A/N: Okay, so I'm having some amateur writing problems and I need you to please bear with me. I have no idea if any sort of days have been established, but for all intents and purposes, lets just say that Tree Hill high school has had some days off in the middle of the week for staff days, and now it is Friday. I hate to do this, but I want to include school in this chapter and they've been going to too many parties for it to all be during the school week. Thanks for working with me.

And I also don't want to be one of these people, but I have been searching for this one story for such a long time and it is really upsetting me that I can't find it, so I'm going to ask here, from one reader to another. Does anyone know of a Naley story where it starts out that I think Nathan and Brooke and brother and sister, and they're moving back to Tree Hill, and Nathan and Haley used to date before they moved away but broke up. In the middle of the story there is a multiple chapter flashback to their teenage years and you get to see how Naley began to date. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please tell me in a review or a PM. I would appreciate it, and I am very sorry if this bothers you, but I figured it would be less annoying of me to post it here than as a "story". Thanks so much, onto my story now. (And if this does annoy you, I hope it's not too much, because look how fast I updated! at least for me)

Sorry for grammatical errors, I didn't read it over, I was desperate to post it. Please forgive me.

Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to One Tree Hill.

Sometimes life it takes you by the hair,

it pulls you down before you know it,

it's gone, and you're dead again,

I've been in places and I wont pretend,

That I'd make it out just to fall on my head

Helena Beat- Foster the People

"Damien, what are you doing here?" Haley questioned after a moment of uncomfortable silence between the three.

The second Damien opened his mouth, Haley felt Nathan tense next to her and hadn't noticed him relax since, and she couldn't figure out why. Sure, Damien and Nathan were never best friends, but she still couldn't figure out why Nathan was reacting like he was.

"What can I say, I missed you Hales." Damien grinned in response, running his eyes all over Haley's body unabashedly.

"And Natey, too. It's been a really long time since I've seen my good friend." Damien added, standing and walking over to embrace Haley with one hand and extending the other to Nathan.

Nathan could feel the blood pumping rapidly through his body when Damien put his arm around Haley and pulled her to him. He hated Damien and was still clearly jealous of him. He was the one who was able to be Haley's friend for the past few years, and he was the one who had been able to kiss and do God knows what with her, and Nathan couldn't stand that thought.

Instead, Nathan glared at Damien as he shrugged with indifference towards Nathan's avoidance of his extended hand and instead used it to hug Haley more tightly to him.

"Damn, Haley, you feel as good as ever. A little shorter than I remember though." Damien said with a smirk that Nathan wanted nothing more than to slap off his face. He was never Damien's number one fan, but he also doesn't remember hating him this much. What the hell was going on?

Haley rolled her eyes and pulled out of Damien's embrace. She didn't know what she should do. She was really looking forward to cooking dinner for Nathan and having a nice night with just the two of them as newly reacquainted friends, but she certainly couldn't just leave Damien sitting outside by himself, especially when he came all the way from California just to see her. However, she didn't have to make any decisions when Nathan finally spoke up.

"Thanks for today, Haley. I'll see you later. You guys have fun doing… whatever."

Nathan left as quickly as possible and didn't wait for a response. He didn't know why the thought of Haley and Damien together bothered him so damn much right now, but either way he wasn't going to stay to see what was going to happen between the two of them. He couldn't do that to himself and, besides, if it's Damien that Haley wants, then she deserves to be happy.

Haley sighed as she watched Nathan's retreating figure, and rolled her eyes when she saw Damien's smirk. She watched as Damien made his way into her now opened apartment without permission and make himself at home as he made himself comfortable on her couch.

"Let's catch up." He smirked once again as Haley entered and closed the door behind her.

+++++++++++++She Paints Me Blue++++++++++

Lucas sighed when he saw a sad and tired looking Haley at their lunch table as he approached. He could only guess that her previous night had gone horribly, considering that Nathan had come home earlier than expected in a huff, without saying a word before making his way to his bedroom, and now Haley appeared to be equally miserable.

