"So in conclusion, the romantic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet leaves much to be desired. While the two shared a passionate romance, they also reached their downfall when they murdered themselves."
Haley scribbled a few notes down in her copybook and looked up at the clock. This class was never going to end. It didn't help that she had to listen to the teacher blab on about something that was written over a hundred years ago, either. While Haley normally loved Shakespeare, today was not the day she wanted to listen to it. And Romeo and Juliet? Please, she read that story in eighth grade.
She sighed and ripped the page out of her copybook, crumpling it up and chucking it in her school bag. There were a few notes written on it, but the rest were ways to talk to Lucas without him freaking out. She figured writing him a note would be the best thing to do. The more she thought about it though, the more it sounded like a bad idea. She shouldn't have even bothered wasting her breath..or her penmanship.
Haley just couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever get her best friend back. He was sitting right across from her and didn't look in her direction the whole time. And when she spared a glance at him, he would shift in his seat, like he knew she was staring. The whole situation made her terribly uneasy.
"Okay, so I have an idea that I'd like to address, and I think if you'd all be up for it, it would be fabulous." The teacher started to inquire, and everyone groaned.
Haley just looked over at Lucas yet again, who remained still. It was at this point where she wished she had the ability to read his mind. But the more she thought about it, the more turned off she became. The only thing he was probably thinking of was how much of a bitch she was.
"I'd like you to write your own versions of Romeo and Juliet. You know, modern day. BUT, that doesn't mean you can use Ebonics or any other kind of slang. We need none of that." Everybody snickered as the teacher continued. "I'd like to pair you up in groups of two. This means girl and boy pairs only. You will write your own version and then act it out in front of the class."
"Can this involve sex?" A boy from the back of the room yelled as the rest of his classmates laughed.
"It isn't a porno novel Mr. Sando, it's a play. You put sexual innuendo or gestures in there and I'll be sure to set up a lovely meeting with the principal for you."
"Aw man." The boy slumped back in his chair and received a pat on the shoulder from his friend.
"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get started." The teacher started running through a list of names, pairing couples together. Haley was getting nervous because her name was yet to be called.
Please don't pair me with Lucas. Please, Please, Please-
"Haley James and Lucas Scott."
"Shit." She mumbled under her breath, looking over at Lucas. He rolled his eyes and then turned back to his book.
How much did this suck? She KNEW something like this was going to happen. Low and behold, look who she was paired up with. There was no way in hell she could do this project with Lucas acting the way he was.
She was about to raise her hand when the teacher interjected. "Pairs are non-negotiable. Who you have is who you will stay with."
"Hey." Nathan said, sneaking up behind Haley and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Oh nothing." He walked up next to her. "What's wrong? You look upset."
"Story of my life." Haley forced a laugh. She had a feeling she was going to be upset for a long, LONG while. "Actually, Lucas and I were just paired up for this project in English. You know how that's gonna turn out."
"I feel sorry for you." He joked, walking to his locker. "So, you wanna come to practice with me? Cheer me on while I kick my own team's ass?"
Haley ran her hand through her hair and looked at him nervously. "You really think that's a good idea? I mean, with Lucas and all?"
"Haley, you guys go to the same school now. You have like five classes together. Besides, if he knows what's good for him, he'll lay off."
She let out a heavy breath and sighed. "Alright, what the hell."
"Nathan! Pass the ball to Lucas!" Whitey screamed as the boys scrambled to get to the basketball first. Nathan was double-teamed, as usual, and wasn't going to give the ball up anytime soon.
Whitey watched, growing more annoyed by the second. "Damn it, Nathan! I'm not going to tell you again!"
Three more seconds went by before the ball smoothly sailed through the net....not by Lucas, but by Nathan.
"Get your ass over here! NOW!" Whitey growled, signaling to Nathan. "The rest of you, suicides!" The rest of the team groaned as Nathan made his way over to where Whitey was standing.
