Chapter Two: [placed before the storm hits, before Chapter One]
Part I
"We're in for stormy weather as the threat of Hurricane Ivan is swiftly becoming a reality."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I had a dream about you last night," Nathan said, casually draping his arm across the top of locker.
"Oh really," Haley smirked as she continued rummaging in her locker. She looked up into his bright blue eyes and couldn't help but smile. The previous week had been the first rough patch in their relationship, and she still wasn't completely happy with Nathan Scott at the moment, but he had really pulled through for her when it counted. She couldn't deny that he cared deeply for her regardless of their start, and the wicked glint in his eyes right now suggested that he thought of her in other ways as well. "Do I want to know about this dream?" she asked, trying hard to eye him suspiciously, but failing miserably as she stifled a giggle. The truth was she loved that he wanted her. She loved the way he would look at her sometimes when he didn't know she was aware. No one had ever looked at her in that light. It was intoxicating. The feelings it evoked were almost tangible, and she couldn't help but want to reach out and embrace them...or him.
"Well," he grinned sinfully, "let's just say it wasn't for the kiddies." His eyes danced over her mouth for a brief second before he leaned his head down for a quick peck. She smiled, trying hard to rip herself away from his presence. After all, she still needed to get ready for the school day. She needed to find her stupid World Lit book in her locker because she knew it wasn't at home. She had been running late today, forgoing the usual AM study session with Nathan to help Karen with Lucas. He was up and walking, albeit at a slow, injured snail pace, but it was nice to see him getting back to normal – whatever that was at the moment anyway.
She turned her body back towards the locker; silently cursing whatever locker god ate her book. She heard Nathan sigh. "It was a weird dream actually," he said after a moment. "You were in a house made of paper. I was trying to get to you, but I kept getting knocked down by the wind." He looked down seemingly contemplating the meaning of it all. Then, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, I just heard the radio reports while I was dreaming. All this Hurricane Ivan stuff kinda came outta nowhere, huh?"
Finally giving up and hoping that she could just share the text in class, Haley turned to him. "Yeah, I know. Sophisticated weather reporting systems, my ass. Meteorologists don't know storms are coming until they actually start causing damage." She began to walk to homeroom, pulling him with her.
He followed her without question, like he always did. The bell rang signifying five minutes until the start of the school day. He groaned, "Well, if you ask me, what good is a hurricane if we still need to come to school?" She chuckled at his logic. He really was fast becoming the most adorable person she knew.
"I hope it's not too bad out that they have to cancel school," she said as a sobering thought went through he head. "I'm going to be all alone tonight once I get off my shift."
"Huh?" Nathan questioned.
"My parents left last night to go to a business school ceremony for my brother. It was really important to him. Some big college honor," she responded as she waved her hand around in the air.
"So you were alone in your house last night and you didn't tell me?" he raised an accusing eyebrow at her.
"Well," she said, looking at the floor as they approached her homeroom class together, hand in hand, "we're still not 100% Nathan. I didn't think..."
"I understand," he cut her off, hurt and understanding lacing his voice. He let go of her hand. "It's ok." He took a step back into the hallway. "I'll see you in fifth, k?"
"Yeah," she almost whispered as he headed down the hall. It was true. They weren't 100%, but that wasn't the real reason, she thought. She didn't like to admit it but she was scared. She knew that if Nathan came over to her empty house, things might progress. At this point, she wasn't sure if she could stop that from happening – if she wanted to stop it really. When they were alone, in that way, he was exhilarating. He brought every nerve and sense to life. But was she ready? She was still so young, and they hadn't been dating all that long, and what if...
"Ms. James. Will you be joining us?" Mr. Peppard snipped from the front of the class. He was clearly annoyed. And now she was embarrassed, her ear tips turning pink as she made her way to her seat. It doesn't matter anyway, she told herself as she sat down in the hard desk chair, tonight I'll catch up on my work. All by myself.
Part I
"We're in for stormy weather as the threat of Hurricane Ivan is swiftly becoming a reality."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I had a dream about you last night," Nathan said, casually draping his arm across the top of locker.
"Oh really," Haley smirked as she continued rummaging in her locker. She looked up into his bright blue eyes and couldn't help but smile. The previous week had been the first rough patch in their relationship, and she still wasn't completely happy with Nathan Scott at the moment, but he had really pulled through for her when it counted. She couldn't deny that he cared deeply for her regardless of their start, and the wicked glint in his eyes right now suggested that he thought of her in other ways as well. "Do I want to know about this dream?" she asked, trying hard to eye him suspiciously, but failing miserably as she stifled a giggle. The truth was she loved that he wanted her. She loved the way he would look at her sometimes when he didn't know she was aware. No one had ever looked at her in that light. It was intoxicating. The feelings it evoked were almost tangible, and she couldn't help but want to reach out and embrace them...or him.
"Well," he grinned sinfully, "let's just say it wasn't for the kiddies." His eyes danced over her mouth for a brief second before he leaned his head down for a quick peck. She smiled, trying hard to rip herself away from his presence. After all, she still needed to get ready for the school day. She needed to find her stupid World Lit book in her locker because she knew it wasn't at home. She had been running late today, forgoing the usual AM study session with Nathan to help Karen with Lucas. He was up and walking, albeit at a slow, injured snail pace, but it was nice to see him getting back to normal – whatever that was at the moment anyway.
She turned her body back towards the locker; silently cursing whatever locker god ate her book. She heard Nathan sigh. "It was a weird dream actually," he said after a moment. "You were in a house made of paper. I was trying to get to you, but I kept getting knocked down by the wind." He looked down seemingly contemplating the meaning of it all. Then, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, I just heard the radio reports while I was dreaming. All this Hurricane Ivan stuff kinda came outta nowhere, huh?"
Finally giving up and hoping that she could just share the text in class, Haley turned to him. "Yeah, I know. Sophisticated weather reporting systems, my ass. Meteorologists don't know storms are coming until they actually start causing damage." She began to walk to homeroom, pulling him with her.
He followed her without question, like he always did. The bell rang signifying five minutes until the start of the school day. He groaned, "Well, if you ask me, what good is a hurricane if we still need to come to school?" She chuckled at his logic. He really was fast becoming the most adorable person she knew.
"I hope it's not too bad out that they have to cancel school," she said as a sobering thought went through he head. "I'm going to be all alone tonight once I get off my shift."
"Huh?" Nathan questioned.
"My parents left last night to go to a business school ceremony for my brother. It was really important to him. Some big college honor," she responded as she waved her hand around in the air.
"So you were alone in your house last night and you didn't tell me?" he raised an accusing eyebrow at her.
"Well," she said, looking at the floor as they approached her homeroom class together, hand in hand, "we're still not 100% Nathan. I didn't think..."
"I understand," he cut her off, hurt and understanding lacing his voice. He let go of her hand. "It's ok." He took a step back into the hallway. "I'll see you in fifth, k?"
"Yeah," she almost whispered as he headed down the hall. It was true. They weren't 100%, but that wasn't the real reason, she thought. She didn't like to admit it but she was scared. She knew that if Nathan came over to her empty house, things might progress. At this point, she wasn't sure if she could stop that from happening – if she wanted to stop it really. When they were alone, in that way, he was exhilarating. He brought every nerve and sense to life. But was she ready? She was still so young, and they hadn't been dating all that long, and what if...
"Ms. James. Will you be joining us?" Mr. Peppard snipped from the front of the class. He was clearly annoyed. And now she was embarrassed, her ear tips turning pink as she made her way to her seat. It doesn't matter anyway, she told herself as she sat down in the hard desk chair, tonight I'll catch up on my work. All by myself.