And cause you can remember
the twenty second day in November,
Baby you mean somethin' to me.
Haley walked into the tutoring office five minutes early, and sat down, relishing the first peace and quiet moments she'd had all day. She put her books on the round table and rested her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and let her breaths slow, relaxing her more with each passing second.
After a few minutes, the door swung open causing Haley to jump and turn in her seat to see just who had interrupted her relaxation time. She grumbled when she saw none other than Nathan Scott stride into the room with an air of confidence about him so thick it made her want to vomit right there on his shoes.
"Hey Tutor girl," Nathan remarked with a sly laugh as he set his books down and took the seat across from her. He shoved a biology book, followed by an English book, in her direction.
"What do you want?" she asked inquisitively. "The bell hasn't even rung yet, I'm sure you have time to get to Peyton's class before she gets mad that you're missing in action." Haley said swiftly with a sarcastic undertone.
Nathan threw his head back and laughed a deep, hard, long laugh. When he put his head back down he looked into Haley's eyes. 'Wow,' Haley thought, and then quickly shook her head to force the further thoughts from flowing.
"You're tutoring me," he grinned.
Haley's slight smile fell from her face in an instant. "I'm what?" she stammered. She swiped her long, flowing brown hair that was falling in front of her eyes. "No, I'm not." She said as she pretty much regained her senses.
"Oh, tutor girl… but you are," he said laughing. "My father wanted me to get the best tutor – and well, I guess that's the price you're going to pay for being head of our class."
"There is no way that I can deal with you on a daily basis," Haley glared at him angrily.
"Oh wow," Nathan said eyeing her angrily. "Little Miss Book Worm has a temper on her, does she?"
"Only when provoked by pompous, arrogant, jocks, such as you," she shot back.
"Oh," he said running his own hand through his own short, deep brown mop of a hair. "I can tell this is going to be fun."
"That it will, Nathan," she said under her breath. "That it will."
The two sat in silence for a minute, not knowing whether they wanted to tuck their tails like little dogs and high tail it out of there, or if they wanted to see just how interesting this little altercation would be. "So, is this crappy office where I have to come everyday?" Nathan said, taking the first step.
"Yes," she barked. "Unless there's somewhere else you see fit for tutoring lessons, and no – a strip club or basketball court are not fit."
"Maybe the docks," he suggested. "In the morning, too."
"Why?" she said eyeing him suspiciously. "Don't want anyone to know you're being tutored – and by me?"
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No, smart ass. Basketball practice everyday after school. But, I would be embarrassed to show up an hour early to school everyday. I'd much rather be outside in the fresh air. It'll wake us both up better, especially since it'd be early and all."
Haley blushed a bit. "Fine, the docks it is," she agreed. She ran her hand over the books he had pushed in front of her prior to their 'argument'. "Biology and English?" she shook her head. "The two easiest subjects."
"The only subject I really need help in is bio," he said moving the English book. "I'm just lazy in English."
"How one can be so lazy off the court, but yet so high strung on it – is a ridiculous thought to me," she mumbled under her breath.
"That's the second time you've whispered about me under your breath, is this going to be an everyday thing? Something I can count on?" Nathan said, with a tone of sarcasm and rudeness underlying.
Haley nodded. "Is your assholeness going to be something I can count on everyday, too?" she said back angrily.
"You can bet your ass on that one," he said as he stood up. "I'm not doing this shit today. Big game and all. Tomorrow, at the docks?"
"Fine," she grumbled as he picked his books up and walked out of the room. She threw her head into her hands and onto the table in front of her. "Could this get any worse?" she growled.
"Probably," a female voice behind her said. Haley turned and looked behind her.
'Ah, what does Peyton want now,' Haley thought to herself. She looked at Peyton and smiled, her best impression at a real smile, anyway. "How can I help you?" she said congenially.
"You can get someone else to tutor my boyfriend, for starters," Peyton remarked with a growl.
"Oh how I would love to do that," Haley said with a grin, and then her face dropped as Peyton looked on with an un-amused look. "But, once a tutor is picked for a pupil, its set. Practically set in stone around here."
"Is that so, Tutor girl?" Peyton took a step closer to Haley. "Keep your grubby little paws off my boyfriend then, Haley James. Or else there will be hell to pay." Haley let out a long, hard laugh. "What the fuck is so funny?"
"Just the fact that you think I would have any interest in your arrogant asshole of a boyfriend," Haley said with a grin. "Is your self esteem that low, that you have to threaten your boyfriends tutor?"
Peyton looked at her wide eyed and horrified. "Listen you, I know Nathan will never ever fuck around on me, but that doesn't mean a little book nerd like you won't try something."
Haley rolled her eyes. "Look, nothings going to change. If you're so sure of Nathan, don't come in here trying to get big with me. I may look sweet, innocent, and timid – but I'm not. So now, turn your little bimbo cheerleading ass right around, and walk out the same door you came in. Don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out," she said with a laugh.
Peyton opened her mouth as if to say something, but instead clamped it shut. She growled in frustration as she stomped out the door and slammed it behind her. Haley just shook her head and laughed, and felt the heat rise up her collar as a sign of embarrassment. "I can't believe I just said that stuff to Peyton Sawyer," she whispered. "What's gotten into me?" She smiled and brushed her hair back out of her face. "I guess, maybe I kind of like it."