Chapter 16,
Nathan closed his eyes and leaned back onto the pillow. Dan and Keith had just been removed from his room. It seemed like they never stopped fighting, it was always there. That hate that separated brothers that should love each other. Nathan grabbed the remote and flipped through numerous channels, nothing was on except basketball games. He turned the TV off and threw it on the floor. He was bored, and stuck in a Hospital while Lucas and the guys were playing in the game. The sectional that he had dreams about. He was supposed to prove himself this game; Nathan didn't feel as if he needed to prove anything. He would have done anything for a hamburger or to eat a hamburger.
He had only been in the hospital for a day, but already he was a bit homesick. He would get calls from his mother every now and then, telling him she would be by to see him. His mother was taking it harder than he was. Since the crash he hadn't thought to much about the possibility that he wouldn't walk again. Out of sight out of mind he thought. But now, when he was alone, he began to think about the agony of never walking.
It didn't help anything that Haley hadn't come to see him. He missed her greatly, more than he ever thought that he could. She always seemed to cheer him up when he felt like hell. Which wasn't very common. But now, he wanted to disappear. He figured that everyone at school was spreading rumors about Haley, Lucas and his big triangle. Nathan was still wondering what had been going on with the two. The first thing he had seen was Haley with Lucas's shirt on. Every muscle in his body tensed suddenly and he felt the feelings he had before. It was unsettling to think that Haley would cheat on him; he felt every bit of it was his fault. If he hadn't worried so much about his friends and being popular.... why was that so important these days? He couldn't deny the feeling that came when he hit a three pointer and the crowd went wild. He loved being the guy the girls wanted. He started to feel a little better then.
He looked out the window beside his bed. It was getting late now, Haley wouldn't be coming by today. He would have to go without seeing her again. It made the hole in his stomach grow a bit deeper. He turned fast hearing the door open. He stared into the eyes of Lucas. His half brother.
"Nathan, how are you?" Lucas said walking over to him.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the game Lucas?"
"Whitey didn't want to play, we didn't even change out. He said it didn't feel right when you were here." Lucas said looking at the IV attached to Nathan's arm.
"It's not that bad. I get bedside surface, and some of the nurses are pretty hot." He said laughing. "Lucas why did you come here?"
"Well I have been doing circles in the parking lot thinking of what to say. We have missed a lot of years Nathan."
"Yeah I guess you could say that."
"I just want you to know that Haley and I didn't do anything. I would never do that to you." Lucas said walking a bit closer.
"What does it matter? I am still sitting here in the hospital. For gods sake I may never walk again, and all you have to say is that?"
"Well just didn't want you to think that I had wronged you or something. I just....I just..."
"You came here because you're sorry for me?" Nathan said breaking the silence.
Lucas stared at Nathan with a confused look. He didn't know why he had came to see Nathan, he felt as if he owed it to him. Lucas took a quick breath and watched as Haley entered the room.
"You two are talking now?" She said walking over beside Nathan.
"Did you tell him to do this Haley? Did you make him come here and apologize for me walking in on you two?" He said with a questioning tone.
"Nathan there is nothing to apologize for nothing happened." Haley said protesting the sudden look in Nathan's eyes.
"We are just friends, I was trying to tell you that but you started getting mad." Lucas said.
"When you can to see me after the ball game a few nights ago, afterward I went to Lucas's house. It was raining and I knew my parents would blow if I came home so late. So where else could I go? Lucas took me in and let me change into some of his cloths. That was all you saw. I had his shorts on underneath."
"So you guys didn't do anything.... anything at all?" Nathan said almost convinced.
Haley took a second to look at Lucas, if she wanted to be with him, it was now that she had to make a choice. The past few nights had haunted her, causing her to consider the possibility that she should just forget both of them. Both of the brothers she was tangled between. It didn't make anything better either. She hadn't been to school in two days. Her final in History would be shot down the drain. She had never been the one to have two guys chasing after her. She was always the one everyone copied off of. The name 'Tutor Girl' was still ringing in her ears. She wanted to live a little. So I guess she was going to have to do what she felt was right.
"Nathan, I have been thinking a lot about us lately. And I think that it...." She paused for a second, seeing panic flare into Lucas's eyes.
"She was telling me that it was important that she came and saw you. She was up worrying all day, and now that you two are alone, I am going to go." Lucas headed for the door, but Haley grasped tightly to his coat.
