Haley got to school about an hour later, going to make her way to her first period class. She made sure her sleeves were pulled down and spotted Lucas and Brooke in the hallway, talking to one another. Brooke spotted her first and waved her over. Smiling slightly, Haley made her way to her two best friends, pausing just shy of them. "Morning."

"Morning, Hales," Lucas grinned, Brooke following up with her own sentiments.

"How did tutoring Nathan go?" Brooke asked.

"It went well," Haley replied, mind on the way the dark-haired guy had called her boyfriend a dick. If only he knew. She sighed softly. "I'm going to be late to first period."

Brooke and Lucas exchanged a look that Haley didn't understand and then Lucas was talking to her. "I'll walk you, c'mon."

Haley sighed but followed him, having to stop at her locker on the way there. When she reached her locker, she put her bookbag inside of it, getting out the books she needed, and then followed Lucas. "What's with walking me to my class?"

"Can't I just see my best friend?" Lucas asked innocently, and Haley snorted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Fine. Brooke and I are worried about you."

There it was. "Why?"

"You and Damien," he sighed, and Haley wanted to roll her eyes. They were always worried about her.

"Damien is a good guy," Haley defended. A good guy who just had trouble with his temper.

"C'mon, Hales," Lucas chided her gently. "I know him better than that. He's not nice to anyone unless it benefits him."

Mind on the bruises on her arm; the finger-like print wrapped around her wrist, she sighed. "Well, he's nice to me."

"Are you safe with him?" Lucas demanded, causing her to stop just outside of classroom. She could feel eyes on her and looked up, spotting Nathan Scott looking at her from across the hall. She forgot she had her first period with him.

"I'm as safe with him as I am with you," she assure him gently, wondering why on earth she was lying to one of her best friends of all people.

Lucas studied her, eventually nodding his head. "Okay."

Haley smiled, waving to him as she walked into her classroom and took a seat. Nathan came in the next moment, glaring at the kid sitting next to her until he got the hint and quickly got out of the seat, relocating to somewhere else. Somewhere farther away. Nathan sat down next to her as Haley stared at him. "You didn't have to do that."

"I get my point across nonverbally," he flashed her a grin, shrugging his shoulder the next minute. Then he asked her a question. "Why you lying to Lucas?"

She felt her breath hitch, unsure of what he was referring to. "What do you mean?"

"Damien is a dick," Nathan said calmly. "There's no way he hasn't been mean or upset you in the past."

Haley sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She felt compelled to be a bit more honest with Nathan than she was with Lucas and she didn't know why. "Just because couples fight from time-to-time, doesn't mean they're not compatible."

"So you admit it? You guys fight?" Nathan asked, a victorious smile of sorts resting against his lips.

"What couples don't?" Haley challenged through a hiss.

Nathan just continued to smile at her until the bell rang, starting their morning lesson. Haley was in a foul mood, already wondering if she could nix her tutoring sessions with him because she definitely didn't want to deal with Nathan asking her a hundred and one questions about her relationship. As she diligently took notes, she could feel his eyes resting on her and she shifted her hair forward, acting as a current. Glancing up, she spotted him frowning at her, looking at something on her arm and she glanced down. Horrified, she spotted her sweater sleeve had fallen down, exposing a couple of cuts and she quickly yanked it back in place, face red.

"Haley…," Nathan trailed off in a whisper but she ignored him. She had a cat at home; she'd tell him it was scratches from her cat.

The rest of the class went by without any form of interruption and when the bell rang, she stood up, gathering her stuff as she forced her body to stay calm. She looked to Nathan, who was looking at her in something akin to sympathy. "What?" Haley asked defiantly, raising her chin just all the bit more.

"Nothing," he said quietly. "There's a game this Friday. Do you want to come?"

Haley sighed. She knew about the game – Lucas had been asking her to go all week. It wasn't one against Damien, which she was relieved about, and she looked back at Nathan. "Can we study a bit before the game? Can that be the deal?"

"Deal," Nathan replied easily. "You'll come if I study?"

"Yeah," Haley murmured, wondering what lie she'd tell her boyfriend. Damien didn't like her going to games that he wasn't playing in, even though her best friend was on the team and her other best friend cheered for their team. Brooke had been trying to convince her to join the squad since freshman year and she just hadn't worked up the courage to join. It wasn't like she couldn't wear long sleeves but she still didn't want any of the girls on the squad to catch wind of what she does, especially Brooke.

"Okay," Nathan smiled. "I'll study and you'll come watch us."

Lucas would be happy at the least, Haley surmised. He had been trying to get her to be friends with more of the team members on the basketball team. Jake was a good friend of hers' and it wouldn't hurt to go support them. She smiled as much as she could back at him, reassuring him the next moment. "I'll be there."

Then, she walked out of the classroom, going down the hall to her next class.

XXX

Lunchtime rolled around and Haley sat down at the table she shared with Brooke, Lucas, Skills, and Mouth. Nathan, Tim, and Jake all came by a moment later, Peyton, another cheerleader on the squad and Jake's girlfriend, following after them. "Mind if we sit here?" This was Nathan, asking the question as he looked between Lucas and Haley.

Lucas shook his head. "Nah, there's plenty of room."

Nathan sat down across from Haley, Peyton sitting next to her, and the others filling up space around the table. Haley chewed her sandwich, wondering what Damien would say if he could see who she was sitting by. He'd most likely have a conniption. "Lucas, did Haley tell you she's coming to the game on Friday?" This was Nathan, and Lucas looked back and forth between him and Haley.

"You're coming?" Lucas asked, and Haley nodded.

"Figured it was time I support our school team, too," she murmured, and Brooke grinned.

"Come join the cheer squad, Hales," Brooke said. "You know there's a place for you."

Haley looked at Brooke, then to Lucas who was nodding and Nathan who was grinning. She sighed. "Okay."

What the hell had she agreed to?