Chapter Two Part One
Nathan and Haley never made it to IHOP.
It was such a simple decision really. Eat breakfast in or eat breakfast out. The two had been about to leave when something stopped them, an underlying feeling that neither was ready to share the other with the world yet, not when their first date at a public restaurant had ended in such disaster.
That memory was on both of their minds as they each stalled in the front hall. Haley took a painfully long amount of time to put on her flowered hat and Nathan seemed unable to properly zipper his jacket. When a few minutes went by and neither made a move towards the door, he looked at her and she looked at him, and then a tiny smile crept up on her lips and she pulled him with her towards the kitchen.
He watched her from the doorframe as she removed some ingredients from the refrigerator: eggs, orange juice, a loaf of sour dough bread, a banana and a stick of butter to grease the frying pan. She'd make him Karen's special French toast recipe. They'd have a nice breakfast in the comfort of her home and maybe even take the food back up to her room and eat together in bed.
The aroma of the bread as it sizzled and crackled in the hot butter watered her mouth and she forgot about the daydream she had earlier about bagels with butter and cream cheese. A fresh cooked breakfast in the place where they felt most connected was exactly what they needed at the moment. It worried her though; they had to leave her house eventually. But she put that thought out of her mind for the moment as she searched through the fruit drawer for fresh berries.
There were only blueberries but that would have to do. Nathan was standing idly beside her, exuding the aura that he felt completely out of place in the kitchen. He looked eager to get his hands on that French toast though. The boy was probably starving. She poured a giant glass of water and cut up a banana and an orange for him. He drank and ate while they talked and she oversaw what was happening on top of the stove.
Nathan was just finishing a story about a prank he pulled on Tim when they were in middle school when the first batch of toast was finally done; perfectly browned and crisp. "I told Tim the candy was really hormone pills and for six weeks he thought he was going to turn into a girl," Nathan laughed at the memory.
"He didn't believe you?" she called out incredulously over her shoulder from the stove.
"Yeah, he did. He was a wreck for months." Nathan laughed at the memory. "I think he still checks sometimes to make sure he hasn't grown breasts."
Haley laughed as she brought breakfast to the table that Nathan had set. She garnished each plate of French toast with sugar, cinnamon and berries; the look of surprise and delight on Nathan's face really pleased her.
"I haven't tasted anything this good since Mom went back to work. I almost forgot that food wasn't supposed to be burnt on the edges and frozen in the center," he joked after he inhaled his first two slices. "How much more of this do you have over there?" he indicated over to where the pan was now soaking in soapy water.
His face fell and she chuckled. She removed one of her slices and moved it over to his plate. "Eat slower because [I]that's it[/I]," she ordered him as he dug into the last two pieces.
He questioned her with a surprised look but she told him it was fine. In truth, all the nervous energy she had been feeling since Nathan had arrived the night before had taken away most of her appetite. Besides, she usually snacked at the Café while she worked, and unfortunately she had to be there today in a few hours.
"So, have you ever done something like that?" he asked, referring to his prank on Tim.
"Um, of course not," she faltered for a moment and then finished lamely.
"I knew it. Tell me the story," he pounced at the opportunity to learn more about her.
"Fine," Haley cringed. "But first, you have to understand how hard it was being the youngest of six. I was always the last one to do anything."
She had his undivided attention. He had even put down the fork so that he could really listen.
"At dinner I was the last to get served so my food was always cold. I was the last to go shopping for new clothes so my hand-me-downs were always too big. And that wasn't even the half of it."
Nathan involuntarily shook his head. He had no idea what that must have been like. The house was so silent whenever he visited her; he couldn't even imagine her living that life.
"I was six years old and like all children I craved attention. It was hard for me because my siblings occupied a lot of my Mom's time. So one day she told me I could stay home from school and we would spend the whole day together."
Her eyes lit up as she remembered the excitement she had felt as a child.
"We made this special dinner for my dad and siblings. I worked so hard mashing potatoes and peeling carrots and I even helped her bake these really amazing brownies. They looked so good and I wanted to eat one so badly but Mom said I had to wait. I became so anxious, waiting for dinner to be over so I could eat my brownies. But,"
Her face cracked slightly and she lowered her eyes.
"When the plate of brownies got to me there were none left. I threw a fit. I screamed and cried about how everyone had eaten MY brownies. The other girls were calling me a baby and the boys were laughing at me. I was so mad at them that.that the next weekend I asked my mom if we could make brownies again and I put dog food in the batter when she wasn't looking."
