A/N: I know I haven't updated in a while but I had a bad case of writer's block - but I'm fine know and I have a (hopefully good) chapter for you guys! R&R.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or anything to with it 

Chapter 5

There were five minutes left till he end of the game and Nathan and Lucas were both at their peak, scoring points left and right as the two battled it out on the court.

Before Practise

Nathan entered the court twenty minutes before practise only to find Lucas practising his jump shots. Holding back the urge to lash out at him, Nathan picked up a ball and began to practise with his half brother. They played in silence, concentrating on the basket ball in front of them. Nathan, lost in his thoughts as he played against his brother, jumped when he heard Tim's voice ring out through the court.

"What are you doing Nate?" Tim questioned, baffled by the sight befire him – Nathan playing a 'friendly' one on one with his enemy.

"Trying not to kill him." Nathan muttered inaudibly through gritted teeth and angrily stomped off to the locker room with his best friend.

Meanwhile, Jake patted Lucas on the back,

"So you're finally working out your differences?" He half asked, half stated.

"Not exactly." Lucas said, unsure of what to make of the prior events.

"Practise went relatively smoothly, albeit the cold glares being shot between the Scott brothers. They didn't go unnoticed by Whitey, but he let these 'petty differences' be, so long as they didn't fight physically there was nothing he could do. As he signalled for the end of practise before the game that night, he shook his head and laughed gravely to himself.

Locker Room

Nathan had shoved Lucas up against the locker room wall, evoking both fear and hatred in Lucas' eyes.

"Don't EVER touch her again! Got it?" Nathan spat out, his anger slowly but surely getting the better of him.

"Me? I'm her best friend! I'm looking out for her – you're the one who's going to hurt her!" As the pain of possibly hurting Haley surged through his body, Nathan swung at Lucas with all the force he could muster. Before any more punches could be thrown in, Jake and Tim had held the two seething Scotts apart.

"Fine! You want it that way? Tonight's match, the highest scorer out of us two gets Haley. Understand?" Nathan managed to say. Lucas simply nodded in response.

As they filed in single line Nathan pulled Lucas back and looked into eyes that were so much like his own and said,

"What you did to Haley was despicable – don't expect to be forgiven."

Basketball Game

"Scott for the game!" The commentator shouted. Silence swept over the entire basketball court as Nathan stood poised to shoot. He flicked his wrists and watched ball fall effortlessly through the net as the crowed exploded with cheers. He stole a quick glance towards his brother, who was walking dejectedly off the court, before brushing past his dad and letting Haley jump into his arms. This public display of affection caught many people off guard. They hadn't expected their resident bad boy to fall for the charms of Tree Hill's very own 'Tutor-Girl'. Many residents were unhappy about this sudden relationship but others, like Karen and Deb were supportive of the couple. However, no-one in the small town harboured such hatred for Nathan's relationship with Haley as Dan did. Livid with his son's choice, he followed Haley outside when Nathan went to change.

"Well if it isn't Little Miss. Perfect of the year." Dan spoke evenly, a smirk plastered over his face. Haley whirled around at the sound of his voice.

"What do you want?" She snapped back.

"What I want is for you to stay away from my boy." He replied, amused by her feisty behaviour.

"I'll stay away from him when he tells me to." Haley quipped.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She gave him a pointed look and raised her eyebrows,

"Perfectly."

"Alright. If you want it that way. But we wouldn't want anything to happen to Nathan or Lucas for that matter now would we?" HE sneered, turning around, smirking as he walked off. Haley had to act quickly; there was no telling what he would do if she didn't.

"What are you planning Dan?" Haley asked, panic evident in her voice. He halted, his back still to her.

"What's the fun in telling you? You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" She couldn't possibly live with the guilt knowing he could something to either of his sons. She loved Nathan too much and as for Lucas… She still hadn't forgiven him but she knew in her heart that she still loved Lucas like her older brother.

"Fine – I'll leave him." Upon hearing these words part from Haley's quivering lips, Dan plastered a smug look on his face and ambled off into the distance as Haley crumbled to the floor, trying to contain her emotions. She heard Dan stop and say,

"Make sure he doesn't know the real reason as to why you're breaking up with him – or you'll have Hell to pay." She had to leave him, it was for his own good – but would he see it like that? Haley walked home alone, trying helplessly to nurse her broken heart.

The next morning Haley awoke to the sound of her door banging incessantly. She saw the broken cell phone on the floor and recollected last night's previous events. Nathan had been calling her continuously, wanting to know where she was but she couldn't pick up – it would break her so she flung the phone across the room collapsing onto her bed crying herself to sleep. Her parents weren't home and so she had to drag herself to the door. She should have guessed who was at the door for when she opened it, she came face to face with Nathan Scott – the man she loved with all her heart, the man she couldn't be with. She brushed the few tears that had collected in her eyes at the sight of him and pushed his chest.

"Go Nathan. Go away." She stated.

"What? Why Haley?" Nathan asked, bewildered by her sudden change in behaviour.

"Just GO!" She screamed punching his chest with her small fists. "Leave me alone! It'll be easier for everyone!" She cried helplessly. But Nathan wouldn't leave without an explanation so he pulled her into his strong arms and let her weep slowly into his chest. Finally, the crying stopped and he heard her whisper,

"We can't do this. Please don't make me explain, I don't think I'll be able to take it. Just please have faith, if we're meant to be, then somehow we'll find our way back." She wrangled out of his grasp, which had tightened considerably and said,

"I'll always love you Nathan. Always and Forever. I'll never love anyone like I do you – you'll always hold a special place in my heart – Always and Forever." And with that, she turned around and walked into her house, leaving a speechless Nathan behind.

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