-1CHAPTER 2
It seemed like for months I had spent all my free time thinking about ways to get Brendan back, because we were great together, at least everyone thought so. Until Lauren that is. She came along an ruined everything. But Last night, it was like all I could think about was what an idiot I must have looked like in front of Nathan. If I hadn't thought he was going to mug me I wouldn't be so embarrassed to go to the same school with him. I have to admit he was hot. Very.
The phone rang.
"Haley, it's for you." Nicki said annoyed that I was taking away her precious phone time.
"Who is it?" I asked, with a mouthful of pudding. I dipped the spoon in the cup again to get more. This was getting old. I told her every time to always tell me who it was before she yelled my name and let them know I was here. I don't always want to talk to everybody like she does. But she still never asked who was calling.
"I don't know, some guy."
Brendan. Lauren dumped him and he needs comforting, or he will beg me to take him back. No, too perfect. He needs a tutor. Not as great, but it would do.
"Take the phone already. Geez." Nicki said waving the phone in front of my face like a retarded ape offering me a bananna.
I yanked the phone from her. I was eager to talk to Brendan.
"Hello." I answered
But it wasn't Brendan who answered back.
"Hey." Nathan spoke from the other end.
"Nathan?"
"Yeah, it's me." What? Was he psychic? I was thinking about him like 5 seconds ago. Then again I was thinking about Brendan right before that.
Then it hit me. Brendan. It would make him jealous to see me hanging around the new gorgeous guy.
"Funny you called, I was just thinking about you." I said rather seriously, but it probably came off rather seductive.
"Well I was just calling to um, see, how your car is doing."
"Oh, right, after you left my dad and I jumped it, just the battery."
"Well, that's good, nothing serious." he said. I could tell there was something he wanted to say other than 'yeah that's good' or all this small talk about my car.
"So, what did you really call for?" I asked him.
"What? Are you psychic?" he asked. I should be asking him the same thing. I could feel his smirk all the way through the phone. Seven…
"No, I can just read people." I said licking the rest of the pudding off my spoon.
"Ok here's the deal, My mom wants me to get a new wardrobe. Apparently, I need to dress like guys around here, and try to fit in."
"And I fit in this where?" I asked very curious for the answer.
"I don't exactly know what "fits in" here. I was wondering if you could… take me to the mall, help me shop."
"What's in it for me?" I asked just playing with him now.
"You get to spend an afternoon with me." Eight. Don't ask how I could keep feeling this, but oh boy did I.
"Ok, I'm in." I said getting another spoonful of pudding.
"Really?"
"Of Course." I laughed.
"Ok, I'll pick you up at your house in a few." he said
"Sounds good." I can't believe I just said 'Sounds Good.' No body says that.
We both clicked off the line.
I don't know why I spent so much time in the bathroom getting ready for him to pick me up, but I did. I mean I still wanted Brendan but, Nathan was a whole new kind of wonderful. Despite the fact I thought he tried to mug me, I thought we had a pretty great friendship getting started. There was someplace to start.
How could someone you couldn't tell was wearing any make-up, spend an hour in the bathroom? I had gotten ready just in time, as soon as put lip gloss on Nathan rang my door bell, I grabbed my Shoulder-strap purse and headed for the door.
When I opened the door and saw Nathan's face I expected him to say something like "Hey!" or "Great to see you again!" or at least "You ready?" but no, he spits out, "Hey, do you think I could borrow your car sometime?"
"Um Hello to you, too." I said jerking my head back sarcastically.
"Yeah, hi, So can I borrow your car sometime?" he asked again
"Okay, but isn't your car exactly the same, minus the not starting part?"
"Exactly."
I was really confused to why he would want to borrow a car that didn't start, and now he was telling me he wanted to BECAUSE it didn't start. What a strange boy. I might as well forget about it, this was way beyond my comprehension obviously.
"Sure, You can borrow my car anytime you want." I nodded smiling, kind of laughing at him in a way.
"So you ready?"
"Yupp, Let's go."
How you manage to maintain a half hour convorsation on the way to a mall with a person you met in the parking lot at Wal-Mart the night before beats me, but I did it. Nathan was great to talk to, he listened to me, like I mattered. Brendan used to listen to me like that. Now he just walks down the hall past me and looks the other way, with his little arm ornament hanging off him like a cheap earring. But Anyway back to me and Nathan.
"So why does your mom want you to fit in so bad?" I asked, I didn't mean to be so nosy I just couldn't help myself
"Well, obviously if strange girls I've never met before think I'm trying to mug them, I really don't fit in." he laughed
I laughed too until what he said hit me. "Wait, you told your mother, someone I've never met before, about that? That's a great first impression."
"Are you kidding? Of course I didn't tell my mother about that. Besides if I ever want to borrow your car my mom can't know we have the same silver Honda."
"Do I want to know what you are planning to do with my car?" I said concerned
"Not really, but you shouldn't worry, nothing illegal." he said simply
When we pulled into the mall parking lot, I was getting a little worried I would make him look like an uncoordinated cow farmer, instead of a cool, sexy, not to mention sleek new student from California. Though, he didn't need much of my help, with the retro cowboy boots he was wearing. But he was totally hot, so it worked on him.
"So what store do you want to go into?"
"Not Sears."
"Why not Sears?"
After we argued the point that Sears was a perfectly fashionable clothing line, he settled for Dillard's. We talked and talked while I swiped hangars from one side of the rack to the other, trying to find his color. He was a bit bewildered when I shoved half his body weight in clothes in his face. Then he started this pattern, of me approving how everything looked, before he put it in the buy pile. Of course, EVERYTHING he tried on looked amazing. But he couldn't buy everything.
"Are you serious?" he asked me unbelievingly, "everything looked good? And normal?"
"Yeah. You should really look into modeling." I joked.
"Yeah, not if you paid me a million dollars."
"So what all are you going to buy?"
"Well, all of it, I guess."
My eyes probably jumped out of their sockets at the moment.
"ALL of it? You realize that's almost worth a plane ticket to New York?"
"That's ok, my dad is paying for it. Child support money."
"What is your dad a millionaire superstar actor?" I joked
"No," he said quickly, "Why would you say that?"
"It was a joke, Geez, calm yourself."
"Whatever, let's check out."
Ok Nathan was one weird guy. But So hot, boy was he hot. I've never met a guy, not even Brendan that could make the entire Male clothes department look good.
