1Thank you guys for holding on, and I promise that NALEY IS ON ITS WAY! lol. I know you guys are getting really restless with these crappy chappies, and I promise that I'm SOOOO just leading up to the Naleyness to begin. I just hope once I get there I can deliver. :D. Thanks for all the reviews!

xXSherryXx, keep the updating up! You are TOTALLY NOT annoying and I love reading your awesome reviews EVERY CHAPTER! You're totally awesome!

treehillgirl323, I am the BIGGEST fan of Napoleon Dynamite. He's my hero. Seriously! Gosh, I love that friggin movie! It is awesome, and for those of you that haven't seen it, GO OUT AND GET IT! It is an awesome movie. So freaking great! Lol. I am also glad you're clear on the Nate/Haley living situation!

chapter 8 - "Our Song"

I pulled into the parking lot, noticing the people in front of the school dispersing into the building. The bell must have recently rung. I put the car in park, unbuckled my seat belt, turned off the car, grabbed my book bag, grabbed the keys, got out of the car, and turned around just in time to jump back from having a little, silver Beetle bug car almost run over me. "What the fuck," I said, breathless.

"Haley? You ok?" Lucas got out of the passenger seat, a look of concern on his face.

I let out a squeaky, rusty laugh, "uh... you mean besides the fact that I almost got run over, I think I'm doing relatively fine.

"Sorry about that," Brooke–who had gotten out and was standing next to Lucas–said breezily, "but you ran out in front of me, Girly."

"Yeah, whatever. I had my car door open. Did you miss that?"

"No, I saw it. I'm due for another car anyway and wrecking this piece of shit. I was hoping you wouldn't have closed your door so fast."

"So you did that on purpose?" I said. I was pissed. How in the world can you do that and get away with it? Then I answered my own question: rich parents.

"Uh... I just said that didn't I?"

"Next time, watch my car, Bitch," I said, my eyes narrowed.

"Watch who your calling a bitch, Whore."

"Oh. Damn. That hurts," I said sarcastically, shaking my head.

"It should, you piece of trailer park trash skank. And you can stay away from Lucas while your at it."

"Who says Lucas'll stay away from me," I said with a sly smirk on my face.

Brooke scowled and then lifted up the middle finger of her small, left hand, "fuck you, bitch."

"That's what your boyfriend's gonna do later," I smirked, "so, Lucas, same time at your mom's café?" I lifted my eyebrows.

"Hal–. Bro–."

"Save it, Bro Ho. You probably are fucking this little slut. Well, when she kicks your ass to the curb, don't come looking for me."

"Brooke, it's not like that!" Lucas threw up his hands, watching her walk away, "Brooke!" he called one last time. She turned around–still walking backwards–as she flipped him off this time.

"Well, that's original," I laughed, rolling my eyes, and grabbing my backpack off the ground.

"What is your fucking problem?" Lucas turned towards me, a cold look on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked, stopping laughing immediately.

"There is nothing going on between us. Why did you tell Brooke there was? You know, whether or not you like her, she's my girlfriend, and we've been dating a hell of a lot longer than you've been in Tree Hill. Now fuck off, Haley, and next time you want to make somebody feel like shit, get somebody else to play along."

I rolled my eyes, "go on back to your cheerleader, Lucas."

"Gladly," he shot back.

I watched as he crossed the parking lot and then entered the building before I sagged to my car and threw my face on the hood, cursing myself. "Dammit, Haley. You've been in Tree Hill, North Carolina two days and already you're being the biggest bitch on campus."

"Who are you talking to?" I whirled around at the voice, not expecting him to be standing in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, baffled. "What are you–"

but before I could get out anymore, he had leaned in and was kissing me. I can't say I tried to resist, because I was definitely into that kiss as much as he was, but I just felt so... "I'm here to see you. I couldn't stand not being around you."

"Oh, really?" I raised my eyebrows. "Bram, what the hell are you doing here telling me that bullshit?"

