Chapter 10- Gioco Di Pallacanestro

Haley kissed Nathan in the hall, behind the closed door, "Come tomorrow, Nate has a game, go watch him play, I'll be there, and Taylor and Chris, they never miss a game, I swear they have better attendance to them than me and Nate, so why don't you come, I'm sure Nate'd like it. I know its not really your scene, a group of five to seven year olds playing basketball, but do it for Nate."

"Hales, I'd love too go, really, I would, but are you sure Nate wants me there?"

"He's five, he doesn't know what he wants, only what I tell him he wants, okay, I will see you tomorrow, bye," she kissed him and pushed him away. She walked back in on cloud nine.

Haley and Nate were running around the apartment trying to get ready for Nate's game. It was a mess.

"Mommy! I can't find my other shoe!" Nate wailed from his room.

"Did you check the closet where shoes are supposed to be?" Haley yelled back, putting on earrings, hoops, big ones. She had the city look going today. A pair of jeans, blue of course, and a red spaghetti strapped shirt, with a black jacket. Her hair done in a bun type thing, back, with a few strands in her face. Tims, of course, in their original color. She looked great. She finished her make-up and went to find what trouble Nate got himself into.

He was sitting on the floor, in front of the closet, trying to put his shoes on, with all the rest of the shoes from the closet scattered about.

"Nate, what are you doing?"

"Putting my shoes on," he grinned, just like Nathan used to, he was like that sometimes, just like his daddy.

Haley shook her head, "Well you do that, make sure you tie them and I will pick up the rest of these shoes, and when we get home, you're cleaning your room, I walked past, it's filthy."

"Mommy, it wasn't me, really."

"Okay, well you go find 'it wasn't me' and tell him to clean your room," Haley said putting shoes back in the closet and got up. In the top of the closet was her camera. She never went to a game without it. She had pictures from every one of his games. Home and away, and pictures of everything else he did. It wasn't one of those cheap disposable cameras either, it is nice, ad a nice lens on it to zoom in as if she were on the court. "You ready to go? Got all your stuff or whatever?"

Nate stood up after tying his shoes, "Yea, it's all in my bag."

"Well go and get the bag so we can go." Haley stood there and rolled her eyes, 'duh'. Sometimes he amazed her like that. He soon came back with the bag. "Let's go," she ushered him out the door and locked it. They would walk there, always have, every game, well home game.

They were one of the first to arrive, which means he was able to warm-up for the full time. Haley took her usual courtside seat, next to Taylor and Chris, who were having a before game make-out session. Haley looked for Nathan when they first arrived, but didn't see him, and stopped looking to take some pictures of Nate. It was easier during warm-ups to take pictures of him. She took a few when a woman walked in and sat next to her.

"Vivian? Hey, when did you get in?" Haley said, seeing one of her sisters walk in.

"I got in a couple hours ago. I came to see one of my nephew's games," she looked over at Taylor, then reached and slapped her. "Taylor, what are you doing!"

"Um, none of your business Vivian." That turned into a big slap fight, with Haley in the middle, shoving them apart, and Chris. Chris held Taylor back, and Haley shoved Vivian back. It was funny, but finally under control.

"So Haley, has Nate asked about his dad? Do you know what you're going to tell him. You should tell him he died in service to our country. That would make a good story, and he'd be proud to be named after him."

"Viv, I told him, the truth, he deserved to know, and he met him, we ran into each other, we talked, laughed, kissed, and he's supposed to be here today, but I obviously don't see that happening."

Vivian put her arm around Haley, "It'll be okay, guys are jerks."

"Broke up with another 'Mr. Right'?"

"Yea, he was a jerk, I swear, and Robbie has the kids for the weekend, I'm so lost and alone, those kids are my life, they were a part of me, don't let Nate's dad get him, Hales, it sucks monkeys, it really does, having your ex come take your kids. Oh I miss them. I hope he's taking care of them. Ashley needs to take her medicine, I hope he remembers, or her or Cassie remind him. And Matt, he's a handful. I just don't trust them with him, never have, never will."

"Viv, it will be alright, when your next court case comes up, you'll be able to have them all yourself, so much of them, you won't know what to do with them."

"You think?"

"I know, Viv, I know," Haley hugged her sister, then looked up and saw Nathan enter the gym. She noticed him, but he didn't notice her. "Viv, it's him, he came, I can't believe he came."

