It was the most nerve-wracking moment in the play, their first kiss
onstage. Well at least, their first kiss onstage with a crowd of over 300
people watching them. But then the worries seemed to fade as soon as she
saw him. Like no one but them existed at that moment. She recited her
lines, as he recited his. And it finally came. He looked straight down into
her eyes, almost as though he could see through her soul.
"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged."
He leaned down and she closed her eyes and they both met halfway. It was really like a fairytale. You've heard of those fireworks, the feeling of your heart about to burst with joy, that feeling in the bottom of your stomach. It was all there. And they seemed to keep that kiss a little longer than necessary. They pulled apart like one of those really cheesy chick flicks. That moment felt like a chick flicky moment. She looked up at his deep, chocolate eyes and almost forgot she had a part to play. But his smirk brought her back.
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
And needless to say, the play went flawlessly. And Haley, for the first time, got the respectful recognition she had once craved for so much. But that fact wasn't the one thing that she most liked about the play. The chemistry between her and Nathan made her smile all night. But reality had to reel its ugly head.
She scanned the crowd to look for Nathan, only to see him in another girl's arms, in Gloria's arms. Realization hit her, as she understood what she had always known. She didn't belong in their world. So she started to look for Peyton only to find her making out with Kyle. That was expected. Figuring Peyton would just get a ride from Kyle, Haley took Peyton's car. She always left the spare key under the car where the front right tire was.
Not wanting to go home, she drove to the beach. Might as well clear her head. She blasted Dashboard Confessional in the CD player as she drove through the streets.
Wrapping around the blanket Peyton left in her car, Haley took off her shoes and walked barefoot into the sand. It was refreshing and rare to ever really get a chance by herself, to actually think. She was always studying or rehearsing, which paid off. Coming fall, she would be attending a prestigious acting school in Los Angeles. She would finally get out of that tiny city; she would actually be able to be something. Her secret ambition comes to life.
"Haley..."
She chose to not acknowledge it. Act as though she couldn't hear someone else's footsteps pounding on the sand. Act like she couldn't smell his damn cologne from where she was. Instead, she kept walking.
"Hey Haley."
He was too close to her. She couldn't act like she didn't hear him, not when he was that close. His nearness was wreaking havoc to her senses.
"Hey Nathan."
She didn't want to prolong the conversation. Damn it, this was supposed time to be by herself, this wasn't supposed the time to intrude into her personal space. But Nathan wasn't known to be polite.
"Why didn't you answer me the first time?"
What was she supposed to say? That she had somewhat started to have a great deal of feelings for him; that she didn't know what to do anymore since the kiss onstage? That the sight of him made her stomach queasy just knowing how damn unattainable for them to ever be together was? No, she was just going to lie through her teeth.
"I've been so lost in my thoughts lately. So what's up? Shouldn't you be out partying?"
"Yeah, there's this huge party at Tim's house, you know, the cast and everyone's there."
"Then shouldn't you be there?"
"The party can't start without the star. You ran off too fast before anyone could have told you where the party was. And I decided to take it upon myself to tell you and bring you to it."
"Oh, well I'm not really the type the party you know?"
"Come on Haley, live it up a bit. You can't keep hiding from the world."
Haley pulled up the blanket to stop it from dragging on the ground. Her hair was flying all over the place and with the waves crashing, this looked like a moment in a movie for two lovers. If only for that moment, they would take that role. But Haley was too realistic and rational to ever really believe they were lovers. They had never been lovers and if the world was the way it always had been and probably always will be they would never be lovers.
"I guess I'm just not in the mood for socializing. I just wanted to run away to the beach for a while and think. Look, you should go back, they probably are looking for you anyways and I'm just holding you back."
Nathan lightly laughed as he grinned back at Haley.
"It's ok, I'll make an exception for you. You can hold me back."
Oh the ever so charming Nathan. If he only knew how much he affected her. If he only knew how much at that moment, she wanted to curl into his arms and forget the world existed. Even if she had taken into consideration the fact that he was very much interested in her before the play, she brushed it off as flirting. Nathan flirts, that was the way of the world. He couldn't help it; it came with the territory. With good looks and his charm, exchanging a simple conversation with the opposite sex seemed like flirting. And that's all that was, flirting. So why did she have to reconfirm the fact that it was flirting in her head, and that she knew it all along?
"Nathan, really, you should go. I'm going to be going home anyways and your friends are really missing you right now."
"You're friend probably really misses you right now."
Haley rolled her eyes as she sat down in the sand.
"Oh please, she's probably too busy occupying her time with Kyle right now."
