A Step in the Right Direction (Chapter 13)
Two months later…
Haley and Nathan walked into Nathan's parents' house. Nathan had moved back there after they found out about the whole Tamyra fiasco. He didn't want to live under the same roof as her anymore. They were there to get the rest of Nathan's things to move into the apartment that they had just bought together. "Living together is going to be awesome, Hales," Nathan said, looking at her suggestively.
"Down, boy," Haley instructed. He looked at her in confusion. "Just because we're living together does not mean we're going to get physical."
"We've already done that," he reminded her. Haley blushed as she smiled at him.
"Just because we did it once, it doesn't mean you get a free pass," she said, chuckling. She walked into his room and looked around. There were posters of various rappers and a closet and dresser full of clothes. She looked at them and then turned around to look at him.
"We don't need to take all of it," he said. Haley smiled at him.
"Why don't we just take the dresser with us?" she asked, coming over to him. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. "It'll make things easier." He bent down and kissed her.
"We have a huge closet, Hales. We don't need to haul this huge thing. Besides, we need to leave room in the bedroom for your piano and maybe your keyboard in the living room," he said. Haley looked at him in surprise.
"We're going to bring my piano and keyboard?" she asked, looking at him in excitement.
"Of course we are. Hales, you're an incredible musician and you're still a student. You're going to need your instruments with you. Besides," he said, pulling her closer. "I love hearing you sing." Haley smiled and kissed him. She walked over and started putting his clothes into one of the three laundry bags she had brought. She had predicted that they were going to need more than one. Nathan kneeled down and started to help her. A few seconds later, the door opened and Dan Scott appeared in the room. Haley continued with what she was doing as he surveyed them.
"What is going on? What are you doing with my son's clothes?" Dan demanded.
"Dad, I told you that I was moving out," Nathan snapped.
"I thought you were kidding," Dan said. Nathan looked at him incredulously. "Where are you going to live?"
"In an apartment off-campus," Nathan replied.
"Nathan, why do you need to leave home?" Dan asked. Nathan scoffed.
"Well, for starters, I'm in my third year of university and I need to live alone. The other reason is that I can't stand to be within five feet of you let alone under the same roof," he said.
"Why?" Dan asked.
"You know why, Dad!" Nathan said. Haley put her hand on his shoulder and he instantly relaxed.
"Nathan, come on. Don't be so stupid. If you're going to be angry with me, at least let it be over something important. We've worked too hard for some slut to get in the way," Dan said. Nathan stood up and started to walk toward his father.
"First of all, 'we' haven't done anything. It was me who got me where I am today. Second, you've got the wrong girl in mind. The slut is the one you hired to seduce me and ruin my relationship as well as my life!" Nathan exclaimed.
"Nathan," Haley said. She walked over to him and pulled him away from his father. "We're done here. Let's go to my parents' house to get the rest of my things." They had already gotten her things out of her dorm room but she still needed the rest of her instruments, clothes, as well as other things. He nodded and put his arm around her back and walked out of the house with her.
A month later…
Nathan and Haley sat in their living room. Nathan was on the couch playing some random game while Haley was sitting at her keyboard, working on one of the songs she and Maria had chosen as a cover/duet for the demo their entire class had to put together. It was "For Good" from Maria's favourite musical called "Wicked". Maria was singing the part of Elphaba and Haley was singing the part of Glinda. She started to play the music and then sang
Nathan played the game but he was losing because he was paying more attention to Haley practicing her songs. He loved the sound of her voice and when she got on stage to sing, he swelled with pride as he could tell everyone that she was his girlfriend. "Haley, why don't you sing that song that you're doing with Jake? It is from the same musical, right?" he suggested. Haley smiled as she remembered Maria daring her and Jake to do "As Long As You're Mine" from the same musical. Haley had been hesitant. Jake had no idea what the song was but agreed.
"Haley, you're already doing a song from Wicked. Why not keep it simple and do another one?" Maria had said. And so she had looked over the song, learned the piano part and was practicing the first verse over and over again.
"All right. I'll give it a try," she said. Nathan smirked and pressed pause on his game. Haley started singing. When she was done, Nathan applauded her.
"That sounds terrific, Hales. You're going to sound absolutely spectacular in the studio tomorrow," Nathan said. Haley smiled and looked at him carefully.
"You're going to be there, right?" she asked. He nodded.
"I wouldn't miss it," he said, and kissed her on the top of the head. "I have practice." Haley nodded and pulled him down and kissed him good-bye.
