply a dinner with Brooke and Lucas and their family and friends before the wedding next week.

"I'll pick you up, I can get your address from Luke."

Nathan was still smiling at her, and his cologne was doing weird things to her brain. She could only nod and stammer with the same degree of shock she'd been experiencing since he first stepped into the room.

"Uh, yeah... ok."

Nathan's smile filled his face. "Great, I'll see you tomorrow."

Haley watched mutely as he stood up, smiled politely at Mia and walked out, leaving a haze of confusion in his wake.

"Uh, I have to go, too," mumbled Carrie. "Gotta prepare for class."

She had slipped out the door before Haley or Mia could even speak. The silence eventually broke when the music teacher turned to Haley with wide eyes.

"Oh. My. God. Did that just happen? Did we just catch Carrie lying her tiny ass off before? Are you going on a date with Nathan Scott? Does Nathan Scott know my name?"

Haley could hear the sound of her heart thumping in her ears. Mia's voice was doing nothing to help process her confusion. "Um, I gotta go, too," she blurted out, standing quickly and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "See you later."

She left Mia protesting in the staff room by herself as she hurried out the door and down the corridor to the exit to the car park, unsure of where Nathan would have gone but determined to track him down.

Spotting the familiar tall figure ahead of her, Haley hurried through the assortment of vehicles until she caught up with Nathan. "Mind telling me what that was about?"

Nathan turned, and if he was surprised to see her again, he didn't show it. "I'm so sorry, Hales. I shouldn't have done that."

Startled by his apology, Haley shook her head. "I don't even know what you just did."

"I shouldn't have been so rude to that Cassie chick, for starters. It's just, she came up to us last night and practically propositioned me right there at the bar! I was trying to spend some time with Luke and she just wouldn't leave us alone. I ended up telling her to please fuck off."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Well, you did say please... And according to Carrie," she emphasized, "you guys got on so well and talked for ages."

"Seriously?!" Nathan tipped his head towards the sky. "This sort of shit happens all the time, I try to be nice and polite and girls take things way out of hand. Nathan Scott five years ago might have taken some girl in a bar back to his hotel room, but that was a long time ago. "

Nodding slowly and trying hard not to think of Nathan picking up random sluts, Haley said "I can see how that can happen. Her pride probably took a hit because you brushed her off, so instead of telling us how desperate and pathetic she was, she lied and said you were into her."

"It's just impossible to shake off a reputation when women like her exist, but probably shouldn't have been such an asshole," Nathan admitted, grumpily. "And I shouldn't have thrown you under a bus like that."

Haley felt her emotions dissipate rapidly. "It's ok, Nathan... Mia's a friend so she'll understand when I explain, and Carrie's a cow... It was kinda nice to see her brought down a notch or two."

Nathan smiled again, a genuine one that crinkled his eyes and made Haley's stomach somersault. To mask the swooping sensation, she blurted out, "I mean, what are friends for, right?"

She'd never felt more awkward and geeky in her life. Nathan's smile simply turned into his signature smirk. "Right. Well, I definitely owe you a ride tomorrow. I'll pick you up about half an hour before?"

"Is um... is your girlfriend going?" If she was going to make a fool of herself, Haley figured she might as well commit to it.

"My what?"

"You said, um... you said, that day at the Rivercourt, that you've got someone special in your life? Is she coming to the dinner? She'll be at the wedding, right?"

Nathan stared at her for such a long time, she didn't think he was going to answer, before he finally replied, "Yeah... no, she won't be coming. I don't think... I don't think she was as into me as I was into her."

Haley's heart tugged between feeling relieved and feeling sad for him - he looked like someone had kicked his puppy. "I'm sorry, Nathan."

"Well, I was bound to screw it up somehow. Probably better it happened early on, right?"

"You don't always have to be at fault, Nathan. Sometimes getting close to someone new is terrifying. Maybe you're just a lot braver than she is?"

"Yeah, maybe," Nathan agreed, but Haley could see he wasn't convinced.

The school bell vibrated in the air around them, and Haley glanced upwards. "Well, that's my cue. See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Nathan confirmed.

Haley hurried back towards the building, her brain not focused on her class ahead nor on her empty stomach, having not being able to eat anything during her break. She thought about what she had said to Nathan - how terrifying it was getting close to someone new. She thought about Devil12 - how much she really missed hearing from him and how much guts it must've taken to ask her to meet in person.

When she got to her classroom, the first thing she pulled out wasn't her lessons folder but her phone. She powered it on, swiping aside the dozens of notifications from her sister, her parents and friends and tapping the small red icon of MetYet. She thought about how soon after they'd begun talking, both she and Devil12 had agreed to mute incoming messages from the site, both deciding to explore their budding connection instead of alternative options. She thought about how he always checked in with her every evening to see how her day had gone, and how he always had some lame joke to make her smile. She thought about how worshiped and satisfied his sexy texts had made her feel, how she had come harder than she ever had before.

She typed quickly as her students began to file into the classroom, her message popping up in a red bubble on the screen:

I want to meet you, too.