He turned to look at Jake who was approaching the table with him and saw that he noticed Haley's sad demeanor as well. They walked the rest of the way to the table and sat down, watching as Haley threw a fake smile on her face to greet them.

"What happened last night?" Lucas asked her bluntly.

They watched as Haley frowned, dejectedly. Though, before she was able to answer, the trio was interrupted by another presence at the table.

"Damn girl, you're just surrounded by boys all the time. Not that I don't know why." The voice started, as he sat at the table.

Haley naturally rolled her eyes. This side of Damien never really bothered her since he never truly meant any harm, at least to her, but since he's come to Tree Hill, he's been coming at all the wrong times and truly annoying her.

She gestured over to him, in an attempt to answer Lucas' question without having to speak up. She is sure they could understand.

"This is Damien, Damien, this is Lucas and Jake." Haley introduced half-heartedly.

"Oh, Lucas. Last I heard, I was supposed to hate you." Damien greeted.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you, too." Lucas replied with a scoff. Now he completely understands what happened last night.

"Damien is Nathan and mine's friend from California. He made a surprise visit to me last night." Haley explained.

"Really? I think 'friend' may be a little bit of an understatement, don't you think, Hales?" Damien questioned with a wink.

Haley ignored the questioning looks immediately sent to her by Lucas and Jake and quickly tried to change the subject, "So, what're you guys doing tonight?"

"Actually, I was going to tell you when I first came over here, before we were interrupted," Jake started, pausing to throw a look at Damien, "There's a party tonight as Vegas', and we want you to come. My parents took Jenny to see my grandparents for the weekend and his parties are usually one of the best. And I guess you can come to, Damien."

Damien scoffed before replying, "Like a party in nowhere, North Carolina can top a California party. But I guess I'll come, I mean, what else is there to do in this place?"

"What Damien means to say is 'Thanks for the invite' and I personally decline." Haley spoke up.

"Come on, Haley, it won't be any fun without you." Jake spoke up.

"Please," Haley rolled her eyes, "You'll be too caught up with stalking Peyton, Lucas with Brooke and I'll be sitting there, in the middle of the big mess, by myself. You don't need me there, you just don't want to feel bad knowing that I'll be all alone in my apartment."

Haley watched as both of her friends blushed when she mentioned them respectively. She rolled her eyes at their silence—she knew she hit the nail on the head with her statement. She began to stand when she heard the bell rang.

"I'll see you guys on Monday, have fun tonight." She stated before moving towards the building.

"Do you think you can get her to the party?" Lucas asked Damien once the three boys were alone. He wasn't completely selfish in wanting Haley at the party; he also knew that Nathan would be there tonight and hoped that they could work whatever happened last night out.

Damien shrugged, "I'll try, but I can't make any promises. You never know, you may not see me either, if she keeps me in bed all night."

Both of the other boys rolled their eyes and left to their classes as well, leaving Damien alone at the table, smirking.

+++++++++She Paints Me Blue+++++++

Haley couldn't wait to get into her apartment and rest. She was currently walking up to her apartment after the long day at school. Nathan was clearly avoiding her at all costs, Damien was getting on her last nerve, especially when he showed up to school for lunch without her prior knowledge, and she just couldn't wait to relax.

Although, she soon remembered that resting would be harder than she thought since Damien is currently crashing at her place. She knows that it would most likely cause further problems with Nathan, but she really hoped that he did plan on going to the party tonight; she could use the alone time.

Once Haley made it into her apartment, her face scrunched when she saw the condition that it was in. She never should have let Damien stay there by himself. She'd been gone for a total of seven hours and he had managed to wreck her living room.

"Oh, hey." Damien greeted as he left the bathroom and entered the living room in only a towel.

"Dammit, Damien, could you put some clothes on?" Haley asked, shutting her eyes and covering them with her hand for good measure.

"What?" He smirked "It's not anything you haven't seen before."

"You are intolerable." She stated, not amused by all of his comments and innuendos.

