Chapter Two
All The Small Things
"Why don't you just go talk to her? Who knows, maybe the feeling's mutual." Peyton said sympathetically, walking with Nathan to class while noticing that his eyes kept wandering over to Haley, who was laughing with Lucas.
"It's not." He replied sternly, keeping his eyes locked on the concrete before his feet.
"And how would you know that, if you refuse to talk to her?"
"I don't need to talk to her... she made it pretty clear that she didn't want to ever speak to me again when she shoved those divorce papers in my face."
Peyton nearly busted out laughing at this comment. "OK, first of all, you both decided on that, remember? And... how are you supposed to move on if you can't even talk to your, um... ex-wife."
Everyone had been finding it difficult to refer to Haley and Nathan as their ex-husband/wife, because they were so young.
Nathan stopped abrubtly, and turned toward Peyton. "And what if I don't wanna move on?"
"Well then, I suggest you dig a little deeper, that old Nathan has got to be in there somewhere."
He wrinkled up his forehead in confusion. "What the hell do I do with that?"
"Toughen up, Scott. You used to be made of steel before Haley... and now you've turned into some.. sappy.. love-sick.. pupppy," She laughed as Nathan rolled his eyes. "Gather up some courage, I know it's in you. Somewhere, anyway. She'll be gone off to college before you know it, and if you don't tell her how you feel now, you may never get the chance."
With that Peyton walked away, leaving him to think about all that she had just said.
"I just want to get this school year over with... finally leave Tree Hill and go off to college. Who knows, Europe might not be so bad!"
"Uh.. Haley, Europe will definitley not be so bad. Besides, you don't have to act all upset that you're leaving just for my sake... it'll be good for you, you've always wanted to get out of this town and travel, I'm happy for you."
Lucas swung his arm around his best friend as they sat there on the bench in the school yard. Little did he know, she really was upset about leaving. No need for an act. She was never a good actor anyway.
"I guess so... I'm gonna miss this place. If you can believe it, I might actually even miss this school." They both turned to Tree Hill high, then shrugged and quickly changed their minds, laughing it off.
"Speaking of it... you have a date for prom?" Lucas asked, secretly hoping she didn't. It wasn't as if he was in love with his best friend or anything, although he had had a tiny crush on her since like, the third grade, but he didn't have anyone to go with himself.
Haley frowned. "Uh... I'm not going."
"What? You have to go Hales... this is prom we're talking about, not our eighth grade formal!"
The uneasy look on her face made it clear he needed to pull out his puppy-dog pout, which struck her with giggles. She rolled and eyes and sighed. "Alright, I surrender! You don't have a date and I'm willing to lend a hand out to a desperate friend in need. Cause you know, I'm nice like that."
Haley was leaving school a little behind schedule, when she noticed Peyton was heading toward her from the opposite direction. She did her best to ignore her, but Peyton clearly wasn't as dumb as she hoped she would be.
"Haley! Wait up!" She called down the hall, jogging to catch up.
"Hey... I haven't seen you around in a while."
"How ironic..." Haley sneered, speeding up her pace as Peyton struggled to keep up.
"What's with you?" She was running out of breath as the brunette kept at a steady speed-walk.
"I really don't have all that much time, Peyton. Could you get to the point?"
"Are you going to prom with anybody?"
Haley was surprised at how upfront she had been. And a little uncomofortable, too.
"Actually, I'm going with Lucas. Sorry Peyton."
"What?! No, no, no... you misunderstood me. I mean... wait, you're going with Lucas? As in like, a date?" She asked, apparently dumbstruck. Maybe a little jealous. Just a smudge.
Haley figured Peyton would be telling all this to Nathan, and so she decided to have a little fun with his feelings, just as he was with hers. "Yeah, with Lucas... as in like, a date."
She continued to walk, but Peyton slowed to a sudden halt, feeling more pity than ever for Nathan.
All The Small Things
"Why don't you just go talk to her? Who knows, maybe the feeling's mutual." Peyton said sympathetically, walking with Nathan to class while noticing that his eyes kept wandering over to Haley, who was laughing with Lucas.
"It's not." He replied sternly, keeping his eyes locked on the concrete before his feet.
"And how would you know that, if you refuse to talk to her?"
"I don't need to talk to her... she made it pretty clear that she didn't want to ever speak to me again when she shoved those divorce papers in my face."
Peyton nearly busted out laughing at this comment. "OK, first of all, you both decided on that, remember? And... how are you supposed to move on if you can't even talk to your, um... ex-wife."
Everyone had been finding it difficult to refer to Haley and Nathan as their ex-husband/wife, because they were so young.
Nathan stopped abrubtly, and turned toward Peyton. "And what if I don't wanna move on?"
"Well then, I suggest you dig a little deeper, that old Nathan has got to be in there somewhere."
He wrinkled up his forehead in confusion. "What the hell do I do with that?"
"Toughen up, Scott. You used to be made of steel before Haley... and now you've turned into some.. sappy.. love-sick.. pupppy," She laughed as Nathan rolled his eyes. "Gather up some courage, I know it's in you. Somewhere, anyway. She'll be gone off to college before you know it, and if you don't tell her how you feel now, you may never get the chance."
With that Peyton walked away, leaving him to think about all that she had just said.
"I just want to get this school year over with... finally leave Tree Hill and go off to college. Who knows, Europe might not be so bad!"
"Uh.. Haley, Europe will definitley not be so bad. Besides, you don't have to act all upset that you're leaving just for my sake... it'll be good for you, you've always wanted to get out of this town and travel, I'm happy for you."
Lucas swung his arm around his best friend as they sat there on the bench in the school yard. Little did he know, she really was upset about leaving. No need for an act. She was never a good actor anyway.
"I guess so... I'm gonna miss this place. If you can believe it, I might actually even miss this school." They both turned to Tree Hill high, then shrugged and quickly changed their minds, laughing it off.
"Speaking of it... you have a date for prom?" Lucas asked, secretly hoping she didn't. It wasn't as if he was in love with his best friend or anything, although he had had a tiny crush on her since like, the third grade, but he didn't have anyone to go with himself.
Haley frowned. "Uh... I'm not going."
"What? You have to go Hales... this is prom we're talking about, not our eighth grade formal!"
The uneasy look on her face made it clear he needed to pull out his puppy-dog pout, which struck her with giggles. She rolled and eyes and sighed. "Alright, I surrender! You don't have a date and I'm willing to lend a hand out to a desperate friend in need. Cause you know, I'm nice like that."
Haley was leaving school a little behind schedule, when she noticed Peyton was heading toward her from the opposite direction. She did her best to ignore her, but Peyton clearly wasn't as dumb as she hoped she would be.
"Haley! Wait up!" She called down the hall, jogging to catch up.
"Hey... I haven't seen you around in a while."
"How ironic..." Haley sneered, speeding up her pace as Peyton struggled to keep up.
"What's with you?" She was running out of breath as the brunette kept at a steady speed-walk.
"I really don't have all that much time, Peyton. Could you get to the point?"
"Are you going to prom with anybody?"
Haley was surprised at how upfront she had been. And a little uncomofortable, too.
"Actually, I'm going with Lucas. Sorry Peyton."
"What?! No, no, no... you misunderstood me. I mean... wait, you're going with Lucas? As in like, a date?" She asked, apparently dumbstruck. Maybe a little jealous. Just a smudge.
Haley figured Peyton would be telling all this to Nathan, and so she decided to have a little fun with his feelings, just as he was with hers. "Yeah, with Lucas... as in like, a date."
She continued to walk, but Peyton slowed to a sudden halt, feeling more pity than ever for Nathan.