The Growth of a Friendship (Chapter Three)
White Flag (Part One)
/Some people think that in order to be a nice person, you must apologize for the wrongs you commit against other people. If you don't, you're considered arrogant or whatever. Honestly, I was one of those people who never apologized for the things I did (but still expected to be apologized to if I was wronged) and I didn't care. I was who I was and if someone had a problem with that, well, then it was just that: their problem and definitely not mine… until Haley.
I could act tough around her and pretend that I didn't care that I had hurt her feelings, but truthfully, I knew that I did. I can't explain why, but I just did. Maybe it was because she took a chance on me or she believed in me and not many people did. I don't know, but what I did know is that I had to make up for it. The problem is that Haley wouldn't even look at me, let alone actually speak to me, so I had no idea how. Any suggestions/
Nathan Scott walked out of his fourth period class and to his locker which was conveniently right outside the room. It was finally his lunch period and he was hungry. Lucas came over and tapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Hey, what's up, Luke?" Nathan asked. "Well, we're wondering if you wanted to shoot some hoops after we're done eating," Lucas said, referring to him and the rest of the team. Nathan nodded. Then Haley James walked out of the classroom. She smiled at random people and nodded at a few others as they said hello to her. She turned her head in his direction and when her gaze locked onto him, her smile disappeared and she frowned. The sparkle in her eyes faded and all that was left behind was a cold stare that pinned him and made him feel like a jerk because he could see the hurt hidden in her eyes.
Lucas whistled. "Wow, that is one angry girl," he commented. Nathan shook his head to bring himself back to reality and looked at him in pretend confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Lucas smiled. "I know you and Haley have never really been on good terms, but I've never seen her look at anyone, even you, like that," he said. Nathan chuckled. "Well, let's just say that I'm special," he said. Lucas looked at him in confusion. "I was a jerk and Haley's not the type to let jerks off the hook," he explained. "Are you talking about when she overheard you insulting her?" Lucas asked. Nathan nodded. "Why don't you just apologize?" Lucas asked. Nathan rolled his eyes. "I know it's not in your nature to apologize to people, Nathan, but Haley did go out on a limb to help you and it seems that you really hurt her feelings," Lucas said.
Nathan remained unmoved. "Do you even care?" Lucas asked. Nathan sighed. "Of course I care. I didn't mean to insult her. She took what I said way too personally," Nathan said defensively. Lucas shook his head in amusement. "Nathan, you know damn well that there's no other way to take what you said. Come on. Just be the bigger person for once and apologize to her," Lucas said. "Why do you care if I apologize to her so much?" Nathan asked. "Because I don't like seeing other people in pain," Lucas offered and shrugged. Nathan shook his head in annoyance and walked away from his brother. He was about to walk to the cafeteria when he realized that Haley had headed in the opposite direction. Where had she gone? Then he figured she probably went to the tutoring centre.
So he walked into the tutoring centre. Sure enough, Haley was seated at a table reviewing some notes while eating her lunch. "Don't you ever get tired of eating alone?" he asked, announcing his presence. Her head snapped up and when she saw that it was him, she narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?" she demanded. He smirked. "I figured you could use some company," he said, coming over and sitting down. Haley laughed. "If you're what passes for company these days, I prefer my CD player," she said as she went back to eating her food. He smirked at her boldness. Then she stopped eating and looked at him.
"For all your talents, lying isn't one of them. What do you really want?" she said. "I came to apologize for what I said," he admitted, without missing a beat. Haley looked at him in disbelief. "Right," she said sarcastically and turned her attention away from him. He put his hand on hers. "I'm serious," he said. She looked down at his hand and then glared at him. He quickly moved his hand away. She looked at him, studying him.
/Guys are jerks. Doesn't matter who they are because in the end, they're all the same: a bunch of spineless jerks. Even my brothers can be jerks sometimes, but I love them in spite of that. I consider it biology for a guy to be a jerk just like I call it biology that a girl is overly sensitive. I hate that I'm able to get hurt so easily. Some idiot says a few mean things and I basically go off the deep end. But it is unusual when one of those jerks comes to apologize. I was so stunned at first that I wasn't sure how to react./
She had no idea if he was being sincere or not, but just on the off chance that he was, she nodded to him. "I'm listening," she said. He looked up at her in amazement but quickly recovered. "I didn't mean to insult you by saying that I could never have any interest in you. I didn't mean it that the way it sounded," he said. Haley laughed. "Then, what did you mean?" she asked.
"I wasn't saying that you're not desirable to other guys. I can say that you have good looks right now, just I, personally, am not interested in you like that," he said. Haley looked at him and nodded again. "I didn't think you'd take it so hard. I mean, we don't even really like each other, remember?" he said. Haley nodded. "Sometimes I can't stand you," she said, chuckling. He nodded. "And the same goes for me about you," he said in agreement.
"So…" he said hopefully. "You're forgiven," she said. He sighed with relief. She smirked at him and then went back to her eating. He still lingered there looking at her. She sighed and looked at him. "What?" she asked. "I was just wondering…" he said. "Tutoring after practice right here. If you're more than ten minutes late, I'm leaving," she said. He chuckled and nodded. "Sir, yes, sir," he joked. "I believe that would be 'Ma'am'," she said, "do you need help in English too?" She obviously meant it as a joke and he knew that, but Nathan's face changed distinctly. He was embarrassed. Catching the look on his face, Haley's smile dropped and studied him for a minute. "Do you?" she asked seriously.
