Chapter 7- Unexpected Reunions

Nathan awoke in his old bed, in his old room, in a pretty good mood. Back in LA, even approaching him before eleven would be writing your own death sentence. He wasn't normally a morning person. But maybe being home made him a little happier? He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it made him feel something that he hadn't felt in a long time.

He took a quick shower, pulled on a t-shirt and shorts and headed into the kitchen.

"Morning Nate." Dan greeted him.

"Hey, Dad."

"So what are you up to this morning?"

"Not sure?"

"Well, Lucas and Jake called. They invited you to play at the Rivercourt with them. He said Mouth and Skills are in for the wedding and they needed a fourth or something."

"Sounds good." He said grabbing a bagel and the car keys.

Lucas, Jake, Mouth, and Skills were sitting on the bleachers drinking coffee when Nathan arrived.

"Why do I feel like I am forgetting something?' Lucas wonders aloud.

"Did you tell Brooke we were here?" Jake questions.

"Yeah... I did that. You told Peyton right?"

"Of course, she was taking Jenny to her check-up."

It dawned on both of them as they yelled "Haley!" simultaneously, running toward the car, leaving the other three to fun after them. They got in and sped out of the parking lot.

"Yo, clue us in. What's up with Haley?" Skills prompted.

"Nothings wrong, just she has to work, and Peyton was gonna babysit Meg, but Jenny had a check-up so we volunteered. And now Haley is going to explode in a lecture of how irresponsible we are, and that we are 23 and we should start acting like it. Lucas snorts at how right Jake is. They pulled up to Haley's house at about noon. They all got out because Skills and Mouth begged to see her.

"I get it! I get it! I get it! I get it!" Megan squealed running down the stairs toward the door, but Taylor was there first.

"Taylor?" Luke asked both puzzled and surprised.

"Hey Luke. Guys." She nodded at them. "Im sorry Haley is drunk right now and can't come to the door right now."

"Huh?" Megan asked

"Shut up Taylor! Go put your bags in your room." Haley's voice sounded from the hallway.

"You never let me have any harmless fun!" She pouted as she left.

Haley rolled her eyes, smiling at the shocked looks on the men's faces.

"Mommy, you drunk?" Megan asked confused.

"No baby, how about you go help Aunt Taylor and make sure she doesn't break anything.

"Okay!"

"Hey guys. Come one in, I just need to finish the dishes."

"But won't you be late?"

"Nah. I told you the wrong time so you'd be here. I know better than to trust you guys to be here on time?"

"Can't Taylor babysit Megan?" Nathan asked.

Haley looked like he'd asked her to kill her or something, and the boy's faces mirrored hers.

"Hurricane Taylor man? What? The NBA make you go fucking crazy? What you on dude?" Skills asked dead serious.

Lucas just shook his head at him, now trying to divert Haley from ripping his head off.

"When did she get here?" He asked.

"She showed up last night."

"How long is she staying?" Mouth asked.

"Not a clue. Hopefully not long." She groaned, closing the dishwasher and drying her hands off.

"Right. So this tutoring thing, where is it and when will you be home?" Luke asked protectively.

"Uh.. The tutoring center, and about four. I don't really know all the details, but I imagine they'll tell me today." She said moving out of the kitchen, back toward the front door, they followed her. "Baby! Mommy's leaving!" She called up the stairs.

"Wait!" She wailed running down the stairs and wrapping her arms around her mother's middle.

"What?" She asked shocked at her daughters actions.

"Can Uncle Luke take me to get ouce creme? Puh-lease?" She begged.

"I knew you wanted something! But that's up to him, and remember 'No.' Means no."

"But 'Yes' means a very happy me!" She smiled innocently at Lucas.

Haley laughed as if to say 'Good Luck' and kissed the top of Megan's head.

"Bye." She said laughing as she opened the door.

"Bye, mommy."

"Remember: No Taylor!" She added closing the door behind her.

"So I guess you are stuck with us men today, kid." Skills said giving her a high five.

"Right. So ouce creme time?"

"How can I resist with that look?" Lucas replied. "Come on guys, looks like our game is postponed for a ice creme break."