Nathan burst out laughing. "Haley!"
"I know. It was terrible. When they tasted those brownies.my brother threw up and two of my sisters successfully pulled some hair out of my head. I got in so much trouble."
"Wow. Remind me never to piss any of you off. I think it makes me happy I never had any." he swallowed his words as he realized that his statement wasn't exactly true any more.
He forced himself to smile when he saw her bite her lip anxiously. "Hey, stop that. Luke and I.we came to an understanding the night Whitey kicked us off the bus. As long as he stays out of my way and I stay out of his, we'll be cool."
"How can that work when you two are on the same team?" Haley questioned.
Nathan's face faltered slightly but Haley caught the change in his expression. She touched his arm gently.
"Tim text messaged me earlier when you were cooking. It seems Whitey cancelled basketball until further notice."
Her eyes widened. [I]"Because of."[/I] her voice trailed off as she realized the implication of her statement.
It had to have been because of what happened the night before with Nathan. At least, that was what Nathan thought but neither he nor Haley truthfully could know what was going on in Whitey's mind unless someone asked him.
Nathan grew up hearing more stories about Whitey than about any actual relatives. Dan would cross his arms and lower his eyes and say through tight-pursed lips as he admonished Nathan for disagreeing with him or for fighting with him or for just plain having something to say when Dan wanted there to be quiet, "You sound like Whitey," as if that was the worst way to sound. It was no surprise that Nathan had a very short fuse when it came to dealing with the older man.
"I screwed up so badly Haley," Nathan was really angry with himself. "I wish I had never bought those stupid pills."
This is what Haley hated, when Nathan's guilt started to set in because she really didn't know what to say to make him feel any better. Words were just that, meaningless people, places and things that reassured him on the surface that things were going to be okay but did nothing to ease his quaking insides. Maybe all he needed was to see that she would be there.
She was almost shaking when she grabbed his hand. She told herself to just breathe and ordered her brain to send messages down to her legs to begin walking up the stairs to her bedroom. He followed her without another word, even though he was unsure exactly what she had in mind. What she was going to do was show him that he may have made a bad decision but that he had not screwed up everything, that by coming to her last night he had not screwed up [I]them[/I].
She guided him over to the bed, sheets and blankets still rumpled and un- made from before. She sat him down on the edge of the bed and stood between his legs. They were never eye level any other way. Her hands rested on his knees. "Haley?" he questioned her. "What the hell do you see in me?"
"I see a good person, Nathan."
He smiled. He might not be smiling when she continued.
"I see someone I can't stay away from, even though.I know he is going to crash and burn and probably bring me down with him."
She searched his face. It was blank.
"You said it yourself Nathan; you do stupid things. And you know what, I don't hold it against you. We're sixteen. I haven't made all the right choices either. But I have this feeling that things aren't going to get any better for you. It's just," she bit her lip in anticipation, "you have me by your side no matter what happens. If you want me."
He leaned in and kissed her in response. He rested his forehead against hers. "Does this make [I]you[/I] a sadist?" he joked. "Or am I just being really naïve since I'm pretty sure you insulted me somewhere in that speech."
When he was this close to her it made it hard for her to concentrate on anything he was saying. Her hands busied themselves with the bottom of his shirt. She decided to be bold. She ran her hands under his shirt, inching up his torso.
"Maybe I should check to see if you're ego's bruised?" she stumbled over the words, knowing how he would take the comment.
He smirked and lifted his arms slightly so his t-shirt tugged up. "Sounds good to me but don't forget to take off yours too," he joked.
"Pig," she chuckled.
Her heart fluttered in her chest. [I]It's just a shirt,[/I] she chastised herself, [I]take it off.[/I] A smile involuntarily crossed her lips and he chuckled.
"You know I'd appreciate if you didn't try and take advantage of me in my weakened emotional state."
"Yeah, OKAY," she teased as she lifted the shirt up. She made eye contact with him and he moved forward, stretching out his arms so she could pull it up over his head. It got stuck somewhere around his ears. She closed her eyes. "Real smooth," she hissed under her breath.
Nathan pulled his shirt back down.
"I don't think we're up to that lesson just yet," he said with a tiny laugh. "Come on, we still have some time before you go to work and I crash and burn. Let me tutor."