"Ooo, he's hot, does Nate like him," Viv said, looking across.

"Of course not, we went out after the Knicks game last night, Nathan got drunk as a doorknob, started something, now Nate hates him, and the fact that I told him what really happened back when I left Tree Hill. I haven't had a chance to tell him any good aspects of the guy."

"Ooo, toughie. Hmm, better think of something quick, Mr. Hottie's walking this way, and I think he sees you."

Nathan walked over and kissed Haley, "Hey Hales, wait here long for me? Sorry I'm late, traffic."

"It's okay, you're here, and the game hasn't started yet. I think they're so cute, they're small, and it's so carefree, no worries, just fun, what a kid needs. And the little cheerleaders are adorable, especially when the often stray ball come their way."

"Good, so which one's Nate, starting lineup? Bench? What? How good does my boy play ball?"

"His jersey number is 2, they're in the red and black. He's sometimes one of the starters, but some games he's in at the end, but these coaches put everyone in every game, it's kind of their job, a requirement."

"Sometimes a starter? My boy always needs to be in the starting lineup. He's got Scott blood running through his body, let me play with him sometimes, me and him versus my loser brother and his kid. It'll be good for him." Nathan sat down next to her, pushing Vivian down the bench.

"I don't know, he's five, he's happy the way he is, he's happy playing and having fun, I don't want to ruin that, but you can ask him, and if he says yes, then okay," Haley said as the game started. Nate was on the starting line-up, in fact he was the best out there, on both teams, and anyone watching, could see that. Nate's team did win, like usually.

Nate ran over to Haley, "Mommy, did you see? I didn't miss any free throws this time. Not one, I made them all!" He was so excited.

"Well, how about we all go out to that Italian place you love so much to celebrate?"

"Yea! Can we, really? All of us?"

"Yea, sure, why not."

"Yeay!" He ignored Nathan. He was mad, Nathan was turning into another Dan, yelling at Nate on how to play the game.

Haley got up, "Come on Viv, we're going to eat, see if you can break apart those two sucking face," Haley pointed to Taylor and Chris. Haley turned to Nathan, she was disappointed in him.

They went to Palazzo Degli Spaghetti. When they walked in they were immediately greeted by their longtime friend, the manager of the store, Mario, well that's what he told them to call him.

He spoke with a think Italian accent, "Ah, welcome, welcome, i miei amici, what brings you to my place?" He hugged Haley and kissed both of her cheeks.

"Nate won his basketball game today, and he loves your pasta."

"Ah, the little one love the pasta, molto buon, you look great, better than the last time I saw you, donna bella," he hugged her again, "Now all of you, follow me, come eat." Haley smiled and they all followed him to a table. Nathan looked incredibly jealous, and he made that fact quite obvious.

"Nathan, what is wrong with you, you yelled at Nate all through the game that he wasn't playing right, and a bunch of other stuff, and now you're like this, well if this is your way of getting Nate to like you, you might want to rethink that strategy, because I don't think it will work."

"Hales, what's with the Italian guy? Kissing him?"

"Wow, he's an old friend, I met him in college, he told me about his little place, he kisses all the ladies like that, it's a European thing. When you focused on me, you didn't see he did the same to Taylor and Vivian."

"Oh, yea, I thought only the French did that."

"He's half French, half Italian. It's quite funny, he'll get all off on Italy, then mid conversation he'll go French."

"So, you're not interested in him like that?"

"Oh, god, no, he's just a friend. I swear, and we come here for pasta, one of Nate's favorites. If it bothers you that much, well you're just going to have to learn to deal with it. I never really saw you as the jealous type when I met you, but after Chris, and Mario, I begin to wonder, two of my friends, and you feel threatened. This is unbelievable."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid of loosing you to one of them, I've waited so long for you."

"Apology accepted, but you don't have to worry, trust me, I've never loved any other man, well except my daddy and brothers, but not in the way that I still love you."

"I still love you, too, and I love Nate, even if he won't give me a chance, I guess I kind of deserve that, but still. I wish I could have a second chance to show you who I really am."

Haley and Nate looked at each other, Haley looked pleadingly, Nate looked angry, but finally Nate saw what is mother was showing.

"Fine," Nate said, and Haley and Nathan smiled.