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Chapter 2
Nathan stood up from the bench and groaned as his father slowly made his way down from the bleachers and gave him a grim look. Dan's gaze was cold, his arms crossed across his chest and his eyes were narrow—that was definitely not a good sign. Nathan quickly glanced down at the floor, awaiting his father's lashing—not even shooting him a 'hi Dad'.
"What the hell was that?" Dan finally bit out through clenched teeth.
"Lucas set me up, Dad. I couldn't get one shot in!" Nathan exclaimed, his excuse spilling out in one breath.
"This is your team, Nathan. If he set you up, you don't let him. You should've been able to escape half of those double-teams and scored at least 28 points." Dan spat, his finger prodding Nathan's chest with each point.
"I was double-teamed, Dad. I had to find the open man," Nathan shot back.
"You don't find the open man, Nathan. You score. No matter how many men are on you, you get past them and make a shot. You do not give up your opportunity to anyone—particularly him." Dan yelled.
"I-I didn't pass to…" Nathan sighed and nodded, "Okay, Dad. Whatever. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't make the shots and I got benched." Nathan bit out, sincerity clearly lacking in his tone. But, he knew this conversation could go on forever. Once Dan found a flaw in him, he would beat it back into place and he would not stop until it was done—and Nathan did not have the energy to fight his father on this one.
"Sorry? You're sorry?" Dan chuckled with a sneer, "God, look at you. You've become pathetic. Sometimes I wonder what kind of son I've raised."
"Sometimes I wish I wasn't the son you raised." Nathan muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Dan asked, leaning in closer to Nathan. Nathan took a step back and shook his head.
"Nothing. Nothing, Dad." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Good. Now you're getting you up at four in the morning tomorrow and I'm taking you for a run all over this damn town to put you back into shape—something you should already be in. Got it?" Dan ended and Nathan gravely nodded. Without another word, Dan walked off and began to mingle with other parents with a huge fake smile plastered across his lip—his typical way, leaving Nathan standing alone and clearly irritated.
From across the gym, Lucas watched the interaction with amusement. His plan had worked perfectly. Seeing the disappointment in Dan's eyes over Nathan's performance–that was what he had yearned for and the bitterness in Nathan was just an added bonus.
"Hey, you were great tonight!" Haley exclaimed, as she and Jake walked over to Lucas. She pulled Lucas into a hug before resting comfortably back into Jake's arms.
"Yeah great game, Luke. Would've liked the ball at least once though." Jake laughed, slapping Lucas' hand for a handshake.
"Sorry, man. I just couldn't resist. That look on Nathan's face each time I made it in was priceless." Lucas chuckled and Haley rolled her eyes.
"Ah, you Scott brothers and your ability to make everything about your feud," Jake declared with a snicker. "So, how'd you manage to get the ball away from the other players throughout the game, man? They like handed it to you."
Lucas gave him a nervous smile that Haley understood right away. She rested her hand on Jake's chest and shook her head, giving him a look that was enough to shut him up and not bother wondering—there were some details that Haley knew Lucas just did not like to share with others.
"Come on, Jake. You're taking me out to dinner remember," Haley said, gripping Jake's hand. Lucas gave her a relieved smile and she smiled back at him. "Tell Karen I'll be a bit late coming back home, Luke okay?" Haley continued, as Jake pulled her tighter into his arms and softly kissed her cheek.
"Yeah. Sure. Just please, don't give me any details." Lucas replied sarcastically, as Jake and Haley walked off laughing.
"What an ass!" Peyton remarked angrily to Brooke, from the other side of the gym. "Look how cocky he's being after what he just did to Nathan."
The two cheerleaders watched as Lucas smiled and thanked people who kept feeding him compliments and congratulations. Suddenly, he turned and saw the two looking at him and gave them a smile followed by a wink. Peyton sneered and crossed her arms across her chest giving him a menacing look whereas Brooke just smiled back at him before he turned back to greet more people.
"You're right he is an ass." Brooke said and then licked her lips appreciatively, "But have you seen his ass. Give me a piece of that!"
