Chapter 6: It was there that I realized…

Here is the next chapter! Hope you like it, 'cause I do. Nathan redeems himself a bit and there is some Naleyness. Enjoy! Please review, so many people read it but no one leaves their thoughts! Thanks :

Haley was walking down the hall for her next tutoring session with Nathan; it had been a day and a half since her morning with Lucas, and she had been contemplating what to do ever since. What Lucas revealed to her had horrified her. Not only did Nathan steal a girl from one of his best friends, but he drugged her too, not to mention the fact that he beat up poor Mouth. Haley however, was a optimistic person, she believes in the good in everyone, even when they themselves can't see it.

She had arrived at the tutoring center and was placing her books on the table when Nathan walked in. Haley looked up to his icy blue eyes staring down at her. 'This can't be the face of someone who would drug a girl.'

"Hey Haley," Nathan said, sitting down across from her.

"Nathan," she replied, a stern undertone to her voice.

"So, uh. We really didn't get to talk the other night on the phone, so I called again yesterday but I didn't pick up."

"Yeah, about that. Maybe you shouldn't call me," Haley stated. "Because I'm only your tutor, and who knows, I might not even be that anymore."

"What?" Nathan said shocked.

"Well, you know. After the little run in with me you and Tim, I told you that I would be looking for other tutors. I haven't been searching that hard, but I'm going to start up again."

"But Hales, why? I mean, our last session I told you how I felt, and I know you feel it too. You even said so. I thought things were getting better… ya know, between me and you," Nathan replied.

"Hales… see that brings me to my next point. Do you know who else calls me Hales? The i only /i other person. The sole reason why I ran out on you the other day?" she inquired.

"Uh….." Nathan tried to think.

"Alright I'll just tell you, Lucas," Haley stated looking at Nathan for some sort of reaction.

"Oh," Nathan replied, as that was all he could muster. Lucas hadn't really come up in a while. They played basketball together, but avoided each other the whole time so he kind of forgot about him.

"Yes, as in my best friend since I popped out of the womb, and your ex-best friend, because..." Haley began, but Nathan cut her off.

"Uh oh," Nathan stated. "I'm guessing you found out, about what happened between me and Peyton?"

"Well yeah, and the fact that you drugged her to get her in bed. Which by the way is a pretty jackass move," Haley said, anger arousing in her voice. "Then to top that off, you beat up Mouth. I mean what the heck Nathan, Mouth? I know you guys like to rip on him but punching him out is pretty low."

"Wait, that's what Luke told you?" Nathan said.

"Uh yes, because that's what happened. And for the record, if I had known what happened between the two of you last summer when you asked for my tutoring help then we wouldn't be here right now," Haley stated. "I almost lost my friendship to Lucas when he found out I was tutoring you, and now I can see why. You screwed him over pretty bad, and that's why after today I'm no longer your tutor. You'll still have session though, in the next two days I'll find someone else."

"But Hales," Nathan began.

"No let me finish. And it's for this reason we can't be together. Sure, I've developed feelings for you Nathan. It's kind of obvious, but no matter what my loyalty is to Lucas and what you did to him is unforgivable. I'm sorry. Oh yeah, don't call me Hales. Only my closest friends do, meaning Lucas. And me and you, we are definitely not friends, not after this."

"Haley, please. Let me explain," Nathan whimpered.

"There's nothing really to explain Nathan. You drugged a girl for Christ's sake. There is no redeeming yourself."

"No, that's what I'm trying to tell you. I didn't drug Peyton. I didn't even know their were drugs involved with this whole ordeal until you just said it two seconds ago. I thought Lucas had been holding this grudge because I kissed Peyton. I mean, he never officially told me why we weren't friends before. I tried calling him, but he just wrote me off. I haven't talked to him since that night at Tim's."

"Oh," Haley replied, "so, you didn't know some one gave Peyton the date rape drug?"

"No! God, Haley. I know I can be a creep sometimes, but do you really think I would drug someone?" Nathan said, hurt running across his face.

"Well, no. I mean, when Lucas said that I was in disbelief. He even said he couldn't believe you would stoop so low. I guess, I don't know, I just figured…" Haley said, trying to bring her thoughts together, feeling guilty for the hurt she had obvious placed upon Nathan.

"It seems that everyone 'just figured.' Tim 'just figured' I would want to put drugs in girls drinks in order to get some action; Mouth 'just figured' I was hooking up with Peyton; and Lucas 'just figured' I slipped her the drugs," Nathan stated, shrugging his shoulders. "Am I really that bad a guy that people see me as capable of those things?"