An 'Ill be' Ringer goes off and Lucas answers it as he pulls out of Haley's driveway.

"Hey, beautiful." 'Ew!'s echo throughout the car.

"We are going to get some ice creme. Yes, Cheery, I did remember to pick her up."

"-At like four"

"-Sounds perfect, have fun."

"-Love you more! Bye Babe."

"Ew! Mushy! Yuck!" Megan groans, they all laugh at her immaturity.

They get the ice creme and head back to the Rivercourt. Jake's call rings : Jimmy Eat World's 'May Angels Lead You In.'

"Hey Peyt, how was the check-up?"

"-Good. But since she's underweight, we are feeding her pizza!"

"-So! Two pounds underweight is still two pounds!"

"-Yeah, whatever." He says sarcastically.

"-Rivercourt. No we can handle Meg, you go hang with Brooke."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Geez! Is that all you boys do!" She said giggling.

The next few hours flew by. Mouth and Megan hit it off pretty well, Megan liked to tease the boys who were playing, and Mouth was right there with her. She was playing Horse with them when Haley got there. Brooke, Peyton, and Jenny pulled up at the same time as her. They sat down on the bleachers watching the guys rotate holding Megan and Jenny up to score, and miss, pretending that the girls were winning.

"It's just like High School huh?"

"No, not all of High School, just Senior Year. Plus one more kid." Haley stated.

"And minus Timmy, Junk, Erica, Theresa, and Bevon."

"Whatever happened to them?" Mouth asked smiling, as he walked toward them.

"Mouth! Oh my gosh! So totally super to see you." Brooke squealed hugging him. Peyton said Hi over Brooke's shoulder and he smiled in response.

"Good to see you too, Brooke."

"Hey! Hands off the fiancé!" Lucas calls.

"Plus one engaged couple!" Haley says, getting laughs from Peyton and Brooke, and confused looks from the guys, who came and sat by them.

"So! Tutormom! Oh shut up! You know you love that name." She says in response to Haley's groans. "What do you think? Jenny and Megan...Cheerleaders?"

"Uhh..."

"NO!" Lucas, Jake, and Nathan shout.

"Do you realize that you all dated a cheerleader in High School right? Some are engaged or living with said cheerleader?" Brooke said pointing out the obvious.

"Baby, how did you get into that party that you lost your virginity at?"

"Because I was a varsity cheerl- oh! I get it!"

"Right."

"But I wasnt asking you three, I was asking Haley."

"I don't know. If that's what they wanted to do, I guess I wouldn't stop them or anything."

"Please tell me you did not just say that!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Oh! Isn't that cute! Hot Shot wants to be protective! You're about 5 years too late for that one, buddy." Brooke snapped sarcastically at him.

"Brooke!.." Haley said in a motherly tone. Brooke glared at Nathan, who looked hurt.

"I agree Haley. I don't give a damn what they want to be, as long as they are happy doing it. Ya know?" Peyton said trying to break the tension.

"Thanks Peyton!"

"Anyways! What did ever happen to Tim?" Mouth asks.

"I hear he just got back from Ann Arbor." said a voice behind them.

"Timmy!" Brooke squealed. "What are you doing here?"

"Not really sure. After playing for U of M I couldn't decide on what I wanted to be. So I came home, besides I missed my ladies back in Tree Hill and having my parents money."

"Seems everyone that lived here comes back. I think it's a freaking curse! Like Haha! All you ever wanted was to leave and yet everyone seems to come back." Peyton says.

"That's for damn sure!" Tim said as Nathan and him did their handshake/hug. "So! What do you girls think? Nate and me vs. you three." Tim said smugly toward Luke, Skills, and Jake.

"Woah! Like total High School flashback! Oh! I shot gun being cheerleader! Damn! I wish I had my pon- poms!" Brooke exclaimed.

"I know, right?"

"Crank up the music!" Skills said to Jake, who was turning on the radio and played "Lets get it started."

"Whew! Anybody got beer?" Brooke asked.

The night went by quickly, in a blur of cheers, taunts, baskets, talking, dancing, and laughing. A perfect summer night in Tree Hill.

