Author's Note: Here's the next update for you all, the next one should be out tomorrow sometime hopefully!
Chapter 5
Do You Believe In What You See
It's Monday morning, and Haley sits in Mrs. Sheldon's office. The door which reads, 'Academic Advisor' on the front is left slightly ajar, and Haley can hear voices from other students as they come in and out of the adjoining offices nearby.
There's no window's in this room, and the walls are stark white and bright. Haley thinks that this is what it must feel like to be locked in an insane asylum. Thinks, highschool is kind of like an insane asylum, actually.
Mrs. Sheldon sorts through some files and turns around to her computer. She types a few things in and then looks at Haley. She smiles sweetly, and Haley can't help the urge to smile back. Her past advisor, Mrs. Carlsen was old and crotchety and always seemingly in some hurry, despite the fact that she never had anything to do.
Mrs. Sheldon seems different though. Kind. Or maybe just sincere, and that makes Haley want to smile at her. Mrs. Sheldon is young, and modern. She has a soft lilt to her voice when she speaks, and Haley figures she must be from farther South.
"So I see in my files here that you applied to a number of schools all over North Carolina Haley. And a few in some other states. Have you heard back from any of them yet?"
Haley blanches. " A few."
"Can I ask which ones," Mrs. Sheldon looks at her expectantly, and she swallows hard.
"Chapel Hill, NCSU, Duke, and Northwestern," Haley mentally counts them off inside her head. She can't help but fidget in her chair. Talking about education, the future, especially her own, makes her ten kinds of uncomfortable. It's so difficult for her to think about where she'll be in four months when everything depends on a little slip of paper. One piece of paper that either has the word Congratulations on it, or it doesn't. She tries to focus on all the work she's done over the past four years of highschool. All the long nights studying, and sleepless nights perfecting projects to get to this point. It doesn't make the future seem less daunting.
"By looking at your impeccable academic record, I'm going to take a gamble here and bet myself you got into all of them, right," Mrs. Sheldon gives Haley a pleased look, and Haley humbly nods.
She should probably be more excited for herself. All of her work has finally paid off. She has a ticket out of Tree Hill. If only she can find a way to afford it.
"What's with the glum face then? Are you worried about the money Haley? I know tuition can be expensive, and that costs look overwhelming on page, but I have no doubt you will receive grants and scholarships," she continues on talking and Haley keeps nodding. She's heard it all before. Every counselor spits out the same speech to her. She knows all about financial aid. She's read all of the brochures and pamphlets, and websites. She has it covered.
It's that other part of her life that has her worried. The one her parents, or any amount of scholarship money can't help with. And Mrs. Sheldon can tell.
"Is it something else? Haley," she adds her name like an afterthought. Haley wonders if it her emtions are written all over her face, or if Mrs. Sheldon is just more perceptive than the other adults in her life.
"It's nothing–,"she begins and changes her mind. "It's just this guy . . . "
Mrs. Sheldon blinks. Haley's surprised her, and it makes her crack a smile.
"A guy?. . .This guy--Are you seeing him?"
Haley doesn't know if seeing is quite the word she would use, but it works all the same. "Yeah I guess you could say that."
Mrs. Sheldon grins. "Is it that boy I've seen you talking to in the halls after school? What's his name–I think it's Nathan Scott, am I right?"
Haley freezes. She's not sure whether to deny it or try to avoid answering the question altogether. Everyone in school knows Nathan is Brooke's boyfriend. At least Haley though everyone knew. Suddenly this friendly advisor/student conversation has turned into a rather uncomfortable student/counselor gossip.
"Look, I'm not trying to pry Haley. The only reason I ask, is because I've heard gossip from some of the other students and teachers, and I don't know if Nathan Scott is the best person for you to be associating yourself with, this close to graduation, finals coming up and such. I know it's none of my business, and you can tell me to go jump off a cliff if you like, but just keep in mind one thing Haley. People will come and go in your life. Just makes sure you know which ones are worth keeping, and which ones aren't."
Haley nods. She feels drained and she really wants to leave, but she knows it would be awkward if she just got up for no reason, so she plasters a fake smile on her face, and tries to pretend that Mrs. Sheldon's advice is actually valuable to her.
Mrs. Sheldon hands her a few papers from her desk. "Make sure you go over those scholarship applications as soon as possible."
Haley nods more determined this time, now that she has something more substantial to focus on. She can see Mrs. Sheldon isn't quite done yet though and looks to be gearing up to lecture her again when the bell for the end of the class period ends.
Haley gathers her bag off the ground and moves to walk out when the older woman speaks once more. "Remember to get those papers back to me as soon as you can."
"Yeah, of course," Haley murmurs, and tries to scuttle out the door.
"And Haley," she calls out, stopping her. "One more thing. You know I'm here for anything you need to talk about. School related or not," she seems apprehensive when she says this, and Haley thinks it's a good attempt, but it won't help nontheless.
"Ok thanks Mrs. Sheldon," she says politely and slips back into the reality of school, and outside the cozy whiteness of Mrs. Sheldon's office.