He laughed before pulling on a pair of boxers and jeans and letting her know that it was okay for her to look again. In all honesty, he felt bad. He does truly care for Haley and he now knows that his arrival has put a lot of stress on her.

"When are you leaving for the party?" She asked, as she walked around her apartment, picking up some of the mess that Damien had managed to make while she was at school.

"I don't know," He shrugged, "When will you be ready?"

"Ready for what? Grease and cookie dough ice cream? Probably the second I'm alone." She retorts, making her way into the kitchen to put some dirty dishes in the sink.

"Come on, Haley, go to the party for me. It's been a while since we've gotten drunk together." Damien pleaded.

"If this is your way of trying to coerce me, you should probably think of new vantage points, because none of that sounds particularly appealing." Haley rebutted, folding her arms over her chest.

"What about for Nathan? I'm sure he'll be there, and I know I interrupted your night last night, go for your best friend." Damien suggested, knowing he'd got her by appealing to her friendship.

Haley groaned in response. She really didn't want to go to this party, but Damien did have a point. She knew the ball was in her court right now with Nathan and that she had to make the next move and clarify the relationship between her and Damien, and he definitely would be at the party tonight.

"Fine, I'll go get ready." She gave in, leaving a smiling Damien behind.

+++++++She Paints Me Blue++++++

Nathan rolled his eyes as Brooke came back into her room with what had to be at least the tenth outfit she'd tried on that night. He couldn't take much more of this. He'd been at her house for about forty-five minutes now while she continually tried on new clothes to wear to the party, while Peyton sat at her desk critiquing each outfit and he lay on her bed, trying not to rip his eyes out.

"Why did I agree to come here?" Nathan mumbled to himself as he rubbed his eyes. During lunch today, Brooke asked him to come over to her house after school and then they could go to Vegas' party together. He agreed, needing a distraction from his incessant thoughts on what the hell could possibly be happening between Haley and Damien, but he didn't consider what Brooke actually went through when preparing for a party and regretted his decision.

"I heard that." Brooke began, "And it's because you love me and there's nowhere else you'd rather be."

"Plus, we wanted to take to you, Nate. You seemed off today in school." Peyton added.

Nathan rolled his eyes. Now he understands why he was there. He never considered how this is the first time he'd ever been invited to Brooke's house for a pre-party meeting. It all started to make sense now.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't have any juicy gossip for you to spread." Nathan replied bitterly.

Peyton and Brooke shared a look and Brooke rolled her eyes. She'd been putting up with too much of his shit recently.

"God, stop being such a drama queen, we're your friends Nathan, we just want to know what's wrong." Brooke offered.

"Well what do you think it is?" Nathan replied dejectedly.

"Oh, I know it has to do with Haley, please, you're not that complex, I just wanted the details."

"Wow, it's great to know you care so much about me." Nathan spit back.

"Will both of you stop being such children?" Peyton interjected and paused before bluntly speaking up again, "Who's Damien?"

Brooke's eyebrows raised, obviously now very interested in where this conversation was going, while Nathan looked shocked at the mention of Damien.

"How do you know about him?" Nathan questioned.

Peyton shrugged as her cheeks turned a light shade of red, "Jake told me."

"Jake Jagielski?" Brooke asked.

Peyton nodded, timidly. Brooke began to look back and forth between her two friends, each with something important to share with her, before honing in on Nathan. She wasn't sure where she should start, but figured that he had been her previous priority and that he probably wasn't very interested in Peyton's boy talk.

"Who's Damien?" Brooke initiated.

"He's a kid me and Haley went to school with in California." Nathan answered with a sigh.

"And…?" Brooke asked, looking for more detail when Nathan didn't offer any more of an explanation.

"And… I don't know. He's an asshole and he's in Tree Hill right now, visiting Haley." Nathan responded.

"Okay," Brooke started, "So why are you in such a pissy mood?"

"Could you stop thinking about yourself for two seconds and just listen to me when I talk to you, I just said that he's an asshole Brooke."