And she did.
Nathan and Haley never made it to IHOP.
It was such a simple decision really. Eat breakfast in or eat breakfast out. The two had been about to leave when something stopped them, an underlying feeling that neither was ready to share the other with the world yet, not when their first date at a public restaurant had ended in such disaster.
That memory was on both of their minds as they each stalled in the front hall. Haley took a painfully long amount of time to put on her flowered hat and Nathan seemed unable to properly zipper his jacket. When a few minutes went by and neither made a move towards the door, he looked at her and she looked at him, and then a tiny smile crept up on her lips and she pulled him with her towards the kitchen.
He watched her from the doorframe as she removed some ingredients from the refrigerator: eggs, orange juice, a loaf of sour dough bread, a banana and a stick of butter to grease the frying pan. She'd make him Karen's special French toast recipe. They'd have a nice breakfast in the comfort of her home and maybe even take the food back up to her room and eat together in bed.
The aroma of the bread as it sizzled and crackled in the hot butter watered her mouth and she forgot about the daydream she had earlier about bagels with butter and cream cheese. A fresh cooked breakfast in the place where they felt most connected was exactly what they needed at the moment. It worried her though; they had to leave her house eventually. But she put that thought out of her mind for the moment as she searched through the fruit drawer for fresh berries.
There were only blueberries but that would have to do. Nathan was standing idly beside her, exuding the aura that he felt completely out of place in the kitchen. He looked eager to get his hands on that French toast though. The boy was probably starving. She poured a giant glass of water and cut up a banana and an orange for him. He drank and ate while they talked and she oversaw what was happening on top of the stove.
Nathan was just finishing a story about a prank he pulled on Tim when they were in middle school when the first batch of toast was finally done; perfectly browned and crisp. "I told Tim the candy was really hormone pills and for six weeks he thought he was going to turn into a girl," Nathan laughed at the memory.
"He didn't believe you?" she called out incredulously over her shoulder from the stove.
"Yeah, he did. He was a wreck for months." Nathan laughed at the memory. "I think he still checks sometimes to make sure he hasn't grown breasts."
Haley laughed as she brought breakfast to the table that Nathan had set. She garnished each plate of French toast with sugar, cinnamon and berries; the look of surprise and delight on Nathan's face really pleased her.
"I haven't tasted anything this good since Mom went back to work. I almost forgot that food wasn't supposed to be burnt on the edges and frozen in the center," he joked after he inhaled his first two slices. "How much more of this do you have over there?" he indicated over to where the pan was now soaking in soapy water.
His face fell and she chuckled. She removed one of her slices and moved it over to his plate. "Eat slower because [I]that's it[/I]," she ordered him as he dug into the last two pieces.
He questioned her with a surprised look but she told him it was fine. In truth, all the nervous energy she had been feeling since Nathan had arrived the night before had taken away most of her appetite. Besides, she usually snacked at the Café while she worked, and unfortunately she had to be there today in a few hours.
"So, have you ever done something like that?" he asked, referring to his prank on Tim.
"Um, of course not," she faltered for a moment and then finished lamely.
"I knew it. Tell me the story," he pounced at the opportunity to learn more about her.
"Fine," Haley cringed. "But first, you have to understand how hard it was being the youngest of six. I was always the last one to do anything."
She had his undivided attention. He had even put down the fork so that he could really listen.
"At dinner I was the last to get served so my food was always cold. I was the last to go shopping for new clothes so my hand-me-downs were always too big. And that wasn't even the half of it."
Nathan involuntarily shook his head. He had no idea what that must have been like. The house was so silent whenever he visited her; he couldn't even imagine her living that life.
"I was six years old and like all children I craved attention. It was hard for me because my siblings occupied a lot of my Mom's time. So one day she told me I could stay home from school and we would spend the whole day together."
Her eyes lit up as she remembered the excitement she had felt as a child.
"We made this special dinner for my dad and siblings. I worked so hard mashing potatoes and peeling carrots and I even helped her bake these really amazing brownies. They looked so good and I wanted to eat one so badly but Mom said I had to wait. I became so anxious, waiting for dinner to be over so I could eat my brownies. But,"
Her face cracked slightly and she lowered her eyes.
"When the plate of brownies got to me there were none left. I threw a fit. I screamed and cried about how everyone had eaten MY brownies. The other girls were calling me a baby and the boys were laughing at me. I was so mad at them that.that the next weekend I asked my mom if we could make brownies again and I put dog food in the batter when she wasn't looking."