The halls are crowded and full, now that classes have just been let out. And people from different groups huddle together and talk about unimportant things. Haley wants to go to her locker, but knows she won't make it through all the people and back before the bell rings again. She takes the stairwell up to the second floor, and attempts to make a shortcut to Advanced English.
She tries to avoid running into a group of freshman, and swerves to the side. She glances up and sees Nathan walking past her on the opposite side of the hall. He looks upset about something, or at the very least pissed off. Tim and another one of his friends are trying to mess around with him, but he seems determined to avoid them. Haley can't help but stare at him, as he passes her. For half a second she thinks he might see her, and give her some kind of secret signal of recognition, but he doesn't. And deep down she knows even if he had seen her, he probably wouldn't have done anything anyway.
Still, she can't help but stare. He's got such beautiful bone structure, and deep eyes. It's hard to focus on anything else when's he's around.
Haley twists her head back a little to keep watching him, even after he's long passed her. She doesn't see the figure coming her way as she continues to walk. She feels the loud slam of two bodies hitting each other, and then she blinks. She notices that books, her and someone else's lay all over the beige and brown speckled linoleum floor.
Haley snaps herself out of her Nathan zone and grabs at all the books on the floor frantically."Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't–"
Brooke glares back at Haley, and snatches a book from her hand. Claiming it as her own. "You didn't what," she snarls. "Didn't see that I was right here walking when you ran into me? Or was it that you were too busy staring at someone else's boyfriend to bother watching where you were going?"
Haley thinks she can feel her blood run cold inside her veins. She thinks she can feel her throat close up. She looks at Brooke and then at Jake Jagleski standing quietly by her side. She has the distinct urge to flee down the hall and out of the building and to never come back. She hates confrontation. especially confrontation that she has control over. She hates lying. She hates denying what she was doing when it was completely harmless. Part of her hates Nathan, for putting her in this predicament.
"I apologize for running into you. it was my fault," she says as professionally as she can, even though she really wants to spit in Brooke's face, for being such an evil B itch to everyone all the time.
Brooke looks back at her with the utmost of disdain and rolls her eyes. As if she never really expected Haley to answer the question all along.
"Whatever. Come on Jake," she sighs and flips her hair behind her shoulder as she walks away.
Everything looks perfect, Haley thinks. It always does, from far away.
.............
The cool spring night air breezes through an open window in Brookes living room and she goes to shut it.
"Leave it open, I'm hot," Nathan says and continues to flip channels on the tv
"You want hot? I'll make you hot," she purrs and hops on the couch beside him. Slowly she crawls up to him and her hands and knees and stops when her mouth in next to his ear. She flicks her tongue out and runs it along the lobe and down against his jaw line. She begins to nibble on the smooth skin his neck, as her hand slinks over his chest. She moves her hand down across his chest and stops at his pants. She begins to unbutton them when she feels Nathan adjust his sitting position. She moves closer to him again, and tries to begin her ministration again, when he shifts some more.
With and irritated gruff she pushes off of him.
"What is your problem?"
Nathan eyes are glued to the television. He feels Brookes staring at him and turns his head slightly.
"What? I'm trying to watch t.v."
Brooke's eyes widen and he can tell that she wants to have sex. She always wants to have sex. It's unbelievable. Nathan knows their entire relationship was built mostly on the physical, but even he needs a break sometimes. It's too hard to keep focused on everything and everyone all the time. Everybody wants his attention and he just wants to be left alone.
His father was being one Hell of a bastard that morning, and he can't get his words out of his head. "You need to pick a school Nathan." Yes, he knows this. It's been shoved down his neck everyday for the last six months. He has no idea where he wants to go to college. If he even wants to go to college. All that matters is that he wants to play ball. It's the one thing he's good at.
His father refuses to let up though, and lately so does Brooke. She's always so suspicious of wherever he goes, and does. He just wants to shut her up. He wants everybody to just shut up.
"So," Brooke picks at her manicured nails, detracted for the moment from touching him. " I caught Little-Miss-Brain-Queen ogling you in the hallway again."
Nathan's heart skips a beat at the mention of Haley, but he remains calm. "Who?"
"Ugh you know, that annoying short girl that's always staring at you."
"Oh, the short girl," Nathan spits out sarcastically and shakes his head. "What the Hell are you talking about Brooke."
"Her name is like Holly or Kaley or something. I don't know. But I do know she stares at you all the time. And I know, you know, she stares at you all the time. And the thing is, I think you like it Maybe a little too much."
Brooke's eyes are zoned in on his, and he can see her trying to work things out in her head. Maybe him and Haley are getting sloppy. It's time to stop being stupid.
"Well the only one I'm staring at is you," he lies, with a spectacularly charming smile, pulls Brooke to him in a rough kiss. Their lips collide and smack, and Nathan runs his hands all over her body, He lets Brooke undress him, and press her body against his.
They fall to the floor in front of the muted television screen. Brooke moans low and soft as they move togther. Nathan tries to force his eyes open to look at her. He can't help but think of big brown eyes, and silky brown hair.
He smiles, when Haley's face comes into his mind. Brooke smiles back at him.
