A/N: People who leave feedback have a special place in my heart ;)
Chapter 10
Sever The Tie
He doesn't even let Nathan finish his sentence before he snaps out a loud, condescending, "NO!"
Nathan bites down hard on his jaw, and tries to remember how long it's been since they've been in a fight like this. He thinks, it's been a while, it's about time to do it again. He watches his father in careful observation. He sees the indignation building inside of him like a pot on top of a hot stove, steam rolling out of his father's ears and nose as he's been yelling at him for the last twenty minutes. Nathan knows it wasn't a good time to bring up Brown the second he walked through the door and saw his father groaning over paper work in his office. But he couldn't stop himself, when his father called him in. He knew if he didn't do it right then and there, he might not ever do it.
Dan Scott starts to walk away and Nathan calls out to him again, not ready to let go. He's not sure if he's fighting this battle for himself, or for Haley. Sometimes he thinks she wants him to go to Brown more than he does. Nothing makes sense.
"Dad...." he begins, his body and voice tired.
"I said NO Nathan," Dan blasts out at his son, getting up close in his personal space. Urging his point across. "I 've though about this–I've thought about this for a long time and a school like Brown is a good school–if you're going to get and education."
Nathan furrows his brow and Dan's face softens for the smallest moment. He places his hand on his sons' shoulder in a comforting manner, but Nathan feels no solace from it, just dead weight.
"I want you to go to school to learn Nathan. You should get a degree. But right now your main priority is Basketball, and a school like Brown....isn't going to give a player like you the kind of attention you deserve. They haven't even made it into the—
"But they have a good team Dad. The coach even said I could play next year if I showed promise in training," Nathan interjects and this causes his father's boiling point to rise to a completely new level.
"I don't want to hear it! I've made up my mind," Dan yells and storms out of the room. Nathan watches him get to the opening of the doorway.
"Well what if I haven't made up mine," he shouts back with the same intensity. His father stalls and looks back to his son almost fleetingly. The light from the hallway showers down upon his face. Every wrinkle shows and his eyes look dark and deep.
"I said--I don't want to hear it. Don't make me repeat myself again," his voice is deep and husky, but never warm. He stares at his son second longer than he should before he leaves the room and Nathan knows his father does this because he's pushing him. Pushing him, to see if he will cross the invisible line. The line he's lived behind his entire life.
His hands lie still on his legs. He could knot them into fists if he wanted. He could picture beating his father's face into a bloody pulp if it would help. But it won't. He knows this. So he leaves, goes to his room to lie down on his bed instead.
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He doesn't have his light on. He lays in the dark, throwing a mini basketball up in the air and trying to catching it. The street lamp outside flickers in through his open shades and gives him just enough light to see the ball float up and down. He's lost track of how much time has passed, until Brooke comes bouncing into his room with a cheery smile, mumbling something about how sleeping at nine is lame. Whatever.
She switches on his bedside lamp and plops down on the bed beside him.
"Hey gorgeous, what's up?" Her smile is too big and boisterous and it annoys him. He pushes himself up against the headboard of his bed so that he's in more of a sitting position. He tries to twirl the mini basketball on his finger. It's more interesting than listening to her talk.
"What are you doing here Brooke," he keeps his eyes focused and down. He feels no urgency to look up.
"Visiting my boyfriend, who hasn't called me in four days–by the way."
"Yeah, I've been busy."
He hears her puff out a short laugh, and so he looks up at her. Her face has lost all traces of happiness now. Her eyes bore into him. He thinks she's not as pretty when she's mad. Not like Haley. She's sexy when's mad. Gorgeous when she's sad. Beautiful when she's happy.....He shakes his head from his thoughts. Brooke's stare turns lethal.
"You're always "busy" lately. What the hell is going on Nathan," she leans her arm on the bed, shifting both of their weight. He rolls eyes in something akin to irritation.
"Nothing. I've just had some school shit to deal with. Back off," he heaves himself forward off the bed, and away from her glare. She's quick to follow him.
"Fine. Mind telling me why you're avoiding me then?"
"Not everything is about you Brooke. I told you I was busy," he spins around and faces her and she halts in her tracks, her hands firmly on her waist. Everything about her is serious.
"You know that sounds more like a lie each time you say it," she spits at him, and Nathan can almost see venom dripping from her lips. He should be worried, but he's passed the point of caring. He just wants her to leave.
"Is there something you wanted in particular, because I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."
Brooke's mouth drops open."God, you're such an asshole! I don't even know why I bother."
"Good question. Why do you?"
She laughs low and throaty at his question, and it would almost seem pathetic, if it were another girl. But it's Brooke, and Brooke doesn't do pathetic.
"Because I thought you liked me. I thought we had fun together. I came over tonight to see if everything was ok......You've been acting weird and I don't know what's going on with you. You won't tell me anything."
She's giving him leeway here. Giving him time to make something up. He could take it. He could make up a lie. But he doesn't want to.
