Chapter 14

'So shall we head back to the others, they're probably wondering whether you've killed me yet?' Nathan joked, and for the first time ever Haley responded by laughing at his joke, instead of ridiculing it like she normally would.

'Things all sorted between you and Nathan now right?' Two uneventful weeks had now passed as the two cousins were getting ready for school; they had both dressed and were now hungrily munching down their breakfast.

Soraya was wearing a black, pleated, mini skirt that was a good few inches above the knee but nevertheless covered her ass respectfully. She matched the skirt with a small red, bolt neck, sleeveless top that revealed her diamante stud, pierced belly-button. The outfit was topped off with a pair of black, suede, knee-high boots.

Then there was Haley who was wore dirty denim jeans with side pockets that had a dog chain hanging down on one side of the thigh and wore a pair of smart shoes with black, leather, ankle boots to match the black, thin, spaghetti strapped sleeveless top.

After Nathan and Haley had had their talk, they had returned to their usual bantering, the others were so deeply relieved of this that they were too afraid to ask how the talk went or what the two said, scared to disrupt the state of normalcy they had achieved.

However just to be sure that the situation between the two had been sorted out indeed, Soraya decided to double check with Haley by asking her which was what prompted her to ask the question.

'Err, we're back to normal…I guess.' Haley answered apprehensively. For some reason, during the fortnight, something was still bugging her about that night. She felt unease at how the conversation had gone, it could have been guilt but she couldn't be sure.

'Something wrong?' Soraya asked her older cousin.

'To be honest, I'm not sure.' Haley replied, pondering as to why she felt such unease.

'What do you mean?' Soraya asked once again, looks like it was a good thing that she had double-checked after all.

'For some odd reason, I don't like how our conversation (with Nathan) went on that night two weeks ago.'

'What did you guys say to each other when you talked; maybe I can help you figure out why you feel so odd about it!'

'Well basically, I apologised about being so…hostile after I found out Taylor and Nathan had sex. I explained to him why I might have overreacted and he jumped to the conclusion that it was because of Chris.' Haley explained.

'What was because of Chris?' Soraya asked puzzled.

'I snapped because Nathan sleeping with Taylor reminded me of her sleeping with Chris—well that's what Nathan concluded!'

'And is that why you snapped?' Soraya questioned, feeling like she was finally getting somewhere.

'No! I mean yes, I mean…oh I dunno!' Haley responded frustrated.

'I think we may have found the problem, but first you gotta think about it some more and be sure of it. Okay?'

Haley nodded in agreement, 'Anyways moving on—'

'What have I told you about saying that phrase?' (Sound like a teacher)

'Anyways,' Haley stressed the word. 'The point I was trying to make is that what's up with the tarted up clothes?'

'Oh, well there's going to be a surprise today in school, if I was you I would change from those jeans into a white, short mid-thigh, tiered skirt. And, change from your boots to the black, glossy, high heeled, diamante stilettos.'

'Is the surprise that good that I have to look my best?'

'Oh yeah!' Soraya smiled secretively.

'Fine. I'll go change.' Haley answered before rushing up the stairs to change, after all they didn't want to be late for school and miss a chance to catch up with their friends. Within two minutes she had come back down and dressed as Soraya had told her and they had both left for school.

Haley and Soraya reached Tree Hill High in half the time it normally took for them to get to school. This was because Soraya drove really fast. Soraya loved driving, especially in a fast pace it gave her an indescribable thrill. Haley didn't have anything against driving, but she didn't have a problem with someone else driving either.

So once the two had gotten out of their car, they were greeted by strong whistling that surround them wherever they went, which in this case was in the direction of their clique.

'Who are you two dressing to impress?' Nathan took a step towards the two, being the first to make a comment.

'Wouldn't you like to know?' Soraya answered with a question of her own, inching closer to him.

'Oh yes I would,' Nathan replied making another move towards Soraya.

'Please don't tell me you guys are flirting!' Haley exclaimed.

'As a matter of fact, yes we are.' Soraya smiled playfully.

'What's wrong with us flirting? Bit jealous there, aren't we?' Nathan moved his attention towards Haley who rolled her eyes.

'Oh please!' Haley muttered. His ego just keeps getting bigger day by day according to her opinion. 'And, you two flirting is like hell breaking loose!'

Brooke, who had remained silent along with Lucas, Jake and Peyton decided to include herself in the conversation. 'Oh. My. God. You could be a cheerleader! I mean look at you, who knew Haley James was such a drama queen!'