Nathan followed her gesture and took a seat right next to her. He then did the unexpected by grabbing he blanket and stealing half of it for himself, wrapping it around his shoulder. He was now shoulder to shoulder to her, and with her brilliant decision to wear a tank top that day, they were skin to skin. If the nearness was wreaking havoc on her senses before, they were now in a full fledged battle.
"And what, Mr. Scott, do you think your doing?"
"I didn't think it would take this long to talk you into going to the party with me. If I had known, I would have brought a jacket. But since I don't. I guess I just have to share this blanket with you."
"Has it ever gone into that thick skull of yours that maybe I don't want to share?"
"Naw, your to generous. You know, this can all be over if you would just simply just agree to go with me to the party."
"Then I guess your gonna be here all night alone. I'm going home."
She began to get up before he pulled her down by wrapping an arm around her waist. She was caught completely off guard and landed on her lap. She started to get off and then noticed she wasn't going anywhere. He was keeping her firmly in place.
"You're not going anywhere."
"Fine, I won't go anywhere, so will you let me go?"
In truth, she didn't want to be let go and he wasn't showing any signs of letting go. He slowly started to lean in towards her. She closed her eyes, but the kiss never came. Instead, he lightly whispered into her ear, letting out a puff of hot breath, tickling the insides of her ear.
"What if I can't?"
Slightly embarrassed, she turned her head to the ocean as she spoke.
"You should really just give up on me and go occupy your time doing something fun like going to the party."
He turner her head his way by caressing her chin with his free arm.
"What if I like occupying my time this way? Plus, even if I wanted to go, I can't go without my date. That would be embarrassing and very un-Nathan- like of me."
"You should have no problem at all finding a date. Nathan, I feel bad for taking you away from the party and fun. I'm like a huge party-pooper you know? No sense of adventure or anything and I'm just dragging you down for a really boring ride."
"I'm not bored. As a matter of fact, I think I'll take this over the party."
Haley's blush was hidden in the dark but Nathan could see it, and by the smirk he had on his face, he liked it. He suddenly shifted her body and dipped down her head to his lap. Caught off guard yet again, she slightly thrashed her legs as her eyes widened open. He was starting to lean towards her.
"Nathan..."
He let out a sigh as he set down a light peck on her lips, leaving a great amount of want in both parts.
"Will you stop fighting this?"
And it was all over. Those sparks onstage, that turning of the stomach was so much worse now. What happened before onstage, that was nothing compared to now. They broke apart for a moment for a bit of air. Her mouth tastes of Nathan, and his of Haley. And at that time, they simultaneously thought that they could forever taste that and live happily. The swift of cold air brought them back to earth as Haley opened her own brown eyes to see his.
"Oh..."
Nathan laughed as Haley nuzzled her face into his neck, being a lot braver than before. He took this opportunity to kiss her ear and pull her in closer to him. She sighed into his neck and let out a low giggle.
"What?"
"I guess this means I have to forgive you about the locker huh?"
Nathan kissed her on her forehead, then her ear.
"I'm really sorry about that."
"It's ok. It made me realize something."
"What?"
"That I wouldn't have been so upset if I didn't like you so much."
Nathan smiled at this as he brought her closer.
"Yeah, well then I guess I have a confession too. If I hadn't spilled that coke and seen you upset, I would have never realized how much you affected me. I never felt that bad for a prank I pulled, ever."
"Then why did you do it? I mean, you left me alone for so long and then you attacked me. So why did you do it?"
Nathan sighed as he brought the blanket around him closer. He then pulled her closer to him, to secure her position on his lap, to make sure she left. He wasn't sure at that point just what he would do if she ran for it.
"Remember our first kiss?"
"You mean the one we were forced to practice?"
"Yeah, well remember how I had to pretty much force the second one because you wanted to run away?"
Haley got embarrassed, hiding her face more into his neck.
"Yeah..."
"Well I took that as you not liking the kiss and I got really pissed because you know, I always get what I want. And truth me told, I wanted you. And since it looked like I couldn't, I was going to do something to piss you off. I thought maybe if you screamed at me, I would stop liking you. That didn't work and I ended up feeling like hell, and wanted you even more after that. So I decided to take a different approach and then I got interrupted."
"And if you didn't get your way now?"
"I would have probably either tried everything to get you or get over you. I really don't think I would have done things I would be real proud of if you had rejected me again."
Haley looked up at him and leaned her forehead to his.
"So now that you know I like you and you know you like me, what now?"
He picked her up as she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging onto him like her life depended on it. It just might have.
"Now you are my girlfriend and I get to save you from this insane world."
And her life was never the same again.
