The Search for Who He Was, and Is

By Emily Carol

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, just the CDs and DVDs and my obsession with James Lafferty.

I had this written already before break but just got around to revising it. Life's hectic (what else is new?) so I don't know how long it'll take me to get out a new chapter that's decently written but I'll try to make time.

Enjoy!

-Emily Carol

Chapter 5: Conniving Plans

"So friend, what are your plans for lunch?" Brooke asked, coming up next to Nathan in the hall.

"I'm supposed to go see my guidance counselor," Nathan said. Winter break was approaching rapidly. Thanksgiving Break had just finished and Nathan had spent Thanksgiving with Cooper and Deb in Charlotte. He'd been happy to see the two of them but it had been a pretty depressing holiday as he knew it might be their last Thanksgiving together. Just two and a half weeks were left until Winter Break, which meant finals were also coming up.

"Ooo, whaddya do?" Brooke asked. Nathan just shrugged in reply.

"Fine, be like that," Brooke said teasingly. "I'm off to lunch." And with that she turned abruptly to the left and through a crowd into the lunch room. Nathan had learned in the past month and a half that Brooke was good about making herself disappear and did it often. Especially since Nathan had told her about how he thought she was crazy for disappearing on him that first day he'd met her.

"Take a seat Nathan," Mrs. Pierce the guidance counselor said as Nathan entered her office. Nathan smiled nervously, still unsure of why he was there, and sat down across from her. "Now, I know you just transferred here to Tree Hill High in the last month or two, but even with that time to try and catch up, your teachers are reporting that you're still struggling in class."

"Sorry, I've been kind of preoccupied," Nathan said. "With the move and everything, I promise to try harder."

"Well, I also obtained your transcript from your last high school, Grove, and it seems you didn't exactly excel there either," Mrs. Pierce pointed out in her high-and-mighty counselor voice.

"Look, books aren't my strong point," Nathan reasoned. "I'm better with athletics."

"Well at this rate, you won't be eligible for basketball," Mrs. Pierce explained.

"I'm not doing that bad," Nathan said. "Am I?"

"You have Ds in English and geometry, a C in chemistry and you have an F in American history," Mrs. Pierce said, reading from his current transcript. "The only class you have managed an A in is physical education. You're lucky you have a study hall, otherwise your GPA might be even lower if your ability in your other classes is any indication."

"Wow," Nathan breathed. He knew he was behind, but he didn't know how much. He'd tried to catch up those first few weeks but most of his concern lay in how Deb was doing and basketball. School had just been something else going on.

"Now," Mrs. Pierce continued, "I think you will be eligible if you can manage a B on all of your finals –" Nathan cut her off.

"I'm not eligible now?" He asked.

"Well, you're borderline," Mrs. Pierce said. "You're being watched closely to make sure you don't fall farther behind."

"I'm being watched?"

"Not in any stalker sort of way," Mrs. Pierce explained. "Your teachers have been reporting your grades to Coach Durham and he requested I find you a tutor."

"A tutor?"

"Yes, that way you will be able to study for your finals and do well on them," Mrs. Pierce said.

"But what about basketball practice?" Nathan asked. "I can't miss practice to be tutored."

"Well one of our tutors is also involved in an extracurricular so she'll be assigned to you. Then you two can meet up after practices," Mrs. Pierce said, reaching for a pad of paper. "Here's her name and the room number of the tutor center, she should be in there right now and you two can arrange a schedule."

Nathan thanked Mrs. Pierce and walked out of her office, reading the sheet of paper he'd been handed.

Haley James

Room 104

Why did that name sound so familiar? Nathan just shrugged it off and headed towards room 104.

Haley was in the tutor center studying for her own finals. Mrs. Pierce had asked her to be there for a new student so that Haley could help him but he hadn't shown up yet. She was missing lunch with Lucas and Peyton but honestly, she didn't mind. It was hard to study in the lunch room and she always freaked out if she didn't get enough done. Suddenly, the door of the deserted tutor center opened and somebody walked in. Haley looked up when she heard footsteps and found herself face to face with Nathan Lee.