Nathan burst out laughing. "Haley!"
"I know. It was terrible. When they tasted those brownies.my brother threw up and two of my sisters successfully pulled some hair out of my head. I got in so much trouble."
"Wow. Remind me never to piss any of you off. I think it makes me happy I never had any." he swallowed his words as he realized that his statement wasn't exactly true any more.
He forced himself to smile when he saw her bite her lip anxiously. "Hey, stop that. Luke and I.we came to an understanding the night Whitey kicked us off the bus. As long as he stays out of my way and I stay out of his, we'll be cool."
"How can that work when you two are on the same team?" Haley questioned.
Nathan's face faltered slightly but Haley caught the change in his expression. She touched his arm gently.
"Tim text messaged me earlier when you were cooking. It seems Whitey cancelled basketball until further notice."
Her eyes widened. [I]"Because of."[/I] her voice trailed off as she realized the implication of her statement.
It had to have been because of what happened the night before with Nathan. At least, that was what Nathan thought but neither he nor Haley truthfully could know what was going on in Whitey's mind unless someone asked him.
Nathan grew up hearing more stories about Whitey than about any actual relatives. Dan would cross his arms and lower his eyes and say through tight-pursed lips as he admonished Nathan for disagreeing with him or for fighting with him or for just plain having something to say when Dan wanted there to be quiet, "You sound like Whitey," as if that was the worst way to sound. It was no surprise that Nathan had a very short fuse when it came to dealing with the older man.
"I screwed up so badly Haley," Nathan was really angry with himself. "I wish I had never bought those stupid pills."
This is what Haley hated, when Nathan's guilt started to set in because she really didn't know what to say to make him feel any better. Words were just that, meaningless people, places and things that reassured him on the surface that things were going to be okay but did nothing to ease his quaking insides. Maybe all he needed was to see that she would be there.
She was almost shaking when she grabbed his hand. She told herself to just breathe and ordered her brain to send messages down to her legs to begin walking up the stairs to her bedroom. He followed her without another word, even though he was unsure exactly what she had in mind. What she was going to do was show him that he may have made a bad decision but that he had not screwed up everything, that by coming to her last night he had not screwed up [I]them[/I].
She guided him over to the bed, sheets and blankets still rumpled and un- made from before. She sat him down on the edge of the bed and stood between his legs. They were never eye level any other way. Her hands rested on his knees. "Haley?" he questioned her. "What the hell do you see in me?"
"I see a good person, Nathan."
He smiled. He might not be smiling when she continued.
"I see someone I can't stay away from, even though.I know he is going to crash and burn and probably bring me down with him."
She searched his face. It was blank.
"You said it yourself Nathan; you do stupid things. And you know what, I don't hold it against you. We're sixteen. I haven't made all the right choices either. But I have this feeling that things aren't going to get any better for you. It's just," she bit her lip in anticipation, "you have me by your side no matter what happens. If you want me."
He leaned in and kissed her in response. He rested his forehead against hers. "Does this make [I]you[/I] a sadist?" he joked. "Or am I just being really naïve since I'm pretty sure you insulted me somewhere in that speech."
When he was this close to her it made it hard for her to concentrate on anything he was saying. Her hands busied themselves with the bottom of his shirt. She decided to be bold. She ran her hands under his shirt, inching up his torso.
"Maybe I should check to see if you're ego's bruised?" she stumbled over the words, knowing how he would take the comment.
He smirked and lifted his arms slightly so his t-shirt tugged up. "Sounds good to me but don't forget to take off yours too," he joked.
"Pig," she chuckled.
Her heart fluttered in her chest. [I]It's just a shirt,[/I] she chastised herself, [I]take it off.[/I] A smile involuntarily crossed her lips and he chuckled.
"You know I'd appreciate if you didn't try and take advantage of me in my weakened emotional state."
"Yeah, OKAY," she teased as she lifted the shirt up. She made eye contact with him and he moved forward, stretching out his arms so she could pull it up over his head. It got stuck somewhere around his ears. She closed her eyes. "Real smooth," she hissed under her breath.
Nathan pulled his shirt back down.
"I don't think we're up to that lesson just yet," he said with a tiny laugh. "Come on, we still have some time before you go to work and I crash and burn. Let me tutor."
And she did.