"Lucas I want you to stay, at least wait for what I was going to say." She said turning back to Nathan.
Nathan stared at his half brother and his girlfriend. They were whispering behind his back. Sleeping in the same room with each other, and now she wanted to say something to both of them. He couldn't possibly think of the words she would say. He knew that when Haley set her mind to do something she was going to do it. Maybe she had fallen in love with Lucas and wanted to be with him. If he wouldn't have gotten in this car wreck in the first place. If he could just rewind all this month. Maybe Haley and him would still have a chance. He waited patiently for her to continue.
"A lot of things have been happening this week. And I think that it is best if I just go off to collage. That's what my parents want me to do. I have always wanted to study art. And I have a scholarship to go to an art school in Paris." She said suddenly.
"You mean that you are going to leave Tree Hill? You really want to go to college in Paris?" Nathan said almost to shocked to speak. What does this mean for us?"
"I thought that you wanted to go some where close to home." Lucas said almost pleading.
"It will be hard to leave my friends and family. But I think that it is the best thing to do." Haley said watching the two boys desperate faces.
"So what are you breaking up with me or something? If you move to Paris, or go to art school, how will we be together?" Nathan said staring into Haley's green eyes.
"That's just it Nate, we both couldn't put up with long distant relationships." She said slowly.
"So what we had one day? One day that you said we would be together, you promised to love me forever. How long is forever Haley? Nothing lasts forever does it? People tell you things and you fall in love. Then they leave you to sulk and wine about it. Everyone I have ever loved has left me, why do you have to be one of them?" Nathan said forgetting Lucas was in the room. "With out you all I am going to be is a crippled eight-teen year old. What's the point in even going to physical therapy? Who do I want to walk for?" He said almost screaming.
"Nathan I do love you and I will always love you." She said feeling tears appear.
"If you love me, hell go to Paris." He said with a scowl.
"Nathan listen to me, I am doing this for both of us. In a few years you will be up again, you will be walking and we can be together. I want to get a life for myself, I want to get a nice job."
Nathan gave Haley a look and then stared at the floor. "You have never loved me."
"Your wrong Nathan, I do I really do."
"Then stay here, stay with me Haley!"
Nathan closed his eyes and leaned back onto the pillow. Dan and Keith had just been removed from his room. It seemed like they never stopped fighting, it was always there. That hate that separated brothers that should love each other. Nathan grabbed the remote and flipped through numerous channels, nothing was on except basketball games. He turned the TV off and threw it on the floor. He was bored, and stuck in a Hospital while Lucas and the guys were playing in the game. The sectional that he had dreams about. He was supposed to prove himself this game; Nathan didn't feel as if he needed to prove anything. He would have done anything for a hamburger or to eat a hamburger.
He had only been in the hospital for a day, but already he was a bit homesick. He would get calls from his mother every now and then, telling him she would be by to see him. His mother was taking it harder than he was. Since the crash he hadn't thought to much about the possibility that he wouldn't walk again. Out of sight out of mind he thought. But now, when he was alone, he began to think about the agony of never walking.
It didn't help anything that Haley hadn't come to see him. He missed her greatly, more than he ever thought that he could. She always seemed to cheer him up when he felt like hell. Which wasn't very common. But now, he wanted to disappear. He figured that everyone at school was spreading rumors about Haley, Lucas and his big triangle. Nathan was still wondering what had been going on with the two. The first thing he had seen was Haley with Lucas's shirt on. Every muscle in his body tensed suddenly and he felt the feelings he had before. It was unsettling to think that Haley would cheat on him; he felt every bit of it was his fault. If he hadn't worried so much about his friends and being popular.... why was that so important these days? He couldn't deny the feeling that came when he hit a three pointer and the crowd went wild. He loved being the guy the girls wanted. He started to feel a little better then.
He looked out the window beside his bed. It was getting late now, Haley wouldn't be coming by today. He would have to go without seeing her again. It made the hole in his stomach grow a bit deeper. He turned fast hearing the door open. He stared into the eyes of Lucas. His half brother.
"Nathan, how are you?" Lucas said walking over to him.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the game Lucas?"
"Whitey didn't want to play, we didn't even change out. He said it didn't feel right when you were here." Lucas said looking at the IV attached to Nathan's arm.
"It's not that bad. I get bedside surface, and some of the nurses are pretty hot." He said laughing. "Lucas why did you come here?"