A day later…
Haley had started strumming her guitar to sing the song she had written when Taylor had been after Nathan and she was somewhat afraid that he would walk away. The song was called "Don't Walk Away"1:
I could never leave you even if you asked me to
I could never say goodbye or make you cry, oh
I could never stumble with you walking by my side
I could never love you more than I already do
So don't walk away
Don't walk away
Don't lie and tell me
That you're gonna stay
Please don't walk away
If I made a promise, I would stay by your side
It's only the beginning, I love you
So don't walk away
Don't walk away
Don't lie and tell me
That you're gonna stay
Please don't walk away
Please don't walk away
Ooh, I know the road is dark and dreary
And no, my nature does not sway
This disposition must be washed away forever
So please don't walk away
Please don't walk away
Please don't walk away
But I could never leave you
Even if you asked me to
No, I could never say goodbye
Or make you cry, oh
Oh…
Haley sighed as Maria came into the booth with her and they started singing "For Good"2
Maria:
I'm limited
(spoken) Just look at me
(sung) I'm limited
And just look at you
You can do all I couldn't do
Glinda
So now it's up to you
(spoken) For both of us
(sung) Now it's up to you
Haley:
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives
For a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those
Who help us most to grow
If we let them and we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good
Maria:
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have rewritten mine
By being my friend
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a sea dropped by a sky bird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
Because I knew you
Haley:
Because I knew you
Both:
I have been changed for good
Maria:
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness for the things I've done
You blame me for
Haley:
But then I guess
We know there's blame to share
Both:
And none of it seems to matter anymore…
Haley (Maria):
Like a comet pulled from orbit (Like a ship blown from its mooring)
As it passes a sun (By a wind off the sea)
Like a stream that meets a boulder (Like a sea dropped by a sky bird)
Halfway through the wood (In a distant wood)
Both:
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
Haley:
And because I knew you:
Maria:
Because I knew you
Both:
Because I knew you:
I have been changed for good
Haley also sang her songs "I'm Not"3 and "Rollercoaster"4. She also did covers of "Lay Me Down"5, "Let Me Fall"6 and "Halo"7. Now it was time for her and Jake to sing "As Long As You're Mine"8 which was also from Wicked, only this time Haley was singing the part of Elphaba and Jake was singing the part of Fiyero.
Haley:
Kiss Me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreams
Could not foresee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me
And just for this moment
As long as you're mine
I've lot all resistance
And crossed some borderline
And if it turns out
It's over too fast
I'll make every last moment last
As long as you're mine
Jake:
Maybe I'm brainless
Maybe I'm wise
But you've got me seeing
Though different eyes
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling
It's up that I fell
Both:
Every moment
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time
Jake:
Say there's no future
For us as a pair
Both:
And though I know I may know
I don't care
Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
And see how bright we shine
Borrow the moonlight
Until it is though
And know I'll be here holding you
As long as you're mine
Jake:
(spoken)
What is it?
Haley:
(spoken)
It's just for the first time,
I feel ... wicked
She sighed as she and Jake finished the songs and then Nathan came into the booth and hugged her, lifting her up in the air and kissing her. "You were fantastic!" he exclaimed when they pulled apart. Haley smiled.
"Thanks, but there's still one more song," she said. He looked at her in surprise. He started to get out of her way, but she pulled him back. "I want you to stay for it." He laughed and sat down beside her as she started playing her keyboard:
I was a lonely outsider when I was a young girl
I didn't know anyone around me at all
I worked hard and my social life took a back seat to my career
When I came home, I was afraid of seeing everyone again
I had changed, they had changed; everything had changed
I had always been different from everyone around me
But coming back made the differences between us more obvious
I was still alone but then a funny thing happened
I met you
You were everything I swore I'd never be
You were cocky, arrogant and
Had an unusual tendency to be a jerk
But then you surprised me
You showed me a different side of you
The side that is kind, loving and everything in between
So I was attracted and we fell in love
And despite being hurt a few times,
I wouldn't trade you for the world
What we have, it takes me over
And I don't want to be without you
It was something unexpected
Haley finished singing and then she turned to Nathan to study his reaction. He was grinning. "So, you've got a thing for me, huh?" he asked, laughing when she punched him.
"I love you, you moron," she said as he pulled her close to him and kissed her hungrily. When the kiss ended, he looked at her seriously.
"And I love you too," he said.
"I want to spend the rest our lives together," she confessed. Nathan looked at her thoughtfully.
"Will you marry me then?" he asked. Haley looked at him in shock.
"Are you joking?" she asked, looking at him, trying to see for herself if he was serious or not.
"I'm serious," he said. Haley smiled as she nodded.
"Yeah?" he asked. Haley laughed.
"Yes, I'll marry you," she said. He smiled and pulled her up in the air and held her against him while they kissed.
SONGS from this chapter:
1. Don't Walk Away by Bethany Joy Lenz
2. For Good by Kristin Chenowith
3. I'm Not by kat657
4. Rollercoaster by kat657
5. Lay Me Down by The Wreckers
6. Let Me Fall by Alexz Johnson
7. Halo by Haley James Scott (Bethany Joy Lenz)
8. As Long as You're Mine by Idina Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz
9. Something Unexpected by kat657