"No, your not, but hold on. What did you say about Tim?" Haley inquired.

" I said he just figured I'd want to drug…" Nathan began, his eyes lighting up. "I think I know who drugged Peyton."

"Nice one Sherlock," Haley stated. "But that doesn't explain how you got in bed with a drugged up Peyton."

"I was trying to help Lucas." Haley looked at him like he was crazy. "By hooking up with the girl he had been pining over?"

"Well, you see, that's not how I planned it. I was pretty wasted and I saw Peyton across the room sitting by her lonesome, Lucas had gone off, so I decided to walk over and kind of, well, boost Lucas' chances. I don't really remember what I said but I said something about him being a good guy but she just kind of scoffed, like she was mad at him or something."

"Okay…" Haley said, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Well, that's what I noticed she was like not looking to great so I walked her to a back bedroom so she could lay down. She got on the bed, and when I went to lean down to feel her head, you know, check if she had a fever, she well, uh, she kissed me. I tried to push her off but she kept going at it, that's when Mouth walked in. He got the wrong impression, told Lucas, and well, you know what happens from there."

"Wait, so you didn't purposely go after Peyton?" Haley questioned.

"No, Lucas was one of my best friends. I mean, some people see me as a player but I'm really not that bad. I may not have had such a good track record but I'm so out of that now. I'm so sick of people judging me and expecting stuff from me and I'm just… I wish I could just start over."

"Oh Nathan," Haley said sympathetically. "Don't worry about other people, worry about yourself… who you want to be. I have faith in you, and don't ever worry about me judging you, because I won't."

"Thanks Haley."

"No problem, and you know what you said about starting over? Well, you can, but I think you need to talk to some people first."

"People as in…" Nathan stated.

"People as in Lucas, tell him your side of the story. You don't want him going on his whole life thinking you're a horrible person. And Mouth, I think you might have overacted on him a wee to harsh."

"Uh, yeah. I'm not really proud of that. I mean, I know my friends don't treat him great, well aside from Luke, or at least when we and Luke were friends. Whatever, you know what I mean, I just, I never wanted to hurt him. I was just so angry and drunk and Mouth was my scapegoat at the time," Nathan said, looking at the ground not wanting to see the disappointment in Haley's eyes.

"Nathan, I know you are sorry. I can tell. But I'm not the person you should be telling this to."

"I know, Mouth is. I guess I should take care of that."

"Yeah, but I think you can wait till tomorrow. We still have to do some work, we've been chatting for the past hour."

"Right, so what's first… calculus?"

"Sure," Haley said, getting out her book.

"You know Haley, I do know my calculus. It says you plus me equals us." Haley couldn't help but blush, there as no denying her feelings.

"Nathan, you are such a jerk," she kidded, flashing him a smile.

"What you don't like my lines?" Nathan said, nudging his eyebrows up and down.

"Nathan, stop that!" Haley giggled. "And I never said that, just don't get to cocky. You haven't redeemed yourself yet, but you're doing pretty good. I came in here hating you, and right now… not so much."

"What is that… right now you like me?" Nathan said, obviously trying to get a rise out of Haley.

"Nathan, you can be such a narcassist sometimes, ya know that? And if you don't know what that is then look it up. I'm ending our session early today, but here is your homework…" Haley said, trying with all her might not to become red in the face as Nathan had intended.

"But you don't give homework, you help me with it."

"… your homework is to talk to Lucas and to Mouth. Do whatever it is you have to do to make it right, then come talk to me," Haley stated giving him a little smile.

"Is this a challenge?" Nathan asked, giving his famous smirk.

"No, it's more like a command." Haley stated. "I've reconsidered what I said earlier and I'm going to continue tutoring you now that I've heard your side of the story, but if you don't fix things with Lucas and apologize to Mouth by our next tutoring session then don't expect to see me waiting at the table for you. Got it?"

"Ay ay captain!" Nathan shouted.

"Don't get smart with me Scott," she said trying to be stern, it wasn't working as a blush swept over her face; Nathan just had that effect on her.

"Yes sir, but you know you like it James," Nathan said cockily.

"Whatever. Just remember, talk to Lucas, apologize to Mouth," Haley muttered as she walked out the door.

"Right," Nathan whispered to himself as he watched her escaping figure. "I guess it's time to start a revolution."

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