"Next time you won't be so lucky, Scott. You think you can do that during a game? I'm telling you, you do that, and I'll bench you so fast you'll have marks on your ass!"
Nathan looked over at Lucas and scowled. "He wouldn't have been able to knock down that shot, coach."
"You don't tell me! Now you decide next time you want to pull a stunt like that, whose team you're on. When you're on my team, you use my rules. Do I make myself clear?"
"Whatever."
"Don't worry, he's not always like that."
Haley turned around and was greeted by a tall blonde cheerleader. "Um, okay..."
"I'm Peyton." She stuck out her hand. "From the party?"
"Yeah, I remember." Haley shook her hand and looked back at Nathan, who seemed to be taking a bit of Whitey's advice. "I'm Haley."
"So I've heard." Haley furrowed her brow. "News travels fast in this school. You're fresh meat."
Haley nodded, not really knowing what to say to the girl.
"So, you and Nathan..." Peyton watched as Haley raised her eyebrows. "Dating?"
She shrugged, hugging her knees to her chest. "I guess you could say that. In a sense I guess we are."
"Cool." Peyton sat down next to her on the bleachers and propped her head up with her hands. "He's a good guy. A little rough around the edges, but when you date him for a while he warms up to you."
"You guys dated?"
Peyton nodded. "For about a year, actually. But it didn't work out. Too much drama and all that junk."
Haley looked over at the beautiful blonde and then over at Nathan. Go figure. She could have guessed those two dated. Blonde beauty queen cheerleader and star basketball player. To any other person it would seem to be a match made in heaven.
"So uh, your friend down there seems to be giving me the evil eye."
Peyton cast her glance down to the other side of the gym where she saw Brooke with an angry expression on her face. "Yeah, she doesn't exactly take well to new people." She laughed, brushing a stray curl out of her face. "She's harmless though. As long as you stay away from Lucas because she basically has cheer sex with him during games. It's quite sickening."
Haley studied the now fuming brunette. "Well that's going to be kind of hard. Lucas is my best friend." She realized what she had just said and immediately regretted it. "Um..used..to be my best friend."
"Drama with Nathan?"
Haley looked up, surprised. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Oh come on, those two are always at each other's throats. I just figured you were caught in the middle." She got up and grabbed her pompoms. "I know I was. See you around"
Haley muttered a light goodbye as she watched Peyton go back to the squad and start a new routine. She then again focused her attention back to the Scott brothers. What had she gotten herself into?
Practice went on for the next hour as planned. Which meant that Lucas and Nathan were acting like jackasses to one another, even more so than usual.
Haley knew this went on every day, but now noticed that it was pretty much Lucas being the worst, and Nathan just trying to stick it back to him. The two were at each other's throats, and it made Haley extremely uneasy. She couldn't help but feel stuck in the middle of their incessant arguing.
By this point in time, Whitey was about ready to bust a blood vessel, so he screamed at the boys to hit the showers. They all slumped their shoulders and headed into the locker room, a little bummed that practice was cut short all because the two boys couldn't leave each other alone. But then again, this was how it always went. Practice was either terminated or was spent doing suicides, due to the aftermath of their squabbles.
Haley jumped off of the bleachers as quickly as she could and grabbed Lucas by the shoulder before he could get into the locker room.
"We really need to talk." She had no idea why she was being so forceful, but it was tearing her up inside that Lucas wouldn't talk to her. She didn't know how much longer she could take it.
"We already tried that." He growled, turning back around.
Haley stopped him again. "Well you know what Lucas? We're going to try it again."
His gaze was cold. "Don't you get it, Haley? I don't want to speak to you right now."
"Look, I just came to talk about this project. Can you at least act civil for two minutes?"
"What about it?" He asked, growing impatient. His tolerance to her was wearing thin..not that it hadn't already.
"When can we work on it?"
"I'll do it myself." He answered, throwing his shirt over his shoulder.
"Um, no. It's a group project; therefore, we do it together. I don't care what kind of beef you have with me at the moment, but I'm not getting a shit grade for it."
