Haley stood still for a moment. She didn't really know what to say. She didn't expect him to be so honest with her, or for him to really feel that way. After all, he had pretty much let her go that night at the school.
Nathan stood partially still. His knees were shaking like crazy, and they only got that way when he was inordinately nervous. His eyes began to water from the lack of blinking the past few moments had brought him.
"P..P..P.. Please say something." He stuttered.
"Thank you." The short brunette stated.
Nathan looked at her puzzled. Was that all she had to say?
"For, um, for being honest with me." She seemed nervous too. "Well, see ya Nathan."
"Haley…" Nathan began, in a baffled tone.
Haley slowly turned around, staring into the eyes of the dark haired guy.
"Where are you gonna go?" He questioned her.
"Uh, I don't know? The coffee house or something." She replied.
"Can I, can I come with you?" His voice was shaky in hopes of her reply.
"Nathan…" She began.
"Please…" He seemed genuine, and it was the side of him that Haley couldn't resist.
"Fine." She said, a little hesitant. "But, I'm driving." She flashed a small smile.
Nathan smiled down at her as they walked out of the gym together, hopping into Haley's car.
Back at Lucas' house, it was pretty much silent. He hadn't wanted to talk to his Mom, not after she was making him call Nathan. He was sitting on his bed, listening to his walk-man, when the phone rang.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey Babe. It's Brooke." The voice on the other end retorted.
"Oh, hi." He knew that Brooke wasn't present for his little punching fiasco.
"I just wanted to see if you wanted to do something tonight?" She attempted to make her boyfriend happy.
"I, I can't Brooke. Sorry." He said, distantly.
"Why not?" She interrogated.
"Because…tonight's just not good for me okay?"
"Lucas, what's going on with you lately?" She decided it was time to head straight to the point.
"Huh?"
"I heard about what happened at school. You punching Nathan."
"Oh…" Lucas was ashamed at what he had done.
"What the hell were you thinking? I mean, everyone was talking about it at school. And not to mention, they were interrogating me for dating you." Brooke seemed too concerned with her own personal reputation, not her boyfriends.
"I'm sorry Brooke, what do you want me to say?" He seemed frustrated with her.
"I want you to tell me why you did it."
"I did it because…well, Nathan. The guy's a jackass and Haley knows it. He did something to her, and I guess I was just trying to protect her." He stated honestly.
"Well you owe a big apology." She told him.
"I know..." Lucas started.
"Well, I'm listening." Brooke sneered.
"What? Brooke…don't you think this apology should be directed elsewhere? Like say, Haley? I mean why don't you stop being so self-centered for once and stop always thinking about yourself." Lucas said those words, knowing it would hurt her but he had to say it. He had to.
"Lucas, I said no phone." Karen interrupted.
He motioned for her to leave, letting her know he would hang up.
"I have to go Brooke." Lucas said, hanging up.
"I just don't get it Peyt." Brooke said to the friend who sat on the end of her bed. "I mean, everything's just so weird with him. It's almost as if he's … not interested in our relationship anymore." Brooke sounded so confused.
"I think you hit the nail on the head." Peyton muttered softly.
"What?" Brooke asked.
"Well, uh, are you two going to the Christmas dance?"
"I, I assumed so?" Brooke seemed lost. "Why, did you hear you something else?"
"Nah." Peyton smiled at her friend to assure her, "Everything's going to be fine."
Haley and Nathan walked into the Café together and took a seat on the main couch.
"I'm really happy you let me come with you tonight." Nathan smiled at Haley.
"Okay Nathan, not buying it." Haley chuckled.
"Buying what?"
"This little act you're putting on. Mr. Nice Guy." Haley felt she knew him way too well, and well; she kinda did.
"Haley, I'm not putting on an act. I really am happy you let me come with you. I feel like me and you have a lot to talk about." He smiled again.
"Listen Nathan, I know why you're doing this."
"You do?" He asked surprised.
"Lucas found out about what happened and hit you. That was probably really embarrassing. You don't want something like that to happen again. So, be nice to Haley right? Why not? It saves you the embarrassment. Although I'm sure the minute someone comes in here and sees you with me…that plan will be over." Haley let him have it. She still liked him and that became obvious to him.
Nathan began to laugh. "Haley…"
"Why is that funny?" She retorted.
"Maybe because it's ridiculous. That's not why I asked to come with you. It's not, at all."
"Well then why did you ask to come Nathan?" Haley interrogated.
