Chapter Four: Delaying the Inevitable
Nathan Lee unlocked the door of his house, stepped inside and called into what seemed like empty vastness:
"Mom? Teeny?" he yelled.
"In here," called a voice. Nathan frowned. His mother and sister sounded so alike that it was on occasion impossible for even him to distinguish them.
He walked through a hallway to enter the large sunny kitchen at the back of the house. Leaning against the counter was Justine Catherine Lee, thumbing a magazine and picking occasionally from a bowl of grapes beside her.
"Oh, it's you. Hey Teeny," he said.
"Try to sound more excited. And I hate it when you call me that, Natie," she said, her voice sharp. Nathan grinned. It was a vicious circle. He could never win.
"What'd you do today?" he asked, noticing with annoyance her outfit, which looked for all the world like something that James girl would wear.
"Not much. Haley taught us a new cheer. A girl in my math class has a new nose. Same old, same old," she said, looking up and smiling as she tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
"I can't believe you guys are friends," he said.
"We're not. I mean we are, but we have to be. She's the cheerleading captain," said Justine. This was true. Justine Lee could be shallow, moody and even underhand, but growing up with Brooke Davis her entire life had made her understand the true cruelties of Haley Elise James.
"Poor you," he said, pulling a box of crackers out of the cupboard.
"Speaking of which, I saw your girlfriend today. Damn, is she ever growing up well," said Justine, whistling.
"Shut up," he said, reddening. She laughed a moment later, showing to both of them that although she had not meant it, he most certainly had.
"Why haven't you two hooked up yet, anyway?" she persisted.
Nathan sighed in annoyance. "For the same reason we haven't hooked up."
"Eww! You're my brother!" she squealed in disgust.
"My point exactly," he said, preparing to leave the room.
He halted when his mother entered through the arching doorway of the kitchen, spotted the both of them and beamed. Life for Deb Lee was hard, harder now than it had been when she was married to Dan, but she lived through it for her children.
"Nate, Jussy, how are you?" she asked, dropping her briefcase on the ground.
"Good, Mom," he said, attempting a smile, while Justine nodded in agreement.
"And Brooke?" asked Deb. Nathan realized again that his little sister and his mother were alike in more than just their looks.
"Brooke's fine, Mom," he said.
"I'm glad. That girl's like a daughter to me," said Deb, the hint in her voice. Nathan kissed his mother's forehead.
"And like a sister to me. I have homework!" he said, as he left the room.
Haley was absorbed in making out with Lucas, but her ears perked up and she leapt off the couch when she heard a key turn in the lock.
"Haley?" came a low, melodic voice. Haley's eyes widened in surprise: the James' were back home.
The two of them rearranged their clothes while they ran to the front hall to greet Haley's rarely present parental units.
"Haley, you look wonderful," cooed her mother, coming in to embrace her daughter. Haley sneezed at a whiff of her mother's over applied designer perfume.
"Princess," said her father, simply and affectionately. For the first time in her life, she actually felt guilty in his embrace.
"I deserve this. And it's not my fault, his decision," she muttered.
"What was that, dear?" asked her mother. Haley shook her head.
"You guys remember Luke?" she asked, motioning.
"Of course. Lovely to see you again," said Lydia James.
"How's the team, son?" asked Robert James, shaking Lucas' hands.
"Perfect season," he said proudly.
"Did you guys have a good time on your cruise?" asked Haley.
"It was great. We're going to New York for business next week, but we're here until then," he said. Haley smiled, barely registering his words.
"The house next door is for sale, what happened to the McGregor's?" asked Lydia curiously. Haley shrugged.
"Mr. McGregor transferred. But the house already got sold, to that woman who's so involved in the PTA-Deb Lee," said Haley conversationally.
"How nice. I hope they have kids your age," said Lydia, reaching over for the large stack of mail on the hall table.
"Oh, the daughter's on my squad. Justine," said Haley.
"Justine's on your squad? I remember when she was born. My, how time flies," said Robert, venturing further into the house. Lucas stared down at Haley, wondering how she could have possibly not figured out what was so obviously in front of her.
"So true," he echoed, staring.
The James' politely requested a 'family' dinner, so Lucas left early that evening. Pulling out of the driveway in his dark blue mustang, he wondered how to spend his evening.
Bored out of his mind and craving caffeine, he decided to stop at one of his mother's many diners. Hesitantly he pushed open the door and walked in, wary of the fact that everyone but him seemed to know each other.
He held back a groan when he saw Brooke Davis sitting at the counter. If he kept this up, she'd think he was stalking her.
Luke made to leave, but the bell on the door rang as he did so, and Brooke looked up and noticed him. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"God, what are you, her minion?" she demanded angrily.
"What did I ever do to you?" he asked in bemusement.
"You're dating the devil's spawn, it's enough," she retorted.
"You guys don't understand each other. Hey, I read that last year," he said, indicating the book in her arms, Great Expectations. Brooke blushed when she realized he'd notice she was reading for pleasure and not school.
"It's okay," she said.
"Sit down, I'll buy you a cup of coffee and we'll talk about it," he suggested. She hesitated for a moment, but her eyes were twinkling. Both of them knew where they were headed, but it was already too late to stop it.