Title: I hurt Haley

Name: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

Rating: PG 13

11.

Nathan sat quietly in his own car as the uncle he barely knew drove him home. There was nothing for him to do. By throwing that one rock he had injured the person he cared most about outside of family and he would have a record so he blew his chances with colleges...there was no fancy footwork around this one...unless he wanted to take his father's way out.

Arriving at the Scott home both men exited the car to see Deb opened the door to their home and stepped out on to the stoop. "Hi Keith. Everything okay?" she asked knowing that it wasn't. "What are you doing out of school Nathan?"

"Let's go inside," Keith suggested.

Nathan sat down stoically and stared at the floor.

"What's going on?" Deb asked nervously observing her son.

Keith watched Nathan completely tune out. "Your mother asked you a question," he said roughly.

"I hurt Haley."

"You what?" Deb gasped.

Nathan's big eyes met his mother's and pled for forgiveness, "I hurt Haley and I have to go to the police to make a statement...and..."

Deb stared at her son and then Keith, who decided to supply the missing information. "Haley and Nathan broke up last week...a couple nights ago Nathan went over to Haley's house to try to get back together. Haley was having none of it, and they fought..."

"You hit Haley?" Deb gasped in horror.

Nathan looked up in pain, "No...Lucas was there and I knew he had this thing for her...and I...I went back later thinking Lucas would be gone."

"But he wasn't..." Deb filled in.

"No he wasn't...They were kissing in the front room. I could see them through the window," he said obviously pained by the visual shutting his eyes.

Keith decided to finish the tale to save his nephew more pain, "When he and Haley were dating he would throw rocks at Haley's window when he wanted her attention once she went to bed... so when he went over he had a few rocks on hand...Seeing Haley kiss Lucas got him very angry and he chucked the rock he had been holding at the window. Problem is that he threw it hard enough to break the window. He took off before he found out the rock had hit Haley in the head causing her to fall. She hit her head again on the floor. She hasn't regained conscience since that night."

Deb stood up and paced a moment before sitting back down and holding her son's hands. "You didn't intend to hurt her, right?"

Nathan looked at her like she was insane, "Of course."

She took a deep breath, "Do you want to do this with me or do you want me to call your father?"

"Don't call Dad," Nathan pled. "He will try to get me out of it."

"Okay...but once you make your statement I will have to tell your dad. As for now lets handle this. Do you want me to call our lawyer to meet us at the station?" Nathan shook his head. Deb hugged him to herself. "It will be fine, baby. We can do this."

Nathan looked up at her with pleading eyes, "Don't let them let me off because I'm his son. Don't let them keep my record unblemished. I've had enough of that for a lifetime."

Keith looked at his nephew confused, "Nathan, they will most likely only charge you with vandalism. I don't think Haley or her parents will press charges for assault."

Nathan faced his uncle, "But Lucas will...he can and he will...not because he hates me but because I hurt her."

Keith was quiet for a long time. "Lucas was angry when he said those things at the hospital...If you get charged for vandalism that will be good enough for him."

Nathan shook his head, "No it won't...because I don't think it's enough for me."

Deb took her son's hands, "Honey I know you feel awful about this...but..."

Nathan stood up, throwing her hands off, "No you don't know how awful I feel. You have no idea." He went to the window and stared out.

"I feel hollow," he whispered, "like a part of me is gone."

Nathan walked back to his mother and said, "I have been living the life he's wanted for me for so long that I don't know what I want for myself." He shook his head, "Haley was the one thing that was uniquely mine and I treated her the way dad treated you and she left...I can't fix it or make it better. I can only hate myself for what happened."

He stared at his mother hard, "I'm becoming him...and I hate it...and I hate him for making me like this...and I hate myself for not being strong enough to tell dad to shove it a long time ago...and I hate that we will walk into that police station and he will get there and make it go away. I can't even take responsibility for this...I can't..."

"You can work at the diner," Deb suggested abruptly.

"What?!" both men said.

Deb nodded her head; "Karen needs help with Haley gone. You want away from your dad...He won't get anywhere near that place."

"Have you Okayed this with Karen?" Keith suggested concerned that this idea would inevitably be forced on his love...whatever Karen was to him...whether she wanted it or not.

"I'll do that now," Deb said and went to the phone.

"There is no way Karen is going to let me anywhere near Lucas or the diner," Nathan stated aloud to no one really.

Keith breathed deep, "You don't know Karen. She'll let you work at the diner...with or without Lucas's approval."

"Why?"

"Because it will help your mom," Keith responded.

"How?"

Keith smiled softly, "You really don't want to hear the answer to that question."

Nathan sat for a moment and then said, "Its because she wishes I turned out more like Lucas and less like Dan...and Karen did that."

"Got it in one," Keith stated to his nephew and patted his shoulder. "I wouldn't mind getting to know you either kid." Nathan looked up at his uncle, and Keith could see his little brother at that age in his face. "I love Lucas like a son...that doesn't mean I don't love you...You do know that, don't you?"

Nathan breathed unevenly for a minute trying to remember the last time his own father had told him he loved him when it wasn't connected to basketball in some way. The brown haired boy shut his eyes and pictured the smile and hug Keith would give Lucas as he got off the court good plays or bad. When he opened his eyes again he swallowed the knot in his throat. "I know now."

Tbc...

A/N: I always wanted to see Nathan get over his class-ism...this is a start.