Chapter 2
"Haley, can I ask you a question?" Peyton asked, looking unsure. Haley glanced up from her homework and saw Peyton's look.
"Yes, you can ask me something about Lucas." She said playfully. Peyton laughed and hit her with a pillow. The girls were at Peyton's house because Peyton thought it would be fun to hang out and become better friends.
"I'm going to assume you know about the other night when I walked in and told him how I felt and then Brooke came out of his bedroom." She said hesitately.
"You want to know if I know how he feels about Brooke." She said cautiously, unsure of what to do.
"I understand if you don't want to say anything. I just..I want to know if I have a chance." She said softly, thinking about Lucas.
"Peyton, let me tell you something. You will always have a chance with Lucas. I think he is always going to have feelings for you, but I honestly don't know if you will get to be with him right now. Lucas..he doesn't even know what he wants. He has liked you forever..but now Brooke has entered the picture and his feelings are mixed up." She said, trying to choose her words as carefully as possible.
"I know. Sometimes I really resent myself for not being ready when he wanted me to. Because now I just want to be with him, and I don't know if that will happen." She said sadly. Haley studied her for a moment.
"Do not resent yourself, do you hear me? You were not ready and that is not your fault. Don't regret putting it off until now, things happen for a reason." She said. As she said that, her eyes caught the clock.
"Don't hate me but I have to go. I promised Nathan I'd have dinner with him and his mom." She said apologetically. Peyton waved her hand, smiling.
"Go, go. You're lucky Dan won't be there." She joked. Haley felt the smile from her face fall when that name was mentioned.
"I am." She admitted. "See you later."
"Thanks for everything, Haley! Bye!" Peyton called as Haley walked out.
~~
"So Haley, how is school going for her?" Deb asked.
"Oh, it's been good. I haven't been getting a lot of homework, so there's not that much pressure." She said casually, "By the way, how do you like the diner?"
"It's a lot of work, but I want to do well for Karen. Plus, I like meeting new people." She said, getting up to pour herself another glass of water.
"Karen would be proud." Haley said quietly, and it was evident how much she missed Haley. Nathan caught the sadness in her voice and sent her an encouraging smile.
"Oh Yeah, Karen would be proud." A voice said sarcastically. Haley looked up and felt a sudden tightening in her chest. There stood...Mister Dan Scott.
~~
"I love you too, Mom. Good-bye." Lucas said as he hung up the phone softly. He sat back on the couch and tried to get into his latest book, Brave New World. He liked the book, but so many things were on his mind that it kept distracting him from actually enjoying it. He just felt so confused about this whole Peyton and Brooke thing. He had wanted something with Peyton for the longest time, but Brooke just proved him wrong when he thought he had her all figured out. She wasn't what most people expected her to be. She was sweet, but not too sweet. She spiced things up in his life. A sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He opened it up to see Peyton.
"Hey." He said surprised. Peyton gave him a half-smile.
"Can I come in?" She asked. Lucas stepped aside.
"Of course." She looked around uncertainly as she walked in.
"She's not here." He said quietly. Peyton nodded and sat down on the couch.
"Listen, Peyton.." He began but was quickly cut off by Peyton pulling him into a kiss.
~~
"Dan, what are you doing here?" Deb demanded, anger flashing in her eyes. Dan kept his eyes set on Haley almost the entire time.
"What? I can't join my family for a meal? Although, it looks like someone has quickly taken my place." He said coldly. Nathan shot him a death look, knowing where this was going.
"Haley, would you mind leaving the room for a second?" Nathan whispered quietly to her. Haley hesitated but nodded, giving Nathan's hand a quick squeeze of assurance before standing up. Dan was at her side in a second.
"No, no, Haley. Sit down. I didn't mean to interrupt. Would you mind if I joined you for dinner?" He asked, feigning sweet. Deb jumped to answer that.
"Actually, Dan, yes we would. Now be a man and get out." She snapped. Dan stood up.
"Deb, you cannot deny me the right to have dinner with my boy." He said. Nathan stood up and looked his father in the eye.
"Actually, DAN, she can. No one wants you here, so get out before I throw you out myself." He threatened. Dan took a long look at him and turned around, giving Haley a "I-Warned-You" look and strided out of the kitchen.
~~
After the eventful dinner, Nathan and Haley went walking around.
