Disclaimer: OTH belong to Warner Brother's studios. Al tough, I know two brothers that I would like to own.

Hey! This is my second attempt for an OTH fanfic. Sorry I didn't continue with the first one, but don't worry I'll try to finish it. I just wanted to try something else. In this one, Lucas is not on the team yet, Haley is going to tutor Nathan, but they won't fall that easily for each other. There will be some complications…

Due to constructive criticism, I decided to write another version of the fourth chapter. I agreed with Cheeza, so I decided to write a version that would fit the storyline better. Thank you for your reviews. I appreciate it.

Nothing compares to you

I want nothing to do with you

Haley was sitting in the platform watching Lucas, he was nervous and she was nervous for him too. She saw how the other players were looking at him, like he was beneath them. Nathan was sitting at the bleachers; he was watching the cheerleaders practicing their cheers for the upcoming game. Whitey entered the gym, and used his whistle to catch their attention. He introduced Lucas to the team, and they started the practice. Everything was going fine until some nameless jackass pushed Lucas on the floor. Lucas didn't fight back even though he knew that this was part of part of Nathan's scheme to make him quit the team and make his life miserable.

Haley had enough of it, and walked down the stairs coolly, not wanting to get anyone's attention. Lucas was sitting at the bleachers at the exact same spot where Nathan sat minutes ago. She sat next to him and bent her head to look at him in the eye. Lucas looked at his friend and didn't need any word to understand what the other was trying to say. They had this bond where they could read each others' feelings.

"I hate it." mumbled Lucas harshly under his breath. Haley sadly smiled at him.

"Well, you know I'm not here to cheer you up, because if I were that would mean that I'm in the cheerleading squad, and you and I both know that I have a horrible sense of coordination for these things. Plus I hate pom-poms." joked the brunette which made Lucas crack a smile at her. He circled her with his arms, his sweaty and sticky ones.

"Lucas, you're covering me with unknown substances!" squealed Haley trying to get out of his grip. They both laughed unaware of the audience they had.

"Scott, you'll play with your girlfriend after practice, get on the court!" yelled Coach Whitey. Lucas look at Haley made her a smile and jogged on the court. Haley sat at the bleachers alone and watched the players practice. She never understood of throwing a ball in a basket, the only thing she understood was that it was Lucas' passion.

Then she felt someone sitting next to her, she turned her head in the person's direction. It was Brooke who was looking at her a mischievous grin on her somewhat sickly beautiful and perfect features.

"So you Lucas's girlfriend?" asked the brunette with interest. Haley knew at this instant that the queen of the school had her eyes on her best friend.

"No." sternly answered Haley wanting Brooke to leave her alone. Brooke got closer to Haley with a predatory look on her face, which resembled Nathan's.

"But, you want him to be, right?" asked Brooke enjoying the possibility of nailing miss goody-perfect grade. Haley just looked at her, and her eyes narrowed.

"Brooke, you have to know something. Girls don't only get around with boys just because they want them to get in their pants; at least I'm not like that." spat Haley at Brooke they both were glaring at each other. Just at that time the practice ended and the players were passing by the bleacher to get to the showers. They were witnessing an interesting encounter.

"Oh, Virgin Mary has some spike hiding in her." said Brooke, knowing where to hurt the girl.

"Oh Slutty Queen of Tree Hill may actually be able to resist the urge to jump the bones of some innocent basketball player just passing by." snapped back Haley, trying her best not to show that this remark had hurt her. Lucas interfered and broke the feud, he and Haley left the gym, leaving the others to their own thoughts and opinions about what had happened.

"Haley, what was that all about?" asked Lucas surprised by his best friend's behaviour.

"Luke don't look so surprised. I actually know how to act like a bitch when I need to." said Haley to the tall guy standing next to her.

"That I know." Haley hit him immediately. "Hey, that was uncalled for Hales. I was just agreeing, but why were you acting like a bitch, an attitude that is so unlike you?" pouted Lucas.

"She saw you as fresh meat on her plate. She wants you, she wants some action with you if you know what I mean." explained Haley to her friend, she knew that he was still confused.

"The Queen bee fell threatened because she thought I was you girlfriend, that I I'm okay with because I would never be insulted by that kind of question ,but I got fired up when she said that I want you to be my boyfriend as if I was the desperate Joey Potter. So then I told her that it was possible to hang out with a boy without necessarily wanting to sleep with him. I basically said that she was just a slut." elaborated Haley. Lucas just looked at her and the thought of them sleeping together was just, awkward.

"Trust me Luke, I feel awkward about that too."

"How can you read into my mind like that?" asked Lucas, stunned as usually by his friend's ability to read his thoughts.

"Luke, you are just so obvious. Now go get a shower you look like you need one, badly."

He smiled at her and left.

She was alone glad that he didn't ask her about how she was feeling about being called a Virgin Mary. Not that she was ashamed of being a virgin; it just always reminded her about the fact that she never had a relationship with any boy and never got a chance to get serious. She immediately shook these feelings out of her mind and walked to the tutoring office, to spend some time alone.

