1As promised, chapter 5 for you guys! Enjoy all, and maybe this helps you to get a better understanding of what I was rambling about in the update of chapter 4. I think ya'll are really going to like the new guy coming in. ;).

Chapter 5

"The Game"

We walked to the river court, making small conversation here and there–like what kind of school Tree Hill High was, what kind of people went there, who went there, who I should hang with when I got there, what the basketball team is like... blah, blah, blah. Keeping the parties and things on a low since David was walking with us.

We finally got to the slab on concrete beside the water. It was a nice place. Somewhere I could totally see myself going when things got hard–which I knew they were going to. "So, teams..." Lucas said, spinning the basketball around in his hands.

"Two games. First to 20 on each, first teams are me and my daughter, Lucas and Nathan. Second teams will be the hotshots against you and me, Luke," David explained. "If you think you can handle two games." I was glad he was talking to all three of us and not just me. We all laughed, making various sarcastic comments under our breaths.

"Ok. So, Haley and I get ball first," David ordered. "Haley, take it," he threw me the ball and I took it behind the faded, white line on the worn concrete court. You could tell it was old and had been used a lot just by looking around. Chains as nets, cracks in the backboard, cracks–small enough to be playable on but still there–in the concrete, and the benches had graffiti scribbled all over them, but, nonetheless, it just felt like home.

19-16. The score. Of the game we were playing. And we were winning. Despite having the swiftness of a turtle–hell, forget turtle, snail was more like it–David wasn't lying when he said he had skills. Which I wasn't surprised. He had taught me everything I knew. And, sure, it was when I was 7 years old, but I never forgot any of it and every time I was on the court, I executed precisely what he had taught me. Which was the reason I had even played basketball. Because it connected me with him. Stupid, I know, but when you don't have a father anymore, you seem to kind of hold onto the things you used to love. Mine were basketball and banana splits–a third banana crammed in the middle with three cherries and extra whipped cream.

"Haley! Open!" David clapped, right under the goal. I faked a pass to him and started dribbling hard to the basket. Only looking up. As soon as I was in range of the shot, I jumped up and went to lay it in, not seeing Nathan as he jumped at the same time, trying to block it. Unsuccessfully, by the way. He–and I mean all however-many-pounds of his guyly basketball physique came down on me–hard–just lay there like he wasn't weighing a pound and wasn't about to crush a lung or something–which he totally was about to do.

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Real smooth, Scott, but I guess we won," I played it off acting like I didn't notice how good he smelled underneath the sweaty, yucky–which he did. He smelled kind of like Hollister Co for guys–and how I didn't notice how he had the hottest smirk, or how I felt a–ok... we won't go there. We'll just leave it at that.

Nonetheless, he still had that damn smirk on his face, and when I got over my swooning, I was just pissed off. I mean, what did he have to smirk about? He'd lost. "Yeah, you might have won, but it doesn't look like that right about now."

"Oh yeah?" I bit my lip, leaning closer towards him. "Was this in your little plan all along? Getting me in this position? Thinking you would get a little rise out of me?" he just smirked. "Because if it was..." I kneed him as hard as I could in the groin. I could tell he immediately felt the hot, searing pain feeling down in his shorts. He rolled off me, holding himself. "Well, if it is, then I'm not turned on. Go watch a porno or something, but stay the hell off of me," I spat, jumping up and standing over him.

Lucas and David, who had been congratulating each other, trying to breathe again, ran over, kneeling down to where Nathan was. "What in the hell happened?" David looked over at me.

I shrugged, "I guess he fell down wrong or something."

Lucas, though, was laughing. Like it was the most hilarious thing in the world seeing Nathan lying on the ground almost in tears holding his... self.. "You?" he asked, looking at me. I smiled and shrugged. "You know, he is totally going to be pissed at you. I mean, he won't let you live this down."

"Am I threatened?" I paused, thinking just a second. "Hell no," I finally answered, laughing with Lucas at Nathan who was still on the ground.

Lucas laughed, shaking his head. He came closer and stood beside me. "You know he won't stop now," I wasn't expecting that. I just looked at Lucas, puzzled. "Stop chasing you. Trying to get you."

"And why would he do that? I just kneed the guy in his balls. Why would he try to 'get me?""

Lucas sighed, looking down at Nathan and shaking his head. "You see, he has this little problem about seeing things he likes and not stopping until he gets them. Like you. He sees you, he likes, you rupture his manhood, probably for life... he's interested. Oh yeah. Definitely. Either that or he is going to stop at nothing to kill you. But.. Nah, I'm thinking it's the other way around. He is..." his voice trailed off as he turned to see a new-looking black Ford truck pulling into the parking lot.

