Title: Any Given Friday
Author: Ashley
Rated: PG-13
Summary: With the parents out of town for the weekend, Haley accidently makes plans with both Nathan and Lucas. What could ever possibly go wrong with this scenario?
Author's Note: For the lovely Annie's Fic Exhange. Over at the Rivercourt. Set between TFCITD and SITN.
Requirements:
Reference to episode: In 'Spirit in the Night' Haley said to Lucas in their hotel room talk - 'Have you thought about how hard it is for me? Juggling the two of you him and Nathan'? Write a short story centered on that premise. Show an instance (or more) where Haley had to do just that. . .juggle the two guys in her life. I've left the Genre pretty open so you can either write something serious. . .funny. . .or whatever.
Additional requirements: Must include a scene where Lucas witnesses N/H making out.
This is for Kate. Hope you like it sweetie!
Part One
Haley pulled the handle of her locker up, opening it and throwing her English notebook inside with a huff. She ran a rough hand through her hair, pulling out any tangles along the way. On her shoulder her messenger bag dug into the bare skin uncovered by her shirt, so she pulled it off letting it drop beside her on the ground. Taking a few deep breaths she tried to calm herself of all her anxiousness. She leaned her hip against the closed locker beside her and let her eyes fall shut.
It had just been one thing after another that morning, everything going from bad to worse. For some reason unknown to her, three of her teachers had chosen this particular Friday to give a test. The first teacher, Mr. Peterson, telling the class just the day before that he was going to give an unexpected English quiz, that ended up being more like a midterm, with five essay questions and twenty true or false questions. Haley hated pop exams, there was no way to fully prepare for them, to be able memorize all the information properly. And with the last minute cram session the night before, she hadn't been able to sufficiently study for her Physics or History tests. Granted she'd been studying for them all week long, but the night before she liked to go over things a few more times just to make sure she had everything down pat. Having to cram everything in for the supposed English "quiz" had screwed up her flow, causing the rest of her studying to feel rushed and inadequate
Haley sucked in a breath of air, and tried to shake her nerves away. She'd done pretty well on the English test, or pop quiz, or whatever the hell it was called. She was a little iffy on one of the essay questions, but she was fairly sure she'd cracked all of the multiple choice. Now she could spend lunch going over her Physics notes, and if she did well enough on that test she could use the remaining time in class to flip through her History notes. This could all work out fine, if it went accordingly to plan. It would be fine. It had to be fine.
Running a hand through her hair again, Haley exhaled long and hard, the muscles in her body tightening. From behind her, she felt the tall warm figure of her boyfriend come up next to her.
"I'm sure you did fine," he whispered into her ear. His rough gravelly voice sending tingles down her spine, making her body relax almost instinctively.
Spinning around she saw Nathan's grinning face staring back at her. "What," she asked a little more breathless than she would've liked.
Nathan propped one of his arms up against the locker over her head, leaning into her more, encasing his body around her, a cocky smile playing on his lips. "The test," he motioned to her locker and the notebook she'd thrown inside. "The thing I just saw you freaking out about as I walked to your locker. I'm sure you did fine."
"I wasn't freaking out," Haley was quick to defend herself, but saw the look in Nathan's eyes that told her no matter what excuse she gave him, he would consider her worrying over a test as "freaking out," so she slumped back against the closed locker next to hers and sighed.. "It's been a long week, ok. I've just been a little stressed."
"Just a little?" He teased her, using his other hand to take a loose strand of her hair and tuck it behind her ear. Haley felt her face hum at his touch, God she just wanted to stay right there with him like this for the rest of the day. Screw school. Well...maybe not, but it was a tempting thought.
"I have two more tests to go after lunch and then that's it," she replied joyfully, catching Nathan's hand as it left her face. She began rubbing her fingers over the calloused tips of his fingers, down to the warm center of his palm and then linking their hands together. "When the bell rings at three today, I will be a happy person. No clubs, no tutoring, no studying, just blissful freedom."
Nathan chuckled at the lighthearted smile that spread over Haley's face. "What will you possibly do with all that free time," he asked with a naughty gleam in his eyes that she recognized all too well.
Haley continued to play with their entwined hands, rubbing small circles into his skin with her thumb. She turned on an innocent wide eyed expression, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth before she connected her eyes with his. "I was hoping you could help me out with that actually. See my parents are helping my brother move to his new apartment this weekend... so they'll be gone till Sunday afternoon... And I was thinking... you could come over and keep me company."
This last thing was said with such a teasing smile, that Haley was pretty sure she saw Nathan gulp back a breath of air. She watched as his eyes glazed over for a minute before he leaned closer to her again, his voice deep and low. "Now I'm a happy person."