He swallowed hard. "I guess you could say that I'm 'failing' that class too," he said. Haley nodded in understanding. "How many of your classes would you say you're failing?" she asked. He smirked. "All but one," he admitted. Haley smirked at his honesty. "Well, bring those textbooks with you," she suggested. He looked at her in confusion. "That is, if you want my help in those subjects," she added. He smirked and nodded.
/I was so caught of guard, when Haley offered to help me, it isn't even funny. I had learned that Haley was a generous person when she agreed to tutor me (a guy she hated) in biology, but even I underestimated her willingness to help people. I thought I had her worked out but I would quickly learn that I never knew her at all/
The Things You Never Knew (Part Two)
/Many people have this perception that my life is just so perfect because from what they saw, it was. But what no one realized was that they saw what I let them see. I'm honest but I'm not an open book. I'm good but I'm not without my flaws. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm far from perfect and my life is just as dysfunctional and unusual as everyone else's. If you think you've got me all figured out, you're wrong. People only think they know, but they don't. The truth is that they have no idea/
Three weeks later…
Haley quietly left her house in the morning and began the fifteen minute walk to her bus stop. When she got there, she was amazed to see that Nathan Scott was at the same bus stop. She slowed her pace and then stopped a few inches away from everyone else. She put her headphones in her ears and got lost in the music she was listening to. She had just bought the soundtrack to one of her favourite musicals: Into the Woods.
Nathan smirked in surprise when he saw Haley mouthing the words to whatever she was listening to. He walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "This is your stop?" he asked when she pulled her headphones out of her ears. "Yeah," she replied. "What a coincidence," he said. "Yeah. It's kind of weird, though. It's like the middle of the semester and you haven't been here one day," she commented. "Well, that's because I usually get a ride in for morning practice," he said. "And today?" Haley asked. "Practice was cancelled. Coach muttered something about an appointment," he said. Haley nodded.
"Did you study for the quiz?" she asked when they were sitting on the bus. Haley was in the seat behind him and he turned around to continue to chat with her. Nathan's face went blank. "What quiz?" he asked in confusion. Haley glared at him. "We have a quiz in Biology," she reminded him. He shook his head. "Yes, we do. I gave you a three-page study package and…" she started but stopped when he started laughing. "You're making fun of me," she realized. He laughed harder. "Entirely possible," he said, softly chuckling now. Haley rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You can be such an ass sometimes," she said mockingly and then looked at him. They started laughing.
Nathan and Haley had become good friends now. They studied together a lot. Somehow it had worked out that Haley and Nathan would study at Haley's house after school instead of the tutoring centre. Haley led the way into her house and took her shoes off at the front door and hung her jacket on the coat rack that was always empty. She walked up the stairs and Nathan followed.
She headed into the living room and pushed the button on the answering machine. "Hey, Hales, it's Jack. I'm coming up next month to visit with you guys. Please tell mom and dad," her brother Jack said. "How did he know it'd be you who'd hear it?" Nathan asked, as he took some of his books out and put them on the kitchen table. "Because it usually is," Haley replied. There was a beep followed by another beep. "Haley, it's mom. I'm afraid our trip was postponed. We'll be in Prague for another month. Just wanted to let you know so you won't worry when we don't show up tomorrow. We know we don't have to worry about you. You are unlike all of our other children," her mother said. Haley rolled her eyes.
"Your parents out of town a lot?" he asked. Haley smirked. "Depends on what you mean by 'a lot'," she said, chuckling. Her tone of voice intrigued him. "How often are they gone?" he asked curiously. "Well, let's see," Haley said, "I believe I've seen them a total of five times in the past two years." "What do they do?" he asked. "Well, they're managers to a few bands and singers. They have their own record label, The JL, which stands for the James' Label. Unique, isn't it? So, they're on tour a lot with the bands and discovering new talent all the time," she said. He nodded. "That sounds exciting," he said. "What does?" Haley asked. "Being on your own all the time," he said. Haley nodded. "Does it ever get lonely?" he asked. "I'm pretty much used to it. It's been this way for a long time," she said. Her tone was full of emptiness not even a little bitterness. "You don't miss your parents at all?" he asked.
"Well, sure, but they're not really my parents," she said. He looked at her in shock. "That's horrible," he said in disgust. Haley chuckled. "I mean, I may not like my parents all the time, but I don't know what I'd do without them," he said. Haley laughed. "You misunderstand," she said. He looked at her in confusion. "Nathan, I lived at an orphanage until I was five," she admitted. He looked at her in disbelief. "That would mean that you're adopted, wouldn't it?" he asked. Haley nodded. His jaw dropped.
Haley laughed. "You didn't think that it was a coincidence that I was so different from my siblings did you?" she asked. He nodded. She smiled wide. "Well, it's not. The reason I act so different, the reason I look so different from the rest of my family is because genetically, we're not related," she explained.
She began to tell him a little more. She knew her biological mother had once lived in Tree Hill somewhere. Her mother had her when she was around twenty-two and given her up by leaving her in a basket in a hospital ER because her father had raped her mother and that's how she became pregnant with Haley. It didn't hurt her that she was abandoned or adopted. The years at the orphanage had been tough but in her opinion, she was stronger for it. She had been blessed when Lydia and Jimmy James had adopted her. She had had a different last name, but she didn't remember it. "Everything else is history," she said.
/So everyone is completely clueless. I had no idea that Haley had been adopted. She looked completely different from the rest of her family. They had blond hair and blue eyes and she had brown hair and brown eyes, but he had never connected the dots. According to Haley, no one else had either, not even the school staff and they had her files from the orphanage. It just amazes me that Haley has such a colourful past. I don't know why but I see her in a new light now. I like that she's not picture perfect. It makes her more realistic. At the time, I didn't think why that mattered. It never occurred to me that I had feelings for her/