Haley hadn't really met Nathan yet; she'd been pretty bitchy to him that one time in the hall, before she even knew who he was. Now all she knew about him was what she heard Lucas say, how he was trying to steal Lucas's team and that he just ignored the rest of the team. She'd also figured out he'd become friends with Brooke Davis. Other than that, Haley just sort of left him alone and just nodded her head when Lucas began to go off about him.

"I'm looking for Haley James," Nathan said.

"That's me," she replied.

Nathan hadn't remembered Haley's last name. Brooke may have mentioned it once and she was in his American history class but he just hadn't figured it out. He didn't feel like he had to.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't think," Nathan stammered. Haley James was a cheerleader, and Nathan's experience with cheerleaders normally confirmed the stereotype that they were all dumb and ditzy. Even thought Brooke was his best friend, he had to admit that she wasn't the sharpest person around.

"That I was smart?" Haley replied, her voice dripping with resentment. "Surprise." She loathed that stereotype of the dumb and ditzy cheerleaders. It was made worse by the fact that most of her squad fell under it as well.

"Well I guess you're my tutor," Nathan said, walked across the tutor center and going to sit down at the same table. He chose not to confirm that he had always thought she was just some dumb cheerleader.

"No way," Haley said firmly.

"What?"

"You're trying to steal the basketball team from by best friend and you act like you're better than everybody else," Haley said. "You don't even talk to other people besides Brooke. I've heard you basically ignore the basketball team. If you're so high and mighty you can study for your finals yourself and I'm sure you'll be just fine." With that she gathered her books and was ready to walk out before turning to a dumbstruck Nathan. "Now please leave because I have to lock up behind us until after school tutoring starts."

Without a word Nathan walked out and headed back to the cafeteria. Haley waited a few minutes before locking up and heading in the same direction.

"You will not believe what Mrs. Pierce just tried to do to me," Haley said, sitting down next to Peyton in the lunch room. "Where's Lucas?"

"He decided to work out during lunch," Peyton said. Every once and a while Lucas would eat quickly and then run off and work out with one of the gym classes. Haley nodded. "So what did Mrs. Pierce do?"

"Tried to have me tutor Nathan Lee," Haley said.

"Oh my God, tragedy, I mean, what would happen if you tutored someone?" Peyton said, putting on a fake dramatic front.

"Come on Peyton," Haley said. "You've heard what Lucas says about him. He's trying to take over the team and be the star. He's trying to take Lucas's place as the star player."

"That's because Lucas is pretty self-centered," Peyton said. "He gets it from Dan."

"Still, he's our friend."

"But still, Mrs. Pierce asked you to do this," Peyton said. "Besides, you could have some fun with it."

"How?"

"You're his tutor, you could totally just mess with him," Peyton said. "Be mean to him and make him do lots of work. Could be some fun. Plus, Brooke totally seems to be falling for him and it would just screw with her to have you be his tutor."

"Yeah, I guess it could," Haley said. "Plus maybe I could find out some stuff about him for Lucas to use against him or something."

"See," Peyton said. "There's the conniving bitch I like to call my friend."

Haley laughed, "Yeah, okay. I guess I'll do it."

The bell rang and they were dismissed. Peyton headed off to art class while Haley went to her American history class.

"Okay class, settled down," the American history teacher Mr. Reeve quieted his class. "I'm getting sick of all of you talking so we're moving to a new seating chart, an alphabetical one."

The class groaned, all getting up from their tables. Instead of desks Mr. Reeve had tables where he seated three or four students. He began to read down the roll call from the top, pointing to seats at the separate tables. Haley stopped paying attention until he reached closer to her name.

"Haley James and Nathan Lee," Mr. Reeve finished off one of the tables.

Nathan groaned to himself. He didn't want to sit with a self-centered bitch. According to Brooke, that was apparently exactly what Haley was. He sat down and began to read his American history book just so he wouldn't have to pay any attention to her. But few seconds later a hand closed his book for him.