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Okay you know what? I don't want to work with you either! But we have to do it. So make a choice now, my house or yours."
He hesitated for a moment and shot her another one of his brooding, icy glares. Man she hated those looks..despised them was actually a better answer. And to be quite honest, she had never been the one to get that look before. But now, she finally was.
"Mine." Lucas said, before turning around and seeing Nathan. He turned back to Haley. "Just get your boyfriend to drive you." He added sarcastically before retreating into the locker room.
"It's reasons like this where I think you should carry a stun gun or a can of mase with you. Don't you think?" Nathan joked, pulling into Lucas' driveway.
"Funny. I can always just bite him, right?"
"True." He laughed and leaned over to kiss her. "If he gives you any trouble, just call me. Okay?"
"Mhmm." She mumbled against his mouth, kissing him once more before she opened the car door. "Be back here in an hour."
She walked up the driveway and watched as Nathan drove off. It wasn't until she reached Lucas' front door that she began to feel nervous. The guy pretty much hated her. Now she had to be stuck in his house for an hour with him. It wasn't exactly her idea of a pleasant afternoon.
Haley knocked and waited for the door to open. Against her wishes, it did. Lucas immediately turned back around, walking into the house, leaving Haley on the front step.
"Good to see you too." She mumbled, stepping in and
closing the door behind her.
She noticed the house was quiet, and figured that Karen was probably working down at the cafe. Lucas took a seat on the couch and refused to look at Haley. Why did he have to be so stubborn.
"So, how do you want to do this?" She asked, sitting on a nearby chair. She carefully pulled her notebook out of her schoolbag and opened to a fresh, clean page.
"I told you how I wanted to do it. By myself. But apparently that idea didn't run too well with you."
Haley threw her head back and slumped into the chair. "Can we just do this and get it over with? It'll be done with and then we won't have to worry about it until Friday when we have to act it out. Then you can go back to ignoring me like you've been doing."
"Great, then you can go back to fucking my brother." Lucas gritted his teeth and flipped open his copybook.
"That's real mature, Luke." She had promised herself before she got there that whatever he would dish out, she would take. She wouldn't let herself cry in front of him. She'd just wait until she got home... "Besides, when has he ever been your 'brother'?" Haley asked harshly, making air quotations as she said the word brother.
"Just because I hate his guts doesn't mean he's not related to me in some way. We have the same dad for Christ's sake."
Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah? And since when has Dan ever been your 'dad'?" She waited for Lucas to answer but he remained silent. "I mean, come on, Luke. You never acknowledge Nathan as your brother, or Dan as your dad. Whenever somebody says that to you, you jump down their throat. Now suddenly you're pissed at me and find some way to stick it to me by saying they're part of your family in a sense."
"I didn't say they were part of my family."
"No, but you called Nathan your brother and Dan your dad. When in the hell have you EVER done that?" Haley raised her voice an octave.
"You know what? I really don't want to discuss this right now. Let's just take your advice and finish this, alright?" Lucas ripped a page of paper out of his book and began feverishly scribbling on it.
Haley didn't bother to answer him. She just let out a heavy sigh and ripped out a page as well.
"Done at last!" Haley exclaimed, slamming her pen down and gathering the few papers that had accumulated around her. She looked across at Lucas, who was doing the same. "Look Lucas, I'm sorry if I hurt you, and upset you."
He wouldn't look at her as he spoke. He just continued to gather his papers. "The damage is done now, Hales."
"But I don't want us to be like this."
Lucas stopped what he was doing and sighed. He honestly didn't know how much longer he could stay like this. Sure he was beyond mad at her, but he had reason to be. He just wanted his best friend back. He couldn't give in to what he wanted though, that would just be like he was letting her win.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard a car horn beep. "You should go."
Haley hesitated for a moment before grabbing her school bag and walking to the door. "Yeah. See you tomorrow." She said sadly, walking out onto the front porch.
Lucas sat down with his head in his hands. This royally sucked.