Chapter 2:

The orange and black basketball sailed through the air and into the hoop with a definate swish. "Nothing, but net!" Lucas Scott cried, punching his fists into the air.

"You're still down by two, Bro!" I shook my head and chuckled at my older brother, who is exchanging high fives with his best friend, Skills.

"Yeah, so?" He shoots me a grin. "Still nothing but net!"

"That's my Boy!" Skills laughed, clapping Lucas soundly on the back.

We are cut off, however, by the rining of a cell phone, in the form of the Batman theme song. I laughed loudly. "You ever gonna change that?" I teased, as Lucas flipped oopen his silver cell phone.

He rolled his eyes at me, before answering. "Hello?" There was a moment's silence. "Oh hey! Yeah, I've got my flight booked, I'm coming up this weekend. No, I'm not going to cancel last minute on you. Okay, yeah, I'll call you later with more detials. Uh huh, love you too. Yup, Byes!"

"Ooh Champ!" Skills let out a catcall. "Was that your Mommy or a mystery girl we don't know about?"

"Neither." Lucas shook his head. "I'm juts going to Boston for the long weekend."

"What pretell is in Boston?" Skills asked and I nodded in agreement, wondering why Lucas didi go to Boston sometimes. "Do you have a certian lover undercover?" Skills teased.

"No." Lucas grinned, before punching his friend playfully. "There is a girl, but she's definately not my lover. I'm going to see Hales, you dumbass!"

I froze at the mention of her name. Things had not ended well between us and it was completely my fault. According to Lucas, I shattered the one girl that had successfully taken my heart. I really believed we could handle the long distance, but I was weak and couldn't. Going to Frat parties with Lucas and the other guys had proven that because I realized that sooner or later i wouldn't be able to stay faithful and that wasn't fair to Haley, so I ended things. It tore at me too because I loved her more than anything, but I couldn't do it anymore.

"Haley?" I hadn't realized I had spoken out loud, until Skills and Lucas stopped talking and looked over at me.

"Yeah. I'm going to see her in Boston this weekend." Lucas arched a brow in my direction questioningly.

"Oh." I shrugged, as if it didin't bother me. "We gonna play or what?" I said, throwing the ball to my brother, effectively avoiding his question.

"Yeah, get to it, Man." Skills gave Lucas a playful nudge and our game contiuned.

I wasn't completely stupid. I knew that Haley was an author, but I never read the quick bio on her in the back of her books. I didn't want to read about any husbands or anything like that. So, I wasn't exactly sure what she was up to because I didn't talk her to Lucas either.

Lucas kicked my ass in the end of the game, but that wasn't anything new. Lucas had a talent for basketball that went beyond my own and I had gotten over the jealousy a long time ago. I just played for the love of the game. It didn't matter if I was Michael Jordan or just shooting around in the park. I just played because the love of this game came back to me.

Delicious smells assaulted my sense once I entered my apartment, making my mouth water for dinner. "Lex?" I called.

"In the kitchen, Baby!" Alexa Marshall, my girlfriend of two years answered. I made my way to the kitchen, where she was standing over the stove, cooking what looked like spaggetti.

"Hey." I planted a kiss on the base of her neck.

"Hi." She turned to smile at me. "How was the game?"

"Lucas beat me, as usual. It's only on rare occasions that I beat him anymore." I shrugged. "Is that spaggetti?"

"Of course." She nodded. "I'm a model, not much in the cooking area."

"Right, I believ salads are usually on your menu." I teased.

"Haha." She rolled her sensuous hazel eyes and tossed her head, sending her blonde hair swirling over her shoulder. "So, are we going out with Lucas and his girl of the month this weekend?"

"Nah. Luke and Marie broke up last week." I laughed. "Actually, he's going up to Boston this weekend."

"Oh?" She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Why?"

"To see his best friend." I replied, pulling a gatorade out of the refridgerator.

"But you and Skills live here." Lexi shot me a questioning look.

"He's going to see Haley." I sighed. "Apparently that's where she lives now. She called his cell tonight and Skills and I heard him say I love you, so we teased him and he told us."

"Oh, so he's going to see Haley." I didn't miss the way she stressed her name to make it three syllables.

"Yeah." I had told Lexi all about my past and Haley had been a big part of that because she's what got me through it.

"Well, um. I really don't know what to say to that." Lexi stammered, slightly.

"So, don't say anything. You don't have to. I haven't spoken to Haley since I ended things. You have nothing to worry about." I assured her, but my mind wasn't agreeing, oh boy, a flashback.

Flashback

"Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed, stomping her foot angrily on the pavement. "Lucas! I'm never going to get this!"

"Yes you will, Hales." Lucas replied, laughing at his friend.

"Never get what?" I asked, walking towards the two on the Riverside court.

"You can't be here!" Haley's eyes widened in what looked like panic.

I gave her a confused look. "Why not?"

"Because this is embaressing and I want you to think I'm not embaressing." She whined.

I laughed. "You do realize I've seen you in that croscheted oncho thing you wear, right?" I joked. Even Lucas laughed. She shot me an annoyed look. "Oh come on, I'd never think you were embaresssing."

"Really?" She gave me a dubious look, before taking the ball from Lucas and doing a pitiful free throw.

"I take that back." I teased.

"See, never going to get this. Now, I've embaressed myself in front of my boyfriend." Haley complained to her best friend.

"Aw, come on Hales." Lucas grabbed the ball and tossed it to me. "Maybe I'm a crappy teacher and your boyfriend can teach you better. I'm going to go meet Brooke." He waved and walked off.

I smiled and handed her the ball, before moving her behind her and turning her to face the basket. I grasped her hips and pushed down on them, squaring her stance a bit. "Okay, square your hips, like this, good. Now, just steady your arm and...." She threw the ball up, it missed, but at least it hit the back board this time. "Okay, not perfect, but not embaressing either. You just need practice." I kissed her hair. "Try again."

End Of Flashback

We had practiced or hours and I ended up teaching her the easy way to do it the next day so she'd pass her gym class. She had been so happy when she came out of the gym that it had been worht it. I had never done stuff like that with Peyton, but i could o anything with Haley. She even helped me do research on Whitey and make him keep on coaching.

"Nate?" Lexi's voice tore me out of my reverie. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded, lifting my chin. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Okay, so far it's looking like a Naley, but we'll see how Luke's visit to Boston will play out. I'd really appreciate it, if you all would vote on who you want Haley to be with in this fic, that'll help sway my decision. Thanks, Lucas'sgirl!