Chapter Eleven

Haley was surprised by Nathan's suggestion. "You mean leave? But it's your party."

"Haley, all your friends noticed you were missing faster than anyone realized I was gone. Trust me; no one's going to miss me."

"But it's your birthday; you should spend time with your friends and –"

"Actually, I should get to spend time with whoever I want to spend time with, right?"

"Right."

"And I want to spend time with you. And we're not going anywhere far away – just out of here; I don't think I can stand anymore interruptions."

Haley grinned. "Okay, then."

Nathan grinned back at her and started to lead her by the hand.

"Where are we going?"

"My room."

Haley stopped in her tracks. "Your room? You don't, by any chance, mean your play station room, do you? Or your TV room?"

Nathan looked puzzled. "The TV is in the main living room, but the party is there. And the play station is in my bedroom."

"Your bedroom," Haley repeated, hesitantly.

"Well, yeah. No one else uses it."

"Right. Of course not."

"Is it okay if we go to my bedroom, Haley?"

"What? Of course it is. Why would you think it wouldn't be?"

"You've gotten nervous again."

"Who me? No," Haley tried to dismiss it with a wave of her hand, but was rather unsuccessful.

"You know, we don't have to go there if you don't want. We could go back to the beach or something."

"No, no, that's not necessary. I mean, I've been to a boy's room before."

Nathan smirked. "Aside from Lucas'?"

"Yes!"

"Your brothers don't count, Haley."

"Oh. Hmm."

"If it makes you feel any better this isn't really my room. It's just my room when we stay at the beach house."

"I know. It's not big deal. I'm cool."

Nathan chuckled. "Haley, just because we're going to my room it doesn't mean we're going to do anything. We can just talk."

"I know that."

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"You don't make me uncomfortable," she said, honestly.

"We can just as easily go somewhere else and talk."

"No, I want to go to your room."

"You do?"

Haley nodded, convincingly. "Yeah. We're just going to talk and…hang out without everyone disturbing us all the time."

"Exactly."

"Okay. Besides, just because I like you I'm not, like, going to jump into bed with you."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't think you would. So…" Nathan planted a kiss on the top of Haley's head, "do you trust me?"

Haley glanced up and looked into his eyes. "Yeah. I trust you."

"Then, follow me."

She did. From the pool and back into the house, where she had been standing with Lucas, Brooke, Peyton and Jake, all of whom were now somewhere else; past all the strange looks and second glances at the sight of Nathan holding her hand, she followed him.

But, at the bottom of the staircase, she stopped.

Nathan turned back and looked at her. "Haley?"

"Everyone can see us," she whispered.

"Yeah…"

"So they'll think that we're going to…you know…what everyone else does…"

"They'll think whatever they want to think; we know the truth, our friends will. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

"Well…um…"

Nathan sighed.

"I'm sorry. I do want to be alone with you, it's just I know the things they'll say to me at school and I've been picked on by Rachel and her friends enough to last me a lifetime; I don't want to go about giving her more ammunition."

"Rachel picks on you?"

Haley's face fell. "You're friends with her?"

"No, not friends," Nathan corrected. "I just know her a little, that's all. What does she do to you?"

"Just typical stuff."

"Like?"

"Like she makes fun of my clothes or me tutoring, you know." Haley shrugged. "I'm used to it by now, it doesn't really matter; I just don't want it to get worse."

"It does matter. She shouldn't do that."

Haley smiled. "She's Rachel Gattina; she does what she wants."

Nathan frowned and pulled Haley close so he could wrap his arms around her. "Well she's not going to anymore."

"Oh, you're going to stop her, are you?"

"Yes."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Haley asked, amused.

"I'll think of something. And, there is nothing wrong with the clothes you wear and I think it's great that you tutor. Not a lot of people would give up their time to help someone when they don't get anything out of it, but you don't care about that. It's one of the things that I like about you."

Haley grinned up at him. "Thanks." Nathan pressed a soft kiss to her lips and Haley grinned even wider despite her embarrassment that everyone could see.

"Well, then. Shall we?"