Peyton rolled her eyes at her best friend and whacked her on the arm. "Keep your hormones in check, Brooke," she laughed. Her gaze then fell on Nathan standing by himself at the end of the gym glaring at Lucas. "Come on. We have to go and see Nathan so he can vent and bitch about Lucas and hatch a revenge plan…again," Peyton sighed.
"Another plan? God, this planning thing is getting so old." Brooke groaned.
"Yeah, well maybe this time you may end up on top of Brett Robinson rather than—who was that guy again…?" Peyton asked, causing Brooke to shudder at the memory.
"Ugh, I don't even know. Some dweeb that I had to sleep with so that he could take Nathan's final for him," Brooke cringed and threw her pom-poms to the side, "The thing's I do for that Scott. Do you know how much that guy sweated?"
Peyton laughed as she turned to throw her pom-poms away too, but her laughter was soon wiped away as her gaze fell somewhere else. Just a few feet away, stood Haley in Jake's arms. She was laughing at some joke Jake made and she then pulled him down and planted a small kiss on his lips. A flutter of jealousy flickered in Peyton's eyes as she watched the two hug and kiss, a look that was not lost on Brooke.
"P. Sawyer, what have I told you about moping! Especially over him. It's not good for your skin," Brooke broke and grabbed her arm pulling her towards Nathan. Peyton's eyes couldn't leave Jake and Haley though as she looked over Brooke's shoulder at them. Looking at their happiness, their comfortableness with each other. It still hurt for her to look at him, to see him happy with her—after all it was only a few months ago that she had been the one in Jake's arms, the one he looked at like that.
"What's with her?" Nathan asked, as Brooke dragged Peyton up to him.
"The ex." Brooke groaned, indicating Jake.
Nathan followed Peyton's gaze and saw Haley and Jake all over each other and was overcome with disgust. Those two made him want to hurl. With their perfect souls and reputations, their loving adoration for each other—it was sickening. And it sickened him even more that one half of the couple was Jake—the guy who his best friend had fallen head over heels for. The guy who had betrayed him and had changed everything within the rivalry. A few months ago, everything was seemingly normal and even though Lucas and him argued, it was never as heated as it became after Jake hooked up with Haley, leaving Peyton and Nathan's gang. When Jake and Haley got together, that was when it all got even worse.
"Come on, Peyton. Suck it up." Brooke sighed, whacking Peyton on the arm. Her words also broke Nathan out of his thoughts.
"Uh—sorry." Peyton mumbled, as she finally turned her attention to Nathan. She put her hand comfortingly on his shoulder and spoke softly, "Hey. You okay?"
"He's going to regret what he did today, Peyton," Nathan replied acidly, not even looking at her. Over Peyton's shoulders, he was watching Lucas hand over what looked like a few dollars to a few players from the other team. "But he is going to get back double for what he did. I'm going to hit him where it really hurts and he's going to regret ever getting me benched," Nathan spat, his attention turning back to Jake and Haley who were kissing in the corner of the gym. "He's really going to regret it."
His scowl suddenly faded as he continued to look at Haley and Jake. He then grinned at Peyton and Brooke, a grin that they both knew too well—one that told them he had concocted his revenge plan.
"So, what's the plan?" Peyton asked and Brooke sighed at the thought of another plan.
"Tomorrow morning. Get Tim and meet me in front of the lockers. I'll tell you then," Nathan said. Seeing Brooke's hesitance, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to look at him. "I swear this one is going to be an awesome plan, Brooke."
"I'm not sleeping with any sweaty guy again, Nate." Brooke groaned, a small pout appearing on her lips.
"Believe me, you won't." Nathan chuckled, unhooking his arm from Brooke's hips. He picked up his bag off the floor and slung it over his shoulder. He then turned to Peyton with his characteristic smirk and spoke with a laugh, "But you might."
"What?" Peyton's face frozen in horror and Nathan just smiled at her and began to walk off towards the exit. "What! N-Nathan!" Peyton spluttered, yelling across the gym at him to stop, as Brooke giggled.
"Tomorrow, Peyton!" Nathan yelled back, "You wouldn't want to miss it." He declared, blowing a small kiss at both of them before leaving the gym.
TBC