A/N- And that's all folks. So ok, maybe I took awhile. Ok, I took months. But inspiration didn't hit me. It wasn't until recently my writer's block lifted at 4 AM and I stayed up writing for like three hours. So yeah, it might not be as good as expected but it's my best right now. So thank you for reading!
"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged."
He leaned down and she closed her eyes and they both met halfway. It was really like a fairytale. You've heard of those fireworks, the feeling of your heart about to burst with joy, that feeling in the bottom of your stomach. It was all there. And they seemed to keep that kiss a little longer than necessary. They pulled apart like one of those really cheesy chick flicks. That moment felt like a chick flicky moment. She looked up at his deep, chocolate eyes and almost forgot she had a part to play. But his smirk brought her back.
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
And needless to say, the play went flawlessly. And Haley, for the first time, got the respectful recognition she had once craved for so much. But that fact wasn't the one thing that she most liked about the play. The chemistry between her and Nathan made her smile all night. But reality had to reel its ugly head.
She scanned the crowd to look for Nathan, only to see him in another girl's arms, in Gloria's arms. Realization hit her, as she understood what she had always known. She didn't belong in their world. So she started to look for Peyton only to find her making out with Kyle. That was expected. Figuring Peyton would just get a ride from Kyle, Haley took Peyton's car. She always left the spare key under the car where the front right tire was.
Not wanting to go home, she drove to the beach. Might as well clear her head. She blasted Dashboard Confessional in the CD player as she drove through the streets.
Wrapping around the blanket Peyton left in her car, Haley took off her shoes and walked barefoot into the sand. It was refreshing and rare to ever really get a chance by herself, to actually think. She was always studying or rehearsing, which paid off. Coming fall, she would be attending a prestigious acting school in Los Angeles. She would finally get out of that tiny city; she would actually be able to be something. Her secret ambition comes to life.
"Haley..."
She chose to not acknowledge it. Act as though she couldn't hear someone else's footsteps pounding on the sand. Act like she couldn't smell his damn cologne from where she was. Instead, she kept walking.
"Hey Haley."
He was too close to her. She couldn't act like she didn't hear him, not when he was that close. His nearness was wreaking havoc to her senses.
"Hey Nathan."
She didn't want to prolong the conversation. Damn it, this was supposed time to be by herself, this wasn't supposed the time to intrude into her personal space. But Nathan wasn't known to be polite.
"Why didn't you answer me the first time?"
What was she supposed to say? That she had somewhat started to have a great deal of feelings for him; that she didn't know what to do anymore since the kiss onstage? That the sight of him made her stomach queasy just knowing how damn unattainable for them to ever be together was? No, she was just going to lie through her teeth.
"I've been so lost in my thoughts lately. So what's up? Shouldn't you be out partying?"
"Yeah, there's this huge party at Tim's house, you know, the cast and everyone's there."
"Then shouldn't you be there?"
"The party can't start without the star. You ran off too fast before anyone could have told you where the party was. And I decided to take it upon myself to tell you and bring you to it."
"Oh, well I'm not really the type the party you know?"
"Come on Haley, live it up a bit. You can't keep hiding from the world."
Haley pulled up the blanket to stop it from dragging on the ground. Her hair was flying all over the place and with the waves crashing, this looked like a moment in a movie for two lovers. If only for that moment, they would take that role. But Haley was too realistic and rational to ever really believe they were lovers. They had never been lovers and if the world was the way it always had been and probably always will be they would never be lovers.
"I guess I'm just not in the mood for socializing. I just wanted to run away to the beach for a while and think. Look, you should go back, they probably are looking for you anyways and I'm just holding you back."
Nathan lightly laughed as he grinned back at Haley.
"It's ok, I'll make an exception for you. You can hold me back."
Oh the ever so charming Nathan. If he only knew how much he affected her. If he only knew how much at that moment, she wanted to curl into his arms and forget the world existed. Even if she had taken into consideration the fact that he was very much interested in her before the play, she brushed it off as flirting. Nathan flirts, that was the way of the world. He couldn't help it; it came with the territory. With good looks and his charm, exchanging a simple conversation with the opposite sex seemed like flirting. And that's all that was, flirting. So why did she have to reconfirm the fact that it was flirting in her head, and that she knew it all along?
"Nathan, really, you should go. I'm going to be going home anyways and your friends are really missing you right now."
"You're friend probably really misses you right now."
Haley rolled her eyes as she sat down in the sand.
"Oh please, she's probably too busy occupying her time with Kyle right now."
Nathan followed her gesture and took a seat right next to her. He then did the unexpected by grabbing he blanket and stealing half of it for himself, wrapping it around his shoulder. He was now shoulder to shoulder to her, and with her brilliant decision to wear a tank top that day, they were skin to skin. If the nearness was wreaking havoc on her senses before, they were now in a full fledged battle.