"Because, I wanted to get a chance to talk to you. I want to ask you something but I didn't want to ask you too soon after everything that's happened." He explained to her.
Haley couldn't help but smile just a little.
"Wh...What did you want to ask me?"
"Okay, well um…are you sure it's not too soon for me to ask you?"
"Well, I guess that's really more up to you. But…I'm ready to hear it."
Nathan smiled sweetly at the brunette. "Would you…" He started nervously. "Go to the Christmas dance with me?"
Haley stared shocked, up into his eyes. This was the guy who had broken her heart, one week ago. Yet right now, he was apologetic and wanting her to go to the dance with him. She knew that her mind told her she shouldn't let him in. But her heart told her, that this was a guy who was worth taking a chance with and that she shouldn't let him walk away.
Smiling from ear to ear, she looked up at him and said, "Okay. I'll go with you."
"You will?!" Nathan exclaimed.
"Yeah." She giggled at his high-pitched tone.
"Aw Haley thank you, I honestly didn't expect you to say yes. I thought you hated me and were like extremely pissed at me."
"Well, I was. But then you showed me that you could be a man and apologize, and you were so sweet before. My heart told me to give you another chance."
Nathan leaned over giving Haley a kiss on the cheek and a huge hug. "This time, it's for real." He whispered into her ear.
Back at Brooke's house, she decided it was time to ask Lucas to the dance. He hadn't officially asked her yet and she definitely wanted to make it official. She asked Peyton to call him and ask him to meet her at the coffee house.
The phone rang again and Lucas picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi, Lucas this is Peyton."
"Oh Hey, what's up?" He seemed a lot happier talking to her than he did talking to Brooke.
"Nothing much. I was just wondering if you could meet me up at your Mom's Café?"
"Well, I'm grounded but um… alright whatever. I'm leaving now." He told her.
"Great." She said hanging up. For a minute, Peyton lost sight of the reason he was going to be going up there for. She felt bad for asking him up there for Brooke when it became obvious he didn't really want anything to do with her right now.
"Did he say yes?" Brooke asked nervously.
"Um, yeah he'll be up there." Peyton gave her friend the good news.
"Okay, great. Well do you want to go up there with me or…?"
"Um, no to be honest Brooke…I should be getting home." She told her brunette friend.
"Oh, alright. Well thanks Peyton. I love you!" Brooke said hugging her best friend.
"No problem." Peyton said, returning the hug of her friend.
Up at the Café, Nathan and Haley were just leaving together when they crossed paths with Lucas.
"Hales…" He began. "What, what are you doing?"
"Okay, Lucas now is really not the time for this." She pleaded for him to drop it.
"Lucas, I'm sorry it has to be this way man." Nathan told him, genuinely.
"Has to be what way, you taking advantage of my best friend? Yeah, I'm sorry it has to be that way too." Lucas was obviously not buying it.
"Lucas please! It's okay, I'm sorry you have to have something so far up your ass that you can't just be happy for me. But we're fine. You on the other hand, really need to chill out because you're really starting to get carried away." Haley spit out at him.
"Whatever Hales, I…" Right then he stopped as he saw Brooke standing opposite of him.
"Brooke?" He said, surprised.
"Let's go Haley." Nathan suggested, moving the two out of the Café.
"Brooke, what are you doing here?" He asked her surprised.
"I'm here in the place of Peyton. Which I know was mischievous of her and myself. But I really needed to talk to you and you weren't listening."
"What do you want to talk to me about?" He said distantly.
"Well, the Christmas dance is next weekend and I thought we would go together."
"Brooke…I don't know." He began.
"Lucas! Come on, you are my boyfriend. Whom else would you go with?"
"I don't know, but look…when you said we should talk. I think you were right."
"Lucas…where is this going?" She was nervous beyond belief.
"I think we should break up." He stated.
Tears formed behind her eyes. Why was he doing this? She knew he loved her, she knew it.
"Lucas…" She muttered softly.
"I'm sorry Brooke. But I don't want this relationship anymore. We're in two completely different places and I can't return to you the same feelings you give to me. For that, I'm sorry too. But I can't force myself to want to be with you. I don't. Sorry Brooke, it's over." He said as he wiped a tear from under her eye and walked out of the Café.
Okay so, I know things are sort of moving slowly but things should pick next chapter which will be the Christmas dance. Please keep reading & reviewing. I feel like there's nobody reading, so just a simple review to let me know you're reading the fic would be nice. Thanks.