"Listen," Haley said. "I thought about it and I guess I'll tutor you."

"What?"

"Mrs. Pierce told me it was my responsibility as coordinator of the tutor center and the only one who stays behind after extracurricular activities end. I have openings for Wednesdays after practice or Fridays before school, what do you want?" Haley said bluntly.

"Both?" Nathan asked. Haley gave him a strange look. "Have you seen my grades?" Haley shook her head. "Well I need all the help I can get."

"Well what are you getting in here?" Haley asked.

"An F," Nathan said.

Haley sighed, "Well I guess I've got my work cut out for me. I'll see you after practice in two days." Nathan just nodded as Mr. Reeve began class.

"Wait, so you're ineligible for basketball?" Brooke shrieked. It was after school and both were on their way to the gym for practice.

"Not yet," Nathan said. "I've got a tutor now to get me through my finals."

"Ooo, some bookworm freak that gets to act that you're just some dumb jock? Maybe I should tag along, just for some amusement," Brooke teased.

"Actually, Haley James is my tutor," Nathan said.

"What?" Brooke screeched. "You're going to work with that conniving bitch?"

"I have no choice," Nathan said. "She's the only tutor that stays behind after extracurricular stuff."

"And she agreed to it?"

"Reluctantly," Nathan said. "I didn't even know she was smart."

"Oh, she is," Brooke said. "Top of the class, acts like everybody is below her because of it. Hates the cheerleaders since we're not that smart and she thinks we're just 'adding to the stereotype'." Brooke paused for a moment. "I have an idea!" She shrieked.

"Wow, I think I just saw the light bulb light up," Nathan teased.

"You're real nice," Brooke retaliated.

"I'm kidding," Nathan replied. "Now, what's your idea?"

"What if you're super nice to her?"

"Haley?" Nathan confirmed. "You want me to be super nice to Haley, the girl you just referred to as 'that conniving bitch'? That Haley? 'Cause I'd expect you to want me to be horribly mean to her."

"Yes," Brooke replied. "Just think about it, you're really nice to her and she can't be mean to you anymore. So Lucas finds out about her being nice and he gets pissed and they stop being friends and I've broken up the fearsome threesome!" Brooke jumped up and down as she reached the end of her tirade.

"I think that is the craziest idea ever."

"Come on Nathan," Brooke whined. "I'm your only friend, just do this one for me."

"Fine," Nathan replied. "Now come on, we're both going to be late for practice."

Nathan rushed out of the basketball locker room as he usually did. He was always the first one on the floor and the first one out of the locker room after practice. It basically meant that he didn't have to try and talk to any of the team then. He'd been in Tree Hill for almost two months and the team still hated him. Well, mainly Lucas still hated him.

"Nathan," a semi-familiar voice called down the hall. Nathan turned around, only to be met with his father, Dan.

"Mr. Scott," Nathan said stiffly. He continued standing where he was. Dan took a few long strides and was suddenly next to Nathan.

"Listen, great playing those last couple of games," Dan said, almost kindly.

"What do you want?"

"What? An interested spectator can't talk to one of the basketball players?" Dan defended himself.

"What do you want?" Nathan restated. Nathan wasn't normally a hostile person, but the fact that Dan had any notion of talking to him after what he'd done when Nathan had first gotten to Tree Hill made him hostile.

"I was wrong," Dan said, forcing the words out. Nathan looked at him in shock but didn't say anything. "You must be my son. I saw you play and you're as talented as I was back then. But here's the deal. My wife, she doesn't know about your mother and I'd like to keep it that way. So I'll pay child support to your mother secretly. Just give me an address and then you can go back and she'll receive a check in the mail once a month. I'll make it generous. Just go back."

"No."

"What? I'm giving your ungrateful mother child support. I don't know if you realize how much money my family has, but I can keep you and your mother very comfortable, away from me," Dan began to get angry.

"I didn't come here for money," Nathan stated plainly. And with that he walked out of the building and towards Keith's apartment leaving behind a shocked and angry Dan Scott.