They tried. They really did. But, they couldn't help it. After Brooke's last comment everyone but Haley, who had proceeded to give Brook a dirty look, had exploded with laughter, especially Nathan and Soraya. The two weren't really attracted to each other; they just couldn't help the fact that they were flirts. Just then the bell for homeroom session had begun, so they all separated ways and headed in to their own homeroom.

The day had passed really slowly for Soraya, she couldn't wait until her special guest arrived, and she also couldn't wait to see Haley's face either. She was thinking about how her guest would get on with Lucas, Nathan, Jake, Brooke and especially Peyton. She thought that the two would get on really well because they both—.

'Excuse me, Miss James!' Soraya was in lesson four, the lesson before lunch, which was when most students were restless because they were hungry or just wanted a break, she was now having math with the annoying Mr Bell, where he spits a lot and makes students feel like they're in prison. He had caught Soraya daydreaming.

'Yes Mr Bell?' Haley who was sitting next to Soraya knew the teacher was referring to her cousin, but tried to buy Soraya enough time so she could snap out of whatever daze she was in.

'Not you! The other one!' Mr Bell sighed, having two students with the same name, or surname in this case was tiresome. He actually hated his job, where did the respect to elders go? Weren't the generation meant to be getting smarter as time moved forward, not become more juvenile! He wanted respect and anyone who didn't show him that was going to suffer.

Soraya was still gazing into space when Haley kicked her leg; she snapped out of it in a flash and proclaimed loudly 'I was listening!'

'Is that so?' Mr Bell asked disbelievingly, 'then why don't you tell us what two X plus Y equals ten is? (2x + y 10)

'X 2.5 and Y 5!' Soraya answered, 'thank god that was simple' she sighed inwardly.

Mr Bell didn't appreciate being outsmarted, so he began 'Well, that's the most obvious answer, I mean how else could you work out possibilities for them?'

'Trial and Improvement.' Soraya answered again.

'Error. It's Trial and Error.' Mr Bell concealed a smirk.

However, instead of accepting it, Soraya decided to disagree with the teacher. 'No it's Trial and Improvement.'

'Excuse me; I am the teacher I think I should know what is right and what isn't.'

'You should know, but obviously you don't. In my old school, we were taught it as Trial and Improvement.'

'Well this is your new school and now you should learn it as we taught you.'

'I would, however I disagree with what you teach and prefer the old teaching.'

'Is that right? It is called Trial and Error, because of all the incorrect answers you get in the method.' Mr Bell smiled in false sweetness.

'No. It is called Trial and improvement because every guess is an improvement from the previous one.' It was now Soraya's turn to smile in false sweetness.

Haley who had been looking at Soraya as if she had grown a second head, turned to Lucas who was seated on her other side and they shared shocked expressions. 'Why make a big deal over math!' They both thought to themselves. Haley discreetly banged her head on her desk. It was going to be a long lesson alright.

AN: I included this whole thing with Soraya and the teacher because I wanted to give you an insight on Soraya's personality and how she's like because although Soraya and Haley may seem a lot alike, at the moment you'll see later on that they're a lot more different then you think and I just wanted to bring your attention on that. I hope it wasn't too boring for you ;)

When lunch break finally arrived, Haley and Soraya headed towards the parking lot, talking—arguing about what went on in their Math lesson, where they usually met up with the gang, with an aggravated Lucas in tow. Peyton and Nathan, who had both headed out from Biology were sitting down talking about the frog they dissected.

'Okay, next lesson you can do the…grimy stuff.' Peyton scowled, no matter how many times she yelled in his face and stated that she would not be doing his work; he still managed to get away with her doing all the work.

'Alright , I will,' Nathan blew her off, this was one of the reasons why them two never worked in a relationship, as much as he respected Peyton for standing up to him and not being a total pushover, he wasn't willing to change, not for her.

'I swear, I dunno why I don't change lab partners' Peyton sighed to herself but Nathan heard it anyway and replied.

'We're friends! That's why.' Nathan answered simply. 'Hey look, it's 'the two Js plus Lucas' as Brooke would put it.'

Peyton turned her head into the direction in which Nathan was looking at. 'He doesn't look too happy, kinda irritated!'

'Looks like the two Js are arguing, don't ya think?' He asked for her opinion.

'We're not arguing! We're just discussing—' Haley interrupted the two frog dissectors conversation, as she reached within hearing distance.

'And having a disagreement—' Soraya added in.

'About something, that happened in Math.' Haley finished off.

Lucas, having enough of this spoke up. 'In other words, they were arguing.'

'Thank you.' Peyton and Nathan sighed simultaneously.

'We.' Haley began.

'Were.'

'Not.'

'Arguing.' Soraya finished off.

'Oh hell yea, you were!' A loud, high pitched voice declared from behind, it was Brooke's. 'Me and Jakey here could hear you from like 5 metres away!'