Haley was set at the table reading her book after she had done all her homework. She had time to relax before going to work. She was still worked up about what Brooke had said to her and her romantic relationship with a boy was a non existent-flat-liner. Haley pushed these pitiful thoughts aside and concentrated herself on her reading. She didn't want to fall into a self pity session; she was too smart for that. AS soon as she started to enter in the universe of her book, someone entered the office in a rush. Nathan stood there his hair out of place, face flushed and slightly swollen lips.

"What are you doing here?" asked Haley, kind of amused by Nathan's untidy look.

"Well, you tutor me, remember?" asked Nathan to the girl in front of him.

"I do remember. The thing is that I also recall the fact that I don't want to tutor you. Are you done wasting my time?" said Haley, wanting him to leave the room so she could go back to her reading.

"Well, you don't remember the fact that you have to." retorted Nathan, his features getting cold.

"I noticed something about you Nathan; you always become stiff when things don't go your way. I didn't sign a contract stipulating that I was obliged to tutor you. Anyway it's not like you have the exclusivity on me, there are students that actually deserved getting some help in their studies. So why don't ask your dad money so he can hire a professional tutor for a spoiled brat like you!" exclaimed Haley, who was literally burning holes in Nathan's skull. (She is kind of pissed)

"Look Haley, I'm not scared of you, even though I have to admit that the fight you had with Brooke was impressive. I thought that it should have last longer." said Nathan starting to be a jerk with her again.

"I don't care what you think Nathan. Just leave!" said Haley getting madder at herself for even agreeing to tutor him and endure his bullshit. Nathan had to admit that he enjoyed seeing her like that. "Do you enjoy seeing me like that? You're as sick as your father." continued Haley, referring to the fact that Dan always enjoyed having power on Karen and watch her suffer. That was it, Nathan got out of his cold stature. Her words were like a slap across the face. Nobody had the right to talk to him like that and certainly about that.

"I wondered when you were going to bring this up! All in the honour of protecting dear Lucas!" said Nathan, each word louder than the other. She had hit a nerve; she actually was scared of Nathan. "You are such a bitch Haley James, you think that you are almighty and brave for protecting him. Lucas doesn't need to be protected, oh right I forgot, I was the reason why my father didn't want to raise him! Because of me, he didn't want anything to do with Lucas. Is that what you are trying to say?" asked Nathan angry at her words. Haley didn't know what to say to such an exhibit of fury. She gulped and she felt ashamed for starting this conversation that was none of her business.

"I don't know why I brought this up. I'm-

"Don't say that you are sorry, I don't want you to say that you actually meant these words tomorrow or whenever. You mean them, so don't say you're sorry. You're just a hypocrite, just like me and everybody else in this school, so you're not the best person to be the judge of my family issues. You were in no right to say what you did." whispered Nathan to the girl that had hurt him. He never felt so unsure about himself and he hated this feeling, all of this because of her.

"I wasn't going to say that I'm sorry. You're right about the fact that I mean what I said, but I'm not a hypocrite Nathan, because I always say what I think. You don't call someone a hypocrite when they give you chances and especially when they've let you walk on them. I have given you the benefit of the doubt, but you always act like the egoistical prick that you have always been with me. If you still insist on the fact that I'm obliged to tutor you, then I'll quit if that's what I have to do to make you understand that I want nothing to do with you." answered Haley to the tall boy that was standing in front of her. She brought up her things together. She looked down at her watch, she definitely had to leave or else she would be late for her shift at Karen's café.

"The principal assigned you to tutor me."

"Then he'll have no choice to assign you somebody else." said Haley turning the lights off. Nathan left the room without her asking he knew it was his cue to leave the place. "You know Nathan, I always loved tutoring and helping people, but my friendship with Lucas comes first."

----

These were the last words she had spoken to him that night. Haley walked out of the school grounds relieved that she wouldn't have to hide this from Lucas. She knew she would be late for work, but it was the least of her worries. At this instant her cell phone rang.

"Where were you Haley?" asked her friend at the other end of the line.

"At the tutoring office, I did my homework there. I guess I got so carried away that I didn't watch the time passing by. I'm on my way now." answered Haley, trying to lie as less possible.

"Okay, see you later." finished Lucas and then he hung up. Haley let out a small sigh; Lucas was to never find out about what happened. She continued to walk alone in the vacant street. Few minutes entered she entered the café, as always she was welcomed by the warm smile of Karen.

"You're a little late." remarked Karen to the girl that had entered.

"An hour late is big, not little." said Haley, feeling guilty of not being there in the afternoon-supper rush.

"You're forgiven; anyway I'm sure it was for a good reason."

"Yeah." replied Haley. For a really good and necessary reason, thought the brunette.

Little did she know that her new found peace would soon come to an end. When exactly?

I decided to make things really more complicated. Now I just have to find a way to make them go together.

Angel Oscura