Brooke fought the urge to roll her eyes, momentarily excusing her friend's ridiculous behavior, "Yeah, well you're an asshole too, Nathan, and you don't see me sitting her crying about it."

"I don't know." Nathan shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it anymore, especially not in front of Peyton. It was bad enough that Brooke knew his true feelings about Haley, he didn't need to give Peyton any insight.

"Wait a second." Brooke mumbled, looking inquisitively at Nathan. Nathan only sighed in response when he looked at Brooke and saw the expression on her face. He knew that she figured it out, and it appeared that Peyton would hear about his feelings after all.

Nathan decided to stop the wheels that he could see turning in Brooke's head and just tell her, "He and Haley are together."

He could see both of the girls' mouths drop the second his spoke up, with neither of them speaking up for quite some time out of shock.

"I didn't know Haley had a boyfriend." Peyton finally replied.

Nathan sighed, knowing he should elaborate, especially after taking a look at Brooke who appeared heartbroken. He didn't know what that girl wanted; one day she hated Haley and the next she was trying to scheme to get the two of them together.

"No. I mean, I don't know. She told me that she and him used to hook up in California, I don't know what they're doing here." Nathan explained, suddenly finding Brooke's comforter very interesting.

"Nathan," Brooke started sympathetically, "Maybe they're just friends now."

"Please," Nathan started, rolling his eyes, "Like anyone who hooked up with Haley could ever consider her to be just a friend."

Nathan looked between his two friends, who were either confused or having trouble finding something to say in response. Not wanting to hear anything else on the matter, he spoke up as he made his way to Brooke's bedroom door, "Listen, it's fine. Thanks for inviting me here, but I think I'll just meet you guys at the party instead."

+++++++++She Paints Me Blue+++++++

Haley reluctantly trailed behind Damien as he made his way to the entrance of the unsurprisingly large house. She really, really did not want to be at this party, but she figured she should speak to Nathan.

Even though she knew she shouldn't be, she was glad once she walked into the house and immediately lost Damien. He was a good friend and he did care for her but he was getting on her last nerve. She'd never been exposed to him in such high doses before and it was even worse since his presence was now causing problems.

She began to walk through the house, dodging all the red cups that were being pushed in her direction. Being drunk was not going to help solve anything.

Haley began to look for Nathan as she travelled further into the house, although she was having some difficulties. The house was packed with kids doing God knows what, and the other ones were trying to have a conversation with her. Ever since the rumors started flying at Tree Hill high about her and Nathan's mysterious past, she began noticing that people talked to her more than before, she figures to try and get on Nathan's good side. Nonetheless, it made her voyaging through the house much more difficult.

When she finally found Nathan, he was in the kitchen playing beer pong with who she learned to be Tim against two girls who were wearing what Haley considered a sorry excuse for clothing. She rolled her eyes when she saw his begin to stumble backward. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea right now, she wanted to talk to her Nathan, not plastered Nathan. She only had one interaction with him and that was when he didn't know who she was, and she felt that this would be a conversation best had sober.

Although, as she saw the sadness that was on Nathan's face, despite the façade he was wearing while playing, she decided tonight would be the best time to talk to him, before he became even more miserable than he needed to be for absolutely no reason.

She sat back as she watched him play, not wanting to interrupt his game. She was saddened as she looked on. He truly didn't appear happy. Sure, to the untrained eye, he looked just like every other drunk teenager in the place, only feeling numb because of the alcohol, but Haley could tell otherwise. The flirty smirks he continually sent to the girls on the other side of the table never quite reached his eyes. He looked like he was just going through the motions, and that his actions were rehearsed. He knew what he had to do, what he had to say, and how he had to act in order to fit the standards of the boy next to him, the girls across from him and the crowd surrounding him, but it wasn't being himself.

Haley was broken out of her thoughts as she felt an arm sling around her shoulders and looked up to find Damien. She fought the urge to push him off of her. She didn't want to be in his embrace, but she figured she didn't have to hurt his feelings by physically removing him from her.

