Stepping into the Lions Den
Nathan walked into the gym. It was his second day at practice again. He stood in the lineup warming up with the guys. The cheerleaders were off doing there practicing. Jakes baby was crying in the back ground.
"Ok guys, we have a new girl on board," Brooke cheerfully announced. "Girls, meet our newest cheerleader, Ms. Haley James."
Nathan turned around to catch Haley's gaze. There she was in a blue sports bra, and black spandex shorts with her hair pulled up messily in this sporty looking pony tail. There she stood, looking mighty fine. But this wasn't her world. And Nathan didn't understand why she was here. She bit her lip in that nervous was she does, and Nathan stood there staring at her.
Nathan wasn't the only one to over hear this information. Lucas stood there, mouth open. His best friend? Haley James? A cheerleader? Things had changed, a lot; and were still continuing to change.
'Surprise,' she silently mouthed to him, which left him more confused.
"Stop gawking gentlemen and start moving. Warm ups over ladies. Hustle up."
The boys returned their focus to their part of the game upon Whitey's command. But both decided Haley had some explaining to do.
"Now, let me go over a few things with Haley. We look damn good out there and we know it. We are the loudest, most spirited cheerleading squad that enters any gymnasium. Now let's start girls. And tutor girl, I wanna see some true Raven spirit," she said grinning at her. "If not for the game, than for your fine man out there on the court."
Haley blushed but managed a shy smile back.
*^* After Practice *^*
Haley came out of the girls locker room and saw Nathan standing right outside the door, obviously waiting for her. "Hey Nathan," she greeted him with a warm smile. "Hey," he replied, and pulled her close against his body. He gently pressed his lips to hers. "Missed you." "Missed me? I was at practice with you silly." "Yeah I know but still. Anyways, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that; since when are you a peppy cheerleader?" Nathan asked her. Haley grinned at him. She had wanted to tell him all day today but decided it would be a better surprise. After discussing it with Peyton and Brooke she figured it would be the best way to support Nathan's decision to rejoin the team. "Surprise!" she exclaimed happily. "I figured the best way to support your decision to rejoin the team would be to get into this world myself. So I'm technically not an outsider anymore. I'm apart of this world. Your world." Suddenly the conversation from yesterday made a lot of sense. Nathan was working on his math homework after school and after practice in the tutoring center with Hales. "Hey Nate, can I ask you a question?" He picked up on the serious tone in her voice and got a little bit worried. "Shoot Hales." Haley was quiet for too long and it started to make Nathan a bit anxious. "What is it Hales? Come on..." Haley took a deep breath. "Okay. Well I was just thinking, wondering. What would you say if I wasn't in the bleachers anymore supporting you?" He looked a little confused. "You don't want to come to my games anymore?" Nathan asked. She smiled a bit. "Well I found a different way to support you that I want to try." "And that would be?" "You will find out soon enough." Nathan was still a bit confused by that conversation, but Haley seemed to change topics back to math homework so he decided to shrug it off. "So," Nathan began. "That was what you meant yesterday huh? You want to support me from the sidelines and not the bleachers?" Haley nodded. "Basically." Nathan couldn't believe Haley James was becoming a cheerleader...for him. "You know you don't have to do this right?" "You don't want me too?" she asked. "The final decision is totally up to you Hales, you know that," he started to explain. "And there would be nothing better than watching you out on that court in that...short skirt jumping around and cheering for me. But I want to make sure that you are happy with doing this." Who knew Nathan Scott could be so caring underneath his BS and bluster of the Mr. Big Shot, well caring minus the short skirt bit. "I am Nathan. Besides if I've learned anything from Peyton, you don't have to be a typical cheerleader type to be a cheerleader." Nathan laughed. "Yes, Peyton isn't your normal cheerleader. And you wont be either," he teased. Haley shrugged. "Hey if you want I can go blonde, wear slutty clothes, be a cheerleader and sleep with half the team or I can be me, Haley James, tutor, cheerleader, and girlfriend of ONLY basketball star Nathan Scott." "As...entertaining as the first option might be MINUS the sleeping with half the team, I prefer the latter," he told her. "Right answer Mr. Scott. You scored an A." Nathan laughed at her. He slipped his arm around her waist. "Can I give you a ride to the café Ms. James?" "Yes, thank you." She kissed him for a few moments. They walked down the hall together.
*^* Karen's Café *^*
Nathan dropped her off at the café pretty much just in time for her to start her shift, and only an hour has gone by since. Haley sat behind the counter working on homework. There was only one customer in the entire café. Business was slow. The door opened and the bell signaled either her only customer leaving or another one coming in. She glanced up to see which it was. And it was neither. "Hey Hales," her best friend greeted her. "Hey Luke." "What's up?" he asked. Haley sighed and shook her head. "You're missing a few words aren't you? Words like 'with you being a cheerleader?'" Lucas ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Well, yea kind of I guess." "I'm sure you aren't going to appreciate my reasoning much. But I'll give it to you anyways," Haley said rambling on nervously wondering how mad Lucas would be. "I wanted to support Nathan as much as I could with deciding to rejoin the team. So I'll be at every practice and every game." Lucas was silent for a few moments. He should have guessed. She did it for him.
