"Haley, it's not a beauty pageant, let's go!" Lucas screamed up the stairs as Haley groaned.

"God Lucas, put a cork in it will ya? You wanted me to go to this party so you'll sit your ass down and wait until I'm ready, kapeash?"

She heard no answer, and before she knew it, Lucas was bursting through her door and into her room.

"Oh my FREAKING God put a shirt on!" He screamed, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Well you were the one who came in here! I didn't ask you to! And you act like you've never seen me with my shirt off before."

"You were in a bathing suit! That's different!" He whined, turning around while Haley put her shirt on. "Can I look now?"

"Yes, I promise you won't turn to stone."

Lucas turned around and looked at Haley, smiling. "Much better. You look hot, Hales."

"Gee, thanks. And don't look at me like that you're freaking me out." She grabbed her purse off her bed and walked out of her bedroom. "Let's go, loser."

"Okay so why are we going to this party again?" Haley asked as they rounded the corner to Nathan's beach house.

"Because I was invited . . . ."

"Yeah but you and Nathan hate each other. Why would you wanna go?"

"Because, Haley I'm not going to let him win. He wants a fight? A fight is what he's going to get." Lucas clutched the steering wheel tighter, biting his lip.

Haley grumbled and fidgeted in her seat. "So basically, you're going to let him torment you at this party. I can't believe you, Lucas. You'd actually let him make a fool out of you in front of all those people?"

"Whose side are you on anyway, huh?" He looked over at Haley, anger written all over his face.

"Yours! Can we just please not fight about this and talk like the civil people I know we can be? I'm just trying to prove a point here. And from what you always tell me about Nathan, he's going to try and pull something."

"Whatever, Haley. I just want to have fun." He turned into the driveway and shut off the engine.

"Yeah well I just want to leave already." Haley opened the door and got out, slamming it behind her.

"No you don't. We came here to have fun."

"Correction. YOU came here to have fun. Or to get laid. Either one. I just came here because I was forced to. There's a difference." She trudged up the stairs of the deck with Lucas leading the way.

Lucas turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you're going to be miserable the whole night maybe you should just go wait in the car."

"Well I would but who knows what random chick will be in the back seat with you!"

Lucas laughed as Haley's eyes widened. "You are such a drama queen, Hales."

She gasped, her mouth hung open in an effort to look more upset than she really was. "I am not!" She playful slapped him on the shoulder and pushed him up the remainder of the stairs. "Let's just go in and I'll pretend like I'm having fun."

Lucas opened the sliding glass door for her and they walked into the house. "That's all I ask."

"Our target is here." Tim snickered, elbowing Nathan in the arm. Lucas had walked into the room and Nathan could already feel his temperature rising. He didn't think he'd actually show. Was the guy stupid? Well apparently yeah..

He smirked and walked over to Lucas, standing in front of him. "So, you decided to come. Didn't think you would."

"Yeah, you wish." He turned around to Haley. "I'm gonna go get a drink. Don't go anywhere, okay?"

Haley nodded as she watched Lucas leave her..alone...with Nathan.

"I'm Nathan Scott, and you are?" He held out his hand to shake it but Haley looked down at it like it was poison.

"Not interested." She said in a cocky tone, as she began to walk away in search of Lucas.

"Hey!" He said confused. Nobody had ever done that to him before. He followed after her, stepping in front of her in an attempt to get her to stop walking. And it worked.

"What are you doing?" She asked in an angry tone, looking him up and down.

"Um, I'm trying to stop you."

"Well go away, I have to find Lucas." She tried to start walking again but he stepped in front of her.

"Why can't you just tell me your name?" He was getting annoyed. Yet, this girl intrigued him. She was almost mysterious in a way.

"Because there's no reason for you to know it. Now can you please move?" What was this guy's problem? Was he dense? She didn't want to talk to him. He was definitely an asshole like Lucas had said. And Lucas! He should have been back by now!

"Nope sorry, can't do that." He smirked, and put his hands on his hips. He wasn't going to budge.

"What the hell is your problem!" Haley was seething. She was so not in the mood for this. It was bad enough she didn't even want to be at the party but what made it even worse was that this Nathan guy was grating on her last nerves.

"What's yours?" He asked calmly, getting a kick out of how flustered she was.

"YOU! You're my problem!"

"Well if you'd just tell me your name then I'd leave you alone."

Haley rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. "Fine, my name is Haley. Now can you please leave me alone? You're pissing me off."

"Yup." Nathan stepped aside and watched as she trudged away. "I'll talk to you later!" He screamed.

"Not likely!" She screamed back, and Nathan saw her dissapear into the crowd.

He was definitely going to talk to this girl again...whether she liked it or not.