"Trying to escape me, Haley Bob?" Damien joked, squeezing her tighter into his side.

She looked up at him with a teasing smile, "Do you even have to ask?"

The both laughed as she subtly removed herself from his hold on her and spoke up again, "Why are you hanging out with me? Don't you have some girl to trick into bed with you?"

"Why?" Damien asked, looking her up and down, "You offering?"

"Wow, Damien, the creepy innuendos become more and more enticing and you throw them at me." Haley replied sarcastically, shaking her head as the smirk grew on Damien's face. He sure knew how to push her buttons.

Haley watched as the girls at the beer pong table pouted and Nathan and Tim high fived, clearly having won the match. She figured now was the time to talk to Nathan, especially since it would be an excuse to get away from Damien momentarily.

"Just go find your victim for the night, I'm going to go talk to Nathan." Haley explained, walking off.

She heard him yell that he loved her too as she approached Nathan. She placed her hand on his arm in an attempt to get him to turn her way, but she regretted it as she did. The look Nathan sent her once he realized it was her that approached him was horrible. He seemed to have so much distaste for her in that moment and Haley didn't know what to do about that.

"Are you okay, Nathan?" Haley asked, concerned.

"Fine." Nathan answered quickly and shortly, shrugging her hand off his arm and turning to look away from her.

Haley's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. She figured that maybe he was annoyed at her for the events of last night, but how he was acted toward her right now was outrageous. She has no idea what she could have possibly done to receive this sort of reaction.

"Nathan, can we talk?" Haley asked, firmly, letting him know that he better agree to talk to her or it was she who was going to be pissed.

"Fuck off, Haley." Nathan yelled angrily, once again shaking her hand off of his arm where it had landed for the second time.

Haley shook her head in disbelief. She has no idea who this is and what the hell happened to her Nathan, but she did not appreciate this one bit.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Nathan?" Haley yelled back, equally as angrily, making sure he understood that as far as she was concerned, he had no right talking to her that way.

"I told you to leave me alone." Nathan yelled, louder than the first time. He was in no mood to talk to her right now and he didn't care if he made a scene letting her know that.

"No, you told me to 'Fuck off', actually, but I won't. You're being ridiculous; I just want to talk to you." Haley scolded.

"You sure about that? The last time I was with you for too long, your pathetic ass tried to kiss me and I don't think your fuck buddy would appreciate that." Nathan slurred, with fury clear in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Haley's eyes grew twice in size. The Nathan she knew would never have spoken to her like that under any circumstance. She cannot believe how he was acting towards her. She could not believe that he would bring up their near kiss like that and mock it. She didn't know what to do right now, she was so torn between wanting to shake the boy in front of her and just get her Nathan back, but the other side of her just wanted to slap him. There is no way that this is the boy that left her in California.

"I, I cannot believe you." Haley stuttered, shocked with tears threatening to pour out of her eyes, "Why are you such a goddamn asshole? What the hell did I do, Nathan? Why are you treating me like this?"

Nathan looked at her with nothing but fire in his eyes, "Stop being so desperate Haley and leave me alone. I'm not treating you any different than anybody else so stop your whole self-pity act and get the hell away from me."

Haley couldn't stop it any longer, the tears began to fall from her eyes. "Nathan, this isn't you." She tried one last time, desperately, her voice a lot more quiet and weak than it previously had been.

"Oh, grow up, Haley. I haven't seen you for five damn years, you don't know me and I don't know you. Stop wasting your time and go funk Damien or whatever the hell you want to do and just leave me out of it." Nathan said harshly.

Haley didn't know what else to say. She had never been so hurt and desperate in her life. Always, even when she lost touch with him for years, she always knew that Nathan would be there for her when needed, that he was the only person that she could truly count on one hundred percent, but now realizing that she was completely wrong this whole time, in front of the entire school, was something that she could not handle.

Before she could embarrass and mortify herself even further, she turned around to sprint out of the house, not being able to take it anymore.

"What the hell was that, Nathan?" Lucas asked a few minutes after the skeptical that he and Haley had put on in front of everyone.