"So much for things being peaceful." He said, watching his feet. Haley grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her.
"No more talking about your dad. Let's go out and have some fun." She said, smiling mysteriously. Nathan eyed her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"What kind of fun?" He said in a seductive voice. Haley lightly hit his chest and laughed.
"No, no. Not that kind of fun." She said and pulled him along the street.
~
"Mini-golfing? Are you kidding me?" He asked dubiously. Haley raised her eyebrows at him.
"You are not telling me that you don't like mini-golfing." She stated.
"Oh I liked mini-golfing..when I was five years old." He joked.
"Your five year old jokes are getting old. Get some new material, Scott."
"No, YOU get some new material." He said, smiling.
"You know what?" She said casually leaning up closer to Nathan's face. Nathan stared down at her adoringly.
"What?"
"Your comebacks suck." She said, and grabbed two clubs.
"Take your club, we're going mini-golfing."
~~
"So, what made you decide to go mini-golfing?" Nathan asked as she putted the ball into the hole.
"This place is soothing for me." Was her only answer. Nathan laughed and pulled her to him as they walked to the next hole.
"A mini-golf place is soothing for you?"
"When I was 10 years old, my cousin, Sydney, died in a car accident. She was my age and we were really close. Well, after it happened, I didn't want to do anything. No one could cheer me up and the whole thing was just horrible. But Lucas..he came to my house one day and told me "You're going out Halz, and you're going to have fun, even if you stay in your pajamas"..and he brought me here. It was the one thing that was able to take my mind off of the accident. Ever since then, I come here and just play if I need to get my mind off of it." She replied, reflecting back on those days.
"What if you don't want to pay?" Nathan asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Lucas set up a mini-golf course on his roof. It's not huge but it's nice. I go up there whenever I need a break." She said casually.
"So, you and Lucas.." Nathan began and Haley spun around.
"We're nothing. He's my big brother. Always protecting me, but that is as far as our relationship goes." The sincerity in her eyes told Nathan she was telling the truth.
"You know what, James, I don't think I've felt anything like this before." He said quietly.
"Yeah I know what you mean. It's hard learning that your jokes suck." She said softly. She then took off running.
"Oh, you're dead." Nathan said and started to chase her.
"Haley, can I ask you a question?" Peyton asked, looking unsure. Haley glanced up from her homework and saw Peyton's look.
"Yes, you can ask me something about Lucas." She said playfully. Peyton laughed and hit her with a pillow. The girls were at Peyton's house because Peyton thought it would be fun to hang out and become better friends.
"I'm going to assume you know about the other night when I walked in and told him how I felt and then Brooke came out of his bedroom." She said hesitately.
"You want to know if I know how he feels about Brooke." She said cautiously, unsure of what to do.
"I understand if you don't want to say anything. I just..I want to know if I have a chance." She said softly, thinking about Lucas.
"Peyton, let me tell you something. You will always have a chance with Lucas. I think he is always going to have feelings for you, but I honestly don't know if you will get to be with him right now. Lucas..he doesn't even know what he wants. He has liked you forever..but now Brooke has entered the picture and his feelings are mixed up." She said, trying to choose her words as carefully as possible.
"I know. Sometimes I really resent myself for not being ready when he wanted me to. Because now I just want to be with him, and I don't know if that will happen." She said sadly. Haley studied her for a moment.
"Do not resent yourself, do you hear me? You were not ready and that is not your fault. Don't regret putting it off until now, things happen for a reason." She said. As she said that, her eyes caught the clock.
"Don't hate me but I have to go. I promised Nathan I'd have dinner with him and his mom." She said apologetically. Peyton waved her hand, smiling.
"Go, go. You're lucky Dan won't be there." She joked. Haley felt the smile from her face fall when that name was mentioned.
"I am." She admitted. "See you later."
"Thanks for everything, Haley! Bye!" Peyton called as Haley walked out.
~~
"So Haley, how is school going for her?" Deb asked.
"Oh, it's been good. I haven't been getting a lot of homework, so there's not that much pressure." She said casually, "By the way, how do you like the diner?"
"It's a lot of work, but I want to do well for Karen. Plus, I like meeting new people." She said, getting up to pour herself another glass of water.
"Karen would be proud." Haley said quietly, and it was evident how much she missed Haley. Nathan caught the sadness in her voice and sent her an encouraging smile.