Nathan walked into the gym. It was his second day at practice again. He stood in the lineup warming up with the guys. The cheerleaders were off doing there practicing. Jakes baby was crying in the back ground.
"Ok guys, we have a new girl on board," Brooke cheerfully announced. "Girls, meet our newest cheerleader, Ms. Haley James."
Nathan turned around to catch Haley's gaze. There she was in a blue sports bra, and black spandex shorts with her hair pulled up messily in this sporty looking pony tail. There she stood, looking mighty fine. But this wasn't her world. And Nathan didn't understand why she was here. She bit her lip in that nervous was she does, and Nathan stood there staring at her.
Nathan wasn't the only one to over hear this information. Lucas stood there, mouth open. His best friend? Haley James? A cheerleader? Things had changed, a lot; and were still continuing to change.
'Surprise,' she silently mouthed to him, which left him more confused.
"Stop gawking gentlemen and start moving. Warm ups over ladies. Hustle up."
The boys returned their focus to their part of the game upon Whitey's command. But both decided Haley had some explaining to do.
"Now, let me go over a few things with Haley. We look damn good out there and we know it. We are the loudest, most spirited cheerleading squad that enters any gymnasium. Now let's start girls. And tutor girl, I wanna see some true Raven spirit," she said grinning at her. "If not for the game, than for your fine man out there on the court."
Haley blushed but managed a shy smile back.
*^* After Practice *^*
Haley came out of the girls locker room and saw Nathan standing right outside the door, obviously waiting for her. "Hey Nathan," she greeted him with a warm smile. "Hey," he replied, and pulled her close against his body. He gently pressed his lips to hers. "Missed you." "Missed me? I was at practice with you silly." "Yeah I know but still. Anyways, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that; since when are you a peppy cheerleader?" Nathan asked her. Haley grinned at him. She had wanted to tell him all day today but decided it would be a better surprise. After discussing it with Peyton and Brooke she figured it would be the best way to support Nathan's decision to rejoin the team. "Surprise!" she exclaimed happily. "I figured the best way to support your decision to rejoin the team would be to get into this world myself. So I'm technically not an outsider anymore. I'm apart of this world. Your world." Suddenly the conversation from yesterday made a lot of sense. Nathan was working on his math homework after school and after practice in the tutoring center with Hales. "Hey Nate, can I ask you a question?" He picked up on the serious tone in her voice and got a little bit worried. "Shoot Hales." Haley was quiet for too long and it started to make Nathan a bit anxious. "What is it Hales? Come on..." Haley took a deep breath. "Okay. Well I was just thinking, wondering. What would you say if I wasn't in the bleachers anymore supporting you?" He looked a little confused. "You don't want to come to my games anymore?" Nathan asked. She smiled a bit. "Well I found a different way to support you that I want to try." "And that would be?" "You will find out soon enough." Nathan was still a bit confused by that conversation, but Haley seemed to change topics back to math homework so he decided to shrug it off. "So," Nathan began. "That was what you meant yesterday huh? You want to support me from the sidelines and not the bleachers?" Haley nodded. "Basically." Nathan couldn't believe Haley James was becoming a cheerleader...for him. "You know you don't have to do this right?" "You don't want me too?" she asked. "The final decision is totally up to you Hales, you know that," he started to explain. "And there would be nothing better than watching you out on that court in that...short skirt jumping around and cheering for me. But I want to make sure that you are happy with doing this." Who knew Nathan Scott could be so caring underneath his BS and bluster of the Mr. Big Shot, well caring minus the short skirt bit. "I am Nathan. Besides if I've learned anything from Peyton, you don't have to be a typical cheerleader type to be a cheerleader." Nathan laughed. "Yes, Peyton isn't your normal cheerleader. And you wont be either," he teased. Haley shrugged. "Hey if you want I can go blonde, wear slutty clothes, be a cheerleader and sleep with half the team or I can be me, Haley James, tutor, cheerleader, and girlfriend of ONLY basketball star Nathan Scott." "As...entertaining as the first option might be MINUS the sleeping with half the team, I prefer the latter," he told her. "Right answer Mr. Scott. You scored an A." Nathan laughed at her. He slipped his arm around her waist. "Can I give you a ride to the café Ms. James?" "Yes, thank you." She kissed him for a few moments. They walked down the hall together.
*^* Karen's Café *^*
Nathan dropped her off at the café pretty much just in time for her to start her shift, and only an hour has gone by since. Haley sat behind the counter working on homework. There was only one customer in the entire café. Business was slow. The door opened and the bell signaled either her only customer leaving or another one coming in. She glanced up to see which it was. And it was neither. "Hey Hales," her best friend greeted her. "Hey Luke." "What's up?" he asked. Haley sighed and shook her head. "You're missing a few words aren't you? Words like 'with you being a cheerleader?'" Lucas ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Well, yea kind of I guess." "I'm sure you aren't going to appreciate my reasoning much. But I'll give it to you anyways," Haley said rambling on nervously wondering how mad Lucas would be. "I wanted to support Nathan as much as I could with deciding to rejoin the team. So I'll be at every practice and every game." Lucas was silent for a few moments. He should have guessed. She did it for him.