"What?" I asked, looking at the truck. The door opened and a brown-headed guy got out, walking towards us. There was no doubt that this guy was hot. He had sex oozing off of him, but the thing was–which, in my opinion, only made him sexier–he wasn't carrying himself like most hot guys do when they know they're hot, i.e. Nathan Scott. Man, this guy was... he was... man.. He was basketball player built. Brown hair, nice tanned skin, nice body, nice.. Everything. Everything about him was gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous. No freaking lie. His eyes were... wow. His eyes were wow. They were... so beautiful. He had beautiful eyes, he was–

"Ryan. What's up man!" Lucas nodded, waiting for him to walk up to us. Ryan. It sent chills up my spine and I looked away quickly. That was his name? Why couldn't it have been Bram or something like that; something that fit his hotness. I mean, don't get me wrong, Ryan is a hot name, but... Why Ryan? I instantly thought of my twin I had lost when I was seven. He had been my best friend. We did everything together. Just like the day he died. We were both running around the pool when Ryan fell in. I saw his arms flailing but I couldn't get to him. I couldn't reach. I stuck out my hand to help him... a little closer, a little closer... and then he was too far out. And I couldn't get to him. I knew how to swim, but I couldn't jump in. I was frozen. I was so scared. Ryan knew how to swim–which was why I couldn't figure out why he wasn't swimming, but he wasn't. And then he went under. I was numb, though, and all I did was stand there and watch him. I couldn't even scream for help. What kind of sister was I? A horrible one, that's for a fact. I just stood there wat–

"Haley... Ha-ley," Lucas was calling my name. I finally snapped out of it and looked up. They were both looking at me weirdly. I hoped I wasn't drooling, though I probably was. I brought my hand up to my eyes to make sure there were no tears–there weren't–and then made out like I was wiping some sweat off.

"Oh," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "My mind was on... other things," I looked up at Ryan who was smiling down at me. This guy was at least 6'3 and man he was hot. Those eyes... the piercing green of them. When I caught myself staring, I looked away quickly. "Damn," I muttered to myself, but they had heard. They had all heard. Even David and Nathan who were up now.

"Hey Ryan." David nodded, giving me a weird look, too, putting out his hand.

"Hey Coach," Ryan shook it, smiling. Man, those teeth. "It's good to see you again. You were actually the man I was coming to look for."

"Story of my life. Always coming to look for me," he joked, letting out a big chuckle and patting Ryan on the back. "I see staying away from home during the summer hasn't sobered up your needy ways."

He made a 'psst' sound and shook his head, "it's tried, I'll give it that. We've got a couple weeks, actually, before we go back from the summer. I was wondering if we could talk. Or if your in the middle of something, then I could..." he motioned back to his truck, but David shook his head, waving him off.

"No, no. you know me better than to just turn you away. Now piss me off a little and we'll see," he joked. Ryan flashed him that gorgeous smile again. "We were just getting done. If Haley wouldn't have kneed Nathan in the groin..." he shot me a look. Everybody bust out laughing. Except Nathan. Who was glaring at me, too. Even Ryan who didn't even know the story yet was laughing.

"Dude, you deserved it," I shot back at Nathan.

"You li–" Nathan started, but was cut off.

"Who is this?" Ryan asked, looking directly at me. His emerald eyes sent a shock right through me and I looked past him, focusing on the truck to avoid his gaze. "I don't think I've seen you before. And you look to be a senior this year, if not in college."

"Oh, oh. Yeah. I just figured Lucas had introduced you two already. Ryan Wright, this is my daughter Haley James. Hales, this is Ryan. My success story," he joked. "Or at least he's on the right path. This would be Duke's starting point guard," if he was surprised that David had a daughter, he didn't let on.

"It's nice to meet you, Haley," he smiled, holding out his hand. "I have heard so many, many things about you. I actually can't believe I'm standing in front of you right now. Though you're a little more grown up than ole Davey let on."

"Duke, wow. That's really awesome. And it's nice to meet you, too, Ryan. I don't know if I should be impressed he's told you so much or a little embarrassed at what he's told you about me."

"Thanks and oh, no," Ryan shook his head. "No horrible wetting-the-bed accidents or anything like that... well, there was this one story he told about you tripping while going up the steps to get your kindergarten diploma when your whole dress flew up and you couldn't see because your dress somehow got stuck in your hair clips so you were walking around with your dress up and couldn't see where you were going, but beside that just things about how great a basketball player you are, how smart you are, and how..." he looked at me. "Your dad is a great guy and the way he talks your just as great," he nodded.

I laughed, shooting David a dark look, "then I guess he didn't tell you anything too embarrassing," I said sarcastically. "Luckily I had my favorite pair of Little Mermaid panties on," I laughed. "Anyways, I guess David is a great guy, I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him in 10 years."

There was an awkward silence. "Well, why don't we go to the house," David spoke up. "We can talk there. And your probably wiped out, huh, Hales? You, too, Ryan."

I laughed, "should I be?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "You get your spirit from your mother," he laughed, shaking his head. "I swear, that woman never stopped jumping up and down in all the years I knew her," he laughed, but I didn't. He really hadn't known her at all during those 10 years. "And thankfully your looks."

"Da–" I caught myself before I could say Dad, though I'm pretty sure I was headed in that direction by the long 'a' that came out. I couldn't have caught myself and said 'David' either, because that would have just made me look like a complete and total idiot. Not that I wasn't already feeling like one. I took a deep breath and brushed past Ryan. "I'll meet you guys at home. I'm just gonna walk... get a feel for Tree Hill," I smiled, but then turned around. "Ryan, it was really nice meeting you. Lucas, Nathan... see you guys whenever. Oh, and Nathan, you might wanna put some ice on that," I joked. He just glared at me. I laughed, turned around, and started walking.