"Mommy, we are hungry." Megan and Jenny pleaded to Haley

"Oh! Brookie has an idea!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, god!" Nathan said rolling his eyes.

'Shut up wanna-be dad! We should go to Tric! We haven't been there in forever!"

"Sure. Is that okay with you baby?" Haley asked Megan. She nodded.

They all arrive at Tric and sit down together, and order drinks and food.

"Alright tutorgirl! Screwdriver for you!"

"Ah, no! I think ill stick to Coke, thanks!"

"Oh, come on Haley! You haven't gotten drunk since like, before you were preggers! Do you know how wrong that is? You are 23 years old! Its legal!"

"I know its legal Brooke, but hangovers don't go well with a screaming four year old!"

"Excuses, Excuses!" Brooke said frustrated. "But you are getting drunk at my wedding, Haley! And don't give me that Megan crap because Karen already told you she'd would watch her after the reception."

"Whatever Brooke."

"Let's go dance, broody. I give up on tutormom."

They left the table and went to the dance floor, joined shortly by Peyton and Jake.

"So Haley. Whatca been up to since I saw you last?" Skills asked.

"Ah, that was last summer right? So nothings really changed, or at least you knew what was changing, except I got pregnant had eight kids and dumped him at the alter. You know me!" Haley joked.

"Oh, thats a good story, and by the way, you still suck at lying!"

"Haley? Does Erica still live here?" Mouth asked urgently, attracting the attention of Nathan and Skills.

"You still hung up on her, man your pathetic!" Skills exclaimed agitated.

"I loved her, and it wasn't my fault we broke up!" He defended.

"Then you shouldn't have chosen to go to Syracuse when you could've gone to Duke with her, you moron!" Nathan glanced at Haley, seeing the relationship, to what had happened between them, but she didn't notice.

"Yeah, I know! Geez! So does she? Huh Haley?"

"Yes, she does. I am pretty sure she is coming to the wedding." Haley said giggling at how nervous Mouth seemed.

Mouth looked down into his water and smiled, he couldn't wait to see her.

"Haley! Did you know Taylor is here?" Tim asked exasperated.

"In Tric?" He nodded. "No, but it doesn't surprise me."

"Dude! Taylor wants me bad! I wonder how Haley could be related to her! Taylor is totally hot!" Tim whispered in between Nathan and Skills. Nathan wanted to punch him for his crack at Haley, and Skills just laughed at him.

"So do you realize that Lucas is the first of our little clique to get married? I thought Mouth would before him." Skills said, pulling Nathan from his urge to kill Tim.

"Well, technically I was first." Haley said

"Yeah, but you don't count."

"And why not? And don't you dare say it's because I am a girl!"

"Because you are Haley! Damn, girl! If I hadn't known you so long, I would have married you!" And suddenly Nathan's urge to kill was back.

"Why does you knowing me for so long have anything to do with anything?"

"Cause I know you ain't close to perfect, and all the stupid shit you did when we were in like 3rd and 4th grade!" Haley snorted, he sounded just like Lucas, just more blunt.

"It wasn't stupid, it was fun!" She turned to Megan and Jenny, "You girls want to dance?"

"Yeah! This is my favorite song!" Jenny said hopping off the chair.

"Me too! ME too! Me too!" Megan shouted, following them.

"Yo Nate. What the Hell is up your ass?" Skills asked.

"Nothing." He shrugged.

"Oh, don't give me that 'Nothing' sht. Lucas did that too. You are jealous, aren't you?"

"Tell everyone I said Bye." He said, getting up and leaving abruptly. He ran toward his car and sped off. 'What the Hell! I'm not jealous! I have nothing to be jealous of!' He thought as he pulled up in front of his parents house. He walked through the front door, slamming it behind him.

"Nathan?" Deb's voice came from the kitchen. "We are going to have dinner. Would you like to join us?"

"I ate." He lied coldly. He realized there wasn't anything for him to do all night here, so he went back out to his car.

He drove around until he saw that the light was still on in the Café.

"Sorry we're closed." Karen said, turning around. "Oh, Nathan, come on in!"

"Thanks."

"Can I do something for you?"

"Yeah actually, I think you can."