Lucas Scott sighed, tucking his sandwich crusts into his brown paper bag.
Jamming his fists into his pockets, he rolled his eyes as Nathan Scott
entered the cafeteria, with a dozen little girls following close behind
him. "I hate him," he growled under his breath.
"Wow, I was just going to ask if I could sit here," a voice said from behind.
Lucas turned and looked at the girl. He was immediately taken in by her looks. "Uh."
She giggled. "Is that a yes?"
He cleared his throat as he felt his face warm with a blush. "Yeah."
She sat down. "Thanks. I'm new here."
"I thought so, I haven't seen you before."
"I'm Haley, who are you?"
"Lucas."
"Nice to meet you," she smiled.
"Yeah."
A long silence followed.
"Where did you move from?" he asked.
"Bakersville."
"Where do you live?"
"I didn't know we were playing twenty questions."
He blushed again. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I live on Kenyen Street."
He nodded. "That's close by to our house."
"Cool," she said shortly.
The bell rang, ending the end of lunch. "So, are you my first official friend at Tree Hill?" she asked hopefully.
"Sure," he replied happily as they walked back to their third grade classroom.
"Lucas, I'm scared."
He laughed. "Why Hals?"
"Uh, the obvious reasons. Hello!" she snapped. "I won't have any friends."
"You'll have me."
She smiled. "I know. But this is middle school. I can't hang out with you all day, we'll have different classes."
"You're a great person, I'm sure you'll have a ton of friends."
"Yeah, right."
"I wouldn't worry about finding friends...worry about finding your classes."
"Ugh! I didn't even think about that."
"You'll be fine."
"Easy for you to say. You've been to the middle school a million times for basketball practice."
"So, then I'll help you find your classes. It'll be fine. Don't worry."
She kissed his cheek. "Okay."
Haley James took a deep breath as she smoothed invisible wrinkles out of her pale blue dress and walked through the gym doors. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for him. She saw him and went up to him. "Hey."
"Hey," Andy Worlton said back, turning away from his friends to talk to her. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Can you believe this is our last dance? Come September we'll be in high school. Kind of mind blowing, don't you think?"
"Yeah."
"Junior high flew by."
"I know," he agreed, his attention obviously else were.
"Uh, hello, earth to Andy. Your date is over here," she said pointing to herself.
He smiled and looked back to her. "Sorry, I'm going to go get a soda. Want one?"
"Sure."
He disappeared into the sea of students.
"Having fun?" Lucas asked from behind.
"Yeah. Andy's amazing," she smiled.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"Jealous?"
"Of him? Hardly."
She giggled. "What's taking him so long? The drink table is like right there," she noted, searching for him. "Oh," she immediately said, her voice cracking with tears.
"What? What's wrong Hals?" he asked, following her gaze. Andy stood only 20 feet away, holding another girl's face in his hands and kissing her.
Lucas' fist clenched as he took a step towards Andy.
"Lucas, don't. Please. Just leave them alone."
"Haley, that jerk is kissing someone else."
"I know. And if you go start something it will only make it worse. Let's just go," she said through her tears, grabbing his arm and leading him outside the gym doors.
Once she was a safe distance away from the students and the school, she allowed Lucas to take her to the courtyard where they sat on a bench. He didn't say anything, he just listened to her cry softly next to him.
"Why'd he do it?"
"I don't know, Haley. You're a great girl."
"Not as good as her, I guess. I'm not pretty enough."
"That's not true."
"Did you see her? She was beautiful."
"So are you."
"You really think so? He doesn't."
"Who cares what he thinks? His opinion doesn't matter. You're beautiful Haley James, inside and out."
She smiled as she allowed him to wipe away her tears. "Thanks."
"Anytime," he told her, standing up and offering his hand. She took it and the two walked home together hand-in-hand.
"Wow, I was just going to ask if I could sit here," a voice said from behind.
Lucas turned and looked at the girl. He was immediately taken in by her looks. "Uh."
She giggled. "Is that a yes?"
He cleared his throat as he felt his face warm with a blush. "Yeah."
She sat down. "Thanks. I'm new here."
"I thought so, I haven't seen you before."
"I'm Haley, who are you?"
"Lucas."
"Nice to meet you," she smiled.
"Yeah."
A long silence followed.
"Where did you move from?" he asked.
"Bakersville."
"Where do you live?"
"I didn't know we were playing twenty questions."
He blushed again. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I live on Kenyen Street."
He nodded. "That's close by to our house."
"Cool," she said shortly.
The bell rang, ending the end of lunch. "So, are you my first official friend at Tree Hill?" she asked hopefully.
"Sure," he replied happily as they walked back to their third grade classroom.
"Lucas, I'm scared."
He laughed. "Why Hals?"
"Uh, the obvious reasons. Hello!" she snapped. "I won't have any friends."
"You'll have me."
She smiled. "I know. But this is middle school. I can't hang out with you all day, we'll have different classes."
"You're a great person, I'm sure you'll have a ton of friends."
"Yeah, right."
"I wouldn't worry about finding friends...worry about finding your classes."
"Ugh! I didn't even think about that."
"You'll be fine."
"Easy for you to say. You've been to the middle school a million times for basketball practice."
"So, then I'll help you find your classes. It'll be fine. Don't worry."
She kissed his cheek. "Okay."
Haley James took a deep breath as she smoothed invisible wrinkles out of her pale blue dress and walked through the gym doors. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for him. She saw him and went up to him. "Hey."
"Hey," Andy Worlton said back, turning away from his friends to talk to her. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Can you believe this is our last dance? Come September we'll be in high school. Kind of mind blowing, don't you think?"
"Yeah."
"Junior high flew by."
"I know," he agreed, his attention obviously else were.
"Uh, hello, earth to Andy. Your date is over here," she said pointing to herself.
He smiled and looked back to her. "Sorry, I'm going to go get a soda. Want one?"
"Sure."
He disappeared into the sea of students.
"Having fun?" Lucas asked from behind.
"Yeah. Andy's amazing," she smiled.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"Jealous?"
"Of him? Hardly."
She giggled. "What's taking him so long? The drink table is like right there," she noted, searching for him. "Oh," she immediately said, her voice cracking with tears.
"What? What's wrong Hals?" he asked, following her gaze. Andy stood only 20 feet away, holding another girl's face in his hands and kissing her.
Lucas' fist clenched as he took a step towards Andy.
"Lucas, don't. Please. Just leave them alone."
"Haley, that jerk is kissing someone else."
"I know. And if you go start something it will only make it worse. Let's just go," she said through her tears, grabbing his arm and leading him outside the gym doors.
Once she was a safe distance away from the students and the school, she allowed Lucas to take her to the courtyard where they sat on a bench. He didn't say anything, he just listened to her cry softly next to him.
"Why'd he do it?"
"I don't know, Haley. You're a great girl."
"Not as good as her, I guess. I'm not pretty enough."
"That's not true."
"Did you see her? She was beautiful."
"So are you."
"You really think so? He doesn't."
"Who cares what he thinks? His opinion doesn't matter. You're beautiful Haley James, inside and out."
She smiled as she allowed him to wipe away her tears. "Thanks."
"Anytime," he told her, standing up and offering his hand. She took it and the two walked home together hand-in-hand.