Haley laughed out loud at this, her first real laugh all day and pushed herself forward to rest her head against Nathan's chest. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, holding her loosely. "Whitey's making us stay late to get ready for the Classic, but I can be there by six?"
"Sounds perfect," Haley said, a giddy giggle escaping her throat at the prospect of an entire night with Nathan all to herself. He'd spent the night over at her house before, but other than the night he showed up after he collapsed at the game, his visits usually consisted of him crawling up her drain pipe, sneaking into her room at two to four am and sneaking back out seven. This was the first chance they were going to have to spend the night together without any interruptions. The prospect of that thrilled her and scared her to the point that she couldn't quite discern what the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach meant. She wasn't quite ready to go all the way with him yet, and she knew Nathan knew this. But every time they were together some new boundary was always being pushed, or crossed over. And it made her world feel like it was on the edge of a teetering bridge. Just thinking about what was to come, made her cheeks flush and her hands sweat. The next four hours of school were not going to be easy to get through, but she had to focus. Two more tests, and only one short lunch period to study. It was time to get cracking.
Pushing herself up onto her tip toes, Haley pressed her lips against Nathan's in a chaste kiss, quickly grabbing what books she needed from her locker before slamming it shut and pulling Nathan along with her to the quad for lunch.
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After school, after all the dreaded tests were over, Haley stood at her locker once again, this time much less stressed, and back to her more upbeat self. She glanced up from putting everything in her bag she wouldn't need for the weekend away and saw Lucas bounding down the hall towards her, a cheerful expression on his face. Something which surprised her considering all that he'd been through in the last couple of weeks with the accident.
"What's up buddy," he grinned, resting his arm on top of her open locker door.
It felt like forever since they'd last spoke and Haley smiled openly at her best-friend's appearance "Hey! I haven't seen you all week."
"Yeah I've been dealing with some stuff," Lucas answered lamely, and Haley tried not to snort. Take away the accident and Lucas still had a revolving door of drama in his life. Brooke, Peyton, Dan, other, all of the above. He was a damn multiple choice question.
"What? More lady troubles," Haley teased, shoving the last of her needed belongings into her bag.
"That's not cool," Luke dead panned, and Haley let out a small apologetic laugh.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. So what can I do for you sir," she asked primly, with a slight joking manner in her voice. The way they used to joke around when they were younger.
Lucas's face brightened at this, as if he had some good news to tell. "Do you have plans tonight?"
Haley pulled her locker shut and met Lucas's eager gaze. "Well I–
"Of course you don't," he interjected with childish excitement. "Because tonight is the beginning of this weekends Classic movie marathon on TMC. Which means oh best-friend of mine, that you and me will be sitting our asses on your couch for the next 48 hours. Starting tonight at seven. So get ready."
Haley paused, trying to figure out how to say that she'd already made plans with her boyfirend, his brother and sometimes enemy Nathan. But found she was at a loss. "Actually Luke I'm already um..."
"What," he asked waiting.
She didn't know what to say. As much as she yearned to be with Nathan tonight, part of her also missed hanging out with Lucas. It didn't feel like so long ago, that there was a time in which she could remember when Friday nights consisted of putt-putt on the café roof with Lucas, working late for Karen, or sitting in her bedroom atop her vintage handy-me-down oak bed, curled up against her pillows, reading a good book. In the time that had occurred since her and Nathan's first kiss outside in her front lawn to now, there hadn't been more than a few days when her and Nathan weren't together. But it never seemed enough. When she wasn't with him she wanted to be, and when she was with him everything else just sort of disappeared. And because of that it made it hard to make time for her other friends. Especially her best-friend. Which caused her some pain.
Haley wasn't willing to take all the blame for their lack of time together lately, but logically she realized that her ever growing relationship with Nathan, and Lucas's stilted relationship with Nathan was a big part of the reason why it was hard to find a time and a place to hang out. And part of her regretted not trying harder to spend what free time she did have with Luke. Yet, here he was providing her with a opportunity right in this moment.
"Nothing never mind," she answered finally, shaking her head with a smile.
The serious expression that had formed on Lucas's face dissolved, leaving the happy smile once more. "Sweet. This'll be fun. We haven't hung out in a while," he stated, as they both began to walk down the hall together.
"No we haven't," Haley replied, forcing a smile on her face.
When they came up to the gym doors, Lucas turned to her with a wave. "I'll see ya tonight," he called before disappearing inside.
"Yes you will," she squeaked back weakly.
And all of sudden she felt that nervous jolt in the pit of her stomach again. Except this time it had nothing to do with the excitement of what was to come. Just the fear of knowing that she'd walked herself into a trap of her own making, one that was going to inevitably blow up in her face.
Damn.