Lucas had been in the den when the fight started but, like most other people at the party, found himself in the kitchen when they began to get loud. He missed how the fight began, but he saw most of it play out, with Nathan being the total jackass he knew first-handedly that he could be, and Haley trying very hard and then failing not to cry. It was a really horrible and shitty situation and he didn't know how to handle it, but after the fight ended and the crowd listening in died down, he approached Nathan angrily without hesitation.

Nathan practically growled before turning to face Lucas, "I'm not in a good mood, Lucas, I suggest you leave me alone."

Lucas was seething. He could not believe the attitude his brother was sporting, "You know what, Nathan? I am going to leave you alone but not because you asked, but because I can't stand to be around you right now. You're my brother and we've become… amicable, in the last few years, but Haley's my friend, and I won't let you treat anyone, especially her, the way you just did. I don't know what the hell is going on in your mind, but you better get your act together, because I know you need Haley and if I were her, I would never want to see your face again."

Lucas turned, storming away from his brother, not caring to hear a response from him. He didn't need another snarky, drunken comment from him tonight, he was angry with him enough already, and right now his priority was Haley anyway.

Nathan shook his head as Lucas ran away like a wimp. He talked a big game but he's all bark and no bite. He couldn't stand to deal with anymore tonight. As if watching Damien and Haley flirt and touch each other before wasn't bad enough, he had to hear it from both Haley and Lucas. He came to this party to get drunk and be numb, not get shit for doing nothing wrong.

He turned to leave the kitchen, needing a change of scenery after everything that had just transpired in the kitchen. He made his way through the inebriated teenagers toward the keg to get himself another drink, God knows he needs it.

He just got himself a drink from the keg when he felt someone's hand on his back. He was two seconds from cursing the person out because he wanted to be alone, until he caught a glimpse of the bright red hair on the head of the girl who was touching him. Instead of running away from the hand, he smirked and turned around to face her.

"Hey Natey, you okay? You look a little tense." She asked coyly, running her hand down his chest, stopping at his belt.

Nathan's first instinct was the cringe when she called him "Natey", but he refrained. He's standing by his game plan for the night; he just wants to be numb.

"Cut the shit, Rachel. You want to get out of here?" Nathan said, bluntly. He didn't need the foreplay or the flirting, in fact if he were honest, it was kind of repulsing him. He just wanted to forget about the night and move on. He didn't want to think about Haley and Damien, or him and Haley, or Lucas or anything.

Rachel smirked, clearly not phased in the slightest about the fact that she was being completely used. "I thought you'd never ask."

Nathan didn't say anything and hoped she would follow his lead and not talk either as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out the front door of the house and down the block to where his house was located, ready to just get this night over with, and missing a still clearly distraught Haley that was sitting on the porch swing he passed by.

Haley had no idea what was going on. She didn't even do anything to Nathan and couldn't for the life of her figure out what she did to piss Nathan off so much. This night had gone nothing like she expected it would and wished that she had just stayed home to her movies and ice cream.

She thought she just about cried herself out until she saw Nathan come out of the house with Rachel attached to him. Then, a whole new batch of tears began to pour out of her eyes. She didn't know why it hurt her so much to see Nathan with Rachel, not that she could think much about it anyway. She was too tired and depressed and confused to try and rationalize her feelings.

"Hales?!" Haley was brought out of her thoughts as she heard Damien calling her name and rushing over to her and gathering her in his arms.

"Jesus, Haley, I've been looking all over for you. Are you alright?" Damien asked with more sincerity than she's ever seen from him.

She attempted to put a smile on her face and nod, but she didn't have the energy to pretend. She began to break down in his arms, accepting his hug and comfort.

After a few minutes of her crying on his shoulder, Damien decided that it was time to try and get her home, "Come on, Haley, lets go back to your apartment and watch Grease and eat cookie dough ice cream, Okay?"

Haley let out a sad chuckle and smiled appreciatively at Damien before nodding and following him to his car, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.