"I'm here to see you," he said again, soothing back my straight hair. "Apparently, you've been gone a whole total of two days and already your fucking one of the guys, I hear. Your such a little slut," he joked.

"Bram, shut your shit up," I rolled my eyes, "no, I'm not. His girlfriend just took it the wrong way's all."

"Oh really?" he raised his eyebrows, copying what I had down a second ago.

I playfully hit him in the chest, "really."

"Well, in that case, I guess we're still good," he leaned in to kiss me again, but I pulled away.

"No, we're not. I'm not going to on-and-off you anymore."

"On-and-off me?" he asked, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face.

"Dating, you ass. Your mind is so in the gutter all the freaking time."

"That's where you like it, though, Haley. In the gutter... so. I like your new car. You know, there hasn't been a place we haven't done it yet... well, except for this car," he said provocatively.

"No way I'm going to do it in the back of my car, asshole. Those days are totally over," I laughed as the bell rang. "Shit. And I'm late."

"I thought those days were over?"

I sighed, "I thought they were. Listen, I gotta go."

"What about me?"

"Drive back. It's only a couple of hours."

"Six, Haley. It's six hours back to Charlotte."

"Then you didn't come here just for me, Bram."

"Tyler was having a party, too. I might have planned on doing that, too."

"Right," I sighed, looking away, "of course you did."

I trudged to the office to get a tardy slip, thinking about Bram and how stupid I'd been to actually move in with that bastard. But, then again, I was probably the most stupid girl on the planet for even going out with him, "Haley," my whole body tensed as I turned to face Nathan. He was looking down at his hands as he kneaded them, "can we talk?"

Lucas, Bram, and Nathan all in one day? I couldn't handle it, "I think we've spoken to each other before, Nathan," I said in a crisp voice, "there is nothing you can say or do that would change my opinion of you."

"I don't want to change your opinion of me, I just want to talk to you."

"About what? The weather? No thanks."

"You know, three days ago I felt like I was walking through hell on earth. And then when you showed up, I... well, let's just say it was probably the second biggest shock in my life. And then I saw something in your eyes when you looked at me. I saw... I saw hatred, I saw hurt, I saw pity, I saw... I saw every emotion in your face except one of a girl that was happy. Behind that stupid facade, I could see what you were really feeling. And then I decided to run after you. I really don't know why, but I did. And then when I started talking to you... it was..." he trailed off for a second, "I was talking to my dad while I was riding through the deserted streets in a part of Charlotte. He was yelling and cussing me about how pitiful I'd played today and I was so pissed at him and so angry at myself for not doing better, that I was acting stupid and I ran ever single stop sign I saw... and then it happened. The impact of the two cars sent my Escalade spinning over into a ditch, and her little Ford Escort flying into a light pole,"Tears formed in my eyes as I stood there, listening to his recollection of the events of that night I was trying to forget, "when I came to, I ran out of the car, realizing what had happened, and to your mom's car. There was nothing I could do. The pole was trapping her and I couldn't, even though with all my strength, have pulled her out of there. But she said something, but I could never get close enough to tell any of you this and I wanted to tell you especially, but..."

"What did she say?" I asked in a low voice, looking at him, watching his every move, waiting hungrily for an answer.

"She said: 'Tell Haley that not everything is gonna be the way you think it outta be. Sometimes it seems like every time you try to make it right it all comes down on you. But please say honestly you won't give up on me. I shall believe. Believe. Tell them all I love them. Tell them to believe it's gonna be ok."

uncontrollable tears fell down my face as I stood there, feeling Nathan's strong arms encircle me as I lay my head down on his chest, "it was our song," I explained. "It was her favorite song. She used to listen to it and sing it everyday, especially when she was having a really bad day and things were going terrible, and it would make her happy. She would be happy."

"it's a song?"

"Yes," I nodded my head, "Sheryl Crow, 'I Shall Believe.' it's our song. It was our song. It was like the song was written for her."

"Here, come on," Nathan said quietly, leading me down the hallway, into the parking lot, into his truck, and away from the school.