"Well I have been doing circles in the parking lot thinking of what to say. We have missed a lot of years Nathan."
"Yeah I guess you could say that."
"I just want you to know that Haley and I didn't do anything. I would never do that to you." Lucas said walking a bit closer.
"What does it matter? I am still sitting here in the hospital. For gods sake I may never walk again, and all you have to say is that?"
"Well just didn't want you to think that I had wronged you or something. I just....I just..."
"You came here because you're sorry for me?" Nathan said breaking the silence.
Lucas stared at Nathan with a confused look. He didn't know why he had came to see Nathan, he felt as if he owed it to him. Lucas took a quick breath and watched as Haley entered the room.
"You two are talking now?" She said walking over beside Nathan.
"Did you tell him to do this Haley? Did you make him come here and apologize for me walking in on you two?" He said with a questioning tone.
"Nathan there is nothing to apologize for nothing happened." Haley said protesting the sudden look in Nathan's eyes.
"We are just friends, I was trying to tell you that but you started getting mad." Lucas said.
"When you can to see me after the ball game a few nights ago, afterward I went to Lucas's house. It was raining and I knew my parents would blow if I came home so late. So where else could I go? Lucas took me in and let me change into some of his cloths. That was all you saw. I had his shorts on underneath."
"So you guys didn't do anything.... anything at all?" Nathan said almost convinced.
Haley took a second to look at Lucas, if she wanted to be with him, it was now that she had to make a choice. The past few nights had haunted her, causing her to consider the possibility that she should just forget both of them. Both of the brothers she was tangled between. It didn't make anything better either. She hadn't been to school in two days. Her final in History would be shot down the drain. She had never been the one to have two guys chasing after her. She was always the one everyone copied off of. The name 'Tutor Girl' was still ringing in her ears. She wanted to live a little. So I guess she was going to have to do what she felt was right.
"Nathan, I have been thinking a lot about us lately. And I think that it...." She paused for a second, seeing panic flare into Lucas's eyes.
"She was telling me that it was important that she came and saw you. She was up worrying all day, and now that you two are alone, I am going to go." Lucas headed for the door, but Haley grasped tightly to his coat.
"Lucas I want you to stay, at least wait for what I was going to say." She said turning back to Nathan.
Nathan stared at his half brother and his girlfriend. They were whispering behind his back. Sleeping in the same room with each other, and now she wanted to say something to both of them. He couldn't possibly think of the words she would say. He knew that when Haley set her mind to do something she was going to do it. Maybe she had fallen in love with Lucas and wanted to be with him. If he wouldn't have gotten in this car wreck in the first place. If he could just rewind all this month. Maybe Haley and him would still have a chance. He waited patiently for her to continue.
"A lot of things have been happening this week. And I think that it is best if I just go off to collage. That's what my parents want me to do. I have always wanted to study art. And I have a scholarship to go to an art school in Paris." She said suddenly.
"You mean that you are going to leave Tree Hill? You really want to go to college in Paris?" Nathan said almost to shocked to speak. What does this mean for us?"
"I thought that you wanted to go some where close to home." Lucas said almost pleading.
"It will be hard to leave my friends and family. But I think that it is the best thing to do." Haley said watching the two boys desperate faces.
"So what are you breaking up with me or something? If you move to Paris, or go to art school, how will we be together?" Nathan said staring into Haley's green eyes.
"That's just it Nate, we both couldn't put up with long distant relationships." She said slowly.
"So what we had one day? One day that you said we would be together, you promised to love me forever. How long is forever Haley? Nothing lasts forever does it? People tell you things and you fall in love. Then they leave you to sulk and wine about it. Everyone I have ever loved has left me, why do you have to be one of them?" Nathan said forgetting Lucas was in the room. "With out you all I am going to be is a crippled eight-teen year old. What's the point in even going to physical therapy? Who do I want to walk for?" He said almost screaming.
"Nathan I do love you and I will always love you." She said feeling tears appear.
"If you love me, hell go to Paris." He said with a scowl.
"Nathan listen to me, I am doing this for both of us. In a few years you will be up again, you will be walking and we can be together. I want to get a life for myself, I want to get a nice job."
Nathan gave Haley a look and then stared at the floor. "You have never loved me."
"Your wrong Nathan, I do I really do."
"Then stay here, stay with me Haley!"
