Hope you all like this chapter. –marg.

Ch. 12

"Nathan! Yo, Nathan!" called Jordan, jogging up to catch up with him, after their strenuous practice. Nathan turned slightly, smirking when he saw Jordan running to him, face all red. Stopping to let Jordan take a breather, Nathan asked, "What? Need a ride?"

Taking in a deep breath, Jordan replied, "No. I just wanted to know if you were doing anything today."

"Nope. Not that I know of. Why?"

"Cause the rest of us," gesturing to the lingering guys at the entrance of the locker room, busy discussing something, "were thinking about heading to a party in the evening. Till then we could shoot hoops or something."

Thinking about the unanswered messages still on his phone, he declined. "Sorry, but I'll have to decline. I have to return some calls."

"Oh, about the trip right?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that," he apologized, fishing into his duffel bag for his cell.

"It's okay," he waved off. "Have fun though. And that girl you were with last night…" he trailed off.

"Last night? Which one?" Nathan asked, hoping Jordan hadn't seen Jaimie.

"The one you were looking sadly at. I was going to head over, but you both looked like you needed some time alone."

"Oh her."

"Why, were there 2?" Jordan asked, taken aback. When Nathan didn't answer, Jordan spoke out, "Dude, yesterday you were declining every girl's offer, only dancing when we paid ya. And then after you see some girl, getting your heart broken, or something, you go out with 2?! One girl and you change completely." Concern masking shock, he added, "Are you okay?"

Waving it off, he answered, "Yea. I'm fine." Thinking it over, he asked, "What color was the girl's hair? The one you saw me with?"

"She was a brunette. Cute, too."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Nathan said, "Good."

"Did you leave with some other girl?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you were gone. And I left you messages on your phone. So spill," Jordan said.

"Some girl ended up in my bed. …"

"And you don't remember?" Jordan smirked.

"No. I do, kinda. But I don't want anyone else finding out. The girl you saw me with was Haley James."

"THE Haley James?" At Nathan's nod, he continued. "And the girl you left with wasn't. Right?" Nathan nodded. "What the hell happened to make you leave with some other girl?! You've been hung over Haley, and the next minute you leave with someone else. Are you out of your mind?"

Nathan smiled ruefully. "So, you think if I told her, she'd still want me?"

Jordan rolled his eyes, running his hand through his hair. "What do you think, genius? You think you'd take her back if she ended up in someone else's bed? I think not."

At which Nathan shook his head. "What did she do to you to make you turn to some other girl?"

"Well," Nathan started, relaying the whole events that happened last night to Jordan.

At the end of it, Jordan asked, "So you just went with the girl. No questions. You just left." Jordan shook his head. "Nate, man, I thought you would do something. At least run after the girl, man. That's what you should've done. Run after her and beg her to stay, or SOMETHING!" Jordan shook his head, exasperated. "I have a doofus for a friend."

"Hey!"

"What? I do! You are so- Whatever. Just get this straightened up, okay? And in the meantime, don't get in bed with ANOTHER girl. Okay, Scott? Take my advice. Don't get within 3 feet of another girl. Not wise at all."

Nathan smiled at his friend's frustration. "Thanks, man."

"Don't thank me until you get your girl," Jordan smiled, taking his keys out. "Okay, I'm going to go. If you want to join us later, just give me a call. Bye." He turned, giving a wave. Nathan waved back, turning around to head to his car.

-HALEY-

"So you wanna wake up Hales? You can't stay in bed today, remember? You have class."

Groaning, Haley brought the blanket down to her waist. Squinting at Joanne, she asked, "Which class?"

"English."

"Oh, right," Haley answered, getting out of bed fast. Slipping by Joanne to get into the bathroom, she stopped when she felt Joanne grip her arm. "What?"

"Hope you know what you did last night," Joanne said calmly.

"I know what I did."

"But did you see the look on his face when you left? Oh, honey, you have to start thinking about his feelings too, you know? You can't just leave whenever you want, or hang up whenever you're feeling like sht. I bet, last night, he didn't even say anything bad at all. You were just being paranoid."

Haley thought back to last night at the club.

-FLASHBACK-

Smiling ruefully at him. "You manage to always get a girl. Remember during high school? You had all the girls following you and fawning over you. And I remember that girl who proposed to you!" Patting him and laughing, she said, "Yup. Really talented."

"But not the girl that counts."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, I never got the girl I wanted." He repeated, staring intensely at her.

"Oh." She replied. Thinking about how many dates he'd been on so far and who THE LUCKY GIRL was, she felt like crying.

-END FLASHBACK-

"So what did he say exactly?" Joanne said, jarring Haley from her thoughts.

Haley felt bad now. He hadn't even said anything at all. He may have even been hinting at her. G-d, I feel like a btch. She thought. Slipping past Joanne into the living room, she answered, "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure and you just left him there? There must've been SOMETHING he said to make you leave in such a hurry."

"Well, he said he never got the girl he wanted. And-"

"Didn't it ever occur to you that it might have been you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You. How did he say it? Did he look at other girls, or did he stare at you, only you?"

Thinking over it, she choked, "Me. Oh my goodness. He could've meant me, huh?" Haley got all excited, then remembering how she left, her spirit crashed. "But I left him there. For all I know he could've gone home with another girl."

Joanne shook her head, frustrated with Haley's paranoia. "Girl. You need to get a hold of your self-esteem. He didn't, okay? We don't know for sure, but I bet he wouldn't have." Giving her a smile, she added, "Now get dressed. Wouldn't want to be late, would we?"

Haley gave her a grateful smile, her spirit returning. Haley skipped to the bathroom, leaving a happy Joanne shaking her head amused behind her.