"And what, Mr. Scott, do you think your doing?"
"I didn't think it would take this long to talk you into going to the party with me. If I had known, I would have brought a jacket. But since I don't. I guess I just have to share this blanket with you."
"Has it ever gone into that thick skull of yours that maybe I don't want to share?"
"Naw, your to generous. You know, this can all be over if you would just simply just agree to go with me to the party."
"Then I guess your gonna be here all night alone. I'm going home."
She began to get up before he pulled her down by wrapping an arm around her waist. She was caught completely off guard and landed on her lap. She started to get off and then noticed she wasn't going anywhere. He was keeping her firmly in place.
"You're not going anywhere."
"Fine, I won't go anywhere, so will you let me go?"
In truth, she didn't want to be let go and he wasn't showing any signs of letting go. He slowly started to lean in towards her. She closed her eyes, but the kiss never came. Instead, he lightly whispered into her ear, letting out a puff of hot breath, tickling the insides of her ear.
"What if I can't?"
Slightly embarrassed, she turned her head to the ocean as she spoke.
"You should really just give up on me and go occupy your time doing something fun like going to the party."
He turner her head his way by caressing her chin with his free arm.
"What if I like occupying my time this way? Plus, even if I wanted to go, I can't go without my date. That would be embarrassing and very un-Nathan- like of me."
"You should have no problem at all finding a date. Nathan, I feel bad for taking you away from the party and fun. I'm like a huge party-pooper you know? No sense of adventure or anything and I'm just dragging you down for a really boring ride."
"I'm not bored. As a matter of fact, I think I'll take this over the party."
Haley's blush was hidden in the dark but Nathan could see it, and by the smirk he had on his face, he liked it. He suddenly shifted her body and dipped down her head to his lap. Caught off guard yet again, she slightly thrashed her legs as her eyes widened open. He was starting to lean towards her.
"Nathan..."
He let out a sigh as he set down a light peck on her lips, leaving a great amount of want in both parts.
"Will you stop fighting this?"
And it was all over. Those sparks onstage, that turning of the stomach was so much worse now. What happened before onstage, that was nothing compared to now. They broke apart for a moment for a bit of air. Her mouth tastes of Nathan, and his of Haley. And at that time, they simultaneously thought that they could forever taste that and live happily. The swift of cold air brought them back to earth as Haley opened her own brown eyes to see his.
"Oh..."
Nathan laughed as Haley nuzzled her face into his neck, being a lot braver than before. He took this opportunity to kiss her ear and pull her in closer to him. She sighed into his neck and let out a low giggle.
"What?"
"I guess this means I have to forgive you about the locker huh?"
Nathan kissed her on her forehead, then her ear.
"I'm really sorry about that."
"It's ok. It made me realize something."
"What?"
"That I wouldn't have been so upset if I didn't like you so much."
Nathan smiled at this as he brought her closer.
"Yeah, well then I guess I have a confession too. If I hadn't spilled that coke and seen you upset, I would have never realized how much you affected me. I never felt that bad for a prank I pulled, ever."
"Then why did you do it? I mean, you left me alone for so long and then you attacked me. So why did you do it?"
Nathan sighed as he brought the blanket around him closer. He then pulled her closer to him, to secure her position on his lap, to make sure she left. He wasn't sure at that point just what he would do if she ran for it.
"Remember our first kiss?"
"You mean the one we were forced to practice?"
"Yeah, well remember how I had to pretty much force the second one because you wanted to run away?"
Haley got embarrassed, hiding her face more into his neck.
"Yeah..."
"Well I took that as you not liking the kiss and I got really pissed because you know, I always get what I want. And truth me told, I wanted you. And since it looked like I couldn't, I was going to do something to piss you off. I thought maybe if you screamed at me, I would stop liking you. That didn't work and I ended up feeling like hell, and wanted you even more after that. So I decided to take a different approach and then I got interrupted."
"And if you didn't get your way now?"
"I would have probably either tried everything to get you or get over you. I really don't think I would have done things I would be real proud of if you had rejected me again."
Haley looked up at him and leaned her forehead to his.
"So now that you know I like you and you know you like me, what now?"
He picked her up as she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging onto him like her life depended on it. It just might have.
"Now you are my girlfriend and I get to save you from this insane world."
And her life was never the same again.
A/N- And that's all folks. So ok, maybe I took awhile. Ok, I took months. But inspiration didn't hit me. It wasn't until recently my writer's block lifted at 4 AM and I stayed up writing for like three hours. So yeah, it might not be as good as expected but it's my best right now. So thank you for reading!