The sun was brightly shining down on the small town. The temperature was probably 35 degrees. Thank goodness she didn't decide to wear a sweater today for the humidity was at an all time high. Jill was walking home from school; it wasn't too far away, 10 blocks or so. Her car was still in Charlotte but she didn't mind she loved walking. Besides she was able to observe the town better on foot. The last time she saw the town was at night and everything always looked different in the day. She still couldn't believe she was going to the same school as her bastard of an ex boyfriend and the first person she happened to meet was his friend. This town was indeed small she concluded. She knew she shouldn't be surprised but she couldn't help but think she had the worst luck in the world. She was skidding the pavement with her flip-flops as she walked because she was too lazy to pick up her feet. She was tired, and that was a good enough reason to act slobby. She had a little less than a block more before she reached her street but was in no hurry. The architecture of the houses was so exquisite she couldn't help but stare at them all. They looked eerie yes, but it wasn't behind the walls she was concentrating on, it was the whole exterior structure of the houses. She loved architecture and hoped to graduate university with a masters in it. She had a knack for designing and she was pretty good with tools.

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Nathan had driven home from school as always. Dan had bought him a new car for senior year. It was probably a bribe but Nathan took it nonetheless. He put his old beat up civic to rest and kept it in the garage, it had broken down on him when he was driving home from High Flyers. He was sitting in his driveway. His house was air-conditioned but he felt like fresh air would do him some good, plus Dan was home and he didn't exactly want to interact with the fellow. He was glad the teachers never assigned work because he wasn't ready to hit the books. Staring at the street he saw her walking. He knew she saw him for they were looking right at each other. Nathan got up from his stoop and walked towards her, hurrying a little afraid she'd run off again.

"Hey."

"Hey."

She kept walking and Nathan followed by her side. There was an awkward silence between the two for a good minute.

Finally, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"You know, yelling at you and calling you one of them. I was mad at Vegas and I lashed out at you and I shouldn't have. You were only trying to help."

"It's cool."

"No it's not. I can understand if you don't want to speak to me ever again."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I acted like some crazed lunatic in front of you and the whole school."

"So?"

"I'm such an embarrassment."

"No you're not, you were upset and you had every right to express whatever you felt."

"Everyone probably thinks I'm a drama queen."

"Oh well who cares what they think."

He was making a point and she knew she never cared what other people thought before, why start now.

"You know you're right. Let everyone think I'm a drama queen I don't care."

Both laughed. They had reached her house and were standing in front of her driveway. Her house was pretty big but all the houses in the neighbourhood were so it wasn't a big thing.

"Is this your house?" Nathan eyed the house in front of him.

"Yup."

"I don't think I've ever seen it before."

She shrugged her shoulders; "It's new I think. My mom doesn't like old houses."

She turned her key in the keyhole and pushed the door open revealing the inside.

"Uhhh someone totally needs to do an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on your house," Nathan joked looking around the empty house consisting only of a couple of boxes.

Jill gave him a look.

"Hey we just moved here."

Nathan laughed, "Alright fair enough."

He was standing at the doorway not exactly entering the house.

"Uhh aren't you going to come in?"

"Umm yeah...is your dad..." he was searching the house for the older figure.

"Home? No, he left for Charlotte after school."

Nathan gave her a look of confusion.

"My dad's the principal of three other school's in Charlotte. Since he has an outstanding track record they appointed him Tree Hill High as well. He and my mom will be in Charlotte during the week but on weekends they'll be here."

"Oh okay. Isn't it creepy being all alone in a new place?"

"Now that you brought it up, it is. Nathan how could you?"

He laughed as she punched his shoulder, "What? I'm just saying."

"Well stop you're making me scared," she was whining now.

Still laughing, "Okay okay I'm sorry. I take it back."

"Okay good cause if you didn't I would have made you sleep here tonight."

"I wouldn't mind." Deep inside he was sort of hoping she'd say yes but she just grinned.

"You want something to drink?"

"Yeah if you have seeing as your house is empty your fridge must be too."

"Just to let you know smartass, of course I have food and drinks in my..." she walked over to her fridge and opened it, "Umm on second thought."

Nathan laughed, "You don't have anything in there do you?"

She shook her head and laughed.

"I told you."

"Well don't you feel so proud that you're right?"

"Yes I do," he was pronouncing every word to a tee.

She scoffed playfully and grabbed a pillow from a nearby box and hit him with it.

"Did you just hit me with a pillow?"

Giggling uncontrollably she managed to get out a, "So what if I did?"

"You're lucky you're a girl and that I don't have a pillow too cause there would've been a major pillow fight right now and I would've won."

"Oh yeah?" she giggled still hitting him with the pillow, "I better take advantage of it now then."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh at the girl who was filled with anger earlier at school. She had obviously cooled down and was now in a playful mood. He enjoyed it quite a bit but not as much as he enjoyed the mastermind plan he was thinking up. He was waiting for the right time to strike. Wait wait wait NOW, he grabbed the pillow from her hands and held it up far above his head. He was tall, 6 foot 1 to be exact.

"What are you going to do now? He laughed as she looked up to see the pillow she couldn't reach.

She shrugged, turned around, and began to walk away. Nathan still in his position was left perplexed. Did he get her angry again? What did he do? Suddenly she turned around and smiled, next thing he knew she was charging in his direction and within seconds she tackled him sending both of them plummeting to the hardwood floor. At this point both were laughing uncontrollably on the ground.

"Damn girl, that was one hell of a tackle."

She smiled as she grabbed the pillow from him and placed it under her head. Both were still catching their breath. Finally after a couple of minutes it died down.

"So you're the girl Vegas was going out with?"

"Unfortunately, why?"

"Nothing. He just said you were wild and you guys had mad crazy sex."

Jill was shocked and a bit mad, "What? Oh my god what a dumbass."

"Are you saying you guys didn't?"

"Heck yeah we didn't. I mean there were times he tried but I refused."

"How come?"

"I'm not down with that kind of stuff."

"Are you saying you're still a virgin?"

"Yes I am."

"You saving it for marriage?"

"Yeah, no, I don't know. I just know I'll do it when it's right and if that means waiting until marriage then I guess that's what I'll do."

"That's cool."

"Yeah pretty much. What about you?"

"I was married at the age of sixteen what do you think?"

She laughed.

"Yeah that's a big one. You must've loved her."

"Yeah I did," Nathan fell silent. Everything was cool between him and Haley now but whenever he thought about it he still felt pain.

"It's okay you don't have to say more. You told me the story at the River Court. I understand."

Nathan nodded and pulled himself up off the ground.

"Well I better go. I promised my mom we'd have dinner together."

"Aww a mama's boy."

Nathan smirked, "Yeah just recently. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded.

"Oh and don't forget to lock your doors, you are after all here by yourself," he laughed as he headed for the door.

Jill Scoffed, "Ugghh Nathan!"

"I'm kidding, see you later," and with that he left leaving her behind.

Jill got up from the floor momentarily and decided to eat dinner herself but remembered her fridge was empty.

"I guess I'll have to eat out tonight."

She grabbed her bag and left her house as well.