A couple months later, they went to the circus, with Haley and Cindy, and had great seats. Third row center, not bad. It was the clowns' opening act, Dezzy was having a blast, laughing and laughing. Brooke nudged Luke and pointed to one clown in particular.
"Luke, don't he look familiar, as if we've seen him before," Brooke asked him. He looked where she was pointing.
"I don't know babe, I can' see him, wait till he comes closer." They waited, and he came over, and Luke noticed it to, and nudged Haley and pointed, she had a shocked look on her face.
"It's Nathan, he's a clown, in the circus, OMG, Nathan Scott's a clown," Haley said, astonished. She told Cindy, and she started cracking up, and it went down the line. It came time to pick some children from the audience as helpers, like to get pies thrown on them, and some adults. Nathan happened to be one to go picking people and walked up their row. Dezzy started waving franticly, not knowing who he was, her big toothless (she was missing her front teeth) grin, her blonde hair coming out of its ponytail, her blue eyes lighting up. Brooke was worried all the waving and moving might hurt her, and watched cautiously. Nathan saw her too, and not seeing them picked her, and of course a parent had to go, and Lucas and Brooke looked at each other, finally Brooke got up, and dragged Haley with her, who dragged Cindy down there. Ora was laughing, Dallie taking pictures of the whole thing, even Ricky being jealous. When they were all down there, there was a funny looking group, some whiny snot nosed kids with strict parents, rebellious kids with frightened parents, and then them, Dezzy wasn't snot nosed and whiny or powerful, she was bold and excited. Cindy hoped nobody from school was there. The clowns looked at the people, and pulled all the adults to chairs in the center. Then gave the kids pies. Dezzy knew exactly what she was supposed to do. Nathan was the pie giver outer, when he got to Cindy, he recognized her face, and she already knew he was. He was giving her the pie, and she innocently shoved it in his face with his own hand, the audience roared with laughter, as if it was planned. Of course that gave Cindy away, and he gave her another pie and quickly moved away, all the kids ran and shoved pies in their parents' faces, parents acting like they had no clue.
With the hustle and bustle of changing acts, the four got pushed off with the clowns, on purpose though, since the circus was practically over. Nathan had done it, to get a chance to talk to them, and when he came out, Brooke couldn't hold it any longer, and burst out laughing, causing Haley and Cindy to start to.
"What?" he finally asked.
"Nathan Scott, a clown," Brooke said, between laughs.
"It pays good money, and I make kids smile," he said defending himself.
"Hey Cind, your daddy's a clown," Haley said laughing.
"My daddy's a clown, really, I always thought he was a big important basketball player, way to important for his baby girl, but nope, he was just spending his time making other people's children happy, instead of his own, would you look at the irony," Cindy said laughing at the non-funniness of the joke, that left him staring at his feet. "Mommy, can I have a real daddy, please," Cindy said, like it was a new sweater in a department store. "Mine doesn't care about me. Remember all those spelling bees I won, and that dreadful second grade year I lost. Or the time I wanted to make you cookies to get better, when you were sick in bed, with the flu, and you could barely move, and fell down and broke my arm, sat there at the kitchen table wincing until you woke up, not wanting to wake you, because you needed your sleep, but I couldn't use the phone, well duh, who can, with only one arm, the other holding it, to dull the pain. How about the time I was asked to go on this special trip, to Europe, because of my high test grades, with a group, and I couldn't, one, we didn't have enough money, and two, both parents have to sign a form saying I can leave the country. That couldn't be done, dad was never there, I missed out on the chance of a lifetime. Thanks dad, I'm so glad you're mine," Cindy finished in a sarcastic tone, Haley stood there, realizing all the facts, Cindy was right. Nathan felt like more of a jerk, and was ready to get a lashing from Brooke, when he noticed the little girl, well he noticed her before, but not really.
"Brooke, is she okay," he asked, pointing to Dezzy, which caused Brooke to look, she was standing there, her knees shaking, her face flushed, Brooke picked her up.
"She's had a little to much today, she's not used to standing, or walking this much, but she'll be okay," Brooke assured him as the rest of their crowd walked in, escorted by another clown, and security. The clown nodded at Nathan, then left, the security guard followed. "Uncle Nathan," Ora giggled, "you're a clown." "Naw really Ora," Dallie said in a sarcastic tone, "I thought he was a kangaroo." "Dallie, I think he makes a fine clown," Tassi said, "except he works for good and not evil, he needs to join us on the dark side." Frae just stood there and stared him up and down. Luke just laughed and laughed and laughed at his brother.
"Good job bro, can't wait to tell Dan, he'll be so proud, he son's a clown." He laughed some more. Brooke transferred Dezzy to Luke, because light as she was, she was still heavy to Brooke. "Cindy let's go," Haley said sternly, looking at Brooke and Lucas for support.
"Come on, Ora, Dallie, Frae, Tassi, Ricky, Luke you got Dezzy," Brooke said rounding up her whole group. They all were leaving, but Nathan reached out and grabbed Haley and Cindy. They looked more like sisters or best friends, father than mother and daughter, they looked at each other, as if they were reading each others thoughts.
