Chapter 7

The kitchen was freezing. For some strange and ungodly reason the heat shut off two hours ago, right after Nathan left. Let me rephrase that, right after I made Nathan leave. I mean, come on, does he think I am crazy. Yes he is attractive if you like that whole, basketball player perfect abs/arms/ass but Haley is my best – well- my only friend in Tree Hill and I am not about to screw that up over some horny sexually charged moment. I'm right aren't I?

Jesus, I sure hope so because it took all I had to tear myself away from Nathan Scott. Those ice blue eyes that looked at me like no one has ever looked at me before. The way he looked into my eyes made me feel like I was someone else, like I wasn't Davis Griffin- cousin of Brooke Davis, girl who got suspended for fighting, all around trouble maker. He made me feel like I could do no wrong.

Maybe that is what he does to all girls. He sucks them in using those lines about how amazingly beautiful their eyes are and how perfect they are and then he spits them right back out. Whatever he does, he does it well but I am not about to be another one of those girls that Nathan Scott uses and abuses. He was either going to have me, all of me or none of me and if he thinks that the line about my eyes is going to get all of me... he has another thing coming.

But, whatever, two can play his game. I can use and abuse just as much as the next person. I just have to make sure I don't get hurt... like last time.

There was a guy back in New York, Trey Loinstein, he was a senior when I was a freshman. He was the lead in all the plays and he told me, a lowly freshman, that he would get me the starring role in the next school play. I was stoked. Freshmen don't get lead roles in plays. Then I found out, from Owen, that Trey thought that if he got me into the play then I would sleep with him. He was wrong, but what was even more wrong was what I did to him.

I was furious that someone would do something like that so it was time for payback. To make a long story short, I fell for him and I fell hard. I thought I might have been in love with him until he kicked me to the curb just like he had done with all his other girl friends. I felt so stupid.

I wasn't about to let that happen again.

Letting out a long sigh I rested my head on the end of the couch and was about a minute away from a perfect nap when Brooke came storming in the door, yelling, and cursing up a storm.

"This is bullshit. Pure bullshit." She threw her bag to the ground and started walking toward the living room as she pulled off her light pink workout top and tossed it to the floor. "How the hell could she just quit and right before state? What does she think I am? Some kinda magician? Does she think I can just make some replacement magically appear and magically learn all the routines that we have been working on for five fucking months! Unbelievable... un-fucking-believable..."

Brooke yelled as she stomped up the stairs. She looked down at me, "Davis! Turn the heat on! It is a fucking igloo in here!"

"There is no heat. Call someone and ask them what the deal is because my fingers and toes are about to freeze off." I said back to her ask I stood at the bottom of the stairs.

She put her hands on her hips, "You're kidding me?"

I shook my head, "Not kidding."

"Ahhh!" Brooke screamed stomping her feet. "Can this day get any worse?!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "My best friend and I hate each other. My boyfriend and I are broken up. My cheerleading career is over. I am about to freeze to death and my face medication is on back order. I am turning into an acne faced Eskimo single loser!" She screeched. The screeches slowly turned into tears and before I knew it my cousin was doubled over sobbing into her ice cold hands.

I walked up the stairs and put my hand on her back, "Hey Brooke, um, I know this probably won't mean anything to you but um... I don't think you look anything like an Eskimo and your skin..." She looked up at me, "is impeccable."

She sniffled, "You're just saying that cause you have to."

"I don't have to say anything to you, I am saying that because its true." I smiled at her and pointed at the bathroom, "Now go try to take a hot bath and we will go get sushi for dinner or something."

Brooke nodded and slowly stood up. I remained sitting on the top step of the stairs. She put her hand on the doorknob, "Hey Davis." I turned around, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now get in there," I shooed her, "I'm hungry and I could definitely go for some good ol' California rolls."

She opened the door and I heard the water running. I looked down the stairs and saw the front door open. It was Haley.

I raced down the stairs to meet her. Her eyes were red. She had been crying.

"Haley, what's wrong?" I asked her as I put my hand on her shoulder.

"its Nathan." She said, fighting back tears, "I just saw him, I mean, he was at my house and I kissed him and he smelled like a girl."

"I don't see why that is a bad thing if he is using feminine body soap..."

"No Davis, I am being serious. I think he is cheating on me." She sighed and sat down on the leather couch in the living room. "I called him earlier and he didn't answer. He was probably at her house. I just don't know what to do anymore Davis. I mean, I know we were having problems but I..." She whispered, "I didn't think it was this serious."

"Maybe you are over reacting Haley. Maybe he was playing basketball or eating or something." I said, trying to reason with her even thought I very well knew he was doing none of those things.

"Maybe he was, but he usually answers his phone when he is playing basketball and I don't know who he would be playing with." She paused, "Maybe he was just shooting around by himself and then he went home to take a shower and he was out of soap so he had to use his mom's soap..."

My eyes got wide. Haley really wanted to believe that Nathan wouldn't cheat on her. I wanted to believe that he wouldn't either, but I knew that wasn't true. He might not be cheating on her, but he had tried. He just was unsuccessful.

"Do you think that is what happened?" Haley asked, looking up at me. Her eyes pleaded with me to agree with her.

I nodded my head quickly, "That has got to be what happened. That makes total sense and so what if he uses his mom's soap right?"

Haley smiled and ran her hand down her crossed leg. She looked up at me, "You're right." She nodded her head as if she was still trying to tell herself he was not cheating on her. "Completely right."

I stood up and walked into the kitchen. I turned around and asked her, "Want something to drink?"

She shook her head, "No thanks, I gotta go. I just needed someone to talk to." She stood up and walked toward the door. I was in the kitchen making myself a hot chocolate, "Hey Davis."

I whipped my head around, "What's up?"

"Thanks for listening."

I smiled, "No problem. Anytime. I am always up for listening." I winked and watched the leave the house.

I let out one long sigh and looked up at the ceiling, "God if you are listening, please, please fix all this crazy drama." I shook my head and looked down at my toes, which were turning a strange color of blue and purple. I looked back up, "And while you're at it... maybe fix the heat. Just a thought."

Brooke came running down the stairs. She had on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, a knitted hat, thermal socks, and a gaiter around her neck. "Okay." She said, "I am starved. Let's go eat."

"You are insane if you think I am going to let you leave the house looking like that." I said looking her up and down.

"You are insane if you think that I would leave the house dressed like this." She pulled the sweatshirt, pants, hat, and socks off to reveal jeans and a v-neck purple sweater. She stepped into her brown and purple suede pumps and grabbed her purse.

"That is much better." I stared at her belt, "I believe someone has been shopping in my closet."

She smiled and opened the door, "I believe someone is buying dinner."

I walked out the door and looked back at her, "You have got to be kidding."

"Nope, serious as a heart attack." She unlocked the car and we both got in. "So what's the deal with the heat?"

"Lack of you mean?"

"Right?"

"Well, like two hours ago, or so, I got out of the shower and then like thirty minutes later it was freezing."

We pulled out of the driveway, "That is so weird, because I went to get gas before I came home and my credit card wouldn't work so I had to use cash and..."

"God forbid!"

"No really I hate using cash and so I went into the gas station, I hate going in the gas station by the way..."

And there we sat in the car just talking. Right at that moment, we weren't relatives, we weren't cousins, we weren't enemies we were just... friends. And I didn't mind the slightest bit.