"Oh Yeah, Karen would be proud." A voice said sarcastically. Haley looked up and felt a sudden tightening in her chest. There stood...Mister Dan Scott.
~~
"I love you too, Mom. Good-bye." Lucas said as he hung up the phone softly. He sat back on the couch and tried to get into his latest book, Brave New World. He liked the book, but so many things were on his mind that it kept distracting him from actually enjoying it. He just felt so confused about this whole Peyton and Brooke thing. He had wanted something with Peyton for the longest time, but Brooke just proved him wrong when he thought he had her all figured out. She wasn't what most people expected her to be. She was sweet, but not too sweet. She spiced things up in his life. A sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He opened it up to see Peyton.
"Hey." He said surprised. Peyton gave him a half-smile.
"Can I come in?" She asked. Lucas stepped aside.
"Of course." She looked around uncertainly as she walked in.
"She's not here." He said quietly. Peyton nodded and sat down on the couch.
"Listen, Peyton.." He began but was quickly cut off by Peyton pulling him into a kiss.
~~
"Dan, what are you doing here?" Deb demanded, anger flashing in her eyes. Dan kept his eyes set on Haley almost the entire time.
"What? I can't join my family for a meal? Although, it looks like someone has quickly taken my place." He said coldly. Nathan shot him a death look, knowing where this was going.
"Haley, would you mind leaving the room for a second?" Nathan whispered quietly to her. Haley hesitated but nodded, giving Nathan's hand a quick squeeze of assurance before standing up. Dan was at her side in a second.
"No, no, Haley. Sit down. I didn't mean to interrupt. Would you mind if I joined you for dinner?" He asked, feigning sweet. Deb jumped to answer that.
"Actually, Dan, yes we would. Now be a man and get out." She snapped. Dan stood up.
"Deb, you cannot deny me the right to have dinner with my boy." He said. Nathan stood up and looked his father in the eye.
"Actually, DAN, she can. No one wants you here, so get out before I throw you out myself." He threatened. Dan took a long look at him and turned around, giving Haley a "I-Warned-You" look and strided out of the kitchen.
~~
After the eventful dinner, Nathan and Haley went walking around.
"So much for things being peaceful." He said, watching his feet. Haley grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her.
"No more talking about your dad. Let's go out and have some fun." She said, smiling mysteriously. Nathan eyed her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"What kind of fun?" He said in a seductive voice. Haley lightly hit his chest and laughed.
"No, no. Not that kind of fun." She said and pulled him along the street.
~
"Mini-golfing? Are you kidding me?" He asked dubiously. Haley raised her eyebrows at him.
"You are not telling me that you don't like mini-golfing." She stated.
"Oh I liked mini-golfing..when I was five years old." He joked.
"Your five year old jokes are getting old. Get some new material, Scott."
"No, YOU get some new material." He said, smiling.
"You know what?" She said casually leaning up closer to Nathan's face. Nathan stared down at her adoringly.
"What?"
"Your comebacks suck." She said, and grabbed two clubs.
"Take your club, we're going mini-golfing."
~~
"So, what made you decide to go mini-golfing?" Nathan asked as she putted the ball into the hole.
"This place is soothing for me." Was her only answer. Nathan laughed and pulled her to him as they walked to the next hole.
"A mini-golf place is soothing for you?"
"When I was 10 years old, my cousin, Sydney, died in a car accident. She was my age and we were really close. Well, after it happened, I didn't want to do anything. No one could cheer me up and the whole thing was just horrible. But Lucas..he came to my house one day and told me "You're going out Halz, and you're going to have fun, even if you stay in your pajamas"..and he brought me here. It was the one thing that was able to take my mind off of the accident. Ever since then, I come here and just play if I need to get my mind off of it." She replied, reflecting back on those days.
"What if you don't want to pay?" Nathan asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Lucas set up a mini-golf course on his roof. It's not huge but it's nice. I go up there whenever I need a break." She said casually.
"So, you and Lucas.." Nathan began and Haley spun around.
"We're nothing. He's my big brother. Always protecting me, but that is as far as our relationship goes." The sincerity in her eyes told Nathan she was telling the truth.
"You know what, James, I don't think I've felt anything like this before." He said quietly.
"Yeah I know what you mean. It's hard learning that your jokes suck." She said softly. She then took off running.
"Oh, you're dead." Nathan said and started to chase her.