"You know, I remember the last time I saw you, my third birthday, you came outside, all that was there, were my cousins, you recognized Ora, and Dallie, and was introduced to Frae and Tassi, but you never came over to say a thing to me, then you left. Why you want to talk to us, let alone me after all these years is really beyond me, and quite frankly I do not wish to speak to you any further." Cindy crossed her arms and turned her back toward him. Nathan looked to Haley for an answer, but she didn't offer one, and had the some cold face, like Cindy's.
"Just tell me why Nathan, that's all I want, why, why did you leave us, why did you join the circus, why didn't you tell us, why couldn't you call, why couldn't you write, why couldn't you visit, can you answer any of them for me, Nathan, just tell me, that's all I want, I want to know why, why did you want to hurt me, or better yet, why would you want to hurt your own daughter, your own flesh and blood, your baby girl, I've seen her cry, she cried when she asked why you were never around, and I told her the solid truth, then I cried when she said she hated you, how someone so young, could have such a strong emotion, she yelled it, let the whole world know, she hates her daddy, I guess that runs in the Scott family, huh? You and Luke both hate Dan, Dan hates Royal, and Cindy hates you, but I'm assuming Luke's kids didn't get that gene, they love their father, and want him around, unlike you, your kid doesn't want you, once she told me she rather that you were dead, then at least she would know that you loved us, she wasn't to much in being loved, she wanted me to be loved, and that if you had died loving us, it would be a ton of a lot better, instead, she knows you hate us, you ran away, ran from your fears, and now that you want what you ran from back, you can't have it, I know for a fact you're not going to get close to me, and I'm not going to let you in, I did that once, and look what happened there." Haley was in a mix of emotions, happy, sad, angry, hurt, afraid.
"Mr. Scott, I think you should just let us go, we don't need you or want you, because when we did you were NEVER there, we learned to get around that. We don't NEED or WANT you anymore, so let us go already." Cindy was letting it out too. They knew Brooke was way to nosy to have gone to the car, and she was just standing outside listening, but they still threw it at him, and if Brooke wasn't leaving, neither was Luke, so none of their children left either.
"Hales, I'm sorry, I've been an ass, and a jerk, and I'm sorry, I really am, and Cindy, I'm sorry, and I'm dad to you, not Mr. Scott, dad, why won't you call me that?" "For one, you're not sorry, you just want to get mom, and two you're not my father, my father would have been there, like a real man, not a coward, obviously just did something wrong and stupid, knew it, but was afraid to admit it, so you ran from your mistakes, to someplace where you could hide your identity, behind a mask, or in your case, a layer of face paint, nobody would see you, nobody would know, it makes it all better, well you are still you under all that face paint and ridiculous wig, our hiding, afraid of what you did, afraid to face it, yet running from us would only make it harder to face, because now you have to face your fears, alone, head on, before you would have had a lot of people to back you up, now, from being a jerk, you only have your little lone self, don't worry, though, I'll save the pity party for somebody who actually deserves it, cause you sure as hell don't," Cindy finished.
"Damn, how the hell did she get so smart," Nathan asked in confusion of what his baby girl had just said.
"She gets it from me, and she told you that because you fled, we're not going to back you up and bail you out of your mistakes, you have to do that on your own now, which is true, and goodbye, I have work tomorrow and Cindy has school, and we need to squeeze dinner in there somewhere," they turned and left, no matter how he plead or begged, they kept going, well until they ran into Brooke and Lucas, and their group.
"Good jobs Haley, Cindy," Brooke said, slapping them on the back.
"I feel awful," Cindy said, looking at the ground.
"Me too, but hey, love hurts," Haley said, also looking down, Brooke on the other hand was counting.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1...-" She said as Nathan walked up, "0" "Hales, Cindy you're right, I've been a total and complete jerk, to low to even ask of your forgiveness, but I really and truly sorry for what I put you through, and if you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me, well you know where to find me," he said, walking away.
"Wait, we shouldn't have yelled at you like that, we just got mad, at seeing you here of all places, after how many years, guess we just got worked up over the little things that happened over the years," Haley said, daring to take a step closer to him. She then looked at Cindy, who also took a step closer and smiled, "But you still have to pay, big time," Haley said, winking at Cindy.
"Come on, old dude, come home with us, so we can find your punishment," Cindy laughed, her and Haley put their arms on each others shoulders and caught up to Brooke and Lucas, who had started walking. Ricky was becoming whiny, what's taking so long, I'm missing my TV show and so on. They skipped and laughed, and reached their car, parked next to Brooke and Lucas', though they had left, Haley and Cindy were waiting for Nathan, and he finally arrived. Haley and Cindy took up the front seat.
"Back seat for you, old dude," Cindy said, pointing to the back when he neared, as her and Haley fought over the radio station.
"So Hales, you still listen to crappy music?" "Yea, old dude, mom still has no taste in music," Cindy said laughing.
"I don't listen to crappy music, Cindy you are so grounded," Haley said.
"Sure mom, okay, I'll remember that tomorrow night, I'll be grounded, too bad, I thought you really wanted me at that party at work, cause you didn't want to go alone, and I was such the perfect daughter," Cindy said.
"I'll go," Nathan said from the backseat.
"Hmmm, no offence but, Cindy, you are so going, everybody wants to meet you, and Nate, you'd look a little silly in her dress," They both laughed.
"MOM, STOP!" Cindy yelled.
"What?" Haley asked.
"Ice Cream!" she shouted. They both laughed. Nathan was left on the outside.