'Jakey and I' Haley corrected absentmindedly.

'See!' Soraya exclaimed loudly, causing a few stares from passer-bys'. 'You're the nerdy one here; I mean correcting someone's English? How sad is that?'

'Well at least I don't make a scene about the correct term for a mathematical method!' Haley retorted.

'Oh please, you know damn well that he had it in for me! That cocky ass was trying to make a fool out of me; you really think I was going to let him get away with it?'

'Well maybe if you didn't daydream in class, he wouldn't have had a go at you!'

'Oh, I'm sorry Haley if I don't play to be a saint like you and that I get distracted just like the major population of this school during a boring math lesson!'

Haley was rendered speechless, because the only comeback (whatever) she could think off would only prove that Soraya won the argument, so there she was in silence that was until her saviour came in the form of her brotherly best friend…from Montreal.

'God Soraya! Why are you always picking on my little best friend huh?' Said a masculine voice that none of the gang except for the two James recognised.

The surprise was mainly meant for Haley, but looks like even Soraya was surprised by the unexpected turn of events. The actual surprise was mean to be in the form of a beautiful girl with long locks of sexy, wavy, chestnut hair, her body had already developed into a woman's one with all the curves in the right places, and her chest had filled out nicely as well her hips, ass and thighs, in many men's opinion. Her eyes that were of the lightest shade of brown. She was wearing a light aqua, sleeveless, vest top with a denim miniskirt that reached her mid-calf; she also matched the outfit with a pair of baby blue flip flops. Her name was Sarah Matthews.

However, next to her, there was a tall, unexpected male, with short, soft chestnut hair that a girl would die to run her hands through, a fine developed physique that would make all the men proud, what with toned abs and a defined 6 pack. He also had eyes a shade of brown that was light as light could be, looking at the size of his hands and feet, it seemed he had an impressive size too. (AN: I hope you know what I mean blushes) He had donned a pair of low waist, baggy jeans yet somehow they still managed to give the ladies a good view of his ass, he wore a matching dark blue T-shirt that revealed the shape of his body appealingly. His name was Leon Matthews.

AN: I hope the ending of this chapter wasn't too much of a cliff-hanger! It's just it seemed so right to end it there, I know this chapter is really short compared to my others, being only 5 and a half pages (hey, it's size 9 font single spaced and a much thinner writing space) I've finally got my summer holidays! (About time too!) I'm going to be going on a hair dressing and catering course—1 week each, so that's no updating for 2 weeks I may also be going France for a week, that's three weeks gone! And then towards the end of the month I'm going to be on residential medical science course (2 nights partying in a university) and then I got my horse riding course for the last 3 days before school! Phew! That's one busy summer now that I think about it, I've also got a cousins wedding as well, so obviously I won't be updating during this summer so I'll see you all in September! Until then, take care and goodbye my reviewers!

1ThNalEy23 hey, so many people have asked me that exact question and I think I've lost quite a few readers from it too because of the long wait. I am so sorry for not bringing in Naley but I can guarantee that going to change so soon, well jealousy flairs up and I hope that's considered a first! Looking forward to your next review.

Tigger's Tutorgurl Hey, I haven't actually seen Taylor in action here, damn the UK. She sounds like a real bitch though! She won't be coming up until a bit later on in the story (thank gosh!) Can't wait till your next review! P.S. I will try and check out your story as well, but don't bet any money on a review…I have a very busy summer, also I'm a very lazy reviewer! The horrors, shocks and gasps! I'm on a high—just ignore me! Lol.

Johnny Hey, it has been too long since I last update and am really sorry for that…hope I haven't put you off because of it! Owing you two chapters? Let me get one out at least! Lol, Oh yes with the two new arrivals hell is going 2 break loose and Haley James will be going to her more Newport High ways…I hope! How evil am I, right? Oh yes, the James do have quite the fiery temper I'll tell you. As volatile as the Scott's I'd say! Soraya's story, forget hear about it you're gonna see it! Damn me and my big mouth! Soraya and Haley are really close, I'm not saying that she's not close with Peyton and Brooke; it's just that she's seen Haley at her worst and so knows more on dealing with her, at then end of the day they are family (by blood as well). Anyways I'll wait till the next review!

Crazy4coco986 Hey! I dunno how you do it! You may write the smallest review but they can still warm my heart! Damn I'm getting sentimental! I'm on a high—just ignore me! Maybe because you're the only 1 who was here from beginning! I know I keep saying that, I really should shut up now! Don't forget to review again!

Till next time…lots of love and kisses (I told you I'm on a high!)

Sofi :)