Haley stomped away from Nathan and into the kitchen to find Lucas talking to a girl.

"What the hell, Lucas!" She yelled, walking up to him and slapping his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Lucas rubbed his arm and then looked over at the girl next to him who had a confused expression on her face.

"You left me with him!"

"With who?"

"Who do you think? Nathan!" She was already pissed. This was just making it worse.

"So you've met Nathan, huh? I'm sorry Hales, I didn't think he'd talk to you..or bother you. I came in here to get a drink and then I started talking to Brooke." He managed to choke out in one breath, breathing in deeply after he was finished.

The girl waved to Haley, trying to break the ice. "I'm Brooke."

"Charmed." Haley said sarcastically. "Whatever, just when you're done pimping yourself..I'll be out on the deck." She turned around to go outside.

"Haley!" Lucas screamed to her, catching up behind her. "Look, I'm sorry. Do you want me to take you home?"

Haley turned around and narrowed her eyes. "No Luke, I don't." She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Just go and have fun alright? I'll find something to do."

Lucas didn't hesitate a second and lit up the moment she said he could go. "Alright then, see ya."

Haley held her mouth open in disbelief. "A$$hole!"

"What, what did I do? You said I coud go!"

"If you weren't such a moron you'd know that I really DON'T want you to go. It's simple girl language, Lucas it's not that hard."

"Fine then, You want me to stay?" He was starting to get annoyed, Haley could tell.

"No!"

"But you just said you wanted me to!" He put his hands up to his head and started pulling on his hair. What the hell was wrong with her tonight?

"Well I changed my mind!"

"What are you on tonight, crack??!" He asked, wondering why she was being so flighty.

"I'm not on anything, Lucas! You take me to this party, where I know absolutely nobody, then leave me where I'm stuck trying to defend myself against your jolly green giant brother!" She screamed, remembering how tall the kid was compared to her.

"DON'T call him that."

"Whatever. Look, like I said. I'll be outside. When you're done being a man whore, come get me." She turned on her heel and threw open the sliding glass door, causing the people in the room to turn and look at her. "Show's over people." She growled before slamming the door shut and plopping down on a bench.

This sucked. Was she overreacting? Hmm, probably. But she hated being at this party. She hated the people AT this party, and most of all, she hated Lucas right now. He totally dissed her for some brunette bimbo named Brooke. What made it worse was that Haley didn't know a single person at this party! She went to a different school for crying out loud!

"That was some show in there.." She heard a voice say behind her, and she could immediately tell who it was.

Haley didn't even bother to turn around. "What do you want now?"

She heard footsteps and then, as she expected, saw Nathan in front of her. "Why are you so cocky?"

"Why are you so self-righteous?"

He snickered and leaned up against the deck railing, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because I can be."

"Right." Haley said, rolling her eyes. Nathan didn't say anything back. He just stared at her. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Nathan smirked and reached into his pocket. "Good idea." He pulled his cell phone out and snapped a picture. "I guess camera phones do come in handy, huh?"

"Whatever. Don't think for one second I find you amusing."

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bitch?" Nathan asked, sitting down next to her.

"Seems that I'm only a bitch to people I don't like. And oh damn look at that, I guess that means I don't like you." She smiled fakely at him and looked straight ahead, hoping he'd go away.

"You don't even know me. How could you say you don't like me?"

"Because I know of you. I may not personally know you, but I know the things you do and say, and the way you act. Trust me, It wasn't that hard for me not to like you."

Nathan nodded and then turned to face her. "Is this about Lucas?"

"No idiot, it's about my grandmother. Yes it's about Lucas." Haley stood up and walked over to the railing, resting her elbows on the splintery wood. "I know why you invited him here. To torture him and to get your kicks."

Nathan sighed and walked next to her. "You're right. That is why I invited him."

Haley turned her head to face him. 'Why? He's never done anything to you. I don't see why you can't just get your head out of your ass and leave him alone."

"Because there's just too much sh!t between us. If I leave him alone, it's like me saying that he wins."

"No it's like you saying you're no longer a jerk off with an overgrown ego." There was absolutely no getting through to this guy.

"Why are you defending him? He pissed you off in there and you're kissing his a$$, trying to get me to lay off him."

"Because he's my best friend. Just because he pisses me off doesn't mean I still don't care for him." Haley's patience was wearing thin..thin to the point where she just wanted to go home.

"So is that why you're here?"

Haley ran her hand through her hair, but the wind just refused to quit whipping it around her face. "I don't even know why I'm here. I don't know you people. I live a totally different life than you do."

"Doesn't mean you couldn't be nice." Nathan looked over at her, and saw her jaw clench.

Haley looked back at him. "Doesn't mean you couldn't either."

"You just don't understand." He began to walk down the stairs and onto the beach, not caring if she answered.

As she saw him walk further, she looked up at the sky and rolled her eyes. "Why must you curse me??" She asked, to nobody in particular. Quickly, she ran to catch up with him. "I do understand."

Nathan turned around and was a bit surprised when he saw her standing there. He didn't think she'd follow him.

"I've known Lucas since I was a baby. If anything, it's him that got the shit end of the deal. Do you understand how bad he just wanted your father to accept him? To just once admit that he had another son besides you?"

Nathan was beginning to get angry. "Look, I don't need you telling me what an asshole I am, alright? I get that enough from everyone else. And I definitely don't need you to make me feel pity for Lucas. As far as I'm concerned, him and I will always be at each others throats."

Haley shook her head and looked down at the ground. "It's only because you make it that way."

"Right. You act like you've known me for so damn long and that I'm such a horrible person. Well let me tell you something, as much as Lucas has said about me, you know nothing, okay? You don't know shit about me."

Looking up from her spot on the ground, Haley furrowed her brow and moved a bit closer to him. "You know what? You're right. I don't. And at this present point in time, I don't really care. So thank you for being such a jackass to my best friend and I. We just appreciate it so much."

Haley then shot Nathan a look of disgust and walked back up to the house, leaving him angry and alone..yet extremely intrigued.