"There's nothing to tell," he shrugs.
Brooke's shakes her head and her lips press together, she follows Nathan out into the hall as he paces. "Not true. You're angry. Your Dad probably did something moronic and it pissed you off. I get that."
"No, you don't get it Brooke. You can't even begin to comprehend what I'm going through."
"So tell me. Say something Nathan. Anything. Because right now I get the feeling that you don't have time for me, or that you don't want to make time for me. And if you don't have time for me, then you don't have time for this relationship."
A warm calm comes over him, as he strides passed her irate figure back to his room. He stops in his door way and looks at her, his face cold and uncompassionate.
"You're right. I don't. Goodbye Brooke."
He slams the door shut and flips the lock. He half expects for her to scream something out at him from the other side or to start banging on the door, but that's much too un-lady-like for her. He sits back down on his bed and after a few minutes he hears footsteps padding down the hall and onto the staircase, until they're inaudible. He faintly hears the sound of a car engine coming to life and the soft pebbles of gravel bouncing up as she pulls away.
He lays down flat on the bed and switches off the light. He pretends she was never there at all.
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It's earlier than usual when Haley hears her mother come in through the back door. She can't help but smile.
"Hi Mom," she says this weakly, but her voice is hopeful. Her mother glances at and then starts to go up the stairs. She reeks of booze and cigarette smoke, but she keeps her balance well. It looks as if she hasn't had much to drink to tonight, for which Haley is grateful.
She follows her mother into her parent's room and strums the folded piece of paper in her hand.
"Mom?"
"What," her mother says roughly, taking off her jewelry and placing it back in its place on the vanity.
"Um...do you where Dad's at?"
"At work, where else?"
"Do you know when he'll be back?"
"No."
She hugs her body, nervous, as if her mother's mood directs her. "Uh....ok. I guess I'll tell you now. I went to see my counselor today and she told me I got accepted into New York State University," Haley beams proudly from where she stands at the corner of her parents room. Her mother doesn't move from her spot. Doesn't turn around. Doesn't even blink.
"We can't afford that school," she finally says, and goes to her dresser to pull out that ugly pink robe.
"Well, that's the best part Mom. I got a full scholarship and everything. You don't have to pay."
Her mother twists her head just slightly and meets her eyes. She looks a mix between confused and tired. She always looks tired. "What do you need my help for then?"
Haley pulls back the hand was involuntarily reaching out to show her mother her acceptance letter. She stares at it and then back up to her mom. "I don't......I just thought you'd like to know."
"Oh. Well make sure you tell your sister about it when she calls. I'm sure she'd be excited to hear the news."
"Ok," Haley nods, and steps back out of the room when her mother gestures for to leave so that she can change. The whole time thinking– I thought you would be too.
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"Hey," she says when Nathan finally answers his phone.
"Hey," he says without enthusiasm.
Then awkward silence. Shallow uneven breaths filter through the phone to both of their ears. More awkward silence.
"So how did it go with your Dad?"
"It didn't," he utters, and she can hear the absolute impassivity in his tone. She thinks maybe this isn't the best time to be talking to him when he's in such a foul temper, but she doesn't want to think about her mother. She wants to hear his voice.
"What do you mean?"
He sighs long and hard. "He didn't go for it, like I said. And now he's ready to start kicking my ass all the way to Pennsylvania if he thinks it'll get me there any faster."
"Maybe you just need to wait until he's in a better mood and try again."
"He's never in a good mood. Angry is his default setting."
Haley bites her lip and mindlessly fiddles with the hem of her shirt. "Well, what if you just came at it from another angle. Like.....oh! You could tell him how the coach wants to put you on the team if you do well in training."
"I already tried that. He doesn't care," Nathan adds and then there is quiet. Haley tries to think of a solution, a quick fix. But there isn't any.
"Don't give up yet," she encourages, and most times he would be thankful for her unwillingness to let go, but now it just bothers him.
"I'm not giving up," he snaps. "I'm being realistic."
"No, you're letting him control your decisions....And your life."
For about two seconds it actually sounds like she has a point. He denies it before it really begins to form and holds the phone tightly to his head. He feels insulted, and ......hurt? No. Not hurt, annoyed.
"What the Hell would you know about it, huh? You don't know anything about my father...or me."
His words sting sharp. "Don't say that Nathan. I'm just trying to help."
He can hear the fear in her voice, the desperate need to keep everything stable, but he just doesn't care. Everything tonight has gone from bad to worse.
"Well stop it. I don't need your fucking help. I don't need anything from you," he barks at her, pulling the phone away from his face and then smashing the cancel button with his thumb, abruptly ending the call.
As soon as he does this, he considers hitting 'one' on his speed dial and calling her back. He doesn't. He hopes she'll call again, eager to argue or yell at him, tell him how much of a bastard he is. But the phone remains quiet.
The silence tortures him more than the sound.
